Global warming, Copenhagen Summit, et al :)
Global warming, Copenhagen Summit, et al :)
These Actions, on Change.org, the url :)
Global warming, Copenhagen, et al :)
http://globalwarming.change.org/actions/view/global_warming_copenha...
http://www.change.org/profile/189788/actions
http://www.change.org/profiles/reality
Earth Council Update :) Walking more softly on the Earth December 16, 2009 We Interrupt Your Holidays for an important message of Global Proportions. With only 3 days left, the crucial Copenhagen climate summit is failing.
Tomorrow, world leaders will arrive for an unprecedented 60 hours of direct negotiations. Each one will have to Decide Whether to step forward as heroes, or fail us all. But they will only act if we do.
Around the world a global movement has been building towards this moment. Now it's time for one last, massive push - with a global public outcry for a real deal that will stop catastrophic climate change. In the next 72 hours we can build the largest petition in history.
Please join Earth Council in signing and circulating this incredible and historic petition to literally change the world, or rather, stop it from changing any further. They have over 11 million signatures so far. Let's keep that number climbing. Please sign this historic petition and join this historic movement. Let us show future generations what we are made of.
http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_copenhagen_now/?cl=402504497&v=4920
Do not forget our other Gift Ideas! Do not forget at Earth Council we have Nature Photography and affiliates that will satisfy everyone on your list including the fuzzy and feathered ones.
Award Winning Photographer, Jill Pearson has a new Online Gallery! You can purchase prints and have them matted and framed at her Gallery. You can purchase her Greeting Cards with photographs on them as well. You can still buy the original signed and numbered prints directly from Jill at her Gallery as well. Browse around and keep checking back. New photos will be added later for the Holiday shopping. Check out Jill's Online Photo Gallery here!
There is more shopping offered through the Earth Council's affiliates. Just click on any of the banners on our web site and do your online shopping. Earth Council wil get a percentage of whatever you purchase! It's that easy! We have Gaiam, PBS, and Amazon. They are all running specials for the Holiday so get your shopping done soon! So sit back, relax and get your shopping done while helping to support the Earth Council!
All these specials and more can be found at
Earth Council and at our Gift Ideas page. The Story of Cap and Trade We know this is the season for festivities, but it is also the season when our Nations' leaders are meeting in Copenhagen to FINALLY do something abut the mess we humans have created ... Global Warming. As citizens of the Earth we should be ever vivilgent about such issues and never leave these decisions Solely to our "leaders". Many of our members at the Council feel it is important to inform you of the main runner fromt "solution" Favored by many in power. We are talking about "Cap and Trade". It is nothing more than a get rich quick scheme by the rich and not so famous and a prescription for more global disasters. Here is a very nice and easy to understand video that explains it well. Then let your Representatives know this is NO solution.See it through Earth Council. Thank you from the Council Thank You for supporting Earth Council.
http://www.earthcouncil.net/
We want to wish you and your families, furred and feathered as well, a very happy and safe Holiday.
We look forward to your continued support in the New Year. Do not forget Earth Council has FREE ecards! Send ecards to friends and family just to let them know you are thinking about them. Send your FREE Earth Council ecard today! Read, laugh, test your wits, and shop, all at Earth Council!
We enjoy your visits and love to hear from you-Jill & Council
http://www.earthcouncil.net
NIRS: Thank you- plus recap and update :)
Take Action :)
http://www.nirs.org/alerts/index.htm
Nuclear Information and Resource Service
December 16, 2009
To all of our friends and activists,
Thank you! Thank you to everyone who called your Senators last Friday, and to everyone who helped us send 5600 letters to your Senators and President Obama last week!
A brief update on nuclear power and the climate bill is below.
But first, a quick recap. Over the past year, we have generated--meaning you have sent--more than 75,000 letters and faxes to federal and state officials to prevent taxpayer and ratepayer bailouts of the nuclear power industry and to support a nuclear-free, carbon-free, sustainable and affordable energy future. That's not counting your thousands and thousands of phone calls.
And, over the course of the year, we have doubled the size of our e-mail list; meaning that we are constantly reaching more and more people--people like you, who are taking action and making your voice heard.
Our goal for 2010 is to at least double those numbers again. We want to make your voices even louder at the federal level, and we want to increase our support for grassroots groups at the state and local level to make your voices ring through state capitols as well.
Will you help us, this holiday season, meet these goals by making your most generous tax-deductible contribution possible now?
Your donations go right back into our program work: our outreach and mobilization, our legal interventions against the proposed Calvert Cliffs MD and Levy County FL reactors, our work for the safest, most environmentally responsible radioactive waste policies, and much more. Less than 10% of our funds are spent on administration, less than 5% on fundraising. We're efficient and dedicated and we know you expect no less.
Twice this year we beat back efforts to add $50 Billion in new loan guarantees for new reactor construction. More precisely--you beat back those efforts. We serve as the watchdog and the catalyst; letting you know when and how to take the most effective action possible.
With your financial help--let's face it, all of this costs money--we will double our efforts in the coming year. Your contributions are tax-deductible, and all donors of $35 or more will receive our publication The Nuclear Monitor by e-mail 20 times/year.
And we're going to need to double our efforts.
Here's the update: Sens. Kerry, Graham and Lieberman released their "framework" for a new Senate climate bill last week. Here is the nuclear power section:
Encouraging nuclear power. Additional nuclear power is an essential component of our strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We strongly support incentives for renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, but successful legislation must also recognize the important role for clean nuclear power in our low-emissions future. America has lost its nuclear technology manufacturing base, and we must rebuild it in order to compete in the global marketplace. Our legislation will encourage the construction of new nuclear power plants and provide funding to train the next generation of nuclear workers. We will make it easier to finance the construction of new nuclear power plants and improve the efficiency of the licensing process for traditional as well as small modular reactors, while fully respecting safety and environmental concerns. In addition, we support the research and development of new, safe ways to minimize nuclear waste. We are working with our colleagues to create incentives for low-carbon power sources, including nuclear, that will complement the Energy and Natural Resource Committee's work to incentivize renewable electricity.
You can read the full text of their "framework" (which includes support for oil and coal as well!) here.
Translation: Billions and billions of taxpayer loan guarantees for new reactors; ending any meaningful public participation in the reactor licensing process (like those interventions we're doing!); supporting development of "small" nuclear reactors across the world; money for giant corporations to build new reactor manufacturing plants....This is not a framework for a climate bill, this is the framework for a full-scale taxpayer bailout of dirty energy interests!
We need to stop this in its tracks. What we need are real climate solutions; not more nuclear power, coal and oil. Here is a terrific interactive website from Scientific American
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=powering-a-green-p...
explaining their November 2009 cover story: A Path to Sustainable Energy by 2030. No one should doubt that we have the technology and ability to tackle the climate crisis; what is missing is the political will. And that's where you come in.
If we're going to attain the nuclear-free, carbon-free energy future our planet and its people deserve, we're going to have to speak as loudly and clearly as possible. That's why your support to enable us to expand our outreach and your effectiveness is so important.
By the way, if you weren't able to send a letter to your Senators last week, you can still do so here. And even if you did, please feel free to change the wording a bit and send a new one now. While no formal action will be taken on climate legislation before the new year, the behind-the-scenes dealmaking is going on and Senators still need to hear from you.
Finally, we thought you might like to see a few photos of the street theater outside the Department of Energy last Friday. You can do so here. And, if you go here, you can see a photo of the presentation of the international Don't Nuke the Climate petition with 50,000+ signers in Copenhagen, as well as a short video of the large anti-nuclear contingent at the December 12 march in Copenhagen.
Wishing you the happiest holiday season,
Michael Mariotte
Executive Director
Nuclear Information and Resource Service
nirsnet@nirs.org
www.nirs.org
Leave your message for world leaders on Earth FM in time for Earth Hour Copenhagen, 16th December, 7pm CET :)
Having trouble viewing this email? Click here.
http://mail.panda.org/inxmail5/html_mail.jsp?params=18310+jamesmnor...
ABOUT EARTH FM
On December 16 World leaders are meeting in Copenhagen for the COP15 Climate Summit, where critical decisions will be made on taking action against global warming. We need to make sure world leaders Vote Earth.
You can record a message Which will be broadcast to world leaders on FM at the Earth Summit COP15. It's about making our voice heard as one people, because it's not about what country you're from, it's about what planet you're from.
TUNE IN TO EARTH FM!
Listen to voice messages and content that is coming in from around the world constantly. And if you know any world leaders, make sure you send it their way!
VISIT EARTH FM
A special Earth Hour event, Earth Hour Copenhagen, Will take place at 7pm CET on December 16, uniting the people of Copenhagen for an hour of darkness. The culmination of this event will be UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon accepting the 'People's Orb', Symbol of the collective will of our planet. For up to the minute news and coverage of the event go to earthhour.org.
