Poverty is not a problem that will just go away. Over the past few decades, we’ve seen science and technology advance beyond anything our grandparents could ever have imagined. Medicine is getting better. Computers are getting faster. Phones are getting smarter. But one thing is getting worse — the number of our fellow humans who struggle each day just to meet their most basic needs.

By the last count, a staggering 1.4 billion people around the globe are living in extreme poverty. And while the U.S. may be a wealthy nation, we aren’t immune to poverty. Too many of our friends and neighbors are fighting just to get by. One in five American children live in homes that struggle to put food on the table — we’re talking about 16.2 million American kids [PDF] who can’t count on a meal every day. That’s not right.

And the shocking truth is that most of us in this country will live in poverty at some point during our lives. This is not somebody else’s problem.

We need our leaders to create long-term solutions that will wipe out hunger and poverty for good — here in the U.S., and across the globe.

And one of the best ways we can do that is by investing in the green economy. Investment in sectors like transportation, water infrastructure, energy efficiency, and renewable energy don’t just create jobs; they create pathways out of poverty.

The key is that jobs in the green economy tend to require less formal education than jobs in other sectors — but they pay better. That’s a powerful combination. It means that even if you grow up in a very poor home — even if you can’t afford the rising cost of a college degree — you can still get a job that pays enough to support a family. Wages for green jobs are 13 percent higher than median U.S. wages — but they tend to be held by folks with less education.

And when you go to that job each day, you won’t be worrying about breathing toxic fumes that threaten your health and your family’s security. In fact, one of the most important ways the green economy helps people living in poverty is simply by protecting their health.

The folks who are hit hardest by pollution are low-income families and people of color — because they live closest to our nation’s largest polluters, like coal-fired power plants. Health care for cancer, lung disease, and respiratory illness caused by air pollution costs our country more than $185 billion a year. And who bears the brunt of these illnesses? Low-income Americans and people of color.

So when I hear that governments around the world are spending $750 billion to $1 trillion a year subsidizing dirty fossil fuels, I have to wonder what in the world they are thinking. For a tiny fraction of that price we could end global hunger over the next 10 years.

It’s not just that it’s flat-out wrong to let our kids go hungry while we bankroll wealthy oil executives. It’s that it doesn’t make economic sense to pour money into an outdated, polluting industry when we could instead support innovative, promising businesses that offer good, safe jobs — businesses that don’t poison us.

That’s why I hope more than anything that our leaders will walk away from Rio with a shared commitment to stop propping up polluting industries — and instead to invest in businesses that that keep our air and water safe and create jobs we can be proud of. Businesses that help mothers and fathers put food on the table — whether they live in America or India.

Our priorities have become skewed. Our economy is broken. And our leaders in Rio have a chance to fix it right now. Watch our video:

This isn’t news to the millions of low-income families who worry every single day about their utility bills—the families who are struggling to stay cool as temperatures climb. But it is a good reminder to our nation’s leaders that energy policies hit folks at home, and in their wallets. By making it a priority to help Americans achieve energy savings, our leaders can provide real help to struggling families.

Government has a big role to play in bringing energy savings to consumers. In fact, existing federal efficiency standards for appliances alone will have saved consumers a net $1.1 trillion by 2035, according to a recent report.

Cutting electricity use is also one of the best ways we can create good jobs for Americans. Upgrading and constructing buildings is labor-intensive, and the work has to be performed on-site, which creates lots of jobs—jobs that stay in local communities.

There are a number of simple solutions that will create energy savings for more Americans– including tax credits and innovative financing. And we can do it through efforts like MPower, our new program that brings efficiency upgrades to affordable housing and cuts utility costs for the people who need it most—our elderly, disabled, and low-income families.

But this isn’t just about reducing costs and keeping homes comfortable. Using less energy helps fight global warming—something that is becoming harder to ignore with each passing day. The U.S. just recorded the hottest spring in our history. The average number of heat-related deaths is expected to triple by the end of the century, according to a new report. Meanwhile, we’re seeing tornadoes, wildfires, and other natural disasters become more frequent and more destructive.

Energy efficiency may seem like a drop in the bucket. But it is one of our most powerful weapons for fighting climate change. In fact, buildings account for a whopping 39 percent of global warming pollution produced in the United States. The only way to change that is to make them use less electricity.

