Tag Archive for petition

U.S. Military Dogs Being Mistreated

February 24, 2020 Comments Off on U.S. Military Dogs Being Mistreated

(From Working Dogs Left to Die.)

“You may have seen the news recently about the reports published about horrendous neglect of U.S. bomb-sniffing dogs in Jordan. In response to a hotline complaint, the Office of the Inspector General sent a team to do an evaluation of the kennel conditions of Explosive Detection Canines provided to Jordan. What they found was a horrifying combination of neglect, overwork and lack of basic veterinary care.

“Dogs that were carefully trained to save lives are now living in squalid conditions. Their kennels are covered in feces, their water bowls are often dry, and they aren’t being fed regularly. All of that, and they are still expected to work long days under the hot sun; sniffing for bombs.”

Read more and sign the petition at https://www.spcai.org/news/ed-blog/working-dogs-left-to-die.

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Stop Dangerous Flare-Ups

February 17, 2018 Comments Off on Stop Dangerous Flare-Ups

You’ve seen them, either in person or on TV–bursts of smoke and flame from oil and gas stacks.  This process of “flaring” burns off wasted…wait for it…METHANE.  Yes, they put hazardous,  health-endangering methane into the air people breathe.

But doesn’t the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management oversee this to protect us?  Yes and no.  Soon possibly mainly no.  Because that Department has proposed weakening what protections currently exist.  Leaving the way open to more flaring, which means more methane into our air to poison it and increase the threat to life.

Read more about this and sign the petition to the Secretary of the Interior to urge him to oppose this proposal.

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Is an Exhausted Doctor Treating You?

January 11, 2017 Comments Off on Is an Exhausted Doctor Treating You?

“‘Study after study shows that sleep-deprived resident physicians are a danger to themselves, their patients and the public,’ says Dr. Michael Carome, director of Public Citizen’s Health Research Group.”  Yet a new rule would change medical interns’ maximum of 16 hours without a break to a possible 28 hours.

Read the pros and cons of this change at Medical Interns Could Work Longer Without A Break Under New Rule  and decide for yourself.

Then, if you think this would be a situation you wouldn’t want yourself or a loved one to face, add your name to the No 28-Hour Shifts for Novice Doctors petition.

 

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Stop the Deep Sea Mine

August 20, 2016 Comments Off on Stop the Deep Sea Mine

Imagine a deep-ocean mine, right next to a very rich eco system, run by a failing company with no experience on this large a scale, one that  just might be tempted to take chances that would destroy that eco system and do further harm to our already already-fragile, dying oceans.  Who in their right mind would allow it?

The Canadian mining company I just described has actually been given a licence to do deep-ocean mining off the coast of  Papua New Guinea, near a treasured eco-system.

It is possible to stop it, though.  The financially troubled company is seeking investors.  If enough pressure is put on these investors, the project will not go through.

Go to Papua New Guinea: Stop the deep sea mine to read more and sign a petition that will be sent to potential investors.

 

 

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The Price of Two Olympic Events

September 12, 2015 Comments Off on The Price of Two Olympic Events

How much is an Olympic ski run worth?  The destruction of a species?  How about a 500-year-old forest?

South Korea is clear-cutting an ancient forest to build a ski run–to be used for only four days (two ski events) for the Olympic Games.  Sure, they can plant more trees later..and wait 500 years for them to get to where they are now.  In the process, they are destroying what is almost the last remaining habitat of the Eurasian Otter, the Leopard Cat, the Marten, and the Flying Squirrel, putting these four species into danger of extinction. This is the fulfilling of their promise to make these Winter Olympics “Green Games”?

There is time to stop this unconscionable destruction from happening.  Sign the Avaaz petition that says,

As concerned citizens from across the globe, we call on you to stop the destruction of forest on Mount Gariwang for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, and to protect what remains of this forest that has been a sanctuary for over 500 years. We urge the IOC to ensure that all Olympic Games truly live up to ideals of sustainability and environmental protection.

Find it at https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_ancient_korean_forest_loc/?bUWNBhb&v=64804.

