Tell the EPA to Ban Bee-Killing Pesticides For Good

Help save the bees! The EPA made a huge step in saying, “it won?t approve any new or expanded uses of neonicotinoid pesticides while it continues to study the threats they pose to honey bees and other pollinators.1″

This is a huge development in our fight to save vital pollinators from bee-killing pesticides. But it doesn?t change the fact that the EPA has been approving the use of these pesticides for decades, and that they?re in widespread use on corn, soybeans and other crops throughout the country right now. With the momentum on our side this is a crucial moment to pressure EPA to do what?s truly necessary to save our pollinators and ban the use of neonicotinoid pesticides once and for all.

Tell the Environmental Protection Agency: Ban the use of bee-killing pesticides entirely.

Tell Congress: Pass the ACHE Act and End Mountaintop Removal Mining

The coal industry is waging a war on Appalachia,?detonating millions of pounds of diesel fuel and explosives daily to rip the top off of mountains and access seams of coal contained within. Dozens of peer reviewed studies have documented the devastation mountaintop removal mining is wreaking on communities in West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee, in the form of elevated rates of birth defects and cancer rates nearly triple the national average.?Stunning new research also shows a direct connection between the dust from mountaintop removal mining and lung cancer. It is time for Congress to intervene by passing the Appalachian Community Health Emergency Act (ACHE Act), which would place an immediate moratorium on new mountaintop removal mining permits.

Sign the petition: Pass the ACHE Act and end mountaintop removal mining now.

?Help the People of Nepal Rebuild and Donate Now

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal near the capital of Kathmandu. Immediate rescue efforts are underway and the estimated death toll continues to rise. The full extent of the damage is still being assessed, but aid groups are mobilizing to provide support and emergency supplies to the people impacted by the earthquake.

All donations to this fund will exclusively support relief and recovery efforts in Nepal.

YOU CAN HELP ENSURE SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD IN OUR FUTURE

The House Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over the MSA, is scheduled to take up the proposed legislation, H.R. 1335, on THURSDAY, APRIL 30. We have a chance to influence this legislation for the better. IF YOU HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE ON THE HOUSE NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE, PLEASE CONTACT HIM OR HER, by fax, e-mail, or phone BY WEDNESDAY, April 29.?????????????????????????? We are focusing on these states with Representatives on the Committee; AK, TX, CO, VA, LA, CA, PA, WY, MI, SC, AZ, ID, WA, MT, GA, NJ, NV, MA, WV, and HI. You can find your representative?s contact information here.

AND, EVERYONE CAN SEND THE MESSAGE TO THE LEADERSHIP OF THE HOUSE NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE here. And, please share this Call to Action with your email circles. If you would like to know more about the MSA Reauthorization, contact Kevin Scribner, of Slow Fish USA, at scribfish@gmail.com. Also, check this slow food blog post, and this one.

BELOW IS THE MESSAGE. Personalize, cut, paste, and send it (via fax, e-mail, or a call) to your Representative on the House Natural Resources Committee (or to the committee leadership if your Representative is not a member of the Natural Resources Committee):

Dear Representative (name) or Committee Chair Bishop and Ranking Member Grijalva;?

I am a supporter of Slow Food USA, a non-profit organization dedicated to good, clean, and fair food. I support sustainable fisheries that will provide seafood to all and support community-based fishers.?

I urge you to ensure the future of our fisheries by supporting an MSA reauthorization that will continue to;

Rebuild Vulnerable Fish Populations,

Employ Best Available Science to Monitor our Fisheries,

Improve Annual Stock Assessments,

Ensure Chain-of-Custody Transparency and Traceability,

Balance Artisanal, Commercial, and Recreational Fishing to Ensure Access to

Provide for the Stability and Viability of Community-based Fishing, Healthful Seafood for All,

Create a Framework for Sustainable Aquaculture,?and Reduce Bycatch, Incorporate Ecosystem-based Management (including protections for forage fish), Maintain a Strong NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) Fisheries Management Evaluation Process, and Ensure Consistent Policies among Different Regions.

I urge you to vote against H.R. 1335 as presented, and to support ?The Fishing Economy Improvement Act? (Huffman/Sablan) amendment.

Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,

(Your Name)