E-News: Promises (Partially) Honored, Iran Sanctions Not the Answer, and More :)
Friends Committee on National Legislation - A Quaker Lobby in the Public Interest
** E-News: Promises (Partially) Honored, Iran Sanctions Not the Answer, and More **
Tuesday, December 15
Honor the Promises: Native American Settlement in Trust Fund Case
Iran: Why Sanctions Are not the Answer
Nuclear Disarmament: New US-Russia Treaty Imminent
Take Action: Urge Representatives to Support Gaza Easing of Suffering
Addressing Global Warming: 7 Ways New Legislation Gets it Right
Immigration Reform: Key to Economic Recovery
War is Not the Answer Photo of the Week: Greenbelt, MD
See the online version of this newsletter: http://action.fcnl.org/r/104248/46386/0.
* Happy holidays! This will be FCNL's last enewsletter for 2009. Look for the next one in January 2010 .*
* Honor the Promises: Native American Settlement in Trust Fund Case
For more than a century, the federal government has failed to Adequately manage or account for huge sums of money that it owed Native Americans for the use of their land. Last week, the Blackfeet Indian banker who sued the government on Behalf of the individual Native Americans who were owed money settled the 13-year-old case. Elouise Cobell stated, "Indians did not receive the full financial Settlement they deserved, but we achieved the best we could Settlement. This is a bittersweet victory, at best, but it will mean a great deal to the tens of thousands of impoverished Indians entitled to share in its financial results. " Find out more about the case and the settlement: http://action.fcnl.org/r/104249/46386/0.
* Iran: Why Sanctions Are not the Answer
Today, the House is preparing to pass legislation that intend to keep Iran from importing gasoline and other refined petroleum products. Foreign policy lobbyist Jim Fine notes that the penalties are Likely to Cripple U.S. diplomatic efforts as much as they will hurt Iran. Find out more about why Jim thinks that sanctions are not the way to address US-Iran tensions: http://action.fcnl.org/r/104250/46386/0.
* Nuclear Disarmament: New US-Russia Treaty Imminent
The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) between the United States and Russia has been a cornerstone of nuclear disarmament efforts. Since 1991, when the treaty took effect, it reduced both countries' nuclear arsenals by between 30 and 40 percent and helped end a US-Russian arms race. START expired on December 5. President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev are nearing completion of a new nuclear weapons reduction treaty, Which they may sign as soon as December 18. Read this article by Daryl Kimball of the Arms Control Association to find out why the U.S. Senate should ratify the treaty: http://action.fcnl.org/r/104251/46386/0.
* Take Action: Urge to Support Represenatives Easing of Gaza Suffering
As the December 28 anniversary of the start of the Gaza war approaches, Rep.. Jim McDermott (WA) and Keith Ellison (MN) are asking their House colleagues to sign on to a letter to President Obama Urging Him to Work to Improve Humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip. Winter is arriving in Gaza, and people there face restrictions on many of the materials needed to rebuild after the destruction from last year's war. Ask your representative to join this letter to the president: http://action.fcnl.org/r/104252/46386/0.
* Addressing Global Warming: 7 Ways New Legislation Gets it Right
Bipartisan legislation introduced last week by Senators Maria Cantwell (WA) and Susan Collins (ME) addresses many of the problems with the cap-and-trade approach that has dominated the climate change debate in Congress. Find out more about the Carbon Limits and Energy for America's Renewal (CLEAR) Act:
http://action.fcnl.org/r/104253/46386/0
and the seven ways that this bill gets it right in addressing the U.S. contribution to global warming:
http://action.fcnl.org/r/104254/46386/0.
* Immigration Reform: Key to Economic Recovery
A growing body of evidence indicates that comprehensive immigration reform would Promote economic recovery. Creating an earned pathway to legal status and eventual citizenship for undocumented immigrants would Strengthen the U.S. economy and help put us back on track toward stability and growth. Find out more in this new resource from FCNL on immigration and the economy: http://action.fcnl.org/r/104255/46386/0.
* War Is Not the Answer Photo of the Week: Greenbelt, MD
http://www.fcnl.org/images/e-newsletter/alexander_barnes_md_wina.jpg
Alexander Barnes, Sr. marching with the Prince George's Peace & Justice Coalition in the 2009 Greenbelt Labor Day Parade. Photo: Kent Kwiatkowski
Order your own War Is Not the Answer sign: http://action.fcnl.org/r/104256/46386/0 and see where this movement is showing up across the country: http://action.fcnl.org/r/104257/46386/0. Find out how to submit your own photo: http://action.fcnl.org/r/104258/46386/0.
Donate to FCNL: http://action.fcnl.org/r/104260/46386/0
Subscribe to this or other email lists: http://action.fcnl.org/r/104263/46386/0
Friends Committee on National Legislation | 245 2nd Street NE Washington, DC 20002 | www.fcnl.org | 800-630-1330
December E-news: Indigenous Representatives Shut Out of Climate Change Negotiations in Copenhagen :)
Promoting the rights, voices and visions of the World's Indigenous PeoplesDecember 2009 Cultural Survival E-newsletter A Festival of Indigenous Arts and Culture December 19-20
The Shops at Prudential Belvidere Arcade
800 Boylston Street
Boston, MA
SEE UPCOMING DATES We need help staffing the events. To volunteer: email dave@cs.org
Cultural Survival Bazaars Winter 2009This Month in Indigenous Culture For the Taino people of the Caribbean, December is the month of the winter solstice. This is when Yoka Hu, who is the sun and the manifestation of life and energy, dies and returns to the earth to be born again and restart the cycle of life. Yoka Hu is seen as the soul of the yucca plant and the cassava root that it produces - the staple of the traditional Taino diet. His passage through the sky Reflects the annual growth cycle of the yucca plant andalso the person crossing that each takes through life. Yoka Hu is Traditionally depicted as a skeletal figure in a triangular carved stone, and solstice ceremonies during the stone is tied to an oval ring, representing the womb of his mother, Ata Bey - the earth. He stays tied to the ring until the vernal equinox in spring.
Cultural Survival Quarterly
Includes:
The Other Way of Knowing I Dreamed the Animals: A Hunter's Journal Helping Survivors Survive Melting the Ice in the Hearts of Men
Subscribe today! Become a member.
Campaign Update: Stop Gold Mine in Didipio, Philippines
The president of the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, replied to Cultural Survival's letters calling on her government to stop a mining project in the Indigenous village of Didipio. She has Referred our letters to the Chairman of the Minerals Development Council for further action. The Philippine Commission on Human Rights carried out a site visit in Didipio in late October. Its report is expected in late December or early January. Scores of Indigenous farmers in Didipio gave testimony of human rights violations committed by the mining company and the national police who are guarding the mining company instead of defending the citizens of Didipio.
http://www.culturalsurvival.org/take-action/didipio-campaign
petition :)
http://www.culturalsurvival.org/take-action/philippines/sign-petition
Rigoberta Menchu to Hold Press Conference in Support of Community Radio
After meeting with several representatives from the Guatemala Radio Project's lobbying team, Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu announced she will hold a press conference in January to bring the importance of community radio to Indigenous Peoples to the attention of the media, congress, and public. This effort is part of the campaign to legalize community radio in Guatemala. Read more about the project.
Indigenous Representatives Shut Out of Negotiations in Copenhagen Indigenous Peoples are Among those most severely affected by climate change and by remediation efforts like the REDD program, yet they have been shut out of the climate change talks going on in Copenhagen. On Human Rights Day, December 10, the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change (IIPFCC) released a statement condemning their exclusion from the talks. "Although we are the most affected by climate change effects," the statement said, "our voices, our proposals on the various Negotiating texts are currently being ignored Because not only are we kept outside the room but no one is listening to the cries and suffering of our peoples. " The statement also called for a protest at the talks, where the quota Indigenous Cultural Survival includes two representatives. Will we end their reports on the conference as we receive them. Read more.
http://www.culturalsurvival.org/news/denmark/indigenous-peoples-cop...
Follow Indigenous Peoples' participation in Copenhagen here:
http://indigenousenvironmentalnetwork.blogspot.com/
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/dec2009/2009-12-08-01.asp
Government Settles Suit Indian Trust Fund
After 13 years of litigation and 122 years of waiting, the United States government is finally paying Native Americans for profit earned on 54 million acres of Native land held "in trust" by the federal government since 1887. The $ 3.4 one billion settlement of the Cobell v. Salazar-class action was announced after December 3dr by Blackfeet Nation banker Eloise Cobell, Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Attorney General Eric Holder. The settlement will Compensate more than 300,000 Indian landholders in western states Whose families have received inadequate or no payments on the grazing, oil, gas and recreational leases the federal government has held in trust, or administered on their Behalf through "individual Indian money (IIM ) accounts "for the past 122 years since the Dawes Act was approved by Congress. Read more.
