Tag Archives: card check

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

2016 DNC host city

06/13/2016 Nativegrl77

Description Ben Franklin <b>Bridge</b>-2.jpg

We’re ready to elect another Democrat as the 45th President of the United States in 2016, and today we’re taking a big step on our path toward doing that.

After much buildup and very careful consideration over which city will host our 2016 Democratic National Convention, I’m pleased to announce that we’ll nominate the next President of the United States in Philadelphia — the City of Brotherly Love.

We’re going to have a great time together come July 2016 in Philadelphia — and many more details are coming soon. But there’s plenty of work for us to do before we reach Philadelphia, and Democrats will need your help to keep the White House blue.

So if you’re committed to electing the Democrat we’ll nominate next July, then add your name here and I’ll make sure you stay in the loop:

http://convention.democrats.org

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

55% of our nation’s streams& rivers are in poor condition, unfit for swimming, drinking or fishing..repost

06/13/2016 Nativegrl77

BREAKING ACTION! Clean Water Rule just released—help protect it from imminent attack! Today, President Obama finalized a strong rule making clean water a priority.

Send your thanks and urge him to stand strong against congressional attacks.

Today, after a decade of uncertainty created by the Supreme Court and the previous administration, President Obama and EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy have finalized a strong, commonsense rule to make clean water a priority by protecting the sources of drinking water supplies for more than 117 million Americans.

Thank the Administration for protecting clean water!

More than 800,000 Americans like you have called on the administration to finalize the clean water rule. Now it’s time to stand up once again for strong water protections.

Over the past decade, Earthjustice has been working hard to strengthen national Clean Water Act standards, establish legal precedents that raise the bar for polluters, and close loopholes that let polluters off the hook.

The Clean Water rule will:

Reduce confusion over which waters are protected by our environmental laws
Restore key environmental protections to many waters across the country that are currently vulnerable to toxic pollution
Provide hundreds of millions of dollars in economic benefits
Ensure that our rivers, streams and wetlands are protected for future generations to enjoy

Unfortunately, Congress is determined to put the interests of polluters ahead of clean water, including the quality of the water your family drinks. Members of both chambers are doing everything they can to block this rule so their polluter friends can easily dump waste in our waterways. That’s why it’s critical that we all stand up now to protect our clean water!

Join us in thanking the President for standing up to polluters by finalizing the clean water rule, and urge him to stand strong against congressional attacks.

Sincerely,

Chris Espinosa
Legislative Representative

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Cinnamon Toast Crunch … Homemade

06/12/2016 Nativegrl77

Homemade Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Makes 5 to 6 cups

1¼ c. white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
1¼ c. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon

⅓ c. coconut oil, at room temperature (or room temperature butter)
⅓ c. brown sugar

2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tbsp. vanilla extract

2 tbsp. honey
½ c. buttermilk maybe coconut milk

For the cinnamon sugar topping
1 tbsp. coconut oil, melted (or melted butter)

2 tbsp. granulated sugar
¾ tsp. cinnamon

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

The One Thing You Need to Know When Buying Vanilla Ice Cream

06/08/2016 Nativegrl77

We devoured pint after pint to get the scoop on vanilla ice cream — and uncovered the best-tasting brand along the way.

The One Thing You Need to Know When Buying Vanilla Ice Cream

Go to the freezer section of your local supermarket and you’re bound to find a number of brands peddling vanilla ice cream. Sounds fine, right? However, there’s a problem lurking among the labels: Brands that print phrases like “natural vanilla” on their packages may actually be pushing products that contain anything but.

RELATED: Want to make your own ice cream? Arm yourself with the best recipes and detailed video tutorials (try it for free).

In our America’s Test Kitchen TV taste test segment for supermarket vanilla ice cream, Jack Bishop explains that counterfeit vanilla is a bigger problem than one might think, and implores smart shoppers to read labels before buying a pint of the stuff.

“Vanilla extract is the key to buying ice cream with good vanilla flavor,” says Bishop. “If it doesn’t say vanilla extract, walk on by.”

Bishop explains to co-host Christopher Kimball that shoppers might see the words “natural vanilla flavor” printed on ice cream cartons. “Sounds pretty good, right? It’s actually imitation extract made from wood pulp.”

RELATED: Not sure if a Vitamix is worth it? Read our review of blenders. Shopping for a new skillet? We have you covered.

Vanilla flavoring was all over the map in the 8 ice creams we included in our taste test, ranging from barely detectable in some to overpowering in others. We looked on the back of the cartons and noticed that each brand seemed to list vanilla in a different way—as Bishop explained—from the wordy and virtuous “fair-traded certified vanilla extract” to “natural vanilla flavor” to simply “vanilla.” Dairy expert Scott Rankin, a professor of food science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, explained that the different wordings on the labels amount to an industry shorthand for specific kinds of natural or artificial flavorings. As he helped us break the code, we looked at our favorite (and not-so-favorite) ice creams according to the type of vanilla.

