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Dear Activist, I’m sure you’ve heard that the Obama administration has released its long-awaited proposal to reduce carbon emissions from existing power plants. But did you know the proposal would encourage fracking? Under the proposal, power plants, mainly coal-fired plants, would have to reduce their carbon emissions. One way the electricity companies would be allowed to do this is by switching from coal-fired plants to gas-fired plants. The EPA still considers gas a cleaner fuel than coal, because they don’t count the full life of fracked gas. But we know that fracked gas can be as dirty as coal. Can you submit a comment to the EPA and ask them not to allow fracked gas to replace coal? As you know, more and more of the gas we burn comes from fracking. The move to more gas-fired electricity will mean more fracking. While there is hope that this proposal would spur development of wind and solar, the fact is that the cheap alternative to coal is fracked gas. With Chevron and BP recently announcing that they are abandoning their wind and solar efforts, the writing is on the wall: the energy industry has decided that fracked gas is the alternative. Thankfully, we have a chance to influence the proposal before it is finalized. Submit a comment asking the EPA to not allow the rule to be finalized in a way that allows fracked gas to replace coal. Thanks for taking action, Mitch Jones P.S. Check out our factsheet for more information on fracking and climate change. |
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Tag Archives: card check
The holy sh*t response to climate change
Emma Ruby-Sachs – Avaaz
The delicate balance of the planet’s biosphere is tipping — threatening all life on earth. Scientists are calling it our Holy Shit moment on climate change, and world leaders meet at the UN in just over 100 days — we have until then for all of us, everywhere, to act, in the largest day of action on climate change in history, to call for action and fight for everything we love. Sign up to join in:The last ice age happened in 6 months. 6 months for the planet to unleash an army of apartment-building-size ice blocks across Europe and the United States. It was a climate tipping point where the balance is knocked completely out of control and threatens the survival of everything — and three more tipping points exactly like it are on the verge of happening.
It’s our “holy shit” climate moment according to a leading NASA scientist, and only a holy shit massive coordinated day of action response, right now, can change the future we’re facing.
One agreement with common sense steps to end dirty energy can save us. That’s why the UN has called an urgent climate meeting in just over 100 days with all major world leaders — if we greet them on September 21st with the largest ever global climate mobilisation in history we can break through the walls of mega coal, oil, and business that prevent even the best politicians from doing what is right.
There’s no way to get around how big a task this is. But together, each small action will add up into a millions-strong movement that literally drowns out the opposition and gives our leaders the best reason to break free and build a hopeful, clean and green future. Click below to join in:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/join_to_change_everything/?biEWLbb&v=41138
“Tipping points” are feedback loops, where climate change feeds back on itself and causes rapidly accelerating, catastrophic consequences. Right now, methane gas that is 25 times worse for global warming than CO2 is frozen in our ice. But as the ice melts, the gas leaks, causing more melting and each melt loses us another layer of reflective ice shield that we rely on to keep the planet cool, more methane and less ice means more warming still, and everything starts to spin out of control. And that’s just one example… it’s why scientists are yelling from the rooftops that we have to act now.
We actually have the tools and the plan we need to make sure we don’t cross into a world where tipping points destroy us. And while it will take global cooperation on a bigger scale than ever before, our 36 million-strong movement already has the people power necessary to move leaders from every country to take the first steps. Just days ago, the United States and China announced serious new plans to curb their pollution — momentum is building ahead of next year’s critical Paris climate summit where a deal could be inked, and in just over 100 days we can take it up a notch further.
