When Americans think Halloween, we think chocolate and treats, often from Hershey. That all changed today In Hershey, PA, when Strawberry the orangutan and RAN exposed the link between Hershey’s halloween treats and the plight of the world’s last wild orangutans. Hershey won’t guarantee that its products are Conflict Palm Oil free, so we took action today to drive home the message that Americans don’t want to drive orangutans towards extinction for something as trivial as chocolate.
Take action now to tell Hershey you won’t accept Conflict Palm Oil in your snack foods.
Picture this: A black limousine pulls up outside Chocolate World next to HersheyPark, the doors open and a group of dancing orangutans emerge and attract the attention of the crowd. They begin to roll out a red carpet in preparation for the appearance of the one, the only Strawberry the orangutan. Strawberry recently shot to fame after a video of her plea for help went viral two weeks ago. The dancing orangutans told the fans and paparazzi that Hershey had been so touched by Strawberry’s story they had decided to adopt a responsible palm oil policy and plan that would remove Conflict Palm Oil from Hershey’s products. They told the crowd that Strawberry was invited by Hershey’s very own CEO to make a grand appearance at the biggest event of the year, Hershey’s annual Halloween extravaganza.

You can imagine people’s disappointment when Hershey security showed up and asked Strawberry to get back into her limo and leave HersheyPark.
Strawberry and friends forced Hershey to admit that this was a stunt pulled off by Rainforest Action Network and that Hershey still has not taken action to protect the world’s last orangutans. Unbeknownst to Hershey, this morning RAN also issued a fake press release from Hershey that announced a new commitment to adopt a global responsible palm oil policy and remove Conflict Palm Oil from Hershey’s products. The story was even picked up by the Patriot News, Hershey’s hometown newspaper. By forcing a public rebuttal of our statement and blocking Strawberry, Hershey is in the embarrassing position of publicly announcing that it has no plans to cut Conflict Palm Oil from their products.
This morning’s action was great but this day of action is not over yet—now it’s your turn to make sure that Hershey knows that there are thousands of people who care worldwide looking to it for leadership. Join us right now to tell Hershey to cut Conflict Palm Oil:
1. Post on Hershey’s Facebook wall: Hey Hershey, I’m standing with orangutans, and I can’t stand by brands that use Conflict Palm Oil. Demand responsible palm oil from your suppliers and eliminate Conflict Palm Oil from your products. The power is #InYourPalm.
2. Call Hershey at (717) 534-4200. Click here for a sample call script.
3. Send a photo petition to Hershey and the other Snack Food 20 companies demanding Conflict Palm Oil free snacks and candy.
4. Tweet at Hershey: Hey @HersheysKisses, I can’t stand by brands that use Conflict #PalmOil. The power is #InYourPalm.
As the biggest candy-consuming holiday of the year, this is the best time of year to tell the Snack Food 20 to cut Conflict Palm Oil from their snack foods, chocolates and candies.
Thanks for all you do.

		For the great red ape,
		Gemma Tillack Senior Agribusiness Campaigner @ProbWithPal

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Breast Cancer Awareness: Early Detection Saves Lives

10/30/2013 Nativegrl77

Breast cancer affects 1 in 8 women. Although it’s one of the deadliest cancers in the United States, breast cancer is often treatable when detected early.

Mammograms, which are low-dose x-rays of the breast, continue to be vital in the early detection of breast cancer. To learn more, read the publication Mammograms by FDA’s Office of Women’s Health. You can read it online, download it as a PDF, and order print copies for yourself and loved ones.

Visit WomensHealth.gov for additional information about breast cancer, including symptoms, risk factors, treatment, and more.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

the Other Washington : Whole Foods

10/30/2013 Nativegrl77

Tessa Bean via CREDO Action : My campaign on CREDO’s new site that allows activists to start their own petitions.

My petition, which is to Seattle City Council members Sally J. Clark, Sally Bagshaw, Tim Burgess, Richard Conlin, Jean Godden, Bruce A. Harrell, Nick Licata, Mike O’Brien, and Tom Rasmussen, asks the following:

The Whole Foods-anchored megaproject being proposed by developers is wrong for Seattle. Handing over public land to the project would mean good jobs at unionized grocers would be replaced by low-wage/low-benefits, non-union jobs at Whole Foods. I urge you to stand with Mayor McGinn, workers, and Seattle residents, and reject developers’ request to transfer the city-owned alley required for the ill-advised Whole Foods megaproject.

Developers are now pushing Seattle City Council members to approve a massive new megaproject that would snarl traffic, disrupt the local workforce, and require the transfer of public land to create private profits. And despite the presence of multiple grocery stores in the immediate area, including six with well-paid, unionized workers, developers want non-union Whole Foods to be the anchor.

