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~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Urge your legislators to sign a letter in support of American wind power

This week, your federal legislators have an opportunity to show their support for American wind power in a very clear way – by signing a letter that urges the Congressional leadership to take quick action to extend the tax credits for the wind industry.

I urge you to take a moment to write to your legislators today and encourage them to sign this letter.

Recently, wind industry employees met with legislators from 140 different states and districts.  They shared their personal stories about their jobs, as well as updates on the wind industry’s impressive accomplishments:

  • Employing 80,000 people across the U.S. today
  • Driving $105 billion of private investment since 2005
  • Bringing down the cost of power by 43% in the past four years alone
Shown above: Wind industry employees meet with Rep. Fleischmann (TN-03)

They asked their legislators to sign a letter to Congressional leadership that explains, “Like all businesses, the wind industry seeks certainty and predictability so that long term project decisions and investments can be made,” and asks for quick action to extend the tax credits that have driven the industry forward – the renewable energy production tax credit (PTC) and investment tax credit (ITC).

Please echo their request – ask your legislators to sign the letter today. 

Thank you for your support!

Sincerely,
Aaron

Aaron Severn
Interim Vice President, Federal Legislative Affairs
American Wind Energy Association

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

There could be slaves in the supply chain of your chocolate, smartphone and sushi

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slavery29.8Million

By Tim Fernholz @timfernholz October 19, 2013

Forced labor is a reality, and you might be using products made by workers who had no choice in the matter.

 The first edition of Global Slavery Index from the Walk Free Foundation, an anti-slavery NGO, estimates that there are 30 million slaves in the world—and more than half of them are in prominent emerging markets like India, China, and Russia. 
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Modern slavery, as the index defines it, includes all kinds of forced labor, ranging from hereditary bondage in Mauritania, which has the largest slave population per capita in the world, to forced sexual exploitation, including the arranged marriage of minors. Most of the countries where slaves make up a significant slice of the population have a cultural tradition of bonded labor, like Haiti’s restavek system of indentured servitude for children (which can be an innocent way for families to help each other out, the report says, but is often abused).

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But the largest form of forced labor is in private industry, where about two-thirds of people working in slave conditions—usually forced or bonded labor—are found. That’s why this new effort to measure global slavery exists: It’s part of a campaign funded by the chairman of one of the world’s largest miners, Andrew Forrest of Fortescue Metals Group, who wants companies to eliminate slavery from their supply chains. As global trade has led firms to source materials and labor from ever more far-flung locales, it has become easier for them to turn a blind eye to who makes their products. Here are just a few examples:

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  •  This summer, an Australian man imprisoned in China reported that prisoners were making headphones for global airlines like Qantas and British Airways. Some 300,000 sets of the disposable headphones were made by uncompensated prisoners who were forced to work without pay and regularly beaten. The index says that there are about 3 million slaves in China, in state-run forced labor camps, at private industrial firms making electronics and designer bags, and in the brick-making industry.
  • Companies like Apple, Boeing and Intel—among thousands of others—have been under pressure to document that the tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold they use aren’t being mined by slaves in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where a civil war has led armed groups seeking funding to force civilians to work. The US Securities and Exchange Commission adopted a rule forcing American firms to trace the minerals they use to their origins, and while business lobbies have sued to overturn it, industry leaders have begun planning to file the first required reports in May 2014.
  • In the Asian seafood industry, migrant workers may become forced laborers who harvest and prepare mackerel, shrimp and squid bound for markets around the world.
  • Côte d’Ivoire is the world’s leading supplier of cocoa—some 40% of the global supply—and much of it is grown and harvested by some children engaged in forced labor. In 2010, Côte d’Ivoire said 30,000 children worked on cocoa farms, although Walk Free’s index estimates as many as 600,000 to 800,000. While this has been widely reported on since 2000, and the global response has been strong, compared to that of other allegations of forced labor, the problem has not really been solved. As of 2012, 97% of the country’s farmers have not participated in industry-sponsored campaigns against forced child labor. Mondelēz International, the world’s largest chocolate producer, which owns brands such as Milka, Toblerone and Cadbury, has struggled for years to take forced labor out of its supply chain. It committed $400 million to a program aimed at creating a sustainable cocoa economy last year, but its efforts have been ineffective so far.

Many of the countries in the map above are not party to international human trafficking treaties or simply don’t enforce them. Many of the companies that use labor in those places have weak supply-chain policies in place. The goal of Forrest’s group, inspired by Bill Gates’ data-centric philanthropy, is to make slavery easy to quantify, and thereby pressure international companies not to put up with it.

qz.com

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Drought and its Effects on Your Family


                                                                      Photo: flickr/kecko

With no sign of rain, 17 rural communities in California providing water to 40,000 people are in danger of running out within 60 to 120 days. Thinking that drought isn’t having an impact on your family? Consider your food supply, drinking water and the fuel to the spread of fire.

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~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

ACA Latino Week of Action


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Buenas tardes,

 

Today, the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services are kicking off our “Latino Week of Action,” continuing the Administration’s efforts to engage the Latino community to #GetCovered or #Asegurate under the Affordable Care Act.

 

Across the country, community organizations have joined local, state and federal government partners to convene health care enrollment events, partnering with Spanish language media to offer personalized enrollment assistance and to encourage Latinos to sign up for quality and affordable health coverage.

