It appears that once again, we are ruled by people who either don't care, don't do their homework or just plain can't be bothered to think about what they are saying.
As reported in the Guardian:
"It appears that the country's 6.7m pairs of robins are no longer the feathered friends of yesteryear. A consultation by Natural England, the body that advises the government on the natural environment, has made the case for allowing people to destroy the bird's nests and remove their eggs, amid growing concerns that they threaten health and safety. Natural England is also looking at similar measures to permit 'taking, damaging and destroying of nests and eggs' for pied wagtails and starlings."
There have never been any reports of robins, pied wagtails or starlings spreading disease so how can they be a threat to 'health and safety'? Answer - they have a habit of building their nests in ventilation flues.
However, the proposed measures do nothing to specify that the only nests to be removed are those built in ventilation flues, no, far from it. Instead the proposed measures are blanket permission to remove and destroy the nests of these birds so there is no safety measure to stop people, who have no idea which nest belongs to which bird, from yanking said nests from hedgerows and trees and stamping on them. Egg collecting was banned to prevent the sort of destruction that these so called measures will restart, especially as starlings are now an endangered species.
Also there are cages that can be easily fitted to the top of ventilation flues that prevent such birds from nesting in them. They look like wire globes so they don't restrict the ventilation flue but their shape makes it impractical for birds to nest there and as far as I know, they are cheap.
If you want to join the petition against these 'measures', check out the Care2Petition website.
Thursday 22 May 2014
Tuesday 13 May 2014
Robin Hood Tax
The banks crashed the economy and we’ve been paying for their mess ever since. There is a way to make bankers pay and benefit the poorest in the world: The Robin Hood Tax.
The tax is a small levy on financial transactions that could raise enough money to pay for vital public services, fight poverty and climate change across Europe and beyond --it could reverse the disastrous consequences of the financial crisis. And it is backed by credible economists.
The global finance lobby may have money but we have the most powerful tool of all: our collective voice. It’s time for bankers, hedge-funds and the financial system to take responsibility for the crisis.We can join in asking European leaders to pass the Robin Hood tax! One simple rule could make bankers pay their fair share and benefit some of the poorest in the world -- but the bankers are desperate to defeat it.
European leaders are about to meet in the next few days to decide whether or not to support the Robin Hood tax. But they are under pressure from the big banks and global finance to stop the tax - which is why demonstrating strong public support is so crucial. If we make our voices heard now, we can make sure our leaders do the right thing and pass the Robin Hood tax. If you want to add your support then here's the link:
Add your voice to ask European leaders pass the Robin Hood tax and make history!
The Robin Hood tax, or the Financial Transaction tax, is a 0.05% tax on financial transactions worth billions or more Euros. It could raise €37 billion to pay for public services and fight poverty and climate change.
The financial transaction tax works like this: governments would collect a tiny tax on financial transactions made by big banks on investments like buying and selling shares, bonds, the currency markets and on commodity trading.
But this isn’t only about money. If this law passes, banks and global finance would finally pay for the mess they put us in. It would correct the injustice where those who have paid for the consequences of the financial crisis are those who had nothing to do with it in the first place.
Our friends at the Robin Hood Tax campaign have been organising for this moment for years. The global finance lobby may have money but we have the most powerful tool of all: our collective voice.
It’s time for bankers, hedge funds and the financial system to take responsibility for the crisis.
The tax is a small levy on financial transactions that could raise enough money to pay for vital public services, fight poverty and climate change across Europe and beyond --it could reverse the disastrous consequences of the financial crisis. And it is backed by credible economists.
The global finance lobby may have money but we have the most powerful tool of all: our collective voice. It’s time for bankers, hedge-funds and the financial system to take responsibility for the crisis.We can join in asking European leaders to pass the Robin Hood tax! One simple rule could make bankers pay their fair share and benefit some of the poorest in the world -- but the bankers are desperate to defeat it.
