When most American’s think about Utah, they may envision pristine landscapes and crystal clear air. They would be surprised to learn that the state capital, Salt Lake City, has garnered the number seven spot on the The American Lung Association State of the Air 2012.

Ordinary citizens are figh… Read full post »

May 13-19 was National Women’s Health Week, an event spearheaded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health. Ironically, although women use the health care system the most, they are casualties of the “affordability barrier” to the requi… Read full post »

For parents and health administrators who thought that 2011 had ended in a victory for clean air, 2012 is yielding a new surprise from an elected representative who is determined to put a stranglehold on the Environmental Protection Agency.

It took over two decades to nail down a ruling that… Read full post »

For the longest time, Mother’s Day was all about my mother. Getting her the best gift, a dinner in her honor, and after her mother died—trying to assuage her grief. At the time, I didn’t understand that when she mourned her mother, it didn’t diminish the love she felt for me.… Read full post »

On Saturday, April 28, in the shadow of the 60 Centre Street courthouse engraved with the words, “The true administration of justice is the firmest pillar of good government,” a crowd of over 500 people assembled. It was a gathering that was part of a network of events taking place across… Read full post »

On April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day was held. It was the brainchild of Gaylord Nelson, Governor and Senator from Wisconsin. Alarmed by the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara, Nelson was prescient in his concern about “environmental degradation” and the minimal concern it garnered within t… Read full post »

As the 2012 election fills the news cycle with a mixture of information and noise, many people will tune in and some will opt out. Crucial issues will be debated and discussed. One of them will be clean air. How best to connect with the average voter?

I recently picked… Read full post »

On March 1, 2012, Harry Belafonte turned 85 years old. He has been traveling around the country, in tandem with the release of his memoir, My Song, and the feature-length documentary Sing Your Song. In his appearance at 92nd Street Y, where he was interviewed by Charlie Rose, much of his… Read full post »

On Saturday, March 10, the final morning of the Women in the World Third Annual Summit, The New York Times featured a four-column photo of Christine Lagarde, director of the International Monetary Fund with Chancellor Angela Merkel. The title was, “German Leader and I.M.F. Chief Split… Read full post »

The image of a table of men—primarily from religious organizations— comprising a hearing devoted to birth control, became a snapshot emblematic of problems to follow. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) asked the obvious question when she inquired incredulously, “Where are… Read full post »

The first time I heard Rachel Lloyd speak was in 2005, the year of the 70^th Annual Academy Awards. “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” had won for the best song of the year. Whenever I complained about that song being showcased, people would tell me to “lighten up.” Yet… Read full post »

It hasn’t exactly been a stellar start to 2012 for American women. Rick Santorum’s theory that birth control is “harmful to women” would have Margaret Sanger spinning in her grave. Then there was Fox pundit Liz Trotta’s question to those who have been raped in the milita… Read full post »

During the height of the cold weather months, people count on antibiotics to fight bacterial infections. What they may not know is that current overuse and misuse of antibiotics is making bacteria more rapidly resistant to “essential antibiotics.”

This scenario has all the elements of a… Read full post »

The prevalence of Bachi Bazi in Afghanistan is not well known. The term’s literal translation is “playing with boys.” Male children, in the phase preceding puberty, are sought out for a specific purpose. To be dressed in women’s clothing; taught to dance and sing; to be called… Read full post »

On January 24, 2012, in the United States and Canada (February 4 globally), Amnesty International is releasing Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International, a four-CD album set. It will be available digitally and in stores. Over 80 recording artists… Read full post »

Remember when you were in grade school, playing some kind of team game and the score was so close? Your side got over the top—and then the most menacing member of the opposition would call, “Do-Over!”

It seems that despite whatever advancements the Environmental Protection… Read full post »

A recent article in the New York Times pointed out that the United States’ war in Afghanistan remained “just a blip on the American news media’s radar in 2011.” The exact amount of coverage, in statistics from the Project for Excellence in Journalism, was give… Read full post »

As the last days of December waned, Lisa P. Jackson and the Environmental Protection Agency have a lot to celebrate. They made it through 2011.

They held their ground against a continued barrage of attacks by lawmakers—who did their best to denigrate the agency and render it too… Read full post »

With the year drawing to a close and a fresh beginning on the horizon, there is no better time to examine the attitudes and strategies we adopt to cope with the vagaries of daily existence.

In her new memoir, Becoming Ginger Rogers: How Ballroom Dancing Made Me a Happier Woman,… Read full post »

As a writer for Moms Clean Air Force, I was eagerly waiting to hear the December 16 announcement from the Environmental Protection Agency on their new rules to limit mercury and other toxic air pollutants. The day came and went, but there was no news.

The EPA is under a… Read full post »

“Heroes of American Democracy.” That is how Robert F. Kennedy Jr. describes the main players in the struggle against Big Coal in The Last Mountain, which has just been released on DVD. Featuring citizen activists fighting for clean air and water against entrenched interests and corporate… Read full post »

Women Without Borders is an international organization that works to research, advocate, and lobby globally for women. Last month they co-sponsored an evening at The Paley Center for Media, featuring a panel examining the role of women as peacemakers. Specifically addressed was the question, “C… Read full post »

“Who wouldn’t be against the poisoning of children?”

This was the rhetorical question posed by Dr. Robert D. Bullard during a recent phone interview that I had with him. Our talk covered topics from the genesis of his career as the “Father of Environmental Ju… Read full post »

In 1986, at the age of 18, Cassaundra StJohn joined the Air Force. She had grown up in a military family. Her father was a Master Sergeant in the Army, and she respected the values and commitment to service. The structure and team philosophy motivated her to… Read full post »

In early October, I attended the 2011 Take Back the American Dream Conference in Washington, D.C. Under the umbrella of the Campaign for America’s Future and the Institute… Read full post »