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Human
Earth Animal Liberation (HEAL) PO BOX 58502 Seattle,
WA 98138-1502 (206)244-1894
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HEAL *Important Note--When Clicking on Links, Right Click and Select Open in a New Window! This Way You Won't Get Lost! |
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| Prison Reform | Human Liberation | Earth Liberation | Animal Liberation | ||||||||
| Earth Liberation |
HEAL’S earth liberation agenda
HEAL believes in working from the bottom up and from the inside out. We begin by focusing on ourselves as individuals. What are feasible changes we can make in how we treat ourselves, our bodies, our families, our communities, our countries, and our world? Can we show ourselves love, compassion, and care through proper nourishment of body, mind, and soul? How? By giving our bodies clean air, clean water, and nutrient-rich foods. And, by enriching our minds and souls with value-rich entertainment (this includes a good movie and a good laugh), reading real news, being informed and involved. We can then begin, with patience, love, and compassion, and without judgment or misanthropy, to share our knowledge and values with others and encourage our families and communities to fight for our collective health by working and fighting for clean air, clean water, and nutrient-rich foods. Then, collectively, we vote for strict regulations to clean our air, clean our water, and to insure nutrient-rich foods are available and affordable to all. We must regulate polluters to insure they aren't allowed to dump our toxins on other countries. This is not the answer. We must work for global social and economic justice for all! We must work for a clean and healthy environment for all! And, we cannot hypocritically allow other human beings to suffer so we can keep the illusion of being environmentally-conscious. lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Earth liberation ACTION ALERTS
Action Alerts are in order of Priority with Newest/Priority Alerts First!
Enter the third annual
Scientific Integrity Editorial Cartoon Contest today!
Federal government science has played a large role in the policies that keep us safe and healthy and protect our environment. Unfortunately, recent investigations and surveys show that political interference in science threatens the great scientific legacy that the United States has worked so hard to establish.
With the presidential election only six months away, we
are at a critical point in our campaign to protect federal
government science from manipulation, suppression, and
distortion. While guarding against last minute attacks from
the outgoing administration, we need to build a foundation
to guide the next president. We're looking for your creative take on the issue of political interference in science and the tasks that await our next president to restore scientific integrity to federal policy making. Submit one-panel or multi-panel print cartoons that address the misuse of science on a specific issue or in general, the affects of this abuse on our society, or your hope for the new administration. This year, we are looking for cartoons that fit into one of three specific categories, so before you put pen to paper, please check out the contest guidelines to make sure you're on the right track. The deadline for submission is June 11. Last year's contest educated hundreds of thousands of people about how our health, safety, and environment suffer when scientists are censored, reports are suppressed, and scientific documents are altered. And because of the 2008 Scientific Integrity Calendar, featuring all 12 finalists, the cartoons are hanging nationwide in cubicles and on doors in universities, government offices, private companies, and even on Capitol Hill! Science Idol Starts Today Whether you are a scientist, an artist, a professor, or a high school or college student, your cartoons will help us restore scientific integrity to federal policy making. Check out the contest guidelines and get those creative juices flowing. I look forward to seeing your best work!
Show Your Support for rBGH-free Dairy!--Every day we get a little bit closer to an rBGH-free milk supply as more and more major retailers are responding to the growing consumer demand for healthier milk. Chipotle, Kroger, and Wal-Mart are the most recent stores to join the trend. We're collecting 10,000 petition signatures to thank companies that have gone rBGH-free and to encourage other companies to do the same. Will you sign our petition?
Take Action for National Parks!--A February 2008 study funded by the National Park Service documented extensive chemical contamination in 20 western U.S. parks. Researchers found that persistent organic pollutants (POPs) like the pesticide endosulfan are threatening park ecosystems and wildlife health. Alarming levels of these chemicals were found in some of America's most seemingly pristine areas, including Rocky Mountain and Glacier national parks along with 18 other western parks from Texas to the far northern reaches of the Arctic. Act today: Tell Congress to protect national parks from POPs.
Hidden Food Costs - Confined Animal Operations
Cost Taxpayers Billions--The
news has been full of stories recently about the rising
cost of food. But when it comes to most meat,
milk, and eggs sold in the United States, consumers have
paid more for years—they just didn’t know it.
According to a new Union of Concerned Scientists report,
the true cost of meat and milk produced in massive CAFOs
(confined animal feeding operations) includes billions
in unaccounted-for taxpayer dollars that pay for the
economic, health, and environmental problems CAFOs
create. CAFOs are supported by misguided
government policies. Meanwhile, modern, alternatives are
already in practice today that can produce the quantity
of food we need, often without government subsidies.
These alternatives can safeguard our health while
protecting the foundations of our food supply—like
healthy soil and fresh water. Please sign our
petition to the secretary of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA), asking him to end policies that give
an unfair advantage to the polluting CAFO industry and
to support modern alternatives instead.
Sign this petition Don't Let the EPA Mess This Up!--For once, President Bush's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) might get something right. But given their record, we need to make sure they don't mess up. Here's what's happening: The Army Corps of Engineers has proposed building the world's largest hydraulic pumping plant in the middle of Mississippi's sensitive wetlands. The plan for this Yazoo Pumps Project is so potentially destructive that even the Bush Administration is opposed to it. The comment period on this horrible proposal ends in just three days. Tell EPA Administrator Johnson that you support a veto of the Yazoo Pumps Plan.
