Current Actions

• Tell Secretary of State John Kerry: Investigate Big Oil’s Influence on the Keystone XL Review

  The State Department’s environmental review of the Keystone XL pipeline is a joke. Contrary to evidence from the EPA and others, it claims that the pipeline will have minimal environmental impacts on the climate and communities along the pipeline route.

  How did this happen? It turns out that he report was written by a contractor with deep ties to the oil industry. What’s worse, State Department employees attempted to hide these ties.

  Send a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry demanding that he halt the Keystone XL review process until he gets to the bottom of this cover-up and blatant conflict of interest

• Urgent Deadline this week: Tell CA Assembly to pass a CA fracking moratorium

  Hydraulic fracking injects water and unknown chemicals into underground oil deposits with such force it creates fractures in the rock, allowing oil companies to extract the oil. But these fractures can also allow contaminants into precious groundwater supplies – water that our children drink and that farmers use to grow our food.
   
  While California prides itself on being one of the greenest states in the union, oil companies are gearing up to frack the estimated 15 billion barrels of oil in the Monterey Shale, an underground formation that stretches from Monterey county all the way down to Los Angeles. This area is home to some of the state’s most productive farmland, critical water sources and important wildlife habitat as well as home to millions of Californians.
   
  Last month, California moved one step closer to halting fracking in the State.  Legislation that would stop fracking in California won key votes, passing the Assembly Natural Resources Committee despite intense pressure from the oil industry. Now, we need your help to keep this vital legislation moving.
   
  Please write to John Perez (Speaker of the Assembly), Mike Gatto (Chair of the Appropriations Committee) and your State Assembly Member and tell them to support A.B. 1301.

• Tell Home Depot and Lowe’s to stop selling bee-killing pesticides.

  Bees are essential for one out of three bites of food we eat.  But last winter, beekeepers reported losses of 50-70 percent of their hives -- the worst year yet since the global bee die-off began!

  A growing body of scientific evidence is pointing to neonicotinoids (neonics) as the key factor in this crisis and the European Union has just imposed a two year ban on these toxic pesticides. 

  These neonics are everywhere -- in commercial agriculture, on the shelf of your local garden stores, and in the plants and seeds we buy from nurseries.

  Bee part of the solution! Tell Home Depot, Lowe’s and others to stop selling neonics.

• Don't let Edison rush a risky restart of the San Onofre reactors

  Southern California Edison’s San Onofre nuclear reactors, which have been offline for over year since an accidental radiation leak, could be on-track for an experimental restart by the middle of the summer. Edison is pushing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a license amendment that would pave the way for restarting one of it’s risky reactors, despite the fact that its own experts disagree on what originally caused the leak. Even more, Edison is hoping to rush this through without public participation, so that the millions of Southern Californians threatened by a restart don’t have a chance to speak out.

  That’s why we’ve got to raise our voices now and tell the NRC to reject Edison’s experimental restart plans and demand a public hearing before any decisions. Speak out below by sending the NRC a comment before May 16.

  We just have a few days left; please submit your comment below!

• Help protect the Arctic from ship pollution

  Currently, parts of the Arctic are experiencing rapid increases in shipping activity. The number of transits through the Bering Strait between Alaska and Russia has doubled in just four years.

  In light of this rapid growth and the significant impacts it brings to air, water, climate, wildlife, human health and native communities, we urgently need stronger environmental rules to protect the Arctic.

  The fastest, simplest move to protect the Arctic is to ban ships in those waters from using one of the dirtiest fuels on the planet -- bunker fuel.

  Please write the Commandant of the Coast Guard and urge him to advocate for a ban on bunker fuel use in the Arctic at the International Maritime Organization meeting next week. Your message will be copied to your members of Congress, as well, to make sure they stay updated on the fight against shipping pollution in the Arctic. 

  Send your letter below and help protect the Arctic!

• Help protect the Arctic from ship pollution

  Currently, parts of the Arctic are experiencing rapid increases in shipping activity. The number of transits through the Bering Strait between Alaska and Russia has doubled in just four years.

  In light of this rapid growth and the significant impacts it brings to air, water, climate, wildlife, human health and native communities, we urgently need stronger environmental rules to protect the Arctic.

  The fastest, simplest move to protect the Arctic is to ban ships in those waters from using one of the dirtiest fuels on the planet -- bunker fuel.

  Please write the Commandant of the Coast Guard and urge him to advocate for a ban on bunker fuel use in the Arctic at the International Maritime Organization meeting next week. Your message will be copied to members of Congress, as well, to make sure they stay updated on the fight against shipping pollution in the Arctic. 

  Send your letter below and help protect the Arctic!

• Thank your representative for support GE food labeling

  Your representative is already a co-sponsor of the Genetically Engineered Food Right-to-Know Act. By supporting this bill, he or she is standing up for consumers’ rights to make their own informed choices about what foods they feed their families.

  Please take a moment below to send your representative a thank-you message for their support.

• Call on Congress to support labeling of genetically engineered food

  Now more than ever, the United States need a policy for genetically engineered food labeling: there are genetically engineered foods in up to 70 percent of the foods on grocery store shelves, the USDA is considering approving a genetically engineered apple this spring, and the FDA is nearing its approval of a genetically engineered salmon.
  
  Friends of the Earth believes the labeling of genetically engineered foods should be mandatory. The public has the right to make an informed choice about the food they buy for their families. Without mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods, consumers are left in the dark.
  
  That’s why we are excited that Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Representative Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) have sponsored new federal labeling legislation, the Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act (S. 809 and H.R. 1699), in the Senate and House. Take action below and tell your senators and representative to support the genetically engineered food labeling bill.

  Take action below and tell Congress it’s time to finally pass a genetically engineered food labeling bill in 2013 -- support the Genetically Engineered Food Right-to-Know Act!

• Hey Zuckerberg: Unfriend Big Oil!

  Mark Zuckerberg’s new political action committee, created to pass comprehensive immigration reform, has been running ads in favor of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline and drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.¹ The ads, supposedly designed to provide political cover for politicians to support comprehensive immigration reform, have ignited a firestorm of controversy.
  
  The PAC, FWD.US, is attempting to sacrifice our climate and natural resources by playing politics with Big Oil despite Zuckerberg’s previous support for clean energy. The group is funding two subsidiary organizations run by top Democratic and Republican political operatives to run the controversial ads.

  Send a letter below to Zuckerberg asking him to immediately stop promoting dirty, climate-disrupting projects.

• Support the wrongfully imprisoned environmental hero, Choi Yul

  The South Korean government has unjustly imprisoned Mr. Choi Yul, a pioneer in Asia’s environmental movements.

