Environment and Health
Making Death Less Painful
Spare me, Lord, From those who say That I need pain, Till my dying day. There's no quick path to a new personal freedom. Whether it's civil rights, women's rights, gay rights, reproductive rights, or the right to die with dignity, winning is not easy. There are always...
Carbon Divestment
President Barack Obama is on a rhetorical roll on the issue of climate change. "The 12 hottest years on record have all come in the last 15," Obama pointed out to Congress and the American people in his State of the Union address. "Heat waves, droughts, wildfires,...
We’re All Guinea Pigs
A few years ago, my world changed when I began dating a single dad whose youngest child was a toddler. Bonding with and loving his two kids has been the single most enriching and rewarding — and sometimes frustrating and exhausting — experience of my life. During the...
It’s Time to Move Forward on Climate
As President Barack Obama's second term gets underway, Americans are expecting big actions from him — especially on climate disruption and clean energy. The decision to block the Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline should be the cornerstone of his positive,...
A Key Proposal for the Administration’s Second Term
After avoiding the topic of climate change throughout his second presidential bid, Barack Obama renewed his commitment to the climate in his first news conference following his re-election. "I am a firm believer that climate change is real, that it is impacted by...
Tar Sands Illustrated
President Obama: End Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining
I remember the first mountaintop removal coal mining site I ever saw. Those images of Kayford Mountain in southern West Virginia have never left my mind — a barren landscape where there was once lush forest. And right around the destroyed site, homes where people were...
A Green and Golden Legacy
Much of the nation is still suffering the worst drought in half a century, which began in 2012. Consumers are just now beginning to feel its effects in the form of higher food prices. Texas suffered another catastrophic drought in 2011. Full recovery from Superstorm...
Safety Net Under Siege
Peace of mind. That's what Medicare and Medicaid mean for nearly one in every three Americans. Almost 50 million Americans have paid into, and are beneficiaries of Medicare, our national health insurance program for seniors and people with disabilities. And almost 50...
University Research, Sold Out
In 1862, the federal government created the land-grant university system to produce critical agricultural research. Since then, America has relied on these schools to inform and guide independent scientific advances in areas like food production and energy...
