Rachel’s Network and Ashoka — the world’s largest network of social entrepreneurs — have teamed up to uncover environmental innovation and promote women who are pioneering sustainable change. We are proud to announce the result of this partnership: new Ashoka Fellow Janelle Orsi, sponsored by Rachel’s Network. Janelle founded the Sustainable Economies Law Center to develop an entirely new legal infrastructure that supports this new economy. SELC provides direct legal support to communities, training the next generation of community lawyers in partnership with law schools, and drafting new legislation at the city and state levels.
June 8th marks World Oceans Day, finally designated by the UN in 2010 to recognize the needs and contributions of 70% of the planet. Nowhere can we see more clearly the effects of the multiple stressors of a changing planet than in the shifting currents, changing chemistry, and warming waters of our global ocean. Ocean acidification (OA) is the term we have given to the changing chemistry. So what does it mean and how does it happen?
As a mother of two “20-something” daughters in a time of global warming, Rebecca Wodder is deeply worried about their future. Rising temperatures and sea levels, extreme floods and droughts, devastating forest fires and landslides, and other climate-related catastrophes will stress our communities and threaten our society. Given the global magnitude of the problem and the reluctance of our nation’s leaders to take timely action, what’s a mother to do? Rebecca turns to lessons from her 40 years as an environmental advocate and courageous stories from others to find hope.
Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, one of the world’s top climate scientists, joined Rachel’s Network members by teleconference call in May to share her work on the Third National Climate Assessment, which represents the most up-to-date and comprehensive overview of climate change impacts on the U.S. She discussed her efforts to draw attention to the urgency of climate change and gave advice on how to connect with unlikely supporters. We also had a chance to ask her these questions…
Most of the discussion about coal’s negative impacts revolves around carbon emissions, but coal ash – the solid byproduct of burning coal – is a significant problem in its own right. The US produces 130 million tons of heavy metal-laden coal ash every year, in communities around the country, and the dump sites are not consistently or adequately regulated. That’s why Rachel’s Network member Mary Bookwalter teamed up with fellow member and Earth Focus producer Raisa Scriabine to produce America’s Dirty Secret: Coal Ash. You can watch the full episode here.
