Category Archives: ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Debra Bowen is a progressive leader

05/13/2011 Nativegrl77

The CA-36 special primary election is just six days away and we need your help to make sure DFA-endorsed candidate Debra Bowen closes strong.

Debra is kicking her Get Out The Vote operation into high gear during the final four days of the election. But the success of this operation will depend on DFA members to step up and push progressive champion Debra Bowen over the top. Can you help deliver the resources Debra needs to win?

http://act.democracyforamerica.com/go/731?akid=779.1480546.-cc5wp&t=1

Debra has always run campaigns empowered by grassroots activists. In this race, over 90% of her contributions have been for less than $100, and over 80% of all contributions have come online.

But Debra’s opponent Janice Hahn is being boosted by $75,000 from an insurance industry outfit targeting Debra’s defeat. And according to the L.A. Times, about half of Hahn’s campaign contributions come from “lobbyists, developers, and others doing business with the city” — the ultimate City Hall insiders.

Debra is a progressive leader who has always put principle over politics. But to ensure victory on May 17th, we need to make sure Debra has the resources to finish her grassroots campaign strong.

Thank you for everything you do.

-Charles

Charles Chamberlain, Political Director

Democracy for America

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

A national victory against coal …from Greenpeace

05/13/2011 Nativegrl77 1 Comment

For over 60 years, the coal-fired power plant in Salem Harbor, MA has been taking a toll on the community’s health by polluting the drinking water and poisoning the air.

But the community fought back.

And thanks to the hard work of local activists, it was announced this week that the Salem Harbor Generating Station is going to close. It’s a huge victory. Not just for the people of Massachusetts, but for activists in Colorado, Illinois, Pennsylvania and everywhere else who are working to shut down dirty coal plants in their communities.

Our campaign is just beginning. Greenpeace is going to continue to help these activists shut down the coal-fired power plants that are killing their communities.

However, they can’t win without strong health standards from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that limit pollution of toxins like mercury that come from coal-fired power plants. You have the power to make that happen by submitting a comment right now.

Help us close down even more dirty coal-fired power plants by submitting a comment to EPA now and urging them to strictly limit mercury and other toxic pollution from these plants.

www.greenpeaceusa.org

The EPA’s ability to protect American families from dangerous toxins like mercury is currently under attack by energy industry lobbyists and their friends in Congress. We have to speak up if we want to beat back these attacks and if we want more victories like the one this week in Salem Harbor. It’s as simple as that.

Right now, the coal industry doesn’t have to worry about the kids who develop asthma or the women put at risk of having a child with birth defects. Those costs are just passed on to the community. The EPA can change all that and put the cost of coal back onto the polluters responsible by limiting the pollution of toxins like mercury from these plants.

The comment period is only open for a short time. Submit a comment today.

It’s time to quit coal,

Kelly Mitchell

Greenpeace Coal Campaigner

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Mom loses custody because of breast cancer

05/12/2011 Nativegrl77 1 Comment

Alaina Giordano was diagnosed with breast cancer three and half years ago. That was bad.

This is worse: On April 25th, a judge in North Carolina used Alaina’s cancer as a key reason to transfer custody of her 5-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter to her ex-husband (a man Alaina describes as “abusive” and who lives more than 700 miles away).

This is happening even though Alaina says her kids “know that I have cancer, they know that I go for treatment once a month now, they know that it’s stable. They know me as mom, and it doesn’t affect our daily life.”

She has just two weeks to appeal, and her hope is that a huge outcry from the public and local elected officials can help reverse the decision.

Thankfully, that outcry is growing quickly. A petition started by Alaina’s sister Lauren has more than 7,000 signatures, Alaina was interviewed on Good Morning America and the Today Show, and media throughout North Carolina and the U.S. are now covering the injustice.

But time is short, and the wrong outcome here sets a dangerous precedent for mothers and fathers with cancer or other serious diseases. Please sign Lauren’s petition asking that Alaina Giordano’s breast cancer not be used as a reason to take away her kids:

http://www.change.org/petitions/do-not-allow-nc-judge-to-take-alaina-giordanos-children-just-because-she-has-cancer

Thanks for taking action,

– Shelby and the Change.org team

P.S. Alaina is urgently looking for a lawyer who can help with her appeal, pro bono. If you’re qualified to practice law in North Carolina and can help, shoot me an email at Shelby.Knox@Change.org.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Obama’s immigration speech

05/12/2011 Nativegrl77

Obama in El Paso.

The time for reform is now.

Almost 15,000 of you told the President that change takes courage.

http://act.reformimmigrationforamerica.org/go/1227?akid=696.164689.D7b–

Yesterday he renewed his push for comprehensive immigration reform painting a picture of a nation built on a rich heritage of immigration; a nation in which you can come to America and write the next chapter of our history.

http://act.reformimmigrationforamerica.org/go/1198?akid=696.164689.D7b-al&t=6

Today, we’re a nation where DREAM students are being deported, families are separated, and enforcement is at all-time high. The President has given the other side the space to come to the table and they haven’t shown up.

Now is the time for Congress to give us a permanent solution. Congress needs to address the economic and human costs of the millions of people living in the shadows of society and the broken immigration system that has broken up countless families and communities.

Tell Congress the time for excuses is up – it’s time to act on immigration reform. http://act.reformimmigrationforamerica.org/go/1227?akid=696.164689.D7b-al&t=7

The President is right – we each have the opportunity to write the next chapter of our history and that opportunity is now.

Thanks,

Marissa Graciosa

Reform Immigration FOR America