Environment and Health
Health Care Isn’t a Bargaining Chip
Conservatives and progressives don’t agree on much these days. Regardless of their party leanings, though, a clear majority of Americans believe that politicians shouldn't meddle in a woman’s personal health care decisions. Yet for too long, women’s health care has...
Urban America’s Slow-Motion Crisis
Baltimore, my hometown, is facing its highest rate of homicides in decades. Along with other cities that are reporting higher than usual violent crime rates this summer, Baltimore’s murder rate is up by 33 percent this year. It’s a terrible reminder that the violence...
Missing the Forest for the AC
Most of us care about conservation, at least a little. But sometimes we miss the forest for the trees — or in this case, the AC. Take the hostel I recently stayed at in California. All the lights in the hostel were compact fluorescents — those energy-efficient coils...
Pensions Powered by Climate Change
If I had $17 million in savings, I’d take advantage of that financial security and retire early. That’s the average total retirement assets of chief executives at the top 30 U.S. oil, natural gas, and coal companies, according to a recent report by the Institute for...
The GOP Whiffs Again on Health Care
In advice to baseball rookies, Hall of Fame star Ted Williams said: “If you don't think too good, don't think too much.” This should be taken to heart by bush-league congressional leader John Boehner. The Republican speaker of the House keeps thinking he can knock...
Bear This in Mind
On August 7, an experienced hiker was found dead and half eaten by a grizzly bear in Yellowstone National Park. The offending bear was later euthanized. A week later, a black bear injured a man near Yosemite National Park. The man had left a bag of trash outside his...
The Drill Is Gone
When Barack Obama won the 2008 presidential election, the GOP’s battle cry from that race also prevailed. Remember “drill, baby, drill”? This country produced 3.2 billion barrels of oil last year, up 75 percent from 1.8 billion in 2008. The boom helps explain why, as...
The Clean Power Plan Enters the Ring
Coal, Oil, Gas: None Shall Pass
Retired professional photographer Rick Rappaport was standing in 6 inches of water on the overcrowded floating dock, watching the drama unfold before him. The Fennica, a massive Shell icebreaker ship, was inching down Oregon's Willamette River en route to Alaska. It...
Is O’Malley an Environmental Champion?
Commanding the backing of only 2 percent of Democrats in national polls, Martin O’Malley isn’t exactly a big contender in his quest to become the party's presidential nominee. But like the rest of the growing number of hopefuls, the former Maryland governor is...
