Saturday

24 hours to save the bees



Pesticides are killing bees and threatening our food supply. In 24 hours, shareholders at the biggest chemical producer, Bayer, could vote to stop their toxic production. Massive public pressure has forced this debate at their Annual General Meeting, now let's make sure they vote to stop the pesticides and save the bees. Sign the emergency petition:

Quietly, globally, billions of bees are dying, threatening our crops and food. But if Bayer stops selling one group of pesticides, we could save bees from extinction.

Four European countries have begun banning these poisons, and some bee populations are already recovering. But Bayer, the largest producer of neonicotinoids, has lobbied hard to keep them on the market. Now, massive global pressure from Avaaz and others has forced them to consider the facts -- and in 24 hours, Bayer shareholders will vote on a motion that could stop these toxic chemicals. Let's all act now and shame the shareholders to stop killing bees.

The pressure is working, and this is our best chance to save the bees. Sign the urgent petition and send this to everyone -- let's reach half a million signers and deliver it directly to shareholders tomorrow in Germany!

http://www.avaaz.org/en/bayer_save_the_bees_db/?vl

Bees don't just make honey, they are vital to life on earth, every year pollinating 90% of plants and crops -- with an estimated $40bn value, over one-third of the food supply in many countries. Without immediate action to save bees, many of our favourite fruits, vegetables, and nuts could vanish from our shelves.

Recent years have seen a steep and disturbing global decline in bee populations -- some bee species are already extinct and some US species are at just 4% of their previous numbers. Scientists have been scrambling for answers. Some studies claim the decline may be due to a combination of factors including disease, habitat loss and toxic chemicals. But increasingly, independent research has produced strong evidence blaming neonicotinoid pesticides. France, Italy, Slovenia and even Germany, where the main manufacturer Bayer is based, have banned one of these bee killers. But, Bayer continues to export its poison across the world.

This issue is now coming to the boil as major new studies have confirmed the scale of this problem. If we can get Bayer shareholders to act, we could shut down once and for all Bayer's influence on policy-makers and scientists. The real experts -- the beekeepers and farmers -- want these deadly pesticides prohibited until and unless we have solid, independent studies that show they are safe. Let's support them now. Sign the urgent petition to Bayer shareholders now, then forward this email:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/bayer_save_the_bees_db/?vl

We can no longer leave our delicate food chain in the hands of research run by the chemical companies and the regulators that are in their pockets. Banning this pesticide will move us closer to a world safe for ourselves and the other species we care about and depend on.

MORE INFORMATION

Studies fault Bayer in bee die-off (Christian Science Monitor)
http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2012/0406/Studies-fault-Bayer-in-bee-die-off

2 Studies Point to Common Pesticide as a Culprit in Declining Bee Colonies (New York Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/30/science/neocotinoid-pesticides-play-a-role-in-bees-decline-2-studies-find.html?_r=1

Leaked document shows EPA allowed bee-toxic pesticide despite own scientists' red flags (Grist)
http://grist.org/politics/food-2010-12-10-leaked-documents-show-epa-allowed-bee-toxic-pesticide/

Bayer's Annual Stockholder's Meeting (ASM website)
http://www.asm2012.bayer.com/en/counter-motions.aspx

A new plan to save the planet



In three days, world leaders could agree to a plan that could stop climate change! The plan would transfer the $1 trillion our governments give to polluters every year and invest it in renewable energy. Key leaders including President Obama support ending these crazy payments, and he is hosting the G8 summit this weekend. Let's build a massive public campaign for Obama to lead this plan that could literally save our planet! Sign the urgent petition:

This weekend, the eight most powerful leaders in the world will meet at the G8 summit and could agree to a plan that could literally stop climate change!

It's crazy, but right now, our governments give nearly $1 trillion a year of our taxpayer money to Big Oil and Coal to destroy our planet.
Key leaders, including President Obama who is hosting the G8, have already agreed to stop these polluter payments. Now, if we demand they act on their word and divert this huge sum into renewable energy, experts say we could actually save our planet!

It's a simple no-brainer that our leaders have already agreed to. Let's hold their feet to the fire, and push President Obama to lead the world's largest economies to turn these polluting subsidies green. Sign the urgent petition below and forward this to everyone -- a massive campaign now can force them from talk to action:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/a_new_plan_to_save_the_planet/?vl

The only reason we shovel cash into the coffers of Big Oil is their lobbyists have a stranglehold on our governments. But if we demand that our leaders green our tax-money, we'll increase total global green investment by 400% making solar and wind energy cheaper than oil and coal -- in the process saving the planet by putting Big Oil out of business!

