Global March Against Monsanto – May 25

International March Against Monsanto

Hey…You gonna eat that? That’s the question that comes to mind for many of us when food is presented. We often make our decisions because of caloric levels, fat content and even pesticides used but, more and more, genetic modifications are a concern. Enter GMO giant, the Monsanto Corporation.

GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, have made their way into the nation’s fruit and vegetable supply and, recently, the Food and Drug Administration took public comments on so-called “Frankenfish.”

Monsanto has been in the news for a host of issues.… [Read more]

The (Oily) Road to Damascus

Like making sausage and policy -- oil isn't pretty

A few weeks ago, I offered a principled case for the Keystone XL pipeline project and its eventual approval by President Obama. I stand by those opinions – and as I explain here, recent Alberta political pronouncements elevate my views from so much environmentalist digital compost to pure gold. Realpolitik is rarely pretty. My bottom line suggestion that ‘hey, until America evolves beyond its fossil fuels fixation, oil’s gotta come from somewhere, so why not your friends?’ may at first seem an affront to any ‘principled case’ claims.… [Read more]

International Day of Action for Rivers

International Day of Action for Rivers

Did you know that this is “We Love Nature” month and that today is the International Day of Action for Rivers? As part of the month, today’s global activities will introduce many of us to nature and what we can do to actively protect the environment. 

According to InternationalRivers.org: “Every year, thousands of people around the world lift their voices to celebrate the world’s rivers and those who struggle to protect them.… [Read more]

Counterpoint: The (Principled) Case for Taking a Stand Against the Keystone XL

Keystone Pipeline Activists Arrested

Over the past few months, the question of whether or not to build the Keystone XL pipeline (KXL) has become as divisive as the line its blueprints draw through the heartland of America. One side claims that the pipeline will be ‘game over for the climate,’ while the other asserts it will create jobs and give a much-needed boost to the American economy.… [Read more]

Some Still Don’t Believe Climate Change is Real

How Climate Change is Destroying the Earth

It’s fairly certain that there will be opposing viewpoints on the levels of environmental damage and the impact on the planet’s life but, at some point, shouldn’t we move beyond debating whether climate change is actually real?

Thanks to extensive research and noticeable changes in weather and storm prevalence, it’s getting harder to turn a blind eye to the reality of climate change.… [Read more]

The (Principled) Case for Keystone

Only the clean oil from now on

My digital pulpit north of Lake Ontario is no guarantee that brains or intellectual nuance drive every BNV offering forward, but there are elements of the ongoing Keystone XL debate that deserve fuller scrutiny, a discussion that ought to be advanced beyond shallow ‘dirty oil’ polemics.

Keystone is not divinely inspired environmentalism. It fails a number of smell tests – literally, if one passes close enough to Fort McMurray, the Alberta Oil Sands epicenter intended as the Keystone source our petro-industry holds dear.… [Read more]

Wrap Up: Looking back, moving forward into the week ahead

nation_building

In case you missed it, here is the latest episode of “West Wing Week” posted by the White House. Whether one agrees with the politics or policies discussed, it’s a great way for citizens keep abreast of the decisions made by the President and power brokers in Washington. If you agree with what’s going on in Washington then request more of the same but, if you don’t agree, then raise your voice and make sure that your representatives are aware that the needs of their constituents are not being met.… [Read more]

Earth Song: Because We Can Never Think TOO Much About The Environment

earth

Today’s “Say it in Song” pick is a timeless song by Michael Jackson: “Earth Song”…because giving thought to this planet, and what we’re doing to our environment, can never be overstated.

If you’re interested in learning more about the air you breathe, the water you drink, the soil that nourishes the food you eat and the creatures that are dependent upon conservation efforts to survive, here is a partial list of global organisations to obtain more information.… [Read more]

Things that made 2012 interesting: A look back.

YearInReview_FINAL

Many of us are thrilled to see 2012 leave but, that doesn’t mean that 2012 didn’t provide us with some interesting moments. As is typical of this time of year, where being reflective. From the funny to the absurd, the happy moments to the sad, and the moments in between that made us scratch our heads or shake our heads in shame, 2012 will be one for the history books.… [Read more]

The 2012 Dark Horse Candidate: Hurricane Sandy?

And you thought voter ID laws would be a deterrent to the Democratic vote...

