Tag Archives: European Union

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

a message from Mark Floegel, Greenpeace


Hi,

greenpeace

Did you see my message from the other day? Honeybees are in serious trouble and need our help. One type of pesticide is killing off their hives by the thousands. The European Union just banned the pesticides responsible, and we need to convince the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to do the same.
We are more than halfway to our goal of 75,000 messages to the EPA, but we need your voice to make sure we get there.

Take a minute to urge the EPA to protect the bees and ban this pesticide!
Thanks, Mark

From:  Mark Floegel, Greenpeace

Subject: Honeybees

Honeybees that pollinate our food are being poisoned by pesticides called “neonics.”
Save the honeybee! Tell the EPA to ban use of these toxic chemicals to protect our food and our environment. take action today

Honeybees pollinate many of the nuts, fruits and vegetables we love. But beekeepers like me keep discovering our honeybees – whole hives of them – gone or dead.
This is no act of God. Our bees are being poisoned.
Scientists have linked a powerful class of pesticides called “neonics” to increases in bee die-offs. Due in part to these deadly toxic chemicals, 31% of hives in the United States collapsed this past winter alone.
Last month millions across Europe spoke up for the bees and pressured the European Union (EU) into imposing a two year ban on neonics, defeating the influential pesticide lobby. If we act together, we can convince the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to do the same.
Help us send 75K comments to the EPA by June 27th to save the bees that pollinate our crops and that visit your backyard.
Tell the EPA today to suspend the use of neonics on crops that bees pollinate.
Viruses, mites and malnutrition can all contribute to the collapse of a hive. But neonics pose a unique threat to bees. These poisons spread into the pollen and nectar of treated plants, slowly accumulating in the hive with each bee’s trip to a contaminated flower.
By allowing toxic chemicals like neonics to weaken and kill bees, we threaten our food and our environment.
The companies that make these pesticides, Bayer and Syngenta, have spent millions lobbying the United States and European governments that simply commissioning more studies – even while bee populations plummet – will somehow solve the problem.
Of course more studies are welcome, but action is needed now to prevent an agricultural catastrophe.
Tell the EPA to suspend use of neonic pesticides in order to save the bee population that we all depend on.
Trying to solve all agricultural problems with chemical additives is shortsighted and reckless. To ensure that we have safe and reliable food, we must strive for sustainable agriculture that works with nature, rather than manipulates and destroys it.
The elimination of bee-killing pesticides is major progress towards that goal. Every step that helps restore the balance between the natural world and the agricultural world is an important one.
For the bees,
Mark Floegel Greenpeace Senior Investigator and Beekeeper
P.S. Honeybees need our help. Pesticides from our crops are killing off their hives by the thousands. Tell the EPA to protect the bees and ban the pesticides responsible.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Break Monsanto’s grip


The Maasai community - with Avaaz.org's profile photo Dear Avaazers,

Alice Jay – Avaaz.org

One mega-company is gradually taking over our food supply — putting the planet’s food future in serious danger. But we can turn the tide on Monsanto and other companies that push through policies that prioritise their profits over the public good. Pledge now to help stop this dangerous domination of our politics and our food:

Pledge now

One mega-company is gradually taking over our global food supply, poisoning our politics and putting the planet’s food future in serious danger. To stop it we need to expose and break up Monsanto’s worldwide grip.

Monsanto, the chemical giant that gave us poisons like Agent Orange and DDT, has a super-profitable racket. Step 1: Develop pesticides and genetically modified (GM) seeds designed to resist them, patent the seeds, prohibit farmers from replanting their seeds year to year, then send undercover agents out to investigate and sue farmers who don’t comply. Step 2: Spend millions lobbying government officials and contributing to political campaigns, get former Monsanto bigwigs into top government jobs, and then work with them to weaken regulations and push Monsanto goods into markets across the world.

As long as US law allows corporations to spend unlimited sums to influence policy, they can often buy the laws they want. Last year, Monsanto and biotech giants spent a whopping $45m to kill a ballot initiative that would have labelled GMO products just in California, despite 82 percent of Americans wanting to know if they are buying GM. And just this month, the company helped ram through the “Monsanto Protection Act,” that blocks courts from stopping the sale of a product even if they’ve been wrongly approved by the government.

Monsanto’s power in the US gives them a launch pad to dominate across the world. But brave farmers and activists from the EU, to Brazil, to India and Canada are resisting and starting to win.