We're rapidly reaching a point of no return on climate change and a treaty to prevent catastrophe is years off. Fortunately, momentum behind this new planet saving plan is building. New Zealand, Mexico and Switzerland are calling for an agreement now, and policy makers from 20 countries including the US, Brazil, and China have just voiced their support. All G8 leaders have publicly committed to ending these dirty subsidies, and right now President Obama is pushing for US legislation to stop them.

Our planet is being destroyed at a terrifying rate and this is our best chance to stop it. Now is the time for action, but without massive public support, the powerful polluters could stall the proposal. It's up to us to counter the lobbyists with extraordinary people power. We have three days left to get Obama to lead. Sign the petition:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/a_new_plan_to_save_the_planet/?vl

For too long, progress on a global solution to climate change has been held back by self-interest and the profits of Big Oil, Coal and Gas. But, finally governments are realising that cutting subsidies will benefit the climate and help balance out the global economy. If we speak up now, together, our movement can force our leaders to action and free the world from the tyranny of fossil fuels.

More information:

Hansen: Game Over for the Climate (New York Times):
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/10/opinion/game-over-for-the-climate.html

A Congressional Push to End All Fossil Fuel Subsidies (The Nation):
http://www.thenation.com/blog/167831/congressional-push-end-all-fossil-fuel-subsidies

Obama says tax breaks for Big Oil need to end (Financial Post):
http://business.financialpost.com/2012/03/29/obama-says-tax-breaks-for-big-oil-need-to-end/?__lsa=7934943e

Fossil-fuel subsidies: Helping the richest get richer (Los Angeles Times):
http://articles.latimes.com/2012/apr/05/opinion/la-oe-mckibben-stop-oil-subsidies-20120404

Phasing out fossil fuel subsidies could provide half of global carbon target (The Guardian):
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jan/19/fossil-fuel-subsidies-carbon-target

 YX9HHAKDVQPP

I cannot watch another child killed in Syria



This picture shows the bloodied bodies of dozens of innocent children, brutally murdered by the Syrian regime. As a parent, these images are almost unbearable, but I know we must not look away -- and that we can help end this slaughter. Our governments are deciding what to do right now. But they will settle for hand wringing diplomacy unless we demand firm action. Sign the urgent petition to send in thousands of UN monitors to protect the Syrian people in every region now:

The pictures from Al Houla, Syria, last Friday are almost too brutal to look at. I have a 5 year old daughter and I know it's only luck of birth that separates her from this horror. But my shock led me to write this today as I know there is something we can all do together to stop this.

Dozens of children lie covered with blood, their faces show the fear they felt before death, and their innocent lifeless bodies reveal an unspeakable massacre. These children were slaughtered by men under strict orders to sow terror. Yet all the diplomats have come up with so far is a few UN monitors 'observing' the violence. Now, governments across the world are expelling Syrian ambassadors, but unless we demand strong action on the ground, they will settle for these diplomatic half-measures.

The UN is discussing what to do right now. If there were a large international presence across Syria with a mandate to protect civilians, we could prevent the worst massacres while leaders engage in political efforts to resolve the conflict. I cannot see more images like these without shouting from the rooftops. But to stop the violence, it is going to take all of us, with one voice, demanding protection for these kids and their families. Click to call for UN action now and send this to everyone:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/syria_will_the_world_look_away_c/?vl

A child's death is tragic in any circumstance. The UN says 108 people were killed in the onslaught, 49 of them children under the age of 10, and the youngest was a 2 year old girl. 90% of the population of Al Houla has now fled their homes. As I put my daughter to bed last night, I tried to consider what the mothers and fathers and grandparents of these children feel. The sheer pain and desperation is unimaginable, but there will also be deep anger and hate for those that did this. Until all of us stop these attacks on the people of Syria, the cycle of violence will not end.

Let's not forget -- this bloodbath began over a year ago with thousands of people peacefully protesting on the streets -- calling, like their brothers and sisters across the region, for freedom and democracy. But the regime responded with brutality and violence -- murdering, torturing, abducting and laying siege to entire cities. The international community did not intervene, letting geopolitical concerns obstruct our responsibility to protect. Then, in desperation to protect their families and fight back against the repression, some took up arms. Now it is an armed conflict -- and if the world continues to do nothing it will become a full blown sectarian war that may last for generations and breed the kind of terrorist attacks we have yet to imagine in our worst nightmares.

