Tag Archives: black

1)the certified organic label is regulated by the USDA and indicates the absence of most conventional fertilizers and chemicals. A processed product(one that contains more than two ingredients)must have at least 95% organic material

2)The Demeter-certified Bio-dynamic designation means that farmers use practices emphasizing a holistic connection with nature. The nonprofit has been certifying produce and wine since 1982 and bans harmful chemicals and synthetic fertilizers.

3)Fair Trade products like coffee and chocolate are certified by the Fair Trade Federation, an international group working to relieve poverty. They ensure that producers receive a fair wage and that production practices promote long-term environmental sustainability and community development.

4)Green Seal is an independent nonprofit that promotes the manufacture, purchase, and use of environmentally responsible products. The seal accredited everything from hand soap to hotels.

5)Local generally refers to products grown within a 100-to-150 mile radius. Transporting goods locally uses fewer fossil fuels than shipping them from around the word. buy local

6)Natural means that the product contains no artificial colours or flavors ..not certified or regulated

7)Post-consumer recycled is material that has been sold, used and then recycled. It is the gold standard for recycled products

8)Sustainable forestry paper products are certified by the forest stewardship council and come from forests that are managed for long-term productivity and biological diversity.

Rachel Mount

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Tell the Labor Department to support equal pay ~ a repost

09/27/2015 Nativegrl77 3 Comments

Tell the Labor Department to support equal pay

Did you know that some employers tell their workers that they cannot talk about their wages? Or that some workers could be punished for having a conversation with a co-worker about their paychecks?

For too many, that’s the truth. More than 6 in 10 private-sector workers say their employer either bars or discourages them from sharing information about their pay.

This unfair practice allows companies to keep wage discrepancies hidden. It also contributes to discrimination in the workplace. And that’s bad news for our work on equal pay.

But there’s good news, too: The Department of Labor is working on a plan to end these salary gag rules. Here’s your chance to tell it you support these efforts.

Tell the Department of Labor you support
this equal pay ruleSend a comment to the Department of Labor telling it that workersshould not be punished for talking about their pay.Take Action

If workers could talk about their wages openly and without fear, they could find out if they’re being paid less and determine if the discrepancy is due to discrimination based on their gender, race, or ethnicity.

And of course, women are hit hardest by wage discrepancies. Overall, women make just 78 cents for every dollar a man makes. African American women face a larger gap when their wages are compared to white men, making just 64 cents on the dollar. And Latinas make only 56 cents compared to white men.

Plus, the proposed rule wouldn’t just prohibit retaliation against workers who discuss their pay. It would also require contractors to give employees clear information about how they’re protected from retaliation for discussing pay.

Help us fight for equal pay for women today. Send a comment to the Department of Labor.

Thank you for taking action.

Sincerely,
Fatima Goss Graves
Vice President for Education and Employment
National Women’s Law Center

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

From Paper Promises to Real Change: Saving Indonesia’s Rainforests

09/26/2015 Nativegrl77

two years since Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) abruptly changed course, silenced its bulldozers and announced a groundbreaking Forest Conservation Policy. For decades, the Indonesian logging giant had been one of the globe’s most notorious threats to rainforests and forest communities – taking over and mowing down tens of thousands of acres a year to produce wood pulp for books, copy paper, tissue and packaging.

But after steady years of nonstop pressure from RAN and other groups, we achieved one of the most dramatic shifts in corporate policy ever. APP’s Forest Conservation Policy has the potential to impact millions of acres of some of the most culturally and biologically diverse landscapes in the world — and it would never have happened without the steadfast perseverance of supporters like you.

So THANK YOU once again!

But at Rainforest Action Network, we know that promises, especially of the corporate variety, can be broken.

So over the past two years, we have remained vigilant and active behind the scenes, working hard to turn paper promises into real change on the ground. Our goal is not a corporate PR moment, but real positive impact on the lives of local communities in Indonesia, and the protection of crucial habitat for endangered wildlife like the Sumatran tiger, elephant and orangutan. Working with Indonesian and other allies, our efforts have resulted in an improved process for conflict resolution with local communities, a commitment to effectively restore over two million acres of degraded forests, and we are still fighting for improvements and greater transparency throughout APP’s implementation process.

Just last month, RAN released an in-depth report on APP’s progress. Along with 10 allied organizations – including 9 based in Indonesia – this on-the-ground research consulted 17 Indonesian communities directly impacted by APP – and the results reveal significant policy implementation problems. Our report offers detailed recommendations for how APP can properly address hundreds of unresolved land conflicts remaining in its concessions, Just today the company has released an action plan outlining its response to our concerns and a third party performance evaluation of APP that we helped secure.

While we will continue to hold APP accountable, RAN also directly supports frontline communities living with the historic impact of APP’s deforestation. Our Protect-an-Acre program provides crucial grants that go directly to the local organizations and community groups working on these issues – groups like Yayasan Wahana Bumi Hijau (WBH) which recently supported villagers to successfully negotiate an agreement with APP to return 24,000 acres of their traditional lands to community stewardship. This story is just one of many, many more – please visit the Protect an Acre site to learn more and to pledge your support directly to the frontline communities that need it most.

Thank you for making this possible – and please help us keep up the pressure in 2015 and beyond.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Kathy Calvin, United Nations Foundation: Important: Roadmap to 2030

09/11/2015 Nativegrl77

It’s here: Our once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a sustainable world without poverty and with opportunity for everyone.

On September 25, world leaders will come together at the United Nations to adopt the Sustainable Development Goals, a concrete action plan for people and the planet. It’s our shared global to-do list for ending extreme poverty, fighting injustice and inequality, and fixing climate change — all by 2030.

If the goals are going to work, everyone needs to know about them. We have to make sure every person from all sectors and all countries is prepared to add his or her voice so leaders know we want global action for a better world.

The Global Goals are coming. Learn more by watching and sharing this short video:

Click here to watch a video introducing the Global Goals.

If we seize this moment, we can be the first generation to end extreme poverty, the most determined generation in history to end injustice and inequality, and the last generation to be threatened by climate change — but we need everyone to play a role.

Watch and share this video to help spread the word about the Sustainable Development Goals now.

Thank you for joining the movement — let’s make the goals a success!

Kathy Calvin
President & CEO

P.S. Over the next few weeks, we’ll explore specific goals and how they can make a difference for billions of people around the world. Is there a goal you want to make sure we cover? Tell us here.