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Category Archives: ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture
Breaking: NRA in Court to Stop Protections to Condors, Eagles
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July 31, 2012
Just moments ago the National Rifle Association took legal action to block the EPA from protecting wildlife and people from being poisoned by lead hunting ammunition left in the wild.
Today’s legal action challenges the Center for Biological Diversity‘s suit, filed last month with allies, to get the EPA to finally regulate toxic lead in hunting ammunition.
These outrageous attacks need to stop. Please make an emergency gift today and help us stand up to the NRA’s assault on wildlife.
As I’ve written to you over the past two weeks, millions of birds are needlessly poisoned every year by toxic lead ammo left in the wild, including bald eagles, swans and endangered California condors.
Under the federal Toxic Substances Control Act, the EPA has the authority to stop this lead-poisoning epidemic with common-sense solutions — but the NRA is using its muscle to throw up roadblocks to any new safeguards.
The NRA is bound and determined to keep the EPA from doing its job in protecting the millions of birds who die every year after being painfully poisoned by lead bullet fragments.
That’s why we need your urgent support now with a gift to our Condor Defense Fund. Help defend the EPA’s ability to regulate this deadly toxin and ensure not one more condor, swan or bald eagle is poisoned by lead bullets.
The Center has been working since 2004 to end the preventable lead poisoning of birds and reduce health risks for people eating lead-shot game.
Lead poisoning is the leading cause of death for America‘s ancient, critically endangered condors. Please make your gift today to stand up to the NRA and protect these extraordinary birds, along with other wildlife, threatened by lead poisoning.
We’ve faced this challenge before and know the NRA will stop at nothing to keep us from protecting endangered wildlife — so we’re in for a bare-knuckle fight.
Thank you for standing with us,
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P.S. The best way to protect millions of birds and animals from lead poisoning is to stop the NRA’s attack in the courts and continue our work to end the needless deaths of condors and other wildlife once and for all by getting lead out of our environment. I hope you’ll consider a generous gift today.
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Celebrate Free Preventive Services!
As of August 1, 2012, all new health plans must cover eight women’s preventive services, including birth control, without cost sharing. To celebrate, we’re hosting a virtual party on Facebook – and we want you to sign the guestbook!
Preventive services are critical to a woman’s health, and cost has remained a burden for far too long. With the Department of Health and Human Services regulations going into effect on August 1, the following services will now be available without copays:
- Breastfeeding support, supplies, and counseling;
- Screening and counseling for interpersonal and domestic violence;
- Screening for gestational diabetes;
- DNA testing for high-risk strains of HPV;
- Counseling regarding sexually transmitted infections, including HIV;
- Screening for HIV;
- Contraceptive methods and counseling; and
- Well woman visits.
Take Action!
Tell us why you are celebrating these new requirements! You can share a personal story about the importance of preventive services, talk about why you are passionate about women’s health care, or write notes of congratulations to your fellow activists for getting the job done and passing health care reform legislation that includes these necessary services!
Each week of the party will have a different theme, so you can sign the guestbook as many times as you want. August starts on a Wednesday, so our themed weeks will also start on Wednesdays:
- August 1-7: Contraception
- August 8-14: Screening and counseling for interpersonal and domestic violence
- August 15-21: Maternal care (breastfeeding support, supplies, and counseling)
- August 22-28: Health education (screening for gestational diabetes; DNA testing for high-risk strains of HPV; counseling regarding sexually transmitted infections, including HIV; and screening for HIV)
- August 29-31: Well woman visits
The celebration continues all month, but you don’t want to show up late to the party! Sign the guestbook today and share with your friends and family.
Learn more about what preventive services will be covered at Healthcare.gov, as well as the other benefits for women such as the end of higher premiums for pre-existing conditions.
Follow AAUW on Twitter, and read our award-winning AAUW Dialog Blog for discussion, information, and advocacy for women and girls!
