Environment and Health

It’s Health Care, Not Software

It’s Health Care, Not Software

So the Affordable Care Act didn't exactly deliver the greatest website. What did we get after all those years of haggling? Only health insurance for 9 million people (and counting) who didn't have it before. Only an end to pre-existing medical conditions keeping you...

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Making Valentine’s Day More Meaningful

Making Valentine’s Day More Meaningful

Valentine's Day, it seems, has all the trappings of a made-up Hallmark holiday. It's a holiday created purely to encourage us to go out and give our money to a few select industries: greeting cards, candy, roses, restaurants, etc. As it turns out, the holiday has a...

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The Unaffordable WeDon’tCare Act

The Unaffordable WeDon’tCare Act

Remember when it looked like the Republican Party could do nothing but stamp its feet and shout about the Affordable Care Act's shortcomings without coming up with any alternatives? OK, there was former Sen. Jim DeMint's suggestion last summer that having the...

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Failing the Future

Failing the Future

If President Barack Obama wants to make action on climate change a legacy of his administration, he better do a lot more in the next three years than his lackluster performance in this year's State of the Union address. Instead of outlining an approach to build a...

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Another Chapter in Coal’s Trail of Pollution

Another Chapter in Coal’s Trail of Pollution

As a West Virginian, I have one question for you — is coal pollution in your water, too? The answer might surprise you. Here in West Virginia, thousands continue to wonder whether their water is safe after a recent coal chemical spill just upstream from the state's...

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A Fast Track to Eroding Our Rights

A Fast Track to Eroding Our Rights

Do you care about having access to local and sustainably produced food or protecting your drinking water? Are you concerned about corporate influence distorting our elections? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you should be worried about legislation...

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This Is What Climate Change Looks Like

This Is What Climate Change Looks Like

"It's been a bit cold here," my dad told me on a recent phone call. He lives in Chicago; I'm in San Diego. The next time I turned on the news, I saw headlines screaming "Polar Vortex!" with sub-zero temperatures across the Midwest. Dad's known in our family for his...

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Short-Circuiting the Future

Short-Circuiting the Future

Will our fossil-fueled economy make humans go the way of the dinosaurs? There are plenty of reasons to think so. Coal, oil, and gas continue to account for 87 percent of global energy consumption despite scientific consensus that drastic change is essential for...

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