Deplore Environmentalists for Ignoring the Impact of Big Agriculture

Deplore Environmentalists for Ignoring the Impact of Big Agriculture

Excerpt: Environmental organizations like Greenpeace attempt to fight against global warming by focusing on the use of fossil fuels as the culprit and on the prospect of renewable energy as a possible savior. However, they ignore the single most dangerous cause of increased greenhouse gas emissions: big agriculture. Insist that organizations like Greenpeace encourage people to reduce meat and other animal product consumption in order to lower the amount of emissions produced and the amount of resources consumed.

Target: Greenpeace Executive Director Annie Leonard

Goal: Insist that environmental organizations recognize the devastating impact of big agriculture on global warming

Scientists agree that greenhouse gas emissions from human activity contribute to global warming. However, the large source of these emissions is rarely mentioned when it comes to conversations about the environment. Livestock production is the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions, with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimating that the global livestock sector leads to 14.5% of human-induced emissions, a modest estimate compared to other sources. Livestock production contributes to emissions through enteric fermentation, i.e., cow farts, as well as by cutting into forests (emitting CO2), and it (literally) eats up valuable resources, including both food crops and water. To put this in perspective: according to a study published in the journal _Global Change Biology_, 86% of the land used globally for crops is devoted to feeding cows (compared to 8% of crops which are used directly as foods to be eaten by humans). That's an order of magnitude which could be eliminated if humans were to switch to a plant-based diet.

Despite these egregious numbers, environmental organizations like Greenpeace do not recognize livestock production as a significant contributor to global warming, as pointed out in a recent documentary produced by Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn. The documentary suggests that environmental organizations, as well as some members of the sustainable food industry, are supported by donations from big agriculture, meaning that they have a vested interested in keeping mum when it comes to the amount of damage producing and consuming meat has on the planet. What's more, special political groups may have vested interests in keeping livestock production around, given the amount of money the U.S. government alone pours into the system: According to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, the U.S. Department of Agriculture shelled out nearly $250 _billion_ in subsidies for "commodity crops," a large part of which goes towards animal feed, not to mention the $5 billion that goes to dairy and $3.5 billion that goes to livestock.

Join in affirming that the current system of agriculture is broken and is killing our planet (not to mention our planet's animals, who are often treated and slaughtered inhumanely). Encourage environmentalist groups to recognize that the system of food in this country (and on this planet) is broken.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Ms. Leonard,

I write to you to thank you for your service at Greenpeace. It is imperative that such an organization continue to address the threats that humans pose to the planet, including carbon emissions from factories, cars, and other artifacts.

However, I urge you to consider another, even more harmful threat to the planet that humans pose: we are killing our planet by eating meat. Livestock, especially cows, are the top contributor to human-based greenhouse gases. Eating meat is an extraordinarily inefficient way for humans to stay nourished. Only a tiny fraction of the land currently used for crops is for human consumption; the vast majority (approximately 86%) is used for crops that will be come animal feed for cows alone--and their grazing pastures take up three times that amount of space.

Despite the devastating impact that livestock production has on the environment, many environmental organizations have neglected to support the cause. I urge you to use your influence at Greenpeace to right this wrong. Address the impact of big agriculture on the environment and urge your members to fight back by reducing meat and animal product consumption.

Yours Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo credit: Martin Leng via Wikimedia Commons

Demand Justice for Innocent Victim Murdered by Police Officers

Demand Justice for Innocent Victim Murdered by Police Officers

Excerpt: A teenaged boy was recently gunned down by policemen in the state of New Mexico, leaving the boy dead but no officers hurt. There is no evidence that the boy was dangerous, and police will not release video surveillance. Take action to press charges against the officers who committed this lethal crime and to end terroristic violence by law enforcers.

Target: Santa Fe Police Chief Eric Garcia

Goal: Press charges against police officers who shot and killed an innocent teenage boy.

Multiple news sources report that law enforcement officers in Española, New Mexico recently gunned down a sixteen-year-old youth after they perceived him to have a weapon. The boy was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital shortly thereafter.

