Tag Archives: Oregon

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

USA: Save the bees


Across the USA, millions of bees are dying, threatening our food supply. Scientists blame one group of pesticides some of which have just been banned in Europe. A new bill could save America’s bees, but big Agriculture and the pesticide industry are lobbying hard against it. We only have days to make sure Congress acts to stop the Chemical Armageddon — sign the emergency petition now!Quietly, across the USA, millions of bees are dying, threatening our crops and food. A new bill this week could ban one group of deadly pesticides and save bees from annihilation, but only if Congress feels the sting of public opinion.

America’s bees are facing a chemical Armageddon — just last week, 50,000 died in a single car park in Oregon after being exposed to pesticides, and last winter over 50% of all California’s bees died. Leading scientists blame one group of pesticides called neonicotinoids. The evidence is so compelling that the entire European Union has begun banning them, and the Save America’s Pollinators Act could impose a ban on these deadly poisons in the US.

Now it’s up to us to get our politicians to save America‘s bees. Big Agriculture and powerful chemical companies like Bayer are already lobbying hard to stop the bill, but if we show an overwhelming public support for a ban, we can counter their influence. Sign the petition below and tell everyone — when we reach 250,000 signers, we’ll take Avaaz’s giant inflatable bee to Capitol Hill to tell Congress to save our bees:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/usa_save_the_bees/?biEWLbb&v=27215

Bees don’t just make honey, they are vital to life on earth, every year pollinating 95 types of fruits such as avocados, almonds, apples, and that’s just the A’s — with an estimated $30bn value. Without immediate action to save bees, many of our favorite fruits, vegetables, and nuts could vanish from our shelves.

Recent years have seen a steep and disturbing global decline in bee populations — some bee species are already extinct and some US species are at just 4% of their previous numbers. Scientists have been scrambling for answers. Some studies claim the decline may be due to a combination of factors including disease, habitat loss and toxic chemicals.

But increasingly, independent research has produced strong evidence blaming neonicotinoid pesticides, forcing the European Union to temporarily suspend use of one or more of these bee killers. But, in the US, the EPA has been slow to react — their review won’t be completed until 2018 condemning our bees to 5 more years of chemical Armageddon.

This issue is now coming to the boil as major new studies have confirmed the scale of this problem, and Representatives Blumenauer and Conyers have introduced legislation. If we can get other members of Congress to act, we could shut down once and for all Bayer’s influence on policy-makers and scientists. The real experts — the beekeepers and farmers — want these deadly pesticides prohibited until and unless we have solid, independent studies that show they are safe. Let’s support them now. Sign the urgent petition to Congress now, then forward this email:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/usa_save_the_bees/?biEWLbb&v=27215

We know we can win on bees. Last April, over 2.5 million of us signed a petition calling on the EU to adopt a ban on bee killing pesticides and won! And in the US, nearly a million of us persuaded the EPA to review their position on these poisons. Now let’s go one step further towards saving bees!

With hope,

Iain, Luis, Anne, Alex, Allison, Ricken, and the whole Avaaz team

PS – Many Avaaz campaigns are started by members of our community. It’s easy to get started – click to start yours now and win on any issue – local, national or global: http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/start_a_petition/?bgMYedb&v=23917

MORE INFORMATION

Mystery Malady Kills More Bees, Heightening Worry on Farms (NY Times):
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/29/science/earth/soaring-bee-deaths-in-2012-sound-alarm-on-malady.html?pagewanted=all

Bee protection: US in spotlight as EU bans pesticides (The Guardian):
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/apr/30/bee-protection-us-eu-bans-pesticides

Legislation to restrict pesticide use proposed by Rep. Blumenauer (Oregon Live):
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2013/07/legislation_to_restrict_pestic.html

Some US bumblebees see 96% drop in last decades (Treehugger):
http://www.treehugger.com/lawn-garden/some-us-bumblebees-see-96-drop-in-last-decades.html

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Stop coal thru the Columbia Gorge!


