New York to Mandate E-Waste Recycling

Governor Paterson has signed legislation requiring producers of electronic waste to collect and recycle their products, making New York the 23rd state to pass an e-waste recycling law. The new law, effective April 1st 2011, will require manufacturers to recycle amounts proportional to what they produce, based on a three-year sales average. Producers will also be required to report on their progress annually to the Department of Environmental Conservation.

Although New York has been slow to adopt an e-waste law, the new legislation was built on successes of the 22 other states already on board. Kate Sindig of the Natural Resources Defense Council, a current Overbrook grantee the Environment Program has supported for work on e-waste legislation, called the new law "arguably the most progressive electronics recycling law in the country." Read Kate's post on the NRDC staff blog here.

Products covered under the law include TVs, computers, keyboards, cables, mice and printers. Taxpayers and municipalities will not only be relieved of the financial burden of collecting and recycling electronics, but amounts of toxic chemicals and metals that leach into waterways when electronics are trashed will also be reduced. Putting the end-of-life responsibility back on producers is also expected to clean up the materials they use to make the electronics in the first place. And starting January 1, 2015, it will be illegal for consumers in New York to throw electronics in landfills.

Many manufacturers would like to see a federal law as opposed to a patchwork of rules governing e-waste in different states. But as more states sign on, momentum will surely build toward more comprehensive legislation. With 23 states in, we're almost halfway there!

Culture or Science to Prevent Disaster?

As we enter the sixth week of oil gushing unfettered into the Gulf of Mexico, some scientists and sociologists are asking how we (BP executives and Minerals Management Services employees who ignored safety warnings and consumers of petroleum alike) allowed this disaster to happen in the first place. Surely all of us, some more explicitly than others, anticipated the dangers of drilling at such unprecedented depths. And because of our addiction to gas-powered vehicles and petroleum-based products, all of us have contributed in our own ways to the series of events leading to the now unstoppable plume of oil. If we have the technological capability to drill 32,000 feet into the ocean floor, why are we not directing that capability full force toward the development of cleaner, less risky energy sources?

Research out of the University of Alberta attempts to answer this question. In his "System Failure: Oil, Futurity and the Anticipation of Disaster," author Imre Szeman found that consumption behaviors and views toward oil exploration generally do not change, even when people are confronted with sound scientific evidence linking disastrous environmental affects to fossil fuels.

Szeman breaks this disconnect down to three common rationalizations: 1) the idea that oil exploration equals economic security, and therefore is worth the risk; 2) the "eco-apocalypse" idea that freezes people's actions with its enormity; and 3) the phenomenon of what Szeman calls "technical utopianism," a blind faith that no matter what happens, improved future technologies will sweep in to clean up any messes we make.

Szeman concludes that shifts in behaviors concerning the health of the planet must be addressed anew, and not by piling on more science. Environmental stewardship is now a cultural and sociological issue, Szeman believes, and will not be improved on a large scale until it is addressed as such.

An article in last Sunday's New York Times touches on the third point of Szeman's triangle of environmental disconnect: technical utopianism. Elisabeth Rosenthal's "Our Fix-It Faith and the Oil Spill" addresses this problem, and ends with a quote from the physicist/philosopher Richard Feynman: "For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled."

Share This! How You Will Change the World with Social Networking

You know when you read something that is so great you want to just run down the street and tell everyone that they need to read it, like right now? Yeah, well that’s happened to me this weekend when I started (and finished) reading Share This!: How You Will Change the World with Social Networking, by Deanna Zandt.

Zandt is a media technologist as well as a consultant to key progressive media organizations including AlterNet and Jim Hightower's Hightower Lowdown, and hosts TechGrrl Tips on GRITtv with Laura Flanders. She specializes in social media, and is a leading expert in women and technology, which clearly gives her a unique background to write this book.

Some of the key ideas that Zandt explores in the book is looking at how social networks are places where we share stories and connect with others. I love that she recognizes that these are not necessarily new phenomena, but that she takes the time to help readers understand how the technology changes the spaces in which we do this as a society. She does this by discussing in depth the issues of trust, authenticity and privacy. At the heart of the book is examining how building empathetic relations really can change the world and she provides clear-cut examples of how this is possible.

This book is funny, engaging, and true to life. You’ll find yourself agreeing with Zandt at so many turns and understanding yourself in relationship to social media infinitely better after reading the book. And no matter what you background level in social media is I guarantee that you will find this book entertaining and useful. Also, I rarely ever read the “Resources” section of a book, but I think that this section may be one of the book’s greatest strengths. It answers the “so what do I do know” questions you may have, and has really great questions/answers related to some of the key themes, tips for individuals, and insights on how to manage information overload.

I really encourage other foundations as well as non-profit organizations to pick this book up, you'll benefit from Zandt's insight both personally and professionally, as you try to navigate the world of social media. After having finished the book, I’m even more excited to have the chance to hear Zandt speak at next week’s Personal Democracy Forum Conference. The theme of this year’s conference is the question, “Can the Internet Fix Politics” and I can’t wait to hear what she has to say about it.

Next up on my reading list will be The Networked Nonprofit: Connecting with Social Media to Drive Change, by Allison Fine and Beth Kanter. I was lucky enough to get a sneak preview of the book at the 2010 Nonprofit Technology Conference in Atlanta this past April. I’ll be sure to post my review of it once I get the actual book in my hands!

Public Poilcy Communicators of NYC

*note: This is a duplicate post. It was originally featured on the Knight Foundation blog last week. It is about an event attended on Wednesday, May 12th, 2010 at the Ford Foundation.

Yesterday I attended the most recent of a lunch series organized by the Public Policy Communicators of NYC (PPC-NYC). The luncheon was focused on “Navigating the Shifting Media Landscape” and its aim was to discuss several major recent developments that are contributing to the fractured media landscape and how media policy affects these issues. The group of approximately 30 or so experts discussed several topics including the importance of preserving network neutrality, how major media corporations are attempting to dominate public discourse, and how to best focus the efforts of all our organizations in light of current and future media policy.

The discussion started off with Knight Foundation consultant Vince Stehle highlighting some of the key elements from the Knight Commission report “Informing Communities: Sustaining Democracy in the Digital Age.” He talked briefly about the specific recommendations to maximize the availability of relevant and credible information to all Americans and their communities, the importance of strengthening the capacity of individuals to engage with information, and the necessity to promote individual engagement with information and the public life of the community.

Because PPC-NYC’s members consist primarily of foundation communication professionals and leaders from progressive non-profit organizations, there is an inherent understanding about the importance of having free and open information in a society. And as Knight Foundation President Alberto Ibargüen remarked earlier this week to a group at the 2010 Free Press Summit in Washington DC, "Information is at the heart of democracy."

Because of that inherent understanding, it was hardly surprising that the recommendations of the Knight Commission seemed to strongly resonate with the goals and efforts of this group. In fact, the group proved to be natural audience for this kind of thinking. Furthermore, there was also understanding and appreciation that without sound media policies that speak to the need for a clear and open flow of information, the basic tenets of not just the Internet are at risk, but so are the tenets of a democracy.

