Legislators across the United States have introduced a record number of anti-LGBTQ bills this year. From proposed laws targeting classrooms and books to bans on gender affirmation healthcare, LGBTQ rights are facing an onslaught of attacks on their legitimacy. Less than halfway through the years, nearly every state has introduced at least one bill (but often more) seeking to ostracize and punish…

On May 10, the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability held a surreal hearing on “ESG Part I: An Examination of Environmental, Social, and Governance Practices with Attorneys General.”   Testifying about investors using environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) considerations were two members of the Republican Attorneys General Association: Steve Marshall of…

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, recognized in the United States since 1949 by presidential proclamation.  The purpose of the month is to raise awareness about all types of mental health and illnesses, provide support and resources to the nearly 60 million people (about twice the population of Texas) who live with a mental illness, and reduce stigma.  While mental health is…

Green America released the following media release on May 10, 2023 in support of socially and environmentally responsible investing as the Republican House Oversight Committee holds a hearing on environmental, social, and governance practices. “This Is How The Free Market Works”: Leading Green Economy Organization to Conservative AGs Opposing The Freedom to Invest Responsibly WASHINGTON,…

Green America participated in the Federal Trade Commission’s 2023 public comment period on the Green Guides, formally endorsing the continuation and expansion of these important guides.  Started in 1992—and updated in 1996, 1998, and 2012—the Green Guides are tools for marketers to help avoid greenwashing. The FTC offers several areas of guidance for businesses and marketers, including:…

The 2015 Paris Climate Agreement was considered a historic breakthrough in putting the world on a trajectory to limit global warming to no more than 1.5°C, the level scientists say is required to prevent irreversible climate chaos.  Yet since then, the world’s 60 largest banks have plowed $5.5 trillion into fossil-fuel financing, including expansion projects, tar sands oil, Arctic and…

As President Biden was vetoing a Congressional resolution that attacked our freedom to invest in companies that practice responsible environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG), a pitched battle has been raging in the states.   So far this year, 138 bills and four resolutions have been proposed in 33 states that would roll back the ability of fiduciaries to consider ESG factors…

Women’s business acumen is nothing new—evidence shows women as early as the times of Mesopotamia, Ancient Greece, and Sparta involved in trading, owning property, and running shops. Currently in the United States, women entrepreneurship is on the rise, but women business owners still make up less than half of all business owners, and the disparities increase for Black, Indigenous and women of…

Over time we will know more about what the collapses this month of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank mean for U.S. banking. Some financial analysts say there is not a systemic banking problem. Others point to poor governance in the current system. Reasons for the collapses were specific to these banks and include having a very high percentage of deposits not covered by FDIC insurance, a…

There are many reasons to garden—getting actively involved in the natural world around you, practicing a hobby that results in delicious snacks, and perhaps even helping the planet. That’s why Green America’s Climate Victory Gardens program is so important. It’s focused on climate-forward gardens which prioritize healthy soil and reducing carbon emissions, and anyone can register their own…