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Days to save whales
Tag Archives: United States
97 Vaquitas left
Black market trade is killing vaquitas. Take action today to tell Hong Kong to stop the illegal trade that’s killing the last 97 vaquitas.
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There are only 97 vaquita porpoises left in the world, all living in Mexico’s Gulf of California. And these tiny porpoises are being senselessly killed due to a black market demand for endangered species.
Illegal trade of the endangered totoaba fish, whose swim bladder is considered a delicacy by many in Hong Kong, is putting TWO endangered species at risk: the totoaba, and the vaquitas caught and killed in the fishermen’s nets.
Your words matter. When 470,000 people from all across the globe asked the Mexican government for help, Mexico’s president immediately took action, expanding the vaquita’s protected zone and banning destructive gillnet fishing for two years.
Mexico’s actions are an important first step, but a recent undercover Greenpeace investigation discovered a vast smuggling operation of totoaba bladders from Mexico to Hong Kong. As long as the totoaba trade remains lucrative for smugglers, the vaquita will not be safe. Mexico has taken action and now Hong Kong must do its part too.
Tell Hong Kong authorities to stop the illegal trading of endangered animals before it’s too late.
Greenpeace is committed to stopping destructive fishing all over the world, whether it’s caused by illegal smugglers catching vaquita or giant industrial tuna trawls decimating Pacific fisheries. With your help, we want to turn 20% of our oceans into protected marine reserves by 2020.
You can be part of the solution. By taking action right now, you will help pressure the Hong Kong authorities to STOP the devastating trade of totoaba swim bladders, and to take tangible steps to cut the link to destructive fishing immediately.
Thank you,
Phil Kline
Senior Oceans Campaigner, Greenpeace USA
P.S. There are only 97 vaquitas left in the world. Take action now to tell Hong Kong to help save this critically endangered porpoise.
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How retirement benefits will change in 2015
By Emily Brandon
Social Security. Social Security recipients will receive 1.7 percent bigger payments in 2015, due to the annual cost-of-living adjustment. Most workers will continue to pay 6.2 percent of their earnings into the Social Security system, but the maximum taxable earnings amount will increase next year from $117,000 in 2014 to $118,500 in 2015. The Social Security administration will also mail Social Security statements to workers turning ages 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60 in 2015 who have not created an online account.
Medicare. The standard Medicare Part B premium will remain $104.90 monthly in 2015, although high-income beneficiaries pay more, and the deductible is unchanged at $147 per year. The Medicare Part A hospital inpatient deductible will increase from $1,216 in 2014 to $1,260 in 2015. Medicare Part D premiums vary by plan and are expected to increase by 4 percent to an average $38.83 in 2015, assuming retirees stick with their current plan, according to an analysis of Part D plans by researchers at Georgetown University, the University of Chicago and the Kaiser Family Foundation. The maximum possible Part D deductible will be $320 in 2015, but some plans may charge smaller deductibles or no deductible. “Some plans, including many of the most popular plans, are increasing their premiums next year,” says Juliette Cubanski, a policy analyst at the Kaiser Family Foundation. “The open enrollment period is a good time to look to see whether the plan will continue to be offered next year and, if so, look to see how that plan might be changing in terms of the premiums you pay every month to be enrolled as well as the costs you pay for coverage, including the annual deductible and the costs that you pay for your prescription medications.” Beneficiaries have an opportunity to switch Part D plans each year during open enrollment.
401(k)s. The 401(k) contribution limit will increase by $500 to $18,000 in 2015. The catch-up contribution limit for workers age 50 and older will also grow by $500 to $6,000 in 2015. “There’s a considerable amount of tax deferral you can get on those savings,” says Kevin Brosious, a certified financial planner and president of Wealth Management Inc. in Allentown, Pennsylvania. A worker under age 50 who is in the 25 percent tax bracket and contributes the maximum amount to a traditional 401(k) in 2015 will save $4,500 on his federal income tax bill, compared with a tax break of $4,375 for maxing out in 2014.
IRAs. The IRA contribution limit will remain $5,500 in 2015, and savers age 50 and older can contribute an additional $1,000 as a catch-up contribution. Workers who have a retirement account at work can claim a tax deduction for making a traditional IRA contribution until their modified adjusted gross income is between $61,000 and $71,000 for individuals and $98,000 to $118,000 for couples in 2015, up $1,000 and $2,000, respectively, from 2014. Spouses without a workplace retirement plan who are married to someone with a 401(k) can claim the IRA contribution tax deduction until their income is between $183,000 and $193,000 in 2015. The Roth IRA income limits will also increase by $2,000 in 2015 to between $116,000 and $131,000 for individuals and $183,000 to $193,000 for married couples. However, investors who earn more than these limits may be able to convert traditional IRA assets to a Roth IRA. “High-income employees typically aren’t eligible for Roth IRAs, but they can add after-tax dollars and then roll that directly into their Roth IRA,” says Michael Hollars, a certified financial planner for Client First Finance in Sunnyvale, California.