  A leading environmental activist for 40 years, Mr. Choi founded the Korea Federation for Environmental Movement/Friends of the Earth Korea and the Korea Green Foundation. In honor of his achievements, he won the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize for grassroots environmentalism and the Global 500 Award of the United Nations Environmental Programme.

  Over the past four years, the Korean government has persecuted Mr. Choi in retribution for his leadership in the fight against the destructive Four Rivers Project, a massive plan that includes 16 dams.

  Add your name below to support the release of this environmental hero and to stand against the shameful persecution of defenders of the environment.

• Stop the Northwest from becoming a conduit for dangerous coal exports

  Currently, there are three proposed coal terminals in Washington and Oregon that together would export millions of tons of coal each year through communities in the Pacific Northwest.

  Given the devastating impacts to air, water, climate and human health, an Environmental Impact Statement must be prepared for each individual project. The federal agencies involved should also conduct an in-depth, area-wide environmental review that considers the damage caused by mining, shipping and burning the coal, prior to any permits being issued.

  Please write to the Army Corps of Engineers and call on them to perform individual Environmental Impact Statements and an in-depth, area-wide EIS for any current or future proposed coal export facility. Your message will be copied to your members of Congress, too, to make sure they stay updated on the fight against coal exports.

  Send your letter below and help the Pacific Northwest move past coal!

• Please send a "thank you" to these stores for saying NO to GE seafood

  Some of the biggest grocery stores in the U.S. have already signed the Pledge for GE-Free Seafood, including Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Aldi, Marsh Supermarket and many others.* That means a significant portion of the market is sticking up for consumers’ rights and healthy seafood.

  Add your name below to thank the pledge-signers for taking a stand for consumers' rights and a healthy environment.

  

• Tell the FDA: No genetically engineered salmon on our plates

  The FDA is poised to approve genetically engineered salmon for human consumption.  But they haven't even done a full Environmental Impact Statement of the risks.  This salmon has been genetically altered to grow twice as fast as real salmon and it would be the first-ever engineered animal that could sneak onto our dinner plates.

  To make matters worse, the FDA probably won't require it to be labeled, so we'll have no idea if we're eating it!

  Please urge the FDA to conduct a full Environmental Impact Statement that captures the many environmental, economic and social risks of genetically engineered salmon. Once the FDA has done its due diligence, we believe it will have no choice but to reject this frankenfish.

• Call on your grocery store to join the Campaign for GE-Free Seafood

  We are excited to announce our new campaign to prevent genetically engineered fish from hitting our plates.

  Will you join us in asking grocery stores, restaurants, chefs and other food companies take the Pledge for GE-Free Seafood? By joining, companies are making public their policies not to purchase or sell genetically engineered salmon or other genetically engineered seafood.

  Help us pressure food companies to keep genetically engineered seafood off their shelves and off our plates. Take action now!

• Call on your grocery store to join the Campaign for GE-Free Seafood

  We are excited to announce our new campaign to prevent genetically engineered fish from hitting our plates.

  Will you join us in asking grocery stores, restaurants, chefs and other food companies take the Pledge for GE-Free Seafood? By joining, companies are making public their policies not to purchase or sell genetically engineered salmon or other genetically engineered seafood.

  Help us pressure food companies to keep genetically engineered seafood off their shelves and off our plates. Take action now!

• Tell Barbara Boxer: don't let Edison do an end run around safety regulations

  Please urge Senator Barbara Boxer to use her oversight authority to ensure that the operator of the crippled San Onofre nuclear reactors, Southern California Edison, not be granted another end-run around regulations.  Sign our petition now!
  
  Since January 2012 the San Onofre nuclear reactors have been shutdown.  Inspections revealed severe damage to thousands of steam generator tubes -- and now a recently exposed confidential report reveals that the operator, Southern California Edison, knew about problems years before the shut down. Friends of the Earth and others have been demanding since last year that Edison undergo a comprehensive regulatory process called a License Amendment prior to any consideration of restart. Edison deliberately avoided such a process years ago before the replacement steam generators were installed.
   
  Then, last Friday, during a hearing on a petition that Friends of the Earth submitted to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Edison made a stunning announcement: They are considering  “voluntarily” submitting a license amendment request.
  
  Edison will likely ask for an amendment to address only the bare minimum they think they need to gain NRC approval for their experimental restart plan, and they will also be requesting that the NRC issue a finding of ‘No Significant Hazard’ for their license amendment.
  
  If they are successful, Edison could receive a license amendment approval for San Onofre even before any public hearing is held. This would effectively strip the public of a meaningful role and prevent the critical independent safety review of Edison's plans.
  
  It's clear - Edison's aim is to start reactor 2 as soon as possible even though this damaged reactor has not been repaired, the underlying causes of the damage have not been confirmed, and federal investigations into Edison and San Onofre continue.
  
  Years ago, Edison deliberately sidestepped the license amendment process -- in the interest of saving their time and money -- and in spite of knowing about serious problems with the steam generator design . Now, they are planning a similar end run around critical safety reviews. This must be rejected!

• Tell President Obama and Secretary Kerry: Reject the Keystone XL!

  Join the push for a million comments against the Keystone XL. We have just one day day left!

  The State Department has released its draft report on the environmental impacts of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. This report -- written in part by firms with close ties to Big Oil -- glosses over the climate impact of the Canadian tar sands. We have just a few days left in the comment period to speak out and show the president that there is a national movement demanding he keep his climate promises.

  With stakes this high, there is no excuse for the White House to approve the pipeline. It's up to you and me to make sure the president gets the message: It's impossible to fight climate change while simultaneously investing in one of the dirtiest, most carbon-intensive fossil fuels on the planet.

  Submit an official comment below -- this is your chance to tell the State Department to get it right. Friends of the Earth supporters like you need to make your voice heard!

• Call on your grocery store to join the Campaign for GE-Free Seafood

  We are excited to announce our new campaign to prevent genetically engineered fish from hitting our plates.

  Will you join us in asking grocery stores, restaurants, chefs and other food companies take the Pledge for GE-Free Seafood? By joining, companies are making public their policies not to purchase or sell genetically engineered salmon or other genetically engineered seafood.

  Help us pressure food companies to keep genetically engineered seafood off their shelves and off our plates. Take action now!

• Urgent Action: tell Senators not to fast track coal exports

  Big Coal and its allies are attempting to stop federal agencies from limiting the greenhouse gas emissions of exported coal and other fuels. Right now, agencies are legally bound to consider the global impacts of greenhouse gases when permitting export proposals -- including coal. But under Senator Barrasso's (R-Wyo.) amendment (#184) to the federal budget, agencies would be barred from taking into account greenhouse gas emissions when reviewing export permits.