European leaders are about to meet in the next few days to decide whether or not to support the Robin Hood tax. But they are under pressure from the big banks and global finance to stop the tax - which is why demonstrating strong public support is so crucial. If we make our voices heard now, we can make sure our leaders do the right thing and pass the Robin Hood tax. If you want to add your support then here's the link:
Add your voice to ask European leaders pass the Robin Hood tax and make history!
The Robin Hood tax, or the Financial Transaction tax, is a 0.05% tax on financial transactions worth billions or more Euros. It could raise €37 billion to pay for public services and fight poverty and climate change.
The financial transaction tax works like this: governments would collect a tiny tax on financial transactions made by big banks on investments like buying and selling shares, bonds, the currency markets and on commodity trading.
But this isn’t only about money. If this law passes, banks and global finance would finally pay for the mess they put us in. It would correct the injustice where those who have paid for the consequences of the financial crisis are those who had nothing to do with it in the first place.
Our friends at the Robin Hood Tax campaign have been organising for this moment for years. The global finance lobby may have money but we have the most powerful tool of all: our collective voice.
It’s time for bankers, hedge funds and the financial system to take responsibility for the crisis.
Over 200 Nigerian School Girls Kidnapped
It's been nearly three weeks since more than 200 Nigerian girls were kidnapped at dawn from their school. The government knows who took them, and where they probably are. Yet thus far, the government has barely made any moves to rescue them.
These girls are in grave danger. The Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram has admitted to kidnapping them, and the group's leader has threatened to sell the girls into slavery or forced marriage, where they will almost certainly be raped or even killed.
"I will marry off a woman at the age of 12," the leader said on video. "I will marry off a girl at the age of nine."
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has been criminally slow to take action. Activists who demanded answers about the girls were detained by police, and the Nigerian First Lady even claimed the whole thing had been a conspiracy.
But other nations aren't innocent, either. While the Western media spent weeks puzzling over the whereabouts of a missing plane, the plight of these girls has been wilfully ignored.
These young women have done nothing wrong. Their only "mistake" was trying to go to school to further their education. If you want to take attention then here's the link:
Sign the petition asking the Nigerian, U.S. and other governments to step up efforts to find the girls and return them to their families, before it's too late.
These girls are in grave danger. The Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram has admitted to kidnapping them, and the group's leader has threatened to sell the girls into slavery or forced marriage, where they will almost certainly be raped or even killed.
"I will marry off a woman at the age of 12," the leader said on video. "I will marry off a girl at the age of nine."
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has been criminally slow to take action. Activists who demanded answers about the girls were detained by police, and the Nigerian First Lady even claimed the whole thing had been a conspiracy.
But other nations aren't innocent, either. While the Western media spent weeks puzzling over the whereabouts of a missing plane, the plight of these girls has been wilfully ignored.
These young women have done nothing wrong. Their only "mistake" was trying to go to school to further their education. If you want to take attention then here's the link:
Sign the petition asking the Nigerian, U.S. and other governments to step up efforts to find the girls and return them to their families, before it's too late.
Bees Are Still Dying
Bees are dying off around the world in record numbers -- but big retailers are still selling the poison that is killing them.
Last season, 37 million bees (!) died on a Canadian farm. Scientists now know why – study after study shows that deadly pesticides called "neonics", manufactured by Bayer, are killing them.
Giant retail stores around the world like Home Depot, Bunnings, and Lowe's are still selling the deadly pesticides, but pressure is mounting. If one of the stores commits to stop carrying the pesticides, it could start a snowball effect that sees other stores drop the bee-killing chemicals too.
In just two weeks, SumOfUs' activist beekeepers will travel to deliver our petition on the corporations' home turf.
Earlier this year, SumOfUs supporters called on these retail giants to stop selling neonics, with thousands flooding their phone lines and speaking out in store. Now, we've learnt that North American based Home Depot could be on the cusp of doing the right thing and taking the bee-killing chemicals off its shelves. We need to send a message to tip Home Depot over the edge, and pressure other stores to act as well.