Native Language Revitalization Campaign Update
Thakiwaki peminamoka enatoweyakwe "Making a home for our language"
The Sauk Kimachipena language immersion school took another step toward realization last month, when Cultural Survival Participated in staff training to help Implement a $ 300,000 grant from the federal Administration for Native Americans. The grant, Cultural Survival Which helped the Sac and Fox Nation submit, will support a master-apprentice program in Which Three teachers will learn the Sauk language from the last five elderly speakers. After three years of work, the teachers should be fluent enough to teach children in the immersion school, Which is scheduled to open in 2012. The grant is in critical Ensuring that the language is passed on while there is still time to learn it from living speakers, who are all over 70 years old.
Click here to read the project summary and here to watch a short film Sauk about the community's dream to create a new generation of speakers of their language. Click here to see a list of all Department of Health and Human Services grant recipients ANA.
"Français is like black and white TV. Speaking Arapaho is like color TV, digital"
Elders from Cultural Survival's partner program, Hinono'eitiino'oowu, "Arapaho Language Lodge" attended last week's Santa Fe International Film Festival to attend the screening and panel discussion for Voices of the Heart, Featuring the language immersion school on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming.Click here to watch a witness report featuring the film's protagonist, Whose children awaiting the Waadookodaading "The place where we help each other" Ojibwe Immersion School immersion school in Wisconsin.Thank you for your ongoing support and generosity. We wish you a joyous Holiday season.
Sincerely,
Ellen L. Lutz Executive Director As always, we welcome your comments. Please send your feedback and suggestions to agnes@cs.org.
Cultural Survival is a global leader in the fight to protect Indigenous lands, languages, and cultures around the world. In partnership with Indigenous Peoples, we advocate for Native communities Whose rights, culture, and dignity are under threat. We are a membership organization Whose board of directors includes some of the world's Preeminent Indigenous leaders, as well as lawyers, anthropologists, business leaders, and philanthropists. For more information go to www.cs.org
By Cultural Survival | 215 Prospect St | Cambridge | MA | 02139
1.000 Species Still at Risk - Help Today :)
The Center for Biological Diversity's Endangered Species Action Fund is already making a big difference.
The $ 43,500 donated in the past two weeks allowed us to initiate legal action yesterday against the Interior Department for failing to protect 144 imperiled species including the plains buffalo, California golden trout, black-footed albatross, dusky tree steals, a Northwest salmon, and a slew of plants and mollusks.
Last week it enabled us to take emergency action to save polar bears dying from pesticide poisoning. And in coming weeks, it will enable the Center to take decisive action to save more than 1,000 of America's most imperiled species.
Please donate generously to the Endangered Species Action Fund today so we can reach our goal of $ 100,000 by December 31st.
https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2167/t/5243/shop/custom.jsp?d...
Every gift received by the end of the year will be matched by one of our major supporters - so your contribution will go twice as far.
Our team of scientists, lawyers, and activists is the best in the business. They know exactly what to do and how to do it - smart, hard-hitting legal petitions, lawsuits, and powerful media presentations. They just need your help to get it done.
1.000 Saving these plants and animals is the biggest species protection campaign we've ever mounted - the biggest campaign in the history of the Endangered Species Act. And with your help, we'll be successful in 2010.
Our list of species to save includes plants and animals in every state, including the wolverine, Arizona tree frog, Mexican gray wolf, Pacific fisher, Oregon spotted frog, Florida panther, Alabama pearlshell mussel, and Rio Grande cutthroat trout. Help us make history for these species on the brink of extinction:
https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2167/t/5243/shop/custom.jsp?d...
As always, we'll devote 100 percent of contributions to saving endangered species - not glossy calendars and stuffed wolf toys from China. Time is too short and the lives of endangered species too precious to devote energy to anything but swift, sure action where it matters most.
Please donate generously today:
https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2167/t/5243/shop/custom.jsp?d...
The fate of more than 1,000 species depends on us.
Thanks again for your support,
Kieran Suckling
Executive Director
Center for Biological Diversity
PS Check out the Seattle Times coverage of our campaign launched yesterday to save 144 plants and animals:
Group Threatens Lawsuit Over 144 Species
SEATTLE TIMES / / December 15, 2009
By Jeff Barnard
Grants Pass, Ore.. (AP) - A conservation group is threatening to go to court if the Obama administration does not start making progress on a backlog of endangered species listings.
The Center for Biological Diversity on Monday filed a formal notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over its failure to Decide Whether to protect 144 species on hold for lack of funding.
The group's endangered species director, Noah Greenwald, says the administration has Obama Obama says the administration has added to the Bush administration's backlog of 249 species.
Valerie Fellows of Fish and Wildlife says the listing process was beset by lack of funding for a decade, but they have turned a corner and have money next year to decide listings for 50 species.
When donating online to the Center for Biological Diversity, always confirm that the donation page is located at DemocracyinAction.org BiologicalDiversity.org gold.
Center for Biological Diversity P.O. BOX 710 TUCSON, AZ 85702 1-866-357-3349
Video: How Cap and Trade Works :)
December 14, 2009
How Does Cap and Trade Work?
As world leaders meet in Copenhagen to discuss global warming, the U.S. Senate Is Considering a bill to create a cap and trade system.
The measure under debate would put a cap - or limit - on the amount of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States in a given year. It would also allow Polluters to trade permits for their emissions.
But how would it work exactly?
Watch a brief video explaining cap and trade on Congress.org.
Copenhagen Conference: Week Two
The global climate change conference in Copenhagen is in its second week.
Negotiators from 192 countries are continuing to debate the terms of an international agreement on curbing greenhouse gases.
Although more than 100 world leaders are in attendance, one of the parties most crucial to the outcome of the talks - the U.S. Congress - will not even have a seat at the negotiating table.
Our sister site, CQ Politics, will be tracking the conference at the Copenhagen 2009 Blog. You can also follow Their Twitter feed.
Read more about why Copenhagen matters Gold Write Congress about the issue of climate change.
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/issues/alert/?alertid=14439151&...
How Health Care Got To This Point
As Members of Congress debate a massive health-care overhaul, they must deal with elements of the nation's health care system that dates to World War II.
Some, such as a prescription drug benefit, were created Deliberately. Others, such as Medicare and Medicaid, grew over the years. And others, such as the system of private health insurance, came about almost by accident. We created a list of seven key decisions that led to the development of the U.S. health care system as it is today and how they are affecting the debate. Read the seven decisions that led to the U.S. health care system.
How a Debt-Reduction Group Would Work
A bipartisan group of senators has proposed a new commission to Reduce the federal debt. Meaning. Kent Conrad (DN.D.) and Judd Gregg (RN.H.) unveiled a proposal last week to create a Special Committee to Develop a package of spending cuts and tax increases. The proposal is modeled on the Base Realignment and Closure Commission, Which Which makes recommendations on military bases should be closed. Like that commission, Conrad and Gregg hope their budget-cutting group can avoid political traps by putting forward a detailed proposal for a single up-or-down vote.
Take a closer look at how the committee would work.
Soldiers' Complaints Spur Inquiry
Senior Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee have asked Pentagon leaders to explain repeated reports of inadequate equipment and training for troops headed to war. At issue rucksacks that are cut off soldiers' movement, uniforms that do not Provide Sufficient camouflage in Afghanistan and that fall apart too quickly, and rifles that jam during use, according to committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) and Solomon P. Ortiz (D-Texas) chairman of the Subcommittee on Readiness. Also of concern, the members said, were reports that troops are being sent to Iraq and Afghanistan "straight from boot camp" without enough training stateside. The legislators expressed their concerns in a Dec. 10 letter to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Adm.. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Copies were also sent to Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. and Army Secretary John M. McHugh. Read more about the complaints from soldiers about their equipment.
Become a Fan, Win a Cup of Coffee
You can now join Congress.org on Facebook! We've created a Fan page on the popular social networking site to allow you to share your favorite stories and features with your friends and family. Simply go to facebook.com / congressorg and click "Become a Fan." You can post messages to other fans Congress.org on our wall, suggest links of interesting stories or comment on our news articles. We may also buy you a cup of coffee. Sometime this week, we'll post a trivia question about Washington politics. The first fan to post the correct answer in the comments will receive a $ 5 gift card to Starbucks. Become a fan of Congress.org on Facebook.
Bills of the Week
HR 4213 would extend certain tax due to expire at the end of the year.
Click here to tell your Members of Congress what you think of this bill. HR 3326 would make annual appropriations for the U.S. Department of Defense.
Click here to tell your Members of Congress what you think of this bill.
How They Voted
Tabling Nelson Amendment on abortion funding
During debate of the health care reform bill, the Senate rejected this amendment that would have prohibited federal funding of abortion coverage.
Vote: 54-45 in the Senate.
Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act
This House bill would overhaul financial services regulations and establish new controls on Institutions Deemed to pose a risk to the entire financial system.
Vote: 223-202 in the House. The bill now goes to the Senate. Want to track your votes cast by Members? Become a registered user and sign up for our weekly newsletter MegaVote.
A New Look
Visit the redesigned Congress.org! We have more news throughout the week. Our reliable tools for advocacy remain unchanged and we'll be adding more in the weeks ahead.
