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Tag Archives: John Locke
A Visit to the White House Kitchen Garden:
Parents, staff, and students tour the White House Kitchen Garden on the South Grounds of the White House after participating in a “Let’s Move!” event preparing and eating a garden harvest with the First Lady in the East Room of the White House, June 3, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
See more from our “Photo of the Day” gallery here.
On Tuesday, in a ceremony at the White House, President Obama awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously to Army Sergeant William Shemin and Army Private Henry Johnson for conspicuous gallantry during World War I.
Our Continued Commitment to America’s Foster Youth
Last month was National Foster Care Month. It provided us an important opportunity to highlight the many ways that the Administration has worked to stem the often disproportionate, unfair, and heartbreaking challenges facing our foster youth, and to provide them the equal opportunity for success that they deserve. We want them to know they are not alone.
5 Facts You Should Know About the Role Trade Plays on America’s Farms and Ranches
Without the expanded trade that came with past trade agreements, the agricultural economy and the American economy as a whole would not be as strong as it is today. But new trade agreements are only possible if our negotiators can speak with one voice to negotiate free and fair trade deals. Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) — now being considered in Congress — allows them to do just that.
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NMAAHC: Edison R. Wato, Jr., Membership Program Manager
Objects from a slave ship that sank off the coast of Cape Town in 1794 will be on long-term loan to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). The announcement, took place at a historic ceremony at Iziko Museums of South Africa. The discovery of the ship marks a milestone in the study of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and showcases the results of the Slave Wrecks Project, a unique global partnership among museums and research institutions, including the NMAAHC and six partners in the U.S. and Africa. Objects from the shipwreck—iron ballast to weigh down the ship and its human cargo and a wooden pulley block—were retrieved this year from the wreck site of the São José-Paquete de Africa, a Portuguese slave ship that sank off the coast of Cape Town on its way to Brazil while carrying more than 400 enslaved Africans from Mozambique. Lonnie G. Bunch III, founding director of NMAAHC, and Rooksana Omar, CEO of Iziko Museums, joined in the announcement of the shipwreck’s discovery and the artifact loan agreement.
Founded in 2008, Slave Wrecks Project (SWP) brings together partners who have been investigating the impact of the slave trade on world history. It spearheaded the recent discovery of the São José wreck and the ongoing documentation and retrieval of select artifacts. In addition, extensive archival research was conducted on four continents in six countries that ultimately uncovered the ship captain’s account of the wrecking in the Cape archives as well as the ship’s manifest in Portuguese archives. SWP, established with funding from the Ford Foundation, set a new model for international collaboration among museums and research institutions. It has been combining groundbreaking slave shipwreck investigation, maritime and historical archeological training, capacity building, heritage tourism and protection, and education to build new scholarship and knowledge about the study of the global slave trade. The São José’s voyage was one of the earliest in the trans-Atlantic slave trade from East Africa to the Americas, which continued well into the 19th century. More than 400,000 East Africans are estimated to have made the Mozambique-to-Brazil journey between 1800 and 1865. The ship’s crew and some of the more than 400 enslaved on board were rescued after the ship ran into submerged rocks about 100 meters (328 feet) from shore. Tragically, more than half of the enslaved people perished in the violent waves and those who were saved were resold into slavery in the Western Cape. The São José wreck site is located between two reefs, a location that creates a difficult environment to work in because it is prone to strong swells creating challenging conditions for the archaeologists. To date, only a small percentage of the site has been excavated; fully exploring the site will take time. Sincerely, P.S. Follow any of the links below for more information on the NMAAHCs involvement in this historic project. Follow this link to watch a video about the project. Washington Post: Humble Objects that Tell a Powerful Story |
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A Tale of Two Recoveries
Recession-Era Austerity Has Led to Weak Public Jobs Growth And Fragile Economic Recovery
Today’s job report brought positive news: the economy added 280,000 jobs and wages grew at an annual rate of 2.3 percent. This month marks six years since the end of the Great Recession, but the economy still has significant recovering to do. The graphic below shows that while the private sector is recovering, austerity remains a major drag on job growth.
