Rachel Carson’s lessons go far beyond “Silent Spring.” Her love for nature and personal courage in the face of adversity speaks to all of us today. “The Power of One Voice” is a new documentary film that introduces Rachel Carson to modern audiences. The film shows how Rachel Carson came to her conviction that humans are deeply connected to other living things, and why we must avoid harming the natural world.
One-in-three foods on our plates rely on bees for pollination. But bee populations are in trouble. Mounting scientific evidence points to a class of pesticides called neonicotinoids (“neonics” for short) as the culprit for honeybee decline. Executive Director of Environment America Margie Alt joined Rachel’s Network to explain what needs to be done to protect our pollinators, and what her organization is doing to advocate for this and other environmental causes.
More than 50 years ago Rachel Carson noted how chemicals could travel through soil, water and air, accumulate in creatures’ bodies and impact their health. On World Environmental Health Day (September 26) we need to look at our landscape in the way Rachel Carson did — through a systemic lens. The Breast Cancer Fund is partnering with other organizations to move our economy away from hazardous materials and technologies.
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.
In 1976, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) was passed with the intention of keeping Americans safe from dangerous chemicals. Not only did the law lack teeth from the start, it hasn’t kept pace with the tens of thousands of new chemicals that have since flooded the market. The result? Americans have become guinea pigs for the chemical industry and science is revealing a host of health impacts from cancer to asthma. Rachel’s Network set out to reinvigorate the chemical reform discussion by producing a short documentary with Earth Focus called UNSAFE: The Truth Behind Everyday Chemicals. Here are five findings from the video that illustrate the dire need for chemical reform.
