Tag Archives: California

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

UCS ~~ Tell UPS: Stop Supporting Big Oil’s Front Group!


 

 

 

Tell UPS: Send a message to UPS

Tell UPS to lead the way on oil savings solutions and drop their support for Big Oil’s front group.

Take Action Today!

 

Dear Activist,

As one of the nation’s largest delivery companies—with more than 96,000 vehicles in its fleet—United Parcel Service (UPS) is making a difference in reducing oil use by improving the efficiency of its trucks. Yet UPS continues to support Fueling California, an oil-industry funded effort to derail California’s clean fuels policy.

California’s policies serve as a model for reduced oil use across the nation—encouraging reductions in global warming emissions for every gallon of fuel used, helping ensure that less fuel is burned for each mile driven, and guiding the development of “smart” cities that allow people to drive less.

The oil industry is doing everything it can to slow down a transition to cleaner fuels in an effort to protect their bottom line, and they’re betting they can fool Americans by hiding behind companies like UPS. UPS shouldn’t tarnish its fuel-efficient image by being a member of Fueling California.

UPS needs to hear from citizens like you who support companies that take reducing their oil use seriously. Tell UPS to live up to its reputation as a fuel-efficient leader and stop supporting efforts to derail progress for California and the rest of the country.

Take Action Today!

Sincerely,

Rachel Cohen National Field Organizer Clean Vehicles Program Union of Concerned Scientists

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Uncovering a Mystery of the Deep, a Dangerous Iceberg, and More


Inside Nat Geo
Icebergs, Chimps, and Mysteries of the Deep
This week we’re diving deep to bring you an insider’s look at what’s happening around National Geographic.First up: Polar bears aren’t the only threat in the Arctic.

Iceberg

There Was This Other Iceberg…
National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Enric Sala and his team are exploring Franz Josef Land, one of the world’s most remote archipelagoes. Recently, a chance event saved them from a dangerous encounter.
See what threat is bigger than a polar bear.

Giant Mythical Maya Discovery

What Made These Mystery Circles?
No, it’s not aliens of the deep—it’s actually male pufferfish building elaborate nests to woo females. These puffy perpetrators spend about ten days carefully constructing and decorating these strange structures.
Get the story behind this labor of love.
Well, half the fish are female—I guess we could put up with a few women. - Join the Conversation
Battling the Yosemite Rim Fire
See photos of firefighters battling a massive fire that menaces Yosemite National Park.
New “Teddy Bear” Species Discovered
This rare, fuzzy forest dweller is found in Andean cloud forests.
Six Stealthy Energy Hogs
These power-hungry devices eat up more than their fair share of energy.

The Photo Story You Made

In Pursuit of Poachers
The typical drama of chimpanzee life, punctuated by a frequent chorus of hoots and screams, was heightened by gunshots and a foot chase through the forest to catch poachers on a recent afternoon in Uganda.
Read Young Explorer Aaron Sandel’s account of the action.

Help Us Name this Mystery Fish

Go Beyond the Yellow Border
A lot has happened in our 125-year history. Now, go behind the scenes to learn National Geographic’s insider secrets on special expert-led tours of our headquarters in Washington, D.C. And if you can’t come to us, we’ll come to you. Experience the best of National Geographic with Nat Geo Live events in cities across the country.
Learn more about “Inside the Geographic” tours.
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Stand with the people of Richmond


Campaign for a Fair Settlement a project of Action for the Common Good

Take Action

Get more people involved in fighting back against Wall Street bullies by sharing this image or sharing the petition to Stand with Richmond.

Impressive.
We’re getting reports from our partners in California that this is how the people fighting for Local Principal Reduction (LPR) in Richmond are describing all the support and media attention that’s been focused on them since that city started using that policy to move towards helping struggling families stay in their homes.

Thanks to the efforts of supporters like you, 20,000 people have signed on to support Local Principal Reduction and over 6500 have signed on to support Richmond, CA, efforts in particular. Activists at the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) and the Home Defenders League delivered those signatures directly to Wells Fargo branches the same week the Wells CEO, John Stumpf led the charge of the Wall Street criminals in trying to stop Richmond’s efforts by suing the city the week after Richmond announced its policy. Just last week over 200 of you also called Stumpf’s office to tell him to stop suing and start negotiating.
Another thing that’s impressive is how important this support is in fighting back against Wall Street’s bullying of cities like Richmond. The lawsuit isn’t just about stopping Richmond, it’s about stopping ANY city from trying this common sense solution to fixing what Wall Street broke. The more people standing up the more likely we are to win! Can you help find more fighters by forwarding the Stand with Richmond petition with 5 friends? http://www.homedefendersleague.org/stand_with_richmond_ca You can also share it on Facebook here or on Twitter here.

You can also share this great Facebook graphic that the Home Defenders League created about the LPR fight between Richmond and the criminal bankers led by Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf (it’s the one in the picture at the top of the email).
This campaign is really heating up because there’s finally a way to fix what Wall Street broke and it doesn’t have anything to do with coddling Wall Street criminals; its main priority is keeping struggling families in their homes. Naturally, Wall Street bankers are desperate to stop it. If you want to stay up-to-date on these fights, the HDL has set up a special section of their website with information, updates, and ways to take action: http://www.homedefendersleague.org/local_principal_reduction
Thanks for standing up and fighting back in support of Local Principal Reduction!

