• A CPR campaign for the Earth—
--Conservation of soil, water, biodiversity, wildlife
--Preservation of natural areas, greenspace, parks,
wildness
--Restoration of natural landscapes, soil, fisheries
• Revitalized rural communities and small farms
• Sustainable agriculture, including urban farms
• Cooperative economic development and support for small business
• Human-friendly urban and suburban redesign
• Reduction of sprawl
• Rural resettlement to reverse the rush to cities and the hollowing out of our small towns
• Training young people to be sustainable, small-scale farmers and gardeners
• National service in restoration and conservation, including a large-scale campaign to restore the mountaintops of Appalachia
• Public sector jobs in restoration and conservation
• Partnerships with land grant universities and institutes
• A focus on re-localization
• A national rails-to-trails system
• Additional hike- and bikeways with affordable campgrounds
• Improving the beauty of our cities by burying powerlines underground
• New regulations on strip mall development and outdoor advertising
• Support for artists to help beautify urban areas
• A priority for our poorest and least-served communities
• New research centers to support the program
• Making “America the Beautiful” our National Anthem.
“Beauty feeds a different kind of hunger,” writes Terry Tempest Williams. “Beauty is not optional, but a strategy for survival…Finding beauty in a broken world is acknowledging that beauty leads us to our deepest and highest selves. It inspires us. We have an innate desire for grace.” If you’d like to join this campaign, write me at: [email protected].
John De Graaf is a writer, filmmaker, and author. Since 1977, he has produced more than 40 documentaries, and dozens of shorter news stories and films. He has written dozens of articles for such publications as The Progressive, The Nation, The New York Times and many others. He is the author or co-author of four books, including Affluenza, which is an international best-seller.