For the past year I’ve been a part of a WhyHunger team working with community-based organizations to build a regional network to address issues of persistent lack of access to fresh and affordable food in Mississippi. After a day of travelling throughout the Delta down dusty roads through small towns stopping along the way to walk a farmer’s land or witness a makeshift food pantry in action, I wrote the following in my travel journal: My boots are muddy, feet frozen, face wind-chapped, head churning with images and ideas — another invigorating and inspiring day touring farms and meeting with community partners throughout the Delta in Mississippi. I’m overwhelmed by how much work there is to do and I’m full of hope.

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While it’s easy enough to say that children need healthy food – and the right amount of it – in order to succeed, far too many children come to school hungry. A hungry child can’t learn or play well, and school food may be her main meal of the day. In the U.S., more than 30 million children eat school food five days a week, 180 days a year – so it’s incredibly important that these meals are healthful.

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The first half of 2010 will go down in history as the hottest January to July on record, says the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The top 11 warmest years all occurred in the last 13. But despite this historic heat and the growing evidence that skyrocketing manmade greenhouse gas emissions are fundamentally and permanently altering the climate as we know it, our elected leaders are dragging their feet on binding emissions limits—even backsliding on embracing climate science.

When the 112th Congress was sworn in on January 6th, dozens of its ranks were unabashed climate change deniers and Republican leadership was seriously talking about ending the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

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