What I found most encouraging is that there seemed to be an agreement that no matter what area foundations and non-profit organizations are engaged in, whether it is health, environment, or other social justice issues, that the importance of sound media policy resonates with everyone. Without access to a free and open Internet, there are invariable restrictions on the capacity of individuals to engage with information. Without an open Internet, the ability to promote individual engagement with information becomes limited, threatening the work that is the heart of all of what we do. The need for an open Internet and access to technology is an issue that people can engage with, coalesce around and begin to integrate it into their everyday thinking and work. The importance of having information and strengthening the capacity of people to engage with information cuts across sectors.

We know the challenges we face, the digital divide, a lack of media literacy in certain communities, and an uphill battle against corporate interests. But more importantly we know what is as stake. Together we can figure out how to best implement the recommendations of the Knight Commission. It is up to each of us to do what we can in our own ways to make these tenets a reality.

Free Press Summit: Ideas to Action

Yesterday I attended the 2010 Free Press Summit: Ideas to Action in Washington DC. The purpose of the event was to try to answer some tough questions about the future of journalism, public media and the Internet. It brought together about 400 people and combined speeches from Washington’s top media policymakers, insight from community leaders, journalists and innovators as well as interactive breakout sessions.

The day started off with a welcome and kick off from Alberto Ibargüen, President of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation as well as a keynote speech from Mignon Clyburn, Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission in which she talked about the importance of network neutrality and closing the digital divide. You can read her entire speech here.

Following Clyburn, the morning panel included titled “Social Media, Social Justice and the Future of the Internet” featured Jose Antonio Vargas, Huffington Post; James Rucker from ColorofChange.org; Andrew Noyes of Facebook, and author Deanna Zandt to talk about everything from what social media really means in the digital age, to privacy rights and how media policy affects these issues.

In the afternoon I attended a breakout session titled “Measuring Informed Communities” which was lead by Josh Stearns, Program Manager of Free Press. The session recognized that communities (however they be defined) are facing a growing information divide, and that if we are going to develop concrete strategies, solutions and policies to meet this challenge, we must first know what the unmet needs are. Of course, not every community is the same, and it’s up to each of us to understand and explore how we even measure whether a community is “informed.” The two other breakout sessions which I didn’t get a chance to attend focused on creating public interest policies around the future of media and journalism, and mobilizing communities for better media.

Lastly, the day finished off with a closing session, including a talk by Jehmu Greene, President of the Women’s Media Center.

If you missed the event but are interested in checking out any of the sessions, video recordings of the event will be posted shortly here. They will also be posting transcripts of the talks when they become available. You can also check out the great speakers and their bios. A special thanks to the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation who sponsored the event, and the hardworking staff of Free Press who made it all possible.

Also at the event yesterday, Free Press also released a new paper at the summit, titled “New Public Media: A Plan for Action” authored by Josh Silver, Candance Clement, Craig Aaron and S. Derek Turner. In this paper the case is made for why we need public media (examining both the crisis that exists and where there may be opportunity), how it’s possible to fund a public media trust, a section about leadership, diversity and expansion, and lastly, some great conclusions about how to take these ideas and spur action.

Lastly, if you’re interested in these issues, mark your calendar. Free Press will be holding its next National Conference for Media Reform in Boston, MA, on April 8^th-April 10^th, 2011. This conference brings together thousands of activists, media makers, educators, journalists, scholars, policymakers and engaged citizens to meet, tell their stories, learn tactics, and hear from great speakers and build the movement for better media in America. You can sign up for updates, or visit the conference’s website for more information as it becomes available.

BlueGreen Alliance Hosts Green Jobs Conference

Last week the BlueGreen Alliance, a collaboration begun in 2006 by the Sierra Club and the United Steelworkers, convened in Washington, D.C. for its annual Good Jobs, Green Jobs conference. The conference, although packed with hopeful discussions and plenaries on greening up America's power grid, proceeded under the looming (and surprisingly undiscussed) reality of the unstoppable geyser of oil billowing into the Gulf of Mexico. And although a series of inspiring speakers from both environmentalist and Union perspectives talked about joining forces to bring clean energy jobs back to a new America, it was hard to believe the change they spoke of was anything close to what will be necessary to wean our culture from its greenhouse gas addiction.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke early on the first morning of the conference, kicking off the three days with crowd-pleasing lines. Met with cheers, Pelosi likened our current "Green Revolution" to the Technological Revolution and the Industrial Revolution. We have, Pelosi said, a "moral responsibility to protect God's planet."

But in a smaller talk later in the day, Dick Williams of Shell said in his thirty-year career with the company, he's never once been asked to do anything "immoral, unsafe or unethical" for the company. Obviously there is some difference of opinion on the morality of drilling for oil, and just what constitutes "protecting God's planet."

Williams has recently been appointed President of Shell Wind, but seemed to view it as a fledgling crutch designed solely to offset the carbon footprint of the rest of the company. And with only about 50 people on the payroll of Shell Wind, many of the Union workers in the audience were left frustrated, feeling that Green jobs in renewable industries remain somewhat elusive. A woman in the audience complained the industry has yet to welcome Union members. Others corroborated, saying the renewable industry too often hires contract workers and won't offer benefits or steady work. It still behooves workers to go to oil and gas jobs over green jobs.

But in part, the conference was designed precisely to bring attention to those hurdles. In a plenary session, Leo Gerard, International President of the United Steelworkers, spoke of the need to make Green Jobs more accessible and easier to get in the U.S. "What's the difference between having to rely on Chinese wind turbines versus Mideast oil?" Gerard asked.

The difference, of course, from an environmentalist's perspective, is that at least wind turbines are "clean" once they're working, no matter where they were manufactured. This distinction emphasized an interesting split between the environmental contingent and the Steelworker contingent. One side is motivated more by helping the planet, another by helping workers. During a smaller session, a representative from the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers said, "Historically, our biggest concern has been, what is this going to cost us?"

But perhaps motivations don't matter so much, when two factions share an end result.

Although the overall feeling of the conference was proactive and positive, the kinds of major shifts necessary -- and still possible, if industry and political leaders act quickly -- were not alluded to. Natural gas, nuclear, and even "clean coal" were included at different points in the conference with the rest of the "green" energies.

Experts Talk Climate at the Met

The PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature hosted a star-studded panel discussion last night at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, investigating the question that's on everyone's mind these days: what can we do about global warming? The program, titled "The Weather Report: What Can We Do?" featured leading scientists and writers such as James Hansen, Andrew Revkin and Bill McKibben. The discussion barreled past its posted 9:30 pm deadline and, judging by the excitement of the panelists, could have continued on into the night.