Family and friends of the boy claim that he was a very serious dancer who was going to attend the New Mexico School of the Arts the following school year, reports the news site for KRQE 13 based out of Albuquerque, NM. Some sources report that the young by may have been carrying a stick, which was to be used during dance routines. Meanwhile, police will not release video surveillance of the scene, claiming only that the boy pointed "a weapon" at them.

News of unrestrained police violence against innocent civilians has become far too common an occurrence. The presence of law enforcement officials is becoming synonymous with danger, and not because they are protecting anyone from it. That a sixteen-year-old child, wielding a weapon or not, should be shot in cold blood with no apparent struggle is appalling. Accepting such violence form law enforcement is unacceptable for Americans who wish to live in peace and out from under the thumb of oppression.

Call on Santa Fe Police Chief Eric Garcia, who was the head of the public safety department of Enseñada at the time of the shooting, to press charges against the police officers who murdered the teenaged boy. These individuals are guilty of murder, and it cannot be tolerated.

PETITION LETTER

Dear Mr. Garcia,

Law enforcers carry a power over civilians, and they also carry guns. That is a great responsibility. Recently, this power and these guns were abused by members of the Enspaõla police force when they shot and murdered a sixteen-year-old boy. There is no evidence this boy was a threat, and the police are unwilling to release video footage of the event.

It is the responsibility of law enforcers to keep the peace, not to create brutal and fatal violence. Too often, news stories report that U.S. law enforcement has gotten out of control--it is nearly daily that one reads that the young, the elderly, the sick, and those who are unable to protect themselves (including animals) are maimed or killed by law enforcement strategies gone awry. This is unacceptable. These are heinous crimes.

I write today to ask you to use your power to press charges against the police officers who murdered the Española boy, and to join in the fight against abuse of power by law enforcers across the country. It is imperative that police officers receive the education and training needed to handle situations without violence.

Yours Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo credit: Chase Carter via Flickr

Applaud State for Reducing Teen Birthrates by Offering Free Birth Control

Applaud State for Reducing Teen Birthrates by Offering Free Birth Control

Excerpt: The state of Colorado recently employed an initiative to offer free birth control to women from low-income backgrounds. Join in applauding state officials from Colorado for the program's success in lowering teen birthrates and abortion rates.

Target: Governor John Hickenlooper

Goal: Applaud officials from the state of Colorado for offering free birth control and reducing teen birthrates and abortion rates statewide

In the past month, the United States has series of depressing events with regard to women's rights and women's health. With the Supreme Court of the United States ruling 5-4 that the religious beliefs of the executives of private companies can determine the health care benefits provided to women, bipartisan issues of whether and when the government should be involved in providing health care have caused flare-ups often based on opinions rather than facts.

The fact of the matter is: providing birth control to women is a matter of public health. And the facts clearly show that providing birth control access to women, especially women who come from low socioeconomic backgrounds, benefits everyone. Over the last five years, a program known as the Colorado Family Planning Initiative was put in place to provide birth control to low-income women across the state of Colorado.

_Vox.com_ reports that over this time period, the rate of teen abortions fell by 35%, and the teen birthrate fell by 40%. These numbers are certainly influenced by a variety of factors, including an overall drop in the rate of teen pregnancies in the United States. However, the timing the Colorado initiative and the decrease in unplanned pregnancies suggests the program is working. Not only has the program resulted in a better life for many Colorado women, it has also resulted in saving a lot of money. State officials report that programs like Women Infants, and Children (WIC), which provided education and support to low-income families, has seen nearly a quarter fewer cases, and the state suggests a savings of over $40 million in expenditures associated with teenage births.

Join in praising Governor John Hickenlooper for the success of this initiative and ask that other lawmakers take heed of this success story when considering their own position on laws regarding women's health.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Governor Hickenlooper,

The past month has seen backward progress when it comes to the fate of women's health in the United States. With the Supreme Court allowing employer's to choose whether they will allow their insurance providers to cover certain forms of birth control, we have regressed to a state where religion is not free, but rather controlling of women.

