206 results for tag: Advocacy and/or Policy


PROTECT OUR HEALTH NOW – TELL THE SENATE TO STOP “DIRTY AIR” BILLS FROM PASSING

BACKGROUND: Despite clear scientific evidence of the harm being done to our air, land, and water, by greenhouses gases, Senators and Representatives have introduced a barrage of bills that would roll back the Environmental Protection Agency’s enforcement of Clean Air Act safeguards. The Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011 (H.R. 910/S.482.) would allow polluters to continue to spew unlimited amounts of carbon and other pollution into our air. These safeguards are already saving lives and improving the health of millions of Americans. Congress must not halt EPA’s work in its tracks. “Dirty Air” bills like this put the ...

Biodiversity Under Attack

Until a few years ago I would not have classified myself as an environmentalist. Further, my entrance into the world of environmental advocacy was related to my growing interest in energy issues. However, during my journey over the past few years I have come to understand that nothing can be a more obvious sign of our society’s disregard for the natural world than the rate at which we are killing off majestic creatures of creation. I recently read the following headline: “Without Intervention Lions Heading for Extinction.” In 1960, there were 400,000 lions living in the wild. Today, there are just 20,000.http://ww...

The Whole World In G-d’s Hands?

I read an article last week on NPR about a small nation call Kiribati, which is made up of 33 tiny islands, scattered across an area more than twice the size of Alaska. This nation is in danger of being engulfed by the rising Pacific Ocean that surrounds it. The tides have already started to shift, often ruining crops and personal property belonging to residents located fairly far inland. There is no clear evidence that this sea-level rise has anything to do with climate change, however, Kiribati illustrates the hardships that will arise, especially for coastal cities and island nations, as sea levels do rise over the next century due to ...

COEJL Action Alert: Stop ‘Dirty Air’ Bills From Passing

PROTECT OUR HEALTH – STOP “DIRTY AIR” BILLS FROM PASSING BACKGROUND: Despite clear scientific evidence of greenhouse gases harming our air, land and water and contributing to climate change, some Senators and Representatives are attacking the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to enforce Clean Air Act safeguards. These safeguards are already saving lives and improving the health of millions of Americans and in 2007 were mandated by the Supreme Court as part of the EPA’s responsibility. We must tell Congress not to halt the EPA’s work in its tracks especially now when environmental ...

Getting Back to My Roots

Despair Like so many of the people I know who are deeply concerned with the rapidly multiplying environmental issues confronting our world, I recently became discouraged by the inability of our government to take meaningful action. This feeling slowly morphed into disgust, which turned into anger, which then changed into fear. I kept thinking, if our leaders cannot even address the big environmental issues that are occasionally covered by the media, such as climate change and alternative energy, then we are in real trouble when it comes to the hundreds of other environmental issues that are never discussed. Every day I read articles ...

Action Alert: Protect our Land and Water

BACKGROUND: The LWCF was established in 1965 to protect America’s Great Outdoors, using royalties paid by oil companies to the government to fund the conservation of natural resources. Yet, since its inception, the Fund has never received sufficient appropriations. Even though there's been more than enough oil revenue for the LWCF at no cost to the American taxpayer, Congress has failed to use that money for its intended purpose (its recent low in appropriated funding was just $138 million, less than one-sixth of what it could be). Over the years the Fund has been shortchanged by some $17 billion – a huge loss for our commun...