Finally, an inkling of reason in response to the BP oil spill disaster this summer.
The Obama administration announced today a reversal of Big Proportions to cheers of victory for the environmental world.
A month before the spill began, in a move largely viewed as a bid to appease Republicans, the Interior Department decided that its next 5-year offshore drilling plan would seek to end the longstanding drilling ban in the Atlantic Ocean and eastern Gulf of Mexico around Florida. Today, citing too much risk of another disaster, the Administration reversed that decision. This ensures there will be no drilling in these areas until at least 2017 (by then, hopefully we’ll have come to our senses, and it won’t even be a question).
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This is a petition to end Water-Fluoridation on a National level; of all fluorine compounds not found Organically in water supplies.? We will no longer tolerate the forced, mass-medicinal implementation of these compounds into our water supplies, that have up to this moment in time, been allowed without our consent, and by many, their knowledge.?This is the unethical, unconstitutional and unmonitored usury of a system that profits off of the unawareness of those it is hindering the health of. We the people have spoken against this practice for years to no avail.?We the people affirm this petition as our last regarding this issue and will understand it so that if our voices are not heard, our lives have been infringed upon as well as our Constitutional right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We will understand this further that are rights, rather than being upheld and protected by our Government, are in fact being oppressed, purposefully at that.
Petition to end Water Fluoridation in the United States of America -
Hot dogs and chicken patties and greasy pizza — oh my! Those are the entrees most kids currently get in their school cafeterias. If school lunch reform legislation doesn’t pass this week, those meals are unlikely to get any better in the future.
The Child Nutrition Act, legislation that would improve both the quality and accessibility of school lunches, has been kicking around in Congress for months on end. While the Senate passed its version of the school lunch reform bill — the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act — back in August, the House has yet to vote on the bill. That will change this Wednesday, December 1st, as representatives will finally weigh in on the legislation.
The House can do a number of things with the pending legislation. For one, it could neg the bill entirely, meaning kids wouldn’t see any increased funding for school lunches. The House could also delay the bill through a motion to commit, which would essentially kill the legislation for the rest of the year. With Republican lawmakers taking control of the House of Representatives this January, it’s unlikely that increased funding for school lunches will get enough support from Congress next year. Unless the House votes in favor of the Child Nutrition Act this week and sends it to President Obama’s desk for approval, this may be the last chance in the foreseeable future for federal school lunch reform.
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After 30 years of armed conflicts, Afghanistan has suffered the loss and desecration of thousands of archeological objects and hundreds of ancient sites, such as the city of Ai Khanum and Bamiyan, which endured vandalism and irreparable destruction in 2001.
Archaeological sites are like open books, revealing to us the story of an era, a civilization, of trades and relationships between nations. These are the stories of our humanity and the roots of a nation’s cultural identity. They must be preserved.
Let us ACT now for the Heritage of Afghanistan and protect Mess Aynak, an ancient and vast Buddhist monastic ensemble under threat from a proposed copper mine. While economical development is necessary through the mining of precious minerals, it cannot become an additional tool for cultural destruction.
Help protect Mess Aynak’s treasures–please ask UNESCO to include Mess Aynak, Afghanistan on the List of Endangered Sites and the World Heritage List.
Protect Afghan Archaeological Sites, the case of Mess Aynak
TOD to MPG Converter for Mac is developed to help JVC and Mac users convert .TOD files to commonly used .MPG files, no matter MPEG-1, MPEG-2, or MPEG-4 video. Besides the TOD to MPG conversion function, you can also edit .TOD files with the Mac TOD Converter, such as trimming, cropping, merging, and adjusting effects, etc.
Tutorial: How to convert and edit TOD files with TOD to MPEG Converter for Mac OS?
Step 1: ADD TOD video
Locate JVC TOD files to the Mac software, and play the video for preview.
Step 2: Output settings
Select MPG as the output video format, and specify an output folder to save the final converted TOD files.
Tip: Merge TOD files
On the left of “Convert” button, tick 
option, you can combine several TOD files as a single one.
Step 4: Edit TOD video
Switch to Trim window, you can cut long TOD files to small segments; enter into Edit window, you can crop TOD video, adjust TOD effects, etc.
Step 5: Convert TOD to MPG Mac
Press “Convert” button, the software will carry out the conversion of TOD to MPG on Mac OS.
Click “Open” folder when the conversion finishes, you’ll find the converted TOD files.
