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Branden Barber - who has written 39 posts on Rainforest Action Network Blog.
RAN's development director
Claim your change by Kyle Thiermann Changing where you bank might be the most simple and effective way to support your community and stop destructive projects all at the same time! Surfer, Kyle Thiermann shows you how your money gets used to create the world you live in by taking you on a trip to [...]
Continue reading...By Branden Barber, July 10 2009
The Carbon Logic Problem Statement by Ken Ward. All too often those debating the solutions and proposed actions to tackle global warming fail to challenge the assumptions. While it's important to deal with emissions it can be argued that the root causes of emissions lie farther upstream and can more effectively deal with the challenges we are facing. Cutting emissions is good. Investing in clean energy and cutting emissions before the fuel is readied is better.
Continue reading...By Branden Barber, June 30 2009
(Posted by Branden for Daryl who joined RAN’s Michael Brune and others to protest MTR in West Virginia last week.) Why would I fly across the country on my own dime knowing I would most likely end up in jail in one of the poorest parts of America? Well, have you ever heard of MTR? [...]
Continue reading...By Branden Barber, May 22 2009
> Original story at Center for American Progress. Cattle graze in front of wind mills of the Spanish utility Endesa in the Eolico Park, Spain. SOURCE: AP/Javier Barbancho. By Vanessa Cárdenas | May 20, 2009 Léalo en español When so-called experts with little credibility and ties to the energy industry come out against renewable energy [...]
Continue reading...By Branden Barber, May 15 2009
Link to original article: In Ecuador, Resentment Oozes Long After an Oil Company Departs – NYTimes.com. By SIMON ROMERO and CLIFFORD KRAUSS Moises Saman for The New York Times. An open oil pit near La Joya de los Sachas, Ecuador. Published: May 14, 2009 SHUSHUFINDI, Ecuador — Mention to Anita Ruíz the name of the [...]
Continue reading...By Branden Barber, April 30 2009
One of the biggest culprits behind air pollution is – you guessed it – dirty coal plants (that would be all of them.) Global warming, acid rain, massive amounts of toxic waste, and straight-up, old-fashioned air pollution that is killing people – all brought to you by this dinosaur that continues to promote itself as [...]
Continue reading...By Branden Barber, April 27 2009
In order to create controversy over the cause or even the reality of Global Warming, Big Oil, Big Auto and Big Coal promoted the idea that there was a debate and that the evidence linking the burning of fossil fuels to accelerated climate change was inconclusive and wrong. Environmentalists have long decried this practice while [...]
Continue reading...By Branden Barber, April 21 2009
Last night Maria Gunnoe received a Goldman Prize for her work to end mountain top removal coal mining (MTR) – and protect her home. This is an issue that we are all a part of and Maria believes that, as energy consumers, we have a responsibility to know where our electricity is coming from. “When [...]
Continue reading...By Branden Barber, April 4 2009
The “Green” Hypocrisy: America’s Corporate Environment Champions Pollute The World - 24/7 Wall Street. “Green is green as in the color of money” - Brand director of General Electric, Brandweek, July 26, 2006 “Greenwashing” is the act of misleading the public regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product, service, or business line. Due to the public’s increased awareness of environmental issues, including global warming, deforestation, and the loss of endangered species, greenwashing has become a staple of corporations marketing efforts. All of the companies in this article have made some effort to address these concerns. Some of them appear to be trying harder than others, and even a few of them have made legitimate efforts to become responsible corporate stewards of the environment. Evidenced by the support of environmental groups and corporate responsibility professionals, many of these companies’ green initiatives have made a positive impact. A majority of America’s largest companies have become part of the “green” movement. Some have fleets of hybrid trucks. Others install solar panels on their large buildings to consume energy more cost effectively with less of an impact on the environment. Many give generously to environmental non-profit organizations. The irony of the “green” movement of US companies is that many of the firms that spend the most money and public relations effort trying to show the government, the public, and their shareholders that they are trying to improve the environment are also among the most prolific polluters in the country. Pollution does not mean that the companies are doing anything illegal. Instead, it simply refers to natural consequence of the companies’ industrial efforts which result in contamination to the air, soil or water by the discharge of substances that are toxic to the environment. 24/7 Wall St. has put together a list of the Top Ten Greenwashers in America. There may be some large companies that are greater polluters than these firms. There may be other corporations that do more to promote their pro-environment credentials. But those can be counted on two hands. Every company on this list makes a substantial investment in creating a perception that they are friendlier to the environment than their peers are or that they are on the side of good or that saving the global ecosystem should be part of a corporation’s broad public responsibility–its good citizenship. These firms often spend millions of dollars on advertising to support the way that their companies are perceived in the green world. But, hidden behind these efforts, each corporation on this list is a Herculean polluter. And, that fact points to a hypocrisy which is almost completely hidden from the public. In the process of creating this list, 24/7 Wall St. examined hundreds of state and federal documents and interviewed experts in environmental law, and officials who review data for non-profit organizations which have charters to track environmental violations. We also reviewed annual reports from companies on their environment efforts. It was important to balance all of these. Some sources had axes to grind, but that was weighed in the process. A more complete description of our methodology runs at the end of the article.
Continue reading...By Branden Barber, March 13 2009
Author-activist tapped as White House ‘green’ jobs adviser – NYTimes.com. Van Jones. What an amazing human being he is. One of the most passionate, articulate speakers I’ve ever had the pleasure to see and to meet. Not only does he have an impressive array of accomplishments to his name (Yale Law grad, co-founder of the [...]
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Our response to @MittRomney's out of touch response to #BofA protest in #CLT last week: http://t.co/6jGh8huQ
By Branden Barber, July 24 2009
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