Jostein Gaarder, author of Sophie's World and co-founder of the environmental Sophie Prize, began the evening. Gaarder posed a brilliant metaphor, comparing carbon in our atmosphere to a genie that has escaped from a lamp. Before the Industrial Revolution, Gaarder imagined, this "genie" screamed from inside the lamp, "Let me out!" Now the genie has escaped, and we are desperately trying to push him back inside.

James Hansen spoke next, with the dispassionate certainty of a scientist who has been looking at the causes and implications of global warming for over thirty years. Hansen, who recently published the book "Storms of My Grandchildren: The Truth About the Coming Climate Catastrophe and Our Last Chance to Save Humanity," advocates a tax on oil, gas and coal that would require the industry to pay for its own damages. As long as fossil fuels are cheap, he says, people will use them, a practice that unequivocally must be stopped.

Bill McKibben agreed with Hansen that a new way of thinking about energy production and use is long overdue. The global warming ship has sailed, he said, and since stopping its progress completely is impossible, we need to find ways to mitigate and adapt. We have made the earth "a different place already," McKibben said, "and it will get much different still."

Even so, McKibben is far from disillusioned. The interest and excitement generated from his international campaign 350.org ("350" being the parts per million CO2 in the atmosphere scientists say is a tipping point against stabilizing global warming) has reinforced his belief that the will exists to put the brakes on greenhouse gas emissions.

Andrew Revkin, drawing from a long career as an environmental reporter, introduced some sobering statistics toward the end of the evening. People living in the United States, Revkin said, have a higher per capita carbon footprint than any other population in the world. Each U.S. citizen is responsible for about 20 tons of carbon annually, compared with 10 tons per person in Europe, and about 6 tons in India and China. Even if all countries agreed to either shrink or cap per capita carbon output at 6 tons, 2050's projected population of 9 billion people would still be spewing 54 billion tons of CO2 each year into the atmosphere. Although green technologies and political treaties are steps in the right direction, Revkin's math communicated the inevitable message that globally, we are facing this challenge together, and no one solution alone will do the trick.

Early in the evening, Bill McKibben called climate change the "greatest problem humans have ever faced by far." Sitting in the auditorium at the Met last night, it seemed possible that we are up to the challenge, and we will commit to real changes and solutions. But waking up this morning to news of oil gushing toward the coast off the Gulf of Mexico, and commuting through NYC's overstuffed shopping district in bumper-to-bumper traffic, those solutions seemed less possible, and the gravity of the task ahead more clear.

Good News for the Green Economy

Two government studies tracking the progress of the nation's green economy show that, while still small, it is poised for growth.

Although the studies found green products and services only comprise one to two percent of the nation's overall private business economy, the Executive Summary of the report (out of the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economics and Statistics Administration) begins with an auspicious statement: "The Administration is committed to fostering the development of a clean and energy-efficient economy; that is, a "green economy." Check out the full report here.

As we grapple with a climate bill and face increasingly clear signals that fossil fuels can no longer be burned with impunity, an official commitment to green the economy is long overdue. It is, perhaps, the magic feather industry needs to forge ahead with green products, a clear signal that "green" is a sound investment and the inevitable way of the future.

However, as a nation at the precipice of an industrial makeover, a long journey remains. For instance, the report "U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emissions and Intensities Over Time" measures emissions per dollar of economic output. While this measure, called "carbon intensity," has decreased over time, our total carbon output has actually increased. So while industry efficiency has gone up, production has grown even faster. Production per unit may be producing fewer emissions, but more production leads to more emissions. An overhaul of the current cycle of production, consumption and disposal will certainly play a large role in any national environmental improvement.

The reports also identified a shift in the sector producing the most emissions. While industry has gone greener, domestic emissions have grown. Weatherizing homes and buying efficient appliances are becoming mainstream activities, but many people remain bewildered by what exactly they can do to have the greatest positive effect. And inconsistent messages are no help -- a recent report out of the Government Accountability Office revealed that Energy Star labels are not nearly as stringent as they once were believed to be. The GAO easily got certification for fabricated and inappropriate products, and also found that once certified, manufacturers could download and print the Energy Star label with no further oversight. New rules and regulations for the Energy Star label were quickly promised, but there will no doubt be a backlash of consumer malaise and apathy stemming from the findings. Read another take on the findings on The Consumerist.

Overall, the Commerce Department's reports are good news, if for no other reason than they highlight investment in the green economy. It is also important -- and heartening-- to note that the findings were compiled using data from 2007. They do not measure improvements since the Obama Administration's commitment to green jobs.

EPIP: Day Three

Well things wrapped up very nicely in Denver. The last day of the conference featured Gara LaMarche, President and CEO, Atlantic Philanthropies, and Benjamin Todd
Jealous, President and CEO, NAACP. Because the three tracks throughout the conference were
Generational Change, Philanthropic Effectiveness and Social Justice Philanthropy, they were both really well poised to comment not only on these issues but also about the role of the emerging generation of philanthropists. In fact, LaMarche made a good observation that the word "emerging" may be a bit of a misconception, and that the field needs to look to young people as leaders not just in the future, but right now. I have been fortunate enough to hear Jealous twice in the past month (he spoke to our Board back in March, and I blogged about it here). But of course it was great to hear him again. One of the things that he mentioned that I found most relevant to the work of social justice philanthropy is that we are coming to a point where we are seeing the diminishing of a social class dominance, and eventually we will witness minorities becoming the majority. He pointed out that the Tea Party is a backlash against this kind of progress. Jealous also mentioned the importance of understanding who your allies are, and that they might not be who you think they are.

I really want to give a huge shout out to everyone who made the weekend possible, especially the folks at EPIP, Rusty Stahl and Rebecca Schumer in particular did so much hard work over the weekend. And thanks again to all the sponsors of the conference, the Marguerite Casey Foundation, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Levi Strauss Foundation, California Wellness Foundation and Council of Michigan Foundations. And a special thanks to the Knight Foundation, who sponsored the LiveFeed of the conference and DoGooder TV, which made it all possbile. Yesterday more than 2000 watched Benjamin Jealous from the NAACP!

And of course, I wasn't the only one who blogged about the conference and its participants. If you're interested in hearing what others thought about it, head on over the EPIP Blog, Epiphanies. Thanks again to all who participated, it was a great weekend.

If you want to follow the rest of the Council on Foundation's 2010 Conference via Twitter, the hashtag is #cof10 and they have a great list of live bloggers. I suggest checking out the Philanthropy411 blog for updates.

EPIP: Day Two

Day Two of the 2010 EPIP Conference started off with a great observation from Steve Gunderson, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Council on Foundations. Gunderson addressed the folks at the morning plenary by stating, “EPIP needs to change their tagline from the “next generation” of grantmakers to the NOW generation of grantmakers. The future is now.” I couldn’t agree more and know that everyone else in the room felt the same way.