I thank you very much for your efforts in Colorado to ensure that women's health care needs are being met. I applaud you for the success of the Colorado Family Planning Initiative in the state of Colorado. When young women from low-income backgrounds can receive education about sex and measures to prevent unwanted pregnancies, they have a better chance of a healthy and fulfilling life. I urge you to continue to uphold such stellar policies in the state of Colorado and truly hope that they may serve as a model for other legislators in the United States.

Yours Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo credit:

Demand Justice for Victim of Police Brutality

Demand Justice for Victim of Police Brutality

Excerpt: A woman walking along a highway was accosted and brutalized by a police officer in California. Demand that action be taken against the officer in question and that the police force be required to take responsibility for this action. Police officers wielding violence against non-violent citizens is a despicable crime that cannot be tolerated.

Target: California Highway Patrol Commissioner Joseph A. Farrow

Goal: Demand that charges be pressed against a police officer who brutalized a non-violent woman for walking along a highway.

Multiple news sources report that early in July, 2014, a woman was walking on interstate I-10 near Los Angeles when a California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer accosted her. According to CHP officials, the officer had responded to information that a woman was wandering the highway, endangering both herself also many other people driving on the highway.

However, a bystander with a camera was also present and caught nearly the entire incident, which shows the police officer brutally, repeatedly punching the woman, who was elderly. The Associated Press reports that the man who caught the incident on film, David Diaz, says that the officer "…just pounded her. If you look at the video, there are 15 hits. To the head, and not just simple jabs… He agitated the situation more than helped it."

_Business Insider_ reports that, according to the Center for Research on Globalization, about 500 innocent Americans are murdered by uniformed officers each year. Further, more Americans have been killed by police officers in the United States in the last ten years than were killed in total in the war in Iraq.

The officer in the Los Angeles incident has been put on leave while an investigation takes place. Join others in demanding that criminal charges be filed against the officer and that the CHP be required to take responsibility for their actions.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Mr. Farrow,

Reports of police brutality against unarmed, innocent civilians continue to plague the news. Recently, a member of the California High Patrol accosted and repeatedly punched, up to fifteen times, a woman whose only crime was walking next to a highway. Non-violent incidents like this should never result in an unarmed civilian being brutalized.

I ask you to take action to ensure that this type of incident never happens again in the California Highway Patrol. Press charges against the officer in question, taking a firm stance that his behavior cannot and will not be tolerated. Further, provide training to other officers to make sure that turning to violence is not a choice against unarmed, non-violent civilians. Research puts estimates of civilian deaths by police hands at about five hundred per year for the past decade--a sum that, when totaled, equals more than the number of American deaths suffered during the war in Iraq.

Please help to end this madness and restore peace to American citizens. Press charges against the officers who was implicated in the Los Angeles highway incident and take measures to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: Fibonacci Blue via Flickr

Success: National Store Chain Blocks the Open Carrying of Firearms

Success: National Store Chain Blocks the Open Carrying of Firearms

Excerpt: The executive of a large corporation has requested that individuals leave their guns behind when shopping at their stores. Applaud the decision not to allow the threat of violence and to create a safe environment in these stores.

Target: John J. Mulligan, Target Interim President and CEO/CFO

Goal: Thank CEO of Target for enforcing a "no open carry" policy for firearms in Target stores

The national corporation Target has come under criticism for permitting open carry of guns in their stores. As a result, many demonstrations by groups condoning open-carry policies were carried out, particularly in states where gun laws are most lax. A recent ForceChange petition [link to: http://forcechange.com/127284/ban-the-open-carrying-of-firearms-in-store-chain/] called on the chief executive officer (CEO) of Target, John J. Mulligan, to enforce a policy against openly carrying firearms in Target.