  If this amendment passes there will be nothing to stop Big Coal from sending millions of tons of U.S. coal to be burned in China. And we'll all pay the climate consequences.

  Use the form below to tell your Senator to vote no and oppose Amendment 184!

• Please send a "thank you" to these stores for saying NO to GE seafood

  Some of the biggest grocery stores in the U.S. have already signed the Pledge for GE-Free Seafood, including Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Aldi, Marsh Supermarket and many others.* That means a significant portion of the market is sticking up for consumers’ rights and healthy seafood.

  Speak up here to thank the pledge-signers for taking a stand for consumers' rights and a healthy environment.

  

• Call on your grocery store to join the Campaign for GE-Free Seafood

  We are excited to announce our new campaign to prevent genetically engineered fish from hitting our plates.

  Will you join us in asking grocery stores, restaurants, chefs and other food companies take the Pledge for GE-Free Seafood? By joining, companies are making public their policies not to purchase or sell genetically engineered salmon or other genetically engineered seafood.

  Help us pressure food companies to keep genetically engineered seafood off their shelves and off our plates. Take action now!

• Tell the FDA: No genetically engineered salmon on our plates

  The FDA is poised to approve genetically engineered salmon for human consumption.  But they haven't even done a full Environmental Impact Statement of the risks.  This salmon has been genetically altered to grow twice as fast as real salmon and it would be the first-ever genetically engineered animal that could sneak onto our dinner plates.

  To make matters worse, the FDA probably won't require it to be labeled, so we'll have no idea if we're eating it!

  Please urge the FDA to conduct a full Environmental Impact Statement that captures the many environmental, economic and social risks of genetically engineered salmon. Once the FDA has done its due diligence, we believe it will have no choice but to reject this frankenfish.

• Thanks for signing! Now, please send a "thank you" to these stores for saying NO to GE seafood

  Some of the biggest grocery stores in the U.S. have already signed the Pledge for GE-Free Seafood, including Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Aldi, Marsh Supermarket and many others. That means a significant portion of the market is sticking up for consumers’ rights and healthy seafood.

  See your favorite grocery store on the list?* Let them you know you appreciate them taking the lead on the fight against genetically engineered seafood by sending a giant “thank you” to these companies.

  Speak up here to thank the pledge-signers for taking a stand for consumers' rights and a healthy environment.

  

• Call on your grocery store to join the Campaign for GE-Free Seafood

  We are excited to announce our new campaign to prevent genetically engineered fish from hitting our plates.

  Will you join us in asking grocery stores, restaurants, chefs and other food companies take the Pledge for GE-Free Seafood? By joining, companies are making public their policies not to purchase or sell genetically engineered salmon or other genetically engineered seafood.

  Help us pressure food companies to keep genetically engineered seafood off their shelves and off our plates. Take action now!

• Tell the FDA: No genetically engineered salmon on our plates

  The FDA is poised to approve genetically engineered salmon for human consumption.  But they haven't even done a full Environmental Impact Statement of the risks.  This salmon has been genetically altered to grow twice as fast as real salmon and it would be the first-ever engineered animal that could sneak onto our dinner plates.

  To make matters worse, the FDA probably won't require it to be labeled, so we'll have no idea if we're eating it!

  Please urge the FDA to conduct a full Environmental Impact Statement that captures the many environmental, economic and social risks of genetically engineered salmon. Once the FDA has done its due diligence, we believe it will have no choice but to reject this frankenfish.

• Tell Barbara Boxer: Edison gambled with the public trust - San Onofre must remain offline!

  Please email Senator Boxer today. Urge the Senator to use her oversight authority to ensure that San Onofre remains offline until the Nuclear Regulatory Commission completes its investigations and  Edison is required to undergo the appropriate and thorough review of a License Amendment proceeding.

• Tell the FDA: We need safer sunscreens now!

  Even though sunscreens are an integral part of protecting our skin from harmful UV rays, some sunscreens on the market may actually be having the opposite effect. Friends of the Earth U.S. and Australia recently released test results showing that many popular sunscreen and cosmetic products -- made by companies including Nivea, L’Oreal and CoverGirl -- contain hazardous forms of a common sunscreen and cosmetics ingredient, anatase titanium dioxide and nano anatase titanium dioxide.

  A 2008 study, prompted by reports that coatings on steel roofs were rapidly breaking down in places where workers’ sunscreen-covered hands had touched them, found that nano anatase titanium dioxide in sunscreen was reacting with sunlight and degrading those roof coatings in a matter of weeks. The study and other peer-reviewed science have raised serious concerns about the impact these ingredients may be having on our skin and a number of scientists have questioned the safety of using them in sunscreens and other skin products.

  While Europe will soon require safety testing and labeling of nano-ingredients in sunscreens, the FDA has failed to follow suit. That’s why we need your help to call on FDA to protect our children and families by banning anatase titanium oxide from our cosmetics, and ensuring all ingredients, including nano ingredients, are assessed for safety and labeled.

• (No Title)

  Tell John Kerry that this is his chance to make a difference for our climate.

  

  John Kerry has worked hard to build his reputation as a defender of the environment.  As a senator he spent many years calling for more ambitious and decisive action to combat climate change.  Now, as Secretary of State, he finally has the chance to take decisive climate action.

  Tell Kerry that he must live up to his own words and look at the full environmental impact of the Keystone pipeline -- including its devastating implications for climate change.

• Stand in solidarity against the Keystone XL pipeline

  In his inaugural address, President Obama specifically addressed climate change as one of the major challenges facing the future of the U.S. While he has promised serious action on the climate crisis, his first move must be to stop the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline in its tracks.
  
  Now more than ever, the president and Secretary of State Kerry must reject the pipeline's proposal outright. What President Obama decides on this project will set the tone for the next four years, and we need him to begin his second term on the right track for climate action.
  
  The Keystone XL pipeline remains one of the largest threats to our climate: the Alberta tar sands contain gigatons of carbon, enough to radically alter our climate if fully tapped by Big Oil. The Keystone XL pipeline would also threaten Midwestern communities' fragile aquifers with the threat of toxic tar sands oil spills.

  On Sunday, February 17, thousands of activists will gather on the National Mall to call on the president to reject the pipeline. No matter where you are, you can raise your voice in protest by signing this pledge against the Keystone XL.

  Stand with us and sign the pledge below!

• Tell the FDA: No GE salmon on our plates

  Right before the year-end holidays, the FDA announced a positive Environmental Assessment on genetically engineered salmon, paving the way for its eventual approval for human consumption. Thanks to the FDA, genetically engineered salmon would be the first-ever engineered animal that could sneak onto our dinner plates -- and it won’t be labeled.