Following Gunderson, we had the opportunity to hear from Bill Somerville, the President and Founder of Philanthropic Ventures Foundation. Somerville brings more than 50 years of experience to the non-profit sector and is nationally recognized as an expert on creative grantmaking. He really challenged the group to think about philanthropy in a variety of ways that we may not have. I can’t stop thinking about some of the ideas that he talks about. For example, he talks about paperless giving, and how this goes beyond just filing everything electronically. He also talked about the importance of having more failures. This may seem counterintuitive, but he argues, and I rightly agree, that the field of philanthropy can learn as much from its failures, if not more, than its successes. He even advocated for the non-profit sector to put out a book that discusses some of its failures in depth. I think Somerville is right when he says that if we aren’t willing to take risks, we may be afraid to think creatively. He also discussed the importance of building trust between organizations and sectors. He advocates for people to get out from behind their computers to really understand the work they are funding, and for people to get out of their comfort zone. Lastly, he talked about the dangers of “academic philanthropy” (I have to admit, this was the first time I’d heard that term mentioned), meaning that as we see a rise in things like strategic philanthropy, standardized program evaluations, performance metrics etc, that we need to really engage grantees in our partnerships, ask them how they measure the success of their programs etc.

The rest of the day featured some really great sessions centered on social justice philanthropy and allowed members to hear experience from those working in this area. I really appreciated the multigenerational panels and experienced foundation leaders that provided concrete suggestions for how grantmakers can advance social and racial justice philanthropy. Although I wasn’t able to attend every panel, the feedback I’ve heard from everyone has been extremely positive!

In the afternoon, EPIP and the Young Nonprofit Professionals Association held a concurrent workshop. Since both groups are here in Denver at the same time and are clearly interested in a lot of the same issues, I think it was really great to plan this session. Keynote speaker Barry Gaberman, Senior Vice President (Retired), of the Ford Foundation talked about the need for infrastructure to support talent in philanthropy and nonprofits.

Tomorrow marks the third and final (half) day of the conference, before the annual Council on Foundation’s 2010 Annual Conference officially kicks off. If you’ll be staying on after the EPIP conference is over, or if you’ll be participating remotely, be sure to follow the hashtag #cof10 for updates.

EPIP Day One

The first day of the 2010 EPIP National Conference in Denver is over and it went great. The theme for this year’s conference is “Building a Movement, Making an Impact” and that’s exactly what over 100 young philanthropists are interested in doing. Even a little bit of snow in April couldn’t stop the excitement!

Yesterday marked the start of the conference and included a great opening session with Robby Rodriguez, the Executive Director of the Southwest Organizing Project and co-author of a book called Working Across Generations: Defining the Future of Nonprofit Leadership (all participants were lucky enough to get a free copy). In his talk Rodriguez talked about the issues within the non-profit sector with respect to leadership change and generational shifts between baby boomers, generation X and Millenials (like yours truly). I’m hoping that I can get a copy of his slides which goes into a bit more detail and if so I’ll be sure to provide a link to it. Probably my favorite quote from the session was “The world is seriously jacked up and we have to fix it.”

Following Rodriguez, we heard from Cynthia Gibson, who has more than 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector as a consultant and senior staff person for national nonprofits and philanthropic institutions. Gibson talked a little bit about her new effort called the “Generational Change Initiative” which will examine these trends and how the definition of philanthropy and social justice will shift as we see dynamic changes in the workplace. Gibson also talked about what she called “a perfect storm of whiteness” when it comes to the lack of diversity amongst nonprofit leadership and what efforts must be made in order to combat this problem.

The rest of the weekend’s sessions will be featuring some great diverse and multi-generational speakers. There are various learning tracks on philanthropic effectiveness, generational change and social justice philanthropy, interactive workshops, free career counseling, and a joint afternoon session with the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network, who is also in town for their annual conference. Sunday’s keynote speakers include Benjamin Todd Jealous, President & CEO of the NAACP.

If you aren’t in Denver, don’t worry you are not out of luck and can still participate. Thanks to the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, EPIP is offering a free livestream of the conference content. You can check out the stream schedule, and join the conversation by chatting, tweeting, facebooking of blogging the conference from wherever you are. If you’re following the ocnversation or participating on Twitter, the hashtag is #epip10.

Earth Day: Looking Back and Looking Forward

As the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day approaches, the environmentally-minded are reflecting on the past, something we rarely have time to do when every new issue seems like the most important, the most time-sensitive, the one that will certainly lead to a torrent of unforeseen problems if not nipped immediately in the proverbial bud. Given this chance to take stock, it's heartening to recognize the legacy of a devoted, activist conservation movement. But looking back also brings up questions about the path we're on. Have we even come close to fulfilling promises made on the original Earth Day?

Click here for a May 1970 article from Earth Day originator Senator Gaylord Nelson's newsletter.

The May 1970 Gaylord Nelson Newsletter is full of hope and a sense of determination to turn over a new leaf for the environment. But it is sobering to recognize an all-too familiar rhetoric, a fed-up "this is it"attitude we continue to hear today, obviously fallen short of its bold intentions. For example, look at this passage:

"Scientists, ecologists, environmentalists, educators and political leaders warned darkly before massive gatherings and small meetings that time was running out for the world and that all men had a responsibility to themselves and to leave a legacy of life for their children."

Sound familiar? Environmentalists today often present the climate crisis as a moral issue, attempting to bring even the most obstinate skeptics on board. If you don't see the utility in acting now, the argument goes, then at least do something to make the world safe for your grandchildren. But this may not be the most effective approach. Author Bill McKibben, recently interviewed on The Leonard Lopate Show, says the "for our grandchildren" approach actually just postpones work that needed to be done years ago. If the looming threats to our planet won't take affect for another two generations, subscribers to this mode of thinking can more easily forget them.

Check out McKibben's blog and global environmental activist network at 350.org.

Click here for Earth Day activities going on in your area, or for information on a climate rally going on this Sunday in D.C.

Or check out Edward Hoagland's beautiful paean to a life well-lived in this month's issue of Harper's magazine, in which he regrets having to leave the planet while expressing a sense of foreboding as he looks at what lies ahead.

Hoagland writes:

Bees, bats, amphibians, forest primates, meadow birds, pelagic fish, coral, and polar animals, at risk or worse—the upending of ecology, disequilibrium of meteorology and oceanography, desertification, extinctions at four thousand times paleontological rates, are not the sort of scale of change old grumps have previously objected to. Nature is being defenestrated in a fast-track snuffing out of half of Creation.

and:

Amazingly late in the game, popes, presidents, and pundits began to tell us we were “stewards” of the earth. Earlier, mostly marginal or maverick figures had cared to touch on the topic, apart from a handful of well-heeled conservation charities that oversaw the status quo in our national parks, or of poster-suitable megafauna here and there... I’ve found the speed of alteration, the totality of havoc and sprawl accompanying the pole-axing of nature, undreamt of.

Hoagland's Last call: Old age and the end of nature, if read well, could serve as the environmentalists' new rallying cry. Yes, we need to treat the planet well for our grandchildren, but they are not the only ones we're working for. In 2050, when those of us who are still around have passed through the next forty Earth Days, wouldn't it be nice to look back with accomplishment, as well as forward with peace of mind?

