"The timber wars are happening all over again," said Bonnie Phillips of The Pilchuck Audubon Society in northwest Washington state. Two years after President Clinton offered embattled forest watchers an olive branch–the Northwest Forest Plan (supposedly assuring preservation of old-growth forests, while allowing a limited amount of logging)–peace has ended in the Pacific Northwest.
The endangered African mountain gorillas are suffering in the aftermath of the Rwandan civil war. Ten gorillas have died within the last 18 months, and it was gunshots and spears–not natural causes–that led to their deaths.
When Frank Lloyd Wright and his associates were designing the famed Johnson Wax building in Racine, Wisconsin, in the early 1930s, he abruptly halted work on the project to fix a problem. A dam had broken on a pond on his Spring Green, Wisconsin estate. The resulting view outside the window upset him so much that he couldn’t continue on the project until it was fixed. The aesthetic of the pond was necessary for him to be productive. So he bid that all his associates stop working on the Johnson drawings to fix the dam. Although the buildings he designed were ultimately to be virtually windowless, the final interior mimicked a forest with light coming down through a canopy of tree-like pillars.
Environmentalists urging us to "Save the Whales" or "Save the Spotted Owl" may soon take up a new plea–"Save the Humans." After decades of decline, deaths from infectious diseases in the United States are on the rise, and many scientists are pointing their fingers at our poisoned planet.
Though our elected representatives profess to vote their consciences, guided by their constituents’ interests, other, unseen forces exert powerful pressure. No matter what the people want, when it costs $500,000 to run a successful campaign for the House of Representatives, and $20 million to win a presidential primary, cash contributors will have the upper hand.
Campaign finance reform is a tricky subject: What at first looks like an obvious choice–say, abolishing political action committees (PACs)–has hidden, sometimes dangerous implications. Add to that the ease with which politicians obscure the real issues, and you’ve got a recipe for confusion and the status quo. E talked to two grassroots leaders who have given serious thought to creating the political will for real — and lasting — reforms…
In November, voters in Maine will find an intriguing referendum on their ballots. The Maine Clean Election Act, endorsed by a wide coalition that crosses party lines would, if enacted, force sweeping changes in the state’s politics as usual. "We really believe Maine will be the state to break through the glass ceiling on the campaign finance reform issue," says Maine Voters for Clean Elections campaign manager David Donnelly. "We want to put the citizens back in charge of the election process."
Without a rapid shift in attitude among commercial fishermen, managers, and politicians, fishing economies–and the fish that support them–will vanish.
Of course, there were times during the two years that it took to design and build our solar home, that I almost shared their "it can’t be done" sentiment. My husband, Duane, and I learned early on that when it comes to building an earth-friendly home, weighing alternatives and harmonizing dreams with reality is quite a challenge. And while I’m thrilled with the house we built, it is a modest version of the one we originally envisioned.
Socially responsible investing (SRI) has been taking a pounding in the mainstream financial media. The Wall Street Journal, Money, and Forbes, to name just a few, have been running columns carrying headlines such as "Good Intentions, Bad Results" and "It’s Not Easy Being Green." These articles typically portray social investors, who won’t invest in polluting or destructive companies, as good-hearted saps destined to receive lousy returns.
