If you care about the environment, you must vote for Joe Biden for president in 2020 — and not for the Green Party, the Libertarian Party, or any third party candidate.

That is the message of more than 170 longtime environmental activists, including me, expressed in an “Open Letter to Green Voters” released this morning. The letter is now being widely circulated, especially in the key battleground states, where in 2016 Donald Trump carried Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania by margins of less than 1 percent. He would have lost all three races if the votes cast for the Green Party had gone to Hillary Clinton instead.

There is no environmental problem we faced in 2016 that is not even more problematic today, from climate change to air and water pollution to endangered spaces and plastic pollution. Each of these problems — and many more — will get exponentially worse if we don’t get Trump out of office.

But just as importantly, in Joe Biden, we have the opportunity to elect someone who could become the strongest environmental advocate in the history of the presidency.

We can’t sit this election out. We can’t write in “Thoreau” or some other entity. And we can’t vote for third party candidates who could ensure another four years of Donald Trump.

Green voters need to vote for Joe Biden, not a third party!

OPEN LETTER TO GREEN VOTERS:

DON’T BE TOO PURE TO BEAT DONALD TRUMP

See the complete list of Open Letter signatories here.

See the press release about the Open Letter here.

PLEASE USE OUR FACEBOOK AND TWITTER LINKS ABOVE TO SHARE THE LETTER AS WIDELY ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA AS YOU CAN.

#GreenVote4Biden

The post Why Green Voters Need to Vote For Joe Biden, Not Third Party appeared first on Big Green Purse.

The environment is under assault in many ways, but one of the worst is the attacks on the planet at the federal level. The president of the U.S. opposes measures to stop climate change. The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is rolling back laws that protect clean air and water and limit our exposure to toxic chemicals. The head of the Interior Department, whose job it is to safeguard public lands, is looking for national monuments whose status he can revoke, and is considering turning over our national parks to private companies to run for their personal gain. You could not accuse the Trump Administration of being a sustainability leader in any stretch of the imagination.

That’s why it is heartening to see many corporations stepping up to embrace sustainability as an operating principle. James Andrews of KDA Incorporated explains in this guest op ed article why he urges his corporate clients to adopt sustainable practices: not only because it is the right thing to do but because they’ll be more successful leaders if they do.

“Protecting the planet has become more important than ever, and that’s as true for corporations as it is for the environment at large. Indeed, sustainability must form an essential part of any company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) polices. The public demands it, and a company’s profits will be strengthened because of it.

You can get a better idea of whether you, and your management team, have the required skills, by having a leadership assessment carried out. This can give you a base on which to build your success with sustainability. But first, let’s consider the many benefits of operating sustainably.

Why is sustainability important?

The simplest answer to this question is because the human race cannot continue to live on this planet without it.

Let’s just look at one example: energy.

The worldwide supply of fossil fuels is depleting, and global warming is an ever-increasing concern.

These may sound like distant issues that have little to do with your business; but in fact, energy and climate change affect every aspect of your ability to operate: the cost and delivery of the materials you buy, the impact higher energy prices have on your bottom line, even the ability to operate if a climate change-related extreme weather event occurs.

The fact is that being a good leader means that you need to be able to see this bigger picture. You can see it in two ways.

The first is by acknowledging that protecting the environment is a priority that must be addressed.

The second is by acknowledging that you have a responsibility to do your part by operating your business sustainably.

How to succeed as a leader promoting sustainability

The most important step you need to take as a business leader is embrace sustainability. You need to educate yourself about it, and believe in what you are doing.

Here are some tips to help you achieve that success:

Start with the basics. Do you recycle effectively? Are all electronic devices switched off at the end of the day? Do you have a sustainable business travel programme?

Learn about what others have done. Read case studies and use advice and techniques.

Keep well informed about developments in your industry that advance sustainability as well as achieve operational goals, and make sure your plans reflect latest opportunities to use energy and resources wisely while minimizing waste.

Lead by example. If you constantly drink bottled water, instead of using the water fountains provided, you are not setting a good example. Do not just talk about sustainability, act in a way that supports it.

Give your employees access to the advice and support they need in order to ensure that all of their work activities support sustainability.

As a leader who sees outside your own business, you must recognize how important sustainability is as a global issue.

Remember that a business which operates sustainability is increasingly what your customers and clients are clamoring for.

