Sustainable Community Development

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers group wrapped up a five-city national tour. More than 1,500 farmworkers and their advocates rallied for better pay at Publix stores. Watch the video here.

The current interest in financial reform has prompted a number of legislators and political candidates to explore the idea of state-run banks.

Over 100 people gathered at Carnival Cruise Lines Corporate headquarters in Miami demanding the corporate tax dodger pay their fair share.

BALLE has an exciting line up planned for its June 14-17 PLACE MATTERS  conference in Bellingham Washington, including Naomi Klein, Joel Solomon, David Levine, David Korten, Chris Lindstrom, Will Raap and others.

Environment

The BBC reports on a study from Cornell that finds shale gas may be worse than coal for climate change.

Time series images of the Hobart Mine in West Virginia illustrate some of the environmental effects of mountain top removal mining.

Japanese upgraded the Fukushima disaster to a level seven, while scientist warned that radiation levels around the world are no longer negligible and the British journal Nature warned that the clean up could take a century.

Bolivia is set to pass the world’s first laws granting all nature equal rights to humans.

Democracy and Corporate Accountability

BP shareholders protested the company’s  executive compensation, tar oil sands investments and general management.

Bernie Sanders published his Guide to Corporate Freeloaders, listing the ten worst corporate tax evaders.

AP falls for GE tax hoax linked to Yes Men and US Uncut activists.

Macroeconomic Policy

Icelandic voters reject £3bn debt repayment plan.

Joe Stiglitz explains why he did not sign a  letter from a bipartisan group of former chairmen and chairwomen of the Council of Economic Advisers that stresses the importance of deficit reduction.

Wall Street lobbies Treasury to weaken Dodd Frank regulations while bankers rake in record pay.

John Fullerton reports on the Institute for New Economic Thinking conference at Bretton Woods.

Social Justice

Backbone Campaign’s Artful Activism campaigns supported economic and environmental justice allies in Bellingham, Olympia, Bellevue, Portland and Chicago!

Joe Nocera reports that banks are still avoiding criminal charges and accountability for the mortgage crisis.

The Finance Innovation Lab is an open environment in which people can come together to explore, innovate and evolve the financial system so that it sustains people and planet.

Unlike Hugh Laurie, NEN members have some good ideas about building a better economy.