Act to Protect Coral Reef Habitat--Take action now to protect critical habitat for some of the world's most imperiled coral reefs. A federal proposal to protect coral habitat is making its way through the government channels, and your voice counts. Once the most abundant and important reef-building corals in Florida and the Caribbean, staghorn and elkhorn corals have declined by 90 percent in just a few decades. Coral bleaching, pollution runoff, and disease have caused massive coral die-offs. In response to the Center's petition to list the corals under the Endangered Species Act, staghorn and elkhorn corals recently became the first species protected under the Act due to threats from global warming. Now, the federal government is proposing to designate 5,000 square miles of critical habitat for these threatened corals. One of the most important steps in saving imperiled animals and plants is habitat conservation. Critical habitat provides an added level of protection for corals ensuring that the areas essential for their survival are not destroyed. Please take a moment to help protect our coral reefs by sending a letter to federal officials. Your action can make a difference. Click here to take action
At Last: A Chance for Real Action on Global Warming--Click here to Take Action
Urge Senators To Improve Climate Bill, Reject Bush Rhetoric--Yesterday, President Bush finally decided to weigh in on global warming after seven years on the sideline. His speech came as the U.S. Senate is poised to vote on legislation that would put us on the path to a safer climate by ensuring significant near term reductions of global warming pollution. Unfortunately, the president’s suggestion that we delay any emission cuts until 2025 shows he would prefer to derail the Senate process than make a real contribution. Please urge your senators to move beyond the president’s rhetoric by supporting strong global warming legislation. Click here to take action
An Urgent Petition to Congress!--Please sign an urgent petition to protect our national parks! My name is Dionna Humphrey, and I'm the Associate Director of Advocacy at the National Parks Conservation Association. It's my job to present issues that are important to our national parks to our U.S. Senators and Representatives. And today, I could really use your help! For the past ten years Congress has been steadily cutting the funds for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which is how we protect our national parks from private development by acquiring land from willing private sellers. Did you know more than 100 of our national parks are incomplete and have private land within park boundaries? If we don't acquire these lands soon, there's very little we citizens will be able to do to prevent homes or stores or factories from being built-- right in the middle of our parks! That's why I need you to sign this petition to Congress--to tell them to step up and fund these critical land purchases!
PUT ORGANIC BACK INTO "ORGANIC"
& NATURAL BACK INTO "NATURAL"--In
response to OCA's recent alert regarding our discovery of
the carcinogen 1,4-Dioxane contaminating a wide variety of
leading personal care products misleadingly labeled as
"organic" or "natural", many of our readers have contacted
us wondering how they can best contact these companies to
express their frustrations (read
more about the study and see a complete list of products
here). Literally, tens of
thousands of consumers have purchased expensive products
from offending companies, thinking they were paying extra
for a product that was truly natural and safe for their
families, whose cleansing and moisturizing ingredients were
made from certified organic, not conventional or
petrochemical, material . As indicated in the previous issue
of Organic Bytes, the OCA has issued Cease and Desist
letters to not only the companies who tested positive for
Dioxane with misleading organic brand claims, but also
brands with organic brand claims that may have tested clean,
but regardless use petrochemical compounds and/or no organic
material in major cleansing and moisturizing ingredients. We
would like to invite our readers to write a brief letter to
these companies whose products you may have used, expressing
your concerns,to help develop evidence in a lawsuit that
will be filed on Earth Day if companies do not commit to
cleaning up or dropping their organic claims. OCA requests
that you include your address, and
TAKE ACTION HERE, where you can read the slightly longer
letter specifying which companies are at issue and why:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_11457.cfm Whatever happened to our image of a farm? When we think of farms, we think of little stables, a happy herd of sheep, and a small barn filled with chickens, cows and pigs. Sign the petition today to bring back healthy food to the farm bill! >>
End the Ethanol
Scam!--All
government mandates, subsidies, and tax breaks for ethanol
production must end, immediately. If we can achieve this
goal we will improve the environment, reduce government
spending, and make it easier to balance the federal budget.
Better yet, all of this can be achieved while also lowering
your fuel and food prices. Please send Congress a
message instructing them to end all subsidies and mandates
for the production and use of ethanol.
You
can do so here. Take Action to Save the Wetlands!--Did you know that the United States loses 80,000 acres of wetlands each year? And that a series of recent rollbacks in legal protections threatens to accelerate this already appalling rate of wetlands loss? America's wetlands must be protected.»
What You Didn't
Know About Coal--You've
probably heard by now that coal causes major air pollution
that causes acid rain, smog and particulate matter. But the
damage goes far beyond these commonly-known problems.
Sign the petition to tell Congress to stop the building of
any new coal-fired power plants that cannot trap and store
CO2! >> Ask Europe to Go Green!--The heads of France and Germany are about to conclude a bilateral deal, which threatens to water down (already weak!) European legislation tackling CO2 emissions from cars. We've made a petition for the European Council's current President, demanding that he and other heads of state stand up for the climate. CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION NOW.
