~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Super Typhoon Haiyan …. Phillippines!!

12/21/2013 Nativegrl77 5 Comments

According to CNN: “thousands of people in vulnerable areas of the Philippines are being relocated as one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever observed spins toward the country.

With sustained winds of 315 kph (195 mph) and gusts as strong as 380 kph (235 mph), Super Typhoon Haiyan was churning across the Western Pacific toward the central Philippines.”

Its wind strength makes it equivalent to an exceptionally strongCategory 5 hurricane.

The storm, known as Yolanda in the Philippines, is expected to still be a super typhoon, with winds in excess of 240 kph (149 mph), when it makes landfall Friday morning in the region of Eastern Visayas.

The storm is so large in diameter that clouds from it are affecting two-thirds of the country.

Authorities in the region had moved more than 3,800 people to evacuation centers by late Thursday, Maj. Reynaldo Balido of…

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~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Help the Philippines with one signature

12/21/2013 Nativegrl77 2 Comments

U.S. Congress: Save lives by exempting Typhoon Haiyan victims from outdated food aid regulations

By Juanita Salvador-Burris

Chicago, Illinois

As a Filipino-American in Chicago, I have reeled in shock and helplessness as thousands of Filipinos in Haiyan-decimated Tacloban city, were shown hungry everyday sitting, crying, walking, with nowhere to go, without food, water, shelter, and medical care. After six days and reports of no aid arriving yet, I wrote seventeen friends in Manila seeking comfort as to why more aid has not reached those devastated by this natural disaster. They felt the same despair I did…“not enough aid reached the people in a timely manner.”

Like many others I am thankful for the generosity of my fellow Americans, many of whom have already donated millions to the relief effort. But I could never imagine that red-tape and outdated rules written by the US Congress could delay urgently needed relief from reaching the millions of people who desperately need humanitarian assistance.

So far, the UN has said $301 million is needed immediately to help victims of the typhoon. President Obama has already promised an initial pledge of $20 million to provide food, water and urgent medical care. But regulations, which require the vast majority of US food aid to be shipped from preferred growers in the US on preferred ships, could delay most US food aid from arriving for weeks or months.

These regulations, written in the 1950’s, require food to be shipped more than 11,000 nautical miles across the ocean even though there is ample food available much closer to the crisis in unaffected areas of the Philippines and countries like Thailand and Vietnam, usually at a lower price for taxpayers. The rules prevent aid agencies like the World Food Program from purchasing food from the closest and most cost effective sellers. Delays in delivering food could cost lives and red-tape costs tax dollars.

But Congress has the power to waive these regulations. In this urgent crisis in the Philippines please join me in calling on Congress to save lives now by exempting the Philippines emergency response from these outdated rules so humanitarian aid can reach suffering people when they need it most.

~ my 2cents ...

The 2009 summer of my discontent… has become 5yrs of Republican nonsense

12/21/2013 Nativegrl77

Just another rant from 2009

The summer of 2009, filled with what apparently was just the beginning of nasty Teapublican behavior ugly rhetoric and a whole lot of pollution spewing out of all their holes… I called it the summer of my discontent

I believe in the right to freedom of speech, I do not believe that the speech should invoke fear, hate, lies and death. Americans should not go overseas and speak ill of the President, no matter who is in office. The position of President should be held with great regard definitely not disrespected by any American while in other countries.

