Recently I have been asked about soldiers posing with corpses…What I find most disconcerting is all this attention to what is done to these dead bodies and absolutely no question or curiosity about why they are dead in the first place. No questions about why U.S. troops are still in Afghanistan at all…”
As of Friday, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives had voted 168 times this year to undercut clean air and water laws while blocking efforts to limit global warming, protect public lands and guard against future oil spills…
The Republicans, predictably, claim that regulations cost jobs and that all they are trying to do is help the [...]
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS — Amazon.com, the books-to-diapers-to-machetes Internet superstore, is a perfect snapshot of the American Dream, circa 2011.
It grows by the hour, fueled by a relentless optimism that has made America America. First it sold books. Then it realized that buying printed words in bulk, sorting and shipping them was a transferable skill. It has [...]
Single-use plastic bags such as those found at most grocery stores will be prohibited at stores countywide, and retailers will begin charging at least 10 cents for paper bags next year, if the San Luis Obispo County waste board approves the plan in November.
The county’s Integrated Waste Management Authority’s board of [...]
The solar-panel manufacturer Solyndra went bankrupt this week despite having received a $535 million federal loan. An embarrassment for President Obama? No, a testament to America’s incoherent energy policy.
Solyndra is one of four major solar companies to close its doors this year. They leave China’s solar industry, reported the New York Times on Friday “with [...]
One reason I supported President Obama is because he said we must protect clean air, water and lands. But what good is it to say the right thing unless you act on it?Since early August, three administration decisions — on Arctic drilling, the Keystone XL pipeline and the ozone that causes smog — have all [...]
Andrew Christie, director of the Santa Lucia Chapter of the Sierra Club in San Luis Obispo, California, writes in The Tribune:
On Aug. 5, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on the number of new jobs created in July, a number which did not significantly reduce the level of national unemployment. In response, House [...]
Family Farm Defenders examines financial speculation and its effects on farmers and agriculture:
A small trading elite also heads to work each day in Chicago — their job: trying to beat the market on everything from soybeans and carbon credits to fertilizer and timber. Founded in 1898 as the Chicago Butter and Egg [...]
The Sacramento Bee examines the issues:
Less than two months ago, U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston of Georgia went on the House floor and downplayed the fact that 48 million Americans contract foodborne illnesses every year.
Kingston, a Republican who oversees the budgets of the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, noted that the [...]
The San Luis Obispo Tribune showcased its Sunday editorial for increased oversight for nuclear plants:
Given the devastating consequences, we believe it is absolutely incumbent on the nuclear industry to take every possible step to ensure safety and on strong, independent regulatory agencies to make sure that they do.
A recent series of articles [...]
In the beginning, Earth was Eden. Inhabitants didn’t have to plant anything; nature was set to rejuvenate itself while providing all we needed to survive. We decided we wanted more, and thus began exploiting our resources and throwing the balance of life out of control. Who would argue that we’ve messed up paradise? Civilizations come [...]
Writing in Rolling Stone, Al Gore summarizes the political circumstances surrounding climate change policy:
But in this case, the President has reality on his side. The scientific consensus is far stronger today than at any time in the past. Here is the truth: The Earth is round; Saddam Hussein did not attack us on [...]
A proposal to develop Grover Beach, California’s community garden into low-income housing was defeated last week.
The City Council voted 3-2 to sell the 6,620-square-foot parcel, but the proposal failed because the council needed a four-fifths vote for it to pass after some local residents lodged protests to the proposal. Councilwomen Karen Bright [...]
The San Luis Obispo Tribune editorialized in favor of letting the project proceed:
It’s disappointing — but no shock — that opponents of the 250-megawatt California Solar Ranch have filed a lawsuit seeking to halt the project. They believe the Carrizo Plain is the wrong place for commercial solar operations. We understand that.
However, we have [...]
As an environmental journalist and author, I encounter many stories that rarely reach the public consciousness. Every day I learn about communities dealing with contaminated Superfund sites leaching arsenic, benzene, dioxin and hexavalent chromium into their air, soil and water supplies. Quite often, the companies that operated the offending industrial plant have long ago left [...]
Our system of government has become what many people are calling a “corporatocracy”
If we want to move toward a more participatory system, one where all people can have a voice, we will need to find ways to balance the power of large corporations with the power of other sectors of society, which will demand political [...]
The Stephen Foster neighborhood in northwest Gainesville is no ordinary stretch of suburbia. Just before night falls, sunlight passes through a canopy of leaves, illuminating the walls of not-so-perfectly aligned houses. Backyards reveal forests and creeks, invisible to those who drive by on the street. At the core of the neighborhood, there’s a 90-acre toxic wasteland, concealed by bushes and barbed-wire fences, known as the Cabot/Koppers Superfund site. No one agrees on the extent of the pollution or what needs to be done about it. The EPA released their Record of Decision, which details their plans to clean the site, on Feb. 2. Have we finally reached the end of the road?
Last Thursday the USDA announced a policy that supports the interests of Monsanto and big biotech and deals a major blow to organic farming. They decided to “deregulate” Genetically Engineered (“GE”) alfalfa, meaning to allow its unrestricted use with no controls. The USDA had been considering two potential decisions on this issue — either full [...]
State Sen. Greg Evers, R-Crestview, and state Rep. Clay Ingram, R-Pensacola have filed companion bills to prevent local governments from exceeding state rules on controlling fertilizer use to fight water pollution.
The St. Petersburg Times reported that the bill is apparently aimed at Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, where commissioners imposed tough controls. Pinellas banned fertilizer use [...]
The Right is going after the Environmental Protection Agency with a renewed passion and ferocity. Why? Because the EPA may be the most effective agency in the Obama administration and they are delivering on their legal mandate to protect the environment and human health. Under Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, they are assessing threats on multiple fronts [...]
Since the GOP takeover of the House in November, party leaders have been vowing to produce bills that would strip the Environmental Protection Agency of the authority to regulate greenhouse gases. On Wednesday, Sen. James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.) unveiled a draft version of the bill likely to be the centerpiece of this effort. It renders null and [...]
Subscribe to our RSS feed to get automatic updates whenever we add a new post.
Gainesville's environmental film and arts festival.
GoGreenNation.org is a proud member of Green America.
One of a kind vintage finds for girls with sunny auras and kitten souls.
Join us for our monthly meetings the first Wednesday of each month.
Go to Gainesville Farm Fresh for information on local sustainable food.
Learn about Gainesville's city parks and natural areas here
A listing of vegetarian restaurants in the Gainesville area
The BUY LOCALLY, GAINESVILLE! group is intended to draw attention to all local businesses.
Find out what's recyclable and where you can take your recycling materials
Find out where to take your hazardous waste