Take Action Against Nuclear Weapons!--At the end of World War II, two atomic bombs destroyed two Japanese cities and killed tens of thousands of people. Today, the United States still maintains thousands of nuclear weapons and has thousands more in storage. Tell the DOE that we don't need the capacity to build NEW nuclear weapons. Sign the petition»
Urge Your Senator to Support Real Mining Reform--The House did its job... Late last year, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that would effectively reform the 1872 Mining Law for the first time since it passed 135 years ago. ...now it's the Senate's turn. By taking action today, you can help ensure the Senate creates mining reform legislation that will protect communities and the environment. As you know, the 1872 Mining Law gives hardrock (metal) mining special priority over communities, the environment, hunting, fishing, camping and everything else. Adding insult to injury, it also gives away publicly owned hardrock minerals for free - even to foreign corporations. Please tell your Senator that REAL mining reform must:
Tell GM to Offer Real Hybrid Solutions Today!--Hybrid technology has the potential to provide us with cleaner, more fuel-efficient options in every vehicle class, as exemplified by the Ford Escape Hybrid, Honda Civic Hybrid, and Toyota Prius. On March 20, General Motors (GM) vice chairman Bob Lutz admitted at the New York Auto Show that not making a vehicle like the Prius was “a mistake.” Yet GM continues to make that same mistake. Its new “two mode” hybrid SUVs, the Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon Hybrids, actually feature larger gasoline engines than most conventional versions of these models. The electric motor provides an additional power boost but only a modest gain in overall fuel economy. General Motors has recently initiated an online program to open dialogue between consumers and the corporation. They want to hear from you! Please write to GM’s chairman and chief executive officer, Richard Wagoner, and tell him that his company can only be a true market leader by using hybrid technology to its fullest potential. Click here to take action Protect Public Lands!--Any day now, the Senate could vote on a package of public lands bills that will greatly benefit our national parks and public lands. Some of NPCA's top priorities-- reauthorization of the Park Service's Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program, the Cesar Chavez Study Act, and the Acadia National Park Improvement Act to name a few--are all in the mix. These bills have strong bi-partisan support, and yet they’ve been held up for more than a year. It's about time the Senate take action on these bills to protect and interpret our national heritage. TAKE ACTION: Americans care about our national parks and public lands. The House of Representatives has already passed these bills--and its time for the Senate to do the same. Write your Senators and urge them to vote in favor of S. 2739. Write your Senator today! Stop the Big Forest Giveaway!--Idaho contains more unspoiled wild forest than any state outside Alaska, providing the last intact forest habitat for countless fish, wildlife, and plant species. These areas are enjoyed by hunters, anglers, hikers, and all who treasure the backcountry. Yet the Bush administration is making a play in its last days to hand this natural gem over to its friends in the oil, natural gas, timber, and mining industries by weakening the Roadless Area Conservation Rule protections that currently guard it. The administration's proposal will open the door to logging millions of pristine acres, risk dangerous toxic contamination from mining, degrade clean fish-bearing streams and important wildlife habitat, and fail to live up to the public's overwhelming desire to protect all of these areas for future generations. This forest giveaway could lead to 545 million tons of phosphate being mined on nearly 8,000 unspoiled acres near Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. Any increase in phosphate mining would worsen the already serious problem of selenium poisoning in local streams and aquifers. Selenium is an extremely dangerous contaminant known to cause birth defects, which bio-accumulates in the food web -- persisting for centuries after entering the environment. Six million acres of wild forest or a toxic waste dump? The choice should be clear to any American who values our natural treasures and takes their responsibility to future generations seriously. Stand up for this glorious and irreplaceable wild forest! Let the Bush administration know that you are against removing Roadless Rule protections for the forests of Idaho. And hurry! The administration is only accepting public comments until April 7th. Please take action and stand up for this glorious and irreplaceable wild forest. Let the Bush administration know that you are against removing Roadless Rule protections for the forests of Idaho. And hurry! The administration is only accepting public comments until April 7th. Drinking Water At Risk!--The Clean Water Act of 1972 implemented broad federal protections for all our nation's waters. But misguided Supreme Court rulings in 2001 and 2006 opened the door for polluters to contaminate various waters that had previously been protected – putting the drinking water for millions at risk!Now, Congress has an opportunity to restore the original protections of the Clean Water Act with the Clean Water Restoration Act. Contact your Members of Congress TODAY to insist that they support the Clean Water Restoration Act. Act Now to Save the Magnificent Sequoias!--The good news is that thanks to the support of our Sierra Club members and supporters we were able to block a staggering 5,000-acre timber sale in the Giant Sequoia National Monument. But the bad news is our fight to protect the majestic Giant Sequoias is not over. More than half of the remaining groves — located in Giant Sequoia National Monument — are in jeopardy because, despite being rebuked by the federal courts, the Bush Administration is refusing to back off its plan to log this irreplaceable ancient forest. That’s why we are asking you to act now and sign our petition to Forest Service Chief Abigail Kimbell, Bring Optimism to Climate Change Discussion!--There has been a shift in the discussion about climate change. The dread has passed, and now the true heroes are making it clear that this is a problem that can be solved if we approach it with optimism, ingenuity and creativity. Tell Congress that you want to see them encourage this Take Action Against S. Korea's Eco-Disaster!--South Korea must be convinced not to sacrifice its natural river ecosystems for a cross-country concrete canal that will severely damage the nation's water security. Take action: http://www.ecoearth.info/alerts/send.asp?id=south_korea_grand_canal Factory Farms need to tell how much they're polluting!--The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a rule that would let factory farms get out of reporting their releases of ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and other toxic air pollutants caused by the breakdown of animal manure in massive lagoons. We have a right to know what toxic chemicals we're being exposed to. Stop Oil Drilling in Alaska Wildlife Refuge!--When I think of the Alaska Wildlife Refuge, the last things I want to think about are roads, traffic, pipelines, oil spills and pollution. Sign the petition today to tell U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that you won't stand for this invasion of our wild habitat. >>Help Save
the Rivers of Chilean Patagonia!--The
rivers of Chilean Patagonia and the life that they support are under
threat. Hydro developers want to build three dams on the Pascua and two
on the nearby Baker River and send the power 1500 miles north to
Santiago and to copper mining operations. International Rivers has
teamed up with Chilean environmentalists to stop their plans and we're
calling on people around the world to say no to environmentally
destructive dams and yes to living rivers and real sustainable energy
solutions. Please join us by signing this
urgent action petition
and sending a message to the
foreign companies that are trying to exploit this beautiful wilderness
for profit.