We’re at a global tipping point. Pledge now to join forces to break Monsanto’s grip on our politics and our food and help stop the corporate capture of our governments. Avaaz will only process the pledges if we get enough to make a real difference:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/stop_monsanto_nd7/?biEWLbb&v=24254

Monsanto is driving an industrial farming takeover — trampling small farmers and small businesses as vast ‘monoculture’ farms of single crops leech the land of nutrients, diminish genetic diversity, and create dependency on fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals. The irony is, it’s not clear that the decimation of natural, sustainable farming has brought any boom in crop yields. Just more profit for the corporations. Our governments should step in, but Monsanto’s lobbying obstructs them.

Monsanto’s near monopoly is breath-taking, with patent rights over 96% of the GM seeds planted in the US. And despite concerns about health and safety, the same patents allow Monsanto to prevent any farmer or scientist from testing their seeds! Still, a few countries have banned or restricted Monsanto products.

They claim their products cost less, but often farmers are lured into multi-year contracts, then seed prices rise, and they have buy new seed each season and use more herbicides to keep out ‘superweeds’. In India, the situation is so dire that one cotton area has been called ‘the suicide belt’, as tens of thousands of the poorest farmers have taken their lives to escape crippling debt.

But farmers and scientists are also fighting back — and winning. One group in India has helped win three patent battles against the corporations, and in Brazil five million farmers sued Monsanto for unfair collection of royalties, and won a $2 billion payout! Scientists are campaigning for sustainable agriculture models, and just last week 1.5 million of us joined the fight against conventional patents in the EU.

Only a massive, global, united force can stand up to Monsanto and the corporate capture of our governments. Let’s expose this dominance of our democracies, help farmers speak out, challenge unjust laws and patents, and go head to head with the corporate lobbies. Pledge to support action now:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/stop_monsanto_nd7/?biEWLbb&v=24254

We are running out of time. As we confront massive environmental, climate and food crises, we need sustainable agriculture and innovation, but that is best done by multiple farmers and scientists who know what works best in different ecosystems, rather than one monolith driven by their own profit, taking control our food future.

This corporate Goliath is increasing in power across our world. But if our 21 million strong community stands together, we have a chance. Avaaz members have repeatedly stood up against the world’s biggest bullies, and won. Now it is time for us to go big to save our policies from special interests, protect our food supply, and get justice for poor farmers.

With hope and determination,

Alice, Oli, Joseph, Ricken, Pascal, Chris, Michelle, Emily, and the whole Avaaz team

MORE INFORMATION

Seeds of discontent (Texas Observer):
http://www.texasobserver.org/seeds-of-discontent/

Monsanto sued small farmers to protect seed patents, report says (The Guardian):
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/feb/12/monsanto-sues-farmers-seed-patents

Political contribution discloslures (Monsanto):
http://www.monsanto.com/whoweare/Pages/political-disclosures.aspx

The Real Monsanto Protection Act: How The GMO Giant Corrupts Regulators And Consolidates Its Power (ThinkProgress):
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/04/10/1832621/monsanto-protection-act-power/

Monsanto Protection Act put GM companies above the federal courts (The Guardian):
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2013/apr/04/monsanto-protection-act-gm

Biodiversity for food and agriculture (UN Food and Agriculture Organization):
http://www.fao.org/sd/EPdirect/EPre0040.htm

Monsanto’s harvest of fear (Vanity Fair):
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/05/monsanto200805

Wikileaks shows US pushes GM on EU (The Guardian):
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/03/wikileaks-us-eu-gm-crops

USDA Greenlights Monsanto’s Utterly Useless New GMO Corn (Mother Jones):
http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2012/01/monsanto-gmo-drought-tolerant-corn

Crop Scientists Say Biotechnology Seed Companies Are Thwarting Research (New York Times):
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/20/business/20crop.html?_r=0

Additional sources (Avaaz):
http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_monsanto_sources/

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Pour une agricultur​e durable


The Nicolas Hulot Foundation has launched a petition on Change.org to support a reform of the CAP, which goes in the direction of sustainable agriculture for the future.   CAP stand for : Common Agricultural Policy

 

Change.org
                          La Politique Agricole Commune de l’Union européenne est en cours de réforme. C’est l’occasion de demander à nos dirigeants de défendre une agriculture durable, juste et solidaire.                       
      Signez la pétition

 

Chaque année, vous donnez, souvent sans le savoir, 100 euros pour soutenir majoritairement une agriculture gourmande en énergie et en pesticides.