The dangerous chemical Bayer makes is a neonicotinoid, or neonic. Neonics are soaked into seeds, spreading through the plant and killing insects stopping by for a snack -- and sold in garden stores around the world, too. These pesticides can easily be replaced by other chemicals which don’t have such a devastating effect on the food chain. But companies like Bayer and Syngenta make a fortune from selling neonics -- so they’ll do everything they can to protect their profits.
History shows that consumer pressure on retailers works. Europe's partial ban on neonics was caused by a huge movement that pushed some of the biggest retailers in the EU to voluntarily remove neonics from their shelves. But there is not a moment to lose. If you want take action now to keep the pressure on the big retail giants so we can protect our bees and our planet's future, here's the link:
Call on retail giants to get rid of the bee-killing neonics.
SumOfUs has been right at the front of the global campaign to save our bees. We came together to fight Bayer at a huge independent garden store show in Chicago, where the German chemical maker was out in force. We're taking legal action in Europe to defend the EU's ban against Bayer, and just last week spoke out at Bayer's annual shareholder meeting in Germany. But to win this fight, we need to push the retailers to drop these bee-killing pesticides now.
Last season, 37 million bees (!) died on a Canadian farm. Scientists now know why – study after study shows that deadly pesticides called "neonics", manufactured by Bayer, are killing them.
Giant retail stores around the world like Home Depot, Bunnings, and Lowe's are still selling the deadly pesticides, but pressure is mounting. If one of the stores commits to stop carrying the pesticides, it could start a snowball effect that sees other stores drop the bee-killing chemicals too.
In just two weeks, SumOfUs' activist beekeepers will travel to deliver our petition on the corporations' home turf.
Earlier this year, SumOfUs supporters called on these retail giants to stop selling neonics, with thousands flooding their phone lines and speaking out in store. Now, we've learnt that North American based Home Depot could be on the cusp of doing the right thing and taking the bee-killing chemicals off its shelves. We need to send a message to tip Home Depot over the edge, and pressure other stores to act as well.
The dangerous chemical Bayer makes is a neonicotinoid, or neonic. Neonics are soaked into seeds, spreading through the plant and killing insects stopping by for a snack -- and sold in garden stores around the world, too. These pesticides can easily be replaced by other chemicals which don’t have such a devastating effect on the food chain. But companies like Bayer and Syngenta make a fortune from selling neonics -- so they’ll do everything they can to protect their profits.
History shows that consumer pressure on retailers works. Europe's partial ban on neonics was caused by a huge movement that pushed some of the biggest retailers in the EU to voluntarily remove neonics from their shelves. But there is not a moment to lose. If you want take action now to keep the pressure on the big retail giants so we can protect our bees and our planet's future, here's the link:
Call on retail giants to get rid of the bee-killing neonics.
SumOfUs has been right at the front of the global campaign to save our bees. We came together to fight Bayer at a huge independent garden store show in Chicago, where the German chemical maker was out in force. We're taking legal action in Europe to defend the EU's ban against Bayer, and just last week spoke out at Bayer's annual shareholder meeting in Germany. But to win this fight, we need to push the retailers to drop these bee-killing pesticides now.
Bending Under the Pressure
It's working!
Two weeks ago, over 200,000 of us signed a massive petition to PepsiCo demanding it stop destroying the rainforest for palm oil. Then we posted a staggering stream of comments to PepsiCo's Facebook wall. Insiders tell us that PepsiCo doesn't know how to respond, and is scrambling to neutralise our campaigning.
Now it’s time to raise the pressure again.
Our friends at the Rainforest Action Network are planning a worldwide day of action on May 20 -- and they need event hosts to make it happen.
Can you sign up with Rainforest Action Network to organise a small event in your home or community, and share a photo with us and PepsiCo to show them how the pressure is building?
This is our best chance to show PepsiCo the breadth of support for stopping deforestation for palm oil across different countries and markets.
Hosting an event may sound intimidating, but it can be anything from a dinner with friends to a photo with your family.