First, a little background: The flavor in vanilla beans is predominantly due to the presence of a compound known as vanillin. Vanillin is produced three ways: from vanilla beans, from wood, and from resins. The first two types are considered natural, while the vanillin from resins is synthetic. Not surprisingly, our top three top-ranked brands all contained the real deal—“vanilla extract”—natural vanillin extracted from vanilla beans, just like the real vanilla extract in your pantry. Less favored brands were made with vanillin extracted from wood (“natural vanilla flavor”), which is chemically identical to the synthetic vanillin found in artificial vanilla extract. Simple “vanilla” turned out to be code for a combination of synthetic and natural vanillin, while “natural flavors” (with no mention of vanilla at all) indicates just a trace of natural vanilla (there’s no required level) and other flavorings such as nutmeg that merely trigger an association.

Bottom line: Our tasters strongly preferred brands containing real vanilla extract.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

ACTION:Turn On The Water … it’s the right thing -reminder

05/27/2016 Nativegrl77

Thousands of low-income Black Detroit residents have already had their water shut-off risking both public health and personal safety. What’s worse — the city plans to resume shut-offs tomorrow.

Water is a human right.

Tell the panel: turn the water back on in Detroit

Thousands of low income Black Detroit residents have already had their water shut off, risking both public health and personal safety. What’s worse — the city plans to resume shut-offs tomorrow.¹

Just weeks ago, under pressure from organizers in Detroit and thousands of supporters online, Governor Rick Snyder’s hand-picked Emergency Manager returned control of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) to the duly-elected mayor.² While a small victory for local control, the move was ultimately a political ploy to provide cover for Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr. Mayor Duggan’s “10 Point Plan” does little more than offer better customer service while continuing the inhumane and unjust practice of shutting off water.³

The solution is the Water Affordability Program (WAP) passed by the city council back in 2005. The WAP would provide relief to thousands and create a safety net that allows low income residents to pay on a sliding scale, based on their income. A 3-judge panel is holding a hearing on August 29th during which they could order the WAP back into effect and end the shutoffs once and for all.

Sign the petition: tell the panel to turn the water back on and implement the Water Affordability Program.

While Detroiters suffer under policies implemented by an unelected emergency manager, corporations are protected and speculators are circling. Individuals with as little as $33 owed have had their water shut off without warning while the Palmer Park Golf Course which owes $437,714 still has water.⁴ The initial round of shutoffs were a tactic to make the city’s water rights a more attractive target to potential private investors. ⁵

Even with authority tenuously returned to the Mayor, his plan offers little hope to residents whose rates have risen 119% in the past decade.⁶ Under this scheme, relief is only available after putting down a large lump sum payment and there is no promise that the emergency manager will not seize back control and change the rules yet again.

The Water Affordability Program would provide relief to all residents living under 175% of the federal poverty line and reign in the out-of-control rates DWSD has charged.⁷ The WAP is the best way to restore water to thousands of residents in Detroit at reasonable rates.

Turn the water back on: Sign the petition to implement the WAP.

Water is a basic human right and denying access to water poses a dire threat to public health. To make matters worse, earlier this month there were historic floods in Detroit. A state of emergency was declared. The flooding has caused millions of gallons of sewage to back up into waterways and basements. ⁸ How are you supposed to clean sewage from your basement when the city has shut off your water?

Sign the petition: Turn the water back on in Detroit!

Thanks and Peace,

Aimée, Rashad, Arisha, Matt, Johnny and the entire ColorOfChange.org team.

Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU—your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or large corporations that don’t share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way.

1. “Duggan, DWSD to release updated plan on water shutoffs Thursday; moratorium extended until Aug. 25,” Metro Times, 8/4/14,
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3787?t=8&akid=3599.1174326.1Q65qP

2.”Detroit’s drought of democracy,” New York Times, 7/29/14,
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3789?t=10&akid=3599.1174326.1Q65qP

3.”Orr Dumps ‘Hot Mess’ of Water Shut-offs in Duggan’s Lap,” People’s Water Board, 7/29/14
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3790?t=12&akid=3599.1174326.1Q65qP

4. “Detroit water department now sending shut-off crews to commercial customers,” Detroit Free Press, 7/14/14
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3798?t=14&akid=3599.1174326.1Q65qP

5.”Detroit shuts off water to thousands of broke residents,” Think Progress, 6/20/14,
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3791?t=16&akid=3599.1174326.1Q65qP

6. See reference 3.

7. See reference 3.

8. “Snyder declares flood disaster for southeast Michigan,” Detroit Free Press, 8/20/14,
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3792?t=18&akid=3599.1174326.1Q65qP