Tag Archives: health care

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Help the Duwamish River … Ms. Margie’s 4th grade class


WordpressduwamishI’m Ms. Margie, a teacher and MoveOn member in Wallingford, WA, and I started a petition with my 4th grade class to King County Executive Dow Constantine, which says:

Constantine, which says:

Make Seattle’s only river clean enough for locals to fish. Sign Ms.’s petition

We are a 4th grade class in Seattle, Washington. We are petitioning Dow Constantine, King County Executive, to give enough money to clean the Duwamish River for citizens to be able to fish safely. The Duwamish River is one of the most polluted rivers in the U.S. and the only river in Seattle.

The Duwamish River is affecting people’s health. Residents who live closer to the river die 13 years younger than others who live in Laurelhurst.1 There are three tribes that eat fish from the river. It’s in the tribes’ culture to fish in the Duwamish and we shouldn’t take that away from them, so we want King County to give enough money so that people can eat the fish without the risk of getting really sick.

The Environmental Protection Agency has already released a $342 million, 17 year-long cleanup plan to help.2 However, it is not removing enough toxins so that locals can fish from the Duwamish safely. Although it will cost King County a lot of money and time, people and animals around the Duwamish will be saved.

Our goal is to collect 3,000 signatures by June 1, 2015. June 2 we will be holding a protest and presenting our petition signatures. If you add your name, it will really make a difference to the people and animals that live or fish in the Duwamish River.

Click here to add your name to this petition, and then pass it along to your friends.

Thanks!

–Ms. Margie’s 4th grade class

Source:

1. “The Duwamish: River of no return?” Crosscut, July 7, 2014
http://crosscut.com/2014/07/duwamish-river-no-return/

2. “$342 Million to Clean Duwamish River Superfund Site: EPA Finalizes Plan,” Indian Country Today, December 4, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=304554&id=117895-17809870-FDkiIDx&t=1

This petition was created on MoveOn’s online petition site, where anyone can start their own online petitions. Ms. Margie’s 4th grade class didn’t pay us to send this email—we never rent or sell the MoveOn.org list.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Single father of drive-by shooting victim needs help making home ‘comfortable’ for daughter


~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Please sign this letter… VoteVets


VoteVets.orgHere’s the letter we’re submitting the Environmental Protection Agency to stop the big oil giveaway currently being considered by the agency.

Read it, and co-sign the letter before we submit it. You can do that here: http://action.votevets.org/epa-letter
  

To: Environmental Protection Agency
Docket ID Number: EPA-HQ-OAR-2015-0111

Please preserve a strong Renewable Fuel Standard — one that puts our national security, our environment, and American consumers ahead of the interests of Big Oil.

As veterans, military families, and VoteVets supporters, we know the cost of our dependence on foreign oil. The Renewable Fuel Standard has fostered a homegrown fuel industry that lessens our dependence on oil — the rising prices of which pay for weapons used against our men and women in uniform.

More than that, investing in cheaper, cleaner-burning renewable fuels has strengthened our economy — creating new jobs inside our borders, and saving Americans money with every fill-up.

Don’t allow oil industry lobbyists to put their interests ahead of the nation’s. Save the Renewable Fuel Standard, and keep our country on the road to a transportation future that depends less on the Middle East, and more on the Midwest.

Thank you,

[[Your Name]]

 

Sign the Letter here:
http://action.votevets.org/epa-letter

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

NY State Laws get an Upgrade–Know Your New Rights!


A Better Balance
Women’s Equality Advances in New York
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On July 8th, A Better Balance hosted a webinar, along with our colleagues at the New York Civil Liberties Union, to discuss major changes to the laws of New York to advance women’s equality.
Just this session, the legislature acted on measures to strengthen equal pay, family status, and sexual harassment protections in the workplace, guarantee reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers, assist victims of domestic violence filing temporary restraining orders, combat human trafficking and campus sexual assault, and more.
A Better Balance also has a new resource available to help women in New York understand their new workplace rights. Our know-your-rights booklet is available for free download on our website.
Please help us get the word out about these important new protections available in New York!

  1. Tag us on Twitter: @abetterbalance & @NYCLU
  2. Share the image at the right on Facebook
  3. Tweet about our webinar so others can watch:
–Learn more about new state laws to strengthen #equalpay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q74teIH7nXA via @ABetterBalance & @NYCLU
–Protect #pregnant workers and other new state laws to help women: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q74teIH7nXA via @ABetterBalance & @NYCLU
–NY laws now combat human trafficking, help domestic violence victims & more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q74teIH7nXA via @ABetterBalance & @NYCLU
Thanks so much for your support!
The ABB Team
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Days to save whales


 Avaazpix

Icelandic whalers are about to start harpooning over 150 endangered fin whales. But if we can get a tiny Caribbean nation to remove their flag from a ship that’s carrying millions of dollars worth of fin whale meat to Japan, we can hit them where it hurts. Stopping this sale could turn the tide. The ship could leave in six days. Add your voice and share this urgently:

Sign the petition

Dear friends,The Icelandic whaling fleet is about to leave port to hunt and kill 150 endangered fin whales. We’ve come close to shutting down this barbaric operation before and now we have a chance to end it for good.