Here's the plan:
- You sign up to host an event
- You’ll get a follow-up email with instructions for joining on a training conference call with Rainforest Action Network
- With their help, you’ll plan a fun activity for May 20 (it could be a picnic, a dinner, an event outside your local Pepsi retailer, or whatever!)
- At the event, you’ll take photos and share them with Rainforest Action Network. We’ll share everyone’s photos with PepsiCo so it can see the strength and diversity of our movement.
We need to make sure that when PepsiCo executives come to the table, we have the strongest possible negotiating position. If we can prove that people around the world are mobilising, we’ll be that much more able to win.
We know we've captured its attention -- the next step is to show the depth of support for palm oil free of deforestation, slave labour, or gratuitous climate pollution. If you want to join in, here's the link:
This is going to be good. Will you host an event on the 20th?
Cats Poisoned with Anti-Freeze
Every year, the headlines are filled with heartbreaking stories of cats that are poisoned to death by anti-freeze. Sometimes, the deaths are horrible crimes committed on purpose to torment neighbours or fulfil sick urges; other times, they're terrible accidents due to an owner leaving the toxic chemical within reach of a curious kitty. But either way, these deaths could easily be avoided.
Despite its highly lethal nature, anti-freeze tastes delicious to animals: its active ingredient is sweet, like sugar, and many pets think it's a treat they've stumbled upon. Unfortunately, it's also incredibly dangerous; just a few mouthfuls can lead to a prolonged death from kidney failure for animals and even children who ingest it.
Having read the information in the links I'm beginning to suspect that the reason my sisters cat nearly died last year was because he'd gotten hold of anti-freeze because the vet diagnosed kidney failure when we rushed him in.
However, there are ways to reduce anti-freeze's potential harm. By adding a harmless bittering agent to their products, anti-freeze companies would discourage cats, dogs and kids from eating them -- and potentially save hundreds, even thousands of lives.
We can't let any more pets die from ingesting this common household product. Ask anti-freeze companies to take action to protect cats, dogs and kids from being poisoned!
Despite its highly lethal nature, anti-freeze tastes delicious to animals: its active ingredient is sweet, like sugar, and many pets think it's a treat they've stumbled upon. Unfortunately, it's also incredibly dangerous; just a few mouthfuls can lead to a prolonged death from kidney failure for animals and even children who ingest it.
Having read the information in the links I'm beginning to suspect that the reason my sisters cat nearly died last year was because he'd gotten hold of anti-freeze because the vet diagnosed kidney failure when we rushed him in.
However, there are ways to reduce anti-freeze's potential harm. By adding a harmless bittering agent to their products, anti-freeze companies would discourage cats, dogs and kids from eating them -- and potentially save hundreds, even thousands of lives.
We can't let any more pets die from ingesting this common household product. Ask anti-freeze companies to take action to protect cats, dogs and kids from being poisoned!
Saturday 3 May 2014
Breast Feeding "Not Welcome"
Wioletta and her three-month-old son were waiting for her father to finish shopping in Sports Direct. She was sitting on a bench breastfeeding her baby when she was asked to leave by staff.
She was told that breastfeeding mothers were “not welcome” in the store, and that she would have to leave the premises. Wioletta had to stand outside in tears while she tried to feed her son in the rain.
It’s appalling that a big company would put a mum in this position. And it’s against the law. It is illegal to discriminate against a breastfeeding woman -- but Sports Direct seems to have ignored this.
Wioletta tried to argue that it’s not against the law to breastfeed in public. But the staff insisted she was “not welcome”. Now, she feels too nervous to feed her baby anywhere in public.
It’s unacceptable to make a mother feel ashamed of doing something so natural as feeding her baby. Other mothers have spoken up in support of Wioletta, and a group of them will be going to the store to stage a “nurse in” protest.
So far, Sports Direct has refused to comment on its discriminatory and humiliating policy. But it knows full well that its bottom line depends on the goodwill of the public -- including mums. If we can put Sports Direct under pressure now, it will be forced to do the right thing and apologise to save its reputation and brand.