TOD to MPG Converter for Mac, convert TOD to MPG/MPEG Mac OS with JVC TOD Converter
Most people would rather have a cold or flu than a nasty bacterial infection that’s incurable. Unfortunately, this is kind of the choice we’re forced to make these days, as more and more research shows our overuse of antibacterial agents — in consumer products, it’s most commonly the ingredient triclosan — contributes to the development of new “super bugs” that are resistant to antibiotics and antibacterials.
Triclosan is found in everything from Clearasil face wash and Colgate toothpaste to Playskool children’s toys. Do we really need that much sterility? It makes sense to keep everything germ-free in a hospital setting where patients have compromised immune systems, but in our daily lives, according to the CDC, antibacterial products can lead to drug resistance, lower immunity and allergies. A recent study by the CDC detected triclosan in the urine of 75 percent of the people they tested.
In April, the FDA issued a stating regarding triclosan’s health effects. In it, they note that triclosan alters hormone regulation in laboratory animals and may contribute antibiotic resistant bacteria. Although they state that the chemical does not currently present a health hazard, it does merit “further review” and they are currently reviewing the scientific evidence to determine its safety in consumer products. Some countries have already banned or limited the use of the chemical.
Perhaps most perplexing is why we use the chemical in the first place. Although it’s been found to be useful to prevent gingivitis, overall, the FDA statement concludes that it “does not have evidence that triclosan in antibacterial soaps and body washes provides any benefit over washing with regular soap and water.”
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With an LGBT-specific school and a bunch of diversity workers, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is ahead of the curve on gay rights. But now they are taking their stance on equality and inclusiveness one step further. Board officials have announced three new initiatives to make schools safer for all students that fall outside the heterosexual label.
“This is a pretty significant development. It’s historic. The TDSB as an entity has never taken this on system-wide, so it’s having huge ripple effects,” says Michelle Cho, student equity program advisor for the TDSB. “We know that homophobia and transphobia have existed in our schools for a long time. It’s just being highlighted much more in the media now. There’s a real crisis that’s gone unnamed in our schools. This needs to be talked about.”
The Positive Space campaign will see middle school and secondary teachers trained by a positive space representative in order to become official points of contact for students suffering with issues stemming from homophobia or transphobia. According to Cho, the new initiatives are a first in Canada. There has never before been a system-wide promotion of gender-based violence prevention.
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Every year over a hundred thousand?shark?fins are imported to Canada from the PRC (People’s Republic of China). Many of the Shark fins imported are from sharks on the IUCN list of threatened animals. I hope to have the import of shark fins banned in Canada by 2015.?
Stop the import of shark fins to Canada
Are you sick of doing your holiday shopping at corporate malls and discount chains? Are you looking for unique gifts that create social change? Do you want giving this holiday season to be meaningful for people around the world? Then check out the 2010 Change.org Holiday Gift Guide. You can join the growing social movement to ditch the mall and buy better this holiday season– better for the planet, for people, and for you. As with everything you buy, we recommend you do your own research on the companies and organizations you choose to support financially. This guide is far from exhaustive, so please add your favorite places to buy gifts in the comments section.
Where to Find Fair Trade Gifts
Buying Fair Trade is a great way to reduce human trafficking and child labor in the production of consumer goods. The Fair Trade label means that certain strict environmental, social, and economic criteria were met in producing that item, and it’s the closest thing available to a slave-free guarantee. When we buy Fair Trade products, we send a powerful message to business owners that the fair treatment of workers is important. And as demand for Fair Trade products grows, so will the number of businesses who sell ethically-produced and Fair Trade products. That means fewer men, women, and children living in slavery to make your stuff. Check out these existing collections of places to shop for Fair Trade gifts:
Here are some additional places to get Fair Trade gifts this holiday season:
- Fair Trade Marketplace: Everything from seasonal items to musical instruments, including a great selection of toys for kids.
- Fair Trade Shopping Network: Fun and festive collection of jewelry, clothing, handbags, and other accessories, plus home decor.
- Fair Trade Sports: Great for the athletic enthusiast, featuring sports equipment, clothes, and bags.
- Global Exchange: Chocolate, coffee and tea, gift baskets, accessories, jewelry, crafts, recycled products, and just about anything else you can think of.
- SERRV: Home decor, accessories, and delicious goodies, all available from their website or extensive online catalog.
- Ten Thousand Villages: Home decor, jewelry, accessories, recycled products, and clothing, all available online or from locations across the U.S. and Canada
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Parce que nous croyons qu'avoir des services et des produits GDI en plusieurs autres langues (dont le fran?ais) am?liorerait le recrutement d'affili? au niveau international.
Pour avoir les services et produits GDI multilinguistique.