En tant que citoyens européens, vous financez par vos impôts la PAC : la Politique Agricole Commune des États membres de l’Union européenne. Un budget annuel colossal de 50 milliards d’euros par an, qui ne sert qu’en minorité une agriculture durable, et qui n’encourage pas les agriculteurs qui optent pour des pratiques plus écologiques, pourvoyeuses d’emploi, justes et solidaires. Il faut que cette tendance s’inverse.

Nous avons une occasion d’agir sans précédent : la PAC est actuellement en cours de réforme et cela ne se produit que tous les 7 ans. La Fondation Nicolas Hulot a donc lancé une pétition sur Change.org afin de soutenir une réforme de la PAC qui va dans le sens d’une agriculture d’avenir.

Cliquez ici pour signer notre pétition.

Nous demandons que cette réforme soit organisée autour de quatre principes : favoriser l’installation de nouveaux agriculteurs, accorder plus d’aides aux systèmes agricoles les plus respectueux de notre environnement, répartir de manière plus équilibrée les aides entre les types d’agricultures et les différents pays, et ne plus pénaliser les agricultures du Sud.

À la Fondation Nicolas Hulot, nous avons toujours eu à cœur de créer des passerelles entre les citoyens et les décideurs politiques. Cette réforme de la PAC est une opportunité sans précédent d’agir sur un sujet qui vous concerne.

Aujourd’hui même, les députés européens sont invités à voter un premier texte, avant que les discussions entre le Parlement européen, la Commission européenne et les représentants des états membres ne s’engage. En cette date symbolique, vous avez la possibilité de faire entendre votre voix sur la manière dont cet argent est utilisé. Plus vous serez nombreux à soutenir ces principes, plus la portée de notre action sera importante.

Cliquez ici pour signer notre pétition pour une agriculture d’avenir, écologique, juste et solidaire.

En espérant compter sur votre soutien,

Nicolas Hulot,

Président de la Fondation Nicolas Hulot pour la Nature et l’Homme
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

A massive ray of hope on climate


Climate change is accelerating, but there’s a massive ray of hope: clean energy is booming, producing nearly 20% of the world’s electricity! Incredibly, the US and EU are threatening to stifle this breakthrough — but together we can stop them.

In the last decade the Chinese governmenthas invested billions in solar, sending panel prices plummeting and making clean green tech almost as cheap

There’s new hope on climate change, with 20% of the world’s electricity being produced by renewables! China’s aggressively invested billions in solar energy, making it almost as cheap as fossil fuels. But, instead of meeting that investment, the EU and US may be about to slap tariffs on Chinese solar panels, preventing a green revolution.

Sign the petition to stop a trade war, and hold talks to save solar:

Climate change is accelerating, but there’s a massive ray of hope: clean energy is booming, producing nearly 20% of as dirty fossil fuels. But the US and EU, who give billions in taxpayer subsidies to Big Oil and Coal, are about to drive solar prices back up by putting tariffs on China, and now China is threatening to retaliate. A full on trade war is brewing that could kill the crucial green energy revolution.

The EU and US are deciding right now. Most of the solar industry is against tariffs — and now massive public support could tip the balance. Sign the urgent petition to save solar – if we build a 500,000 strong petition, Avaaz will make a formal submission to the US International Trade Commission and EU trade Commissioner calling for talks not tariffs:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/a_ray_of_hope_on_climate/?biEWLbb&v=17606

China has a poor human rights and environmental record, and its strategy of flooding the global market with subsidised goods could be found to be too aggressive. But the right response to this is not tariffs, it is investment. While China, the EU, and the US all funnel billions into Big Coal and Oil to destroy our planet, China is also providing huge loans and subsidies to the solar industry. And that’s exactly what other governments have failed to do.

Following the bankruptcy of a handful of US and EU solar manufacturers, some lobbyists are pushing politicians to blame China, instead of their own insufficient and inappropriate subsidies. Some claim that domestic jobs are threatened by low cost Chinese panels, but the truth is the opposite — experts predict that tariffs could cost 60,000 jobs in the US alone. The vast majority of jobs in the solar sector outside of China are in installing and servicing panels, not manufacturing them, so cheaper panels now means more work, and more jobs. And less climate change.

