Trump's America: State of Lies

Donald Trump deflects, distracts and exaggerates, but he is best known for his straight out lies. He has proven to be a master of the double-down. When he is caught lying he just lies some more. Even before he took office the New York Times wrote a piece titled, "Trump, Trapped in His Lies, Keeps Lying. Sad!". It is indeed sad, but the understandable outrage at his repeated deceptions misses the point.

Dishonest Don's malfeasance will live in infamy, however, his mendacity serves a darker end-game then most people realize. The unreality king lies to muddy the waters making it hard for casual observers to understand the issues, and that is the point.

The liar-in-chief has repeatedly deceived the American people and his own staff. The spin king lies about his business, he lies about his policy positions and now we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he lies about his philandering.

Program - 2018 Institute for CSR Certificate

The 2018 Institute for CSR program will take place Mar. 15 – 16, May 10 – 11, July 26 – 27, Sept. 20 – 21 in Washington, DC. Over the course of four, two-day sessions, participants learn from some of the field’s most innovative thinkers, authors, and practitioners, expand their professional networks learning alongside CSR peers from across the country, all while earning a Professional Certificate in CSR from Johns Hopkins University.  Coursework will focus on a wide range of topics, including CSR strategy, trends in philanthropy, employee engagement, ethics and sustainability, measurement, and communications.

Why Trump Hates Traditional Journalism and Loves Digital Media (Videos)

Trump despises traditional media for exposing his lies and he loves digital media because it can be spun to support his false narrative. The post factual reality, fake news and alternate facts being spun by the Trump administration reads like an Orwellian nightmare.  If this sounds like hyperbole you have not been following closely.  If you need more proof simply watch Trump's most recent tirades against the press. Trump needs to deride fact-based reporting as a matter of survival. He must discredit the press if he is to have a hope of fulfilling his dark agenda. This is a man who has declared war on the EPA. He wants to take away regulations that protect the air that people breathe and the water that people drink. This is a man who wants to remove sanctions against Russia so that Exxon can drill for oil in the Arctic.

The Importance and the Power of Protest: Why We Must Stand Up to Trump

The need for protests challenging the Trump administration's destructive actions and their deceptive narrative have become even more glaringly apparent in the wake of the tragic murder of peaceful Muslims in a Quebec city mosque. Look at the face of terrorism, note the pale skin and the light blue eyes. The man who committed this barbaric crime was not an ISIS sympathizer he supported Donald Trump and other racist nationalistic movements. This man is what is called in French "pure laine" literally meaning pure wool, referring to those whose ancestry is exclusively French-Canadian.  As reported by The Independent, the killer's Facebook page indicates that he is a supporter of nationalistic movements including Donald Trump in the US, Le Pen in France, and the separatist Parti Quebecois.

How Conservatives Use Fake News to Control the Narrative

Donald Trump and many members of his administration have capitalized on the fact that conservatives love fake news and reject facts and scientific evidence. While there are fake news sites on both sides of the political spectrum, research shows that the problem is far worse on the right than it is on the left.

The Washington Post reports that conservatives are both more likely to post fake news and more likely to believe it compared to liberals.

Conservatives have been found to be highly receptive to stories that reinforce their existing worldview. While this may be somewhat true of many people, there is evidence to show that liberals are not as receptive to fake news. Not only are conservatives more likely to fall for fake news they are more likely to produce it. A Buzzfeed analysis of Facebook revealed that leading conservative pages were twice as likely to publish fake news compared to leading liberal pages.

Trump and the Darkness of Post Factual Media

Darkness is falling as a reality countering narrative is growing led by the subterfuge of unscrupulous fake news outlets. Facts undermine the alt-right agenda so they have created their own news which is little more than a collection of propaganda, spin and lies.

Fake News is Serious but so are Efforts to Combat it

Fake news is not a joke it is a serious threat to the institution of democracy and planetary health. Indeed it is not overstating the case to say it threatens the very survival of our species. Fake news contributed to Trump's election victory, the Brexit vote in the UK and climate denial. To make good decisions people need to be well informed and this requires that they have access to accurate information.

After her election defeat, Hilary Clinton decried the "epidemic of fake news." She also said, "It’s now clear that so-called fake news can have real-world consequences." Hilary understands that fake news is a serious problem that has implications well beyond the election of 2016. "This isn’t about politics or partisanship. Lives are at risk," she said during a post-election speech on Capitol Hill.

Mainstream Media's Failed Climate Coverage

The popular media has failed to communicate the science behind climate change. Combating climate change is not a priority issue for most people because because they don't understand anthropogenic global warming and the urgent need for climate action. We can't expect people to support mitigation and adaptation efforts if they do not have access to accurate information.

Shoddy climate reporting has been an issue for a number of years. As reported by Grist, a study by the University of Colorado’s Center for Science & Technology Research indicated that climate reporting declined in 2013 compared to 2012.