Taking to the streets in a record setting show of power and coordination is one of the most effective ways to create change — from the anti-Apartheid movement in South Africa to civil rights in the US, it’s sometimes been the only way. This is our chance to bring that power to the most important issue of our time: survival and a thriving future for our families, and their families and the generations of people to come. Click below to be a part of it all:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/join_to_change_everything/?biEWLbb&v=41138
We know we can do this… and do it big. When our community was just 3 million people we held 3,000 actions on the same day to protect our planet. We’re now 36 million strong, ten times the size! Imagine what we can achieve together now…
With so much hope for our future,
Emma, Iain, Lisa, Ricken, Alice, Emily, Sayeeda, Uilleam and the rest of the Avaaz team
MORE INFORMATION
Global warming: it’s a point of no return in West Antarctica. What happens next? (The Guardian)
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/17/climate-change-antarctica-glaciers-melting-global-warming-nasa
A Call to Arms: An Invitation to Demand Action on Climate Change (Rolling Stone)
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/a-call-to-arms-an-invitation-to-demand-action-on-climate-change-20140521
Mini ice age took hold of Europe in months (New Scientist)
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20427344.800-mini-ice-age-took-hold-of-europe-in-months.html
Report: Prepare for climate tipping points (Politico)
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/12/national-research-council-report-climate-change-could-hit-tipping-points-environment-100615.html
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Ecuador Breaks Its Amazon Deal
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Is this the future of Ecuador’s Yasuní-ITT? |
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In 2007, Ecuador pledged to refrain from oil drilling in the Amazon’s Yasuni National Park in exchange for financial compensation from several foreign governments. The so-called Yasuni-ITT initiative, named for the park’s Ishpingo, Tambococha and Tiputini oil fields, which together contain some 846 million barrels of heavy crude, sought to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, prevent deforestation and protect one of the world’s most biodiverse areas. To offset the renounced revenue, then estimated at over $7 billion, Ecuador requested $3.6 billion to be paid over a period of 13 years by some of the world’s richest nations. It was the first time a country had proposed keeping such a large reserve permanently in the ground. The initiative, managed through a trust fund administered by the United Nations Development Program, was popular in Ecuador. But in 2013, with only $13 million in cash raised, President Rafael Correa pulled the plug. Last month, the same week Mr. Correa condemned Chevron for its toxic legacy in Ecuador’s northern Amazon, the Environment Ministry approved plans for drilling in Yasuni by Petroamazonas, a subsidiary of state-run Petroecuador. The first crude could flow by early 2016. |
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Tell Congress to End the Overuse of Antibiotics on Factory Farms
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“They robbed me of that experience with my child”
Dear Activist, About four years ago, an antibiotic-resistant infection changed the life of Nicole, a mom from Kensington, Maryland. This situation could happen to anyone and is becoming increasingly common. But we can fix it. And you can help. Tell your lawmakers to pass legislation to save antibiotics for medicine, not factory farms. Nicole leads what she jokingly calls a “pretty crunchy” lifestyle. She grows her own organic vegetable garden, sticks to local and organic meat and limits the amount of processed foods in her pantry. After three-and-a-half weeks of breastfeeding her newborn baby, Thomas, she developed mastitis. “Sometimes the milk duct can get infected and it’s very painful,” Nicole said. “You’re supposed to work through it… but it got worse and worse. On a scale of 1 to 10, the pain became a 30.” Nicole received antibiotics from her OB/GYN, but it quickly became apparent that they weren’t working. A team of doctors from different hospitals and offices soon discovered that she had antibiotic-resistant MRSA in her breast. The infection was spreading rapidly, and everyone was concerned that Nicole’s C-section incision would soon become septic as well. Nicole was stunned by the whole situation. By far the scariest part of Nicole’s infection was learning that it had spread to her breast milk, putting her newborn at risk. “It was devastating to me. The worst part of this whole thing for me was being told I couldn’t breastfeed anymore. It was worse than the pain. They robbed me of that experience with my child.” It took over four months and a lengthy stay in the hospital for Nicole to finally beat her antibiotic-resistant infection. The unfortunate reality is that she is not alone — 2 million Americans experience antibiotic-resistant infections every year, resulting in at least 23,000 deaths. And these infections can affect anyone, no matter who you are or how you live. This public health crisis is preventable. We can solve this problem. Factory farms are a breeding ground for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Every single day, factory farms are feeding their animals regular, low doses of antibiotics to make them grow faster and to prevent disease in filthy, crowded living conditions, creating superbugs that are resistant to antibiotics. In fact, the factory farming industry uses a whopping 80% of the antibiotics sold in the U.S. They’re allowed to play by their own rules when it comes to antibiotics, while we suffer the consequences. That’s why Food & Water Watch has launched this campaign to stop factory farms from abusing antibiotics. Our members of Congress won’t act unless we spread the word and build public pressure to convince our lawmakers to pass federal legislation to save antibiotics and save lives. People like Nicole shouldn’t have to go through that kind of ordeal and miss out on some of the most valuable and rewarding experiences of their lives just so factory farms can cut corners and turn a bigger profit. Thanks for all you do, Miranda Carter |
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California Legislature passes $156.4-billion 2014-15 budget
Los Angeles Times | June 15, 2014 | 6:23 PM
The Legislature on Sunday passed a $156.4-billion budget, approving new funding for preschool, the bullet train and welfare payments. The budget includes a plan for eliminating the shortfall in the teacher pension fund.
For the latest information go to www.latimes.com.
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