7. Protection of the Planet

From http://www.the99declaration.org/grievance_7_protection_of_the_planet

"Human greed, exponentially magnified by corporations partnered with corrupt governments, is destroying the only habitable planet known to humanity. Multinational corporations have purchased so much influence in Congress (and other governments in the world) that they can secure the passage or blockage of regulations to maximize profits and minimize conservation of the environment.
The evidence of climate change due to human activity can no longer be denied by rational people and species are becoming extinct at an alarming rate. Humans have caused the extinction of hundreds, if not thousands of species through over-harvesting, pollution, habitat destruction, overuse of pesticides and genetic engineering to maximize profit, introduction of new predators and food competitors, over-hunting, and other influences. Unsustainable human population growth is an essential cause of the extinction crisis.
New comprehensive laws and regulations must be immediately enacted to give the Environmental Protection Agency, and other environmental protection regulators around the world, expanded powers and resources to shut down corporations, businesses or any entities that intentionally or recklessly damage the environment, and to criminally prosecute individuals who intentionally or recklessly damage the environment.
No “corporate veil” should protect any employee, officer or director of a corporation that is directly or indirectly engaged in the intentional or reckless decimation of the planet for profit. The amount of profit a corporation can make must be balanced by conflict-free regulators with the inevitable damage that human activity inflicts on the environment.
The 99% of the American People demand the immediate implementation of programs and tax incentives to rapidly transition away from fossil fuels and nuclear energy {those government subsidies should be eliminated immediately} to safe, non-toxic, reusable or carbon neutral sources of energy. Immediate adoption of higher greenhouse gas emission standards so that something of the atmosphere will be left for our children and grandchildren. The rights to clean air, water, and conservation of the planet for future generations shall no longer be infringed by greed-driven corporations and selfish individuals who care for nothing except money."

As I touched on in the last post about healthcare, this is an emotional issue. To have a real conversation about it, we need to strip away the emotion and just deal with the issue at hand. So excuse any harshness that might show up in this post.
First, I need to share something that was said by a very wise man who is no longer with us. It's not even close to being suitable for work, so if you're somewhere where you might offend someone (or if you're easily offended), please don't click through.
http://www.icomedytv.com/Comedy-Videos/ID/335/George-Carlin--The-Planet-Is-Fine-Transcript-0739.aspx
This site includes the transcript, so if you can't listen, you can read.

George Carlin was absolutely right when he talked about "saving the planet." The planet is fine. The planet will be fine until it is swallowed by the sun in about 5 billion years. It's humanity that's in trouble (and probably a good chunk of life as we know it). So if we re-frame the discussion as "Protection of our Habitat," we start getting to the root of the problem.
As I suggested in my last post, we need to have a much bigger discussion about where the human race is headed. This includes healthcare, reproduction, natural resources, and habitat (at the bare minimum). I don't believe that this is a discussion for the government, but a discussion that needs to happen between all humans. We need to start figuring out what we want life to look like in several hundred years, and start turning the wheels that will get us there. If we continue to focus on the moment, we're not going to have a future.

And maybe we won't. Would it be so awful if the human race went extinct? Something else would take our place. Maybe some kind of incandescent fungus. Maybe floating blobs of goo. Maybe plants will thrive on the higher carbon dioxide in the air and become self-aware. Is is fair that we demand that we live at the expense of the Ents? That's the real discussion.

Ultimately, yes, I believe that maintaining our current habitat and using our resources more responsibly is important -- for now. Eventually, we're going to have to make a decision about the survival of the human race, and the quality of life that it enjoys. Once we decide on that, the rest will follow naturally.