I am a person of colour (mixed decent) from a huge family who has had to live with the fear of being non-white while driving, walking, shopping etc. Fact is, people of colour live this way, and it is not right. In the year 2009, we were blessed to have our first person of colour (Bi-Racial) as our President. I do not know him personally, but he seems to be kind, gentle, calm, cool and definitely not an angry man and has had nothing but angry words, behavior, and hate spewed at him. It is disguised by some as freedom of speech, others as a fear of government take overs; most if not all attitudes exposed a fear of change and (republicans) definitely get it, don’t want it and caused a $24billion shut down to express it. The election in both 2008&2013 results showed a diverse group of say 53% voted for Obama as our next President. It is a worthy reminder to Republicans because they lack a sense of acceptance that these events actually took place. However, we all know Republicans met the same night Barack Obama took the office of President devising a plan a of attack which has turned out to be… obstruction. The last administration failed us in my view, my opinion and right to freedom of speech. I don’t think I am alone in that feeling but I don’t wish he(bush) were dead, or any ill will on any level to him(bush). Yet, the comments from the likes of Joe Wilson or a rush Limbaugh, g beck and so many members of Congress and or Conservatives has taken me back because I feel the hate right through the TV. The lies and the miss-information has reached an all-time peak, I found myself so irritated, I had to join the effort to fight back against the Teapublicans rhetoric . As some ex and current people in politics use our 24/7 news cycles as a platform to spread what they call “news” which sounds and feels like old style Southern propaganda, once laced with disrespectful language against the Office of the President has become an all-out assault. Yes, as a person of colour I am upset, compelled to respond to each tweet that even remotely sounds like racial hate, fear, and whatnot. I was repulsed, it was disrespectful, it was sad, and inappropriate. I ask Congress , where are the grownups, knowing Joe Wilson and his other Teapublican comrades had/have to be told this behavior was inappropriate, told to apologize is beyond my understanding of adult behavior. Yes, this is what the first amendment covers, yet, I would wager that given the right circumstance this gross misuse of our 1st amendment rights by the democratic party would be given the hammer until they apologized on national TV.

Oh wait, this is happening.

What we all heard spewed by righties back in 2009 continues in 2013 seemingly embodied by southern men acting in old style southern political tactics and if you know your history, understand it, it is clear enough. Then add that old cliché : what goes around comes around and its meaning (A person’s actions, whether good or bad, will often have consequences for that person-wiki) is definitely scary but we must all Stand Up Speak Out and fight against that old cliché becoming an ugly reality. The GOP shutdown was just the beginning of a train to derail what could be an improvement of American lives, yet ole’school politics would rather increase the casualties

Our President is a man who wants to put us back on track because some greedy fools derailed it.

The solutions to our economic problem should have nothing to do with the colour of our President’s skin. It should be about folks who saw the problem, wanted to change it in a bipartisan way and Barack won the office twice. Though Teapublicans decided, “Just say no” was a much better way to do the People’s business. We all know change is hard, it takes time and obviously a certain group of people have been led to believe that President Obama is not only taking us somewhere else that could be bad for America, they use heritage, his skin colour and edit his conversation to portray him as the “the other.” or worse

These claims are outrageous.

The President’s agenda seems simple to me. Maybe he is ahead of his time or at least the clock that Teapublicans are trying to push us all onto. Americans deserve a right to live a good life, afford health-care, a life where upward mobility is possible, a right to be all we can be – educated, a right to jobs for the 21st century and equal rights should be the norm not a political football.

During the summer of 2009, the path to prosperity or the lack thereof was being laid out right before our very eyes by folks like rep. Paul Ryan. I wonder why my fellow Professional Lefties did not see it then because we now have a Teapublican paper trail. I wonder if the PL knows how their members of Congress voted during President Obama’s 1st term, let alone the fact that a number of blue dogs sided with the extreme right. That was then and though most if not all bluedogs were voted out of office in 2010, members of the tea party not only replaced most but have done their best to make our Government look silly chaotic seemingly without compassion morality and more Wall Street than Main Street

Those in public service , take an oath to do no harm call themselves Public Servants, but if you take a hard look at how the Congress of 112th,2nd Session has acted lest we talk about the 113th Congress …

you would be feeling discontented too

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Stop the big oil giveaway fueling our enemies

12/20/2013 Nativegrl77

VoteVets.org

Right now, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering gutting one of the most important policies put in place to limit the amount of fossil fuels we burn and lower our dependence on foreign oil.

It’s called the Renewable Fuel Standard and it ensures a minimum number of renewable fuels are used for transportation in the United States.