  Since 2010, Friends of the Earth has, with your help, worked to stymie Aquabounty’s hopes for approval. It’s up to us again.

  Please urge the FDA to conduct a full Environmental Impact Statement that captures the many environmental, economic and social risks of genetically engineered salmon. Once the FDA has done its due diligence, we believe it will have no choice but to reject this frankenfish.

  Submit a comment below to tell the FDA to conduct a full Environmental Impact Statement and keep frankenfish off our plates!

• Tell the FDA: No GE salmon on our plates

  Right before the year-end holidays, the FDA announced a positive Environmental Assessment on genetically engineered salmon, paving the way for its eventual approval for human consumption. Thanks to the FDA, genetically engineered salmon would be the first-ever engineered animal that could sneak onto our dinner plates -- and it won’t be labeled.

  Since 2010, Friends of the Earth has, with your help, worked to stymie Aquabounty’s hopes for approval. It’s up to us again.

  Please urge the FDA to conduct a full Environmental Impact Statement that captures the many environmental, economic and social risks of genetically engineered salmon. Once the FDA has done its due diligence, we believe it will have no choice but to reject this frankenfish.

  Submit a comment below to tell the FDA to conduct a full Environmental Impact Statement and keep frankenfish off our plates!

• President Obama: Hear our stories, focus on climate action

  Sign our petition to make your voice heard: we need strong climate action now!

• (No Title)

  Tell Obama to make a real environmental impact: Stop the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline

  The zombie Keystone XL pipeline is back. The State Department has just released its Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and once again its findings are inadequate. It doesn't take into consideration the climate impacts of the pipeline's construction. It also borrows from a previously discredited EIS, which was prepared for the State Department by Cardno Entrix -- which lists TransCanada as one of its clients.
  
  The State Department has given a 45-day comment period and no options for public hearings. And for a controversial project like this one, State knows it will be met with much opposition and is trying to rush the only opportunity for public discourse.

  Demand transparency and urge the State Department to extend the comment period and hold public hearings. Send your message now:

• Thank you for your generous gift!

  Your gift has been matched and you will receive an email receipt shortly.

  We've launched Climate Stories - a new climate change awareness campaign with powerful video and personal stories. If you haven't already signed our petition to president Obama, please do now.

  Mr. President, hear our stories and take action on climate change.

• President Obama: Hear our stories, focus on climate action

  Sign our petition to make your voice heard: we need strong climate action now!

• President Obama: Hear our stories, focus on climate action

  Sign our petition to make your voice heard: we need strong climate action now!

• Pledge to stand against the Keystone XL pipeline

  The election is over, and one thing is clear about President Obama's second term: he faces an enormous mandate to take serious action on climate change. His move to deny the Keystone XL permit in January 2012 was the right decision, but this zombie pipeline could rise again at any moment.
  
  Now more than ever, the president must reject the pipeline's proposal outright. What President Obama decides on this project will set the tone for the next four years, and we need him to begin his second term on the right track for climate action.
  
  The Keystone XL pipeline remains one of the largest threats to our climate: the Alberta tar sands contain gigatons of carbon, enough to radically alter our climate if fully tapped by Big Oil. The Keystone XL pipeline would also threaten Midwestern communities' fragile aquifers with the threat of toxic tar sands oil spills.
  
  On Sunday, February 17, thousands of activists will gather on the National Mall to call on the president to reject the pipeline. No matter where you are, you can raise your voice in protest by signing this pledge against the Keystone XL.

  Stand with us and sign the pledge below!

• Break the silence on climate change

  The 2012 General Election is just mere weeks away, and while the majority of candidates have talked about jobs and the economy, many have not articulated their views on and plans for global climate change.

  As the election gains more attention nationwide, it is increasingly important that we take a stand to ensure that climate change is addressed. This year, extreme weather causing unprecedented Arctic melting and widespread drought and wildfires has shown the dire need for action. The longer the candidates refuse to take a direct, vocal stance on the issue, the more our world is endangered.

  Sign below to urge the candidates to break the silence and speak out on climate change.

• Urgent Update: Edison Releases Plans To Restart Reactor

  

  The situation on the ground has changed and Edison just released a plan to restart one of the severely damaged San Onofre nuclear reactors with no repairs, leaving the safety of 8.4 million people living nearby at risk.
  
  It is up to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission -- the federal agency charged with ensuring the safety of U.S. nuclear reactors -- to hold the line on safety. Incredibly, ten years ago the NRC looked the other way and approved the drastically altered defective equipment under an inappropriate rubberstamp process. The result was Edison installing the most defective steam generators in the history of the U.S. nuclear industry.
  
  The NRC must step up now and stop Edison restarting the dangerous Unit 2 reactor; this requires a full license amendment and public hearings before an impartial judge --  as the NRC’s own regulations require for such drastic changes.
  
  We need you to take action right now! Call NRC Chairwoman Allison MacFarlane! Urge her to intervene and require that Edison be prevented from to restarting either reactor without a license amendment, public hearing, and the guarantee of public safety!
  
  Call Chairwoman Allison MacFarlane at 301-415-1750.
  
  It’s important to be clear, concise, and respectful. The suggested script for your call is below. MacFarlane needs to know that the safety of Southern California must be put first! Please call her now!

  Hi, My name is ___________.
  
  I am a resident of __________ in Southern California, and I am calling to urge Chairwoman MacFarlane to intervene in the proposed restart of San Onofre Unit 2 nuclear reactor. I was deeply disturbed to learn that Southern California Edison plans to restart the reactor with no repairs to the severely damaged steam generators. This poses a real threat the safety of my family and me.
  
  To me, safety is best assured by requiring Edison to submit to a license amendment process and public hearings, so that truly independent experts can analyze the design and testify before an impartial judge.
  
  I urgently request that the Chairman require Edison to submit to this critical process and ensure that public safety is put first.
  
  I congratulate the Chairwoman on her new position, and fully support her in taking decisive action on this critical issue.

• Make sure that Washington State is prepared for an oil spill

  Recent proposals to expand exports in the Pacific Northwest will likely multiply the number of tankers, some carrying dense, messy tar sands oil, passing through Puget Sound by five times. This high volume of tanker traffic will raise the likelihood of a disastrous oil spill.

  Thankfully, the Washington Department of Ecology is in the process of establishing rules to enforce a new oil spill cleanup bill. In order to make sure that the state is ready to protect the Sound in the event of a spill, we must pressure the Department to require better spill training and the best clean up technologies.

  Puget Sound is one of our nation's largest and most productive estuaries, so Washington must learn from the lessons of the BP Gulf spill and act to protect this precious resource.

  Join us in telling the Washington Department of Ecology to strengthen its oil spill cleanup measures and preserve Puget Sound.

