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Archives for July 2014

Fish and Wildlife Service Agrees to Phase-out Genetically Engineered Crops and Ban Bee-Killing Pesticides on National Refuges

July 31, 2014, www.organicconsumers.org | “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) will phase out the use of genetically engineered (GE) crops to feed wildlife and ban neonicotinoid insecticides from all wildlife refuges nationwide by January 2016. The FWS decision, announced via internal memoranda obtained by Center for Food Safety (CFS), follows a longstanding grassroots, legal, and policy campaign by CFS and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) to end the harmful practices. This announcement builds on a previously announced decision to eliminate neonicotinoid pesticides from refuges in the Pacific Region.”

Pamela Benda shared Millions Against Monsanto by OrganicConsumers.org‘s photo.
TOGETHER WE CAN
All wildlife refuges nationwide will be free of genetically engineered animal feed and neonicotinoids by 2016. Read more about this most recent environmental victory: http://orgcns.org/VgwW8G — with Sozial Umdenken.
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Filed under: GMO Bans, GMO set backs, GMOs

Indigenous Seed Savers Gather in the Andes, Agree to Fight Climate Change with Biodiversity

July 30, 2014, www.organicconsumers.org | “On top of a rugged Andean mountain situated high in Peru’s Cusco region, on 30,000 acres of conserved land known as Parque de la Papa (Spanish for “Potato Park”), indigenous farmers met in late April to discuss conditions they feared were threatening their ancestral lands.”

 

Did you know that in the last 100 years the world has lost 75% of its plant varieties? Indigenous populations across the world are coming together to protect what is left. Learn more: http://orgcns.org/1uswkMG
Jul 30, 2014 GoodNews FortheEarth on Facebook Leave a Comment
Filed under: Animals & Plants, Education, Local Food, Organic Farming, Plants

20 Urban Food Forests from Around the World

July 28, 2014, www.shareable.net | “The concept of a food forest has its roots in permaculture, a philosophy that advocates for managing agricultural landscapes in harmony with nature. The practice emphasizes perennial, low-maintenance crops that leverage natural nutrient inputs, drainage patterns and climate to achieve a self-sustaining, food-producing ecosystem. A food forest is quite literally a forest that produces food for people (and, most certainly, forest critters) to eat.”

Pamela Benda shared a link via TreeSisters: women seeding change.
“20 Urban Food Forests from Around the World
www.shareable.net
The Seven Layers of a Food Forest. Diagram by Graham Burnett via…”
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Jul 28, 2014 GoodNews FortheEarth on Facebook Leave a Comment
Filed under: Community Gardens, Farms & Gardens, Food Forests, Urban Agriculture

California curbs injection of toxic fracking waste into aquifers needed in severe drought

July 22, 2014, rt.com | “California is shutting down 11 oil and gas wastewater injection sites and reviewing over 100 others in the state’s drought-ravaged Central Valley as officials fear companies have pumped toxic fracking fluids into needed drinking water aquifers.”

Pamela Benda shared a link
CALIFORNIA HALTS AND REVIEWS FRACKING INJECTION OF TOXIC WASTE IN AQUIFERS IN LIGHT OF DROUGHT
California curbs injection of toxic fracking waste into aquifers needed in severe drought
rt.com
California is shutting down 11 oil and gas wastewater injection sites and reviewing over 100 others in the state’s…
Jul 22, 2014 GoodNews FortheEarth on Facebook Leave a Comment
Filed under: Business Policy, Energy - Polluting, Fracking, Pollution, Water

Healing Power from Nature

July 13, 2014, www.pinterest.com | “Healing power from nature – a short video about the importance of medicinal plants and the FairWild Standard”

 

Robert Brothers shared a link
“PROFILE: HELPING PEOPLE AND PLANET
‘Sustainable use of medicinal plants to protect biodiversity, maintain human health, ensure social justice’
Botanical Industry – Medicinal Plants Worldwide
www.pinterest.com
Healing Power from Nature, a short video about the importance of medicinal plants and the FairWild…”
Jul 13, 2014 GoodNews FortheEarth on Facebook Leave a Comment
Filed under: Animals & Plants, Education, Farms & Gardens, Plants

Federal Appeals Court Upholds EPA Efforts To Protect Appalachian Waters and Communities

Photo: BREAKING NEWS! We just scored a HUGE win today when a federal appeals court slammed the coal industry for objecting to common sense rules for protecting mountain streams and Appalachian communities from mountaintop removal mining. It's long overdue justice for the people of Appalachia, especially when the lower courts had previously sided with the coal industry! http://ow.ly/z3Hol The coal industry, along with the states of West Virginia and Kentucky, tried to strike a fatal blow to EPA's effort to regulate mountaintop removal mining. They wanted to forbid EPA from talking to other agencies during the permitting process. They even objected to EPA using scientific evidence when deciding if certain projects were just too polluting to go forward. But today, the court has put an end to their bullying tactics. There's still lots more to do to stop mountaintop removal mining, but today's resounding court victory will greatly help protect Appalachia! Click SHARE or LIKE to celebrate this victory and share your thoughts below! (photo courtesy of Vivian Stockman / OVEC)July 11, 2014, earthjustice.org | “Today, a federal appeals court sided with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and a large coalition of citizen groups in upholding an Obama administration policy to scrutinize pollution from severe mountaintop removal mining in Appalachia.”