Get On Your Soapbox
Want to make your voice heard concerning issues important to you? Get on your soapbox and make it happen! Our Soapbox feature Allows you to give exposure to your end and Congress.org lets other users take action on the alerts you create. Registered users are now allowed four free soapbox alerts per month!
Track Your Lawmakers
Want to track your votes cast by Members of Congress? Sign up MegaVote for our regular newsletter.
Signed, Sealed, Hand-Delivered!
Did you know that you can have your message hand-delivered to the door of your Members of Congress? For a small fee, we can give your letter "Extra Impact" to help make your voice heard. Select that option when filling out your message on any topic.
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Congress.org is a publication of the CQ-Roll Call Group. Scott Montgomery, Managing Editor.
Contact us
Urgent Action from Copenhagen - Fund the future not the past! :)
Outrageously, the U.S. spends more than $ 10 billion of taxpayer money per year on subsidies to fossil fuel companies. That number does not even count money from the U.S. Export-Import Bank, Which Just last week Exxon gave $ 3 billion. Exxon!
Meanwhile, the Copenhagen climate talks are on the brink - because developing countries will need help greening their economies, and what's on the table now is peanuts (the U.S. is currently offering the world roughly half of what they gave Exxon last week) compared to the long-term need. But there are solutions, one of the most obvious is shifting fossil fuel subsidies to cover some of our long-term contribution to climate finance.
Please send an email now Urging President Obama to shift subsidies to fossil climate funds - this could be the GameChanger climate that breaks the deadlock and unleashes a clean-energy future.
http://action.priceofoil.org/t/5994/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=28090
This is not rocket science. In fact, thanks to Obama, the leaders of the G20 countries declared this fall to eventually phase out their fossil fuel subsidies .-- and I'm hearing that Obama has been weighing Whether to use that money for climate finance. We need President Obama to put a date on that commitment here, and to pledge to use the savings for climate finance.
But with the oil and coal industry's lobbying operation operating on red alert right now, Obama must feel that there is public support before he will commit to such a move.
It's win-win-win: this will not add to any budget deficits. It Will Reduce consumption of climate-wrecking fossil fuels. And it will help developing countries build a clean path out of poverty - and to cope with climate change already caused.
Send an email right now, And forward this message to everyone you know: End fossil fuel subsidies - and use the money to lead the world to a strong treaty in Copenhagen!
Peace,
Steve Kretzmann Founder and Director Oil Change International
PS - For more information on this issue, you can read my recent post on Grist.
Starving for your help :)
I've been to the fur seal rookery on the Pribilof Islands in Alaska's Bering Sea - it's an amazing sight. It's also heartbreaking to hear that dead baby fur seals can be found on the beaches there, Most Likely due to starvation.
The fur seals' food, pollock, are being vacuumed away by massive industrial fishing ships, and wildlife is starving as a result. It's not just the seals, Endangered Steller sea lions are also being forced to spend more and more energy foraging to take in fewer calories, and their youth birth rates and survival rates have declined.
For years, Greenpeace has warned that industrial fishing would destroy this fragile environment, But the fisheries managers have continued to buckle under pressure from industry. As a Greenpeace ocean campaigner, I've personally been insulted and ridiculed for these warnings.
I wish more than anything that I'd been wrong. But despite government assurances that a recovery was about to happen, the pollock population has continued to plummet - to the lowest level on record. America's biggest fishery is in real trouble, putting the survival of marine creatures that depend on pollock in real jeopardy.
Will you help me Prevent a disaster in the Bering Sea? Please make a generous donation today.
We may be Witnessing the collapse of a major ecosystem - but With your help we could still stop this. I've Dived deep at 2,000 feet in the Bering Sea, as one of the first people ever to pilot a submarine into some of the world's largest underwater canyons. I've seen the wonders there - humpback and blue whales, orcas, fur seals, sea otters, dolphins and walrus and endangered Steller sea lions ... these are the animals who call the Bering Sea home and who depend on the pollock. For now.
The impact of a fishery collapse will have on local fishermen and their communities in Alaska is also significant and we've been pressuring the government and the fisheries managers responsible for the amount of pollock that can be caught. Just last month two of the scientific advisors to the pollock fishery joined Greenpeace in calling for steep cuts to next year's catch - but their warnings were unheeded. As I write, fishery managers are about to approve a catch of 813.000 tons, going ahead with business as usual while they push the ecosystem ever closer to The Edge.
Please, support our efforts to protect the Bering Sea and All Those who depend on it for survival. We can not do it without YOU.
My thanks,
John Hocevar
Oceans Campaign Director
https://secureusa.greenpeace.org/securedonate3/index.php?from=09fre...
P.S. Please consider becoming a monthly support today, that way we can guarantee our campaigns resources the whole year long. Click here to become a monthly donor today. Thank you in advance.
702 H Street, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20001
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186 actions dans 10 pays pour la journée "Ni nucléaire, ni effet de serre" du 12 décembre 2009 :)
Réseau "Sortir du nucléaire" - Fédération de 850 associations
Communiqué du 11 décembre 2009
Copenhague/Climat - samedi 12 décembre 2009 :
Des actions en France et au-delà sur le thème "Ni nucléaire, ni effet de serre"
> 186 actions dans 10 pays coordonnées par le Réseau "Sortir du nucléaire" :
http://www.dont-nuke-the-climate.org
- Pendant la conférence de Copenhague, il faut rappeler que le nucléaire reste une terrible menace pour la planète.
- "Sortir du nucléaire" dénonce les manœuvres des dirigeants français qui prétendent que le nucléaire est "propre".
Lors de la Conférence des Nations Unies sur le Changement Climatique, qui se tient du 7 au 18 décembre à Copenhague, les dirigeants de certains états, en particulier de la France, tentent de faire passer le nucléaire pour une énergie "propre" alors que c'est la plus dangereuse et l'une des plus polluantes qui soit. Qui plus est, le nucléaire constitue une forte entrave à la lutte contre le changement climatique :
- construire des centrales nucléaires nécessite des sommes considérables qui ne sont alors pas investies dans les solutions véritablement efficaces pour lutter contre l’effet de serre : pour un euro investi, l'efficacité énergétique et certaines énergies renouvelables sont jusqu'à 11 fois plus performantes que le nucléaire.
- la filière nucléaire, de la mine d'uranium au démantèlement des installations, génère elle aussi des émissions de gaz à effet de serre. En outre, le nucléaire ne permet pas de récupérer la chaleur dégagée lors de la production d’électricité, ce qui oblige à produire de l’énergie supplémentaire pour les besoins en chaleur (à l’inverse, produire électricité et chaleur en co-génération permet d'émettre 7 fois moins de gaz à effet de serre qu'’un système énergétique nucléarisé).
- l'option "nucléaire + chauffage électrique", imposée en France soi-disant pour éviter la consommation de fuel et de charbon, a prouvé son absurdité : dès qu'il fait froid, la consommation électrique est telle que le parc nucléaire français (pourtant surdimensionné) est dépassé, et ce sont des centrales au charbon, fortement émettrices de CO2, qui alimentent les chauffages électriques.
- en réalité, c'est la filière nucléaire qui est menacée par les effets mêmes du changement climatique (sécheresses, tempêtes, inondations, montée du niveau de la mer). Ainsi, de nombreux réacteurs ont dû être arrêtés en 2003 du fait de la canicule. Le nucléaire, qui consomme 25 000 fois plus d’eau par kWh produit que les énergies éolienne et solaire, est complètement inadaptée pour des régions qui risquent d’être de plus en plus frappées par des vagues de chaleur.
Pour faire entendre la voix des citoyens, des actions décentralisées auront lieu partout en France et en Europe le 12 décembre. On note en particulier la participation enthousiaste de l'Italie, dont les citoyens sont majoritairement opposés aux projets nucléaires de Berlusconi.
Le Réseau "Sortir du nucléaire" coordonne actuellement la campagne internationale "Don’t nuke the climate !". Dans ce cadre, une délégation antinucléaire est présente à Copenhague pour essayer d'empêcher l'inclusion du nucléaire dans les mécanismes de réduction des émissions, et mener des actions sur place. Enfin, les antinucléaires seront présents et visibles dans la grande manifestation unitaire qui aura lieu le 12 décembre à Copenhague.
- Des informations précises concernant les actions du 12 décembre (en particulier heure et lieu des rassemblements) sont consultables sur : http://www.dont-nuke-the-climate.org/spip.php?page=affichage-action...
• Contacts presse à Copenhague :
- Frédéric Marillier (attaché de presse) : 06 73 89 55 04
frederic.marillier@sortirdunucleaire.fr
- Charlotte Mijeon (porte parole du Réseau "Sortir du nuclaire") : 06 75 36 20 20
charlotte.mijeon@sortirdunucleaire.fr
• Contact presse en France :
- Stéphane Lhomme (porte parole du Réseau "Sortir du nucléaire") : 06 64 100 333
More information Donate Now to our Annual Appeal
These Actions, on Change.org, the url :)
Global warming, Copenhagen, et al :)
http://globalwarming.change.org/actions/view/global_warming_copenha...
http://www.change.org/profile/189788/actions
http://www.change.org/profiles/reality
Earth Council Update :) Walking more softly on the Earth December 16, 2009 We Interrupt Your Holidays for an important message of Global Proportions. With only 3 days left, the crucial Copenhagen climate summit is failing.