As veterans, military family members, and VoteVets supporters, we have a unique understanding about the cost of our dependence on foreign oil. It’s not just measured in the price at the pump, or a changing climate, but also in the lives lost and changed through deployments to protect the flow of oil in the Middle East.

VoteVets is participating in the Environmental Protection Agency’s public comment period on this issue. It ends in a few weeks, and we’d love it if you added your name to ours before we submit. You can do that here:

http://action.votevets.org/save-the-rfs

This is an important issue and a very real chance for you to make a difference. The EPA traditionally takes these comments very seriously, but our voices are at risk of being drowned out by big oil interests running astroturf campaigns.

That’s why your petition signature is so important. I hope you’ll add your name to mine today.

All the best,

General (Ret.) Wesley Clark
Board Member, VoteVets.org

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

The rainforests of Indonesia are being bulldozed, burned and replaced by palm oil plantations

12/20/2013 Nativegrl77

The rainforests of Indonesia are being bulldozed, burned and replaced by palm oil plantations.
Help stop rainforest destruction!

Donate today to help end rainforest destruction and protect the environment worldwide. If you have been waiting for the right time to make your first gift to Greenpeace, this is it. We have almost reached our goal of $150,000 by Dec. 31, and every gift makes a difference.
Donate button EOY

“Holy….!” That was the first thought that went through my head while looking out the window during a recent flight over Indonesia. Where there was supposed to be rainforest, rows of palm trees stretched to the horizon.
The forest was gone — bulldozed, burned and replaced with palm oil plantations. The destruction was unimaginable.
It was that moment I realized it was going to take a global effort on a massive scale to transform the palm oil industry from the rainforest’s biggest threat to a partner in its protection. I work for Greenpeace because I know it’s possible. But not without your support.
Help stop rainforest destruction for dirty palm oil. Please give what you can to support Greenpeace’s work to save the Indonesian rainforest and fight on the frontlines of environmental destruction everywhere.

We are almost to our goal of raising $150,000 by Dec. 31. Joao Talocchi Greenpeace Palm Oil Campaigner
My flight above the palm oil plantations had been a shock, but nothing prepared me for the forest destruction on the ground. I arrived in one of the most crucial regions of Indonesian rainforest to find miles of forest burned or cleared. Not even in use — just destroyed and empty.
What had been habitat for endangered orangutans, tigers and even elephants just months before was now burnt stumps and fallen logs. Every step I took raised a small cloud of ash.
Even though many patches of rainforest like the one I visited are cleared illegally, the Indonesian government often doesn’t have the power or resources to investigate.
Greenpeace does, though only through the support of people like you. Make a gift now and add the power that makes our campaign to stop rainforest destruction, and all of our work, possible.
We are on the ground finding answers, monitoring for new areas of forest destruction from satellite, and holding palm oil companies and their customers accountable — even when authorities fail to do so.
And the progress we’ve made since my first visit has blown me away. The largest trader of palm oil in the world committed to only buy traceable zero-deforestation palm oil after Greenpeace exposed their connection to forest destruction this year. Big companies like Unilever and Nestle have made policies to only buy no deforestation palm oil.
We haven’t won yet. But we’re making progress. Now is an absolutely critical time.
2014 could be a turning point for the rainforests of Indonesia. Make a donation today to our efforts to save the rainforest and protect the environment worldwide. We have almost reached our goal of $150,000 by Dec. 31, and every gift makes a difference.
Greenpeace is completely independent. We don’t take a dime for corporations or governments. It’s what allows us to hold those responsible for rainforest destruction accountable and to do what’s right for the environment. It also means that without the support of people like you, none of it is possible.
Let’s make 2014 an even better year than this year for rainforests in Indonesia. For the endangered animals that live there. For the climate. And for our future.
Thank you,
Joao Talocchi Greenpeace Palm Oil Campaigner
P.S. Please make a donation today to our work on environmental frontlines around the world. We have almost reached our goal of $150,000 by Dec. 31st, and every gift counts.