If you want to expand your customer base and increase sales and profits, operating sustainably is the key.”

NOTE: Guest opinions by thought leaders who support our work help us bring you different and new perspectives that help you live the greener life you want. Our editorial decisions remain our own. Thanks.

The post If You Become a Successful Sustainability Leader, Business Success Will Follow appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Stupid. Short-sighted. Ignorant. And just plain wrong. Those were the words going through my head as I watched Pres. Trump announce he wanted to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Accord.

The Accord is a voluntary agreement by every country on earth but two – Syria, and Nicaragua – to commit to reducing the build-up of greenhouse gases that cause climate change.

Climate change, also known as global warming, is the most serious environmental threat the world has ever faced.

It took decades to get global agreement to address the problem, an agreement the United States helped broker under President Obama.

It would have helped create jobs, reduce air pollution, improve public health, and increase energy security by speeding up our use of solar and wind – domestic energy sources that we, and we alone control.

Instead, Trump brought down the wrath of many Americans, as well as the leaders and citizens of virtually every country around the world, by rejecting the Accord in favor of supporting burning more coal. To all the above words, add this one: DUMB!

Burning coal releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere to build up and raise the earth’s global temperatures. Another side effect of burning coal? It releases deadly soot and toxic particles into the air, causing levels of pollution that contribute to asthma, heart disease, respiratory infections, and cancer.

Minutes after Trump’s announcement, I was on my way to a protest across the street from the White House. I joined at least a thousand other citizens in rejecting the decision and proclaiming that America’s sorry excuse for a president couldn’t rein in the global momentum that has built to save our planet and indeed, life as we know it.

Said one friend who saw this photo of me standing outside the White House, “You looked pissed.” Yes! To say the least!!

A week later, I’m still mad. But I’m also determined. Because as irresponsible as Trump’s actions are, they have also empowered millions of people to defiantly step forward and say:

“President Trump:
You do not speak for us.
You do not control us.
And we will do what you refuse to do:
Solve the biggest environmental problem the world has ever faced.”

That’s what I intend to do, and I’m going to help you do so, as well.

In the coming days, I’ll be offering you a series of helpful articles filled with action steps that show what we can do as individuals and communities to stop the build-up of carbon dioxide and other “greenhouse gases” in the atmosphere.

I’ll tackle everything from using energy more efficiently to wasting less food to plugging in our cars and riding our bikes to voting and helping to elect candidates to public office who will work to stop climate change locally and nationally.

If there’s anything in particular you want me to address, please let me know in the comments below.

Ask your friends and family what they want to know, too.

Trump may be the president, but as Malcolm in the Middle used to say, “You’re not the boss of me.”

Let’s show Trump who actually is boss – now, in the way we use energy ourselves, and ultimately, at the polls.

The post Trump Paris Climate Accord Withdrawal Robs America of Jobs, Health, Safety, Security appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Why Is Climate Change So Serious?

It’s the most serious threat we face because it has the potential to devastate every pillar on which our country is built.

The catastrophic storms linked to climate change are draining our economy of trillions of dollars.

The spread of infectious diseases is killing thousands of people.

Droughts, wildfires and floods related to sea level rise and changing weather patterns are affecting our ability to grow food and keep our cities and towns intact.

We will be swamped, burned up and blown out if we don’t put the skids on the causes of climate change – and fast.

Speaking of which, it’s solving climate change that creates so many opportunities for us.

Why Does Climate Change Create So Many Opportunities?

Burning coal and oil are the largest sources of the carbon dioxide emissions that cause climate change.

Transitioning to solar and wind energy are two smart solutions. They’re also the fastest growing source of jobs in the energy industry.

You know that employment crisis we keep hearing about?

Get out of coal, get into solar. It can work in every state in the US.

Solving climate change through increased energy efficiency and using more solar and wind is also our ticket to energy independence.

Tired of worrying about our oil fields in the Middle East?

So am I. With domestic solar and wind, those worries can be a thing of the past.

Want cleaner air and water?

Banishing climate changing fossil fuels is a good way to get started.

Burning coal and oil (and gasoline) are primary causes of air and water pollution. When’s the last time there was a code “red” day attributed to solar panels?

Can you remember any time when turning on a wind mill led to the pollution of a river, lake or ocean with toxic oil that couldn’t be cleaned up?

Me neither.