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An
all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C.,
plus $500 cash (Or, you can chose $800 cash
instead of the trip and cash prize)
| Ask your Senator to support and vote for Evergreen Cities!--Two weeks ago, many of you contacted your Representatives in support of the Evergreen Cities Act (E2SHB 2844) - one of the four Priorities for a Healthy Washington for this year. Thanks to your efforts – the House passed the bill 73-22. Now, we need your help to get the Senate to pass the bill by the end of the day on Friday. Your voice is critical to make that happen. Trees in our cities are one of the most cost-effective ways to improve our water quality, air quality and our quality of life. Poor policies have allowed a huge loss of trees as population has grown and areas have been replaced with impervious blacktop and concrete. Meanwhile climate change is increasing the number of heavy storms. Combine that with the loss of tree cover, and you have more water pollution and flooding. The Evergreen Cities Act will help us keep the trees we have and restore urban forests across the state. Your voice could make all the difference in passing this important legislation! Please take one minute today to contact your Senator. Let them know that YOU want them to support the Evergreen Cities Act! Click here to send an email to your Senator! |
No More Polluting Coal Power Plants!--James Hansen, director of NASA's Goddard Space Institute called a moratorium
on coal power plants "the most critical action for saving the planet at this time." Sign the petition to tell Congress to stop
the building of any new coal-fired power plants that cannot trap and store CO2! >>
Take Action Against Toxic and Deadly Pesticides Harming Humans and Nature!--Each year, more than 10,000 wild
animals are poisoned to death with sodium cyanide and sodium fluoroacetate, experiencing horrific deaths that can take hours.
These deadly poisons are designed to kill coyotes but they also have killed swift foxes, wolves and other imperiled wildlife… as well
as family dogs and people. We have little more than 36 hours to convince the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
to ban these poisons -- two of the world’s deadliest. Please take action right now
Protect strong labeling standards for consumers!--
The USDA has proposed standards for a "naturally raised" label for meat, unfortunately these standards are weak.
Tell the USDA that their "naturally raised" standards are unacceptable.
Stop Aquatic Invasive Species Now!--Oceangoing ships carrying no cargo fill special tanks with water for balance, picking up and transporting plants, animals, and microbes with that water. When ships arrive from foreign ports and empty this ballast water, they are potentially introducing thousands of non-native species into our waters. Too many of these species spread
throughout the nation's bays, rivers, and lakes, dramatically altering native ecosystems and causing serious
economic harm to industries and communities. Congress has delayed passing new legislation on aquatic invasive species for almost six years, but now, the House of Representatives is poised to vote, and we have one last chance to strengthen the bill. Please call and urge your representative, Jim McDermott, to make the bill as strong as possible. Further, please urge Representative McDermott to pass your concerns on to the bill’s lead negotiators: Chairman James Oberstar (D-MN)and Rep. Steven LaTourette (R-OH) of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Together, we can make this bill stronger! Click here to take action
EPA GIVES FACTORY FARMS RIGHT TO IGNORE POLLUTION LAWS--The EPA is accepting public comments until March 27, 2008 on an outrageous proposal to eliminate clean air standards for factory farms. Federal laws currently require industry of any type to report hazardous substances they are spewing into the atmosphere, but according to the EPA, factory farms should be exempt so as to "to reduce the burden on the regulated community." It's time to tell the EPA to stop allowing factory farms to poison the air in our rural communities. Learn more and take action:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_10380.cfm
Support Conservation Funding for Farmers!--The House and Senate are now working out their differences in a conference committee and those funding gains are at risk. The House version provides less conservation funding than the Senate, and there are proposals that would roll-back funding gains even more. We need your help to ensure conservation funding is not cut. Send an email to your members of Congress today. As you know, the Farm Bill is the largest source of conservation funding in America, and we can not hope to solve some of our most pressing environmental challenges unless we reward, rather than reject landowners when they offer to help. Currently 2 out of 3 farmers are turned away when they offer to share the costs of providing a healthier environment with USDA, due to lack of funds. The Senate's $5.1 billion is critical to meeting our environmental goals. Please take action now!
