In his long-awaited encyclical (download here) on the environment and climate change, Pope Francis has called for swift action to save the planet from environmental ruin, urging world leaders to hear "the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor." He called for a change of lifestyle in rich countries steeped in a "throwaway" consumer culture, and an end to "obstructionist attitudes" that sometimes put profit before the common good. Pope Francis said protecting the planet is a moral and ethical "imperative" for believers and nonbelievers alike that should supersede political and economic interests. A major theme of the encyclical is the disparity between rich and poor. "We fail to see that some are mired in desperate and degrading poverty, with no way out, while others have not the faintest idea of what to do with their possessions, vainly showing off their supposed superiority and leaving behind them so much waste which, if it were the case everywhere, would destroy the planet," he said. We speak to Naomi Klein, author of "This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate." She has been invited to speak at the Vatican, where she will speak at the "People and Planet First: The Imperative to Change Course" conference. And here in New York is Nathan Schneider, columnist at America magazine, a national Catholic weekly magazine published by the Jesuits.

Democracy Now! is an independent global news hour that airs weekdays on 1,300+ TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. Watch our livestream 8-9am 

Eckhart Tolle stops by Google for a fireside chat with Bradley Horowitz. The subject is: "Living with Meaning, Purpose and Wisdom in the Digital Age."

Dr. Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, writer and Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental Biology at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, New York and the founding Director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment whose mission is to create programs which draw on the wisdom of both indigenous and scientific knowledge for our shared goals of sustainability.

Global Center for Indigenous Leadership and Lifeways President Ilarion Larry Merculieff has over 40 years experience serving the Aleuts of the Pribilof Islands and other indigenous peoples. At the AASHE 2015 Conference & Expo he shared his perspective and vision for transforming sustainability education.

Published on Jan 17, 2016

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An excerpt from the Leif Wenar speech of January 27th, 2016 based on his book, "Blood Oil: Tyrants, Violence, and the Rules That Run the World." For more details on 'Might Makes Right' go to the Clean Trade site, here. Excerpted and curated by Ruth Ann Barrett for EarthSayers.tv, Voices of Sustainability.

The Biote D'Or experience with the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS). It is a control system established in 2003 to authenticate the provenance of diamonds. After it became known in the late 1990s that warring parties were abusing the trade with rough diamonds to fund their conflicts, this initiative was founded to put an end to the sale of so called blood or conflict diamonds. Today, more than 49 countries are part of the Kimberley Process, the European Community being counted as one member. The members commit themselves to strict rules and regulations to verifiably track the legitimate provenance of each diamond. Further detailed information about the Kimberley Process here.

RJC (Responsible Jewellery Council)
The Responsible Jewellery Council is a not-for-profit, standards setting and certification organisation. The RJC's Chain-of-Custody Certification for precious metals supports these initiatives and can be used as a tool to deliver broader Member and stakeholder benefit. Published on Nov 22, 2013

Her book, Environmental Melancholia: Psychoanalytic dimensions of engagement (Psychoanalytic Explorations) is available from Amazon by clicking on the image or visit your local bookstore. Thank you.

November 3, 2011 - Cambridge, MA
"Buy local," "buy green," "buy organic" . . . we cannot buy anything without considering its moral implications. How has consumption become suffused with right and wrong? How effective has the ethical-consumption movement been in changing market behavior?

Ideas Matter, a joint project of Boston Review and MIT's Political Science Department, is a lecture series that brings our writers together with other experts and practitioners for substantive debate on the challenges of our times.