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By Carolyn Raffensperger “So we break the spell by loving ourselves and each other enough to tell the truth. Our own experience, as inhabitants of an endangered planet, gives us the authority and the authenticity to tell the truth about what we see and feel and know is happening to our world.” Joanna [...] By Carolyn Raffensperger In 1998 Jane Lubchenco, now head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency called for a new social contract for scientists. She said: “As the magnitude of human impacts on the ecological systems of the planet becomes apparent, there is increased realization of the intimate connections between these systems and human health, the [...] By Nancy Myers I’m an expectant grandmother. I feel the joy of this in my heart region, just about six inches above where I feel the pain of the ongoing hemorrhage of oil into the Gulf. Heart joy vs. sick feeling in the pit of the stomach. Contradictory but related. Warren Levy puts these together in an [...] By Carolyn Raffensperger and Nancy Myers But a renaissance, a rebirth occurs not just because there is a rising of images and archetypal symbols. A renaissance happens because the soul is breached, the psyche unlocked, and a flood of new questions are released as to who we are and what we contain. – Jean [...] By Carolyn Raffensperger Last week (May 2-9, 2010), I was a member of the Defending Sacred Places Advocacy Delegation, a project of the Women’s Earth Alliance. We met with Native American leaders in Nevada and Arizona seeking ways to use the law to protect sacred sites from mining and pollution. Here is an update of my [...] By Nancy Myers Lots of news stories can tempt environmentalists to say “I told you so” because, unfortunately, our worst predictions tend to come true. Today’s biggest case in point is the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico but here are two more: 1. Fields planted with genetically modified crops are beginning to produce superweeds. [...] By Carolyn Raffensperger Many smart people grappling with environmental problems propose single solutions and argue that the trade-off of not using their favored (usually high-tech) solution is disaster. Case in point: Stewart Brand, a renowned environmentalist, has argued hard for nuclear power to staunch the flow of greenhouse gas emissions and prevent climate destabilization. Brand [...] By Carolyn Raffensperger Note: Just last week I heard yet another reason why a government agency couldn’t regulate toxic chemicals in children’s toys. That incident inspired me to compile all the excuses I’ve heard over the years about why the public has to put up with the polluting, damming, bulldozing, and mining destruction of the Earth. [...] By Carolyn Raffensperger Perhaps the old reductionistic, objective science is a form of autism. This is the science that promotes dissecting frogs, but not loving them enough to work to protect them. It is the science that does risk assessment on toxic chemicals and says that some childhood cancers are acceptable. It is science [...] Guest Blog by Caitlin Sislin As a young environmental attorney, I am fortunate to count Carolyn Raffensperger as one of my most trusted mentors. Carolyn’s advice and guidance deeply inform my work as the Advocacy Director for Women’s Earth Alliance, where I am building and stewarding a new pro bono legal and policy advocacy initiative to [...] |
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