 

 

 

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Signing Your Life Away

September 1, 2015 Comments Off on Signing Your Life Away

The Nov. elections will be here before we know it.  Right now, groups and organizations are starting to spread out to collect signatures on petitions to put their pet issue on the ballot.

Think before you act.  Don’t sign your life away.  That’s what you may be doing if you take the petition thrust at you and sign it just so you can get your groceries home before they melt.  Read that petition before signing it, especially the actual text of the proposed law. Don’t ask the person with the clipboard for clarification, because, if passed, the law will say what the text says, not what you or the signature-gatherer hopes it will accomplish.

Also, the gatherers have their own agenda, whether it’s to be paid for another signature or to get their viewpoint passed into law.  Go through it carefully. Is the wording clear and specific?  Do you want the law to be exactly as what’s written?  Most importantly, does everything in it conform to your moral values?  If so, sign it.  Otherwise, walk away.

Signing a petition is a small but important step toward changing unfair, oppressive, discriminatory laws.  Let’s just make sure that we vote for the ethical laws we think we’re asking for.

 

 

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Bottled Cockatoos

May 23, 2015 Comments Off on Bottled Cockatoos

Does this picture disturb you?

Yes, that’s a bird stuffed into a bottle.  Worse yet, it’s an endangered (only 7000 left in the world) cockatoo. In Indonesia, these birds are sedated and stuffed into plastic bottles so they can easily be shipped to waiting customers.

Indonesia does have laws against this practice, laws which aren’t enforced.  And, true, we live far away and feel we have no influence over the Indonesian government. However, their politicians are like ours; with enough pressure they’ll do something if not because it’s right at least in order to save face in the world and their jobs at home.

Help put on that pressure.  Read the report from CNN, then sign Change.org’s petition that demands harsher penalties for traffickers in bottled birds.

 

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Walgreens, Say it Ain’t So!

July 28, 2014 2 comments

I’ve been happy with my friendly local Walgreens.  It’s near-by, I get some good deals on their sales, and the people there are friendly.  Now I learn that they’re taking their Medicare/Medicaid earnings (masking up 1/4 of their income) and my dollars and fleeing the scene.  They’re one of the latest companies to take advantage of “tax inversion.”  That is, they’ll not touch our familiar Walgreens stores but move their corporate headquarters to a tax-haven, a place that allows them to avoid paying U.S. tax on the U.S. money we gave them. It’s a nice little loophole for them and other corporations, but it cheats our economy out of funds that pay for our government, military, health, safety, and safety nets.

Read more in the Chicago Sun-Times article “Walgreens: The tax-dodger on the corner.”

If this bothers you, inform Walgreens CEO and President Gregory Wassen.  Sign the petition at the Credo Mobilize site.  If enough Walgreens custormers let him know of our disapproval, he may very well calculate how many customers–and how much financial loss–he’ll face and decide to do the right thing.

 

 

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Speak Up To Help Children

April 29, 2014 Comments Off on Speak Up To Help Children

Picture this: You’re 20 and working hard at a job you’ve had since age 14.  In fact, 14-year-olds and younger work by your side.  Bathroom visits must be quick or you’re physically and verbally abused.  Your hours are from 8:00 am to midnight, sometimes to 3:00 am, seven days a week, with no days off.  You may make $125 a month or not be paid if the factory’s goal isn’t met.  You know that the building’s structure is weak but try to ignore the danger, because your family needs the income you earn.  Finally, one day, it collapses, killing some workers, trapping you under rubble for twelve hours and injuring you to the point that you can’t return to that job but must find little jobs here and there, where you (and you weakened body) can.

This is Rana Plaza’s story, and the story of countless others in places where clothing is made to be sold cheaply in our Walmarts, Children’s Places, and other discount stores.  In other words, the pennies that we save buying those items bring misery to children and adults in other parts of the world.

True, if we just stop buying those items people lose their livelihoods.  However, we can demand safer, fairer conditions for workers by raising our voices.  Walmart has to listen if we shout loud enough; they’ve had so many black eyes from their civil rights violations NOT to listen, as they’re currently trying to rebuild a more positive image.

Read Rava’s story–which mirrors millions of children’s stories–at Credo’s website. While you’re there, make your voice heard by signing the petition to Walmart and Children’s Place.

 

 

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