Mayor Mike McGinn has already stood up to the developers, who have demanded the city vacate and transfer ownership of an alley needed to complete the project. Mayor McGinn sent a letter recently instructing the Seattle Department of Transportation to recommend rejecting the street-vacation request, based on city guidelines that require granting such requests to serve the public interest. As Mayor McGinn stated, in this particular project “family health benefits and employee wage scales offered by the proposed anchor tenant are significantly lower than other similar businesses.”

Whole Foods has defended its record, claiming its wages are excellent and its benefits package is more than fair. Yet, it refuses to share the actual wage scale it uses to determine the pay of its “team members.” Its catastrophic health-care policies are also more expensive and provide lesser benefits to workers compared to the health insurance provided to union workers at nearby grocers.

If concerns about threats to the local workforce weren’t enough, it’s also clear that, with dozens of delivery trucks servicing the new businesses, hundreds of apartment dwellers entering and exiting the 370 new apartments proposed, and hundreds more shoppers using the proposed 650 parking spaces, there will be very high potential for dangerous accidents and expensive infrastructure costs associated with the project.

Community development goals are important to communities like Seattle. When government officials sign onto these goals, they help ensure that economic development provides real public benefits and help voters understand where their elected officials stand. If enough of us speak out and demand that the members of the Seattle City Council follow the goals of Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan and reject the street-vacation request the Whole Foods megaproject requires, we can ensure the quality and values of our community remain intact for years to come.

Click here to learn more and add your name to my petition to the Seattle City Council, to demand they stop the ill-advised Whole Foods megaproject by denying the developers’ street-vacation request.

Thank you for your support.

Tessa Bean

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Become a Charter Member

10/30/2013 Nativegrl77

NMAAHC -- National Museum of African American History and Culture

Thank you for spreading the word about the Smithsonian’s newest museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). However, not a roof beam can be raised, a nail hammered, or a window set into place without the steadfast commitment from friends like you.
That is why I hope you’ll become a Charter Member of the Museum. Every dollar you can give brings us one step closer to the day we open the doors on what will truly be a great addition to the Smithsonian’s family of museums.
The NMAAHC will present the dark days of slavery and also celebrate individual heroism and collective resiliency that was the Civil Rights Movement to the triumph of the election of the first African American president and beyond. But this history is not solely for African Americans. This history is America’s history.
Our challenge now is to raise the money we need to build this exciting addition to the American cultural landscape. Of the $500 million needed, Congress has committed to provide half of the funds required to build the Museum. This means we need your help to raise the additional $250 million in private donations to open the doors of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in 2015.
We broke ground in February 2012, but to continue construction, your generous support of the Museum as a Charter Member is critical. In return, you’ll be eligible for many special benefits:

For your gift of $25, you will receive a 10% discount at all Smithsonian gift shops and online, special E-updates about Museum events, programs and exhibitions, and your name added to the Museum’s prestigious electronic Honor Roll of Charter Members to be displayed at the Museum.
For your gift of $40, you will also receive a beautiful 8.5″ x 11″ Certificate of Appreciation, perfect for framing and proudly displaying your support of the Museum.
For your gift of $100, you will also receive the double CD Every Tone a Testimony, a fascinating aural history of African Americans in words, music and poetry.
For your gift of $250, you will also receive the book Let Your Motto Be Resistance: African American Portraits, a beautiful collection of portraits and stories of prominent African Americans.

Please don’t delay in becoming a Charter Member. We need your help to build this great Museum. . With your help, we’ll build this important museum to honor the great legacy of the African American experience.
Sincerely,

Lonnie Bunch
Director
National Museu

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

Food Safety Modernization Act

10/30/2013 Nativegrl77

Let’s Make a Difference

Comment Period Ends November 15th

— The Time to Comment Is Now —

Make Your Voice Heard to the FDA

Safety Standards for Produce
Growing, Harvesting, Packing & Holding

Dear friends and customers,

As employee-owners of Johnny’s Selected Seeds, we invite you to join us in sharing your opinion with the FDA regarding new Produce Food Safety Rules and the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

We recognize that most of you will be touched by the proposed changes, in some cases dramatically. While the day-to-day demands of farming may keep us running from sun-up to sundown, when it comes to legislation that places the very livelihoods of many farmers across our country in jeopardy, it’s time to express your well-earned opinions.

To learn more about the rules and leave your comments, visit Regulations.gov. To date, the grower’s voice is underrepresented. With your input, the FDA will get the “real dirt” as to just how the specifics of this proposed legislation — constituting the largest food safety overhaul in more than 70 years — could impact your farming operations.

We encourage you to speak up now — the FDA’s comment period closes November 15th!

By taking the time to participate in the discussion now, you can make a real difference in the long run. And again, thank you for choosing Johnny’s as your source for seeds and more — we look forward to serving you for many years to come.

Johnny’s Selected Seeds
TOLL-FREE: 800-854-2580
FAX: 1-207-238-5388