Tell the EPA to Toughen Up on Carbon

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced new rules this week to limit carbon dioxide emissions. While we applaud the President for taking action ? these rules won’t give us the emmission reductions we need and could lead to more fracking! Under the proposal, power plants, mainly coal-fired plants, would have to reduce their carbon emissions. One way the electricity companies would be allowed to do this is by switching from coal-fired plants to gas-fired plants. The EPA still considers gas a cleaner fuel than coal, because they don?t count the full life of fracked gas. But we know that fracked gas can be as bad for the climate as coal. In addition, the rule falls short of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change?s goals for developed countries and incorporates emissions trading and offsets that undermines the EPA?s authority and ability to deliver the real reductions in carbon emissions that are so urgently needed. Click here to take action.

President Obama, Reverse USDA Coup Undermining Organics

When Congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (OFPA), they created a unique and powerful citizen advisory panel, with statutory authority, to assist the Secretary of Agriculture in implementing the act.?? The independent National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) was a key component of OFPA when it passed Congress.? Without its creation as a buffer between corporate lobbyists and an industry-friendly USDA, it is unlikely that OFPA would have received the requisite support in the organic farming community. Now the independence and power of the 15-member NOSB is being seriously undermined.? Last fall the USDA, broke with 15 years of precedent in stripping the NOSB of much of its authority and power. o the new policies as have several highly respected former chairs of the NOSB. The USDA has also removed the ability of the NOSB to set their own work plan and agenda as well as effectively conducting their own meetings.? The USDA now even claims the power to co-chair NOSB meetings.? Additionally, the Ag Secretary has made legally questionable appointments stacking the NOSB with corporate agribusiness employees who do not meet the criteria established by Congress. All of these crass and possibly illegal acts by the USDA have the potential to undermine consumer confidence in the certified organic label.? Indeed, over the past two presidential administrations, the board has adopted a number of policies favorable towards powerful agribusiness interests and failed to address practices that threaten organic integrity. Farmers and consumers must again stand together and forcefully request that President Obama step in and force the USDA to back off their power grab and return to the NOSB its rightful powers and authority. Click here to sign the petition to President Obama and USDA Secretary Vilsack.

Stop the Algonquin Pipeline Expansion

The Algonquin pipeline expansion represents imminent danger to safety and health in New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Spectra Energy?s Algonquin Incremental Market (AIM) project is a proposed major expansion of natural gas infrastructure in NY, CT, RI and MA including expanded pipelines, compressor and metering stations. Here are a few reasons why so many people are opposing the AIM project: It is a dangerous route and will require extreme risks to public safety.? The proposed high pressure 42? diameter pipeline would cross from Stony Point, Rockland County under the Hudson River into Westchester County, NY, intersect two proposed mega voltage power lines just a few hundred feet from Indian Point nuclear power plant and 40 years of spent nuclear fuel rods, near the Ramapo and Stamford faults.? It would continue through Westchester and Putnam Counties and into Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.? Explosions have occurred in both compressor stations and gas pipelines. An explosion at or near Indian Point would be an unimaginable catastrophe.? There are potentially high levels of radon, the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers nationwide. Severe health effects associated with compressor stations emissions: nosebleeds, headaches, dizziness, skin rashes, respiratory, developmental, neurological and cardiovascular problems, leukemia, breast, kidney and liver cancer would surely take place.? Taxpayers bear the costs of additional emergency response actions, healthcare, damage to water supplies and other impacts.? Pipelines and compressor stations emit methane, a greenhouse gas far more potent than carbon dioxide, contributing to climate change. Clearly, this pipeline would do more harm than good. Click here to take action.