Help Make Schools Commercial-Free

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has proposed new guidelines that could help limit junk-food marketing in schools. Presently, the USDA’s guidelines give the green light to companies to market to children. The proposed guidelines would require local education agencies ?to implement policies for the marketing of foods and beverages on the school campus during the school day consistent with nutrition standards for Smart Snacks.? In other words, the USDA is urging schools only to limit junk-food marketing. In doing so, the guidelines could encourage schools to allow marketing for other foods and beverages. By attempting to set a ceiling that prohibits advertising for unhealthy foods, the USDA may inadvertently set a floor that opens the floodgates for many other types of marketing in schools, establishing a dangerous precedent that goes far beyond food. Limiting junk food ads is good. Commercial-free is far better. Please tell the USDA to make a stand for commercial-free schools.

Ask the USDA to Label Meat From Animals Fed Antibiotics

Most antibiotics sold in this country are used to feed animals raised for slaughter,? rather than to treat human disease. Often these animals are not even sick. Meat companies give low doses of antibiotics to farmed animals because it makes them grow bigger and faster on less food. These animals are also kept in confined and filthy conditions ? conditions that would make them very sick if they were not all given these antibiotics prophylacticly. Unfortunately, this extensive use of low dose antibiotics is helping to breed resistance in bacteria ? leading to the existence of “superbugs.” ?These superbugs create infections in people that cannot be treated by the antibiotics?and this problem is potentially the leading health crisis in the U.S. Consumers who want to avoid meat produced with antibiotics have no way to identify such products. Although some companies use the label “antibiotic free,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) does not regulate that term. Consumers therefore have no way of knowing the amount of antibiotics used. The Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) has recently asked the USDA to require labels on meat and poultry products to clarify whether those animals were fed antibiotics or not. Consumers have a right to make informed choices, and it?s the job of our government regulatory agencies to help us by properly labeling food that could be harmful. Please help urge the USDA to require that meat produced from animals fed antibiotics be labeled accordingly. Click here to take action.

RSVP to the Peoples Climate March Rally on September 21st!

In September, world leaders are coming to New York?City for a UN summit on the climate crisis. UN?Secretary? General Ban Ki-?moon is urging governments to support an?ambitious?global agreement to dramatically reduce global warming pollution. With our future on the line and the whole world watching, we?ll take?a stand to bend the course of history. We?ll take to the?streets to demand the world we know is within our?reach: a world?with an economy that works for people and the planet; a world safe from?the ravages of climate change; a world with good jobs, clean air and water, and?healthy communities.To change everything, we need everyone on board. Please share with everyone you know! Click here to RSVP.