2010 NTEN Recap

Well, I am back from Atlanta and I really enjoyed last week’s 2010 Nonprofit Technology Conference. If you didn’t check out the agenda for the conference when I posted it last week, it’s still up online. There were over 1450 people who came together from all over the non-profit sector. Although this was my first year attending the conference, I didn’t feel too overwhelmed mostly because of the great structure of the conference and how well organized it was.

Andrew Sullivan, journalist and blogger for The Atlantic gave a great keynote speech on Friday morning, in which he talked about the changing nature of technology, and what it means to be a blogger in the 21st century. Tech Soup has a great video with Sullivan from after his speech about what it’s like to take criticism that comes with putting yourself out in the public space on a daily basis. Once the full video from Sullivan’s talk becomes available I’ll be sure to put it up online.

I also attended some really great breakout sessions; two in particular that I thought were useful. The first was called “Got Gov? Why You Should Care About Technology Policy” and had speakers from both Free Press and ZeroDivide. The session focused on how media policy issues at the federal level will affect how nonprofits engage with technology in the future. It included both an overview of the key federal policy issues and how the world of nonprofits could be changed, depending on the outcomes of these policy initiatives. The other sessions was titled “Expanding Broadband Access and Adoption in Undeserved Communities” and focused on how organizations are building capacity of organizations to support community technology providers. We discussed capacity building work including some of the best practices and challenges for increasing technology and broadband adoption.

I also got a sneak preview of Beth Kanter and Allison Fine’s new book titled The Networked Nonprofit: Connecting with Social Media to Drive Change. I’ve read the first chapter and can’t wait until the whole book comes out in June. I’ll be sure to blog about the book when it becomes available as well as my thoughts after reading it. I didn’t get a chance to attend their session, but if you’d like to follow up, here's a bit more about the session.

I was also glad to see that NTEN made a great effort to “Green the Conference”, cutting down on the printed size of the conference guide (the iPhone app was a great idea and kept me up to date on the schedule and speakers), and offering totebags made from recycled materials, to name just a few of their efforts.

The 2011 Conference is already scheduled so save the dates on your calendar! The event will take place March 17th -19th in Washington DC.

2010 NTC Conference

I'm headed to Atlanta first thing tomorrow morning for 2010 Nonprofit Technology Conference which is taking place April 8th-10th, at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center. I'm really looking forward to it.

Click here to check out the very full agenda for the conference. There are also more breakout sessions that I know what to do with! You can also check out the list of whose coming (over 1400 people!). And, I downloaded my iPhone app which was put together for the conference so hopefully I'll be able to sort out where I'm supposed to be and when.

If you want to follow the conference on twitter, check out http://twitter.com/10ntc or search for the hashtag #10ntc. Since the conference is "all about connecting and learning so that you can transform technology into social change in your work and communities", I'm hoping to connect with as many people as possible and make the most of the experience. This is my first year attending the conference.

If you can't make it to Atlanta, don't fear! Check out what they are doing so you can participate remotely. Several cities are having remote gatherings and some sessions will be streamed live, and some will be presented as webinars. When I get back next week I'll do a mega blog post on my takeaways and thoughts from the two days. See everyone in Atlanta!

Oh, and if you just can't wait to see what goes on this week/weekend, click here to visit materials related to last year's conference out in San Francisco.

Conservation and the iPad

As most Americans who were not in line themselves have heard by now, Apple released its much anticipated iPad this weekend. The new (and slightly cryptic) device was met with requisite fervor following the iPhone release in 2007, with crowds camping outside Apple stores to be among the first to open the expertly packaged computer/tablet/e-reader/...what exactly is it? In fact, one of the most compelling features of an otherwise elusive iPad is its ability to convince over 300,000 people so far that its possession is absolutely necessary.

The New York Times quoted a devoted fan waiting outside the San Francisco Apple store at 4 a.m. Saturday. "It's beyond technology," the fan said. "It's a culture. It's a community."

From an environmentalist's perspective, the iPad release allows time for reflection on consumption and the American obsession with "stuff." (Hear all about that in Overbrook grantee Annie Leonard's web video The Story of Stuff.) If "stuff" becomes our culture and community, what are the implications for conservation? Will people care about the planet when their well-being is satisfied by portable screens and wireless transmission? Will iPad purchasers make the connection between resource use and the shiny tablet in their $500 box?

An Op-Ed piece yesterday, also in the Times, asks How Green Is My iPad? The piece, written by Daniel Goleman and Gregory Norris, goes through a life-cycle assessment of an e-reader versus a traditional paper book. The assessment is thorough yet unavoidably confusing: while an e-reader requires the toxic extraction of metals that may or may not be responsibly recycled down the line, a traditional paper book comes with its own dirty footprint. The fossil fuels required to ship books hundreds of miles, to drive back and forth from the bookstore year in, year out, to power the nightlight on your bedside table, all must be taken into account to make a valid life-cycle comparison. In the end, Goleman and Norris mercifully just tell us what to do: "All in all," they conclude, "the most ecologically virtuous way to read a book starts by walking to your local library."

In the end, people like gadgets, and it's not the iPad specifically that raises questions about the future of conservation. Rather, it's what the hype surrounding the iPad can tell us about the values of our culture. Check out a video of fan Greg Packer, who has no special allegiance to Apple but prides himself on being first in line for a whole slew of coveted products and events. Or think about first purchasers' descriptions of entering the Apple store, greeted with applause, as though by sitting in line for hours they owned some part of the pride inherent in creation. Is it the actual gadget people are excited about, or the feeling they get from having it?

For a funnier take: David Letterman's Top Ten List

Uncertain Migration for Marine Mammals

'Tis the season for gray whales to embark upon their annual 6,000 mile migration from the coast of Baja California to the Arctic. The species has been around for over a million years, making the north-south-north trek with the seasons and food supply. But scientists are starting to take a closer look at whale migration as an indicator of the state of the Arctic ecosystem, as atmospheric and ocean temperatures rise.

Arctic sea ice extent in the past three years has been lower than any other time in the past thirty years, when scientists started keeping track. Since life thrives on the sea ice edge, conditions change for larger marine animals when that ice edge recedes farther from the shore. Additionally, scientists are finding that the amount of marine life decreases as ice sheets shrink, a discovery that has grave implications for animals at all steps along the Arctic food chain. Whales, in particular, are having a tough time finding the fatty crustaceans they prefer and are resorting to larger amounts of krill and shrimp. It is not yet known exactly how shifts in the food chain due to warming will affect other Arctic animals, or the whales on a long term scale.

Scientists are feeling particularly pressed to speed their studies of Arctic biodiversity in the wake of President Obama's announcement that previously untouched coastal areas will be opened to oil drilling. The newly vulnerable areas will include coastlines off of northern Alaska, so scientists are scrambling to fill knowledge gaps about Arctic biodiversity before this begins.

