Category Archives: ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Massachusetts Ranks No.1 in Energy Efficiency

10/26/2011 Nativegrl77

Massachusetts
was named the most energy efficient state in the country, according to a
report from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.
Photo: Flickr/monkeyatlarge

Massachusetts has been declared the most energy efficient state in
the nation, knocking California out of the No. 1 position for the first
time in four years, according to a national scorecard that ranks states’
energy efficiency programs.

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy released its fifth annual State Energy Efficiency Scorecard
last week. While Massachusetts garnered the top spot for the first
time, the Golden State slipped to second place, after holding the top
position for the first four editions of the scorecard.

“Massachusetts regulators have sent a very consistent message
that they want to ramp up their energy-efficiency programs. California
has been staying even, and Massachusetts has been flooring it,” Steven
Nadel, the Council’s executive director, told the Los Angeles Times.

Next year, Massachusetts is on track to reduce its electricity demand
by 2.4 percent, the newspaper reported, while California will cut its
demand by 1 percent.

Rounding out the top 10 most energy-efficiency states were New York,
Oregon, Vermont, Washington, Rhode Island, Minnesota, Connecticut and
Maryland, which made its first appearance in the top 10 this year.

The 10 states most in need of improvement were, starting in last
place, North Dakota, Wyoming, Mississippi, Kansas, Oklahoma, South
Carolina, West Virginia, Missouri, Alabama and South Dakota.

The six most improved states included Michigan, Illinois, Nebraska, Alabama, Maryland, and Tennessee.

Michael Sciortino, the report’s lead author, said states can use
energy efficiency as a strategy to generate cost savings, promote
technological innovation and stimulate economic growth, even during a
recession.

“Clearly, 2011 has not been kind to our economy, but energy
efficiency remains a growth sector that attracts investment and creates
jobs,” he said in a statement.

To draw up its annual scorecard, the Council analyzed states’ energy
efficiency programs and policies in the residential, commercial,
industrial and transportation sectors, including utility programs,
transportation policies, building energy codes, state government
initiatives and appliance energy standards.

READ: San Fran Named Greenest City in North America

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Investigate Clarence Thomas & Restore Ethics on the Supreme Court

10/26/2011 Nativegrl77

Nearly 45,000 activists have already signed our petition urging a DOJ investigation into Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas‘ ethics violations. Please add your name now and help us get to 60,000 signers by the end of this week! WWW.PFAW.ORG

New research by our allies has shed more light on the controversy over Justice Thomas’ failure to disclose his wife Virginia’s income on important judicial disclosure forms. The research shows that Justice Thomas knew enough about how to fill out the forms that he generally recorded his wife’s employment and earnings until 1997, when for some reason he just stopped. Since then, until recently correcting the forms, Thomas failed to disclose more than $1.6 million of his wife’s earnings, primarily from the ultraconservative think tank the Heritage Foundation.

This is just the latest revelation into why an ethics investigation of Justice Thomas is so needed, and why I am asking that you sign our petition to support calls by Rep. Louise Slaughter and her colleagues for the U.S. Judicial Conference to recommend the Justice Department launch an investigation now.

WWW.PFAW.ORG

Thanks! And after you sign, please help spread the word.

— Michael

Original Message:

Join the call for a Justice Department investigation into Clarence Thomas’ ethics violations.

Efforts to hold Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas accountable for ethics violations just jumped to the next level.

A group of 20 House Democrats led by Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) are now pushing for a Justice Department investigation into Justice Thomas’ possible serious violations.

Please sign our petition supporting the call for an investigation now.

The letter Rep. Slaughter and 19 of her colleagues sent was to the Judicial Conference of the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts. It urges the Judicial Conference follow the law and refer the matter of Justice Thomas’ non-compliance with the Ethics in Government Act to the Department of Justice.

Various reports have raised concerns about Justice Clarence Thomas’ seemingly flagrant disregard for important disclosure requirements under the Ethics in Government Act of 1978. Justice Thomas failed to disclose his wife’s earnings on judicial financial disclosure forms on which he was required to do so. And there are questions about his acceptance of gifts from interests with significant stake in several Supreme Court cases.

The Supreme Court’s very legitimacy and the public’s trust in the institution are under threat if Justices do not strictly adhere to ethical standards. It’s incredibly important that Justice Thomas’ violations are not ignored and that he be held accountable.

Hold Justice Clarence Thomas accountable — take action to support a DOJ investigation now!

Many of you have stood with our previous work to call out Justice Thomas for his conflicts of interest and the appearance of impropriety his actions have created. This is a significant escalation in those ongoing efforts, and it’s very important that you continue to stand with us.

After you sign, please help spread the word and recruit more Americans to this cause.

Thank you for your activism and your unyielding commitment to fair and just courts — the American Way.