Saver’s credit. Workers who save in a 401(k) or IRA may be eligible for the saver’s credit if their AGI is less than $30,500 for singles, $45,750 for heads of household and $61,000 for married couples in 2015. These limits are between $500 and $1,000 higher than in 2014. This valuable tax credit is worth 50 percent, 20 percent or 10 percent of your 401(k) or IRA contributions up to $2,000 ($4,000 for couples), with the biggest credit going to savers with the lowest incomes. The maximum possible saver’s credit is worth $1,000 for individuals and $2,000 for couples.
New retirement account. The Treasury is expected to offer a new type of retirement account, the myRA. These Roth accounts with be funded with after-tax dollars via payroll deduction, but they are not tied to your job and are guaranteed by the government to never lose value. The myRA will be available to workers with an annual income of less than $129,000 for individuals and $191,000 for couples, and they can use the account for up to 30 years or until their account balance hits $15,000, after which the balance will transfer to a private-sector retirement account.
Got a question about your health insurance, retirement portfolio, or anything else finance-related? Drop us a line: YFmoneymailbag@yahoo.com. Yahoo Finance is answering your money questions on Tumblr!
More From US News & World Report
- 10 Retirement Benefits You Need to Have
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- 10 Social Security Mistakes to Avoid
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TPP disclaimer
At this moment, I would like to add my disclaimer to all information posted by me from other resources re:TPP or any other information tracking Trade Policies negatively toward or against President Barack Obama. We all should know there is no TPP deal yet, so, be aware that we are hearing what Pundits and Politicians want us to hear. I do not support the negative behavior by progressives or those holding seats in either Chamber of Congress re:TPP who seem to believe they can talk down or disrespect the POTUS on any Trade Policy. I believe the Democratic Party and members of Congress in both Chambers should be a part of Trade Policy Solutions for the 21st Century! STOP the fear mongering and shoving the horrors of NAFTA at us like it’s what POTUS wants! This President has spoken on 21st Century living, telling voters that being out in front instead of letting others lead us is best ~~~ NAFTA was at least 30 years ago.
~ Nativegrl77
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it was blowin in the wind : GMO
a repost: a story & issue that needs more research and repeal the rider
AquaBounty …
is a biotechnology company dedicated to the improvement and productivity in aqua culture.
Our mission is to play a significant part in “The Blue Revolution” – bringing together biological sciences and molecular technology to enable an aquaculture industry capable of large-scale, efficient, and environmentally sustainable production of high quality seafood. Increased growth rates, enhanced resistance to disease, better food-conversion rates, manageable breeding cycles, and more efficient use of aquatic production systems are all important components of a sustainable aquaculture industry of the future.
Unless you have been resting … under a rock, you heard about the GE Wheat found in an Oregon Field, though folks keep looking left and right stating uh how did that happen; just remind them using that great song by Bob Dylan because it fits our predicament . “The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind,” a protest song, that has been described as “impenetrably ambiguous: either the answer is so obvious it is right in your face, or the answer is as intangible as the wind”. [2
I think the answer is so obvious and now it is time to stop sitting on the sidelines and go call your member of Congress ~~ Call the White House and tell them 64 countries – including China, Australia and the entire European Union – already require GE/GM foods be labeled.
I hear that HR933 had among other things, something called the Monsanto Protection Act. Reports from various news sources are that the rider was quietly tucked into the House bill without a proper hearing that is currently chaired by Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD). I do not know about you but that sadden me considering all that we know about GMOs/GM and even more important, do we know what high consumptions will do to humans in the long term…
Anyway, unless you live in a completely sustainable environment you know that we already eat GMO; you can find out by reading about Monsanto, Cargill, DuPont or Dow Chemical and the best possible way to fight back is by buying local, free-range to avoid some if not all GMOs and synthetic chemicals. Currently, Salmon farming in open net-cages is a reality in Canada, though in March of 2013, “CAAR congratulated the BC government for ceasing issuance of new open net-cage aquaculture tenures.” Yet, their federal government has not acted, making the threat or risk to consumers more likely if the number of plants increase while inspections are far and few, giving some GMO’s an opportunity escape or muscle their way into the wild or even worse the pens are so cramed the environment becomes even more unsanitary. FYI: most if not all GMO salmon will be bigger … above average in all it’s GMO self … which means frankenfish …right?!!! ewww
I ask, do you ask your grocer or the restaurants you eat at if your food of choice is farmed, if not, it is time to demand proper labels wherever aquaculture products are sold. Now, you need to say GM and though we all know something not much sunlight has been shed on GM’s … farmed raised fish are GM’s in my opinion. AquaBounty stated that “If the company is successful, the salmon would be the first genetically modified food animal on the market.” I have to say the notion that GM Salmon would be the first GM food is one thing but to say it is safe has yet to be proven and beyond offensive
One problem among many I have with GM salmon and the company the FDA is doing business with is: Is AquaBounty really a US company as portrayed or was it certified in Canada, given special treatment and relocated in the U.S. The story I heard was that the eggs will come from Canada be hatched and raised in Panama, not Panama Florida, then sold to the U.S. I don’t know about you but I prefer to know where my food comes from, what I am eating and that it is properly labeled giving me the option a CHOICE to say no thanks. Labeling, it is not lost on me that labeling food might not be cost effective or lucrative for restaurants or grocers yet I cannot imagine anyone working for those places or the owners actually eating GM products at home by choice without knowing where ” It” came from .
