~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Victory for Our Health and Environment

01/09/2012 Nativegrl77

Urge President Obama to Score Another Victory for Our Health and Environment
Thank the president for protecting the public from toxic air pollution and let him know that you expect the EPA to release strong standards to reduce global warming emissions from power plantsin 2012.

Making History: First-ever Toxic Air Pollution Standards Will Save Thousands of Lives

Great news! Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized the first-ever national standards to limit the amount of mercury and other toxic pollutants that power plants can spew into the environment.

Toxic air pollutants from power plants—mercury, lead, arsenic, and others—are linked to health problems such as cancer, heart disease, neurological damage, birth defects, asthma attacks, and even premature death. Mercury, for example, is a potent neurotoxin that poses a threat to fetal and infant brain development. And coal plants are far and away the greatest source of mercury air emissions in the United States. This historic standard will lower mercury emissions 90 percent, help avoid up to 11,000 premature deaths per year, and contribute to a much-needed transition to a cleaner electricity system.

The Obama administration played a major role in securing this historic standard, and they have the opportunity to score another similar victory for our health and environment this year: the EPA is currently drafting standards to limit global warming emissions from power plants. But the fossil fuel industries are pressuring the Obama administration to release weak standards that will do little or nothing to protect our health and environment from climate change.

Thank President Obama for protecting the public from toxic air pollution and let him know that you expect the EPA to release strong standards to reduce global warming emissions from power plants in 2012.

Take Action Today!

Sincerely,

Chrissy Elles
Outreach Associate
UCS Climate and Energy Program

Black History

Congress: the Republican led House – the Senate

01/09/2012 Nativegrl77

Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 11:00am

Friday, December 23, 2011 at 9:30am

Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 12:00pm

Friday, December 30, 2011 at 11:00am

Tuesday, January 3, 2012 at 12:00pm, during which the 2^nd Session of the 112^th Congress will convene

Friday, January 6, 2012 at 11:00am

Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 11:00am

Friday, January 13, 2012 at 12:00pm

Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 10:15am

Friday, January 20, 2012 at 2:00pm

When the Senate adjourns on Friday, January 20^th, it will adjourn until Monday, January 23^rd at 2:00pm. Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will be in morning business until 4:00pm with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Following morning business, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider Calendar #438, John M. Gerrard, of Nebraska, to be United States District Judge for the District of Nebraska with up to 90 minutes of debate, 60 minutes equally divided and controlled between Senators Leahy and Grassley, or their designees and 30 minutes under the control of Senator Sessions or his designee.

Upon the use or yielding back of time (at approximately 5:30pm), the Senate will conduct a roll call vote on confirmation of the Gerrard nomination.

As a reminder to all Senators, cloture was filed on the Reid motion to proceed to Calendar #70, S.968, a bill to prevent online threats to economic creativity and theft of intellectual property and for other purposes on Saturday, December 17^th. By unanimous consent, this roll call vote will be at 2:15pm on Tuesday, January 24, 2012.

——————————————————————————————————

The next meeting is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on January 10, 2012.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Bankrate.com

01/09/2012 Nativegrl77

Help filing for bankruptcy without a fee

You need money to pay a lawyer when filing bankruptcy, but there may be ways around it.

Europe’s debt crisis & the US economy

European debt is an ocean away from the U.S., but its impact could trickle down to Main Street.

12 tips to manage credit card debt in 2012

Don’t go crazy with credit cards. Rein in your plastic before your card debt becomes drastic.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

URGENT: Marriage equality at stake in NH

01/09/2012 Nativegrl77

Act now: Stop the NH legislature from abolishing marriage equality.

While the country is distracted by the New Hampshire primary, New Hampshire’s state legislature is swiftly moving to abolish gay marriage. They could vote on the issue as soon as this Thursday.

Craig Stowell is a New Hampshire native who recently testified at the New Hampshire State House to ask the legislature not to pass HB 437, the bill that would abolish marriage equality. But Craig isn’t gay — in fact, he’s a straight married Marine, and a conservative Republican.

Craig knows firsthand how damaging it can be when the government says it’s okay to treat the LGBT community like second-class citizens. Craig’s brother Calvin was horribly bullied as a kid because he’s gay. “There were nights that I worried I may wake up and he wouldn’t be there any longer; crushed by the misery he was forced to endure,” Craig says.

So Craig started a petition on Change.org asking the New Hampshire legislature to reject HB 437. The vote could come in a matter of days. Please click here to sign Craig’s petition right now — your signature will be delivered to the New Hampshire legislature immediately.

Since New Hampshire legalized marriage equality in 2009, more than 1,800 loving same-sex couples have been married. Polls show that a large majority of New Hampshire residents support that right — 62%, according to a recent poll from the University of New Hampshire.

“When my wife Berta and I were married, Calvin was right there by my side as my best man,” Craig says. “I want the opportunity to be his best man when he finds the person he wants to marry. With your help, I know we can ensure that freedom will still be there when he does.”

New Hampshire legislators may think they can sneak in HB 437 during the ruckus surrounding the New Hampshire primary, but they need to know that their actions are being watched and that people in New Hampshire and around the country won’t stand for this vicious step backward.

Time is short — click here right now to sign Craig’s petition demanding that the New Hampshire legislature reject HB 437, the bill that would abolish marriage equality.

Thanks for being a change-maker,

– Eden and the Change.org team

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Tell Cruise Ships to Stop Spewing Filth Into Our Pristine Oceans!

01/09/2012 Nativegrl77

Target: Michael Thamm, AIDA President; Dr Michael Frenzel, Chief Executive of TUI AG
Sponsored by: Care2.com

What comes to your mind when you think of pollution? Thick black oil smeared on clean ice? Small piping shorebirds strangled by old plastic? According to the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU), you should be thinking of something entirely different – cruise ships.

NABU recently singled out AIDA and TUI, two German-based cruise lines, for their harmful environmental impact. In one day alone, a ship generates 21,000 gallons of sewage, which is often dumped untreated three miles from shore, as well as one ton of garbage, 170,000 gallons of wastewater, 6,400 gallons of oily bilge water, and 25 pounds of batteries, fluorescent lights, medical wastes, and expired chemicals.

It’s time for cruise lines like AIDA and TUI to stop putting profits over the environment. Updating their filtration systems to stop spewing filth into the ocean is a great first step to improving their impact on the environment. Tell AIDA and TUI to clean up their waste filtration systems today!

Cruise ships are massive polluters, spewing filth into our oceans every day. You can make a difference; add your voice to the conversation. »

AIDA and TUI, two German-based cruise lines, were recently singled out for their highly negative environmental impacts.

AIDA and TUI supply every possible luxury to their passengers, but refuse to invest in a filtration system that would keep poisonous emissions from blackening our skies. As the 15 largest cruise ships produce as much air pollution as the world’s 760 million cars, this is not acceptable.

Take action. Click here to add your signature, telling AIDA and TUI install filtration systems in their cruise ships! »