Energy & Environment: Markey Wants Answers on Rare Earths
• Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., "is pressing the Obama administration for information about alleged Chinese restrictions on the export of rare earth minerals used in defense and energy technologies, warning of threats to U.S. interests," The Hill reports.
• "Three months after BP capped its runaway well in the Gulf of Mexico, the state of Louisiana is still building a chain of sand berms off its coast to block and capture oil even as federal officials and many scientists argue that the effort will prove pointless," the New York Times reports.
• An Idaho couple has "sued the state to stop the shipments by Imperial Oil and ConocoPhillips" to an oil sands site in Canada, "arguing that the" truck loads delivered there "would threaten the integrity of Idaho's historic portion of U.S. 12, as well as the safety of communities that depend on it as the main road in and out of the area," the Times also reports. "National environmental groups and climate change activists are supporting their efforts, seeing a broader opportunity to stall development of Canada's oil sands, which they denounce as a dirty source of energy. "
• "Combating climate change has long taken a back seat to coal production in West Virginia, but in the hard-fought House race in this state's 1st district, global warming hasn't even made it onto the bus," The Hill reports. "In interviews on Thursday, both the Democratic and Republican nominees for Congress voiced skepticism of the science behind global warming, and the Republican, David McKinley, flatly called concerns about climate change 'an attack on coal.'"
Contributor
Jacqueline Patterson
Biography provided by participant
Prior to joining the NAACP, most recently a global women's rights consultant, Jacqui Patterson has enjoyed a fulfilling career working in the capacities of researcher, program manager, coordinator, advocate and activist working on women's rights, violence against women, HIV&AIDS, racial justice, economic justice, and environmental and climate justice.
Since 2007 Patterson has served as coordinator for an organization she co-founded, Women of Color United. Previously, Patterson served as a Senior Women's Rights Policy Analyst for ActionAid where she ensured the integration of a women's rights lens for the issues of food rights, macroeconomics, and climate change as well as the intersection of violence against women and HIV&AIDS.
Prior to this she served as Assistant Vice-President of HIV/AIDS Programs for Interchurch Medical Assistance, Inc. providing management and technical assistance to medical facilities and programs in 23 countries in Africa and the Caribbean. Patterson served as the Outreach Project Associate for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, as policy analyst for Baltimore City Healthy Start; and Research coordinator for Johns Hopkins University.
A returned U.S. Peace Corps Jamaica volunteer, Patterson holds a master's degree in social work from the University of Maryland and a master's degree in public health from Johns Hopkins University. She currently serves on the Executive Committee for the Congressional Black Caucus Fellows Alumni Network, The Leadership Circle of the Gender Justice Working Group of the US Social Forum, Co-Founder and Coordinator for Women of Color United, the Advisory Committee for The Grandmothers' Project, the Steering Committee of ATHENA Network, as well as serves on the Board of Directors for the Institute of the Black World and the US Climate Action Network.
Recent Responses