• Keep San Onofre shut down

  Earlier this year following a radioactive leak, new equipment critical to the reactors' operation failed key safety tests and the reactors were shut down. The plant remains closed and the plant’s operator, Southern California Edison, is currently maneuvering to convince regulators that the reactors are safe enough to restart by the end of the year.

  On September 24, the Del Mar City Council will be considering a resolution to request that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission ensure the safety of the San Onofre nuclear reactors before allowing either to restart. The resolution also requests that the California Public Utilities Commission conduct an investigation to protect ratepayers from unfair rate hikes to foot the bill for the defective equipment.

  Please use the form below to send a message to thank the members for considering this resolution -- and urge them to vote for it!

• President Obama: Take a stand against climate change by stopping the Keystone XL pipeline

  In a summer of devastating storms and crippling drought, the impacts of climate change are more apparent than ever. And yet, the Keystone XL pipeline would risk our air, water and climate to pipe the most polluting fuel available -- tar sands oil -- through our heartland to the coast for export. With the pipeline split into two parts to expedite its construction, grassroots activists and landowners have stepped up to physically block the southern half from threatening their communities.
  
  Though President Obama initially rejected Keystone XL, he has since reversed his position, rubber-stamping the southern portion and pledging to fast-track the State Department's review of the northern leg.
  
  One year ago coordinated activism, including a massive protest at the White House, yielded clear action from the Obama administration. Now, the need to act is even more dire. We must tell President Obama to reject the Keystone XL pipeline and have the State Department review consider the drastic impact these tar sands would have on our climate.
  
  Add your name to the petition below and let President Obama know that it’s time to hold the fossil fuel industry accountable and protect our climate, natural resources and communities.

• Ted Craver: Don’t gamble our safety or money on crippled nuclear reactors

  

  The San Onofre nuclear reactors run by Southern California Edison, a subsidiary of Edison International, pose a significant threat to the safety of Californians. The reactors have been shut down since January following a tube  failure that released radiation. Subsequent investigations have shown that nearly brand-new steam generators in both reactors have unprecedented levels of damage – damage that could have resulted in a  massive release of radiation.
  
  Edison International’s CEO, Ted Craver, once said that if and when to restart the San Onofre nuclear reactors would be the biggest decision he makes as CEO. Send him your note today urging him to make the right decision – Protect Southern California and keep the San Onofre reactors shut down.

  Sign the petition: Urge Ted Craver to do the right thing for our safety and the economic health of Southern California.

  
  

• Tell President Obama to support a Robin Hood Tax on Wall Street

  At a time when the costs of climate change are visibly mounting, there exists an untapped source of funding that would provide support for climate solutions and other environmental and social goods. The Robin Hood Tax -- or a micro-tax levied on financial transactions -- would generate hundreds of billions of dollars in much-needed revenue for health, education and environmental programs.
  
  The Robin Hood Tax would create relief for people abroad and at home who disproportionately bear the consequences of climate change and irresponsible financial behavior. Individuals including Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, as well as more than 1,000 economists, have endorsed the tax, while at least 40 countries already have financial transaction taxes in place.

  Please sign below to ask President Obama to put his support behind a Robin Hood Tax.

• Tell the FDA: Reject genetically engineered mosquitoes in the Keys

  A private, British company called Oxitec wants to use the Florida Keys as its first testing ground for releasing genetically engineered mosquitoes in the U.S. wild.

  The U.S. has no laws on the books to properly regulate the field release of genetically engineered bugs and other animals, so Oxitec has applied for Food and Drug Administration approval under antiquated regulations meant for "new animal drugs."

  Under this process, Oxitec's plan could be approved at any time -- with little to no warning or public input and without a rigorous, independent scientific review of the bugs' potential health and environmental impacts.

  Tell the FDA: Reject Oxitec’s risky experiment and halt approval of all genetically engineered animals until we have laws capable of protecting public health and our environment.

• Tell Congress: Support the End Polluter Welfare Act

  The End Polluter Welfare Act, introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Congressman Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), is the boldest, most comprehensive proposal ever introduced to end fossil fuel subsidies, eliminating more than $113 billion in direct subsidies, loopholes and tax breaks over 10 years.

  This bill would free up billions of taxpayer dollars to fund clean and sustainable technologies and other public needs -- instead of propping up centuries-old dirty fuel companies polluting our clean air, water and climate.

  You can help build momentum for ending fossil fuel subsidies by asking your members of Congress to co-sponsor the End Polluter Welfare Act. (You can send a thank-you message if Sen. Sanders or Rep. Ellison represent you.)
  

  Please use the form below to urge your representative and senators to co-sponsor the End Polluter Welfare Act today.

• Tell Congress: Support the End Polluter Welfare Act

  The End Polluter Welfare Act, introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Congressman Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), is the boldest, most comprehensive proposal ever introduced to end fossil fuel subsidies, eliminating more than $113 billion in direct subsidies, loopholes and tax breaks over 10 years.

  This bill would free up billions of taxpayer dollars to fund clean and sustainable technologies and other public needs -- instead of propping up centuries-old dirty fuel companies polluting our clean air, water and climate.

  You can help build momentum for ending fossil fuel subsidies by asking your members of Congress to co-sponsor the End Polluter Welfare Act. (You can send a thank-you message if Sen. Sanders or Rep. Ellison represent you.)
  

  Please use the form below to urge your representative and senators to co-sponsor the End Polluter Welfare Act today.

• End $113 billion in polluter tax subsidies!

  Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Keith Ellison recently launched new legislation that would repeal more than $110 billion tax-breaks, handouts, and subsidies for the fossil fuel industry over the next 10 years.
  
  As you can imagine, the fossil fuel industry is going to fight back hard, so we need to come out as strong as possible. We've joined up with other groups to gather as many signatures as we can to show our support.

  Please sign below to add your name to the list of Americans who are backing this legislation to end tax subsidies to the polluting fossil fuel industry. 

• Tell EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson: Prevent the rubber-stamping of the Keystone XL pipeline through Oklahoma and Texas.

  In less than 45 days, Canadian oil giant TransCanada could receive the rubber stamp it wants to build the southern leg of the Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline from Oklahoma through Texas to the Gulf Coast -- unless we convince the Environmental Protection Agency to intervene.

  News broke last week that, in addition to submitting its re-application to the State Department for the transboundary, northern half of its pipeline, TransCanada has also submitted its application for the only federal permit it needs to start building the southern half -- a water permit from the Army Corps of Engineers. The Army Corps of Engineers, which has an abysmal environmental track record, has a maximum of 45 days to approve or reject TransCanada’s application. Or, if they do nothing it will be approved by default.