Americans care deeply about saving energy because it affects our pocketbooks. It affects our lungs. Our livelihoods. Our safety. If our leaders fail to invest in energy efficiency now, we can expect to see more and more extreme temperatures. We can look forward to more tornadoes, hurricanes, and wildfires—along with drought, famine, and disease.

If our leaders instead pause and listen to what Americans are saying—if they make it a priority to help families cut their energy use—we can steer away from these frightening weather extremes. We can steer towards a healthier, more prosperous and peaceful world—and a brighter future for our kids and grandkids.

In 1969, a river caught fire.

People of a certain age probably remember when it happened. The Cuyahoga, which runs through northeastern Ohio and outlets into Lake Erie in Cleveland, was heavily contaminated — so much so that stretches of the waterway contained no life at all. It was thick with pollutants; Time called it the river that “oozes rather than flows.” The ooze ignited on June 22.

That fire wasn’t the river’s first. It was approximately the 13th time the river’s surface had burned. But the conflagration in 1969 was the last time.

Photo: Ohio Historical Society and Chris Brown

There’s a simple explanation why. Three years later — 39 years ago today — the Clean Water Act became law, inspired in part by the Cuyahoga fire and over the veto of President Nixon. No longer could companies dump pollutants into waterways; no longer could states turn a blind eye to their doing so.

But three years after the Clean Water Act passed, public investment in water infrastructure as a share of our gross domestic product had peaked. As the decades have passed, we’ve invested less and less in our water infrastructure. At this point the EPA estimates that in order for America’s water systems to be able to operate without sewage overflows or contamination, we’d need to invest $188 billion dollars.

Here’s the thing: We can’t afford not to. Each year, enough untreated sewage is released into America’s waterways to cover the entire state of Pennsylvania in sewage one inch deep. Spending the money to prevent those overflows would pay off: adding over a quarter of a trillion dollars to the economy and employing nearly 1.9 million people.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the direction we’re headed. The Clean Water Act, never popular with polluters, is coming under increased attack. A still-stagnant economy is the perfect opportunity for those who think it’s easier to dump pollutants in our rivers than to dispose of them properly. The polluters, and their allies in Washington, are fighting hard to curtail the Clean Water Act, using the now-hackneyed argument that having to clean up their messes costs jobs.

As Consumer Product Safety Commissioner Robert Adler wrote in yesterday’s New York Times, regulations like the Clean Water Act don’t increase costs. They determine who absorbs them. Polluted waterways have a cost that’s borne by local residents whose health is impacted and by those like fishermen who rely on the waterways for their businesses. The Clean Water Act insists that the polluters pay those costs. Not us.

We have a choice. America can either improve our water systems (click to see how!) or we can weaken them. We can either create jobs or increase the profit margins of polluters. We can build from the success of the Clean Water Act — or we can revert to a time when our rivers were so polluted that they were flammable.

It shouldn’t even be a question.

Quick question: Do you think that tax subsidies for the “big five” oil companies — which earned $32 billion in profit during the first quarter of the year — are more important than the financial aid we give to low-income college students?

My answer: Of course not. Investing in our young people is a far better use of taxpayer dollars than giving handouts to some of the world’s most profitable corporations. My guess is that you agree.

How does the oil industry feel? Well, they aren’t sure. When asked this question by Senator Schumer at a congressional hearing yesterday, James Mulva, CEO of ConocoPhillips, uncomfortably refused to answer the question.

Additionally, he and his peers from ExxonMobil, BP, Chevron and Shell repeatedly complained about unfair and “discriminatory” treatment, saying that the American people — who face outrageous prices at the gas pump — are unjustly scrutinizing the four billion dollars a year in tax breaks oil companies receive.

Really? Clearly they don’t see or recognize that Americans are facing hardship and unfair challenges every day.

Just ask the young people who may lose their chance to go to college because the House leadership has proposed cuts to the Federal Pell Grant program.

It’s unfair that more than two-thirds (70%) of Hispanics live in areas that do not meet federal air quality standards for one or more pollutants, according to the National Alliance for Hispanic Health.

It’s unfair that 1 in 6 African-American children suffer from asthma, and that children of color are more likely to grow up in areas with dangerous levels of ozone.

It’s unfair the food stamp program is threatened with a 20% cut at a time when so many families are hungry.

I have news for oil companies: There are true injustices occurring on a daily basis in America. Eliminating your tax subsidies is not one them.

