U.S. wetlands, vital ecosystems like marshes and swamps, face an urgent crisis. Half of these critical habitats in the lower 48 states have vanished since the 1780s. A 2023 Supreme Court decision

U.S. wetlands, vital ecosystems like marshes and swamps, face an urgent crisis. Half of these critical habitats in the lower 48 states have vanished since the 1780s. A 2023 Supreme Court decision further stripped federal protections, leaving remaining wetlands vulnerable to destruction.

This loss devastates biodiversity; nearly 50% of threatened and endangered species rely on wetlands, with over a third living exclusively there. Wetlands also protect water quality and mitigate flood risks. Act now: Tell the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect more critical habitat for wetland-dependent species. Learn more at www.saveourfreshwater.org.

Environmental justice addresses critical global concerns: communities worldwide disproportionately face environmental hazards, and the benefits and costs of environmental policies are often

Environmental justice addresses critical global concerns: communities worldwide disproportionately face environmental hazards, and the benefits and costs of environmental policies are often unequally distributed. Learn more about OECD's work on this topic: OECD Environmental Justice.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international body established in 1960. It collaborates to build better policies for prosperity, equality, and well-being. The OECD works with governments to establish evidence-based international standards and find solutions to social, economic, and environmental challenges, serving as a unique forum for data, analysis, and best practices. A related Vidéo en français is also available. For more about the OECD: About the OECD.

On August 17, 2020, the Trump administration opened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge's 1.5 million-acre Coastal Plain to oil and gas lease sales, possibly by December. This decision, amidst an

On August 17, 2020, the Trump administration opened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge's 1.5 million-acre Coastal Plain to oil and gas lease sales, possibly by December. This decision, amidst an oil glut and climate change concerns, targets the last 5% of America's previously protected Arctic Coastal Plain. It threatens to transform these wild lands into an industrial complex, jeopardizing the Gwich'in Nation's food security, spiritual, and cultural heritage—they call it "the sacred place where life begins." This move also endangers polar bears, the Porcupine Caribou herd, and migratory birds, marking a critical environmental and social justice conflict.

A video features Gwich'in community members from the 2016 Gwich'in Gathering, testifying against this development.

Joan Baez returns to Commonwealth Club World Affairs on January 27, 2025, nearly 45 years after her last visit. This time, she offers an intimate talk, not a performance, delving into her personal

Joan Baez returns to Commonwealth Club World Affairs on January 27, 2025, nearly 45 years after her last visit. This time, she offers an intimate talk, not a performance, delving into her personal thoughts and life experiences—the person behind the stardom.

She will discuss her new book of poems, "When You See My Mother: Ask Her to Dance." This collection, a personal diary in poetry, shares reflections from her childhood, cherished memories, and insights into contemporaries like Bob Dylan and Mimi Fariña.

Join us for a unique look into the reminiscences of this iconic artist. Joan Baez will be in conversation with music journalist Ben Fong-Torres, hosted by Robert Melton.

Green colonialism impacts the Indigenous Sámi of northern Europe, with large-scale renewable energy and conservation projects built on ancestral lands without full consent. Wind farms,

Green colonialism impacts the Indigenous Sámi of northern Europe, with large-scale renewable energy and conservation projects built on ancestral lands without full consent. Wind farms, “green” mineral mining, and hydroelectric dams disrupt traditional livelihoods like reindeer herding. Framed as sustainable, these projects often dispossess Sámi, marginalizing their knowledge, rights, and self-determination for climate action. This issue was investigated by Tristen Taylor, Ingrid Gercama, and Nathalie Bertrams in “Green Colonialism: How New Mines in Sweden Threaten the Sámi.”

An image shows Sámi reindeer herder and joik singer Lars-Ánte Kuhmunen in a corral near Rensjön, Sweden, photographed by Nathalie Bertrams. Kuhmunen's 2005 album, "Birrasis," produced by Georg Buljio, is used with permission.

Barbara Ford of Gaiaworkshops.net was interviewed by Ruth Ann Barrett of EarthSayers.tv at the