  The EPA regional office already objected to this fast-tracked approval process -- and pressure from you will help convince EPA headquarters to stop it.

  Please sign the letter below to tell EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to prevent the rubber-stamping of the Keystone XL pipeline through Oklahoma and Texas:

• Demand transparency in the Trans-Pacific free trade agreement!

  The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a massive new trade deal involving at least nine Pacific countries, from the U.S. to Australia to Vietnam.  It will likely impact and undermine important regulations and protections for people, and the environment. Despite the far-reaching nature of the Trans-Pacific free trade agreement, the U.S. Trade Representative has refused to release the negotiating proposals for public scrutiny.

  Back-room trade deals benefit big corporations at the expense of the environment.  We need your help demanding that U.S. officials move the Trans-Pacific free trade agreement negotiations into the light of day. 

  Please sign the petition below by May 4 to demand that U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk publicly release the negotiating proposals for the Trans-Pacific free trade agreement. 

• Tell senators: Stop corporate tax dodging, fund climate solutions

  By cracking down on tax loopholes exploited by big corporations, we can begin restoring fairness to our tax system and generate funds for climate solutions and other urgent public needs.
  
  The Cut Unjustified Tax Loopholes Act (S. 2075), introduced by Senators Carl Levin and Kent Conrad, would make billions of dollars available to tackle climate change and improve people’s lives -- simply by making wealthy corporations contribute their fair share of taxes.
  
  The first step to passing the CUT Loopholes Act is getting more senators on board as co-sponsors. (If your senator is already a co-sponsor, you can send a thank-you message.)

  Please use the form below to urge your senators to co-sponsor the CUT Loopholes Act today.

• Tell Boxer and Feinstein: Lead in protecting Californians from dangerous reactors

  The two nuclear reactors at San Onofre in southern California were shut down after almost brand-new equipment critical to their operation failed key safety tests -- and even leaked radiation.
  
  But Southern California Edison, wants to restart them as early as June 2012 risking further breakdowns and a radioactive crisis that could endanger millions of Californians.
  
  Senators Boxer and Feinstein chair key committees overseeing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission -- and they can intervene.

  Please email your CA senators today. Urge them to use their oversight authority to ensure San Onofre's malfunctioning reactors remain shut down.

• Don't let Iowa raise electric rates to subsidize new reactors

  [Photo by Edibobb via Wikimedia Commons]

  The nuclear industry’s dirty secret is that it cannot afford to build new reactors without public handouts.

  In Iowa, MidAmerican Energy lobbyists are working hard to push a bill, House File 561, through the legislature. This bill would allow MidAmerican to raise electricity rates on Iowans so that it can fund the construction of risky new nuclear reactors. What's worse is that MidAmerican gets to keep the money -- even if it cancels the project.

  A vote in the Iowa Senate could come as soon as tomorrow.

  Please email your state senator now and urge him or her to oppose a rate increase for nuclear reactors.
  

• Stop Iowa from raising electric rates to subsidize new reactors

  [Photo by Edibobb via Wikimedia Commons]

  The nuclear industry’s dirty secret is that it cannot afford to build new reactors without public handouts.

  In Iowa, MidAmerican Energy lobbyists are working hard to push a bill, House File 561, through the legislature. This bill would allow MidAmerican to raise electricity rates on Iowans so that it can fund the construction of risky new nuclear reactors. What's worse is that MidAmerican gets to keep the money -- even if it cancels the project.

  A vote in the Iowa Senate could come as soon as tomorrow.

  Please call your state senator now and urge him or her to oppose a rate increase for nuclear reactors.
  

  1. Call the Iowa Senate Switchboard at 515-281-3371 and ask the operator to connect you with your state senator. (You can use the legislature's "Find Your Legislator" page if you are not sure who your senator is.)

  2. Deliver your message. Below is a sample script. Please be courteous.

  "Hello. My name is [_____] and I'm calling from [CITY]. I was upset to learn that the Iowa legislature is considering allowing MidAmerican Energy to raise customers' electric rates to pay for new nuclear reactors before they are even built. It's especially unfair that we'd be stuck with the higher fees even if MidAmerican stops construction or cancels the project. I urge Senator [_____] to vote against this bill, House File 561.

  "The ongoing nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan has shown again that the safety and environmental risks of nuclear reactors are simply too high. Iowans should not have to bear the financial costs either. Please put the needs of Iowa consumers before special interest dollars and do all that you can to stop this bill."

  3. Let us know how your call went by sending us a message via the form below. Your notes help us with our advocacy. Thanks for speaking out!

• Tell Obama: Cutting corners for TransCanada is unacceptable

  TransCanada is splitting the dirty and dangerous Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline into two segments in an attempt to avoid a full environmental review and to fast-track the southern half from Cushing, Oklahoma, to the Gulf Coast in Texas.

  In little more than 60 days, President Obama has moved 180 degrees in the wrong direction. He rejected the permit for Keystone XL and insisted on a full and fair federal review process on January 18. Then, on March 22, he stood in front of TransCanada pipe and ordered an expedited federal review of the southern leg, promising to "cut through the red tape" and "get it done" -- in effect, putting the interests of Big Oil above the health and safety of people and our climate.
  
  Grassroots pressure compelled President Obama to reject Keystone XL the first time around. We must hold the president accountable now.

  Tell President Obama to stop cutting corners for TransCanada and put the health and safety of people first.

• Phone your senators: Reject attempts to revive Keystone XL

  In 24 hours, Americans sent more than 802,000 messages urging senators to reject any attempts to revive the Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline.

  The Senate could vote soon on an amendment that would force approval of Keystone XL. Every call you make will help convince wavering senators to stand with us.

  Can you phone your senators now and tell them to reject the Keystone XL pipeline?
  

  1. Call the congressional switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to speak with one of your senators. (You can call again to reach your second senator.)
  
  2. Deliver your message. Here is a sample script you can use:

  "Hello. My name is _________ and I am a constituent calling from [CITY, STATE]. I’m calling because in 24 hours alone, Americans sent more than 802,000 messages opposing the Keystone XL pipeline. I expect you, and your colleagues, to stand with us against Big Oil, and reject any attempts to resurrect this dangerous tar sands oil pipeline that threatens ecosystems, water and our climate.”

  3. Report the results of your call using the form below.

• 24 hours to convince senators to reject Keystone XL

  We have 24 hours to keep the Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline dead.
  
  The Senate could vote as early as Tuesday on a deal that would greenlight construction of the pipeline -- overturning President Obama's rejection of Keystone XL last month.

  Help us reach our goal of delivering 500,000 messages demanding that senators reject the Keystone XL pipeline before the vote.

  The clock is ticking! Add your name to this petition to senators using the form below.