The People’s Climate March Statement

The People’s Climate March is a project of dozens of organizations working together to solve the climate crisis.

First and foremost, it will focus attention on the anti-climate policies of the new Trump Administration. President Trump has called climate change a hoax. In fact, Trump is trying to increase use of the very fossil fuels that cause climate change. Say the organizers of the People’s Climate March: Not on our watch!

At the end of April, Donald Trump will have been in office for 100 days.

We need to mark that day with a massive demonstration that shows that our resistance is not going to wane or fade away.

So far, our resistance has been beautiful — and it’s beautiful because at its heart is a vision of a future that inspires us and gives us hope.

It’s a vision that protects our families, our communities, and our climate.

Most importantly, it’s a vision that we are building together.

Since his inauguration, we’ve seen what people power can achieve: Trumpcare? Withdrawn. Muslim ban? Blocked. Now Trump’s entire fossil fuel agenda is next.

Join us on April 29th.

Here’s how you can participate in the People’s Climate March.

The post People’s Climate March: For Jobs, Justice and the Climate appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Why should you tell your Senator to vote NO on Scott Pruitt for EPA?

Here are the 12 best reasons I’ve come up with. What are yours?

Trump Recap

When Donald Trump attained the presidency, my heart sank. As a woman, mother, and citizen, I feel personally violated by this man and all he represents.

But as someone who has worked to protect the environment for almost four decades, I also was discouraged because I knew what we’d be up against.

Trump has shown total disregard for Nature and the environment in the way he’s run his businesses.

He believes climate change is a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese.

And in his first environmental act as president-elect, he’s nominated the worst person possible to head the United States Environmental Protection Agency: Scott Pruitt, the attorney general for the state of Oklahoma.

Pruitt has a long record of suing the very agency he’d be charged with administering and endangering the very environment he’d be charged with protecting.

Rather than enforce the laws and regulations under his purview, he’d strive to dismantle them.

Rather than prioritize our health, the health of our kids, and the health of our planet, he’d protect the industries that jeopardize our health.

Though the president nominates a person to head the EPA, the Senate must confirm the nominee. Last week, as part of Moms Clean Air Force, I met with staff members for Senators who will vote on that confirmation either in the Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee, or in the full Senate chamber (Here’s a picture of “The Force” at work! I’m in the back row, 3rd from the right, in case you can’t tell).

I gave them 12 reasons why they should vote NO on Scott Pruitt for EPA.

I offer this list to you, as well. Please use the links above or below this post to share it on your social media, with your friends and colleagues, and with your own Senator.

Pruitt has been nominated, but he should not be confirmed.

Why Tell Your Senator to Vote NO on Scott Pruitt for EPA?

Because you want to breathe clean air – Pruitt has sued the EPA to overturn standards to curb mercury and other toxic air pollutants that will prevent up to 11,000 premature deaths and 130,000 asthma attacks per year.  He has sued to void standards to reduce soot and smog pollution projected to prevent up to 15,000 non-fatal heart attacks, 34,000 premature deaths, and 400,000 asthma attacks every year. These lawsuits are bad news for all Americans, but especially the more than 24 million Americans with asthma.

Because you want to drink clean water – Pruitt has sued the EPA to overturn clean water safeguards for more than half the nation’s waterways, including streams that feed into the drinking water supplies of 117 million Americans.  He even sued to block limits on water pollution into the Chesapeake Bay, which has no known connection to Oklahoma.

Because you want to keep your kids safe and healthy – Pruitt refuses to accept research from the American Academy of Pediatrics that mercury, a neurotoxin emitted by power plants when they burn coal, is actually dangerous to developing children or that mercury poses a public health threat. (Here’s the report by the American Academy of Pediatrics and their Committee on Environmental Health if you want to read about mercury in the environment for yourself.)

Because you want to protect Nature and the environment – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency helps protect the natural world by enforcing laws and regulations intended to prevent pollution. A big source of pollution is oil spills, either at the site of an oil operation or from a leaky or ruptured oil pipeline. Since 2002, Pruitt has received more than $300,000 in contributions from the fossil fuel industry. How likely is it that Pruitt would bite the hand that feeds him and rein in the industry that’s been so generous to him? Answer: Not likely at all.

Because you want to protect our national parks – Says the National Parks Conservation Association, “the EPA should not be led by someone who has a history of active opposition to the mission, science and values of the agency it is tasked to uphold…Mr. Pruitt has a long record of …opposition to strong stewardship of these resources.”