Sierra Club - Explore, enjoy and protect the planet
 

Tell Governor Kitzhaber and the DEQ to stop coal through the Columbia Gorge!
Columbia River Gorge Columbia River Gorge Photo Courtesy of Brian Pasko
Send Your Letter

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has issued a draft permit for Ambre Energy‘s Morrow Pacific project, which would send 8 million metric tons of coal from Montana through eastern Washington and down the Columbia River every year.

If this final permit gets approved, Governor Kitzhaber and the DEQ will have allowed the first coal export project in the Northwest to begin construction. And Ambre Energy could start building within months of getting this permit approved.

Millions of tons of coal floating down the Columbia and shipped through our towns and cities via rail, for export to Asia will threaten our health, safety and environment. We have to stop it!

Tell Governor Kitzhaber and DEQ Director Dick Pedersen that we are counting on them to do the right thing and stop this coal export proposal from moving forward.

The cumulative impacts and the risks from mine to power plant must be considered in this project. The Morrow Pacific coal project would result in coal dust and diesel emissions that that will violate Oregon’s air quality standards — and contribute dangerous carbon pollution to our atmosphere.

The increase in barge traffic on the Columbia River would harm salmon, river recreation, and navigation. DEQ should wait for a full analysis of the impacts before considering any permits. It is a waste of taxpayer money to move forward without all the facts laid on the table.

We need Governor Kitzhaber and DEQ Director Dick Pedersen to stand up and protect Oregon families. Send them a message now!

Oregon’s last and only coal plant burns 3 million tons of coal each year — and by 2020 it will be off of coal. Allowing Ambre’s Morrow Pacific project to move forward would be like taking three steps backward for that one step forward.

This is a bad deal regardless of what state you live in. If approved our Northwest way of life will be in jeopardy.

Tell the Governor and DEQ: Stop the Morrow Pacific coal project now!

Thanks for all you do to protect the environment,

Laura Stevens Beyond Coal Campaign
Sierra Club
P.S. After you take action, be sure to forward this alert to your friends and colleagues!
~ FDA/USDA ~~ Alerts & Safety