Tomorrow, world leaders will arrive for an unprecedented 60 hours of direct negotiations. Each one will have to Decide Whether to step forward as heroes, or fail us all. But they will only act if we do.
Around the world a global movement has been building towards this moment. Now it's time for one last, massive push - with a global public outcry for a real deal that will stop catastrophic climate change. In the next 72 hours we can build the largest petition in history.
Please join Earth Council in signing and circulating this incredible and historic petition to literally change the world, or rather, stop it from changing any further. They have over 11 million signatures so far. Let's keep that number climbing. Please sign this historic petition and join this historic movement. Let us show future generations what we are made of.
http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_copenhagen_now/?cl=402504497&v=4920
Do not forget our other Gift Ideas! Do not forget at Earth Council we have Nature Photography and affiliates that will satisfy everyone on your list including the fuzzy and feathered ones.
Award Winning Photographer, Jill Pearson has a new Online Gallery! You can purchase prints and have them matted and framed at her Gallery. You can purchase her Greeting Cards with photographs on them as well. You can still buy the original signed and numbered prints directly from Jill at her Gallery as well. Browse around and keep checking back. New photos will be added later for the Holiday shopping. Check out Jill's Online Photo Gallery here!
There is more shopping offered through the Earth Council's affiliates. Just click on any of the banners on our web site and do your online shopping. Earth Council wil get a percentage of whatever you purchase! It's that easy! We have Gaiam, PBS, and Amazon. They are all running specials for the Holiday so get your shopping done soon! So sit back, relax and get your shopping done while helping to support the Earth Council!
All these specials and more can be found at
Earth Council and at our Gift Ideas page. The Story of Cap and Trade We know this is the season for festivities, but it is also the season when our Nations' leaders are meeting in Copenhagen to FINALLY do something abut the mess we humans have created ... Global Warming. As citizens of the Earth we should be ever vivilgent about such issues and never leave these decisions Solely to our "leaders". Many of our members at the Council feel it is important to inform you of the main runner fromt "solution" Favored by many in power. We are talking about "Cap and Trade". It is nothing more than a get rich quick scheme by the rich and not so famous and a prescription for more global disasters. Here is a very nice and easy to understand video that explains it well. Then let your Representatives know this is NO solution.See it through Earth Council. Thank you from the Council Thank You for supporting Earth Council.
http://www.earthcouncil.net/
We want to wish you and your families, furred and feathered as well, a very happy and safe Holiday.
We look forward to your continued support in the New Year. Do not forget Earth Council has FREE ecards! Send ecards to friends and family just to let them know you are thinking about them. Send your FREE Earth Council ecard today! Read, laugh, test your wits, and shop, all at Earth Council!
We enjoy your visits and love to hear from you-Jill & Council
http://www.earthcouncil.net
NIRS: Thank you- plus recap and update :)
Take Action :)
http://www.nirs.org/alerts/index.htm
Nuclear Information and Resource Service
December 16, 2009
To all of our friends and activists,
Thank you! Thank you to everyone who called your Senators last Friday, and to everyone who helped us send 5600 letters to your Senators and President Obama last week!
A brief update on nuclear power and the climate bill is below.
But first, a quick recap. Over the past year, we have generated--meaning you have sent--more than 75,000 letters and faxes to federal and state officials to prevent taxpayer and ratepayer bailouts of the nuclear power industry and to support a nuclear-free, carbon-free, sustainable and affordable energy future. That's not counting your thousands and thousands of phone calls.
And, over the course of the year, we have doubled the size of our e-mail list; meaning that we are constantly reaching more and more people--people like you, who are taking action and making your voice heard.
Our goal for 2010 is to at least double those numbers again. We want to make your voices even louder at the federal level, and we want to increase our support for grassroots groups at the state and local level to make your voices ring through state capitols as well.
Will you help us, this holiday season, meet these goals by making your most generous tax-deductible contribution possible now?
Your donations go right back into our program work: our outreach and mobilization, our legal interventions against the proposed Calvert Cliffs MD and Levy County FL reactors, our work for the safest, most environmentally responsible radioactive waste policies, and much more. Less than 10% of our funds are spent on administration, less than 5% on fundraising. We're efficient and dedicated and we know you expect no less.
Twice this year we beat back efforts to add $50 Billion in new loan guarantees for new reactor construction. More precisely--you beat back those efforts. We serve as the watchdog and the catalyst; letting you know when and how to take the most effective action possible.
With your financial help--let's face it, all of this costs money--we will double our efforts in the coming year. Your contributions are tax-deductible, and all donors of $35 or more will receive our publication The Nuclear Monitor by e-mail 20 times/year.
And we're going to need to double our efforts.
Here's the update: Sens. Kerry, Graham and Lieberman released their "framework" for a new Senate climate bill last week. Here is the nuclear power section:
Encouraging nuclear power. Additional nuclear power is an essential component of our strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We strongly support incentives for renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, but successful legislation must also recognize the important role for clean nuclear power in our low-emissions future. America has lost its nuclear technology manufacturing base, and we must rebuild it in order to compete in the global marketplace. Our legislation will encourage the construction of new nuclear power plants and provide funding to train the next generation of nuclear workers. We will make it easier to finance the construction of new nuclear power plants and improve the efficiency of the licensing process for traditional as well as small modular reactors, while fully respecting safety and environmental concerns. In addition, we support the research and development of new, safe ways to minimize nuclear waste. We are working with our colleagues to create incentives for low-carbon power sources, including nuclear, that will complement the Energy and Natural Resource Committee's work to incentivize renewable electricity.
You can read the full text of their "framework" (which includes support for oil and coal as well!) here.
Translation: Billions and billions of taxpayer loan guarantees for new reactors; ending any meaningful public participation in the reactor licensing process (like those interventions we're doing!); supporting development of "small" nuclear reactors across the world; money for giant corporations to build new reactor manufacturing plants....This is not a framework for a climate bill, this is the framework for a full-scale taxpayer bailout of dirty energy interests!
We need to stop this in its tracks. What we need are real climate solutions; not more nuclear power, coal and oil. Here is a terrific interactive website from Scientific American
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=powering-a-green-p...
explaining their November 2009 cover story: A Path to Sustainable Energy by 2030. No one should doubt that we have the technology and ability to tackle the climate crisis; what is missing is the political will. And that's where you come in.
If we're going to attain the nuclear-free, carbon-free energy future our planet and its people deserve, we're going to have to speak as loudly and clearly as possible. That's why your support to enable us to expand our outreach and your effectiveness is so important.
By the way, if you weren't able to send a letter to your Senators last week, you can still do so here. And even if you did, please feel free to change the wording a bit and send a new one now. While no formal action will be taken on climate legislation before the new year, the behind-the-scenes dealmaking is going on and Senators still need to hear from you.
Finally, we thought you might like to see a few photos of the street theater outside the Department of Energy last Friday. You can do so here. And, if you go here, you can see a photo of the presentation of the international Don't Nuke the Climate petition with 50,000+ signers in Copenhagen, as well as a short video of the large anti-nuclear contingent at the December 12 march in Copenhagen.
Wishing you the happiest holiday season,
Michael Mariotte
Executive Director
Nuclear Information and Resource Service
nirsnet@nirs.org
www.nirs.org
Leave your message for world leaders on Earth FM in time for Earth Hour Copenhagen, 16th December, 7pm CET :)
Having trouble viewing this email? Click here.
http://mail.panda.org/inxmail5/html_mail.jsp?params=18310+jamesmnor...
ABOUT EARTH FM
On December 16 World leaders are meeting in Copenhagen for the COP15 Climate Summit, where critical decisions will be made on taking action against global warming. We need to make sure world leaders Vote Earth.
You can record a message Which will be broadcast to world leaders on FM at the Earth Summit COP15. It's about making our voice heard as one people, because it's not about what country you're from, it's about what planet you're from.
TUNE IN TO EARTH FM!
Listen to voice messages and content that is coming in from around the world constantly. And if you know any world leaders, make sure you send it their way!
VISIT EARTH FM
A special Earth Hour event, Earth Hour Copenhagen, Will take place at 7pm CET on December 16, uniting the people of Copenhagen for an hour of darkness. The culmination of this event will be UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon accepting the 'People's Orb', Symbol of the collective will of our planet. For up to the minute news and coverage of the event go to earthhour.org.
