Category Archives: activism

Study: The “hollowing out” of the middle-class in CA

From a story in the LATimes business section about income inequality: California's low-wage workers are older and more educated than they were three decades ago — but they earn less, according to new research from UC Berkeley. The study, released Thursday, documented the extensive growth of income inequality in California since the late 1970s. TheContinue reading “Study: The “hollowing out” of the middle-class in CA”

For Earth Day, Obama goes to Florida

Prez Obama appears to be really trying to reach the public re: climate change. He gave his usual good speech about the subject on Earth Day, but this one suspects his most convincing point on climate change may be a simple recitation of some personal facts.  As he said yesterday: Just last weekend, Michelle andContinue reading “For Earth Day, Obama goes to Florida”

Ventura County: Highest pesticide use in California

Spectacular story for The Food and Environment Network, published in The Nation, by Liza Gross. For Ventura County and Oxnard, here's the nut of it:  Use of many of these sixty-six pesticides has fallen statewide since 2007. But a handful of communities saw a dramatic increase. By 2012, the most recent year for which dataContinue reading “Ventura County: Highest pesticide use in California”

Who would Jesus’s flock be today? Farmworkers

The Abundant Table is a small but mighty non-profit farm education outfit in Santa Paula, founded by a group of idealistic CSU – Channel Islands students a few years ago. One of them, the eloquent Erynn Smith, director of farm education, explained to me in an interview last year that they had been inspired byContinue reading “Who would Jesus’s flock be today? Farmworkers”

The emotional journey of climate change: Armitage

Twenty-odd years ago Bill McKibben called the climate crisis the biggest story in the world. Now, after years of scanty media coverage, by its own admission, The Guardian has launched a major effort to, in its own words, find a new narrative to tell a twenty year old story. They're going all out, with media (suchContinue reading “The emotional journey of climate change: Armitage”

What would Reagan do about climate change?

Ronald Reagan, the most beloved Republican president of our era, would act to avoid the oncoming train wreck that is climate change. Believe it or not.  That is the contention of George Shultz, Reagan's long-term Secretary of State, and by God, Shultz has data to back up his viewpoint. He writes (in the Washington Post thisContinue reading “What would Reagan do about climate change?”

A song and prayer for rain on a hot spring day in Ojai

In the first chapter of the climate book that caught the imagination of The Guardian (and myself), called This Changes Everything, Naomi Klein argues that we are entering an era of climate change cognitive dissonance: Meanwhile, each supercharged natural disaster produces new irony-laden snapshots of a climate increasingly inhospitable to the very industries most responsibleContinue reading “A song and prayer for rain on a hot spring day in Ojai”

NASA vs. Ted Cruz: Round One

Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has been spoiling for a fight with NASA administrators every since GOP triumphed in the elections last fall. He has taken the helm of the Senate subcommittee that overseas NASA, which flies under the awkward moniker of the Space, Science, and Competiveness Subcommittee. Cruz has made clear when he took over thatContinue reading “NASA vs. Ted Cruz: Round One”

Obama at Selma: the true meaning of America

In his extraordinary speech at Selma this past Saturday, President Obama said something I've never heard any other American President say in forty-odd years. He lionized those who walked into this country without papers, looking for a better life. They were the "hopeful strivers," he said, part of the nobility of this country, and deserved mention with the marchers atContinue reading “Obama at Selma: the true meaning of America”