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Syrians: “The world is failing us” CARE

09/05/2013 Nativegrl77

People are very frightened. Their fear is contagious – it presses in on you. Even for someone like me who has weathered many crises, it’s hard to bear hearing story after story from Syrian refugees.

These refugees are very similar to you and me – except that they’ve been forced into unimaginably difficult circumstances. They are hardworking people: engineers, doctors, and teachers – proud people who never imagined having to beg for basic needs to survive.

They have no idea when they will be able to go home. Or if it will ever be possible to return. Chances are that many of their homes have already been destroyed. In some cases entire towns are gone. One woman described the beautiful city in Syria she lived in, and then sadly confided, “It no longer exists.”

I’ve just returned from Jordan, where CARE is preparing for a new onslaught of refugees. Overall, 2 million – half of them children – have already fled across Syria’s borders. With the looming threat of international military intervention, we could soon see many more. It’s been an intense few days as we shift into contingency planning mode.

We expect the number of refugees to swell to 3.4 million by December.

Syria has been in the news a lot lately, but the stories of the Syrian people – the people, so much like you and me, who are struggling to survive in the middle of this escalating crisis – are getting drowned out. I’m committed to helping the people impacted by the crisis, but none of us can do it on our own. We help because we have to – because our fellow human beings are counting on us and need help.

As an important supporter of CARE, I wanted to let you know what our community is doing right now for Syrian refugees. Here’s just a quick list of highlights of CARE’s work helping Syrians affected by this humanitarian crisis (explore more details here):

Expanding refugee support in Jordan and Lebanon as well as supporting refugees in Yemen and Egypt;
Providing emergency cash to help families fund shelter and medical needs, as well as providing food, blankets, winter clothes, and other critical supplies;
Working with the UN and other agencies to open a new refugee camp in Jordan to house tens of thousands of refugees;
Running a support center for refugees in Amman, the capital of Jordan, as well as in three other urban areas in order to meet growing demand;
Providing 7,000 refugees in Lebanon with access to safe water by repairing infrastructure and improving drainage systems, with plans to scale up and meet the basic needs of 150,000 refugees;
Providing shelter kits to refugees in Lebanon to upgrade and repair houses in informal settlements; and more.

It’s life-saving, essential work. But even I will tell you it’s simply not enough.

To date, CARE has secured less than 20% of the estimated $50 million funding that we need for our life-saving response. As of August 28th, the UN’s own appeal is only 39% funded for this, the world’s largest humanitarian crisis of the 21st century! At the same time, CARE is continuing its work throughout the world, creating long-lasting solutions to poverty.

I have heard Syrians say that the world is failing them and it breaks my heart. As a CARE supporter, I’m sure you feel the same. Help spread the word of their plight, and keep Syrians in your thoughts.

Thank you, as always, for your willingness to step forward and help reduce the suffering of our fellow human beings. I can tell you from firsthand conversations with refugees that your support is greatly appreciated and most urgently needed.

I promise to keep you updated as the situation unfolds in the coming weeks.

With greatest hope,

Holly Solberg Director of Emergency and Humanitarian Assistance, CARE

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Nathan Bedford Forrest High School … Jacksonville, FL

09/05/2013 Nativegrl77

Duval Public Schools: No more KKK High School

Petition by

omotayo richmond

Jacksonville, FL

I moved to Jacksonville from Long Island 12 years ago. Since then, I’ve put down roots here. I’ve helped raise a beautiful daughter here. This place is my home now, and the people who live here deserve better than a high school named for the first Grand Wizard of the KKK.

That’s right, Jacksonville is home to Nathan Bedford Forrest High School, named in honor of a Confederate general who infamously slaughtered Black Union soldiers who’d already surrendered and who was a founding member of the original Ku Klux Klan. The school got its name in 1959, when white civic leaders wanted to protest a court decision that called for integrating public schools.

I don’t want my daughter, or any student, going to a school named under those circumstances. This is a bad look for Florida — with so much racial division in our state, renaming Forrest High would be a step toward healing.

Five years ago, the school board voted 5 – 2 to keep the name. But a lot has changed in five years. All five members who voted for Nathan Bedford Forrest have been replaced. There’s a new school superintendent who publicly stated that he would support a push from our community to change the name. Now is the time to right a historical wrong. African American Jacksonville students shouldn’t have to attend a high school named for someone who slaughtered and terrorized their ancestors one more school year.

In the end, I want my child to be able to go anywhere in Jacksonville and be proud of where she is. That can’t happen with Nathan Bedford Forrest High School. Please support changing the name today.

Petitioning Nikolai P. Vitti

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Gov Inslee in the Newsroom

09/05/2013 Nativegrl77

08/30/2013 –	Governor Inslee’s statement regarding news of additional plans approved by Commissioner Mike Kreidler for Washington’s health benefit exchange
08/29/2013 –	Governors Inslee, Kitzhaber announce final mitigation agreement on Columbia River Crossing
08/29/2013 –	Joint statement from Gov. Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson regarding update from Attorney General Eric Holder on implementation of Washington’s voter-approved marijuana law
08/19/2013 –	Governor Inslee welcomed Hyogo Governor Ido to renew 50-yr sister state bond

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These energy efficiency rules would save you money and cut carbon emissions

09/05/2013 Nativegrl77

The White House

Energy efficiency is one of the clearest and most cost-effective ways we have to save families money, make our businesses more competitive, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In the President’s first term, the Energy Department established new standards, and they’re producing huge results. New efficiency rules for dishwashers, refrigerators, and other products will cut consumers‘ electricity bills by hundreds of billions of dollars through 2030 — and save enough energy to power more than 85 million homes for two years.

Now we’re building on that: Proposed rules from the Department of Energy could cut energy bills by nearly $28 billion and cut emissions by over 350 million metric tons of CO2 over 30 years. That’s like taking nearly 109 million new cars off the road for a year. Put another way, the energy saved is equal to the amount of electricity used by 50 million homes in a year.

That’s some serious progress, and we could use your help to spread the word.

Find out more about what we’re doing to save consumers money and reduce carbon emissions — then forward this email to get out the message.

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The Climate Reality Project

09/05/2013 Nativegrl77

Deniers claim there’s no scientific consensus on climate change. They claim man-made global warming is a hoax. They blame volcanoes and sunspots. Deniers are the roadblocks to real progress — and we need to do something about it.

So today, we’re asking for your help.

Congress is back in session this month. And some of these very decision makers heading back to Washington this month are still in denial.

If it’s anything like we’ve been seeing lately, it’s likely that any legislative progress will continue to be stalled … especially progress towards a solution that puts a price on carbon pollution.

Look, you and I know the scientific consensus on climate change is abundantly clear — in fact — 97 percent of all climate scientists will tell you human activities are causing our atmosphere to heat up. And this fundamental change in our climate is having devastating effects across the globe.

That’s why we’re asking you to help set the record straight with a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. Last month, you helped us put the heat on climate change deniers by debunking myths through Reality Drop and social media. Today, we hope you’ll take your dedication to a different media — your local paper.

Writing a letter to the editor is quick, easy, and best of all, extremely effective. We’ve even got you started with some base language. Feel free to use as much or as little as you want. Click here for step-by-step instructions and a bank of denier quotes to help drive your point home.

Climate change is happening. You know it. We know it. Get your message into your local newspaper, and even more people will know the truth about climate change.

Thanks for your continued activism,