(Para verlo en español clique aquí)
According to an analysis by the Center for American Progress, slow growth in public sector employment is dragging down our overall economic recovery. Washington’s self-imposed budget sequestration and strict austerity measures at the state and local level have contributed to slow public sector growth, and as a result we have fewer public school teachers, poorly maintained infrastructure, and higher tuition at public universities.
On the other hand, the private sector has enjoyed robust growth since the end of the recession. Between June 2009 and May 2015, the private sector added 11.4 million jobs, while the public sector lost some 559,000 state and local government jobs over the same period. Budget cuts have reduced the number of teachers, bus drivers, firefighters and police officers, to name just a few. At this stage in the recovery, the public sector isn’t keeping up with the needs of our growing population, and the shortfall of public sector employees not only highlights this deficit, but also slows down our recovery.
BOTTOM LINE: Reinvesting in public sector employment would create reliable, good-paying, middle-class jobs and help speed up our economic recovery. Rather than continue down the damaging path of sequestration, which reduces the federal government’s ability to respond to the struggling economy, Congress should be doing more to invest in the economy and support state and local government functions that are essential to the lives of everyday Americans.
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The EPA ignored its own science?
The EPA ignored its own scientists on water contamination.
UCS members need to make sure federal agencies put science and safety ahead of politics.
Be one of 750 new donors needed this month to keep our campaigns strong.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) exists to protect our environment and keep our land, water, air, and health safe.
But when the EPA’s own scientists found evidence that fracking was contaminating water, the EPA stopped or slowed down its scientists’ work in three states.1
Why would the EPA back away from its own science?
Simple. Fierce pressure from industry and politicians interfering at every step—from a former Democratic governor reportedly hired by drilling industries to pressure the agency, to a U.S. Senator delaying scientists by demanding constant financial reports, even asking how many dollars were spent on individual lab tests.2
As the fracking boom continues, the EPA can expect even more interference. We can’t sit by and watch. We’re looking for 750 new UCS members to stand up this month to help counter misinformation, demand accountability, protect whistleblowers, and defend our health.
The future of fracking isn’t our only concern. UCS members are standing up for science on multiple fronts:
Stopping the attacks on clean vehicles. The Obama administration has proposed aggressive reductions in vehicle pollutants, but the oil and gas industry is trying to stall them, spreading misinformation about the costs of cleaner fuels.3 UCS’s efforts have already generated more than 50,000 letters this year to the EPA and Congress from members and supporters on the issue.
Fighting back against Big Coal. Coal companies and Fox News are up in arms about the Obama administration’s proposed carbon standards, which would finally retire most of the oldest coal-fired plants. As climate deniers spread misinformation about a “War on Coal,” UCS members and experts are spreading the facts about clean energy’s environmental and economic benefits—while pushing the Obama Administration to stand strong.4
We’re also making waves with our groundbreaking Ripe for Retirement report, which makes the economic case for closing 353 coal-fired power plants. Since November, when we released our first report, 45 plants already have been slated for closure—we’re on the right track!
Whether it’s fracking, vehicle pollution, or coal, the Obama Administration and the EPA are often ready to do the right thing—but they need vocal support from scientists and the public at large. They need people like you to refute lies from the fossil fuel industry and fact-denying politicians. They need you to counteract the millions of dollars being spent to convince the public that a future with clean energy isn’t possible.
Carmen, we need 750 people to stand up for transparency, accountability, and the sound use of science before September 30. Become a member now.
Help make sure all of our leaders—friend and foe—put science first in the national conversation about our energy and our health.
Thank you for being such a strong advocate for science—and for recommitting yourself with a gift to UCS today.
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Sincerely, Kathleen Rest, PhD, MPA Executive Director |
1. http://www.propublica.org/article/epas-abandoned-wyoming-fracking-study-one-retreat-of-many
2. Ibid.
3. http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/29/17518351-epa-proposes-tighter-fuel-emissions-standards-could-push-price-of-gas-higher?lite
4. http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/06/25/obama-declares-war-on-coal/
Be a Seed for Change 
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