SILVER SPRING, Md. — A foot of snow blanketed the East Coast this week, stranding passengers in many major cities and knocking out power and Internet access for many. But being snowed in just north of Washington, D.C. in a media camper van, a WiFi Hotspot, we took a little time off to have some…
Reflections in the Snow From the Nation’s Capital
Obama Administration Responds to Pressure on Fracking, Revises Permitting Rules on Using Diesel Fuel in Gas Drilling
EPA to Decide Legality of Mines on a ‘Case-by-Case Basis’By Glynn Wilson – WASHINGTON. D.C. — To clear up a legal controversy about diesel fuel in methane gas mining, the Obama administration released revised rules on underground injection wells that use diesel fuels in hydraulic fracturing operations, commonly referred to as the controversial method of…
EPA’s Gina McCarthy Delivers Obama Administration Position on Rebuilding America’s Infrastructure With Green Jobs
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The EPA’s Gina McCarthy, a teacher from Boston, delivered one of the keynote addresses on repairing America’s infrastructure with green jobs Monday afternoon at the Good Jobs, Green Jobs annual conference, delivering the Obama administrations position before a new and powerful coalition of unions and environmentalists under the umbrella of the Blue…
Sierra Club’s Michael Brune Delivers Keynote Address at Green Jobs Conference
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Sierra Club’s Michael Brune delivered one of the keynote addresses on repairing America’s infrastructure with green jobs Monday afternoon at the Good Jobs, Green Jobs annual conference, put on by the Blue Green Alliance, a coalition of unions and environmental non-profit groups. With more than 15 million members through 14 affiliated…
How Unions and Environmentalists Might Build a Political Coalition to Save American Democracy
By Glynn Wilson – WASHINGTON, D.C. – If only we could stop the bullshit, maybe unions and environmentalists could build a coalition to save American democracy. That was the view of labor union leaders and environmentalists this week at a national conference designed to build a sustainable future for good jobs in America, which it…
Good Jobs, Green Jobs Conference Kicks off at the Washington Hilton
By Glynn Wilson – WASHINGTON, D.C. – The opening session of the Good Jobs, Green Jobs Conference for 2014 kicked off Sunday night with a dynamic panel of speakers who are at the forefront of the national discussion about how to address the country’s crumbling infrastructure, while at the same time beginning to deal with…
We’re Moving On: New American Journal Launches From Washington, D.C.
Blue Green Alliance Hosts ‘Good Jobs, Green Jobs’ Conference in Washington, D.C.
By Glynn Wilson – HUNGRY MOTHER STATE PARK, Virg. – Some of the most powerful and effective leaders of labor unions and environmental groups in the country, along with a horde of union members, environmental activists and college students, are headed to the nation’s capital this coming week for one of the most interesting and…
Let’s Stop Talking About Climate Change Like It’s Breaking News
Even though climate change is relatively new historically, journalists shouldn’t be treating it like Justin Bieber’s arrest. – By Tom Engelhardt – Here’s the scoop: When it comes to climate change, there is no “story,” not in the normal news sense anyway. The fact that 97 percent of scientists who have weighed in on the…
Could Saban’s Pledge of Excellence Lead Us All to Greater Success?
From the economy to the environment, success depends on commitment – The Big Picture – By Glynn Wilson – Now that Alabama’s achieved the ultimate success by winning the national football championship, and everybody by now should be aware of coach Nick Saban’s famous mission statement about “excellence” that made it possible, don’t you wonder…
Photo Essay: Cheaha Falls Hike Autumn 2013
Wyoming Replaces Alabama as the Most Conservative State in the U.S.
The Word ‘Liberal’ is Experiencing a Resurgence in American Life – By Glynn Wilson – Could it be that the people of my home state are finally starting to get their news online and waking up to the ravages of run amok corporate capitalism and the do-nothing nature of conservative Republicans who don’t know how…
Mercedes Workers Testify About Illegal, Threatening Anti-Union Activity by German Company Management
By Glynn Wilson – TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Workers at the Mercedes auto plant say they can talk all day long on the job about Alabama football or hunting and killing deer. They just can’t talk about organizing a union. Mercedes employees and union supporters from across the state gathered at the United Auto Workers union…
Environmental Groups File Lawsuit Challenging Oil Pipeline in Mobile Watershed
By Glynn Wilson – The fight over an oil pipeline through the drinking water supply for Mobile, Alabama has landed in court. Environmental groups are challenging a permit issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Plains Southcap, LLC pipeline routed through the Big Creek Lake watershed. The lawsuit filed Friday in Federal…
Feds Find Probable Cause For Mercedes Labor Law Violations at Vance Plant
Unions to Hold Press Conference and Rally in Coaling Alabama Monday, Jan. 27 – By Glynn Wilson – The National Labor Relations Board has found probable cause to hold a hearing charging Mercedes officials in Vance Alabama with violations of the National Labor Relations Act by acting to prohibit union organizing. A formal hearing on…
NASA Confirms Sustained Long-Term Climate Warming Trend
By Glynn Wilson – Scientists now say 2013 tied with 2009 and 2006 for the seventh warmest year since 1880, continuing a long-term trend of rising global temperatures, according to a new report out from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). With the exception of 1998, the 10 warmest years in the 134-year record…
Americans of All Stripes Show Dissatisfaction With Distribution of Wealth
Democrats and Independents More Dissatisfied Than Republicans – By Glynn Wilson – Two out of three Americans are dissatisfied with the way income and wealth are distributed in the United States, according to Gallup’s Mood of the Nation poll. This should come as no surprise considering all the news stories over the past decade or…
Washington Federal Court Strikes Blow Against Internet Neutrality
By Glynn Wilson – A three-judge panel of federal judges all appointed to the court before there was an open Internet or a Web Press has struck down a complicated set of rules set forth by the Federal Communications Commission to preserve competition on the Web in what critics call a major blow to what’s…
A Large Majority of Americans Now Favor Legalization of Marijuana for the First Time
By Glynn Wilson – Public opinion data now shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that a clear majority of Americans, 58 percent, favor the legalization of marijuana, according to the latest Gallup poll on the subject. Can the legal system be far behind? Legalization advocates have seen a “period of unprecedented success” over the…