Grassroots vs. Astroturf

Many organizations and groups claim to be grassroots. It can be extremely difficult to judge whether or not a group's claim as being grassroots is accurate. A grassroots organization is community-based and is ran by everyday citizens who have been united by a common cause. It is not supported financially by corporations or politicians but rather common people or smaller activist groups. In contrast, an AstroTurf organization is one that claims to be grassroots but whose members are actually lobbyists who have certain political interests and are often times backed by corporations with certain agendas.

The Rainforest Action Network is a true grassroots organization. Its members, thousands of volunteer scientists, students, teachers, and concerned citizens, raise money and awareness for environmental protection. They collaborate with many other environmentalist groups but do not work alongside government officials or lobbyists. The majority of their funding comes from regular citizens, not politicians who are looking for personal gain or a better chance of passing their own personal agendas. It also runs without the help of major corporations. If you were to look at the breakdown of how the Rainforest Action Network spends their money, you will find the majority of it is spent on programs with only a small portion being spent on advertising and administration. In no way is their money spent on political campaigns or used in cooperation with any other tactics employed by many lobbyists.

Blog Research Assignment #2

http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/042107dnbusamr.3658929.html

http://www.aa.com/content/amrcorp/pressReleases/2007_04/18_amrprofit.jhtml

AMR Corporation based out of Dallas/Ft. Worth has come under scrutiny in the media lately due to a disagreement between American Airlines' staff and the payouts received by the executives of the company. The problem stems from the flight staff's agreement to take a cut in pay in 2003 so that American Airlines would not have to file bankruptcy. They were all under the idea that once the company became profitable again they would get paid their regular wages. The online business section of WFAA was quick to pick up the story, spinning it to a certain degree to empathize with the pilots and flight attendants who felt the actions of the company were unfair. The report on the WFAA site noted with great detail the exact payment amounts and stock shares that were given to the company's executives. While the news report does not go into great detail about the company's response, it does indeed expose the payment schemes and touches base on the fact that the pilots and flight attendants took a cut in pay in 2003 and have yet to be compensated for their sacrifices.

All this may leave you wondering as to how American Airlines and parent company AMR would respond. Surprisingly enough, there was actually no mention of the strike or payment issues on the company's website. A corporate press release, however, did assure investors that the company had indeed received a net profit of $81 million during the first quarter of 2007. The company took the quiet approach choosing not to respond to media inqueries about American's unions being unhappy and suggesting a change. The only mention of anything regarding employee's salary was this quote saying:

"AMR began to accrue for a potential profit sharing payout to employees for the 2007 year, payable in 2008. There can be no assurance that the Company’s forecast will approximate actual results, which are dependent upon many factors, including fuel prices and economic and industry conditions."

American Airlines' neglect to mention any staff issues could have escalated into a PR nightmare but fortunately for them, the media hasn't given the "crisis" much attention.

John A. McLachlan

Renowned biologist Dr. John A. McLachlan has dedicated his energy and efforts towards a better understanding of the environment, the impact people can have on it, and also the impact it can have on people. Currently he serves as the Director of the Center for Bioenvironmental Research at both Tulane and Xavier Universities. Previous to serving as Director of the center, he worked for two decades at the National Institute of Environmental Sciences and ultimately was named as Scientific Director. His scientific findings have been published in over 150 journal articles, 50 book chapters, and 5 edited books. His most recent work as the co-founder of RiverSphere, a program at Tulane University which pairs artists, scientists, and technology to educate and improve river communities on the New Orleans Mississippi front, has brought attention to the water crises that will affect the world at large if action is not taken.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

The Kennedy family is a well-known American legacy. Textbooks all across the country are filled with their many achievements in American government and politics. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. continues to live up to the Kennedy name through his contributions to the environment and society itself. His educational background includes graduating from Harvard University, studying at the London School of Economics, and receiving his law degree from the University of Virginia Law School. Following graduation he was awarded a Masters Degree in Environmental Law from Pace University School of Law. As president of the Waterkeeper Alliance and Chief Prosecuting Attorney for the Hudson Riverkeeper, he consistently takes on big corporations, refusing to accept the allowance of the huge amounts of pollution these businesses release into the atmosphere. He is renowned for his efforts to restore the Hudson River as well as protecting New York City’s water supply by creating the New York City watershed agreement, which is considered to be an international model. Mr. Kennedy’s environmental work across the Americas helps pave the way for environmental reform.

Waterways Lead (rough draft)

Water- the human body can only survive without it for three days. It is important to say the least, but imagine a place where drinking water is hard to come by. The idea is not as far-fetched as we may have once hoped. Many river basins, such as the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) basin are in dire need of global attention in order to avert what could become a huge crisis. Waterways 2007 is a biennial conference held at the University of North Texas March 13^th through March 15^th in which philosophers, scientists, politicians, managers, and specialists come together to discuss our world’s water problems. One of the featured speakers, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. of the Waterkeeper Alliance, will discuss issues such as water scarcity during the conference. Other speakers include Ramaswamy R. Iyer, Former Secretary of Water, Govt. of India and John A. McLachlan, Director, RiverSphere and the Katrina Environmental Research & Restoration Network. Waterways sessions are free and open to the public and for more information visit the official website www.water.unt.edu.