12 | March | 2015 | Spirit In Action

Featured…

With TPP at ‘Make-or-Break Point,’ Fast Track Foes Prepare for Battle
by Deirdre Fulton
Stakeholders in the U.S. who have lined up against the agreement also see the next few weeks as a critical turning point in the fight over Fast Track and the so-called “free trade” deals that authority is designed to promote.

News…

	Sanders: Iran Letter Shows GOP Senators Just ‘Itching for War’ by Jon Queally Despite the rhetoric of the letter, there is no evidence showing Iran has an active nuclear weapons program and the nation’s leadership has repeatedly stated that it has no current ambitions for such a program.
	On Ukraine, Will Obama Heed Call for Caution? by Lauren McCauley Obama’s reluctance contrasts the opinions of other lawmakers and officials, who in recent days have continued to push for sending armaments.
	Ferguson Police Chief, City Manager Resign by Nadia Prupis Both men were named in the U.S. Justice Department’s scathing report on the racist and unconstitutional policing and municipal court system in the city.
	Scientist Who Exposed Health Impacts of Burn Pits in Iraq Awarded Rachel Carson Prize by Lauren McCauley The team’s findings matched samples of titanium and magnesium found in the lungs of U.S. veterans who had been exposed to burn pits in Afghanistan and Iraq. Savabieasfahani says she is hoping to expand her research in Iraq, now that people “are more aware of the situation.”
	In Turnaround, Swedish Supreme Court to Hear Assange Appeal by Nadia Prupis Assange has repeatedly argued that extradition to Sweden will allow him to be sent to the U.S., where he faces espionage and conspiracy charges for his role in publishing a cache of military and State Department documents in 2010.
	Unjust Public Policies Drive the Massive Racial Wealth Gap in America: Study by Sarah Lazare It is vital “to find new opportunities to address the way that we’re constantly perpetuating this disparity between black, white and Latino families,” Ruetschlin continued.
	The Women are Coming, and They Mean Peace: Historic March Across Korean DMZ Announced by Andrea Germanos The walk is spearheaded by Women De-Militarize the Zone, an effort founded by writer and peace activist Christine Ahn, who wrote that “the DMZ continues to divide the Korean peninsula with recurring tensions that serve as a sobering reminder of the possibility of renewed war.”
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Views…

	Fukushima: Amidst Radioactive Ruins, Renewable Energy Revolution Soars by Harvey Wasserman It’s a fight we can’t afford to lose. It’s a victory we must soon embrace … with the utmost relief and joy.
	The Student Debt Time Bomb by Chuck Collins This debt keeps young people from starting families, buying houses, and taking risks on new businesses. It also exacerbates the growing problem of wealth inequality and declining social mobility, since it gives debt-free graduates from wealthier families an enormous head start over their peers.
	Official Washington’s Delusions on Delusions by Robert Parry The chasm between reality and the U.S. political/media elite continues to widen with Official Washington’s actions toward Iran and Russia making “the world’s sole remaining superpower” look either like a Banana Republic (on Iran) or an Orwellian Dystopia (regarding Russia).
	After Ringling’s Announcement, What’s the Next Elephant in the Room? by Paul Shapiro For too long, we’ve ignored the consequences of our actions against the animals with whom we share our planet, and the results have been profoundly regrettable for both them and us.
	A Lesson from Fukushima: A Safe, Clean Energy Future Will Be Nuclear-Free by Kendra Ulrich Relying on nuclear to fulfill Japan’s climate obligations is betting the future of the planet and generations of people to come on a politician’s fantasy.
	The Risks of Mishandling the Tikrit Offensive by Sharif Nashashibi It requires inclusivity and respect for human rights. Otherwise, ISIL will either make a comeback, or will be eclipsed further down the line by another jihadist successor.
	Will Podemos Rescue Spain’s Unemployed Youths? by Mark Weisbrot Unemployment is what matters most; there is substantial evidence that long-term unemployment has numerous social costs besides loss of income, including on mental and physical health, suicide rates, life expectancy, and the well-being of the children of the unemployed.
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Newswire…

National People’s Action: TODAY—We Rise: National Day of Action to Put People and Planet First
Physicians for Human Rights: Doctors in the Crosshairs: Four Years of Attacks on Health Care in Syria
Committee to Protect Journalists: Ethiopia Suspected of Spying on Independent TV Network ESAT
Freedom to Marry: Washington Post Ad Showcases Broad Business Support for the Freedom to Marry Nationwide
CAIR Calls on Maine, New Jersey GOP Chairs to Repudiate Prejudiced Comments by Officials
Center for Biological Diversity: Feds Propose More Than 330,000 Acres of Critical Habitat for Black Pine Snakes

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Remembering the Woman Responsible for Planting Over 40 Millions Trees

Wed, 03/11/2015 – 13:00

Until you dig a hole, you plant a tree, you water it and make it survive, you haven’t done a thing. You are just talking. -Wangari Maathai

Wangari Maathai might not be a household name to you, but she should be.

Over 30 years ago she started an organization in Africa, The Green Belt Movement, a tree-planting campaign intended to help combat deforestation and to give locals access to firewood for cooking and clean water. To date, the campaign is responsible for planting over 40 million trees.

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