Tag Archives: obama

~ FDA/USDA ~~ Alerts & Safety, ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Keep Frankenfish Out of Our Food Chain …


Take ActionThe FDA is moving toward approving genetically-engineered fish for human consumption. Please help us ensure our native fish populations are protected! Take Action Today!

Earthjustice, Protect Northwest Orcas Campaign
What do you think would happen if our precious and vulnerable native salmon came face-to-face with fast-growing, genetically-engineered salmon? Not sure? Unfortunately, you’re not the only one.

During the holidays, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) took a controversial step toward approving the first-ever genetically-engineered fish made for human consumption. These fish are the spawn of a company called AquaBounty Technologies and are engineered in foreign laboratories to grow twice as fast as natural Atlantic salmon.

And if that’s not scary enough, the FDA isn’t planning on thoroughly studying all the environmental risks presented by these Frankenfish before giving the green light to AquaBounty. This means these Frankenfish will be produced on a commercial scale before anyone knows what damaging impacts they may have if they invade our most sensitive natural marine environments. The FDA wants to be able to save these crucial questions for a later time, but we think the questions need to need to be answered now, before it’s too late.

If you agree, join us in calling on the FDA to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the full range of potential environmental impacts of these genetically-engineered fish.

We have until April 26, 2013 to submit comments. Please help us ensure our native fish populations are protected!

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Official Google blog …


GOOGLe

RISE Awards 2013: A global effort

Posted: 14 Feb 2013 01:48 AM PST

“I am standing in a partial enclosure made of sticks and plant fronds. This is the school for roughly 35 students, ranging in age from three to about 20 years old. There are no desks. There is only a single shared chalkboard, and it has gaping holes.” — David Rathmann-Bloch from the 21st Century Chalkboard Project, writing from rural Haiti.

These are just some of the many challenges faced by education organizations who applied for this year’s Google RISE Awards. The RISE (Roots in Science and Engineering) Awards program funds and supports organizations around the world that provide science and technology education at a grassroots level.

This year we’re delighted to give awards to 30 new organizations from 18 different countries. Combined they will reach more than 90,000 children in 2013, helping inspire and teach the scientists and engineers of the future.

  • Some, such as Haiti’s 21st Century Chalkboard Project and the Uniristii Association (site in Romanian) in Romania, help those from underserved communities gain access to computing resources.
  • Others, like the U.K.’s Code Club and the U.S.’s CodeNow, offer extracurricular activities that help interested children, especially those from underrepresented minority backgrounds, to learn programming.
  • A few, such as the Middle East’s MEET and iLab Liberia, seek to use technology education as a platform to bridge wider social and cultural divides.
  • Some, like Girlstart in the U.S. and New Zealand’s Programming Challenge 4 Girls, aim to empower girls to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

In addition to receiving funding and support to continue their outreach, RISE Award recipients will be brought together for a global summit this June in London.

To paraphrase an old saying, from small seeds, great things can grow. The recipients of the 2013 RISE Awards have already made a difference. Connecting with other like-minded organizations will help spread valuable and practical expertise, and spark opportunities for global collaboration and expansion.

Posted by Roxana Shirkhoda, Education Outreach Specialist

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Jon Soltz, VoteVets.org


 

votevets.org
Did you watch President Obama’s State of the Union Address last night?

From reforming immigration and education to a focus on job creation and an overdue drawdown in Afghanistan, the president laid out a vision for the next four years that we can all be proud of.

But if the divided ovations were any indication, the work ahead won’t be easy.

There is one issue, however, that has overwhelming public support among Democrats and Republicans: taking common sense action to reduce gun violence in America.

If you’re ready to stand with VoteVets.org in this fight, make a $5 contribution today and help us organize veterans in support of legislation to prevent gun violence in the United States.

Veterans make extremely powerful messengers on this issue, and the president needs us if he’s going to sign a bill.

Veterans have seen, first hand, the carnage that assault weapons cause. We’ve had to go through background checks to get into the military and handle a weapon.

Our troops in combat aren’t even authorized to attach magazines with more than 30 rounds to their semi-automatic weapons. There’s no reason we should authorize it for anyone here at home.

We’re going to engage on this one, and I’m thankful that we’ll be in it together.

Thanks for your support.

Jon Soltz
Iraq War Veteran
Chairman, VoteVets.org

 

PAID FOR BY VOTEVETS ACTION FUND
~ my 2cents ...

Reject the Status Quo …


merycorp&valentine

just another rant …

My question for all you mostly sane people today is: What would your neighborhood look like without Teachers, Police, EMTs, Firefighters and other public service workers if the Democratic Party had not passed bill HR1586.  Two years ago folks like Bachman, Boehner called HR1586 a bailout and as the President’s 2nd term moves forward Republicans continue using Americans as pawns in their mission to make PBO look bad and make no mistake they are still willing to throw ALL of us under the bus! Hello … this includes you constituents who voted right of center and seem to be complacent about it all which by definition is: To be content and satisfied with your life and surroundings, even when something which may destroy these conditions is imminent.

We cannot be complacent with the status quo!

The leadership we need from folks in Congress … a willingness to act in a bipartisan way … put People ahead of Party! know that the sequester; a congressional act was not well thought out and will hurt ALL Americans, accept that cutting spending means austerity , be selfless and think about how to better the current status of the middle and lower classes because the rich are doing just fine, think globally, environmentally, respect Public Service workers, support education, allow more stem research, respect a woman’s right to choose, equal wages for women, safe and affordable health care for all families.

The fact is President Obama has gotten Congress to pass legislation that will be good for middle class families but to get the change 53% of we voted for we need democrats on the floor of Congress to step up.

It is important that we do not repeat history by understanding the past stop the current austerity program republicans keep shoving Americans into; remember that trust, respect and the votes Republicans are soliciting cannot be seasonal…