Pamela Benda shared Earthjustice‘s photo.
BREAKING NEWS! We just scored a HUGE win today when a federal appeals court slammed the coal industry for objecting to common sense rules for protecting mountain streams and Appalachian communities from mountaintop removal mining. It’s long overdue justice for the people of Appalachia, especially when the lower courts had previously sided with the coal industry! http://ow.ly/z3Hol


The coal industry, along with the states of West Virginia and Kentucky, tried to strike a fatal blow to EPA’s effort to regulate mountaintop removal mining. They wanted to forbid EPA from talking to other agencies during the permitting process. They even objected to EPA using scientific evidence when deciding if certain projects were just too polluting to go forward. But today, the court has put an end to their bullying tactics.

There’s still lots more to do to stop mountaintop removal mining, but today’s resounding court victory will greatly help protect Appalachia! Click SHARE or LIKE to celebrate this victory and share your thoughts below!

(photo courtesy of Vivian Stockman / OVEC)

Jul 11, 2014 GoodNews FortheEarth on Facebook Leave a Comment
Filed under: Business Policy, Climate, Economics, Energy - Polluting, Local Policy, Pollution, Protection

Group Representing Half A Billion Christians Says It Will No Longer Support Fossil Fuels

July 11, 2014, thinkprogress.org | “A large umbrella group of churches representing more than half a billion Christians worldwide announced Thursday that it would pull all of its investments in fossil fuels, saying it had determined the investments were no longer ethical.  The World Council of Churches, a global coalition of 345 churches, made the decision to no longer fund oil, gas, or coal at its central committee meeting in Geneva, and recommended that its members do the same.”

Mariette Low shared a link

via Climate Progress.
Group Representing Half A Billion Christians Says It Will No Longer Support Fossil Fuels
thinkprogress.org
A large umbrella group of churches representing more than half a billion Christians worldwide announced Thursday that it…

 

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Filed under: Business Policy, Climate, Economics, Energy - Polluting, National Policy, Oil

Gitxsan First Nation evicting rail, logging, sport fishing interests

The Gitxsan First Nation has issued eviction notices to rail , logging and fishing interests claiming their concerns are being ingored by the B.C. government.

July 11, 2014, www.cbc.ca | “British Columbia First Nations are wasting no time in enforcing their claim on traditional lands in light of a landmark Supreme Court of Canada decision recognizing aboriginal land title.  The hereditary chiefs of the Gitxsan First Nations served notice Thursday to CN Rail, logging companies and sport fishermen to leave their territory along the Skeena River in a dispute with the federal and provincial governments over treaty talks.”

Pamela Benda shared a link

via Mary Johnson.
Gitxsan First Nation evicting rail, logging, fishing interests
www.cbc.ca
British Columbia First Nations are wasting no time in enforcing their claim on traditional lands in light of a landmark Supreme Court of Canada decision recognizing aboriginal land title.”
Jul 11, 2014 GoodNews FortheEarth on Facebook Leave a Comment
Filed under: Earth Ceremonies, Native Peoples, Native Peoples, Land

Indigenous Rights & Rights of Nature

July 10, 2014, www.pachamama.org | “We work with our indigenous partners in Ecuador, and other organizations, to stand for the rights of indigenous people and Nature, safeguarding the rainforest and working in the industrialized world to shift the culture of overconsumption that threatens their Amazonian home and communities.”

Robert Brothers shared a link.
“Our Accomplishments in the Amazon
For 16 years, in partnership with Fundación Pachamama, our work with our indigenous partners has resulted in the historic inclusion of Rights of Nature in the 2008 Ecuadorian Constitution, support of the i…
Oil Free Amazon and other projects by Pachamama Alliance
www.pachamama.org
We work with our indigenous partners in Ecuador, and other organizations, to stand for the rights of indigenous people and Nature, safeguarding the rainforest and working in the industrialized world to shift the culture of overconsumption that…
  • Connie Ashby, Rita Jacinto, Maryska Azzena, and Luz Engelbrecht like this.
Jul 10, 2014 GoodNews FortheEarth on Facebook Leave a Comment
Filed under: Earth Ceremonies, Native Peoples, Native Peoples, Land

Sportsman bill dies in Senate

Kay Hagan is pictured. | AP Photo

July 10, 2014, www.politico.com | “The Senate killed a bipartisan bill Thursday designed to boost hunting and fishing protections — a victim of a long-running war over amendments that came in the shadow of gun politics. The sportsmen’s bill — a political boon for its chief Democratic sponsor, North Carolina Sen. Kay Hagan — died in a 41-56 procedural vote Thursday. The legislation needed 60 votes to advance.”

Pamela Benda shared Animal Legal Defense Fund‘s photo.
THANKS “TO PEOPLE LIKE YOU TAKING ACTION”
Great news! The Sportsmen’s Act of 2014 has died in the senate thanks to people taking action on behalf of animals—like you!
Here is the news story: http://politi.co/1q4cTc
Jul 10, 2014 GoodNews FortheEarth on Facebook Leave a Comment
Filed under: Animals, Animals & Plants, Compassionate Actions, Endangered Species