Tag Archives: United States Congress

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline V Woodland Caribou other wildlife, land and water


Dear Activist,The Keystone XL tar sands pipeline is a serious threat to wildlife and our efforts to curb climate change.Secretary of State John Kerry has the first word on the pipeline and will be one of the key factors President Obama uses when making his final decision on the pipeline.

Help protect caribou and many more at-risk wildlife by sending a message urging Secretary Kerry to say no to the Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline.

Thanks for all you do!

Bob Fertik

National Wildlife Federation

Woodland Caribou Habitat at Risk of Destruction

Caribou

Dear Friend of Wildlife,
A few weeks ago, the U.S. State Department released their final assessment on the environmental risks of the proposal to build the Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline.
Following the release of the final environmental impact statement, Secretary of State John Kerry will have an opportunity to make a decision on the pipeline before it reaches President Obama’s desk.
The survival of thousands of woodland caribou in Alberta, Canada and many more wildlife is at stake with this pipeline decision, so it is absolutely critical that Secretary Kerry hear the strong opposition from America’s wildlife advocates.
Please help save woodland caribou’s habitat by telling Secretary of State John Kerry to say no to the Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline today.
Sadly, the woodland caribou’s boreal forest habitat is already rapidly disappearing due to timber, oil and gas development. And now, what remains of their fragile habitat is threatened by massive expansion of tar sands if the Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline is approved.
Woodland caribou require large tracts of relatively undisturbed old growth forest for their food and shelter. We know that if the Keystone XL pipeline is approved, the associated tar sands strip mining would destroy a 1,200 square mile swath of forest and devastate the fragile eco-system on which they depend. In fact, if habitat destruction from tar sands is not stopped, scientists predict that some herds in the region could disappear in as little as 30 years!
We only have a few weeks to demonstrate to Secretary Kerry the significant public concern there is about the risks—to wildlife and the environment—of building the Keystone XL pipeline. Hearing from wildlife advocates will be crucial as Secretary Kerry’s initial decision will weigh heavily into President Obama’s final decision on this destructive pipeline proposal.
Protect woodland caribou and urge Secretary Kerry to take a stand against the dangerous Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.
In addition to the dramatic loss of habitat, the pipeline would also significantly increase the carbon pollution that is fueling climate change and already harming wildlife across the country.
Secretary Kerry has spoken out about environmental issues that imperil wildlife and has been a champion for strong climate change action in the past.
Now it is critical that Secretary Kerry hears from as many people as possible about how harmful this dirty pipeline would be for woodland caribou and many more wildlife—so he and President Obama can reject Keystone XL once and for all.
We only have a small window to voice our concerns to Secretary Kerry about the risks to wildlife.
Please take action today to save threatened woodland caribou.
Thanks for all you do to protect wildlife.
Sincerely,
AndyAndy Buchsbaum Interim Executive Director, NWF Action Fund info@nwa.org Join us on Facebook
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

The 1% and Fracking Drilling Gasland Pipelines


fracking

So, main stream media has exposed the 1% again.  We have been hearing the rural, middle to lower class complain, object and provide negative evidence about the impact of drilling, fracking and pipelines that leak but have either been patted on the head, subjected to eminent domain for nominal amounts of money in some cases and definitely ignored by the 1%. Now, the possibility of fracking, drilling and all that comes with it is now in the back yard of the 1%.  Most of us believe the 1% invests in extracting oil in all its forms, I guess assuming it’s on other people s land and neighborhoods but that cliché … Not in my back yard syndrome is now a big slap of reality to some 1%ers too and some have decided they aren’t having it … or will they.  Anyway, the definition of NIMBY is spot on!

The so-called NIMBY (not in my backyard) syndrome reflects the propensity of local citizens and officials to insist on siting unwanted but necessary facilities anywhere but in their own community. The term has gained currency in relation to the siting of facilities that have a potential for adverse impacts on the environment, such as municipal waste incinerators and hazardous waste facilities. But it is equally applicable to the siting of prisons, methadone clinics, and psychiatric halfway houses— all of which are often subject to intense local opposition. For all of these examples, the best approach to the problem is that of primary prevention, which would lessen the need for such facilities. Success in siting an unwanted but needed facility requires that authorities fully involve the public with openness and integrity in all aspects of the planning process.