Choice, my word of the day lately, which covers so many things going on today and the lack of it, pisses me off.
In 2010, 6500 folks chose to take a survey asking if you would eat GMs, 643 said sure, 177 maybe, 5466 No Way, and 147 said I am not sure. Yes, I would have voted No Way. I can hear my dad warning us, who first thought farmed fish, would help sustain the wild; talk about the whispers of ill-equipped , lack of technology or knowledge resulting in nasty bacteria and the possibility of cross contamination. There are reports that marine mammals, such as seals, sea lions and porpoises, may have been killed as the result of the production of the farmed fish not to mention them selling GM without telling you that what you are eating has a little something extra in it. Some environmentalists worry about the possibility of GM salmon breeding with wild salmon. AquaBounty says, “All its salmon are female, most are sterile, and they would be raised in land-based facilities.” This is supposed to make us feel better after reported incidences in Panama. I admit to laughing about these GM Salmon being female… and mostly sterile. There are far too many jokes to be sure, but the joke is the number folks are talking about ~~ 95% … sound familiar to you. Okay, I will say it, you only need one sperm deposit to break through to fertilize a possible 7000 eggs – or roe as my family calls it that wild female salmon lay; maybe 10% of those survive but that 5% margin is silly and suffice it to say cross contamination with GMs could eliminate wild salmon, alter all that salmon do organically for the eco-system like support wildlife at least in the NW – Healthy Salmon runs mean a healthy eco-system.
Folklore has it that Salmon return to the exact spot where they were born to spawn; tracking studies have shown this to be true, and this homing behavior has been shown to depend on olfactory memory … Yet another thing no GM probably can do.
Americans need to demand labels
Salmon Farm Facts
from www.farmedanddangerous.org
- A salmon farm is likely to hold 500,000 to 750,000 fish in an area the size of four football fields.
- The biomass of farmed salmon at one farm site can equal 480 Indian bull elephants – that is 2,400 tonnes of eating, excreting livestock.
- Salmon are carnivores. On average it takes two to five kilograms of wild fish (used in feed) to produce one kilogram of farmed salmon.
- In one study, over a billion sea lice eggs were produced by just twelve farms in a two week period. preceding the out-migration of wild juvenile salmon.1
- Infection with one to three sea lice can kill a wild juvenile pink salmon.2
- In British Columbia alone there are approximately 136 salmon farm licenses with over 85 farms active at any given time.
- Canada and Chile are the two primary sources of farmed salmon for American consumers.3
- Two-thirds of the salmon consumed by Americans is farm-raised.3
- The government and industry would like to see BC farmed salmon production double within the next 10 years — that means twice the toll on our oceans, wild fish and coastal livelihoods.
On March 18, 2013
AquaBounty Technologies, Inc.
(“AquaBounty” or “the Company”)
Result of General Meeting
Further to the announcement of 15 February 2013, the Board of AquaBounty Technologies, Inc. (AIM: ABTX), a biotechnology company focused on enhancing productivity in the aquaculture market, announces that at the General Meeting of shareholders held on 15 March, all resolutions were duly passed.
The Company will proceed to complete the transaction to raise $6.0 million (£3.9 million) before expenses by means of a subscription of 22,883,295 new Common Shares (the “Subscription Shares”) by Intrexon Corporation (“Intrexon”) and certain other existing shareholders of the Company. Admission to AIM and commencement of trading of the Subscription Shares is scheduled to occur on 19 March 2013. Total shares outstanding upon admission will be 125,138,983, of which Intrexon will hold 67,346,258 shares or 53.8 percent.
For further information, please contact:
AquaBounty Technologies +1 781 899 7755
David Frank, Chief Financial Officer
Nomura Code Securities +44(0)20 7776 1200
Giles Balleny
Luther Pendragon
Resources:
consumersunion.org
cbc.ca/news …
naturalnews.com …
wiki
Be a Seed for Change -me
AquaBounty, is also just one of probably many companies in the “aquaculture” industry … I just chose to write about their upcoming or direct association with the US Government and some say they are based in Massachusetts
Written in 2013
Be a Seed for Change 
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