Tag Archives: Government

This year,(2014) Alaska lost a legend when Ruth Schmidt passed away at the age of 97.

In a time when many women weren’t encouraged to enter scientific fields, Ruth received her Masters (in 1939) and Ph.D. (in 1948) from Columbia University before going on to become a prominent geologist. She moved to Alaska in 1956, and later founded the Geology Department at the University of Alaska, Anchorage.

An article in the Anchorage Daily News from April summed up just how impressive Ruth’s accomplishments were: “Recently the American Association of Petroleum Geologists announced it would honor the organization’s first 100 female members to commemorate its centennial in 2017. The first woman featured is Ruth A.M. Schmidt.”

Ruth was a treasure to the state of Alaska, not just because of her professional accomplishments, but also because of her storied philanthropic work.

As her obituary notes, “she supported conservation, opera and symphony, social services, public media, science, and science education for women and minorities.”

There’s something else to add to the list: Ruth supported women’s health and reproductive justice.

We were overwhelmed and amazed when we learned that part of Ruth’s will included a bequest to Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest, the first-ever contribution of that type to our organization.

We want to thank and honor Ruth for her support of women’s health and reproductive freedom.

Because of Ruth’s generosity, we have been able to wage a stronger fight against the threats to women’s health posed by politicians who want to interfere in personal medical decisions. Coupled with the support of thousands of activists like you – as donors, volunteers, and community supporters – we’ve been able to advance a progressive agenda across Alaska, Idaho, and Washington fighting for women and families.

Ruth was a trailblazer for women, for science, for Alaska, and for reproductive health and rights. If you want to continue her legacy with us, add your name to the list as someone who will continue to fight for women’s health in 2015 and beyond.

Thank you for all that you do.

Elaine Rose
CEO
Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Make sure your community is ready for climate change

01/23/2015 Nativegrl77

The White House

Climate change is happening now — and we’ve got to be ready because we’re going to see more extreme weather.

That’s why we’re taking action. Last Tuesday, the President made a historic announcement with China that sets new targets for carbon pollution reductions.

And on Monday, the Administration released the Climate Resilience Toolkit to help our communities respond to our changing climate.

Check out these easy-to-use tools, including interactive maps and visualizations, that will help prepare your community for the impacts of climate change. See how you can help your community or business get ready.

Whether you’re a small business owner, planner, farmer, policy leader, or an interested resident, these tools can help you make sure that you have a climate-ready community or business.

Have questions about what climate change means for you, why it matters, and what we can do to fight it? Last Thursday, Dr. John P. Holdren, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, announced that he wants to answer your questions.

Ask Dr. Holdren your questions on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Vine with the hashtag #AskDrH — and he’ll answer some of them on camera.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Presenting the Climate Denier Caucus of the 114th Congress

01/23/2015 Nativegrl77

By CAP Action War Room

More Than Half Of All Congressional Republicans Deny Man-Made Climate Change

While the House gears up to vote on Keystone XL pipeline legislation tomorrow, here is a bit of important context: 53 percent of House Republicans in the new Congress are climate deniers.

Today, we at CAP Action released a comprehensive look at the extent of climate denial in the 114th Congress. While more than 97 percent of climate scientists agree that climate change is real and caused by human activity, 53 percent of House Republicans and 72 percent of Senate Republicans deny it. A truly alarming finding of our report: 91 percent of Republicans on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee deny humans are responsible for climate change.

You can read the full report, which has an interactive map with details on how each state performs, here. And be sure to check out the infographic below as well, which among other things, details how much this anti-science caucus has racked up in campaign contributions from dirty energy companies:
Climate deniers in the 114th Congress

BOTTOM LINE: Man-made climate change is real, end of story. Refusing to address it hurts our environment, our nation’s public health, and our economy. Republicans need to stop worrying about the bottom lines of carbon polluters and start worrying about the health and safety of our communities and families.

~ pop culture

Goodbye, Colbert Report

01/09/2015 Nativegrl77

By CAP Action War Room

On Its Final Day, Remembering Some Of The Colbert Report’s Best

The final episode of “The Colbert Report” airs tonight, as its host Stephen Colbert moves on to succeed David Letterman as the new late night host on CBS. In the move, Colbert is retiring the hilarious, ridiculous, and lovable conservative pundit that hosted his show. In his honor, we wanted to share with you some of our favorite Colbert moments:

The Colbert Super PAC, “Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow.” In one of the best examples of the comedian’s humor to actually educate people about an important civic issue, Colbert’s efforts earned him a Peabody award, over $1 million in donations, and some pretty hilarious bits.
When Colbert interviews Jane Fonda and Gloria Steinem about their new feminist radio station — while the three of them make an apple pie.
Former Arizona Senator Jon Kyl landed himself in some hot water after saying that abortion services are “well over 90 percent of what Planned Parenthood does.” Abortion is actually just 3 percent of Planned Parenthood services, and when Kyl was corrected a spokesman said the Senator’s comment was “not intended to be a factual statement.” Enter Colbert.
Pretty much any time Colbert went head-to-head with Bill O’Reilly.
Colbert’s Congressional testimony — in character — about the plight of migrant farm workers. “I don’t want a tomato picked by a Mexican. I want it picked by an American, sliced by a Guatemalan . . . and served in a spa where a Chilean gives me a Brazilian.”
After Daft Punk cancelled their appearance on the Report, Stephen gathered some of his friends — including Bryan Cranston and Jimmy Fallon — to do their own rendition of the musical group’s summer hit, ‘Get Lucky.’
Any of Colbert’s “Better Know A District” segments — but perhaps most importantly when Nancy Pelosi rode a BMX bike.
Colbert’s appearance as the host of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in 2006: “To sit here at the same table with my hero, George W. Bush. To be this close to the man! I feel like I’m dreaming. Somebody pinch me. Actually, I’m a pretty sound sleeper, that may not be enough. Somebody shoot me in the face.”
That time when Colbert and Jon Stewart staged the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear. Hundreds of thousands of people attended the rally on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Colbert’s moving, tearful tribute to his late mother. The comedian knew how to be serious, too.

Thanks for nine years of giving us the most low-class, bloviating, hypocritical, obnoxious, arrogant — and all-around amazing — coverage of important progressive issues and so much more. We don’t know what to expect from the new show, but we aren’t expecting anything less.

PS: Want a taste of what Colbert is like out of character? Here he is talking to the Yale Daily News, with Yale student and former CAP Action intern Cody Pomeranz as the interviewer!