XL Victory as Keystone XL Pipeline is Delayed

The State Department announced this afternoon that a decision on the proposed pipeline from Canada to Texas, known as Keystone XL, would be delayed until 2013. Reversing what was once seen as inevitable approval for the project, this is a major victory for those concerned with protecting our environment and combating climate change. Many Tides clients, donors, and partners were at the forefront of the nationwide effort to combat the Keystone pipeline and they deserve thanks from all of us for their contributions to this victory.

Tides ECO Initiative Awards $850K to New Voices in Chemicals Policy

More than 80,000 chemicals are in use in the United States today.  Since 1976, when the federal Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) became law, 20,000 chemicals have been introduced into our lives without any testing or safety measures.  We are happy to announce that the Tides ECO Initiative has awarded  $850,000 to 24 groups for its New Voices in Chemicals Policy program, which aims to support organizations that bring new voices into toxic chemicals policy at the local, state, and national levels.

Join Melissa at the Slow Money National Gathering (October 12-14)

Tides is pleased to announce that our CEO Melissa L. Bradley will be a featured speaker at this year's Slow Money National Gathering, held in San Francisco from October 12 - 14.  Melissa will be joining other esteemed leaders from the nonprofit and philanthropic sector, including Vandana Shiva, Wes Jackson, Matt Flannery, Winona LaDuke, and others interested in new ways of thinking about the relationship between food, money, and social change.

Experience Progressive Change at This Year’s Bioneers Conference

Experience the leading-edge of progressive system-change at this year’s Bioneers Conference, October 14-16, in San Rafael, CA and in 21 other sites around the nation.  Bioneers is offering a registration discount of 20% to members of the Tides community who’d like to register – just enter code: TIDES20.

Tides Collaborates to Create Forest Conservation Park

In the Strait of Georgia, between Vancouver Island and the mainland of British Columbia, sits Cortes Island, home to a pristine 153-acre forested property known locally as Hank’s Beach.  The local community and visitors have hiked through the forest and enjoyed the quiet seclusion of the beach for many years.  Columbian black-tailed deer, gray wolves and cougars extensively utilize a wildlife corridor on the property, and several sensitive ecosystems are represented, particularly on the bluffs above the beach.  However, some years ago the property became threatened by potential development and logging.

SXSW Eco: Discounted Registration for Tides Community

SXSW Eco is a three-day conference acknowledging the need for a concerted, cross sector approach to solving the recognized challenges facing the natural world, the globalized economy, and humankind.  Hosting an international audience of executive level decision makers from the public and private sectors, as well as thought leaders from academia, the event will evolve this critical conversation beyond rhetoric and towards tangible solutions.  Discounts are available for the Tides Community.

Join Melissa Bradley at the 2011 Bioneers Conference

Join Melissa Bradley at the 2011 Bioneers Conference—October 14-16, 2011— to explore the forefront of positive change in deeply inspiring keynote talks, panels, workshops and intensives.  Tides is pleased to host a session entitled Recognizing and Honoring the Convergence of Race and the Environment, aimed at connecting several of our 2011 priority issue areas.  Bioneers is offering a 20% discount to the Tides community -- click here to register and use the coupon code civics20.

Putting up a Front (with The Big Picture Project)

Oakland Unified School District is more famous for it's challenges than it's successes. It's teachers are among the lowest paid in the country, budget crisis is a constant struggle as it deals with a $29,000,000 deficit and student intake is dominated by underprivileged urban single parent black/hispanic youth. Within this bleak educational environment, if you are a Oakland student who has exhausted all other venues and has earned the “problem student” label you may well end up at Dewey as a last chance.

EF5 Tornado in Tuscaloosa County, AL

An EF5 tornado (a designation reserved for the most volatile tornado) destroyed Tuscaloosa County and parts of Jefferson County in Alabama.  Entire towns were flattened over the course of a 6 hour time period, destroying the lives of poor, rural, black southerners.    The storms killed over 200 people in 36 hours. The current death toll for the southeast region is at 340 and rising. Over 100,000 residents are without housing, running water, food, and clothing and are exposed to natural gas leaks. They are left defenseless, without fire or police response teams, grocery stores, or gas stations.  President Obama, who has visited Iraq many times, is quoted as saying, “I’ve never seen devastation like this,” during his trip to Alabama, on April 29, 2011.

Zero Mercury Campaign Uses Mercury Monitoring Device to Promote Grassroots Actions, Strong Global Treaty

Mercury Policy Project (a project of Tides) and Garfield Foundation recently co-authored this article about MPP’s grassroots efforts to promote a strong mercury treaty: “Zero Mercury Campaign Uses Mercury Monitoring Device to Promote Grassroots Actions, Strong Global Treaty.”