Tell Sports Direct to apologise immediately, and change its policy to stop discriminating against breastfeeding mums.
That and the bottom line is that if we refuse to buy Sports Direct produces until they apologises for their unlawful and degrading behaviour then they will go bust if they don't clean up their act. The power to force the hands of corporations lies in the hands of their consumers. If we don't buy, their share holders start getting really ticked off because their pay packet goes down the drain.
She was told that breastfeeding mothers were “not welcome” in the store, and that she would have to leave the premises. Wioletta had to stand outside in tears while she tried to feed her son in the rain.
It’s appalling that a big company would put a mum in this position. And it’s against the law. It is illegal to discriminate against a breastfeeding woman -- but Sports Direct seems to have ignored this.
Wioletta tried to argue that it’s not against the law to breastfeed in public. But the staff insisted she was “not welcome”. Now, she feels too nervous to feed her baby anywhere in public.
It’s unacceptable to make a mother feel ashamed of doing something so natural as feeding her baby. Other mothers have spoken up in support of Wioletta, and a group of them will be going to the store to stage a “nurse in” protest.
So far, Sports Direct has refused to comment on its discriminatory and humiliating policy. But it knows full well that its bottom line depends on the goodwill of the public -- including mums. If we can put Sports Direct under pressure now, it will be forced to do the right thing and apologise to save its reputation and brand.
Tell Sports Direct to apologise immediately, and change its policy to stop discriminating against breastfeeding mums.
That and the bottom line is that if we refuse to buy Sports Direct produces until they apologises for their unlawful and degrading behaviour then they will go bust if they don't clean up their act. The power to force the hands of corporations lies in the hands of their consumers. If we don't buy, their share holders start getting really ticked off because their pay packet goes down the drain.
Clothing on Our Backs, Mercury in the River
Did you know that even though the Citarum River is full of mercury and toxic chemicals, 35 million people are still drinking from it?
Factories that make clothing for companies including H&M, Gap, and Adidas are dumping poison into the river, and the government is doing nothing to stop it. I was horrified when I heard about the news segment exposing the disgusting chemical cocktail dumped into this river.
The Citarum River is in Indonesia, and it used to be clean enough that people used it for fishing. Now, the river is so filthy that villagers can no longer fish from it and must sell trash they find floating on its surface to make a living.
And the river's toxic water is still used to irrigate crops and fill water taps in major cities.
The Indonesian government needs to intervene to protect its people from this deluge of toxic chemicals. If it doesn't, thousands of people will become sick, crops will die, and the environment will never recover. In the UK land that has been contaminated with Mercury is declared unfit for farming indefinitely - that's how dangerous this chemical is. In Japan mercury poisoning destroyed nearly a whole generation when it made its way into the seafood chain.
The majority of those factories polluting the river are sending clothing overseas, including to England and the United States. If enough people around the world shine a spotlight on this injustice, Indonesia will be forced to clean up its act. If you want to sign the petition then here's the link:
Please sign my petition to ask the Indonesian government to protect its people from these toxic chemicals dumped by clothing factories.
The other thing we can do while we are waiting for the government to act is to boycott H & M, Gap and Adidas produces, while sending e-mails of protest to their inbox and posting our disgust up on their facebook pages. Corporations bow to consumer pressure faster than they do to governments.
Factories that make clothing for companies including H&M, Gap, and Adidas are dumping poison into the river, and the government is doing nothing to stop it. I was horrified when I heard about the news segment exposing the disgusting chemical cocktail dumped into this river.
The Citarum River is in Indonesia, and it used to be clean enough that people used it for fishing. Now, the river is so filthy that villagers can no longer fish from it and must sell trash they find floating on its surface to make a living.
And the river's toxic water is still used to irrigate crops and fill water taps in major cities.
The Indonesian government needs to intervene to protect its people from this deluge of toxic chemicals. If it doesn't, thousands of people will become sick, crops will die, and the environment will never recover. In the UK land that has been contaminated with Mercury is declared unfit for farming indefinitely - that's how dangerous this chemical is. In Japan mercury poisoning destroyed nearly a whole generation when it made its way into the seafood chain.