  

• 24 hours to convince senators to reject Keystone XL

  Update: We've delivered 802,180 messages to the Senate -- thanks for helping us blow past our goal! Now can you help us flood the Senate will phone calls to ensure our message gets through? Go to www.foe.org/kxl for instructions on making your call.
  

  We have 24 hours to keep the Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline dead.
  
  The Senate could vote as early as Tuesday on a deal that would greenlight construction of the pipeline -- overturning President Obama's rejection of Keystone XL last month.

  Help us blow past our goal of delivering 500,000 messages demanding that senators reject the Keystone XL pipeline before the vote.

  The clock is ticking! Add your name to this petition to senators using the form below.

• Stand up for forests

  The National Association of Music Merchants, which represents businesses that manufacture, distribute or retail musical instruments or products, is having its trade show in Anaheim, California this weekend. Unfortunately, NAMM has been supporting the RELIEF Act, a bill that would weaken protections against illegal logging of forests. If enacted, forests, wildlife and communities would be in greater danger. Stand with Friends of the Earth, musician Razia Said and others to ask NAMM to stop lobbying against forests.

  Sign the petition to urge NAMM's President and CEO Joe Lamond and Chairman Kevin Cranley to reconsider their support for the RELIEF Act.

• Thank President Obama for rejecting Keystone XL

  The Obama administration stood up to big oil corporations and rejected the Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline. This dangerous project would have made climate change worse and imperiled the health of people all along its route from Canada to Texas.

  Please send a message of thanks to President Obama for taking this stand for people’s health and livelihoods and for a safe climate.

• Halt the release of genetically engineered mosquitoes in the Florida Keys

  A private company called Oxitec wants to release potentially harmful genetically engineered mosquitoes in the Florida Keys as early as late spring of this year, in what would be the first-ever U.S. release of these engineered bugs.
  
  There are too many unanswered questions about the ecological and health impacts of these mosquitoes. State and federal agencies have yet to fully study them and there are no laws on the books to properly regulate the release of these bugs into the wild. Furthermore, we found that Oxitec was concealing evidence from the public about how many of its engineered mosquitoes could survive.

  An outpouring of public opposition from Floridians is our best shot at stopping Oxitec's plans.

  Please use the form below to tell the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services that Floridians should not be used as field experiments.

• Halt the release of genetically engineered mosquitoes in the Florida Keys

  A private company called Oxitec wants to release potentially harmful genetically engineered mosquitoes in the Florida Keys as early as late spring of this year, in what would be the first-ever U.S. release of these engineered bugs.
  
  There are too many unanswered questions about the ecological and health impacts of these mosquitoes. State and federal agencies have yet to fully study them and there are no laws on the books to properly regulate the release of these bugs into the wild. Furthermore, we found that Oxitec was concealing evidence from the public about how many of its engineered mosquitoes could survive.

  An outpouring of public opposition from Floridians is our best shot at stopping Oxitec's plans.

  Please use the form below to tell the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District and the Florida Department of Agriculture that Floridians should not be used as field experiments.

• Tell Obama: Keep your promises on Keystone XL

  On November 10, the Obama administration hit the reset button on the Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline, announcing it would explore a new route and seek a new environmental review.

  Oil industry beholden Republicans in Congress then refused to pass a payroll tax extension deal unless it forced President Obama to make a decision on the pipeline within 60 days.
  
  With the deadline of February 21 looming, the president has only one option: He must reject Keystone XL -- and he needs to know we will hold him to that.

  Please send this message to President Obama: A fast-tracked deadline -- and the great harm this project would cause -- means you must reject the Keystone XL pipeline.

  Take action now using the form below.

• Help stop cruise ship dumping in all of Puget Sound

  On December 1, we achieved a ban on cruise ship sewage dumping in the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.

  Now you can help protect human health and all of Puget Sound's marine resources from cruise ship pollution.

  The Washington State Department of Ecology, the Port of Seattle and the regional cruise industry association have agreed to consider our probosal to ban cruise ship wastewater dumping in Puget Sound -- and the deadline for comments in support of the ban is February 13.

  Please use the form below to express your support for a ban on wastewater dumping.

• Tell the FDA to Just Label It!

  There are no laws in the U.S. requiring labeling of genetically engineered foods, even though 93 percent of Americans believe they have a right to know. Friends of the Earth and a coalition of more than 300 groups are working to change this through the “Just Label It!” campaign.
  
  Our friends at the Center for Food Safety have filed a petition calling on the Food and Drug Administration to require labeling of all genetically engineered foods, which studies show pose serious risks to our health, wildlife and the environment.
  
  Help us flood the FDA with comments about the importance of food labeling so consumers across America will know what they are buying.

  Send a public comment today to tell the FDA to Just Label It!

• Tell Congress: Get behind a carbon tax

  

  A carbon tax would make polluters pay for the damage they inflict on people and the planet and help head off the worst impacts of climate change -- all the while raising hundreds of billions in revenue to protect crucial programs like Social Security and Medicare.

  We must start injecting this progressive, pro-environment solution into budget debates. By signing this petition, you will show your representatives -- and our  progressive allies in Congress -- that there is public support for this win-win solution.

  Show your support for a carbon tax by signing this petition to Congress today.

• Don't let Iowa raise electric rates to subsidize new reactors

  [Photo by Edibobb via Wikimedia Commons]

  The nuclear industry’s dirty secret is that it cannot afford to build new reactors without public handouts. This is why it is trying to increase electric rates for proposed nuclear reactors in Iowa now, even though the power would not come online for years -- if ever. If construction stops or MidAmerican Energy cancels the projects, consumers would still be stuck with the rate increases.

  The Iowa legislature is considering a bill that would allow MidAmerican to charge consumers for these unbuilt reactors. Under similar legislation in Florida, families have seen their rates rise substantially, as cost estimates continue to increase for a plant that still isn't constructed. It is unfair for the Iowa legislature to allow MidAmerican -- a private utility company -- to make Iowans responsible for the financial risks.

  We successfully stopped this bill from moving forward last year, but MidAmerican has lobbied to bring it back for this session.

  Use this form to ask your state senator to oppose the rate increase and stand up for Iowa consumers. Enter your zip code to get started.

• Stop the frankenfish!

  Before the FDA can approve genetically engineered salmon, Congress is taking action to stop frankenfish in its tracks. Senator Mark Begich (D-Alaska) and Representative Don Young (R-Alaska) have introduced bipartisan legislation in Congress that would ban genetically engineered fish entirely. Or, if that fails, an alternate bill would require companies to at least put a sticker on any product that contains frankenfish to let Americans know what they are eating.

