Remember When the IRS Targeted Environmental Organizations? – May 16, 2013

This isn’t the first time the agency has investigated political groups – just the first time it’s become a full-blown controversy

On Wednesday night President Obama, speaking from the East Room of the White House, called the IRS scrutiny of some 300 conservative groups “inexcusable.” “I will not tolerate this kind of behavior in any agency, but especially in the IRS, given the power that it has and the reach that it has into all of our lives,” the president said. “It should not matter what political stripe you’re from – the fact of the matter is, is that the IRS has to operate with absolute integrity.”

I agree with the president – even though I think it’s long past time that Congress and the courts developed clearer rules so the IRS… more

by: Jason Mark

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If We Could Fix Climate Change With a Flick of a Switch, Will It be More Palatable to Conservatives? – May 7, 2013

Geoengineering might get more conservatives to believe in global warming – and I’m not sure that’s a good thing

As the consequences of climate change become increasingly obvious (you know, floods, fires, and droughts), it’s becoming more and more difficult for conservatives to dismiss global warming out-of-hand. Yes, the folks at The Heartland Institute are still plugging along (thanks for sending me your recent book, fellows). But – outside the shrinking band of dead-enders – self-described conservatives are beginning to acknowledge that man-made climate change is real and will require action. A recent Gallup poll found that more than half of Republicans now acknowledge the existence of global warming, up from 39 percent in 2011.

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by: Jason Mark

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Could We Return to the Original Earth Day? – April 22, 2013

Environmental issues remain one of the last wedges in the American culture wars

I never get tired of recalling the story of the original Earth Day. On April 22, 1970, millions of Americans spontaneously turned out for thousands of largely uncoordinated community actions to demonstrate their concern for our one and only planet. Some people planted gardens, others cleaned up local streams and beaches, many organized or attended teach-ins. In New York, more than one million people marched through the streets; an estimated one-in-ten Americans participated in some way or another. And all of it organized on a shoestring budget by a bunch of idealistic twenty-somethings and a US Senate backbencher. The outpouring of popular energy tapped into a deep uneasiness about the havoc… more

by: Jason Mark

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Goldman Prize Winner Aleta Baun Decodes US Supreme Court Genetics Case – April 17, 2013

“We only sell what we create, and we will not sell what we do not create”

It would seem odd that an Indigenous woman from the hinterlands of Indonesian West Timor would help decide a case before the US Supreme Court, but that’s exactly what happened (in my head, at least) as I listened to Aleta Baun receive the Goldman Environmental Prize at the San Francisco Opera House on Monday night.

Photo Courtesy Goldman Environmental PrizeIn her Goldman Prize acceptance speech, Mama Aleta laid down a profound
intellectual challenge to the notion that scientific discovery automatically
confers ownership.

I know I’m connecting two dots that are very far apart, so let’s step back a minute.

First, the… more

by: Jason Mark

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Goldman Environmental Prize Winners Offer a Spark of Inspiration – April 15, 2013

Six eco leaders from around the world receive a cash prize and international recognition for their accomplishments

Environmental activism — like any other attempt at social change — is a slog. Victories are often tempered by setbacks and even the most clear cut wins can seem provisional. As David Brower, the founder of Earth Island Journal, famously said, speaking about how environmental defense is a constant struggle: “All of our victories are temporary, and all of our defeats are permanent.” The effort for sustainability will always be a work in progress.

Photo courtesy The Goldman AwardsThe winners (clockwise from top left): Jonathan Deal, South Africa; Kimberly Wasserman, USA; Azzam Alwash, Iraq; Rossano Ercolini, Italy; Aleta Baun, Indonesia; and Nohra… more

by: Jason Mark

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