Although Obama promised the drilling will just be a stepping stone to a greener economy, "part of a broader strategy that will move us from an economy that runs on fossil fuels and foreign oil to one that relies more on homegrown fuels and clean energy," even a small amount of drilling could reap horrific rewards on the fragile Arctic ecosystem.

Read about varying opinions of the Obama administration's announcement here.

Read Jonathan Hiskes' (Grist.org) take on "drill, baby, drill."

Human Rights First Announces Roger N. Baldwin Medal of Liberty Award

Yesterday, Human Rights First announced that Guatemalan indigenous rights activist and genocide survivor Jesus Tecu Osorio was recently selected to receive the prestigious 2010 Roger N. Baldwin Medal of Liberty Award for international human rights defenders. Tecu was chosen from a pool of more than 50 extraordinary human rights activities from around the world. Human Rights First will bestow the Medal of Liberty on Tecu at a ceremony in New York City in May 2010.

“Jesus Tecu was only a child when he witnessed the murder of his family during a massacre that killed nearly everyone in his remote Guatemalan village. Instead of seeking revenge, Jesus channeled his energies into pursuing justice for the genocide in Guatemala and working to secure a more peaceful future there,” said Human Rights First President and CEO Elisa Massimino.

According to Human Rights First, Tecu is now a leading human rights activist seeking justice for the genocide in Guatemala and promoting the rights of indigenous Mayans. And even though he remains at extreme risk he remains undeterred in his fight for justice. In Rabinal, Baja Verapaz, Tecu has established three human rights organizations that provide critical services to indigenous Mayans: the New Hope Foundation, the Association for the Integral Development of the Victims of Violence, Maya-Achí (ADIVIMA) and Rabinal’s Community Legal Aid Clinic. He is also a witness in prosecutions against high level Guatemalan military officials taking place now in Guatemala and Spain, as well as in proceedings before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. In addition to these activities, he has been a leading advocate in seeking accountability for damages to communities affected by the construction of the Chixoy hydroelectric dam.

The Medal of Liberty which Tecu will receive is named in honor of Roger Baldwin, founder of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the International League for Human Rights. It is presented by Human Rights First every other year to a human rights organization or activist outside of the United States that has made a distinguished contribution to the protection and promotion of human rights. In alternate years the ACLU selects a U.S.-based winner.

For more information on Jesus Tecu click here. And if you’re interested in learning more about the Roger Baldwin Medal of Liberty, you can do that here. You can also link to the original Human Rights First press release here which has more information about Tecu, his family and his background.

Two Overbrook Grantees in the News

Two Overbrook grantees are in the news, proving yet again that good ideas and persistence over time really work!

Late last week, the Product Policy Institute celebrated the nation's first "framework" product stewardship bill, signed into law by Maine's Governor John Baldacci. Although many voices contributed to the law's passage, PPI has been setting the stage for extended producer responsibility legislation throughout the country since its inception in 2003.

"Framework" legislation sets up a system of standards that applies to all products, leveling the playing field so producers have comprehensive guidelines for production and recovery, rather than a patchwork of regulations requiring new rules for for each individual market. Producer responsibility laws have been passed in 31 states, but thus far have focused on individual products such as TVs, computer monitors, printers and other electronics. Maine's new law is the most comprehensive in the country and will act as a template for a national framework. It also expands the reach of products traditionally targeted by producer take-back programs, including guidelines for products such as pharmaceuticals and house paints.

Bill Sheehan, PPI's Executive Director, thinks Maine's framework legislation will encourage other states to follow. "I think it's a real breakthrough. We're really excited to finally see it happening, and with business support," he said. "It's going to keep the momentum building."

Click here for PPI's explanation of extended producer responsibility framework legislation, and the importance of standardizing rules.

The other Overbrook grantee in the news today is Annie Leonard of the Story of Stuff (see my post from March 11). The Story of Stuff project launched its newest video early last week, the Story of Bottled Water, and in just a couple of days garnered over 120,000 viewers. As reported in today's New York Times, the International Bottled Water Association is fighting back with its own "true story" video, replete with footage of trickling streams and interviews with beverage industry people insisting on the virtues of their companies' environmental intentions. You be the judge and read the article here.

New American Media is Looking for Your Voice

New America Media, in partnership with COMCAST just launched its newest TV program, “New America Now," which debuted on March 20, 2010 (on COMCAST Hometown Network, Channel 104).

The show is anchored by Filipino-American broadcaster Odette Keeley. The show's format is that of a news magazine and it highlights the unique stories and perspectives of the country’s increasingly global society through the lens of the ethnic media that serve minority communities. From young activists moving the immigration reform movement; to the impacts of the recession on minority-owned businesses; to profiles of hometown heroes in your neighborhoods; and 1-on-1 with ethnic news outlets; reflections on the news of the day from leading thinkers --- New America Now can be your global-local news window.

And New America Media wants your voice in the show! They are looking to highlight the stories of you and your communities. If you're interested, please send them any video reports, clips or leads for news you would like them to cover or feature on “New America Now.”

'New America Now" will air monthly until May and then twice a month starting June. The show also airs via COMCAST on Demand in the Public Affairs Section under COMCAST Hometown.

For further information or to get more involved please contact: Odette Keeley: okeeley@newamericamedia.org, 415-503-4170

Improving the Lives of LGBT Older Adults

There’s a new report available from the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) and Senior Action in a Gay Environment (SAGE). It’s titled “Improving the Lives of LGBT Older Adults” and it shows that contrary to stereotypes, “LGBT elders are more likely to live in poverty, face social and community isolation, and lack appropriate health care and long-term care.”

The report examines the unique barriers and disparities faced by LGBT elders. It also offers detailed and practical solutions, providing a roadmap for LGBT and aging advocates, policymakers, and anyone interested in ensuring that all Americans have the opportunity to age with dignity and respect.

According to the report’s abstract, in addition to the challenge that Americans face as they age, LGBT older adults also have the added burden of a lifetime of stigma; familial relationships that generally lack legal recognition under the law; and unequal treatment under laws, programs and services designed to support and protect older Americans. The report examines three areas of particular difficulty for LGBT elders (note: these are just the bullet points to read full details please download the entire report here).

- LGBT elders are less financially secure

- LGBT elders find it more difficult to achieve good health and healthcare

- LGBT elders are more likely to face social isolation

In addition to examining the challenges faced by LGBT elders, the report also provides very much needed detailed and comprehensive policy analysis and recommendations on how to best move forward to combat these problems.

The report was authored by both MAP and SAGE, in partnership with the American Society on Aging, the National Senior Citizens Law Center, and the Center for American Progress, with a foreword from AARP. The report has received coverage from CNN.com, the Chicago Tribune, the LA Times, as well as other online media. With the release of the report, MAP is also creating a presence on Facebook and Twitter.