E-News: Promises (Partially) Honored, Iran Sanctions Not the Answer, and More :)
Friends Committee on National Legislation - A Quaker Lobby in the Public Interest
** E-News: Promises (Partially) Honored, Iran Sanctions Not the Answer, and More **
Tuesday, December 15
Honor the Promises: Native American Settlement in Trust Fund Case
Iran: Why Sanctions Are not the Answer
Nuclear Disarmament: New US-Russia Treaty Imminent
Take Action: Urge Representatives to Support Gaza Easing of Suffering
Addressing Global Warming: 7 Ways New Legislation Gets it Right
Immigration Reform: Key to Economic Recovery
War is Not the Answer Photo of the Week: Greenbelt, MD
See the online version of this newsletter: http://action.fcnl.org/r/104248/46386/0.
* Happy holidays! This will be FCNL's last enewsletter for 2009. Look for the next one in January 2010 .*
* Honor the Promises: Native American Settlement in Trust Fund Case
For more than a century, the federal government has failed to Adequately manage or account for huge sums of money that it owed Native Americans for the use of their land. Last week, the Blackfeet Indian banker who sued the government on Behalf of the individual Native Americans who were owed money settled the 13-year-old case. Elouise Cobell stated, "Indians did not receive the full financial Settlement they deserved, but we achieved the best we could Settlement. This is a bittersweet victory, at best, but it will mean a great deal to the tens of thousands of impoverished Indians entitled to share in its financial results. " Find out more about the case and the settlement: http://action.fcnl.org/r/104249/46386/0.
* Iran: Why Sanctions Are not the Answer
Today, the House is preparing to pass legislation that intend to keep Iran from importing gasoline and other refined petroleum products. Foreign policy lobbyist Jim Fine notes that the penalties are Likely to Cripple U.S. diplomatic efforts as much as they will hurt Iran. Find out more about why Jim thinks that sanctions are not the way to address US-Iran tensions: http://action.fcnl.org/r/104250/46386/0.
* Nuclear Disarmament: New US-Russia Treaty Imminent
The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) between the United States and Russia has been a cornerstone of nuclear disarmament efforts. Since 1991, when the treaty took effect, it reduced both countries' nuclear arsenals by between 30 and 40 percent and helped end a US-Russian arms race. START expired on December 5. President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev are nearing completion of a new nuclear weapons reduction treaty, Which they may sign as soon as December 18. Read this article by Daryl Kimball of the Arms Control Association to find out why the U.S. Senate should ratify the treaty: http://action.fcnl.org/r/104251/46386/0.
* Take Action: Urge to Support Represenatives Easing of Gaza Suffering
As the December 28 anniversary of the start of the Gaza war approaches, Rep.. Jim McDermott (WA) and Keith Ellison (MN) are asking their House colleagues to sign on to a letter to President Obama Urging Him to Work to Improve Humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip. Winter is arriving in Gaza, and people there face restrictions on many of the materials needed to rebuild after the destruction from last year's war. Ask your representative to join this letter to the president: http://action.fcnl.org/r/104252/46386/0.
* Addressing Global Warming: 7 Ways New Legislation Gets it Right
Bipartisan legislation introduced last week by Senators Maria Cantwell (WA) and Susan Collins (ME) addresses many of the problems with the cap-and-trade approach that has dominated the climate change debate in Congress. Find out more about the Carbon Limits and Energy for America's Renewal (CLEAR) Act:
http://action.fcnl.org/r/104253/46386/0
and the seven ways that this bill gets it right in addressing the U.S. contribution to global warming:
http://action.fcnl.org/r/104254/46386/0.
* Immigration Reform: Key to Economic Recovery
A growing body of evidence indicates that comprehensive immigration reform would Promote economic recovery. Creating an earned pathway to legal status and eventual citizenship for undocumented immigrants would Strengthen the U.S. economy and help put us back on track toward stability and growth. Find out more in this new resource from FCNL on immigration and the economy: http://action.fcnl.org/r/104255/46386/0.
* War Is Not the Answer Photo of the Week: Greenbelt, MD
http://www.fcnl.org/images/e-newsletter/alexander_barnes_md_wina.jpg
Alexander Barnes, Sr. marching with the Prince George's Peace & Justice Coalition in the 2009 Greenbelt Labor Day Parade. Photo: Kent Kwiatkowski
Order your own War Is Not the Answer sign: http://action.fcnl.org/r/104256/46386/0 and see where this movement is showing up across the country: http://action.fcnl.org/r/104257/46386/0. Find out how to submit your own photo: http://action.fcnl.org/r/104258/46386/0.
Donate to FCNL: http://action.fcnl.org/r/104260/46386/0
Subscribe to this or other email lists: http://action.fcnl.org/r/104263/46386/0
Friends Committee on National Legislation | 245 2nd Street NE Washington, DC 20002 | www.fcnl.org | 800-630-1330
December E-news: Indigenous Representatives Shut Out of Climate Change Negotiations in Copenhagen :)
Promoting the rights, voices and visions of the World's Indigenous PeoplesDecember 2009 Cultural Survival E-newsletter A Festival of Indigenous Arts and Culture December 19-20
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800 Boylston Street
Boston, MA
SEE UPCOMING DATES We need help staffing the events. To volunteer: email dave@cs.org
Cultural Survival Bazaars Winter 2009This Month in Indigenous Culture For the Taino people of the Caribbean, December is the month of the winter solstice. This is when Yoka Hu, who is the sun and the manifestation of life and energy, dies and returns to the earth to be born again and restart the cycle of life. Yoka Hu is seen as the soul of the yucca plant and the cassava root that it produces - the staple of the traditional Taino diet. His passage through the sky Reflects the annual growth cycle of the yucca plant andalso the person crossing that each takes through life. Yoka Hu is Traditionally depicted as a skeletal figure in a triangular carved stone, and solstice ceremonies during the stone is tied to an oval ring, representing the womb of his mother, Ata Bey - the earth. He stays tied to the ring until the vernal equinox in spring.
Cultural Survival Quarterly
Includes:
The Other Way of Knowing I Dreamed the Animals: A Hunter's Journal Helping Survivors Survive Melting the Ice in the Hearts of Men
Subscribe today! Become a member.
Campaign Update: Stop Gold Mine in Didipio, Philippines
The president of the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, replied to Cultural Survival's letters calling on her government to stop a mining project in the Indigenous village of Didipio. She has Referred our letters to the Chairman of the Minerals Development Council for further action. The Philippine Commission on Human Rights carried out a site visit in Didipio in late October. Its report is expected in late December or early January. Scores of Indigenous farmers in Didipio gave testimony of human rights violations committed by the mining company and the national police who are guarding the mining company instead of defending the citizens of Didipio.
http://www.culturalsurvival.org/take-action/didipio-campaign
petition :)
http://www.culturalsurvival.org/take-action/philippines/sign-petition
Rigoberta Menchu to Hold Press Conference in Support of Community Radio
After meeting with several representatives from the Guatemala Radio Project's lobbying team, Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu announced she will hold a press conference in January to bring the importance of community radio to Indigenous Peoples to the attention of the media, congress, and public. This effort is part of the campaign to legalize community radio in Guatemala. Read more about the project.
Indigenous Representatives Shut Out of Negotiations in Copenhagen Indigenous Peoples are Among those most severely affected by climate change and by remediation efforts like the REDD program, yet they have been shut out of the climate change talks going on in Copenhagen. On Human Rights Day, December 10, the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change (IIPFCC) released a statement condemning their exclusion from the talks. "Although we are the most affected by climate change effects," the statement said, "our voices, our proposals on the various Negotiating texts are currently being ignored Because not only are we kept outside the room but no one is listening to the cries and suffering of our peoples. " The statement also called for a protest at the talks, where the quota Indigenous Cultural Survival includes two representatives. Will we end their reports on the conference as we receive them. Read more.
http://www.culturalsurvival.org/news/denmark/indigenous-peoples-cop...
Follow Indigenous Peoples' participation in Copenhagen here:
http://indigenousenvironmentalnetwork.blogspot.com/
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/dec2009/2009-12-08-01.asp
Government Settles Suit Indian Trust Fund
After 13 years of litigation and 122 years of waiting, the United States government is finally paying Native Americans for profit earned on 54 million acres of Native land held "in trust" by the federal government since 1887. The $ 3.4 one billion settlement of the Cobell v. Salazar-class action was announced after December 3dr by Blackfeet Nation banker Eloise Cobell, Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Attorney General Eric Holder. The settlement will Compensate more than 300,000 Indian landholders in western states Whose families have received inadequate or no payments on the grazing, oil, gas and recreational leases the federal government has held in trust, or administered on their Behalf through "individual Indian money (IIM ) accounts "for the past 122 years since the Dawes Act was approved by Congress. Read more.
Native Language Revitalization Campaign Update
Thakiwaki peminamoka enatoweyakwe "Making a home for our language"
The Sauk Kimachipena language immersion school took another step toward realization last month, when Cultural Survival Participated in staff training to help Implement a $ 300,000 grant from the federal Administration for Native Americans. The grant, Cultural Survival Which helped the Sac and Fox Nation submit, will support a master-apprentice program in Which Three teachers will learn the Sauk language from the last five elderly speakers. After three years of work, the teachers should be fluent enough to teach children in the immersion school, Which is scheduled to open in 2012. The grant is in critical Ensuring that the language is passed on while there is still time to learn it from living speakers, who are all over 70 years old.