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Help Us Ensure
the Evergreen State if full of Evergreen Cities!--Ask your
Representatives to vote for 2SHB 2844
We
need your support to keep the Evergreen Cities Act moving
forward this session. The next step needed is a vote by the
House of Representatives by the end of the day on
Tuesday. Your voice is critical to make that happen.
This
legislation, 2SHB 2844, is one of the four Priorities for a
Healthy Washington. Trees in our cities are one of the
most cost-effective ways to improve our water quality, air
quality and our quality of life. As our population has
grown, trees have been replaced with impervious blacktop and
concrete. Meanwhile climate change is increasing runoff
pollution and flooding. The Evergreen Cities Act will help us
keep the trees we have and restore urban forests across the
state. Your voice could make all the difference in making sure
this important legislation passes! Please take a minute today to
contact your representatives. Let them know that YOU
want them to support the Evergreen Cities Act!
Click on the link below to email your legislators today!
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5168/t/1611/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=129 |
Support Science Debate 2008!--
Today, a group of prominent scientists, organized by the Union of ConcernedScientists (UCS), released a new statement calling for the next president to put an end to political interference in
science and create changes that would allow federal science to flourish. Recognizing that good federal policy depends on reliable and robust scientific work, UCS and the scientists are urging the next administration to guarantee basic scientific freedoms for government scientists. Sign this petition.
PLEASE TELL THE EPA TO BAN
THE TOXIC PESTICIDE ENDOSULFAN--The EPA has opened a public comment
period on whether a toxic pesticide used on food and cotton in the U.S.
should be taken off the market. The pesticide, endosulfan, which
is
banned in much of the world, harms the hormone system, and low levels of
exposure in the womb have been linked to autism,
male reproductive harm
and other birth defects. The European Union, where it is banned,
considers it one of the most toxic
pesticides on the global market. The
Organic Consumers Association is joining with Pesticide Action Network
and other allies in gathering tens of thousands of petition signatures
to drive this toxic pesticide off the market now. Learn more
and take action:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_10124.cfm
Take Action Against Global
Warming!--A critical bill
to combat global warming is stalled in the Legislature, and we have just
six days to get it moving or it's dead for the year. It's hard to
believe, but some key legislative leaders are still trying to duck
taking strong action to reduce carbon dioxide pollution. The Local
Solutions to Global Warming bill tackles the global warming pollution
created by irresponsible development and traffic. This bill will fight
global warming by protecting farm and forest land, encouraging energy
efficient building and promoting livable, family friendly communities.1
This bill is a serious challenge to business as usual and faces
intense opposition. We have to speak up now if we want progress! Please
sign our petition right now, and then ask your friends to do the same.
We'll deliver it to leaders in the House and Senate to make sure they
know that passing this bill is a priority for their constituents.
http://www.fusewashington.org/page/s/localsolutions
Ask Grocers to Post Mercury Warning Signs!--By now you've probably heard the recent flurry of news stories about mercury contamination levels in tuna sushi and other fish. In the last month, Oceana and three other organizations, including the New York Times, have released the results of different tests showing that mercury levels in sushi and other seafood can be extremely high. In the wake of these new results, fishing industry groups are urging people to eat more fish in spite of the risks of eating mercury-contaminated seafood. Help us convince the grocery industry's group to inform shoppers about mercury in fish! >>Take Action: Ask the Food Marketing Institute to distribute mercury warning signs to grocery stores nationwide!
"Where's the beef?!" It was a granny in a 1984 TV commercial that made this cry famous. Now-a-days, there's so much
confusion around what's in meat and how it's raised, it would be more appropriate to say "What's in the beef?!"
Tell the USDA you don't want misleading labels on meat »
Save Idaho Forests From Sneaky Development Plans!--It's very sneaky. In the last year of the Bush Administration, multiple efforts to loosen protections on our country's wild lands have surfaced. And they are counting on no one noticing. Speak out for Idaho's wild forests today!
Yes to Clean Energy--Today, your Senators are crafting a national economic stimulus plan that could help keep our economy out of recession in the short-term. More importantly, they also have the unique opportunity to make a smart investment in long-term, sustained economic development by extending renewable energy tax credits. Extending the renewable energy tax credits will address one of the root causes of our current economic crisis; high energy prices and our dependence on dirty and unsustainable energy derived from uranium and fossil fuels. Conversely, if the Senate does not act to include the renewable energy tax credit extension, investment in clean energy will be severely curtailed. The renewable energy tax credits are set to expire at the end of this year. Now, is the opportunity to ensure that renewable energy has the chance to continue to thrive and contribute to a more stable and clean energy economy. Tell your Senator that you want long-term investment in clean energy!
Save Arctic Habitats!--Bad news: the Bush Administration has delayed its long-awaited decision about whether or not to protect the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act. The deadline for a decision was January 9th. In the meantime, the
administration has given the go-ahead for the sale of oil and gas leases in prime polar bear habitat -- the Chukchi Sea off of
Alaska -- on February 6th. Coincidence? We don't think
so. We're taking the Bush Administration back to court to win polar bear
protection. And I'm asking you to make your own voice heard against new
oil drilling in polar bear habitat. Please click
here to tell your Representative to support the Markey bill (H.R.