Honeybee Deaths Linked to Pesticides

Honeybee die-off got a little worse this year, according to an ongoing federal survey. Colony Collapse Disorder, the still unexplained plague that compels bees to abandon hives and fly off to die, is forging ahead full force with no solution in sight. Bee die-off likely has a mixture of causes, such as parasites, viruses, bacteria and poor nutrition. But outrageously increasing rates of honeybee disappearance points to pesticides as the main culprit.

Almost all food crops are grown with some sort of anti-insect agent. Even products labeled "organic" are likely grown with pesticides, although they must be derived from natural, never synthetic, ingredients. (Click here for a list of requirements and prohibitions for organic farmers.)

The massive bee die-off is concerning, first of all because it signifies something very wrong and off-balance with the planet's natural processes. More specifically and immediately, bees gone missing are not around to pollinate the crops we eat, crops that make up about one third of our diets. Commercial beekeepers reported record losses this year, and have found themselves unable to fill orders from farmers in need of pollinators. According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, two federal agencies and regulators from California and Canada found high levels of synthetic chemicals both in pollen and in hives, hives described as "laden" with pesticides. On the heels of the Environmental Working Group's publication of the most pesticide-heavy fruits and vegetables, it seems evident, even without a federal study, that bees would be adversely affected by chemicals that are dangerous to human beings.

On the brighter side, at least pesticides have been targeted as a probable (and significant) cause of colony collapse disorder. And if a large-scale disappearance of honeybees is linked to an immediate loss of revenue in agriculture, chances are the bees' plight will get attention beyond the scientific and environmentalist communities.

And finally, just last week the New York City Board of Health repealed the ban on beekeeping in the city. A meetup group has already formed around spreading the knowledge and practice of urban beekeeping. The first line of the meetup invitation reads in all caps: "WE'RE LEGAL IN NYC!"

New Future for Nuclear Waste?

The French nuclear energy company Areva announced it is developing a new technology that could answer the most common question posed by opponents of nuclear power: what do we do with the waste?

If the new technology is successful, fission-fusion reactors could permanently destroy the radioactive uranium isotopes produced during nuclear fission, drastically reducing the need to find geological repositories for nuclear waste. The waste would never be completely eliminated, but Areva says it could be reduced to the point at which one or two geological repositories could store all the world's waste, as opposed to the hundreds predicted if nuclear takes off as a major global energy source in coming decades.

Research on fission-fusion systems is nothing new, but the current greenhouse gas crisis is pushing nuclear forward as a possible front-runner in the quest for a coal and oil-free economy. President Obama recently announced eight billion dollars in federal loan guarantees for the first construction of new nuclear plants since the 1970s, and proposed up to $54 billion for nuclear in next year's budget. A recent Gallop poll shows 62 percent of Americans favor a resurgence of nuclear power, the highest percentage since polling began on this subject in 1994.


If a resurgence of nuclear power is inevitable as policymakers look for viable green technologies to replace coal and oil, then Areva's breakthrough is encouraging. But a large faction of environmentalists remain wary and unimpressed. Although the new fission-fusion reactors may greatly reduce the problem of waste disposal, they do nothing to address the great environmental and human health hazards associated with uranium mining. Read about it on the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research web site here.


And sadly, in the wake of former Interior Secretary Stewart Udall's death, we are reminded of generations of victims of cancer and respiratory disorders linked to uranium mining, victims Udall began advocating for as early as the 1970s. With the scramble to find carbon-free energy sources, many advocates are eager to use the new disposal technology as evidence that the nuclear record is clear. Udall's legacy, with any luck, will remind proponents that this story is far from over.

March 2010 Letter from Chair and President

The following is the March 2010 Letter From The Overbrook Foundation Chair and President. It is taken directly from our website.

In early 2009, the Foundation posted a letter from its Chair and President outlining steps being taken to address the impact of the global financial crisis on its grantmaking programs (Click here to read the 2009 letter). We are writing now to update you on Foundation plans for grantmaking in 2010 and over the next several years.

Our endowment experienced significant volatility in 2009 as financial markets continued their decline early in 2009 and then made a remarkable rebound. As of December 31, 2009, the endowment totaled $111.6 million as compared to $187.3 million just two years ago. (As of March 15, 2010 the endowment’s unaudited value is estimated at approximately $126 million.) We know that our grantees have experienced similar challenges; and, we are concerned about the implications for support for all nonprofits dependent on fundraising from government, foundations and individuals in 2010 and thereafter.
We seek to respond prudently to this very serious financial situation and change in our endowment, while at the same time remaining focused on the work of our grantees around critical concerns and the likely enormous opportunities in human rights and the environment in 2010 and over the next several years.

We will continue to play an activist leadership role in the philanthropic community. Our program officers are heavily involved in organizing and managing funder collaborative partnerships such as the U.S. Human Rights Fund and the Civil Marriage Collaborative; creating vital new non-profit organizations to advance change; e.g., Catalog Choice, www.catalogchoice.org, and assuming leadership roles in a variety of foundation associations such as the Sustainability Funders Work Group. Through these various efforts, the Foundation believes it is able to influence the direction of significant philanthropic resources to those issues most central to its human rights and environment mission. We will use all of these mechanisms moving forward to protect and strengthen the fields in which our grantees are active.

We believe that the impact of the financial crisis will be felt for some years to come and that as a consequence the Foundation’s grantmaking ability will also be reduced. This is despite a commitment by Directors to fund grantmaking in excess of the mandated 5% payout requirement. To effectively manage this reduced grantmaking ability, directors are committing the Foundation to a strategic review of its environment and human rights programs during 2010 with the objective of redefining its priorities for grantmaking over the next three to five years. We expect to announce the outcomes of that review by the end of the year.

Our expectation and our goal is that we will preserve the viability of the Foundation and continue to advance its mission as we work through these very difficult times. Despite these challenges, we look forward to working with you in the coming year to move forward a progressive agenda for change.

Sincerely,

Kathryn G. Graham, Chair

Stephen A. Foster, President and CEO

Success for Voter Action and Washington State

I love getting to blog about successes! Here’s another one for you from a former grantee of the Foundation, Voter Action. With the close of the 2010 Legislative Session, Washington State had an effort to pass a dangerous online voting bill. However, the bill (HB 2483) was defeated! According to Voter Action, HB 2483 would have permitted military and overseas voters to fax and email voted ballots, without paper back up, putting our military and overseas voters ballots at risk as well as seriously undermining the security of our elections. Top experts in cybersecurity have agreed that online voting is fundamentally insecure and an actual risk to national security. Of course even though this bill was defeated, the idea of online voting remains very popular and the risks and ramifications are still widely misunderstood. As Voter Action points out, even the New York Times editorial said, internet voting is "still in beta." We agree that beta, or any testing phase, is not good enough for our elections!

Interested to know if internet, email or fax voting has been introduced in your state? Visit here to download resources on how to build a similar effort and replicate this success.

Victory for WITNESS and the Endorois People

Last week WITNESS sent out via e-mail its mid-year Performance Evaluation Dashboard. In its dashboard, you can find an overview of everything they have accomplished over the last six months – and it’s a lot!