The majority of those factories polluting the river are sending clothing overseas, including to England and the United States. If enough people around the world shine a spotlight on this injustice, Indonesia will be forced to clean up its act. If you want to sign the petition then here's the link:
Please sign my petition to ask the Indonesian government to protect its people from these toxic chemicals dumped by clothing factories.
The other thing we can do while we are waiting for the government to act is to boycott H & M, Gap and Adidas produces, while sending e-mails of protest to their inbox and posting our disgust up on their facebook pages. Corporations bow to consumer pressure faster than they do to governments.
9 Years Old and About to Marry
We’ve just learnt that any minute now, the Iraqi Council of Representatives will vote to legalise Forced Child Marriage1.
The specifics of the legislation (part of the Jaafari Personal Status Law) are terrifying:
- There will no longer be a minimum age to legally marry (it’s currently 18) but the law provides policies for divorcing a 9-year-old girl;
- A girl’s father would legally be able to accept a marriage proposal on her behalf; and
- The girl would be legally prohibited from resisting her husband’s advances and leaving the home without his permission.
The law was sent to the Council of Representatives yesterday, and the vote could happen any time now. To prevent Iraq’s girls from becoming vulnerable to forced child marriage it is crucial that we act now.
Currently, Iraq has one of the most progressive policies on women’s rights in the Middle East -- setting the legal marriage age at 18 and prohibiting forced marriage2.
Brave Iraqi women have been fighting against removing the minimum age for marriage, for their sake and for the sake of their daughters. Last month on International Women’s Day, countless women attended demonstrations in Baghdad protesting the Jaafari Personal Status Law. They called it the “Day of Mourning”3.
Iraqi Sunni and Shia religious leaders have criticised the Jaafari Personal Status law as discriminatory and a violation of religious texts4, and Safia al-Suhail, a female Member of Parliament, has called it a “disaster” showing that Iraq is “going backwards”5. You know that this stuff is serious when members of the religion that the Jaafari Personal Status laws supposedly come from are condemning them.
We may not have much time to stop Iraq from legalising Forced Child Marriage and a lifetime of domestic and sexual slavery for girls and women. If you want to help stop this backsliding into the dark ages then here's the link:
Soco One Step Closer
Right now, UK oil company Soco, is ignoring all international and local opposition, and have started seismic testing in Virunga National Park.
The testing, which helps Soco determine a suitable position to drill the first exploratory well, is taking place on Lake Edward, in the heart of Africa’s oldest national park. We think that’s not right, how about you?
Seismic testing is the final step before exploratory drilling begins, and we believe it is irresponsible for Soco to disregard the national and international laws protecting this World Heritage Site.
The company is putting the livelihoods of thousands of people at risk. Soco's own assessments suggests that exploratory drilling could lead to air pollution, lung diseases, contamination of the water system and of habitat in this fragile ecosystem.
Time is running out. Africa’s oldest national park is under threat.
It's more important than ever to show Soco that the public will not sit back and allow an oil company to threaten the future of this irreplaceable park. We must draw the line at oil exploration in Africa’s most biodiverse national park. Check up the WWF website for more details and the links to sign the petition calling for the end to this violation of one of the world's most precious places.
The testing, which helps Soco determine a suitable position to drill the first exploratory well, is taking place on Lake Edward, in the heart of Africa’s oldest national park. We think that’s not right, how about you?
Seismic testing is the final step before exploratory drilling begins, and we believe it is irresponsible for Soco to disregard the national and international laws protecting this World Heritage Site.
The company is putting the livelihoods of thousands of people at risk. Soco's own assessments suggests that exploratory drilling could lead to air pollution, lung diseases, contamination of the water system and of habitat in this fragile ecosystem.
Time is running out. Africa’s oldest national park is under threat.
