Refreshing ideas from the Christian Science Monitor:

Instead of bigger, faster, cheaper, Americans need a more fulfilling, satisfying kind of prosperity. The ancient Greeks called it eudaemonia -- 'flourishing' -- which means the pursuit of fulfillment, inspiration, creation, and accomplishment.

The Tyranny of Entitlement | Orion Magazine

I'm continually stunned by how many seemingly sane people believe you can have infinite economic growth on a finite planet. Perpetual economic growth and its cousin, limitless technological expansion, are beliefs so deeply held by so many in this culture that they often go entirely unquestioned. Even more disturbing is the fact that these beliefs are somehow seen as the ultimate definition of what it is to be human: perpetual economic growth and limitless technological expansion are what we do.

BP and makers of iPod in line for 'shame' awards | The Independent

The award for what environmentalists regard as the world's "most evil corporation of the year" will be presented this week to a reluctant winner, with finalists ranging from the manufacturer of your iPod to the troubled oil giant BP. Six companies face the dubious distinction of winning a Public Eye Award for "the worst corporate offences against human rights and the environment", according to the organisers, Greenpeace Switzerland and the Berne Declaration, a Swiss economic justice campaign group.

The Foods that Make Billions (podcast) | BBC World Service

In the series The Food that Make Billions, Louise Hidalgo looks at how branding and marketing turn relatively cheap commodities [bottled water, breakfast cereal and yogurt] into high value products.

Ten Good Reasons Why GMOs Are Not Compatible With Organic Agriculture | Rodale Institute

Despite fundamental differences in what they represent, there are occasional calls to allow the use of genetic engineering [...] within the USDA National Organic Program. [...] Here are 10 essential points that I believe show why GMOs are incompatible with organic production.

What Really Drives Suicide Terrorists? | The Christian Science Monitor

Failing to understand the real motive of suicide terrorists -- anger over Western occupation of their land -- means missing major attacks because we're looking for the wrong targets.

Rich People's Toys: How Many Families Could Live on What They Cost? | DailyFinance

Two weeks ago, I compared the amazing salaries of America's best-paid citizens to the much smaller amount that the median American household earns every year: a modest $49,777. That's a number that we can easily wrap our minds around -- it's human in scale. By contrast, Larry Ellison's 2008 paycheck of $543 million can be almost impossible to comprehend, so understanding that his earnings that year equaled the income of almost 11,000 families helps put the Oracle chief's impressive fortune into perspective. With that in mind, this week's piece will look at the toys of the rich and famous -- and how many households they could support.

BP Oil Coming to Your Beach | Mother Jones

Is oil from the BP disaster in the Gulf headed your way? According to the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) the spill "might soon extend along thousands of miles of the Atlantic coast and open ocean as early as this summer." Watch this video to see how your local beach might be affected.

Caught in the Oil | The Boston Globe

AP Photographer Charlie Riedel just filed the following images of seabirds caught in the oil slick on a beach on Louisiana's East Grand Terre Island. As BP engineers continue their efforts to cap the underwater flow of oil, landfall is becoming more frequent, and the effects more evident.

What Price Pelican? The Negative Externalities to Oils Procurement | The Oil Drum

Once in a while, like now, we see the downsides to our dependency on [fossil fuels], in this case the ecological degradation of increasing areas of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystems, and collateral damage to other species. These negative 'externalities' to oils procurement remain outside of our market system, and although they tug at our emotions, are not formally part of our institutional decision-making framework. This brief Campfire post is about how we value things that are priceless, in a system that forces us to put prices on most everything.

The Role of Media in the USA | Al Jazeera English

Has the mainstream media in the US replaced serious coverage with "junk news" and tabloidism? Especially in foreign affairs, are Americans less informed than ever? Who is shaping their perceptions of the rest of the world?

IMF to Haiti: Freeze Public Wages | The Nation

Since a devastating earthquake rocked Haiti on Tuesday -- killing tens of thousands of people -- there's been a lot of well-intentioned chatter and twitter about how to help Haiti. [...] I hope these donations continue to pour in, along with more money, food, water, medicine, equipment and doctors and nurses from nations around the world. [...] But it's also time to stop having a conversation about charity and start having a conversation about justice -- about recovery, responsibility and fairness. What the world should be pondering instead is: What is Haiti owed? Haiti's vulnerability to natural disasters, its food shortages, poverty, deforestation and lack of infrastructure, are not accidental.

Democracy's Decline: Crying for Freedom | The Economist

A disturbing decline in global liberty prompts some hard thinking about what is needed for democracy to prevail.

David Corn and Kevin Drum Interview | Bill Moyers Journal

America's big banks are back on top. Just a year after their financial gambles brought the American economy to the brink of collapse, requiring a massive federal bailout, they're back in the black and paying themselves healthy bonuses. With so many Americans facing economic hardship, the banks' good fortunes have led to resentment and even some rage among those outside the financial industry. Yet, according to Washington watchers -- and sheer dollars spent -- the banking industry lobby remains among the most powerful in the nation's capital.

Wall Street Will Be Back For More | Truthdig

When the bailout trillions run out, Wall Street's maladjusted gamblers will come back for more until our currency becomes junk. Not that any of these people, who exhibit the same traits as psychopaths, have thought this through.

The End of Consumerism: Our Way of Life is 'Not Viable' | The Independent

Ditch the dog; throw away (sorry, recycle) those takeaway menus; bin bottled water; get rid of that gas-guzzling car and forget flying to far-flung places. These are just some of the sacrifices we in the West will need to make if we are to survive climate change.

The Future of Global Capitalism | London School of Economics

Three economists paint a rather bleak (depending where you sit) picture of the future of global capitalism: uncertainty, risk in global politics, the decline of the US, the rise of Asia, and the inability of the Bretton Woods institutions to cope.

The Angry Mermaid Award

The Angry Mermaid Award has been set up to recognise the perverse role of corporate lobbyists, and highlight those business groups and companies that have made the greatest effort to sabotage the [Copenhagen] climate talks, and other climate measures, while promoting, often profitable, false solutions.

Howard Zinn Interview | Bill Moyers Journal

Renowned historian Howard Zinn has chronicled centuries of people's struggles against oppression. He joins Bill Moyers to discuss the voices of today's people -- facing big interests' outsized influence -- and his new film The People Speak.

StoryCorps

Since 2003, over 50,000 [U.S. citizens] have shared life stories with family and friends through StoryCorps. Each conversation is recorded on a free CD to share, and is preserved at the Library of Congress. StoryCorps is one of the largest oral history projects of its kind, and millions listen to our broadcasts on public radio and the web.

True Cost of Chevron

Chevron's 2008 annual report is a glossy celebration of the company's most profitable year in its history. What Chevron's annual report does not tell its shareholders is the true cost paid for those financial returns, or the global movement gaining voice and strength against Chevron's abuses.

Copenhagen as a Sesame Street Episode | Worldwatch Institute

If the Copenhagen climate conference were an episode of the popular children's show "Sesame Street," one might imagine the following announcement at its conclusion: "This show was brought to you by letter F" -- F for farce, failure, fiasco.