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Tag Archives: Congress
Tell your Senators to protect southern resident orcas and Chinook salmon today!
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by Elizabeth Ruther, Defenders of Wildlife Endangered southern resident orcas could soon be starved to extinction. Known as the “fish-eating orca,” these whales have relied almost exclusively on Chinook salmon for thousands of years to survive. But increased human activity has disrupted this balance and decimated the Chinook salmon population – and if we don’t act soon, southern resident orcas will be in real danger of running out of food. ACT NOW: Tell your Senators to save the last of the southern resident orca whales! Hydroelectric dams, over fishing and habitat destruction have all contributed to the endangered status of Chinook salmon. The Columbia-Snake River basin once produced more salmon than any other river system in the world. But today, less than 5% of the historic number of fish returns to the watershed to spawn. Without a healthy population of Chinook salmon, it is doubtful that the southern resident orca population will ever recover. These whales are struggling against pollution, marine noise, vessel traffic and a shortage of food. With their population in jeopardy, southern resident orcas were finally added to the Endangered Species List in 2005 – since then, they’ve lost close to 10% of their population with fewer than 80 of these whales left in the wild. That’s why it’s so important that we defend the Endangered Species Act (ESA), for animals like the southern resident orca and the Chinook salmon. Because of human activity, these two species are now forced to rely on ESA protections to survive. Tell your Senators to take action before it’s too late! Scientists agree that restoring abundant populations of wild Columbia and Snake River Chinook salmon must be our top priority to help save and recover the southern resident orca. Orcas are culturally and economically important to Washington State. Southern resident orcas attract between $60-$75 million dollars per year in tourism, and healthy population levels have been linked to maintaining a healthy marine ecosystem. Yet despite their significance, not enough is being done to ensure the survival of the remaining population. It’s up to Washingtonians like you, who care so much for our wildlife, to stand up for these amazing creatures. Ask your Senators to step up and fight for our southern resident orcas! Thank you for all you do. Sincerely,
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Days to save whales
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President Obama Meets With Senior Officials at the Pentagon Regarding ISIL:
 President Barack Obama meets with senior Defense Department, national security advisors and military leadership regarding the campaign against ISIL, at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., July 6, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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President Obama Provides an Update on Our Strategy to Degrade and Destroy ISIL
In Case You Missed It: West Wing Week 07/03/15 or, “Amazing Grace”
This week, the President signed a bipartisan trade deal, welcomed the President of Brazil to the White House–and showed her one of our national treasures–hosted 50 girls in green on the South Lawn for a campout to celebrate the great outdoors, answered questions about healthcare in Tennessee and online, and traveled to Wisconsin to announce new overtime protections for hard-working Americans. That’s June 26th to July 2nd or, “Amazing Grace.”
Our 3 Favorite Moments from the President’s Speech in Wisconsin
Three highlights from the President’s speech on the economy in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
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UCS and sustainable food systems …
Demand a healthy, affordable, sustainable food system.
Nearly 20,000 people have already signed our petition urging President Obama to establish a National Food Policy that will ensure healthy, sustainably grown food for all. It’s not too late to add your name! Sign today.
Read this issue on the UCS website.
www.ucsusa.org/publications/december_2014.html
Why we need a national food policy.
A twitter conversation with Michael Pollan, Mark Bittman, and Ricardo Salvador.
| Ricardo Salvador, Ph.D. Director, Food & Environment ProgramFollow Ricardo’s blog >> |
“I read your call for an executive order to create a national food policy. I heartily agree that our food system is broken. But how would a national food policy be any different—or better—than the backward set of policies we have now?”—O. Day, Oakland, CA.As things stand today, the federal government already addresses a range of interconnected agricultural issues—diet-related disease, environmental degradation, farm subsidies, food safety, pesticides, immigration and farm labor, workplace safety and health—with a patchwork of regulations and standards across at least eight agencies. Not only is this approach uncoordinated, all too often agencies work at cross-purposes. READ MORE |
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