THOMAS LINZEY

Today I met personally Thomas Linzey. What an INSPIRATIONAL human being! If you don't know who he is GOOGLE HIM!

Summary of main talking points!

U.S.

-       570 billion lb of meaningful waste each year

-       4 billion of it are toxic waste

-       2 Trillion lb of livestock waste

-       11 million people live within a one mile of a superfund sites

-       80,000 synthetic chemical produced at a rate of 1,800 per year

-       Each person has 700 synthetic chemicals in their bodies

-       90% of all forest in the US has been logged.

-       70% of all biodiversity in the world has been extinguished 

The United Nations has said this is a “planetary catastrophe” 

Things are worst 40 years after laws and regulations like the “Clean water act” has been made 

The purpose is to legalize the harm that was once illegal. That’s what they give PERMITS. 

Fracking – a way to extract natural gas. Takes large amount of water, alters climate, releases toxics

-       It is causing earthquakes in Ohio. 

State Law in Colorado

OIL & GAS ACT – regulatory system to do fracking of oil and gas. 

Regulatory System 

1. Community gets together

-       Causes earthquakes

-       Water use

-       Contaminates aquifers

-       Privatizes

2. Call state agency

3. Permit application 

“Regulated” – Regulate something that is already coming in and it’s going to continue to come in. 

4. Get a lawyer

Need a lawyer in order to continue with the process. Need legal representation.

They are extremely expensive. Many towns don’t have the resources to pay them. 

5. Lawyers verify that the administrative is complete 

The way the system is created is to be owned by the government and the corporations. They call it democracy, because we “participate”. But the way the system is created is to subordinate us. Environmental law today is making better permit application.

The structure is to make the illegal, legal! 

Nutrient Management Act – Create a plan that explains how will you manage manure, waste, etc. 

State can preempt the local 

Corporation’s Constitution - Corporations has constitutional rights like the ones the individual entities have in the constitution. 

Anti-Corporate Farming Laws

            Local Ordinances

Putting a different law system that gives the power to the local level 

We use the drain waste; we separate it from the solid and use the liquids for agriculture and grow food.

Corporation has personalized rights (the amendments apply to them, 1^st, 5^th, ect) that give them the power to sue the communities. 

Doctrines that enable corporation

Preemption

Corporation’s constitutional rights

Non-research commerce clause

Dillon’s Rule – State determines the rights the communities have. 

The underlying problem is our law system. We have to remove these doctrines. 

RIGHTS OF NATURE

            In our system of laws nature doesn’t have rights. They are properties. Properties by law can be destroyed.

Ecosystems must have rights bare. 

State Constitutional Change – Driving the states to make change to liberate communities from the power of corporations. 

Sustainability constitution – How does it look?