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Strengthening Tribal Communities Through the HEARTH Act
| Strengthening Tribal CommunitiesThrough the HEARTH Act
Note: This blog post was originally posted on WhiteHouse.gov
President Barack Obama signs H.R. 205, the HEARTH Act of 2012, in the Oval Office, July 30, 2012. Standing behind the President, from left, are: Bryan Newland, Senior Policy Advisor at the Department of the Interior; Governor Randall Vicente, Pueblo of Acoma in New Mexico; David Hayes, Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Interior; Jefferson Keel, President of the National Congress of American Indians; Rep. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M.; Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii; interior Secretary Ken Salazar; Cheryl Causley, Chairperson of the National American Indian Housing Council; Governor Gregory Mendoza, Gila River Indian Community of Arizona; and Del Laverdure, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Department of the Interior. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) President Obama understands that by allowing greater tribal control over tribal assets, we encourage economic growth, promote community development in Indian Country, and support tribal self-determination. That’s why this Administration is committed to strengthening tribal communities by improving tribal governments’ capacity for controlling their own futures. Earlier today, President Obama demonstrated the latest step in this commitment by signing into law the Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Homeownership (HEARTH) Act. This legislation allows tribes to lease restricted lands for residential, business, public, religious, educational, or recreational purposes without the approval of the Secretary of the Interior. The HEARTH Act promotes greater tribal self-determination and will help create jobs in Indian Country. Under the Act, federally recognized tribes can develop and implement their own regulations governing certain leasing on Indian lands. Upon Secretarial approval of these tribal regulations, tribes will have the authority to process land leases without Bureau of Indian Affairs approval. This new authority has the potential to significantly reduce the time it takes to approve leases for homes and small businesses in Indian Country. By allowing tribes to more quickly and easily lease their lands, the bill promotes investment in tribal communities and more broadly facilitates economic development. The HEARTH Act builds on the Administration’s strong record of accomplishments for Native Americans and Native Alaskans and complements existing initiatives to strengthen tribal economies. Just recently, on July 12th, Treasury announced that it is opening up $1.8 billion of Tribal Economic Development (TED) bonds for reallocation to tribal governments. The TED bond program was established under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), and provides tribes with the authority to issue tax-exempt debt for a wider range of activities to spur job creation and promote economic growth in Indian Country. By providing tribes with the ability to issue tax-exempt debt in a manner similar to that available to state and local governments, tribes can lower their borrowing costs and more easily engage in new economic development projects. With the Cobell and Keepseagle Settlements, the Tribal Law and Order Act, water rights settlements, fee-to-trust reform, TED bonds, and now the HEARTH Act, this Administration’s accomplishments for Indian Country tell a very compelling story about how far we have gone to make meaningful progress on advancing tribal self-determination, promoting economic growth, and revitalizing our trust responsibility. Water and land are the primary trust assets we manage for Indian tribes, and the Obama Administration has made monumental strides by recognizing tribes as partners, ending the repetition of past mistakes, and working together to identify and develop concrete solutions that will improve the quality of life in tribal communities. By Jodi Gillette, Senior Policy Advisor for Native American Affairs, White House Domestic Policy Council |
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FDA allows cancer chemicals in food
| Ask the FDA to ban cancer-causing chemicals in all of our food. |
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Sign Susan’s Petition
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FDA: Get cancer-causing chemicals out of ALL food packaging now!
Started by: Susan, Portland, Oregon
The FDA just announced that baby bottles and sippy cups can no longer contain bisphenol A (BPA), a controversial hormone-disrupting chemical that studies show is linked with cancer, obesity, heart disease, and other life-threatening diseases.
This is a huge step towards getting dangerous chemicals out of our food supply. BPA isn’t just found in baby products — routine tests have found BPA in more than 80% of Americans’ bodies. It’s used in packaging food, lining cans for soups and sodas, and more.
Protecting my kids doesn’t stop when they graduate from bottles and sippy cups. I am counting on the FDA to help regulate this dangerous chemical so the people I care about most in the world are safe — no matter how old they are.
I know that together we can make a difference. Last year, I helped pass a ban on BPA in children’s products in my own community in Oregon. Doctors, researchers, and medical experts testified about the risks of this chemical and the importance of keeping BPA out of our children’s bodies. I was moved to tears by the hundreds of people who signed my Change.org petition in support of that campaign, and I hope this petition will make the FDA take notice, too.
Major brands have already begun distancing themselves from BPA due to consumer outrage. These companies have shown great leadership, but moving company by company and product by product is taking too long. BPA will continue to make people sick until it’s out of our food supply for good. We need strong action from the FDA now to protect us, and our kids, from these dangerous chemicals.
Tell the FDA to ban BPA now.
You can also check out other popular petitions on Change.org by clicking here.
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