Sincerely,

Michael Keegan, President

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

wacky Wednesday &some News

10/26/2011 Nativegrl77

just another rant … in response to an article i posted by DFA and offerings of signs -stickers

di is in los angeles (@tovangar2)
Why don’t you DFA ppl / Howard Dean get a life? You had no business printing “Occupy Wall Street” on those stickers together with your name. OWS is NOT affiliated w/ you & never would be, yet you use the name to make money for yourselves. That’s called fraud.

The OWS movement has NOTHING to do with party politics. We have the involvement of everyone. It’s the 99%, get it?

There is a HUGE negative reaction against you over this. Your name is mud.

Now stop being so damn sleazy.

ME:

It took me a few days to respond to a comment, which i still appreciate because that means someone is out there reading, thinking and has an opinion on articles or offerings of stickers etc. . I get that she thinks making money off of ows is wrong and claims the movement has no political element … what i don’t get is how someone has decided they own OWS and have the right to tell others they do not belong … what does that make her?

Anyway,

I have been trying to put into words what your statement means to me as a person who leans left and votes for the Democratic Party …at least for the Representatives here in Washington State up until this last year. First, I was offended got pissed and then wanted to tell you that so far “Occupy Wall Street” technically belongs to no one … or so everyone keeps saying so who are you to tell me or the DFA people along with Howard Dean to get a life? All you have to do is take a photo on any given day there will be different groups of people who have joined in the movement to voice their feelings by protesting, holding signs and occupying Wall Street. Let us not forget that the movement is happening all over the Nation and several countries and the 1^st Amendment is in full effect, but that is just my opinion. I would not tell any person they have no right to protest or get a sticker to begin with and btw I support the BarackObama212 campaign several different ways and the DFA. I don’t have any idea if DFA is making any money, yes, they represent a political element but NYC ows has quite a few Unions out there as well. I am curious to find out if a lot of people are offended by DFA giving out free stickers or selling 10for$10 because it is was and still will be a free will … a choice to partake or not in my opinion. I feel telling anyone they have no business in printing signs or stickers is an odd thing and it is my contention that we are all humans first who often react instead of being proactive. Therefore, I hear your passion and offense to big business and or political organizations getting involved in ows, how about taking it up with them. I chose to post it because I thought someone might want a free sticker not because I am helping change the meme or direction of the movement. I will say that I want the movement to support President Obama. As you might know, Teapublicans are not just unqualified they are inept, offensive racists, supporters of Voter suppression , against immigration, against a right to choose, against unions/collective bargaining as well as so many other things We the People want and you are protesting for … economic equality … that -we both agree on

Other News …

President Obama joined homeowners in Nevada to push for changes to the Home Affordable Refinance Program, also known as “HARP.” The President is asking Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae to loosen HARP restrictions, making it easier for property owners to refinance their home loans.

More Info »

Members Question Sec. Napolitano on Border, Immigration

Congress Examines Iranian Threat to U.S. Security

“Super Committee” Holds Public Meeting

Canceled CLASS Investigated >>

President Obama delivered remarks at a fundraiser speech for his re-election campaign in San Francisco. The President was also in Los Angeles earlier in the day where he took part in a taping of NBC’s “Tonight Show” with Jay Leno.

More Info »

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Support … Union of Concerned Scientists

10/25/2011 Nativegrl77

Want to know how you can help advance scientific solutions for a healthy environment and a safer world for as little as 40 cents per day? By joining the Union of Concerned Scientists‘ Partners for the Earth monthly giving program.

You can be confident your donations to UCS are spent wisely. We are accredited with the Better Business Bureau, have received four stars from Charity Navigator, and earned an ‘A’ rating from the American Institute of Philanthropy.

WWW.UCSUSA.ORG

The Partners for the Earth program ensures that UCS has the funds needed to bring scientists and activists together to fight to cut pollution and global warming emissions, promote clean energy and transportation solutions, reduce the threat of nuclear weapons—and much more—every day of the year. Plus, it’s easy and convenient for you!

To become a Partners for the Earth member, select an amount that is comfortable for you and it will be automatically debited each month from your credit card. Additional benefits to you include:

Your gifts go to work faster;
You receive special updates on our progress;
You save time and trouble—no need to write checks or fill in credit card information;
You receive less mail—your membership is automatically renewed;
You strengthen the Union of Concerned Scientists with steady, reliable support; and
It’s easy to participate!

For less than you would spend on a cup of coffee per day, you can make a world of difference for the planet we live on. Join the Partners for the Earth program today. Thank you for your ongoing support. WWW.UCSUSA.ORG

Sincerely,

Kevin Knobloch
President

P.S. As a Partners for the Earth member, you are in control. You decide the amount of your monthly gift, and you can change or cancel your pledge at any time. Please join today.

~ Culture & History, ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

U.S. Constitution – Amendment 14

10/25/2011 Nativegrl77

Amendment 14 – Citizenship Rights

1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice-President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State.

3. No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.

5. The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.