5058). It puts polar bears first -- by reversing the go-ahead for the
oil and gas lease sales until the Bush Administration makes its final
decision about protecting polar bears under the Endangered Species Act.
Tell Bush/Cheney to Leave Roadless Areas Alone!--The Bush Administration is hoping to weaken the regulations that protect the beautiful roadless areas in Colorado. Please express your outrage at these proposed plans! >>
Stimulating the Economy with Green Jobs and Clean Energy--Generating thousands of jobs and saving consumers millions f dollars on their utility bills, renewable energy and energy efficiency are engines of clean economic growth. But the green energy boom will come to a screeching halt without the extension of two key federal tax credits. The credits for buying solar panels and producing clean, renewable energy are critical to the financing and construction of new solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass facilities. Tax credits for energy-saving appliances, windows, and buildings reduce waste of money and energy. Please take a moment to send a letter urging your legislator to include these tax credits in the economic stimulus package. Click here to take action
Take
Action: Tell Senator
Cantwell to support REAL mining law reform--A
unique opportunity to drag a 19th century law into the 21st
century As you know, the U.S. House of Representatives
passed a bill to reform the 1872 Mining Law late last year. Now it is
the Senate's turn. This Thursday the Senate Energy and Natural Resources
Committee kicks off mining reform debate with a hearing. This
is your opportunity to help make mining reform happen You
have a Senator on this committee. Not every American does. So by urging
your Senator to support real reform, you will have disproportionate
influence on what happens to mining reform legislation in the
Senate. Please
take action today!
Take A New Action On Global Warming!--If there was ever a time to make your voice heard, it's right now. Our state legislators will soon be voting on two important bills that will have a real impact on global warming pollution. Both bills seriously challenge business as usual and face serious opposition. People who want progress must speak up now! Send a message today telling your State Senator that passing these bills to fight global warming is a priority for you, and then ask your friends to do the same. http://www.fusewashington.org/page/speakout/climatebills
Tell Congress: No Cloned Foods!--The Food and Drug Administration's approval of cloned animals and their offspring for human consumption is irresponsible, and a slap in the face to Congress and consumers everywhere. There are widespread concerns about cloning's impact on animal health and insufficient research on eating meat or drinking milk from cloned animals. There's a solution to this problem: Congress needs to ban food from clones and their offspring from entering our food supply. Write your members of congress now, and tell them to ban cloned food!
Support Sustainable Foods at Your Grocery Store!--Are you frustrated with the availability of organic, sustainable food in grocery stores? I sure am. But Environmental Defense is helping Wegman's grocery store take a step in the right direction. Sign the petition to encourage others to follow suit! >>
Support Local Farms and Kids' Health!--Do you want to help preserve farmland and improve the food our kids eat in school? One of this year’s four Priorities for a Healthy Washington, “Local Farms – Healthy Kids” will do just that. This bill provides an opportunity to improve children’s health and create thriving markets for our farmers by passing a new law that will get more locally grown fruits and vegetables into our schools. But to get this done we need your help! Please ask your legislators to co-sponsor the Local Farms-Healthy Kids bill today by clicking here to email.
Take Action for Real Climate Solutions!--A resolution for Washington State in 2008: To take real steps forward to
reduce global warming pollution, thus providing leadership to our region and the nation. The time for talk is over. It is our responsibility, our moral obligation, to act now to leave a responsible legacy for our children. In just a few days the 2008 legislative session kicks off. Will our elected officials do what's right - take bold actions to curb global warming pollution in order to create a better life for our children? They will if they hear from you, your friends, and neighbors! Click here tell your elected officials to make climate solutions a top priority in 2008!
Tell USDA "Stop Deceptive Labeling of "Natural" Meat"!--My husband and I are vegetarian, but even we can't help but notice how confusing meat labels have become. What does "naturally raised" or "natural" mean when applied to a side of beef? Well, not much, as it turns out. Yet the federal government is about to approve the use of the term "naturally raised" -- even though it doesn't mean that the animal was physically unaltered, able to roam freely, or graze on pasture.
Tell the USDA to drop the misleading labels on meat »
Support Bio-Energy!--Just before recess, Congress finally passed a Renewable Fuels Standard as part of the Energy bill. Unfortunately, a competing version of the renewable fuels standard -- one stripped of these vital environmental safeguards -- was included in the Senate Food and Farm bill. Confusing? Well here's what it means. If the Food and Farm version passes and is signed into law, it will trump the stronger standard in the Energy bill, and will fail to significantly reduce global warming pollution. Tell your Representative that you want the smart Renewable Fuel Standard from the Energy bill »
Ancient Forests on the Chopping Block!--The Bush administration is currently considering a dangerous and misguided plan that would greatly increase old-growth logging while abandoning stream protections in Western Oregon on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) forestlands - YOUR public lands. Over two and a half million acres are at risk: that's as big as 76,000 football fields! This unacceptable proposal would unravel the landmark protections of the Northwest Forest Plan and threaten the magnificent forests, diversity of life, and clean salmon-rich waters of the region. Losing this landmark scientific framework would take us back to the days of rampant clear-cutting, destructive road building, and local controversy, and would fail to provide real stewardship of these resources. We need to tell the Bush administration loud and clear: do not allow the destruction of our old-growth forest heritage to be our legacy! Let the BLM know that you're not willing to let the Bush administration hand our forests over to the logging industry for clear-cutting.