But they were very proud of one victory in particular. Because the organization’s campaigns are aimed at creating systemic change, often a lot of work goes on behind the scenes before that change is realized. According to WITNESS, we just witnessed one of these landmark moments and that was the Endorois people’s victory reclaiming their ancestral lands in Lake Bogoria in Kenya.

The story goes something like this: in 1973 the Endorois were evicted from their lands to make room for a wildlife preserve. For decades, they tried unsuccessfully to persuade government and local authorities to let them return to their land and share the revenues generated by the reserve. In 2003, the Endorois' case was brought to the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights; working with local partner CEMIRIDE, WITNESS provided video advocacy strategy and training to strengthen the Endorois' case with evidentiary videos, marking the first time video has been used as evidence by the African Commission.

After a fight for justice that spanned generations, the African Commission ruled that the eviction violated the Endorois' right to development compromising their rights to property, health, culture, religion, and natural resources. This February the African Union adopted that ruling and dictated that Kenya ought to take steps to return the land and compensate the Endorois within three months. This is a landmark decision with unprecedented and far-reaching implications for the rights of indigenous peoples across the African continent.

If you haven’t visited WITNESS’s The Hub, now would be a great time to do so. You can watch "Rightful Place: Endorois' Struggle for Justice.” Congratulations to all the hard work done by everyone at WITNESS to make this victory possible.

NAACP President Benjamin Todd Jealous Addresses the Board

Last week during its Board Meeting, Benjamin Todd Jealous, President of the NAACP addressed the Foundation's Directors and staff. Jealous described current challenges facing the NAACP as it enters its second century of work. They include several of ongoing interest to the Foundation: sentencing of juveniles to life sentences without the possibility of parole, anti-trafficking, immigration reform and domestic criminal justice reform. He noted the role of the NAACP in building consensus around these issues which are particularly harmful to “black and brown” people and pointed out that they have led the NAACP and an emerging movement of advocates to call on the U.S. to address them as human rights violations.

Jealous noted that their resolution requires moving beyond currently guaranteed civil rights found in our constitution and instead requires that the U.S. be held accountable to human rights guarantees found in the charter of the U.N., the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the various human rights conventions to which the U.S. is a signatory or should become one. He positions the NAACP as a human rights organization because it consistently seeks to advance solutions beyond those limited by focusing on civil rights guaranteed by the U.S. and instead seeks the much broader protections found in human rights treaties and agreements.

Lastly, he also talked about the need to rebuild the NAACP, after the setback following the lost of its most significant donor. His goal is to rebuild and revitalize it so that it can resume its role as a major moral force, both domestically and internationally; e.g., by opening an office in New York to work exclusively with the U.N. on human rights issues.

Story of Stuff Book Hot off the Press!

Overbrook grantee Annie Leonard's Story of Stuff video hit the mainstream long ago, and it's about to reach an even broader audience as a book! For those of us who longed for more after the end of the 20 minute movie, Story of Stuff the book is the answer. Click here to learn how to find it, buy it, and to listen to it online as Annie reads an excerpt.

While visiting New York on a book tour, Annie graced Christiane Amanpour's studio at CNN, spoke to a rapt audience at the 92nd Street Y, and even braved an interview on the Colbert Report. She did great! Check out Annie's interviews by clicking the links above, or check out the book (printed on recycled paper with soy-based ink.)


The Story of Stuff film was followed by The Story of Cap and Trade, and will soon be joined by The Story of Bottled Water and The Story of Electronics. As original project funders, it is certainly exciting to see where Annie and her team have taken it.

Two New Studies Reaffirm Climate Change is All Too Real

An international team of researchers led by scientists at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks found a section of the Arctic ocean seafloor primed to release massive amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The methane, previously thought to be permanently sealed underground by frozen permafrost, is beginning to leach through cracks as the planet warms and the permafrost melts.

Methane is 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide, and the recent research shows a faster acceleration toward climate change may be in our immediate future.

Co-leader of the research team, Natalia Shakhova, found that current levels of atmospheric methane hover around 1.85 parts per million, compared with the geological record high of .7 ppm. Current methane levels in the atmosphere are the highest they've been in 400,000 years. This new research out of Fairbanks adds a previously absent component to climate models, and will likely shift scenarios of what our climate will look like.

Research out of the UK Met Office also points to accelerating climate change in our future. An international team of scientists analyzed over 100 papers published since the IPCC's last report in 2007. The team's findings support the IPCC's classification of human-caused global warming as "unequivocal." The review compared the expected natural shifts in climate with scenarios that take human influence into account. The atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases and evidence of warming we've already seen are unprecedented.

Check out the Arctic methane story here.

Read about the new anthropogenic global warming study here.

Climate Change Scientists On the Defensive

Climate Change science continues to face escalating attacks, despite increasing evidence in science journals, news media and the blogosphere that the planet is warming.

A recent post by Tom Yulsman in the CEJournal shows graphs from the National Snow and Ice Data Center tracing shrinking sea ice cover in the Arctic from 1979 to the present. Here is more data on the Arctic melt season from NASA.

At the same time, a story posted Monday by Kate Sheppard on Mother Jones details a new lawsuit filed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce against the Environmental Protection Agency, feared to be just the beginning of an onslaught of attacks on proposed environmental regulation, waged by business lobbies taking advantage of recent scandals involving the IPCC's credibility and the supposed "Climategate cover-ups."

The Chamber of Commerce lawsuit involves the EPA's endangerment finding classifying greenhouse gasses as dangerous to human health. Because of this finding, emissions can now be legally regulated under the Clean Air Act. Although the Chamber of Commerce does not have much legal ground to stand on, the suit will give them another chance to voice skeptical views of climate change, muddling the perceptions of factions of the public that are already on the fence about climate change.

Al Gore wrote a clear and compelling Op-Ed for the New York Times last Sunday, reiterating that gaps in scientific knowledge always exist, but overwhelming evidence points toward unequivocal anthropogenic global warming.

Unfortunately, as Don Braman of George Washington Law School said, "If you have people who are skeptical of the data on climate change, you can bet that Al Gore is not going to convince them at this point." (See my post from last week.)

DC to Legalize Gay Marriage?

Well it looks like my hometown of DC may take a step forward tomorrow when it comes to gay marriage! According to the office of Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), today makrs the end of the 30-day period that Congress would have to act in order to prevent the same-sex marriage bill from becoming legal. Twice last year the Washington, DC city council voted to recognize same-sex marriage in DC. According to the charter however, Congress has 30 legislative days to prevent this from happening by passing a resolution. Such a resolution (H.J. Res 72) was introduced by Rep. Jason Caffetz (R-UT), but the measure has stalled in the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Since today is the 30th day in the countdown, we'll keep an eye out to see what happens today and tomorrow. Let's hope that there will not be Congressional Action and that gay marriage will become legal in our nation's capitals! If it is legal, the first marraige licenses can be issued to same-sex couples tomorrow and the first same-sex marriages could take place as soon as March 9th.