It’s the truth plain and simple; and it’s time we called out these companies. For this opinion, Mr. Mulva would say that I, and the many others who share this view, are “un-American.” And, when asked about these comments at the hearing, he refused to apologize for his rhetoric.

Again, really?

During times of crisis, true Americans, especially those in positions of power, ask themselves, “What can I do to help?” Instead, these executives ask themselves, “What can I do to ensure that government keeps helping me?”

Now is the time for government to choose who it serves: the oil companies or everyone else?

This is not a Democratic or Republican issue; it’s about who we are as a country and where we want to go.

Do we want an America based on those timeless values and ideals of fairness and opportunity for all?

Or, do we want a country where the rich play by their own rules, while budgets are balanced on the backs of the middle class and poor?

The answer is clear and it’s time to take action.

Oil companies have been given generous tax breaks for too long; now it’s the American people’s turn to have a chance at the American Dream.

That’s how former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin defended the tax breaks going to the some of the world’s richest corporations: oil companies.

It may “only” be four billion dollars to these entities; after all, they are reaping windfall profits from rising gas prices. The “big five” oil companies — ExxonMobil, BP, Chevron, Shell and ConocoPhillips — made $32 billion dollars in profit in the first quarter. In fact, Exxon is the most profitable company in the world, raking in $30 billion dollars in 2010 — nearly double that of Walmart.

Oil companies seem more than happy to watch us suffer at the gas pump; and, while roughly a dime of every dollar we earn goes to their profits, we — the American taxpayer — then have to write them a bonus check.

Before we get to the economics and politics of the issue, we must ask ourselves a moral question: Is this right?

At a time when a record 47 million Americans are living below the poverty line, and unemployment stands at 9 percent, should billions in breaks go to some of the most profitable companies in the world? Of course not.

Millions of Americans are watching this debate unfold from their living rooms. They are unemployed. They see programs they depend on threatened with cuts. They wonder how they are going to provide for their families.

They are asking themselves, “Where is my break? Why isn’t government on my side?” They have a right to feel angry and frustrated; they don’t think that government works for them.

Some of the same representatives helping Big Oil are proposing cuts to the Federal Pell Grant program which, according to the Education Trust, would hurt 10 million low-income students who just want to go to college and prepare themselves to succeed.

The same people giving relief to the richest companies want to cut 20 percent from the food stamp program, even though many rely on it to feed their children.

Those who say that oil subsidies are “only four billion dollars a year” were, a few months ago, suggesting that funding for NPR is expensive — even though it’s 1,200 times less costly.

This whole debate shines a light on a few simple questions: Who is government for? The special interests or the common interests? The rich or everyone?

It’s time for government to put people before the privileged. The oil companies have done very well; they’ve achieved the American Dream. Now, they should stop hogging that Dream, and give others a fair shot at moving ahead in life.

Let’s use these tax breaks to help struggling families, promising students, and budding entrepreneurs in sectors like clean energy.

Oil companies won’t miss these subsidies. After all, they’re only four billion dollars a year.

And it worked. America didn’t want that. America wanted something different.

Now, reasonable people can debate the extent to which America got something different. It’s certainly the case that the driving motivations of Presidents Bush and Obama are quite distinct. But as next year’s election looms, Obama’s problem is that wars and the economy and the vision for how America should act in the world are still on shaky ground. It opens wide the door for an opponent to say: not that.

But Barack Obama has gotten incredibly lucky. He has a slew of opponents who are grabbing the mic and saying: “this.”

The headliner for this is, of course, Donald Trump. His racially offensive, obnoxious trumpeting of the most disreputable political theory in recent memory has done two things. It laid bare the embarrassing failure of the Republican party to stem this line of thinking – and, at times, their encouragement of it. And it also earned him the pole position in the Republican primary race.

Other Republicans are staking out the party’s extreme positions in other ways. Paul Ryan is sketching the boundaries of their willingness to undermine the medical and economic security of seniors. Governors and state houses across the country are in a race to do the most damage to the rights of workers and women. Recent proposals have included forcing foster children to get second-hand clothes, making abortion a felony, and requiring a very particular kind of birth certificate from Federal candidates.

This! These things are what elected Republicans believe should be the law of the land! Undermining the ability of the poor to escape poverty, of working people to care for their families, of seniors to get their medications. And holding the banner at the front of the parade, Donald Trump. And the banner reads, “Who elected this black guy, anyway?”

