Nov 3Will consumer goods companies ensure justice for communities that have been robbed of their lands and livelihoods?By Gaurav Madan, Senior Forests & Lands Campaigner The age-old axiom asks: “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” Indonesian forest-dwelling communities have a question of their own: “If a destructive palm oil company is suspended by…Deforestation3 min readDeforestation3 min read
Oct 31Sowing the Seeds of a Tropical Village Economy in the Mountains of Sumatraby Jeff Conant, International Forests Program Director This piece is a set of reflections from Jeff Conant, International Forests Program Director, during a recent trip to Indonesia to meet with local village communities. The village of Air Pahlawan in Sumatra, Indonesia sits amid steep jungled hills two hours’ ride by…Forests12 min readForests12 min read
Sep 28It’s time for Kroger to do better by the bees.By Paolo Mutia, Food & Agriculture Campaigner Have you ever walked into your favorite grocery store only to see some of your favorite foods missing in the produce section? Unfortunately, this could become commonplace if we don’t end the use of toxic pesticides in our food system. …Bees4 min readBees4 min read
Sep 27New Bee-Friendly Retailer Scorecard Shows Half of Major U.S. Food Retailers Have Pesticide Policies but Progress Falls Short to Protect Beesby Kendra Klein, PhD, Deputy Director for Science — There would be no apple pie, no tomato sauce for pizza, no coffee for a morning pick-me-up without bees and other pollinators. That’s why Friends of the Earth is fueling a race to the top to save bees from toxic pesticides with our Bee-Friendly Retailer Scorecard. …Bees4 min readBees4 min read
Aug 29Ports Need to Take Advantage of Inflation and Infrastructure Fundingby Valerie Zundel, Oceans and Vessels ASM Fellow Ports serve as crucial nodes in the global trade network. Transportation is the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. Although medium- and heavy-duty trucks used at ports and along freight corridors account for about only 10% of vehicles, they…Oceans2 min readOceans2 min read
Aug 26Advocacy steps for plant-based school food: Our student-led movement at Palo Alto USDby Margot Blanco and Morgan Greenlaw, Palo Alto High School students — Why A Plant-Based Student Campaign? Hello! We are Margot and Morgan, two rising seniors at Palo Alto High School who are passionate about creating an environmentally conscious community by advocating for plant-forward eating.Food7 min readFood7 min read
Aug 26Introducing climate-friendly and culturally relevant food to the school cafeteria: Lessons from a student advocateby Satvika Iyer, Milpitas High School student — Q: Tell me about this campaign. Why did you choose to focus on climate-friendly, plant-based school meals? A: Climate change is the single most pressing issue facing our world today, but it’s also the most overlooked and commonly misunderstood. The readiness to accept individual blame for the state of the…Food7 min readFood7 min read
Aug 26How I got my school district to combat climate change by changing what we eatby Sarah Dosanjh, Milpitas High School student — Growing up in California, where forest fires and droughts are a regular occurrence, climate change has had a big impact on my life. As a student, I see climate change as a major concern–but I also see effective strategies to address it, like encouraging plant-forward food in our schools. So…why…Food8 min readFood8 min read
Aug 5Reviewing the Climate & Agriculture provisions of the Inflation Reduction ActCLIMATE Summary The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is many things at once: It makes Big Polluters pay more than they have in a generation; It is a doubling-down on the disastrous status quo for oil and gas leasing; It is an investment in renewables designed to support good paying jobs, domestic supply…Environment16 min readEnvironment16 min read
Sep 24, 2021The human cost of a perfect lawnby Valeria Paredes, food and agriculture fellow — Every year, 80 million pounds of pesticides are used on U.S. lawns to maintain attractive, lush greenery. In many cities across the country, Latinx immigrant workers are the primary labor force responsible for lawn care. These maintenance and landscape workers, or jardineros, bear the brunt of residential pesticide use. The…Food3 min readFood3 min read
