Environmental Roundup: November 1, 2010

Vote November 2
This year’s election is crucial for our environment. Many environmental champions are running against climate science deniers and corporate polluters are pouring money into these races. Our ability to successfully advocate for progress is directly related to our numbers at the ballot box. When people who care about the environment show up to vote, elected officials notice.

Please vote tomorrow, if you have not already, and urge your friends, family members, and colleagues to vote as well.

Click here to find your polling place.

Damon Moglen welcomed to the Friends of the Earth team

On Monday, October 18, Damon Moglen joined Friends of the Earth as our new climate and energy director. He began his work on environmental issues at Friends of the Earth in 1984 and has worked on climate, energy and nuclear issues for nearly 20 years with Greenpeace, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and the Union of Concerned Scientists. He most recently served as global warming campaign director at Greenpeace USA. He brings a breadth of experience in public advocacy and environmental politics to the organization, and we’re excited to have him on board.

Action update: Appalachia Rising and 10/10/10 Global Climate Work Party
Friends of the Earth staff and activists joined two powerful days of action this fall.

On September 27, Appalachia Rising united more than 1,000 citizens from Appalachia and across the nation for a rally and march from EPA headquarters to the White House demanding that President Obama and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson abolish mountaintop removal mining. Learn more about Appalachia Rising and mountaintop removal. See photos from the Day of Action.

The 10/10/10 Global Climate Work Party was the most widespread day of climate action in history, uniting citizens to implement climate solutions through 7,347 events in 188 countries. Friends of the Earth members organized events, including a challenge to go oil-free for a week in Eugene, Oregon and a home weatherization demonstration in Hailey, Idaho. Read our Work Party wrap up and check out photos from around the world.

"Billionaires" "celebrate more" dirty ethanol subsidies
On Thursday, October 21, Friends of the Earth showed up at a press conference held by Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to protest his announcement of support for extending federal subsidies to ethanol. Dressed as "Billionaires for Biofuels," we satirized the corporate corn ethanol lobby groups responsible for spreading the myth that ethanol is clean and securing billions of dollars in taxpayer handouts for this dirty fuel.  Check out photos from the event.

Something’s fishy
Thanks to the uproar generated by Friends of the Earth activists and allies, the Food and Drug Administration was forced to extend the timetable for considering approval of frankenfish -- or genetically engineered salmon.

We generated 7,900 public comments urging the FDA to conduct further testing and were joined by Ben & Jerry’s CEO Jostein Solheim for a protest across from the White House.

The FDA will now conduct more research and consider additional public input on the environmental impacts of frankenfish, so stay tuned for more opportunities to take action. You can learn more about frankenfish here.

Meeting in Malaysia with our international federation

Last week, our managing director, Dave Hirsch, and staff members Kate McMahon and Ian Illuminato traveled to Malaysia for Friends of the Earth International’s biannual general meeting (BGM). The BGM brings representatives from all 77 member groups together to make critical decisions about how the federation functions and sets the strategic plan for the next two years. Our U.S. group will be more fully engaged in this planning from now on, thanks to a resolution put forth by our team. Watch this short video to see our friends across the globe. 

Annual UN climate meeting set for Cancun

Last December, a UN climate summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, created disappointment around the world when it failed to produce a new international agreement in response to the climate crisis.

This year's annual UN climate meeting, set to take place in Cancun, Mexico, in November and December, faces lower expectations. The U.S. government's refusal to commit to the U.S.'s fair share of emissions reductions means an overarching agreement this year is unlikely. However, real, albeit limited, progress is still possible. Our staff attending the meeting will focus on the creation of a global climate fund to support the world's poorest countries as they cut emissions and cope with climate change impacts. In October, two of our staff attended a smaller UN climate meeting in Tianjin, China to work on this and other issues.

Overview of the UN climate process | Our notes from Tianjin

News
As the world burns
New Yorker

Calculating commitment to climate change
New York Times

Little Blue Run: Is a Pennsylvania coal ash facility contaminating water and giving residents cancer?
Huffington Post

Transportation is a civil rights issue
Grist

Navajos hope to shift from coal to wind and sun
New York Times

Current Actions

Climate & Clean Energy Solutions

Tell the EPA: Protect communities from toxic coal ash

Urge President Obama to stop the Keystone XL pipeline

Tell Congress: Tax Wall Street greed to pay for global needs

Urge your Senators to keep the Clean Air Act intact

Safe Food & Technology

Tell Congress: Support the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010

Urge the FCC and Congress to protect Net Neutrality

Clean Oceans & Vessels

Tell President Obama to reconsider his drilling proposal

Congress: It's time to clean up the cruise industry

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