Dear Progressive Reader,

April 22 was the fifty-second Earth Day. This year, the day was marked by ever-growing concerns that the world will be unable to meet the goals of the 2015 Paris accords and keep global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius.

In April 1970, The Progressive gave the pages of the magazine to activists working to raise awareness of an impending environmental crisis. “All ecological concerns are interrelated parts of the problem of perpetuating life on this frail planet, and our approach to them must be holistic. . . . April 22 is a tool—something that can be used to focus the attention of a society on where we are heading,” wrote Denis Hayes in that issue. This year, again, the April/May issue of our magazine was devoted to environmental concerns, and a discussion of available solutions. “The stories in this issue about the things people are doing to respond to climate change are not feel-good stories. Some describe acts of desperation,” writes Bill Lueders in the “Editor’s Note.”

In this issue, Marc Eisen looks at farmers on the frontlines of climate catastrophe; Ilana Cohen describes campaigns to get institutions to divest from fossil fuels; Erik Ness examines ways to protect land, water, and animals through legislative efforts; Tom B.K. Goldtooth writes about the ways in which Indigenous peoples are taking a lead in addressing climate issues; and I review two new books that lay out the history of, obstacles to, and possibilities for addressing the climate crisis. And there is lots more in this seventy-two page issue. If you don’t already subscribe to The Progressive, now is your chance. You won’t be sorry.

In addition to our magazine, our website, too, has been full of articles this week on environmental topics. Lorah Steichen of the National Priorities Project explains that one way to save the planet is to cut the Pentagon’s budget. “This year, the United States will spend twice as much every day on the military as it does on international climate aid all year,” she says (a good reminder as Tax Day also took place this week). Ed Rampell reviews the new PBS Frontline series “The Power of Big Oil” about the role of corporate climate change deniers. And Alvaro Sanchez of the Greenlining Institute points out, “If we start with the voices and priorities of people most impacted, we can withstand the climate disasters heading our way, and advance an ambitious long-term climate agenda.” Plus, Edward Hunt reports on the people of the Marshall Islands who are both severely impacted by rising sea levels due to climate change and are the victims of years of U.S. nuclear weapons testing.

Please keep reading, and we will keep bringing you important articles on these and other issues of our time.

Sincerely,

Norman Stockwell
Publisher

P.S. – If you were unable to attend our live event with renowned author Noam Chomsky and interviewer David Barsamian discussing their two new books chronicling their thirty-five years of conversations, it is available to view on our YouTube channel. You can also get one of the books with a donation of $50 or more to The Progressive at this link.

P.P.S. – If you like this weekly newsletter, please consider forwarding it to a friend. If you know someone who would like to subscribe to this free weekly email, please share this link: http://tiny.cc/ProgressiveNewsletter.

P.P.P.S. – If you don’t already subscribe to The Progressive in print or digital form, please consider doing so today. Also, if you have a friend or relative who you feel should hear from the many voices for progressive change within our pages, please consider giving a gift subscription.

P.P.P.P.S. – Thank you so much to everyone who donated to our year-end annual fund drive! We need you now more than ever. If you have not done so already, please take a moment to support hard-hitting, independent reporting on issues that matter to you. Your donation today will keep us on solid ground in 2022 and will help us continue to grow in the coming years. You can use the wallet envelope in the current issue of the magazine, or click on the “Donate” button below to join your fellow progressives in sustaining The Progressive as a voice for peace, social justice, and the common good.