 

  • The Latino Week of Action will increase outreach efforts to educate Latinos across the country about the benefits of the Affordable Care Act and to let them know how affordable quality health insurance is if they enroll in the health insurance Marketplaces.
  • We have only 5 weeks left to enroll as many Latinos as possible so we are issuing a broad call to action to Latino leaders throughout the country to do your part to educate, engage, and enroll Latinos so they can receive quality, affordable health care.
  • And we want to know what you’re doing in your communities to meet our shared challenge.  We want to recognize our top leaders, especially our young leaders who are working hard to reach out to Latinos, Latinas, familiares y vecinos.
  • So let us know what you’re doing and make sure it’s specific.  Let us know how many people you’re educating, how many people you’re enrolling and how you are personally making a difference.
  • Please send your updates and reports to Latino@who.eop.gov by Friday, February 28th to add your name to the list of candidates to potentially be recognized as a Champion of Change for the Latino community on the Affordable Care Act.

 

This week we will continue to highlight the bilingual enrollment tools available to Latinos to sign up for coverage through the health insurance Marketplaces:

 

 

 

 

And below are additional resources you can use to spread the word:

 

President Obama Shares Enrollment Tips with the Latino Community

 

 

 

As one of the most disproportionately uninsured populations, the Latino community needs your active participation in order to educate others about the health care law. That is why we are engaging in ambitious outreach efforts aimed at helping Latinos including young Latinos learn and sign up for quality, affordable coverage available through the Marketplaces.

 

In other news, the President recently took the opportunity to recognize several dedicated Latinos through recent nominations and appointments. Some of the prominent Latinos who were recently appointed in  the Administration to support the President’s Agenda, include:

 

  • Mileydi Guilarte – Nominated to serve as the United States Alternate Executive Director of the Inter-American Development Bank
  • Nathalie Rayes – Nominated to serve as a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
  • Judge Carlos Eduardo Mendoza – Nominated for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
  • Juan Carlos Iturregui – Nominated to serve as a Member of the Board of Directors of the Inter-American Foundation
  • Annette Taddeo-Goldstein – Nominated to serve as a Member of the Board of Directors of the Inter-American Foundation

 

As always, please share this information with your networks, get engaged in educating the Latino community about the Health Insurance Marketplaces, and use the hashtags #OurSalud or #Asegurate to join the conversation.

 

Thank you.

 

 

 

Jorge Neri Associate Director White House | Office of Public Engagement

Agency Updates

Nominations Sought for 2014 National MED Week Awards February 12, 2014 The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) today announced that it is accepting nominations for the 2014 National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week Awards competition.

Proposed Agricultural Worker Protection Standard: EPA Needs Your Input February 20, 2014 The Environmental Protection Agency announced proposed changes to the agricultural Worker Protection Standard (WPS) to increase protections from pesticide exposure for the nation’s 2 million agricultural workers and their families.

President Obama to Award Medal of Honor February 21, 2014 On March 18th, 2014, President Barack Obama will award 24 Army veterans the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry. These veterans will receive the Medal of Honor in recognition of their valor during major combat operations in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Each of these Soldiers’ bravery was previously recognized by award of the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation’s second highest military award; that award will be upgraded to the Medal of Honor in recognition of their gallantry, intrepidity and heroism above and beyond the call of duty.

Get Involved

Questions and Answers on the ACA If you have questions about the health care law, the Affordable Care Act, this is the webinar for you! We will answer questions that have been submitted in advance as well as new questions asked during the webinar. Please send your questions by February 20 at 10 a.m. ET to ACA101@hhs.gov.

Who: HHS Partnership Center What: Webinar with questions and answers on the ACA When: Thursday, February 20, 2014 at 1 PM ET RSVP: RSVP online at https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/635927095

ACA Latino: Conference Call with Vice President Joe Biden As the final deadline for health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act fast approaches, we have to continue to work collectively to increase Latino enrollment under ACA. In this call, Vice President Biden will discuss the recent efforts being put forth across the country and the current state of Latino ACA.

Who: The White House, Vice President Biden What: Conference call on the status of Latino enrollment in the health insurance marketplace across the country.  When: Wednesday, February 26, 2014 at 5:45PM ET RSVP: RSVP online at http://ems6.intellor.com/index.cgi?p=600216&t=1&do=register&s=&rID=3&edID=2

Latinos and the Health Insurance Marketplace (in English) According to the Census Bureau, nearly 16 million Hispanics are uninsured. The health care law is in effect and there is a new way for individuals and families to get health insurance. This webinar is co-sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families and the HHS Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Please send your questions to ACA101@hhs.gov by Noon ET on February 26.

Who: HHS Partnership Center What: Webinar focused on Latino to enrollment in the health insurance marketplace When: Wednesday, February 26, 2014 at 7 PM ET RSVP: RSVP online at https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/915498183

Get Updates

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Full Spectrum


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The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly In LGBT News

It’s been a busy weekend in LGBT news. We’ve pulled together the good, the bad, and the ugly stories for you to stay up to speed on the fight for equality.

The Good:

The Bad:

The Ugly:

  • Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni Signed Into Law A Bill That Criminalizes Homosexuality. The law, often referred to as the “Kill the Gays” bill because previous versions of it included the death penalty, allows for a lifetime jail sentence for people found guilty of being gay. First-time offenders can be punished with 14 years in jail. Those who promote LGBT issues would also be in violation of the law, as would anybody who officiates a same-sex marriage or anyone “aiding and abetting homosexuality.” In other words, the law can be used to punish anyone, not just LGBT people. Unfortunately, American conservatives have been heavily involved in exporting anti-LGBT hate to Uganda and countries around the world.

BOTTOM LINE:  The arc of the moral universe bent a small but noticeable bit toward justice yesterday when Jason Collins stepped on the court wearing a Brooklyn Nets uniform. But despite all the progress made, the fight for equal rights is far from over. And as Uganda shows, some places around the world are even turning back the clock when it comes to human rights.