Hunkered down in my apartment in Virginia Beach, VA, I’ve been running circles from the windows to the TV to the computer, obsessing on Hurricane Sandy since 3:45 Monday morning. I noticed something unusual—little to no political ads. Not much in the way of campaign propaganda whatsoever. Was I simply sleep deprived, or was something unusual going on?… [Read more]

No Production Tax Credit Extension Will Kill Off 37k Jobs, Slow American Innovation

PTC Expiration Results

It’s laid out pretty clear in study after study that if the PTC Extension (Production Tax Credit) isn’t passed in Congress, jobs will be in jeopardy. These aren’t imaginary jobs that someone has made up on paper but are jobs that have been built, one by one throughout the country. The United States is facing the oncoming train that wind energy could be damaged by the severe loss of jobs and support with the PTC.… [Read more]

Chesa-’Piqued’ Energy: A Fracking Nightmare Waiting to Happen

natural_gas_pump_well_jo_01

Though not personally invested in this stock, Chesapeake Energy has always been intriguing to me nonetheless. The more one reads about this company, the more interesting this company becomes. Headed by Aubrey McClendon, Chesapeake Energy is a publicly traded company based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and its financial interests lie mostly in the midwestern United States.… [Read more]

Here’s the Burning Question: What Does Coal Mean to You?

I would have asked for overtime pay to be here, too, guys.

Coal has become THE hot button for Republicans to push in order to take some pot-shots at President Obama. It’s been pushed at campaign rallies, during attack ads, and was brought front and center during the first presidential debate last Wednesday. Romney has made it very obvious—he likes coal. But why focus on this in particular?… [Read more]

Short-Sighted Romney Doesn’t Think The Environment Matters

Environment

This year’s presidential election seems to center around the economy but there are many other important issues that need to be resolved on which the two candidates have vastly different views. One important matter where President Obama and GOP candidate Mitt Romney differ is the subject of renewable energy subsidies. Renewable energy sources are those that create electricity using non-traditional means, such as wind turbines and solar panels.… [Read more]

‘No More Solyndros Act’ Will Jeopardize The Future Of Green Energy

Solar Panel

Friday September 14th will most likely not be remembered by most Americans for any special reason. If you happen to be an advocate for promoting clean, green, renewable energy like solar and wind then there’s a good chance that you’ll know it was the day that the U.S. House of Representatives passed the ‘No More Solyndros Act‘.… [Read more]

New Bill Aims to Stop Nonexistent “War on Coal”

War on Coal

In a bid to curb the so-called “environmentalist agenda,” the House of Representatives passed the “Stop the War on Coal Act” (H.R. 4309) 233 to 175 in the House of Representatives on Friday, Sept. 14.

Though one of the “Stop the War on Coal Act”‘s sponsors, Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio), claimed that the legislation, “…is not about climate change,” and that, if signed into law, the bill wouldn’t apply, “If it’s a public health, public safety, national security issue [where] common sense regulations are appropriate,” his next sentence suggested otherwise.… [Read more]

Congress Needs To Extend The Wind Production Tax Credit

Wind Turbine

Some things stay the same and some things never change. There you go — easy. You can say the same thing two different ways. The issue here is the Federal Production Tax Credit (PTC), or of more concern, the fact that it might soon be history. This credit has been helping wind energy producers get a foothold in the electricity marketplace for some years now.… [Read more]

Remembering Larry Gibson, the Keeper of the Mountains

LARRY ON KAYFORD_2

The first time I saw Larry Gibson, I thought, “what a character.” He was short, wearing a lime green baseball cap and t-shirt, and barreling through a school cafeteria. It was during the 2010 Appalachia Rising conference, and I was feeling cynical and overly critical. He had just given a speech, but I had barely grasped a word due to the mix of his unfamiliar Appalachian accent and loud, hurried words. … [Read more]

Living Green

Recycle Globe: Living Green

Be Green.

The media constantly bombards us with messages like this.

Help our planet.

We are told to reduce, reuse, and recycle. If you google “GO GREEN” you will get a million tips and ways for you to minimize your carbon footprint on this earth, but if you are anything like me you get easily overwhelmed by it all.… [Read more]

Going for Green: Do Romney and Obama Believe What They Say?

Obama vs. Romney: Energy policy

Mitt Romney announced Paul Ryan as his VP pick, much to the despair of environmentalists. However, if President Obama’s recent actions are anything to go by, neither party is running a strong green platform this election cycle. Though headlines would have us believing that Romney denies climate change and President Obama is the “green” candidate, both candidates have far more nuanced positions on energy and environmental issues than the soundbite oriented news cycle suggests.… [Read more]

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