It's more important than ever to show Soco that the public will not sit back and allow an oil company to threaten the future of this irreplaceable park. We must draw the line at oil exploration in Africa’s most biodiverse national park. Check up the WWF website for more details and the links to sign the petition calling for the end to this violation of one of the world's most precious places.
Patent Seeds - Bucks for Killing a Way of Life
About 15 thousand years ago, the world’s first farmer had the idea of saving the seeds from one year’s crop and planting them again next year. And that’s how farmers did it for thousands of years after that.
Until Monsanto.
Today, Monsanto is claiming patent rights over seeds -- the fundamental source of all plant life -- so it can charge farmers royalties for doing what people have done for thousands of years. It's already charging millions in illegal royalties in Brazil. It's suing farmers in the U.S. And in India it's jacked up the cost of seeds so much that it’s contributing to an epidemic of suicides among bankrupt farmers. That's the human face of this inhuman company that is made of fellow human beings, human beings that have seemed to have forgotten that the people they are penalising and murdering are human beings.
The latest front in Monsanto’s war on farmers is Canada, where a bill is flying through parliament to give corporate agribusiness long-term patent rights over seeds. And if it win here, Monsanto will use trade agreements to force other countries to abide by these patent claims as well.
Canadian farmers are fighting back, but they’re massively outgunned by Monsanto’s lobbyists and money. If they’re going to have any chance to stop this bill, they need our help to fight back. We have the chance to chip in and help them beat down this big company and remind it that just because it is an over sized bully doesn't mean it has the right to destroy the lives and livelihoods of millions. If you want to add to the pot then here's the links.
Yes, I'll chip in $8 a month to help stop Monsanto from monopolizing our food system.
No, but I can make a one-time contribution.
Giving monthly is the best way to help, because it lets us plan for the future and be ready for whatever Monsanto throws at us. You can update or cancel your donations any time.
In January, thousands of us chipped in with concerned shareholders to demand that Monsanto admit publicly that their GMO crops pose real risks to the environment -- and we got incredible press, putting serious pressure on the bio-tech giant to change their ways. Now, we're teaming up with farmers to battle Monsanto in Canada -- and together we make a powerful team.
The farmers have the expertise, credibility, and passion that comes from fighting for your livelihood. And with 4 million members and cutting edge online campaign tactics, SumOfUs has the power to raise public awareness and turn this into a massive grassroots movement.
The Canadian parliament could vote on the Monsanto seed takeover any time -- so we need to take action now. As Vandana Shiva said, when corporations control seeds, they control life. They’re taking a renewable common resource and turning it into a non-renewable, patented commodity. It’s up to us to fight back.
Until Monsanto.
Today, Monsanto is claiming patent rights over seeds -- the fundamental source of all plant life -- so it can charge farmers royalties for doing what people have done for thousands of years. It's already charging millions in illegal royalties in Brazil. It's suing farmers in the U.S. And in India it's jacked up the cost of seeds so much that it’s contributing to an epidemic of suicides among bankrupt farmers. That's the human face of this inhuman company that is made of fellow human beings, human beings that have seemed to have forgotten that the people they are penalising and murdering are human beings.
The latest front in Monsanto’s war on farmers is Canada, where a bill is flying through parliament to give corporate agribusiness long-term patent rights over seeds. And if it win here, Monsanto will use trade agreements to force other countries to abide by these patent claims as well.
Canadian farmers are fighting back, but they’re massively outgunned by Monsanto’s lobbyists and money. If they’re going to have any chance to stop this bill, they need our help to fight back. We have the chance to chip in and help them beat down this big company and remind it that just because it is an over sized bully doesn't mean it has the right to destroy the lives and livelihoods of millions. If you want to add to the pot then here's the links.
Yes, I'll chip in $8 a month to help stop Monsanto from monopolizing our food system.
No, but I can make a one-time contribution.
Giving monthly is the best way to help, because it lets us plan for the future and be ready for whatever Monsanto throws at us. You can update or cancel your donations any time.