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Read more:  http://www.answers.com/topic/not-in-my-backyard-nimby#ixzz2uOSJeqnm

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Taking the Navy to court to protect whales


           NRDC -- Save Whales from Navy Sonar

We’re taking on the Navy’s legal guns for the sake of whale survival.Help us wage and win this courtroom battle — and save thousands of marine mammals from needless suffering and death.

                                DONATE

We’ve just launched a historic courtroom battle against the Navy to stop its heartless and deadly assault on whales.The Navy estimates it could kill nearly 1,000 marine mammals over the next five years during routine training and testing with dangerous sonar and explosives. There will be more than 13,000 serious injuries, such as permanent hearing loss or lung damage.

NRDC has moved swiftly to file suit against the Navy in federal court.

We need your immediate financial support in order to wage and win this legal fight on behalf of our planet’s whales.

The Navy’s ships will be blasting ocean waters with nearly 300,000 hours of deafening mid-frequency sonar — the kind of lethal noise that has been shown to cause whales’ internal organs to hemorrhage.

They’ll also be conducting torpedo tests, bombing exercises and underwater explosions — some 1.1 million of these events overall. That’s an average of about one detonation every two minutes for the next five years … many of them in and around sensitive whale habitat.

Here’s the kicker: the Navy has adamantly refused to take precautions that would help save whales — such as avoiding vital areas where whales are known to migrate and raise their young. Mind you, putting these simple safeguards in place would not compromise military readiness one iota.

Please make an emergency donation to help NRDC challenge the Navy’s plan and win the kind of protections that whales so urgently need and deserve.

Our legal challenge takes direct aim at the Navy’s plans to test and train off the coasts of Southern California and Hawaii — some of our country’s most biologically rich and diverse waters, home to at least 39 species of marine mammals, including endangered blue whales and fin whales, as well as vulnerable populations of beaked whales.

Make no mistake: the Navy’s wholesale assault on whales is almost certainly illegal. Our environmental laws obligate the Navy to take steps to prevent whales from stranding, suffering and dying.

But unless compassionate citizens like you and me take the whales’ plight to heart and hold the Navy accountable, the killing of whales will continue unabated — for five long years.

Your contribution will help ensure that we can stay in court for as long as it takes to protect whales from this tragic and senseless attack. With your help, we will defend our environment in the most effective way possible.

I’m sure you agree: not a single whale should have to die for military practice, much less hundreds of them. The courts are their best and last line of defense. I hope you will stand alongside NRDC as we wage this legal fight for the sake of whale survival.

Sincerely,Frances Beinecke
President
Natural Resources Defense CouncilP.S. It makes me heartsick to think of the pain the Navy is needlessly inflicting on some of our planet’s most majestic creatures — and I know you must feel the same way. Please donate now to help us fight and win on their behalf. Thank you.
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

The NFL


TheNFLCongress: Revoke the Tax-Exempt Status of the National Football League
By Lynda Woolard
New Orleans, Louisiana

Despite the fact that it is a $9Billion/Year industry, the National Football League (NFL) continues to enjoy status as a non-profit organization — meaning it doesn’t have to pay federal corporate taxes.

The Commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell, makes nearly $30 million a year — earning more than the heads of companies like Coca-Cola and Wal-Mart. Through TV deals alone, the NFL has inked nearly $30 billion with various television networks. And so often, fans like you and me are asked to foot the bill for new stadiums through our own taxes.

Yet despite being the most profitable sports league in the entire world, the NFL does not pay federal taxes.

The NFL should pay their fair share towards our economy! Just like Major League Baseball, which gave up its nonprofit status in recent years, as well as the National Basketball Association, the NFL should not be able to hide under a nonprofit status in order to avoid paying federal taxes.

The NFL has methodically worked to shift all the power to their side, leaving players, employees and PARTICULARLY THE FANS little say in what goes on with the league. We deserve a say, but do not wish to boycott our teams! Therefore, we are calling on our elected representatives to revoke the tax-exempt status we bestowed upon the league half a century ago. Please sign this petition, and let Congress know that you want them to reconsider the NFL’s tax exempt status.