When dozens of children are murdered in cold blood by the army and their militias -- it is time for serious action. Assad, his henchmen and his murderous army must be held to account and the people of Syria protected. Nothing the international community has done yet has pried Assad from his murderous grip on power. The few UN monitors on the ground were powerless to stop the Al Houla killings -- they only served to count the tiny bodies. But if we sent in hundreds of monitors to each of the fourteen regions of Syria, Assad's assassins would think twice.

The world looked away with Srebrenica, and with Rwanda. If all of us respond today -- we can make sure that these children's tragic deaths act as the tipping point for all of us everywhere to say NO MORE! But if we turn away, so will our leaders. Let's join voices from every corner of the earth and make it impossible for our leaders to ignore our cry. In respect for these dear children and their families, click to join the global call to demand a massive UN presence on the ground now!

http://www.avaaz.org/en/syria_will_the_world_look_away_c/?vl

The Avaaz community has stood with the people of Syria for fifteen months, denouncing the Syrian regime, calling for sanctions, supporting communities across the country with aid, and giving equipment to citizen journalists to get the word out about the violence. Let's today make the Al Houla massacre the watershed moment for change and insist that our governments no longer stand by shaking their heads and turning their backs.


MORE INFORMATION

Annan: 'Bold steps' needed for Syria peace (Al Jazeera)
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/05/2012528104471849.html

UN envoy 'horrified' by Syria massacre, 108 dead (AP)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gw9VNSp1tkeq-qmR22Q6QZ7j2hcg?docId=a73e47f7c8e546ab8094ad08ecacb939

Fresh violence in Syria despite Annan warning (BBC)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-18260992

Exclusive dispatch: Assad blamed for massacre of the innocents (The Independent)
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/exclusive-dispatch-assad-blamed-for-massacre-of-the-innocents-7791507.html

Syrian Ambassadors expelled (The Guardian)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/may/29/syrian-ambassadors-expelled-britain-france

The Wisdom of Stoics




       I did not care for the things that most people care about –making money, having a comfortable home, high military or civil rank, and all the other activities, political appointments, secret societies, party organizations, which go on in our city… I set myself to do you – each one of you, individually and in private – what I hold to be the greatest possible service. I tried to persuade each of you to concern himself less with what he has than with what he is, so as to render himself as excellent and rational as possible. (Plato, Apology 36b–c, quoted in Hadot 1995, 90)

Disclosure | Disclaimer |Comments Policy |Terms of Use | Privacy Policy| Blog Sitemap

 

 

The information contained herein is provided as a public service with the understanding that this site makes no warranties, either expressed or implied, concerning the accuracy, completeness, reliability, or suitability of the information. Nor does warrant that the use of this information is free of any claims of copyright infringement. This site do not endorse any commercial providers or their products.

 

Rico BURAGA blog: To make random reflections on random subjects including the subject of randomness itself.

 

2005- 2014 All Rights Reserved. Rico BURAGA Blog

http://ricoburaga.blogspot.com

 

 

 

rico, buraga, rico buraga, philippines, metro manila, quezon city, emarketing specialist, e-marketing, specialist, consultant, digital marketing, marketing, online, internet, seo, online advertising, ethical hacking, web, analytics, blogger, blogging, business blogging, multi-channel, ushahidi, magento, moodle, apps, google apps, civicrm, website optimizer, negative campaigning, economics, price analysis, agricultural economics, feasibility study, project, project development, development management, international development, management, ict4d, crisis mapping, digital, social, media, social media, personal blog, networking, emarketing, cro, website usability, user experience, ux, conversion rate optimization, copywriting, optimization, conversion rate, outsource, outsourcing, freelance, digital marketing engineer, inbound marketing, demand generation, web analytics, google analytics, search engine, ubuntu, web copywriting, adwords, google adwords, certified, email marketing, uplb graduate, nagoya university graduate, gsid, idmg, uplb, wordpress, joomla, drupal, strategy, content, filipino, professional, google, microsoft, pay per click, search analytics, retargeting, e-commerce, autodidactic, bibliophile. ceh ver6., idpa shooter, shotokan karate, zen practitioner, project lead, united states of america, united states, new york, los angeles, england, united kingdom, canada, australia, ireland, south africa, new zealand, cebu, singapore, india, hong kong, puerto rico, nigeria, india, pakistan, russia, china, brazil, saudi arabia, japan, malaysia, germany, munich, dubai, italy, canberra, ghana, berlin, texas, dallas, arizona, boston, uae,  ricoburaga.com, ricoburaga.net mobile marketing association, web marketing association, american marketing association, direct marketing association, chartered institute of marketing