It is easy to be cynical about politics these days. More than cynical. The rise of political violence, fueled by partisan division and anti-democracy extremism, continues to leave Americans of every race, religion, state, and political stripe horrified. But every so often, something remarkable happens that reminds us who really holds the power in a democracy. That is what just happened in Iowa. Imagine a private company wants to build a potentially dangerous pipeline through your backyard and the government decides your rights as a property owner matter less than the profits of said company. And it…
Author: Ben Jealous
The smoke has already arrived. This past week, thick plumes from wildfires in Manitoba and Saskatchewan have drifted into the US, triggering air quality alerts across the Midwest. Cities like Milwaukee, Madison, and Chicago are experiencing hazy skies and dangerous air conditions, with the Air Quality Index reaching levels unhealthy for sensitive groups. Fire has always helped shape our forests, especially in the West. But those forests have evolved around natural frequencies and intensities of fires. What we are seeing now is new. This early-season smoke is a stark reminder that fire season is no longer confined to the…
(TriceEdneyWire.com)—My grandfather’s first cousin was Lieutenant Colonel Howard Lee Baugh. Cousin Howard was part of the 99th Pursuit Squadron, the first unit of the Tuskegee Airmen. This month marks the 84th anniversary of the activation of the Squadron at Chanute Field in Rantoul, Illinois, about 120 miles southwest of Chicago. A few years ago, I sat with my friend Norman Lear, the late TV legend behind shows like All in the Family and The Jeffersons that became important American cultural staples. Norman and I figured out that my cousin Howard was one of the Tuskegee Airmen who escorted Norman on…
As they say in horror movies, the call is coming from inside the house. Under Donald Trump, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reversed its own mission. And last week, EPA Administration Lee Zeldin outright declared war on the American people. Zeldin announced 31 actions he celebrated as “the largest deregulatory announcement in US history.” The administration is attempting to undo critical progress that is currently saving lives and saving Americans’ money – on health care costs, energy bills, and more. Moreover, Trump and Zeldin are trying to undercut the EPA’s very ability to do its job and protect our…
“As we address the aftermath of the wildfires, let us resolve not just to build back better but also smarter, with a commitment to the environment and future generations. As a pastor, I am guided by the principle that caring for creation is an integral part of our faith. Let us take inspiration from the teachings of love and stewardship, embracing the role of being good caretakers of God’s earth. Without a shadow of a doubt, community solidarity is crucial in the fight against climate change.” Those are the words of Rev. Dr. Larry E. Campbell, Senior Pastor of Pasadena,…
Donald Trump’s playbook has always been to campaign like a populist and govern like an oligarch. But it is still shocking just how brutally he went after our country’s working people in the first few days – even the first few hours – after he was sworn in last week. Donald Trump’s actions on Day One of his presidency, and each day since then, have laid bare his willingness to undermine the health and wealth of working families. He is determined to pollute our air and water. And for all his tough talk about China, he is rapidly ceding vital…
What is one thing – just one – you can agree on with someone on the opposite side of the political divide? The late General Colin Powell once told me, “Figure that out and you can get a lot done. And as you win one victory together, you might just discover along the way that there’s something else you agree on.” Our nation seems utterly divided. Many of the wounds that have been torn open in these last few election cycles are real and painful. But too much focus has been placed on further tearing open those wounds rather than…
If you are reading this indoors, there is a good chance there are hundreds of invisible plastic particles floating around in the room you are in. There is also a good chance you may be breathing some of them in. And we are not just breathing in plastic pollution. We are eating it and drinking it. To add insult to injury, much of that plastic pollution came from items like plastic water bottles that consumers thought would be recycled. The world’s largest producer of plastic polymers for single-use plastics is ExxonMobil. Right now, Attorney General Rob Bonta of California of…
“Made in the USA” is a tagline that should apply to every major piece of the clean energy economy. It is within our grasp. But we need to bust some myths. This week, clean energy and sustainability leaders from around the country got to tour the site of a new Qcells solar panel factory in Cartersville, Georgia. Once the new facility is up and running, Qcells will maintain the first fully integrated solar supply chain in the US – all right there in Georgia. Not far from Cartersville, the Qcells plant in Dalton, Georgia has already shown how good-paying clean…
By Ben Jealous When we see a 75-year-old white man out in the woods with a group of Black and brown kids from low-income neighborhoods, teaching them about nature, few of us assume he is there because that is where he feels most comfortable. Probably even fewer of us assume many of those kids look just like the ones he grew up with in public housing projects more than 60 years ago. Rocky Milburn grew up as one of the few white kids in a mostly Black public housing development in southern Indiana. His family was very poor. They were…