Because you want to protect lakes and rivers -As Oklahoma attorney general, reports Moms Clean Air Force, Pruitt shut down his office’s environmental enforcement unit, which investigated issues like water contamination and illegal dumping. That action sent a signal to the most irresponsible elements of industry that there would be few legal consequences for violating clean air and water laws. In place of that enforcement unit, Mr. Pruitt built a multi-million office to crusade against EPA’s public health and environmental safeguards.

Because you want to protect birds, bees and other wildlife – Birds, bees and many other wild animals are threatened by overdevelopment and the excessive use of pesticides. It’s the EPA’s job to keep track of what pesticides are legal to use, and how they’re used. So here’s a chilling fact: Pruitt’s home state of Oklahoma led the nation in pesticide-related illnesses and deaths between 2000 and 2010. As Trump would tweet: Bad! Sad!!

Because you want to eat safe food – Like tuna fish? With or without mercury? If you’re pregnant or have small children, you need to limit how much you eat because mercury pollution from burning coal is falling into our oceans, lakes and rivers and getting concentrated in the bodies of the fish we eat. EPA’s safeguards are actually helping mercury to decline in the Atlantic Bluefin tuna. But Pruitt doesn’t believe mercury poses a threat and in all likelihood would unravel the protections that are making a difference.

Because you want to stop climate change – Pruitt said in his confirmation hearings that he does not believe climate change is a hoax. Nevertheless, as Oklahoma’s attorney general, he sued unsuccessfully to overturn the EPA’s finding that greenhouse gases are harmful.  He has also sued to block the EPA from setting any limits on carbon pollution from power plants, the nation’s largest polluter.

By the way:

 More than 97% of scientists agree that climate-warming trends over the past century are due to human activities.

According to a March 2016 Gallup poll, 64% of Americans are worried about climate change.

Also according to Gallup, 65% of Americans believe that human activity is to blame for increases in the Earth’s temperature over the last century.

Because you want to see the U.S. use more solar and wind energy and less coal and oil – The EPA is currently tasked with implementing the Clean Power Plan, which would accelerate America’s transition to renewable, non-polluting energy. Would that transition happen under Pruitt? Hardly. This review in The Guardian calls the attorney general a “staunch advocate for fossil fuels” and “a dream for oil and gas firms…a nightmare for the environment.”

Because you want to live in a country that values people and the planet – No need to explain that one!

Because you want to leave the world a better place for your kids and grandkids – What future do we want for our children, and our children’s children? I believe we want to leave the world a better, safer, healthier place than it is today. That requires not only vigilance to protect the gains we’ve made, but a commitment to do even more to reduce pollution, protect Nature, and link our health and prosperity to a healthy planet. Having an Administrator at the Environmental Protection Agency who shares that commitment is essential.

Just Say NO! to Pruitt

One hundred seventy – that’s 170 – environmental organizations have joined together to oppose Pruitt’s nomination to head EPA. In a letter to supporters, the media and Congress, here’s what they conclude about his nomination:

President-elect Trump’s nominee to head the EPA, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, has actively worked against the mission of the agency
he has been nominated to lead.

He should be rejected by the Senate.

Scott Pruitt’s views and actions run counter to the EPA’s critical mission
to protect our health and the environment.

He is unfit to administer the laws he would be entrusted to enforce.

The Senate should reject his nomination.

Write to your Senator today to urge NO on Pruitt! It’s easy to do on the Moms Clean Air Force website.

The post 12 Best Reasons To Tell Your Senator to Vote NO on Scott Pruitt for EPA appeared first on Big Green Purse.

When it comes to protecting the environment and promoting a clean renewable energy future, where do Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump stand? Yale Environment 360* pulled together this very useful comparison, which shows a sharp divide between the two candidates, especially when it comes to climate change, renewable energy, and the value placed on scientific research.

Please share this post on your social media! As the comparison shows, the progress we’ve made in curtailing climate change, protecting the air we breathe, and increasing our access to solar and wind power is at stake in this election! Just use our social media share buttons above, or cut and paste this link to send out. Thank you.

* Reprinted with permission from Yale Environment 360.

The post Clinton, Trump, the Environment: Where Do They Stand? appeared first on Big Green Purse.