U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

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English: Logo of the U.S. Food and Drug Admini...
English: Logo of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2006) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
06/13/2013 12:30 PM EDT
Sagent Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the expanded voluntary nationwide recall of Vecuronium Bromide for Injection 10mg (NDC number 25021-657-10) manufactured by Mustafa Nevzat Ilac Sanayii A.S. (MN Pharmaceuticals) and distributed by Sagent. Sagent initiated a voluntary recall of Vecuronium Bromide for Injection to the user level for three lots on June 7, 2013 due to the discovery of an elevated impurity result detected during routine quality testing of stability samples at the 18-month interval.
06/13/2013 02:08 PM EDT
June 12, 2013 – St. Augustine, FL (PRWEB) – Butterfly Bakery issues allergy alert on undeclared Walnuts in 14.5 ounce Butterfly Bakery Whole Grain Harvest Berry Muffins, UPC 6 43482 60014 8. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to Walnuts (a type of tree nut) run the risk of serious or lifethreatening allergic reaction if they consume these products. This product has not been produced since November 26, 2012.
06/12/2013 04:41 PM EDT
Zydus Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. is voluntarily recalling one lot of Warfarin 2 mg Tablets, Lot # MM5767, expiration date June 2014 to the retail level. Four tablets of Warfarin 2 mg Tablets, Lot MM5767, have been found to be oversized in one product complaint.
06/13/2013 11:31 AM EDT
SECAUCUS, N.J., /PRNewswire/ – The Hartz Mountain Corporation, located in Secaucus, N.J. is voluntarily recalling one specific lot of Wardley Betta Fish Food 1.2 oz. size due to concerns that one or more containers within the lot may have been potentially contaminated with Salmonella. Hartz is fully cooperating with the US Food and Drug Administration in this voluntary recall.
06/11/2013 02:22 PM EDT
Bethel Nutritional Consulting, Inc. was informed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that a sample of Bethel 30 green capsule was collected and tested by FDA in April 24, 2013. The capsules tested positive for Sibutramine and Phenolphthalein.
06/12/2013 02:46 PM EDT
Julian’s Recipe, LLC., in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is voluntarily withdrawing its European Style Pretzel Baguette packages from HEB Stores in Texas. Certain packages of Pretzel Baguettes may contain Julian’s European Style Multigrain Garlic Baguettes, which are made with soy flour.
06/10/2013 02:54 PM EDT
SCHAUMBURG, IL – Sagent Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the voluntary nationwide recall of three lots of Vecuronium Bromide for Injection 10mg (NDC number 25021-657-10) manufactured by Mustafa Nevzat Ilac Sanayii A.S. (MN Pharmaceuticals) and distributed by Sagent. Sagent has initiated this voluntary recall of Vecuronium Bromide for Injection to the user level due to the discovery of an elevated impurity result detected during routine quality testing of stability samples at the 18-month interval.
06/10/2013 10:01 AM EDT
Alderman Farms Sales Corporation, Boynton Beach, Florida is recalling one pint containers of Certified Organic Cherry Tomatoes because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
06/04/2013 11:21 AM EDT
Townsend Farms, Inc. of Fairview, Oregon, today announced that it is voluntarily recalling certain lots of its frozen Organic Antioxidant Blend, out of an abundance of caution, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Hepatitis A virus, based on an ongoing epidemiological and traceback investigation by the FDA and the CDC of an illness outbreak. No other Townsend Farms products, frozen or fresh, are covered by this voluntary recall or linked to the illness outbreak at this time.
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Greenpeace Monsanto & GE

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 Greenpeace
Monsanto’s unapproved genetically engineered (GE) wheat was found growing on an Oregon farm last week. No one knows how it got there.Stop GE crop field tests

Tell the USDA to prevent further contamination of the environment and the global food supply by immediately banning GE crop field tests.

Monsanto’s unapproved genetically engineered (GE) “Roundup Ready” wheat was found growing in a random Oregon field last week.

The farmer doesn’t know how it got there. Neither does anyone else since Monsanto ended field testing this type of wheat eight years ago. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is currently investigating the extent of the contamination.

But in some ways this story isn’t surprising.

www.greenpeaceusa.org

GE crops can’t be controlled. The fact is that environmental contamination is inevitable so long as companies like Monsanto are allowed to experiment with nature and our food supply. Putting an end to the production and use of these unnatural products is the only certain way to stop them from spreading.

Stand up today and tell the USDA that the only way to prevent contamination is to put an immediate ban on field testing GE crops.

Greenpeace and other groups have been warning about contamination of our food and the environment from GE crops for years now.

What’s happening in Oregon is a perfect example of why precautionary policies are necessary: Government and industry mechanisms to regulate and monitor open field tests to prevent contamination simply aren’t working. They never will.

There are so many questions surrounding what happened in Oregon. How did this wheat escape the field tests and end up growing on a farm – eight years later? Who is responsible? Who will pay for the decontamination and damages to farmers? How many other places is this wheat growing?

The one thing we do know is that the field testing of GE crops has to end. Please join me and send a message to the USDA today calling for an immediate ban on field testing GE crops.

Monsanto abandoned testing this GE wheat back in 2005 – due to massive opposition by consumers and farmers in the US and abroad. Now, news of the recently-discovered contamination in Oregon is spreading rapidly around the world, causing countries like Japan and Korea to immediately stop importing US wheat.

No matter what companies like Monsanto try to tell us, it will never be possible to control nature. And there’s too much at stake to continue to allow this type of experimentation to take place.

