Tag Archives: United States farm bill

~ Culture & History

Tell the USDA to ban all sales of Lion Meat … Cheryl Semcer


Change.org
                          I started a petition this summer asking a restaurant to stop serving lion meat, and won. Now I’m calling on the USDA to ban all sales of lion meat.                       
      Sign My Petition

I never imagined the impact I would have when I started my first petition on Change.org asking a restaurant in Kansas to stop serving lion meat. But I won with the help of other Change.org users!

I still wondered if the sale of lion meat was happening in other places, and who was letting this happen.

It turns out there are a lot of problems with lion meat: it’s not only bad for lions, but also humans. The origins of lion meat are nearly untraceable, with some of it coming from farms where they’re raised for circus entertainment, their hides, and slaughter. Killing lions for human consumption also falls between the cracks of federal agency responsibility, and therefore the meat is rarely inspected. Since the processing goes unregulated, lions aren’t even protected by humane slaughter laws.

It’s unbelievable to me that any restaurant would be allowed to sell lion meat — especially when the meat is potentially unsafe. Thats why I started a new petition on Change.org, this time calling on the United States Department of Agriculture to ban the sale of all lion meat. Click here to sign!

Lion meat isn’t regulated by the USDA or the Food and Drug Administration — even though it’s often deceitfully marketed this way. This lack of clear oversight makes it nearly impossible to trace the origin of lion meat and how it’s processed.

And to make matters worse, experts say that serving lion meat at restaurants in the U.S. could further drive the dwindling wild population into extinction.

Restaurants market lion meat because it’s shocking — but the government shouldn’t be allowing a gimmick like this that could decimate the lion population and make people sick. My petition asking a local restaurant to stop serving lion meat won — and was widely covered in the media. By showing popular support for a ban on all lion meat, I believe the USDA will be forced to listen.

Sign my petition now asking the United States Department of Agriculture to ban the sale of lion meat.

Thank you for your support.

Cheryl Semcer

Hoboken, New Jersey
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

UCS


The $11 Trillion Reward

It’s no secret—the American diet of unhealthy, processed foods is killing us. More than 725,000 Americans die from heart disease and stroke each year. We can shrink this number through healthy eating, but we need our government working for—not against—us. Our new report, The $11 Trillion Reward, shows just how damaging current U.S. food policy is—favoring cheap, processed foods over fresh fruits and veggies—and what we can do to improve it. Check out the report, share it on Facebook and Twitter, and read on for more important updates! —Karla

This Just In
Watch: The real cost of junk food WATCH: The real cost of junk food If Americans ate just one more serving of fruits or vegetables a day, we could prevent 30,000 deaths each year. The benefits of healthy eating are clear, yet our government spends billions subsidizing processed foods like chips and soda that undermine our health, while fruits and vegetables get very little support. Watch our new video to see just how damaging current U.S. policy is—and what you can do to change it. MORE
Ask a Scientist
Jeffery O'HaraJeffrey O’Hara Agricultural Economist “What is UCS doing to encourage American farmers to grow more vegetables and fruit that would be healthier for our diets given that so many of them are dependent on government subsidies to grow commodity crops like corn and soybeans?”—Lanni Isenberg, Newton, MA It is not an accident that the U.S. agricultural landscape looks the way it does. Farm policy plays a critical role in influencing which crops are grown. Today, excessive subsidies are directed to “commodity” crops such as corn and soybeans that are used as animal feed and ingredients in processed junk foods. At the same time, as I describe below, federal farm policy restricts fruit and vegetable production. To make matters worse, significant obstacles exist in some communities for those wishing to use nutrition assistance benefits to buy healthy food at local markets.  MORE

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Do you have a question for UCS scientists? Submit your question today.
Science in Action
Act now for a healthier Farm Bill DEADLINE: Act now for a healthier Farm Bill There are just days left to win support for healthy food and sustainable agriculture in the Farm Bill, which sets U.S. food policy for the next five years. Despite the importance of this legislation, Congress is locked in ideological battles that threaten to derail chances to pass this legislation before the current law expires at the end of the month. If this happens, programs that support healthy food and sustainable agriculture will suffer the most. If you’ve already contacted your elected officials, now is the time to contact them again. Tell Congress: The time is NOW to pass a Farm Bill that puts healthy food and farms first!
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Sneak peek —


Union of Concerned Scientists

You’re the first to see this…

Because you took action on the Farm Bill, this video is a special sneak peek just for you.

Join us in creating a more healthful food and farm system by spreading the word.

ACTION ALERT To Support Healthy Food, Share This Video Now!
You may have heard that the House passed a controversial version of the Farm Bill last month that excludes the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps). It remains to be seen whether this bill can be reconciled with the Senate’s version passed earlier this year, but we are continuing to work to promote critical programs for healthy food and sustainable agriculture in the Farm Bill.
These programs stand a chance today because of YOU. Thank you for sending emails and making phone calls to improve the farm bill. To show my appreciation, I wanted to share with you a special sneak peek of our brand new video.
The video is a part of new analysis from UCS which presents even stronger evidence that shifting Farm Bill funding to fruits and vegetables—instead of ingredients used for processed foods—is vital for our health.
In fact, this video—which I’m emailing now only to our most active supporters—shows how our current food and farm policies like those in the Farm Bill are actually killing us.
We now only have 54 days left until the current Farm Bill expires—it is more important than ever to spread the word and change our nation’s policies to support healthy food.
Tell your friends about our video today!

Sincerely, Ashley Elles Ashley Elles National Field Organizer Food & Environment Program Union of Concerned Scientists

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Meals for Seniors and Head Start ~~~ End the Sequester

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Sarasota - Meals on Wheels
Sarasota – Meals on Wheels (Photo credit: roger4336)

Tonight, chances are a senior in your community will go to bed hungry.


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Send a message to Congress   and President Obama to find a way to
end sequestration now!
Head Start Gets Results
Black History

the Senate considers S.954 & S.744 CONGRESS ~~~ the House

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WethePeople

  • The Senate stands in adjournment until 2:00pm on Monday, June 10, 2013.
  • Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S.744, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill.
  • The time until 5:00pm will be divided as follows: Senator Sessions or his designee will control 2 hours and Senator Leahy or his designee will control the remaining time.
  • At 5:00pm, the Senate will resume consideration of S.954, the Farm bill, post-cloture.  The time until 5:30pm will be equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees.
  • At 5:30pm, the Senate will vote (voice vote expected) on the Leahy amendment #998 (internet projects in rural areas) and there will then be a roll call vote on passage of S.954, the Farm bill, as amended.
  • Following disposition of S.954, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S.744, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill with Senator Sessions or his designee controlling up to one hour.
  • At approximately 4:30pm, Senator-designate Jeff Chiesa will be sworn in as senator from New Jersey.
  • The Senate has resumed consideration of S.954, the Farm bill, post-cloture. A Republican senator may ask for a roll call vote on the Leahy amendment. As a result, up to 2 roll call votes are expected at 5:30pm today.-          Leahy amendment #998 (internet projects in rural areas)-          Passage of S.954, the Farm bill, as amended.
  • 5:33pm The Senate began a roll call vote on Leahy amendment #998 (internet projects in rural areas)Agreed to: 48-38
  • At 6:03pm the Senate began a 15 minute roll call vote on Passage of S.954, the Farm bill, as amendedPassed: 66-27

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Last Floor Action: 6/6/13
3:15:33 P.M. – The House adjourned
pursuant to a previous special order.

The next meeting in the House is scheduled for 3:00
p.m. on June 10, 2013.

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