Save Bialowieza Forest, Europe's Last Primeval Temperate Forest--Demand the Polish government stop exploitation of the ancient Bialowieza forest, preserve the whole complex as a national park, and end permanently extensive logging that threatens Europe's last remnant old-growth northern temperate forests, take action: http://www.ecoearth.info/alerts/send.asp?id=poland
Take Action Against Global Warming!--Moments ago, the Environmental Protection Agency denied California's waiver
request to cut global warming pollution from automobiles. Seventeen other states plan to implement similar programs. EPA's action today is nothing more than a heavy handed stroke to limit the authority of states to fight global warming and protect our environment. Send an email to EPA administrator Stephen Johnson right now and join me in condemning this decision.
Give A Dam!--Four federal dams on the lower Snake River are destroying a national treasure - our wild salmon runs. But you can help put wild pacific salmon on the road to recovery. Click here to ask the Administration to remove the four lower Snake River dams and help restore one of the last great salmon runs in the lower 48 states.
NO to Nuclear and Coal Taxpayer-Subsidized Loan Guarantees--Over the past couple of weeks you have been instrumental in pressuring Congress to remove the enormous nuclear loan guarantees from the congressional energy bill. Striking the taxpayer-subsidized nuclear loan guarantee language from the energy bill was a huge victory for taxpayers and the environment. However, the dirty energy industries are not backing down. They have been able to stick the loan guarantee program into the Appropriations Omnibus Bill (HR 2764). The final negotiations on the Appropriations Omnibus Bill have concluded. The energy loan guarantee section contains $38.5 billion for Fiscal Year 2008. If the bill passes, 75% of the loan guarantees will be for dirty and dangerous energy projects:
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$18.5 billion for new nuclear reactors
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$2 billion for uranium enrichment
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$6 billion for coal projects; industrial gasification and carbon capture and sequestration
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$2 billion for coal to gas projects
Your representative could be voting on this bill as early as today! It is imperative that we act now. Please send this letter to your representative and urge them to vote NO on HR 2764. We can do better to secure a safe, clean, and sustainable energy future.
Protect Utah's Vernal District!--The unsurpassed beauty of
Dinosaur National Monument, the awesome silence of Desolation and
Grey Canyons, the rugged Eastern Bookcliffs, and some of the
Colorado Plateau's most stunning wilderness - all of this splendor
in northeastern Utah is publicly owned by you, me, and all
Americans. That makes these areas doubly
precious. Filled with
ancient cultural
artifacts and dinosaur fossils, critical habitat for a wide range
of wildlife, and outstanding opportunities for
backpacking, rafting, and other quiet recreational activities, this area merits
the highest protection. But a plan being devised by the
BLM, which manages these lands for all of us, would open
some of these areas to oil and gas development and
increased
off-road vehicle use. Please take a moment to click through to our action page and urge the BLM to protect these areas.
Tell the States to keep rBGH-Free labels!--
A dangerous trend has started over the last month. States across the country are starting to make rules that take away consumers' right to know whether or not their milk is made with the artificial growth hormone rBGH. Pennsylvania already has the rule, and Ohio and New Jersey are considering a rule change that would restrict dairies from labeling their milk as "artificial hormone-free." We need to stop this trend before it spreads any further. Help us by sending a message to these States, telling them that consumers have a right to know what's in their milk, and dairies have a right to tell them. Contact the Governors today!
Help Stop Mining Pollution in Wild Idaho Forests!--The Bush administration is poised to approve the expansion of a polluting phosphate mine in southeast Idaho that would seriously jeopardize some of the state's most renowned wildlife and trout streams. The Smoky Canyon Mine is already listed as a Superfund site for releasing hazardous amounts of toxic selenium into the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. With no cleanup effort underway, we need your urgent action to protect the extraordinary wildlife and pristine forests of this region from a renewed onslaught of pollution. Go to http://www.savebiogems.org/yellowstone/takeaction right now and urge the Bush administration to prohibit the proposed 1,300-acre expansion of the Smoky Canyon Mine.
Don't Expand Pollution at Smoky Canyon Mine!--Federal land managers are poised to approve plans to expand a phosphate mine in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest in southeast Idaho. However, the site is already contaminated with dangerously high levels of selenium, a chemical that is lethal to fish in very low concentrations and that bioaccumulates to pose dangers to wildlife, livestock and humans. The mine company has delayed cleanup of this pollution, and instead wants to expand its mining efforts. A Forest Service expert has already said ongoing mining in the area is an ecological time bomb! Tell the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management not to make a bad problem worse by allowing more mining on this polluted site! Send your comments today and please take a moment to edit the sample letter to make it personal.
Save Our Wetlands!--The Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) wants to spend $211 million of your tax dollars on a project that
could drain and damage more than 200,000 wetlands in the heart of the Mississippi River flyway - an area that contains some of the richest natural resources in the nation. Sign the petition telling them you won't stand for this!