If we want to ensure our food is safe and that American farmers are not harmed by these kinds of events we need to demand an end to the field testing of GE crops.
For the planet,

Charlie Cray
Research Specialist
Greenpeace USA

P.S. There’s no way to prevent contamination from genetically engineered (GE) crops planted in test fields. Tell the USDA to put an immediate ban on all field testing of GE crops. And then share this with anyone you know who cares about the food they eat.
Black History

the Senate considers the Farm Bill & Nominees :::::: CONGRESS :::::: the House considers the S.982, Freedom to Fish Act


capitol14

The Senate stands in adjournment until 2:00pm on Monday, May 20, 2013.

  • Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 3:00pm.
  • Following morning business, the Senate will proceed to the consideration of S.954, the Farm bill.
  • At 5:00pm, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider the following items:
  • There will be up to 30 minutes of debate equally divided and controlled by Senators Leahy and Grassley or their designees.
  • Upon the use or yielding back of time (at approximately 5:30pm), there will be up to 2 roll call votes on confirmation of the Chappell and McShane nominations.
  • The following amendments are pending to S.954, the Farm bill:
    • Cantwell amendment #919 (Indian tribes – land and soil conservation programs)

    The following amendments have been considered to S.954, the Farm bill:

  • The Senate has begun consideration of S.954, the Farm bill. Senator Stabenow called up Cantwell amendment #919 (tribal soil and water conservation programs).At 5pm, the Senate will turn to Executive session with 30 minutes for debate prior to votes on confirmation of the below listed nominations.-          Executive Calendar #45, the nomination of Sheri Polster Chappell, of Florida, to be United States District Judge for the Middle District of Florida; and-          Executive Calendar #46, the nomination of Michael J. McShane, of Oregon, to be United States District Judge for the District of Oregon.We may be able to consider one of the nominations by voice vote, but we don’t know which one yet.
  • Senator McCain asked unanimous consent to set aside the pending amendment in order to call up the Feinstein-McCain amendment #923 (tobacco crop insurance). Senator Stabenow objected in order to give the committee time to group additional crop insurance amendments together, but assured Senator McCain a vote on the amendment.
  • 5:32pm The Senate began a roll call vote on confirmation of Executive Calendar #45, the nomination of Sheri Polster Chappell, of Florida, to be United States District Judge for the Middle District of Florida;Confirmed: 90-0
  • Executive Calendar #46, the nomination of Michael J. McShane, of Oregon, to be United States District Judge for the District of Oregon, was confirmed by voice vote.
  • The Senate is in a period of morning business until 7pm, with senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each. There will be no further roll call votes today.
  • WRAP UP
  • ROLL CALL VOTE1)      Confirmation of Executive Calendar #45, the nomination of Sheri Polster Chappell, of Florida, to be United States District Judge for the Middle District of Florida; Confirmed: 90-0LEGISLATIVE ITEMSDischarged the Banking Committee and passed S.309, a bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the World War II members of the Civil Air Patrol with a Harkin amendment.

    Adopted S.Res.149, Designating the week of May 19 through May 25, 2013 as “National Public Works Week.”

    EXECUTIVE ITEMS

    Confirmed Executive Calendar #46, the nomination of Michael J. McShane, of Oregon, to be United States District Judge for the District of Oregon by voice vote.

  • At 4pm on Wednesday, May 22, the Senate will proceed to the consideration of Calendar #43, S.Res.65, resolution strongly supporting the full implementation of United States and international sanctions on Iran and urging the President to continue to strengthen enforcement of sanctions legislation.There will be 60 minutes for debate equally divided and controlled in the usual form. Upon the use or yielding back of time, the Senate will proceed to vote in relation to the resolution. If the resolution is agreed to, the preamble will be agreed to. The motions to reconsider will be considered made and laid upon the table, all with no intervening action or debate.
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  • Monday, May 20, 2013

    Watch Most Recent House Floor Activity

  • The next meeting in the House is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. on May 20, 2013.