Click here to read the project summary and here to watch a short film Sauk about the community's dream to create a new generation of speakers of their language. Click here to see a list of all Department of Health and Human Services grant recipients ANA.
"Français is like black and white TV. Speaking Arapaho is like color TV, digital"
Elders from Cultural Survival's partner program, Hinono'eitiino'oowu, "Arapaho Language Lodge" attended last week's Santa Fe International Film Festival to attend the screening and panel discussion for Voices of the Heart, Featuring the language immersion school on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming.Click here to watch a witness report featuring the film's protagonist, Whose children awaiting the Waadookodaading "The place where we help each other" Ojibwe Immersion School immersion school in Wisconsin.Thank you for your ongoing support and generosity. We wish you a joyous Holiday season.
Sincerely,
Ellen L. Lutz Executive Director As always, we welcome your comments. Please send your feedback and suggestions to agnes@cs.org.
Cultural Survival is a global leader in the fight to protect Indigenous lands, languages, and cultures around the world. In partnership with Indigenous Peoples, we advocate for Native communities Whose rights, culture, and dignity are under threat. We are a membership organization Whose board of directors includes some of the world's Preeminent Indigenous leaders, as well as lawyers, anthropologists, business leaders, and philanthropists. For more information go to www.cs.org
By Cultural Survival | 215 Prospect St | Cambridge | MA | 02139
1.000 Species Still at Risk - Help Today :)
The Center for Biological Diversity's Endangered Species Action Fund is already making a big difference.
The $ 43,500 donated in the past two weeks allowed us to initiate legal action yesterday against the Interior Department for failing to protect 144 imperiled species including the plains buffalo, California golden trout, black-footed albatross, dusky tree steals, a Northwest salmon, and a slew of plants and mollusks.
Last week it enabled us to take emergency action to save polar bears dying from pesticide poisoning. And in coming weeks, it will enable the Center to take decisive action to save more than 1,000 of America's most imperiled species.
Please donate generously to the Endangered Species Action Fund today so we can reach our goal of $ 100,000 by December 31st.
https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2167/t/5243/shop/custom.jsp?d...
Every gift received by the end of the year will be matched by one of our major supporters - so your contribution will go twice as far.
Our team of scientists, lawyers, and activists is the best in the business. They know exactly what to do and how to do it - smart, hard-hitting legal petitions, lawsuits, and powerful media presentations. They just need your help to get it done.
1.000 Saving these plants and animals is the biggest species protection campaign we've ever mounted - the biggest campaign in the history of the Endangered Species Act. And with your help, we'll be successful in 2010.
Our list of species to save includes plants and animals in every state, including the wolverine, Arizona tree frog, Mexican gray wolf, Pacific fisher, Oregon spotted frog, Florida panther, Alabama pearlshell mussel, and Rio Grande cutthroat trout. Help us make history for these species on the brink of extinction:
https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2167/t/5243/shop/custom.jsp?d...
As always, we'll devote 100 percent of contributions to saving endangered species - not glossy calendars and stuffed wolf toys from China. Time is too short and the lives of endangered species too precious to devote energy to anything but swift, sure action where it matters most.
Please donate generously today:
https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2167/t/5243/shop/custom.jsp?d...
The fate of more than 1,000 species depends on us.
Thanks again for your support,
Kieran Suckling
Executive Director
Center for Biological Diversity
PS Check out the Seattle Times coverage of our campaign launched yesterday to save 144 plants and animals:
Group Threatens Lawsuit Over 144 Species
SEATTLE TIMES / / December 15, 2009
By Jeff Barnard
Grants Pass, Ore.. (AP) - A conservation group is threatening to go to court if the Obama administration does not start making progress on a backlog of endangered species listings.
The Center for Biological Diversity on Monday filed a formal notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over its failure to Decide Whether to protect 144 species on hold for lack of funding.
The group's endangered species director, Noah Greenwald, says the administration has Obama Obama says the administration has added to the Bush administration's backlog of 249 species.
Valerie Fellows of Fish and Wildlife says the listing process was beset by lack of funding for a decade, but they have turned a corner and have money next year to decide listings for 50 species.
When donating online to the Center for Biological Diversity, always confirm that the donation page is located at DemocracyinAction.org BiologicalDiversity.org gold.
Center for Biological Diversity P.O. BOX 710 TUCSON, AZ 85702 1-866-357-3349
Video: How Cap and Trade Works :)
December 14, 2009
How Does Cap and Trade Work?
As world leaders meet in Copenhagen to discuss global warming, the U.S. Senate Is Considering a bill to create a cap and trade system.
The measure under debate would put a cap - or limit - on the amount of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States in a given year. It would also allow Polluters to trade permits for their emissions.
But how would it work exactly?
Watch a brief video explaining cap and trade on Congress.org.
Copenhagen Conference: Week Two
The global climate change conference in Copenhagen is in its second week.
Negotiators from 192 countries are continuing to debate the terms of an international agreement on curbing greenhouse gases.
Although more than 100 world leaders are in attendance, one of the parties most crucial to the outcome of the talks - the U.S. Congress - will not even have a seat at the negotiating table.
Our sister site, CQ Politics, will be tracking the conference at the Copenhagen 2009 Blog. You can also follow Their Twitter feed.
Read more about why Copenhagen matters Gold Write Congress about the issue of climate change.
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/issues/alert/?alertid=14439151&...
How Health Care Got To This Point
As Members of Congress debate a massive health-care overhaul, they must deal with elements of the nation's health care system that dates to World War II.
Some, such as a prescription drug benefit, were created Deliberately. Others, such as Medicare and Medicaid, grew over the years. And others, such as the system of private health insurance, came about almost by accident. We created a list of seven key decisions that led to the development of the U.S. health care system as it is today and how they are affecting the debate. Read the seven decisions that led to the U.S. health care system.
How a Debt-Reduction Group Would Work
A bipartisan group of senators has proposed a new commission to Reduce the federal debt. Meaning. Kent Conrad (DN.D.) and Judd Gregg (RN.H.) unveiled a proposal last week to create a Special Committee to Develop a package of spending cuts and tax increases. The proposal is modeled on the Base Realignment and Closure Commission, Which Which makes recommendations on military bases should be closed. Like that commission, Conrad and Gregg hope their budget-cutting group can avoid political traps by putting forward a detailed proposal for a single up-or-down vote.
Take a closer look at how the committee would work.
Soldiers' Complaints Spur Inquiry
Senior Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee have asked Pentagon leaders to explain repeated reports of inadequate equipment and training for troops headed to war. At issue rucksacks that are cut off soldiers' movement, uniforms that do not Provide Sufficient camouflage in Afghanistan and that fall apart too quickly, and rifles that jam during use, according to committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) and Solomon P. Ortiz (D-Texas) chairman of the Subcommittee on Readiness. Also of concern, the members said, were reports that troops are being sent to Iraq and Afghanistan "straight from boot camp" without enough training stateside. The legislators expressed their concerns in a Dec. 10 letter to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Adm.. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Copies were also sent to Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. and Army Secretary John M. McHugh. Read more about the complaints from soldiers about their equipment.
Become a Fan, Win a Cup of Coffee
You can now join Congress.org on Facebook! We've created a Fan page on the popular social networking site to allow you to share your favorite stories and features with your friends and family. Simply go to facebook.com / congressorg and click "Become a Fan." You can post messages to other fans Congress.org on our wall, suggest links of interesting stories or comment on our news articles. We may also buy you a cup of coffee. Sometime this week, we'll post a trivia question about Washington politics. The first fan to post the correct answer in the comments will receive a $ 5 gift card to Starbucks. Become a fan of Congress.org on Facebook.
Bills of the Week
HR 4213 would extend certain tax due to expire at the end of the year.
Click here to tell your Members of Congress what you think of this bill. HR 3326 would make annual appropriations for the U.S. Department of Defense.
Click here to tell your Members of Congress what you think of this bill.
How They Voted
Tabling Nelson Amendment on abortion funding
During debate of the health care reform bill, the Senate rejected this amendment that would have prohibited federal funding of abortion coverage.
Vote: 54-45 in the Senate.
Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act
This House bill would overhaul financial services regulations and establish new controls on Institutions Deemed to pose a risk to the entire financial system.
Vote: 223-202 in the House. The bill now goes to the Senate. Want to track your votes cast by Members? Become a registered user and sign up for our weekly newsletter MegaVote.
A New Look
Visit the redesigned Congress.org! We have more news throughout the week. Our reliable tools for advocacy remain unchanged and we'll be adding more in the weeks ahead.