Making it very easy for President Obama to once again simply say: not that.

An urban garden in New Orleans.

11 people lost their lives. According to Good, roughly 5 million barrels of oil gushed uncontrollably into the Gulf – eventually covering more than 60 miles of shoreline. Areas of the shore remain oil-soaked to this day.

The tragedy highlighted the need for new regulations to strengthen oversight of offshore drilling. In response, Congress held more than 60 hearings related to the BP disaster; more than 100 oil spill-related bills were introduced.

How many passed? None. Zero.

In fact, a member of the House of Representatives actually apologized to BP President Tony Hayward at a hearing. But, where national leadership has failed, local leadership has stepped in to make a difference.

Every day, across this nation, ordinary people are doing extraordinary things to give back and help others. They don’t do it for fame or votes or personal rewards — they simple see people in need and act.

In New Orleans, there are unsung heroes who are working to build a green future. They include:

• Operation Reach, which runs the GulfSouth Youth Biodiesel Project and trains young people to create fuel sources from organic material;
• Total Community Action, which is weatherizing homes and putting people to work; and
• Numerous other organizations in the area who are running urban farms, harnessing the power of the sun and building water management systems.

On this Earth Week, Green For All urges you to join this green movement. We need you more than ever.

After the BP oil spill, Congress decided to close their eyes and ignore the crisis that the rest of us could see in the waters of the gulf. Now, they are trying to block efforts to address the crisis that you can’t see: pollution in the air.

Recently, members of Congress launched an effort to handcuff the EPA’s authority to regulate pollutants, apparently not caring that pollution – even when it’s invisible – can cause enormous damage. (How much? Visit CostOfDelay.org to see, in real-time.)

They should care. We care.

That’s why we can’t let them risk the public’s health to further their own agendas. We — the people — must take our country back and do what we can in our communities to shape a clean and green future.

Let’s make sure that, from now on, environmental catastrophes will be treated as the devastating events that they are.

The power is in our hands. Let’s use it.

There was an incredible energy; more than 10,000 young leaders gathered in Washington, D.C., to work towards two common goals – a cleaner future and a just America.

It was a sight to see.  When I stood at the podium, and looked out at all these talented and energized organizers – standing in solidarity – I was filled with incredible hope that this was a turning point for the green movement.

In my speech, I talked about how the special interests try to keep our nation from moving forward.  Even though progress is part of the American story, polluters don’t want the next chapter to be written because in it: We have the power.

We must finally put an end to the days when dirty interests — who put their own short-term profits before the long-term health of our country — have more influence than the people.

America belongs to everyone.  It’s time to take our power back from the polluters.

There’s no time like this week: Power Shift, the anniversary of the BP Spill, Earth Day. Over the course of the week, we’ll share the lessons we’ve learned and new ways we’re engaging to build a new, clean economy. We’ll also identify ways for you to get involved, both in your community and in the national movement.

Let’s make this Earth Week not just a celebration of the planet, but also a time of action.  Let’s use this momentum to ask ourselves if we can do more to help open eyes, change minds and inspire action from others.

It’s going to take a united effort; we can’t and won’t be divided by race, gender or sexual orientation.

Together, we can ensure that the future isn’t just Green For Some, but Green For All.

While you were brushing your teeth this morning, did you ever, for a moment, think that the water coming out of your faucet would make you nauseous or damage your kidneys?

Probably not. But, unfortunately, not everyone has that luxury.

One in three people lack access to quality water. At least fourteen states are currently experiencing crisis-level water shortages and contamination. And, the nation’s water infrastructure is outdated and crumbling, putting our fresh water supply at risk.

Clearly, there is a need for action; every child deserves to grow up with access to clean water. That’s why, on this World Water Day, Green For All, with its partner SIGG USA, is proud to launch a public education campaign called “Keep It Fresh” for the Campus Consciousness Tour featuring Wiz Khalifa. This effort will raise awareness about the need for safe drinking water, and empower others with tools to fight for environmental sustainability in their own neighborhoods.

Dirty water is an issue facing communities across the nation. From Florida to California, chemicals and pollutants are toxifying our water supplies at levels that exceed health guidelines – and, in some cases, standards set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. And who does a lack of access to clean water impact the most? Our nation’s rural communities, low-income communities and communities of color.

