Category Archives: ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

CARE -- In the pounding mid-day African sun ... what is the weight of water many women in Africa carry on their head for up to five miles a day?

Schoolchildren have become agents of change in Kenya to help bring some relief to their mothers shouldering this daily burden. Learn how here.

Sincerely,

Helene D. Gayle, MD, MPH President and CEO, CARE

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

The Amazon and Oil Contamination … Rainforest Action NetWork

05/30/2012 Nativegrl77 2 Comments

How can you help the communities of the Amazon fighting oil contamination and a historic health crisis?
With water.
Specifically, you can help spread the word about ClearWater, a community-led project that is providing immediate relief to the people of the Ecuadorean Amazon. The same powerful communities that have been waging a 19-year battle to bring Chevron to justice for its toxic legacy in the Amazon are now building safe drinking water systems for themselves. Can you help spread the word by sharing this video with your friends and family?

For nearly two decades, 30,000 Indigenous and rural Ecuadoreans have been fighting to hold Chevron accountable for its oil pollution in the Amazon. What’s more, they’ve kept up the fight even while the absence of readily available clean water has contributed to a health emergency for their communities, including an epidemic of cancer, miscarriages, birth defects, and other ailments.
That’s why these rainforest communities have teamed up to launch ClearWater — a project that is providing safe drinking water to the people of the Ecuadorean Amazon while they continue to hold Chevron accountable for its oily mess.
Please share the video now.

		For a cleaner future,
		Ginger Cassady Change Chevron

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

CEO John Watson … Wake Up

05/30/2012 Nativegrl77

Send Chevron CEO John Watson a wake up call now!

RAN activists will be joining a large coalition of labor groups, community organizers, climate activists, and other environmentalists tomorrow at a protest outside of Chevron’s annual shareholder meeting. While protesters call out Chevron for putting profits ahead of people and planet outside, I’ll be going inside the meeting with people from communities impacted by Chevron operations from Nigeria to Brazil.
Two of the brave Ecuadoreans suing Chevron to clean up of its massive oil contamination in the Amazon — Luz Trinidad Andrea Cusangua and Robinson Yumbo — will travel to San Ramon, CA to take their calls for justice directly to the company.
Chevron needs to know that for every person like Luz and Robinson inside the meeting and for every protestor outside the meeting, there are thousands more who stand with us. Can you call Chevron CEO John Watson and ask him to take responsibility for his company’s oily mess in Ecuador?
We’ve set up a page that has everything you need to send a wake-up call to Watson: Phone number, sample call script, and a form so you can report back to us how the call went. Send Chevron’s CEO a wake up call now!
Even a large number of Chevron shareholders feel the company’s executive team has badly mismanaged the Ecuador lawsuit. One recently wrote: “Chevron’s actions are hurting shareholders as well as the indigenous people of the rainforest.” You can be sure Chevron shareholders will make their voices heard at the meeting, just as Luz and Robinson will be making their calls for justice in Ecuador loud and clear.
Chevron CEO John Watson needs to hear from you too.

		For a cleaner future,
		Ginger Cassady Change Chevron

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Fifty years after Vietnam

05/30/2012 Nativegrl77

The White House

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Fifty years after VietnamIn his speech at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C., President Obama did more than just mark Memorial Day; he began the 50th commemoration of that conflict and those who served in one of America’s longest wars.Fifty years ago, American forces stepped up operations in Vietnam. During the conflict, more than three million Americans served in the Vietnam war, and more than 58,000 American patriots gave their lives. And when U.S. forces returned home, too many never received the hero’s welcome they deserved.

Yesterday, President Obama told their story as it should have been told all along — a story of patriotism, honor, and courage. Here’s a short video to mark this important moment that you can share to help set the record straight and honor the service of Americans who fought in Vietnam:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/vietnam-war-50th

P.S. — To learn more about what you can do to support all America’s veterans and military families, become a part of the Joining Forces initiative.

Stay Connected

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

What does $700 million get you?

05/29/2012 Nativegrl77

What are pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device companies trying to buy with $700,000,000? Massive influence with our government.

Don’t allow science to take a back seat to the financial interests of corporations! Urge the FDA to protect the American people from unsafe food, drugs, and medical devices by protecting science from corporate interference.

That’s the amount of money these companies spent over the last three years lobbying Congress and the Executive Branch, which includes the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). And now, with negotiations underway on legislation that will govern how the FDA approves and monitors prescription drugs and medical products, it’s clear that all that money has bought the industry a lot of influence with our legislators.

We can’t allow science to take a back seat to the financial interests of corporations—especially when our lives are on the line.
We have seen many concerted efforts from industry lobbyists to roll back key safeguards at the FDA that protect science from corporate interference. The FDA’s foremost priority is to protect the American people from unsafe food, drugs, and medical devices. That requires the agency use the best available science when determining whether products are safe or not.

It’s time we remind the FDA to put safety first.
Take Action Today!

Sincerely, Michael Halpern Program Manager UCS Scientific Integrity Program
P.S. Don’t Forget: Give to the Union of Concerned Scientists today and your gift will go twice as far—helping to challenge attacks on science and stand up to corporate-sponsored misinformation.