The poor Koch family just can't get a break these days. First Brian wrote Billlionaire David Koch: 25 Years of Disinformation Campaigns and Polluter Front Groups?, then Matt followed with 'Financial Kingpin' of Climate Change Denial Exposed: Koch Industries Outspends Exxon 3-to-1. The New Yorker piled on with Jane Meyer's article about the Read the full story on TreeHugger

The poor Koch family just can't get a break these days. First Brian wrote Billlionaire David Koch: 25 Years of Disinformation Campaigns and Polluter Front Groups?, then Matt followed with 'Financial Kingpin' of Climate Change Denial Exposed: Koch Industries Outspends Exxon 3-to-1. The New Yorker piled on with Jane Meyer's article about the Read the full story on TreeHugger

photo: Sara Novak A story reported in Grist and first published in the Salt Lake Tribune said that alarming amounts of arsenic were found in two Utah children's urine. The girl's urine tested 50 percent above what's considered safe and the boy's tested 75 percent above acceptable levels. The culprit turne...Read the full story on TreeHugger

If you haven’t seen this yet, watch Bill McKibben‘s great appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman talking about a campaign to put solar panels back on the White House and the upcoming 10/10/10 Global Work Party (that you’re invited to) this October 10th, where millions of people around the world will get together to work on climate solutions.

If you’re not familiar with Bill McKibben, he “has been called our nation’s leading environmentalist,” as David Letterman says, and has a number of great achievements to his name. I highly recommend checking out his bio via the link above and watching the video below. Here are a few highlights from his bio:

• “In 2009 he led the organization of 350.org , which coordinated what Foreign Policy magazine called ‘the largest ever global coordinated rally of any kind,’ with 5,200 simultaneous demonstrations in 181 countries.”
• “With six college students, he organized 1,400 global warming demonstrations across all 50 states of America on April 14, 2007. Step It Up 2007 has been described as the largest day of protest about climate change in the nation’s history.”
• “”His first book, The End of Nature, was published in 1989 by Random House after being serialized in the New Yorker. It is regarded as the first book for a general audience about climate change, and has been printed in more than 20 languages.”
• In 2010 the Boston Globe called him ‘probably the nation’s leading environmentalist’ and Time magazine described him as ‘the world’s best green journalist.’”

There’s a lot of great stuff from Bill McKibben out there, and you can add this interview with David Letterman to the list.

Photo Credit: nickhall via flickr

In a quick response to the newest oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, some environmental organizations have reiterated what they’ve been saying for a long time, and have sent out more opportunities to take action on the issue of dirty, unsafe energy now.

One I received earlier today from the Defenders of Wildlife urges you all to “write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper and urge your senators to pass the Clean Energy Jobs and Oil Accountability Act (S. 3663).” You can easily take action via their website.

Another action opportunity, from True Majority, asks you to tell your friends about this latest news story and to put the pressure on Obama to put a stronger focus on this issue. You can easily do so via their action page.

Help spread the news that it’s time to act and help put the pressure on the President, Congress, and your local newspaper to take this issue up sooner rather than too late.

“The devastating Deepwater Horizon oil disaster has killed thousands of birds, hundreds of endangered and threatened sea turtles and dozens of marine mammals,” the Defenders of Wildlife reports. And who knows what is in store from the most recent offshore oil disaster or potential offshore oil disasters to come from the thousands of oil rigs out there in the ocean.

You are informed on the issues. Now, do your part to make the democracy you live in work. Contact your representatives in government and spread the news.

Photo Credit: photo of BP oil rig on fire by SkyTruth via flickr

New York Times Everyone in the red state is piling on the redesign of the oval office, complaining it is not patriotic enough, even though George Bush took Bill Clinton's red, white and blue garish extravaganza and turned it into a muted southern living room (and lost the red, white and blue) showing more taste than patriotism. But since...Read the full story on TreeHugger