As the whalers sharpen their harpoons for this year’s hunt, their boss is trying to ship last year’s whale meat to Japan right now. Over 1,700 tonnes are about to be sent through the icy passage between Russia and the North Pole. But if the tiny Caribbean nation of St. Kitts and Nevis simply removes their flag from the vessel it can’t leave port! Tourism is the main pillar of their country’s economy and we can put their reputation on the line by throwing them into our giant global spotlight.

We have just six days before the boat could set sail.

Our community already helped push European countries to shun this shameful trade. Let’s now get St. Kitts to stop helping the whalers! Sign now and share with everyone urgently — Avaaz will deliver our voices straight to the new Prime Minister, and if he doesn’t respond quickly, Avaaz’ll target his biggest tourist market – the US – and show how St. Kitts is supporting the slaughter of these majestic beings:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/days_to_save_whales_loc/?biEWLbb&v=61050

Dear friends,The Icelandic whaling fleet is about to leave port to hunt and kill 150 endangered fin whales. We’ve come close to shutting down this barbaric operation before and now we have a chance to end it for good.

As the whalers sharpen their harpoons for this year’s hunt, their boss is trying to ship last year’s whale meat to Japan right now. Over 1,700 tonnes are about to be sent through the icy passage between Russia and the North Pole. But if the tiny Caribbean nation of St. Kitts and Nevis simply removes their flag from the vessel it can’t leave port! Tourism is the main pillar of their country’s economy and we can put their reputation on the line by throwing them into our giant global spotlight.

We have just six days before the boat could set sail.

Our community already helped push European countries to shun this shameful trade. Let’s now get St. Kitts to stop helping the whalers! Sign now and share with everyone urgently — Avaaz will deliver our voices straight to the new Prime Minister, and if he doesn’t respond quickly, Avaaz’ll target his biggest tourist market – the US – and show how St. Kitts is supporting the slaughter of these majestic beings:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/days_to_save_whales_loc/?biEWLbb&v=61050

Iceland’s entire fin whaling industry is run by one man, Kristjan Loftsson, but his business is barely breaking even, so if we stop the whale meat from reaching Japan we can sink his profits! Other nations have removed their flag from vessels in response to public pressure over other environmental concerns so we know this can work for the whales. All we need to do is create a scandal and get a delay to make the crossing to Japan impossible.

Japanese whalers plan to resume “scientific” whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary despite widespread opposition, and St. Kitts and Nevis votes in support of Japan’s “research” at the International Whaling Commission. If we take them out of the equation now we can strike a deadly blow to both Icelandic and Japanese whaling at the same time!

Pressure has been mounting globally and nationally to stop the Icelandic whalers. This could be a turning point for the whales. Together we have the power to turn the International Whaling Commission into the International Whale Conservation Commission. And we can get started by stopping this year’s harpooning and this whale meat shipment! Sign the urgent petition now:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/days_to_save_whales_loc/?biEWLbb&v=61050

We know our voices work! Following our 1 million strong petition in 2013, the Dutch government blocked Iceland’s whale meat shipments docking in the Netherlands. And together with Greenpeace, our community managed to get fin whale meat sent back to Iceland from Germany. Since then major shipping companies announced they would never ship whale meat again. We’re making it harder and harder for this industry to make a profit. Let’s shut it down for good!With hope,

Lisa, Danny, Alice, Ricken, Mel, Nick, Rewan and the whole Avaaz team

MORE INFORMATION

Iceland sends shipment of 1,700 tonnes of whale meat to Japan (The Guardian)
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jun/05/iceland-sends-shipment-of-1700-tonnes-of-whale-meat-to-japan.

Desperate whalers go north (Greenpeace)
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/Blogs/makingwaves/whale-meat-iceland/blog/53241/

The Winter Bay (Vessel Fider – shows where the ship carrying the whale meat is and which country is registering it)
https://www.vesselfinder.com/vessels/WINTER-BAY-IMO-8601680-MMSI-341433000

Japan to resume whaling hunt despite IWC warning (AFP)
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/japan-resume-whaling-hunt-despite-iwc-warning-105354478.html#ohHmAJ1