In Solidarity,
Brian Kettenring, Executive Director, Action for the Common Good

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Her worst fear


National Women's Law Center
 by Emily J. Martin, National Women’s Law Center
When Svetlana Arizanovska found out she was pregnant, she  was very excited. A mother of three daughters, Svetlana worked two jobs to  support her family. By day, she worked for a medical supply company. At night,  she worked at Wal-Mart.
At Wal-Mart, Svetlana often lifted heavy merchandise to  stock the store’s shelves. Due to her pregnancy, her doctor told her not to  lift more than 20 pounds — but Wal-Mart refused to comply. In fact, Wal-Mart has  a policy saying pregnant employees are not eligible for reassignments to  another position, even though reassignments are available when employees need  them because of a disability. One day,  while she was lifting heavy merchandise for Wal-Mart, Svetlana started  bleeding. She told her boss, but he ignored her.
The next morning,  Svetlana went to the emergency room and realized her worst fears were true —  she had miscarried.
No one should have to choose between her pregnancy, her  health, and her job. But that’s exactly what happens to many women like Svetlana.
Please  help us fight for women facing challenges in the workplace and beyond. We need  to raise $10,000 by midnight on Thursday. Click here to chip in $10 or more to  help us reach our goal.

Employers typically accommodate workers with limitations  due to a temporary disability and often accommodate workers with injuries — but  when pregnant women need a temporary change in their job, many bosses refuse to  make even the smallest adjustments. They may not know they’re breaking the law  when they deny women like Svetlana the ability to work without compromising  their health or the health of their pregnancies.
Too many pregnant women have been faced with a choice no  one should have to make: Keep working and risk the health of their pregnancy —  or lose their job. It’s time for employers to stop breaking the law by using  pregnancy as an excuse to push women out of work.
It’s up to us to take  a stand against policies that punish women.
Your donation will  help us fight back. We depend on your support for our work on behalf of  women and families.
Thank you, as always, for everything you do.
Sincerely,
Emily J. Martin Vice President and General Counsel National Women’s Law Center
P.S. We depend on your support to help us fight for women  and their families. Please help us  reach our $10,000 goal before midnight on Thursday.
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

~~ Fact Sheet ~~ ObamaCares


 Obamahealthcaresig
GET THE FACTS ON HOW OBAMACARE IS ALREADY WORKING:
1.
THE 80/20 REBATE RULE:
If insurance companies
aren’t spending your premium dollars on your health
care — at least 80% – they’ve got to give you money
back. Insurance companies returned $1.1 billion last year,
benefiting 13 million Americans.
2.
YOUNG ADULTS STAY COVERED:
Children can
stay on their parent’s insurance plans until the age of
26. Already, 3.1 million previously uninsured young
adults have gained coverage.
.
Good health care is a vital piece of every American’s
daily life, and decisions about health are some of the
most personal and individual decisions anyone makes.
But too many Americans are left to struggle each
and every day with a system that works better for the
health insurance companies than it does for them.
The Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, builds on
what works in our health care system, and it fixes
what is broken, so that Americans can have access to
insurance plans that fit their budgets and are there
when they need them. It is a key piece of strengthening
the middle class in this country.
Obamacare is already making America’s health care
system work better for everyone. And that’s even for
those who have health insurance, because if you like
your plan, you can keep your plan. Over 70 million
children and adults with private insurance have been
able to receive preventive care – like annual checkups,
blood pressure screenings, and mammograms – for
free. When insurance companies overcharged for
care, Americans received a total of $1.1 billion in
direct rebates.
Lifetime limits are banned: no longer will Americans
go bankrupt because they fall seriously ill. More than
3 million young adults continued to have health care
coverage because they can stay on their parents’
insurance until the age of 26 and children with
pre-existing conditions can no longer be locked out
by insurance companies. States like New York,
California and Oregon have announced that monthly
premiums for their residents buying plans on their
own are set to decrease once the health insurance
Marketplace opens in October.
This is the kind of security that Americans deserve
and need to build a future for themselves and their
children. But there remains a concerted effort to
dismantle the law and move our country backwards.
Some members of the House have voted nearly 40
times to repeal the legislation – and have promised
to continue – while conservative groups have funded
$385 million in misleading advertising since 2010 –
outspending proponents 5 to 1. In the name of petty
politics, these groups are threatening the stability of
hard-working families.
OFA and its volunteers are taking action now to
combat these attacks. We will inform and empower
Americans to receive better care at a lower cost.
Starting October 1, millions more Americans can see
the benefits of Obamacare – and it’s our job to show
them how.
OBAMACARE FACT SHEET
BETTER COVERAGE, LOWER COSTS
PRINTED BY VOLUNTEERS
3.
ELIMINATING LIFETIME LIMITS:
Insurance
companies are no longer allowed to place an arbitrary
lifetime cap on your coverage, so if you or a family
member gets sick you won’t be billed into bankruptcy.
Already, 105 million Americans have seen this benefit.t
4.
RECEIVE FREE PREVENTIVE CARE:
Obamacare
ensures that you can receive preventive care services,
like vaccinations, mammograms, cancer screenings,
annual checkups, blood pressure and cholesterol tests
at no cost to you. Already, over 70 million Americans
have received free preventive care