In January, thousands of us chipped in with concerned shareholders to demand that Monsanto admit publicly that their GMO crops pose real risks to the environment -- and we got incredible press, putting serious pressure on the bio-tech giant to change their ways. Now, we're teaming up with farmers to battle Monsanto in Canada -- and together we make a powerful team.
The farmers have the expertise, credibility, and passion that comes from fighting for your livelihood. And with 4 million members and cutting edge online campaign tactics, SumOfUs has the power to raise public awareness and turn this into a massive grassroots movement.
The Canadian parliament could vote on the Monsanto seed takeover any time -- so we need to take action now. As Vandana Shiva said, when corporations control seeds, they control life. They’re taking a renewable common resource and turning it into a non-renewable, patented commodity. It’s up to us to fight back.
A Whale of a Time
Here's one for everyone who has ever campaigned to stop the slaughter of intelligent creatures that share their world with us!
This is such good news we can hardly believe it - Japan has been told to stop scientific whaling immediately in the Antarctic! The UN’s highest court ruled that Japan is breaching its obligations under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling. Unnecessary killing of whales in this critical feeding ground will now finally stop. Hooray! | ||
HM Customs and Revenue Data to the Highest Bidder
O.K. dig this - having lost the fight to sell NHS private data to the highest bidder the UK government is now planning on selling the personal financial data of millions of taxpayers to private companies for profit.
HM Revenue & Customs is drafting legislation that would allow it to release “anonymous” data on millions of taxpayers to private companies, researchers and public bodies.
The government hasn’t even consulted us before deciding to sell on our private tax information to anyone willing to pay. Instead, it's tried to sneak in the changes unnoticed -- they were buried in hundreds of pages of ordinary budget documents. Isn't that just typical of everything the governments have been doing in the last few years? They will publish some meaningless lump of trivia to give the press something to chew over while they try to sneak harmful regulations and legislations through the back door.
The legislation could be passed any day now. But if enough people stand up for our right to privacy, the government will have no choice but to back down -- or risk its popularity in the year before the General Election. If you want to be part of this movement then here's the link:
Tell HMRC not to sell our personal financial information to private firms for profit.
The government has misled people over “anonymous” data in the past -- supposedly unidentifiable health information turned out to include age, ethnicity, gender, postal code and NHS number.
Senior MPs are calling the plan “dangerous” and “borderline insane” at a time when gigabytes of data can be downloaded and sent around the world in milliseconds. The information would allow credit rating agencies to delve into people’s personal finances, and marketers and retailers could use it to practise price discrimination.
HM Revenue & Customs is drafting legislation that would allow it to release “anonymous” data on millions of taxpayers to private companies, researchers and public bodies.
The government hasn’t even consulted us before deciding to sell on our private tax information to anyone willing to pay. Instead, it's tried to sneak in the changes unnoticed -- they were buried in hundreds of pages of ordinary budget documents. Isn't that just typical of everything the governments have been doing in the last few years? They will publish some meaningless lump of trivia to give the press something to chew over while they try to sneak harmful regulations and legislations through the back door.
The legislation could be passed any day now. But if enough people stand up for our right to privacy, the government will have no choice but to back down -- or risk its popularity in the year before the General Election. If you want to be part of this movement then here's the link:
Tell HMRC not to sell our personal financial information to private firms for profit.
The government has misled people over “anonymous” data in the past -- supposedly unidentifiable health information turned out to include age, ethnicity, gender, postal code and NHS number.
Senior MPs are calling the plan “dangerous” and “borderline insane” at a time when gigabytes of data can be downloaded and sent around the world in milliseconds. The information would allow credit rating agencies to delve into people’s personal finances, and marketers and retailers could use it to practise price discrimination.
When NHS England unveiled a plan earlier this year that would have seen our private medical records sold to corporations, SumOfUs joined with 252,000 UK members to spearhead growing opposition to the proposal, and delayed the scheme by six months.
We’ve had success before; we can achieve it again. Governments need to be reminded that they are there to serve then people not for the people to serve them.
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