Do you want safe lettuce?--What happens when large corporations get to write their own rules? It's no surprise that when this happens, the rules benefit wealthy corporations, and not consumers like you and me. It should be government's job to make rules that keep our food safe, not the large players in the industry. Unfortunately that's exactly what's happening right now with lettuce, spinach, and other leafy greens. The government isn't doing its job, and is instead letting large-scale agribusiness write their own rules. This is no way to ensure food safety. We have until Dec. 3rd to tell the U.S. Department of Agriculture that food safety is the job of government not industry. Can you tell the USDA to look out for consumers instead of corporate interests? http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1185/t/741/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=21892
Ease Global Warming AND Traffic Congestion!--The U.S. needs to take every step to reduce emissions contributing to global warming, and increasing the use of freight trains is a practical way to start. Freight railroads are by far the most
environmentally friendly mode of surface transportation. They are more than three times as fuel-efficient as trucks and
they’re also three times cleaner. Help relieve traffic congestion >>
Do You Trust the Coal Industry?--Do you trust the coal industry to develop clean energy sources? We don't either. That's we made a funny and educational new video to get the word out: Say NO to liquid coal! Click here to watch the video today and urge Congress to say NO to liquid coal subsidies.
Take
Action to Protect Native American Lands!--The US Bureau of Land
Management is currently reviewing a proposal to expand the Cortez
Hills Project. If approved, it would be one of the country's largest
gold mines. The project would disturb over 6,500 acres of public
land—all of which are considered traditional lands by the Western
Shoshone. We urgently need your help to convince the US government to
deny this proposal. Click
here to sign our petition calling on the US government to deny further
mining on traditional lands.
Tell Your Grocery Store to Buy Sustainable Shrimp!--Wegman's grocery store recently teamed up with Environmental
Defense and announced a first-of-its-kind purchasing policy for farmed shrimp. Tell your grocery store to follow suit!
Would you put an open-pit gold mine in the Sistine Chapel?--How about Arlington National Cemetery? Barrick Gold wants to do the equivalent. And the federal government is proposing to let them. TAKE ACTION: Tell the Bureau of Land
Management to deny a proposed mine on sacred Indian lands in Nevada
Just Say "No" to Cloned Milk!--The FDA could soon allow milk and meat from cloned animals to be sold as food, without any labeling. Clones could soon be the food on your table, and you would never know it. We only have a couple of days to say NO! Tell Congress that cloned food should be proven safe before it's on our tables!
GE Rice Threat in India!--India is at a critical juncture. Food regulatory authorities there have approved field trials of genetically engineered (GE) rice. India's Supreme Court has delayed the trials with a number of conditions, but they won't be enough to stop field trials for long. It's time to act. India's food regulatory authorities need to receive a blast of messages from around the world - from people in countries which currently import Indian rice - to understand how costly and unwise these GE field trials would be. Please send a message to the food-for-export regulatory authority (APEDA).
It's Time for Bush to Stop Stalling on Clean Cars!--The Environmental Protection Agency has blocked state-level Clean Car laws - laws that reduce global warming pollution from cars -- across the country for the last two years. Yesterday, Governor Gregoire announced that Washington was joining California and 4 other states in suing the EPA to force them to make a decision allowing us to implement clean car laws. (Thank you Governor!) We can't afford to wait even longer while this drags out in court. Enough is enough. Join a national effort to increase the pressure on EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson to approve clean car laws: tell him it's time for the EPA to stop stalling on global warming protections and approve Clean Cars. http://www.fusewashington.org/page/petition/epacleancars
Keep Cloned Food Off
Your Plate!--The federal government is soon expected to allow the sale
of meat and milk from cloned animals, despite widespread safety
concerns. Fortunately, we've got a chance to stop this in the Farm
Bill, but we need you to contact your Senators.
Let them know that you don't want Cloned food on your plate!
Put An End to Illegal Logging!--Illegal logging is taking a terrible toll on people and the environment throughout the world. Every year, illegal loggers destroy millions of acres of ancient forests, harming local communities, wildlife and our climate, and pushing species like the orangutan ever farther down the road to extinction. That's why this issue means so much to me, and why I've worked hard to make sure that consumers like you don't have to wonder if the wood products you're buying have contributed to the kind of destruction I've witnessed. Take Action Today >> Congress has a chance to cut illegal logging now!
Action Alert: Europe to Vote on Genetic Engineering--Europe's top environment politician, EU-Commissioner Stavros
Dimas, enraged agro-chemical companies last week when he refused to allow the cultivation of two varieties of genetically
modified maize (Bt 11 and 1507). He said GM crops should not be approved until new methods have been developed for assessing long-term risks and the effects on birds and butterflies. This is wonderful news! Other European Commissioners are siding with the industry though, and want to vote on the matter within the next few weeks in Brussels. We have only days to show our support for the Environment Commissioner's brave stand -- and to let the other politicians know that he speaks for us all. Can you send a message to Stavros Dimas, to Manuel Barroso (the President of the European Commission) and the Commissioners taking the industry's side Kyprianou (Health and Consumer Protection) and Fischer-Boel (Agriculture). TAKE ACTION NOW
Don't Let Our Alaskan Wilderness Fall Prey to Oil Companies!--After years of keeping the precious area of Teshekpuk Lake in Alaska protected, the Bureau of Land Management is again considering whether or not to open the area to drilling. We cannot let this happen! Submit your official public comment today and tell the BLM, "Not on my watch!">>