This is unconscionable and unacceptable. We must take steps now to ensure that future generations have access to safe, clean drinking water.

First, there must be consistent and large investments in infrastructure. Our current water network is made up of old and leaky pipes – 20th century equipment can’t handle America’s 21st century needs. By replacing these antiquated and rusty systems with modern infrastructure, we will both ensure better quality water, and create projects that put people back to work.

Secondly, we have got to conserve. Fresh water is a limited supply; we cannot let it go to waste. We have all heard someone tell us to turn the water off when we’re not using it. While it may seem like a small measure, it can go a long way in protecting our water supply. By changing our daily usage habits and implementing water conservation techniques – such as installing low-flow appliances and rainwater catchment – we will help conserve a limited resource.

Finally, we need to dispose of chemicals and other pollutants properly to make sure we don’t contaminate our underground water supplies or waterways. For example, yard waste will often times end up in our city’s drainage system, especially during heavy rains. Most likely contaminated with chemical fertilizers, the yard waste gets carried through the drainage system and is dumped in nearby bodies of water without treatment. Before we blame anyone else, we must first ask ourselves what we can do better, including cleaning up our own backyards and joining the larger movement that is fighting for clean water.

I encourage you to join Green For All, Wiz Khalifa and the Campus Consciousness tour beginning on April 1st in Raleigh, North Carolina.

We also urge you to check out the Keep it Fresh campaign at www.facebook.com/freshtour, find out what you can do and enter to win a limited edition Wiz tour water bottle and a new Ipad 2.

Be a part of our movement by educating yourself, educating others, volunteering, and being vigilant.

Today, we accept these basic standards without even pausing; they are plain common sense rules government has developed to benefit and protect the public. But, as crazy as it sounds, there was a time when fire codes were considered burdensome regulations by businesses — employees had to risk their lives just to go to work. A century ago this month, for example, near the end of the workday, a fire broke out at Triangle Waist Company in New York City, engulfing the top floors of the building.

500 workers, mostly young immigrant women, rushed to the doors, only to find they were locked — the owners wanted to keep their employees from leaving while on the job. Panic ensued. 146 people died, including many who jumped out of the 10th story windows to escape the flames.

As word of the tragedy spread, outrage grew. Government officials, recognizing the need for reform, proposed a series of new regulations that were eventually adopted.

They just wanted to raise the standards of acceptable behavior, which included requiring businesses to hold fire drills and install water sprinklers.

Nothing too radical, right? Not according to many business leaders at the time who complained that new regulations would cripple the economy. According to the Cry Wolf Project, one said the rules would result in “the wiping out of industry in this state.” Another, channeling Grover Norquist, stated that “to my mind this is all wrong….The experience of the past proves conclusively that the best government is the least possible government.”

Anyone who has been to New York City in the past 100 years knows that it managed just fine — government’s work to raise the standards of acceptable behavior didn’t hinder its growth.

Time and again, this same old story played out throughout history: government introduces new regulations to make life a little better and safer, and the “men who cry wolf” respond by screaming that the world is ending. That story continues today.

Case in point: The Environmental Protection Agency’s new mercury and air toxics rule, which will raise the baseline for the amount of mercury and other hazardous pollutants emitted by power plants. The new standards, which are court-mandated, don’t require that power plants emit floral-scented perfumes and pure water vapor, but just that the lowest acceptable levels be a little higher.

And, in response, this generation’s “men who cry wolf” pulls out its old playbook; they call the new rule a “job killer,” and recklessly use fear to make others think it’s bad for our economy. Why? Because the rules benefit the general public, and not just their own personal interests.

As Ronald Reagan would say: There they go again.

The truth is that this proposed rule would actually create jobs – but not only for the businesses lobbying Congress. A report from Ceres recently reported that implementation of this rule — along with the proposed Clean Air Transport Rule — will produce 1.46 million jobs over the next five years, in areas like construction, maintenance and installation.

Working class communities would benefit both economically and environmentally by this simple shift in standards — but ideologues and dirty energy interests don’t care about that. They care about their own businesses, they care about their own agendas.

If you lived directly next to a power plant and had a dial that could set how much toxic mercury settled into your yard and came in your windows, what would you set it to? The EPA is turning that dial down, and the same rhetorical ghosts we’ve heard moaning and whispering for a century are trying to stay its hand.

Just because a few bucks are going to someone else.