The _Minneapolis Star Tribune_ reports that the executives at Target corporation have heard the voice of people who asked for a safer environment where families feel welcome. According to the _Tribune_, Mulligan has stated, "[S]tarting today we will… respectfully request that guests not bring firearms to Target, even in communities where it is permitted by law." To implement this request, Target will place signs at its stores asking that people not bring guns inside.

Please join us in thanking the CEO of Target for this acknowledgment that these gun demonstrations are disruptive and this request that individuals no longer openly carry firearms in the store.

PETITION LETTER:

Thank you for listening to the voice of Americans who reject the open carry of guns in public stores like Target. Target stores have historically been environments where families gather to shop, and the presence of lethal weapons in such an arena is unacceptable. I sincerely appreciate your commitment to maintaining Target stores as safe environments for families.

In the future, I urge you to continue to stand firm on this issue and to request that individuals openly carrying guns not enter the store. This request sends an important message that the threat of violence will not be tolerated at Target stores.

Thank you again for your judgment in this matter.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Applaud Indiana Lawmakers for Allowing One Same-Sex Marriage; Now, Make it Legal for All

Applaud Indiana Lawmakers for Allowing One Same-Sex Marriage; Now, Make it Legal for All

Target: Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals (Seventh Circuit) Diane Wood

Goal: Commend lawmakers for ruling that the marriage of one same-sex couple  and urge them to rule that same-sex marriage should be upheld across the board

Excerpt: The state of Indiana has recently seen turmoil with regards to laws banning same-sex marriages. In the face of a stay ordering a freeze on new marriages, a federal appeals court has ordered for the recognition of the marriage of one same-sex couple.  Commend lawmakers for this ruling and urge them to rule that same-sex marriage should be upheld across the board.

The state of Indiana has recently seen turmoil with regards to laws banning same-sex marriages. As of June 26, 2014, a federal judged ruled that the recent ban on same-sex marriages in the state of Indiana was unconstitutional. Many couples in Indiana immediately raced to the Marion County Clerk's office in Indianapolis to tie the knot.

However, a federal appeals court promptly called for an emergency stay, meaning that the enforcement of the prior court judgment to ban same-sex marriages is temporarily nullified. This means that couples who had previously been married prior to the stay may not be entitled to their newly-found (and somewhat limited) rights while the courts battle out the appeal.

Even if the appeal is upheld and the ban on same-sex marriage is overturned, gay couples in Indiana enjoy may not equal rights. _USA Today_ reports on several arenas where discrimination against same-sex couples exists. Health insurance providers, for example, may choose to cover spouses, but they have the right to refuse to provide coverage for same-sex couples. Tax rules and civil/social liberties related to hospital visitation rights, death certificates, and adoptions are also subject to interpretation of state and/or local rulings and may not ensure equal rights for same-sex couples.

Three is one beacon of hope in this tumultuous story, which is the recognition of one particular same-sex marriage of Amy Sandler and Niki Quasney, who has is in a life-threatening battle with ovarian cancer. On July 1, the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the state must recognize the marriage of this couple, irrespective of the stay.

Join the fight for equal rights for all Americans and applaud Chief Judge Wood for the recognition of this marriage. Further urge Indiana lawmakers to fight to keep the ban on same-sex marriage overturned.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Judge Wood,

The state of Indiana is in a state of turmoil with respective to same-sex marriage and equal rights for all people who reside there. With the recent overturning of the ban on same-sex marriage followed by the stay limiting new couples from getting married, many individuals in Indiana are hurting. What's more, even if the overturning of the ban is upheld, gay couples in Indiana may not enjoy the same rights as others, including limitations on tax laws benefiting couples and limitations on other civil and social liberties.

I applaud your judgment in the case brought to the courts by Amy Sandler and Niki Quasney, who were able to protect their right to remain married. I urge you to use your influence and character to explain to others why it is so important that equal rights in marriage and civil liberties be extended to all individuals in Indiana, without discrimination.

Yours Sincerely,

[Your name here]

Photo credit: Tom Morris via Wikimedia Commons