James John Bell

James John Bell has been a professional in the environmental movement since 1992. He has participated in many environmental victories from working on campaigns that got the US to adopt nuclear test moratorium legislation in 1992 to directing an award winning campaign that succeeded in forcing congress to adopt a recycling program in 2001.

After getting his BS in Communications from Northern Illinois University he worked as a Technical Director for ABC news. In 1992 he left a career in television news to live for four years with leaders of the Western Shoshone Nation resisting the U.S. federal government and multinational gold mining companies over issues of sovereignty. He brought international attention to the Western Shoshone land rights struggle through creative media strategies and award wining videos.

In 1996 he founded CounterMedia in Chicago to provide alternative media coverage of the Democratic National Convention. Over a hundred volunteers harnessed emerging digital technologies to link grassroots media entities and progressive organizations from around the world, laying the foundation for the Indy Media Center and today's global independent media movement.

James is currently the Program Manager and Network Administrator at the non-profit public interest communications firm Sustain based in Chicago. He manages advertising and public relations campaigns for critical environmental issues surrounding biotechnology, energy, land use, and transportation for the Sierra Club, Rainforest Action Network, Earthjustice, Friends of the Earth, and the Center For Food Safety among others. His work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, and Communication Arts.

James is also a writer and producer for television, radio and the web. His video work on environmental issues has won various awards and has appeared as news stories internationally. Being a lifelong student of philosophy and science he launched LastWizards.com in March 2002. The Last Wizards explores and connects the eclectic mix of emerging science, postmodern media, hermetic magic, occult philosophy, and environmental politics with the growing movement of cultural creatives.