Tag Archives: Dangerous goods

More Than Half Of All Congressional Republicans Deny Man-Made Climate Change

While the House gears up to vote on Keystone XL pipeline legislation tomorrow, here is a bit of important context: 53 percent of House Republicans in the new Congress are climate deniers.

Today, we at CAP Action released a comprehensive look at the extent of climate denial in the 114th Congress. While more than 97 percent of climate scientists agree that climate change is real and caused by human activity, 53 percent of House Republicans and 72 percent of Senate Republicans deny it. A truly alarming finding of our report: 91 percent of Republicans on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee deny humans are responsible for climate change.

You can read the full report, which has an interactive map with details on how each state performs, here. And be sure to check out the infographic below as well, which among other things, details how much this anti-science caucus has racked up in campaign contributions from dirty energy companies:
Climate deniers in the 114th Congress

BOTTOM LINE: Man-made climate change is real, end of story. Refusing to address it hurts our environment, our nation’s public health, and our economy. Republicans need to stop worrying about the bottom lines of carbon polluters and start worrying about the health and safety of our communities and families.

~ pop culture

Goodbye, Colbert Report

01/09/2015 Nativegrl77

By CAP Action War Room

On Its Final Day, Remembering Some Of The Colbert Report’s Best

The final episode of “The Colbert Report” airs tonight, as its host Stephen Colbert moves on to succeed David Letterman as the new late night host on CBS. In the move, Colbert is retiring the hilarious, ridiculous, and lovable conservative pundit that hosted his show. In his honor, we wanted to share with you some of our favorite Colbert moments:

The Colbert Super PAC, “Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow.” In one of the best examples of the comedian’s humor to actually educate people about an important civic issue, Colbert’s efforts earned him a Peabody award, over $1 million in donations, and some pretty hilarious bits.
When Colbert interviews Jane Fonda and Gloria Steinem about their new feminist radio station — while the three of them make an apple pie.
Former Arizona Senator Jon Kyl landed himself in some hot water after saying that abortion services are “well over 90 percent of what Planned Parenthood does.” Abortion is actually just 3 percent of Planned Parenthood services, and when Kyl was corrected a spokesman said the Senator’s comment was “not intended to be a factual statement.” Enter Colbert.
Pretty much any time Colbert went head-to-head with Bill O’Reilly.
Colbert’s Congressional testimony — in character — about the plight of migrant farm workers. “I don’t want a tomato picked by a Mexican. I want it picked by an American, sliced by a Guatemalan . . . and served in a spa where a Chilean gives me a Brazilian.”
After Daft Punk cancelled their appearance on the Report, Stephen gathered some of his friends — including Bryan Cranston and Jimmy Fallon — to do their own rendition of the musical group’s summer hit, ‘Get Lucky.’
Any of Colbert’s “Better Know A District” segments — but perhaps most importantly when Nancy Pelosi rode a BMX bike.
Colbert’s appearance as the host of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in 2006: “To sit here at the same table with my hero, George W. Bush. To be this close to the man! I feel like I’m dreaming. Somebody pinch me. Actually, I’m a pretty sound sleeper, that may not be enough. Somebody shoot me in the face.”
That time when Colbert and Jon Stewart staged the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear. Hundreds of thousands of people attended the rally on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Colbert’s moving, tearful tribute to his late mother. The comedian knew how to be serious, too.

Thanks for nine years of giving us the most low-class, bloviating, hypocritical, obnoxious, arrogant — and all-around amazing — coverage of important progressive issues and so much more. We don’t know what to expect from the new show, but we aren’t expecting anything less.

PS: Want a taste of what Colbert is like out of character? Here he is talking to the Yale Daily News, with Yale student and former CAP Action intern Cody Pomeranz as the interviewer!

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Keep toxic chemicals off store shelves

01/09/2015 Nativegrl77

If there’s one question UCS gets asked a lot it’s this: “Why don’t you folks all work together?” But here at the Union of Concerned Scientists, collaboration is a guiding principle. We partner with many of the nation’s leading scientists, environmental and consumer protection organizations, and decision-makers in government to achieve our common goal: a healthy, safe, and sustainable future.
Right now, we’re teaming up with our friends at the League of Conservation Voters to pressure top retailers to keep hazardous chemicals out of their products.
Join us in taking action with the League of Conservation Voters. Send a message now asking the nation’s biggest retailers to keep toxic chemicals off their shelves >>
For years, UCS has worked as part of the Safer Chemicals Healthy Families Coalition to ensure that policy makers and consumers have access to accurate scientific information about the toxic chemicals in our communities and consumer products. Like you, we believe that people need access to adequate information about toxics if they are to make informed decisions that protect the health of their families. Now you can take the next step by taking action with the League of Conservation Voters to urge retailers to take toxic chemicals out of their stores.

Tell our nation’s biggest retailers to take toxic chemicals out of their stores! Add your name to our petition for safe products here >>

Want to keep harmful chemicals out of our everyday products?

Sign our petition to the biggest retailers to keep toxic chemicals off the shelves!

When you stopped to grab a bottle of shampoo, did anyone tell you that it could contain cancer-causing chemicals? Have you checked if that shirt you bought is kept wrinkle-free by formaldehyde? Do you know if that couch you bought is releasing chemicals that could harm your children’s mental development?
Most of the time, I don’t. It’s impossible to know all the right questions to ask when we go to the store to keep ourselves and our families safe. And frankly, it shouldn’t be our job. The stores where we shop should watch out for us by asking their suppliers to keep toxic chemicals out of their products. But they won’t do it unless we make them.
Sign our petition urging the biggest retailers to keep products with toxic chemicals off their shelves now >>
In April, we joined with the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families coalition on a campaign called “Mind the Store,” which asks major retailers to protect us by keeping the Hazardous 100+ toxic chemicals out of their products.
More than 40,000 people took action and we were heard! Target and Walmart responded to our petition by announcing that they would take some of the most dangerous chemicals out of the products they sell.
Now we need your help to make sure that other major retailers like Walgreens, Costco, and Safeway follow suit. These retailers are often stuck in the same place we are. Our broken federal laws mean they have limited access to basic health and safety information on toxic chemicals sold in their very own stores.
But they have the power to ask the questions and make the demands to keep us safe. And as we saw with Target and Walmart, if they hear from enough of their customers, these major retailers will tell their suppliers to take theseHazardous 100+ chemicals out of their products.
So help us show these major retailers that their customers are demanding toxic-free products. Sign our petition here >>
Our nation’s chemical laws may be broken, but we don’t have to wait for progress in Washington to start making our stores and homes safer.
With your voice and the thousands of others dedicated to creating safer chemicals that will lead to healthier families, we can create real change and accountability for the suppliers now and make sure our neighbors are minding their stores!