Event - GRI Global Conference 2016

The fifth GRI Global Conference will take place on May 18 - 20, 2016 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Up to 1,500 sustainability leaders from around the globe will be present to exchange leading-edge knowledge on best practices, innovations and trends that are empowering sustainable decisions and changing the world. GRI is  the globally accepted standard for enabling business, governments and other organizations to understand and communicate their impacts on critical sustainability issues.

Event - Faculty of Environmental Studies Graduate Program Information Session (York University)

York University will be holding a Faculty of Environmental Studies Graduate Program Information Session on November 3, 2015 (12:30 - 2:30 pm) and November 26, 2015 (6:00 - 7:30 pm). These information sessions will take place in Room 109, of the Health, Nursing and Environmental Studies (HNES) Building, York University, Keele Campus, Toronto, Ontario.

Event - Green California Schools & Community Colleges Summit and Exposition

The 9th annual Green California Schools & Community Colleges Summit and Exposition will be held October 29 - 31, 2015, at the Pasadena Convention Center 300 East Green Street in Pasadena California. The Green Market Oracle is once again proud to be an outreach partner for this important event.

This is the first and largest green schools event in California it offers insights into achieving the full range of benefits associated with a high performance green school. Among the benefits are cost savings that can free up funds for core needs and improved student performance. Districts that have made a strong commitment to sustainability have also earned respect and gratitude from the communities they serve.

Middlebury Institute’s IEP Program: Focused on Today’s Sustainability Issues (Video)

Middlebury Institute’s International Environmental Policy degree program is designed to attract students who want to play a part in setting international agendas for worldwide sustainability issues and initiatives.

Event - Colorado Green Schools Initiative September Meeting

This meeting will take place on September 16, 2015, from 7:30 AM MDT to 9:00 AM MDT at The Alliance Center, 1536 Wynkoop St, Denver, Colorado CO 80202. This is one of several meetings planned, these meetings are free for all to attend.

Agenda

Educational Tool Assesses Scientific Veracity of Online Content

An educational tool has been developed that can assess the veracity of climate related online content. The resource helps to separate fact from fiction in the complex world of climate science to the general public. This tool is an ideal companion for those engaged in climate education. The resource was developed by Dr. Emmanuel Vincent, a tropical cyclone expert at the University of California.

Colorado Parents Support Green Initiatives in Schools

Parents in Colorado support green values and want to support environmental initiatives in their children's schools. This was the finding in a 2014 survey by the Colorado Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

In addition to support for a range of green school initiatives the results of this study indicate that there is also strong support for the teaching of sustainability.

key findings from the survey

Sustainability Ranking of US Colleges and Universities Reveal the West is the Best

Sierra magazine's much anticipated annual ranking of colleges and universities is now in its ninth year. This year the Cool Schools top ten ratings known as the "Eco-Valedictorians" is dominated by west coast schools and the state of California in particular. Two campuses of the University of California (Irvine and Davis) are at the top of the list. A total of five campuses belonging to the UofC have won half of the 10 best spots. When you add Seattle's University of Washington and Portland Oregon's Lewis and Clarke, a total of seven of the ten top schools are located on the west coast.

Best Practice in Sustainability Reporting and Sustainability Communications

Ethical Corporation has recently published its complimentary Annual Review on CR Reporting and Sustainability Communications. Ethical Corporation helps thousands of businesses all around the globe to be more responsible. They work with NGO's, think-tanks, academia, governments and consultancies. Their work not only benefits the wider world, it also makes good business sense for the organizations that they serve. Their efforts include work in CSR, compliance, risk and governance communities.

New GRI Sustainability Reporting Tools and Resources

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is a leader in sustainability reporting and they continue to provide resources to help companies to track their performance. GRI's latest contribution is another helpful installment in this rapidly growing field. This fast moving and increasingly complex realm has seen the proliferation of a number of tools and resources to help companies rise to the challenge.

Comprehensive Summary of Sustainability Reporting Guidance

This summary is designed to provide guidance for businesses seeking to navigate the complicated landscape of sustainability reporting. There are a number of different ways to approach sustainability reporting and this has led to considerable confusion.

While it is generally accepting that sustainability reporting has a number of benefits, businesses can have a difficult time understanding the differences between approaches and deciding which system is best for their organization. One of the most important trends involves integrated reporting and specifically the 4D approach.

The Future of Integrated Sustainability Reporting

Integrated reporting helps to cut through the complicated morass of sustainability metrics. This effort helps tor provide greater consensus regarding the understanding of issues like materiality, transparency and comparability. In 2014 and into 2015 we have seen the proliferation of sustainability reporting that incorporates both environmental, financial and other elements.

While the benefits of sustainability reporting have been widely document there is a need for more comprehensive and integrated sustainability reporting. This is revealed in a number of surveys which show that there is a lack of shared understanding. As reported in Responsible Investor Magazine, a 2013 survey indicated that CEO's see many barriers to implementing ESG issues.