Get On Your Soapbox
Want to make your voice heard concerning issues important to you? Get on your soapbox and make it happen! Our Soapbox feature Allows you to give exposure to your end and Congress.org lets other users take action on the alerts you create. Registered users are now allowed four free soapbox alerts per month!
Track Your Lawmakers
Want to track your votes cast by Members of Congress? Sign up MegaVote for our regular newsletter.
Signed, Sealed, Hand-Delivered!
Did you know that you can have your message hand-delivered to the door of your Members of Congress? For a small fee, we can give your letter "Extra Impact" to help make your voice heard. Select that option when filling out your message on any topic.
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Do not forget to add congressorg@capwiz.com to your address book To ensure prompt delivery of this newsletter each week.
If you know anyone who might be interested in this newsletter, please forward this email or subscribe here.
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Congress.org is a publication of the CQ-Roll Call Group. Scott Montgomery, Managing Editor.
Contact us
Urgent Action from Copenhagen - Fund the future not the past! :)
Outrageously, the U.S. spends more than $ 10 billion of taxpayer money per year on subsidies to fossil fuel companies. That number does not even count money from the U.S. Export-Import Bank, Which Just last week Exxon gave $ 3 billion. Exxon!
Meanwhile, the Copenhagen climate talks are on the brink - because developing countries will need help greening their economies, and what's on the table now is peanuts (the U.S. is currently offering the world roughly half of what they gave Exxon last week) compared to the long-term need. But there are solutions, one of the most obvious is shifting fossil fuel subsidies to cover some of our long-term contribution to climate finance.
Please send an email now Urging President Obama to shift subsidies to fossil climate funds - this could be the GameChanger climate that breaks the deadlock and unleashes a clean-energy future.
http://action.priceofoil.org/t/5994/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=28090
This is not rocket science. In fact, thanks to Obama, the leaders of the G20 countries declared this fall to eventually phase out their fossil fuel subsidies .-- and I'm hearing that Obama has been weighing Whether to use that money for climate finance. We need President Obama to put a date on that commitment here, and to pledge to use the savings for climate finance.
But with the oil and coal industry's lobbying operation operating on red alert right now, Obama must feel that there is public support before he will commit to such a move.
It's win-win-win: this will not add to any budget deficits. It Will Reduce consumption of climate-wrecking fossil fuels. And it will help developing countries build a clean path out of poverty - and to cope with climate change already caused.
Send an email right now, And forward this message to everyone you know: End fossil fuel subsidies - and use the money to lead the world to a strong treaty in Copenhagen!
Peace,
Steve Kretzmann Founder and Director Oil Change International
PS - For more information on this issue, you can read my recent post on Grist.
Starving for your help :)
I've been to the fur seal rookery on the Pribilof Islands in Alaska's Bering Sea - it's an amazing sight. It's also heartbreaking to hear that dead baby fur seals can be found on the beaches there, Most Likely due to starvation.
The fur seals' food, pollock, are being vacuumed away by massive industrial fishing ships, and wildlife is starving as a result. It's not just the seals, Endangered Steller sea lions are also being forced to spend more and more energy foraging to take in fewer calories, and their youth birth rates and survival rates have declined.
For years, Greenpeace has warned that industrial fishing would destroy this fragile environment, But the fisheries managers have continued to buckle under pressure from industry. As a Greenpeace ocean campaigner, I've personally been insulted and ridiculed for these warnings.
I wish more than anything that I'd been wrong. But despite government assurances that a recovery was about to happen, the pollock population has continued to plummet - to the lowest level on record. America's biggest fishery is in real trouble, putting the survival of marine creatures that depend on pollock in real jeopardy.
Will you help me Prevent a disaster in the Bering Sea? Please make a generous donation today.
We may be Witnessing the collapse of a major ecosystem - but With your help we could still stop this. I've Dived deep at 2,000 feet in the Bering Sea, as one of the first people ever to pilot a submarine into some of the world's largest underwater canyons. I've seen the wonders there - humpback and blue whales, orcas, fur seals, sea otters, dolphins and walrus and endangered Steller sea lions ... these are the animals who call the Bering Sea home and who depend on the pollock. For now.
The impact of a fishery collapse will have on local fishermen and their communities in Alaska is also significant and we've been pressuring the government and the fisheries managers responsible for the amount of pollock that can be caught. Just last month two of the scientific advisors to the pollock fishery joined Greenpeace in calling for steep cuts to next year's catch - but their warnings were unheeded. As I write, fishery managers are about to approve a catch of 813.000 tons, going ahead with business as usual while they push the ecosystem ever closer to The Edge.
Please, support our efforts to protect the Bering Sea and All Those who depend on it for survival. We can not do it without YOU.
My thanks,
John Hocevar
Oceans Campaign Director
https://secureusa.greenpeace.org/securedonate3/index.php?from=09fre...
P.S. Please consider becoming a monthly support today, that way we can guarantee our campaigns resources the whole year long. Click here to become a monthly donor today. Thank you in advance.
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186 actions dans 10 pays pour la journée "Ni nucléaire, ni effet de serre" du 12 décembre 2009 :)
Réseau "Sortir du nucléaire" - Fédération de 850 associations
Communiqué du 11 décembre 2009
Copenhague/Climat - samedi 12 décembre 2009 :
Des actions en France et au-delà sur le thème "Ni nucléaire, ni effet de serre"
> 186 actions dans 10 pays coordonnées par le Réseau "Sortir du nucléaire" :
http://www.dont-nuke-the-climate.org
- Pendant la conférence de Copenhague, il faut rappeler que le nucléaire reste une terrible menace pour la planète.
- "Sortir du nucléaire" dénonce les manœuvres des dirigeants français qui prétendent que le nucléaire est "propre".
Lors de la Conférence des Nations Unies sur le Changement Climatique, qui se tient du 7 au 18 décembre à Copenhague, les dirigeants de certains états, en particulier de la France, tentent de faire passer le nucléaire pour une énergie "propre" alors que c'est la plus dangereuse et l'une des plus polluantes qui soit. Qui plus est, le nucléaire constitue une forte entrave à la lutte contre le changement climatique :
- construire des centrales nucléaires nécessite des sommes considérables qui ne sont alors pas investies dans les solutions véritablement efficaces pour lutter contre l’effet de serre : pour un euro investi, l'efficacité énergétique et certaines énergies renouvelables sont jusqu'à 11 fois plus performantes que le nucléaire.
- la filière nucléaire, de la mine d'uranium au démantèlement des installations, génère elle aussi des émissions de gaz à effet de serre. En outre, le nucléaire ne permet pas de récupérer la chaleur dégagée lors de la production d’électricité, ce qui oblige à produire de l’énergie supplémentaire pour les besoins en chaleur (à l’inverse, produire électricité et chaleur en co-génération permet d'émettre 7 fois moins de gaz à effet de serre qu'’un système énergétique nucléarisé).
- l'option "nucléaire + chauffage électrique", imposée en France soi-disant pour éviter la consommation de fuel et de charbon, a prouvé son absurdité : dès qu'il fait froid, la consommation électrique est telle que le parc nucléaire français (pourtant surdimensionné) est dépassé, et ce sont des centrales au charbon, fortement émettrices de CO2, qui alimentent les chauffages électriques.
- en réalité, c'est la filière nucléaire qui est menacée par les effets mêmes du changement climatique (sécheresses, tempêtes, inondations, montée du niveau de la mer). Ainsi, de nombreux réacteurs ont dû être arrêtés en 2003 du fait de la canicule. Le nucléaire, qui consomme 25 000 fois plus d’eau par kWh produit que les énergies éolienne et solaire, est complètement inadaptée pour des régions qui risquent d’être de plus en plus frappées par des vagues de chaleur.
Pour faire entendre la voix des citoyens, des actions décentralisées auront lieu partout en France et en Europe le 12 décembre. On note en particulier la participation enthousiaste de l'Italie, dont les citoyens sont majoritairement opposés aux projets nucléaires de Berlusconi.
Le Réseau "Sortir du nucléaire" coordonne actuellement la campagne internationale "Don’t nuke the climate !". Dans ce cadre, une délégation antinucléaire est présente à Copenhague pour essayer d'empêcher l'inclusion du nucléaire dans les mécanismes de réduction des émissions, et mener des actions sur place. Enfin, les antinucléaires seront présents et visibles dans la grande manifestation unitaire qui aura lieu le 12 décembre à Copenhague.
- Des informations précises concernant les actions du 12 décembre (en particulier heure et lieu des rassemblements) sont consultables sur : http://www.dont-nuke-the-climate.org/spip.php?page=affichage-action...
• Contacts presse à Copenhague :
- Frédéric Marillier (attaché de presse) : 06 73 89 55 04
frederic.marillier@sortirdunucleaire.fr
- Charlotte Mijeon (porte parole du Réseau "Sortir du nuclaire") : 06 75 36 20 20
charlotte.mijeon@sortirdunucleaire.fr
• Contact presse en France :
- Stéphane Lhomme (porte parole du Réseau "Sortir du nucléaire") : 06 64 100 333
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