  Please write your members of Congress and urge them to co-sponsor the anti-frankenfish bills (or say thanks if they already have).

• Call for a halt to reactor construction and ultimately, an end to nuclear power in the U.S.

  The nuclear disaster at Fukushima is a heartbreaking reminder of the dangers inherent to the nuclear industry. Radioactive contamination has turned up everywhere from school yards to food crops. And clean up of the crippled reactors could take decades. More and more people in the U.S. are learning that no reactor -- new or old -- is safe.

  Take action today. Tell your representatives that Americans want to move away from nuclear power and the first step is a moratorium on new construction.

• Tax Wall Street greed to fund global needs

  As a top climate polluter and the world's largest economy, the United States owes the world a whole lot when it comes to climate change. The Investing in Our Future Act (H.R. 755) introduced by Representative Pete Stark (D-Calif.) would create climate and health funds to help developing countries by taxing Wall Street greed.

  By placing a tiny levy on an untaxed financial market, the Investing in Our Future Act could raise $5 billion in urgently needed funds for climate change and health programs in impoverished countries, while reducing the budget deficit here at home.

  We need your help to build momentum for this important piece of legislation.

  Please urge your member of Congress to co-sponsor the Investing in Our Future Act today.

• Faraway fantasy fuels or immediate solutions?

  Tell Energy Secretary Chu to invest research funding in technologies that can help solve global warming now

  In a 2009 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Energy Secretary Steven Chu said, “I’m hoping that the American people will wake up” and face the challenge of global warming. Since then, Chu has been taking a nap of his own. His Department of Energy has spent hundreds of millions of dollars investing in so-called “advanced” biofuels that, at best, are decades away from production and will likely never be commercially-viable. in the meantime, existing technologies that need just a little support to succeed, like wind, solar, and energy efficiency projects, have been left in the dust.

  Secretary Chu says he understands the need for immediate solutions, but he has been focusing research money on expensive, dirty and even dangerous biofuel fantasies.

  Tell Secretary Chu to stop wasting money on false solutions and to direct resources to feasible alternative energy before we run out of time.

• We can't afford another ocean disaster!

  Ask President Obama: “What about the other disaster in the Gulf?”

  After the Gulf oil disaster, President Obama began publicly espousing his support for the biofuels industry and even advocated greater U.S. funding for dirty, polluting corn ethanol.
   
  Yet corn ethanol production is driving another massive pollution disaster in the Gulf. A Massachusetts-sized “dead zone” where no aquatic plants or animals can thrive is growing and is caused largely by chemical runoff from corn production.
  
  Current studies show that even if we used all of our cropland to grow corn for biofuels, we’d only reduce oil imports by two percent. We need our elected officials to stop funding the corn ethanol industry in order to prevent more economic and environmental damage in the Gulf -- and to focus on real solutions.

  Hold President Obama accountable for the other pollution disaster in the Gulf -- tell him that we can’t substitute one dirty energy source for another.

• Biofuels: Driving up food prices and increasing poverty

  Tell USAID to stop supporting biofuel projects that make poverty worse.

  All around the globe, the rush for biofuels is driving up prices for land and food and pushing rural peoples even further to the margins.

  Recent studies show that biofuels are the primary economic driver behind inequitable land acquisitions in the Global South, in which corporations or private investors buy massive swaths of land and use them for crop production for biofuels. These “land grabs” displace marginalized communities and often increase rates of environmental degradation, hunger and poverty.

  Yet institutions like the World Bank and the U.S. Agency for International Development are still promoting biofuels as a “sustainable development” solution. Palm and sugar cane plantations may result in "economic growth" by making a few big corporations and banks richer, but they also often result in the clearing of forests that are critical to people’s livelihoods, and the growth of crops for fuel to feed far-away automobiles instead of hungry people.  

  Tell USAID that you don’t want your tax dollars to fund biofuel crop plantations that increase world poverty.

• Congress -- Biofuels aren't cheap or green!

  The cost of dirty corn ethanol adds up.

  Did you know that the U.S. is projected to spend more than $400 billion to subsidize the corn ethanol and soy biodiesel industries from 2008 to 2022?  The U.S. government is using taxpayer dollars for everything from tax breaks to loans to mandates to subsidies -- and almost all of the money goes to big corporate polluters like Archer Daniels Midland and BP.
  
  Not only is the process of producing ethanol expensive for taxpayers, but ethanol actually has lower fuel efficiency than normal gasoline and can severely damage engines, making it even more expensive for the public.

  It’s time we let our representatives know they need to put the interest of the environment and the public  first -- we cannot afford to pay corporations to pollute our air, water and soil.

  Ethanol is not green, and it is definitely not a cheap alternative to oil.

  Tell Congress: No more federal support for dirty biofuels!

• No False Solutions!

  Tell Congress: Ethanol is a false solution to energy independence

  We need to end our dependence on dirty fossil fuels, but biofuels aren’t the answer. In fact, it’s impossible to make enough biofuel in the U.S. to end dependence on oil because there simply is not enough land to grow biofuels and support natural ecosystems and food production.

  We’d have to convert all of our farmland in America to grow corn for ethanol to replace even two percent of our oil imports. In fact, producing ethanol actually requires huge amounts of oil and petroleum to run the farm machinery and produce the pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals used during the growing cycle. Yet, lobbyists for the ethanol industry claim that biofuels will eliminate the need for foreign oil. That’s simply not true -- biofuels cannot not end our dependence on oil.

  Complete the form below to tell your members of Congress that ethanol is a false solution to energy independence.

• Biofuels hurt family farms!

  Tell USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to stand with family farmers -- not corporate corn ethanol producers.

  U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has shown leadership by working with the Department of Justice to investigate major agribusiness conglomerates like Archers Daniels Midland for possible antitrust violations. Yet at the same time, he’s pushing policies in favor of dirty biofuels that would transfer even more power and wealth to these same big corporations. More corporate consolidation of agribusiness means family farmers get squeezed tighter and tighter. 

  Tell Secretary Vilsack to stop promoting policies that are bad for the environment, bad for our food system and bad for family farmers.

• Pledge climate action

  Join Friends of the Earth activists in pledging to fight for climate solutions that protect people and the planet.

  I pledge to myself -- and to people and the planet:

• (No Title)

  Keep the Clean Air Act Intact

  The Clean Air Act -- the key existing federal tool to cut the pollution that causes global warming -- is under attack.
  
  Anti-environment, climate-change-denying politicians are aiming to roll back the Clean Air Act as a tool to reduce dangerous climate pollution. We need to remind our representatives that a clean environment should come before the greed of big oil and dirty coal.
  
  Please join us in the fight to save the Clean Air Act by sending your senators a message today. Just enter your zip code below to get started.