The EU trade Commissioner initiated the investigation into tariffs today and the US ITC proceedings are about to kick off. Written statements to both must be submitted in days to be considered. We’re in a race against the clock to green our economies and prevent catastrophic climate change, and Chinese success in green tech could be the perfect catalyst for the rest of the world to scale up the technology and sustainably bring down prices. Let’s make sure the EU and the US don’t kill our ray of hope:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/a_ray_of_hope_on_climate/?biEWLbb&v=17606

In the world most of us everywhere want, our governments would incentivise clean energy, and not hand out our tax money to polluters making record profits from dirtying our land, air and water and destroying our planet. Today, we can save solar, and take one step closer to that future.

With hope,

Iain, Joseph, Alice, David, Julien, Emma, Ricken and the rest of the Avaaz team

PS – Avaaz has launched Community Petitions, an exciting new platform where it’s quick and easy to create a campaign on any issue you care strongly about. Start your own by clicking here: http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/start_a_petition/?do.ps.solar

More information:

BBC — “China solar panel imports investigated by European Union” http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19498382

Forbes – “Solar Trade War Widens To Europe, SolarWorld Called ‘Crazed Agent Provocateur'” http://www.forbes.com/sites/toddwoody/2012/07/24/solar-trade-war-widens-to-europe-solarworld-called-crazed-agent-provocateur/

CBS — “Chinese solar industry faces weak sales, price war” http://www.cbsatlanta.com/story/19337660/chinese-solar-industry-faces-weak-sales-price-war

NYT — “U.S. Slaps High Tariffs on Chinese Solar Panels” http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/18/business/energy-environment/us-slaps-tariffs-on-chinese-solar-panels.html?pagewanted=all

Bloomberg – “U.S. Solar Tariffs On Chinese Cells May Boost Prices” http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-17/u-s-solar-tariffs-on-chinese-cells-may-boost-prices.html

The Butler Firm — “Fighting Fair: A legal analysis of SolarWorlds trade dispute with China” http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/fighting-fair-a-legal-analysis-of-solarworlds-trade-dispute-with-china/

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

The Wild West … John Hocevar, Greenpeace


Tell the State Department that you care about the health of our oceans and urge them to either take the lead on establishing a network of marine reserves or to get out of the way this summer.

WWW.greenpeaceusa.ORG

There’s almost no protection at all for the world’s oceans. And it shows… Companies like Chicken of the Sea are pushing some tuna and shark species to the brink of extinction in the Pacific Ocean with their destructive fishing practices.

Industrial fishing vessels are destroying the breathtaking coral habitats of the Bering Sea canyons and putting an entire ecosystem at risk.

Japanese, Icelandic and Norwegian whaling vessels continue to ignore international law and kill thousands of majestic whales from the Southern Ocean to the North Atlantic each year.

These challenges can be addressed together with a single solution — a network of fully protected marine reserves. So why is the State Department standing in the way?

It’s time they took action to protect our oceans. Urge them to take the lead in establishing a network of marine reserves before it’s too late.

WWW.greenpeaceusa.org

Right now, less than one percent of the world’s oceans are set aside as marine reserves. That’s why we’re working on a global agreement which would allow the international community to establish a network of marine reserves on the high seas. Unfortunately, the US government seems to be standing in the way of these efforts by refusing to join along with other countries who are in favor of developing a new agreement to create a network of marine reserves.

The high seas are like the Wild West at the moment. It might be good for the companies that are making billions off the destruction, but it is killing our oceans. If we don’t start protecting and managing our oceans they aren’t going to survive. Marine reserves are a proven and cost effective tool for protecting biodiversity, rebuilding fish populations, and enhancing fisheries in surrounding areas.

The best chance we have to get the international community on the right path toward creating a network of protected areas is this summer in Brazil. The US delegation is developing their position right now. It’s the perfect time to let them know you are paying attention.

A global network of fully protected marine reserves would benefit sea turtles, whales, tuna, seals, narwhals and any other creature (including humans) that you can think of. We’ll be at the meetings this summer working hard for this outcome. Without your support, it won’t matter.

Send your letter to the State Department today and tell them that we need the US to join the G77, the European Union, and most of the rest of the world in standing up for marine reserves.

Thanks for your help.

John Hocevar Greenpeace USA Ocean Campaign Director