Urgent: Save Rio, Save the Planet

Over a million people have called on world leaders to end fossil fuel subsidies at the Rio Earth Summit, but our leaders have so far failed to deliver. Now, the only chance to save the talks from disaster rests with Brazil's Dilma -- sign this urgent petition calling on her to emerge a planet hero and end the polluter payouts! Over a million people have called on world leaders to end fossil fuel subsidies at the Rio Earth Summit -- a no-brainer policy that could take one trillion tax dollars from Big Oil and reinvest it in green energy. But they've failed to deliver -- even with the backing of the EU, the US and most G20 countries! The talks end in 48 hours. Now is our chance to save them and the planet's future. Brazil's President Dilma is hosting the summit and has the power to reopen discussions and demand a timeline for ending polluter payouts, but she is considering walking away with the weak language presented by a team of bureaucrats. We can stop her in her tracks. Dilma has 2 days to emerge as a global climate hero. Sign this urgent petition now and forward to everyone -- at 500,000 signers, Avaaz will deliver it straight to Dilma's hands and run an urgent, hard-hitting ad in the Financial Times: http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_rio_save_the_planet/?bVKqadb&v=15348 In the last 2 weeks, we've already made huge strides towards an end to fossil fuel subsidies. Together, we've: Unfurled giant trillion dollar bills with our friends 350 on beaches in Rio and in Los Cabos that garnered the attention of major media across the globe and delivered a 1 million strong call to end harmful polluter subsidies. Delivered a petition with over 750,000 signers directly to UK Prime Minister Cameron and the Mexican chair of the G20 summit. Massively impacted the vote in a UN poll -- making fossil fuel subsidies the top priority for the Earth Summit. We won with over 66% of the vote! Flooded the Mexican and New Zealand environment ministers with messages calling on them to push for an end to polluter payouts. And our team on the ground in Rio and Los Cabos has tirelessly lobbied politicians -- attending dozens of meetings with high level officials from key countries. The stage is set and Dilma has the perfect solution to turn the talks around: a clear and timely end to fossil fuel subsidies. We only have 48 hours for this final push to action --- click below to sign: http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_rio_save_the_planet/?bVKqadb&v=15348 The movement to end fossil fuel subsidies is at a tipping point. Over 1 million of us signed petitions calling for action, from Rio and Delhi to London and Sydney. As we enter the 11th hour of the Rio Earth Summit, let's continue to push until we win!     With hope, Iain, Antonia, Jamie, Emma, Ricken, Diego, Pedro and the rest of the Avaaz team MORE INFORMATION: UN environment haggle runs into problems ahead of summit (France 24): http://www.france24.com/en/20120618-un-environment-haggle-runs-problems-ahead-summit Rio+20: anger and dismay at weakened draft agreement (The Guardian) http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jun/19/rio-20-weakened-draft-agreement #EndingFossilFuelSubsidies in Pictures, Video & Tweets: Why Rio+20 Needs to Act (Huffington Post) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jake-schmidt/endingfossilfuelsubsidies_b_1607288.html G20 Fossil Fuel Protest Video (Reuters): http://in.reuters.com/video/2012/06/19/g20-fossil-fuel-protest?videoId=236062951&videoChannel=117460 Activists hail success of Twitterstorm (The Guardian) http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jun/18/twitter-storm-fossil-fuel-subsidies?newsfeed=true Update on #EndFossilFuelSubsidies Proposals at Rio+20 (350.org Blog) http://www.350.org/en/about/blogs/update-endfossilfuelsubsidies-proposals-rio20 Negotiations text "an epic failure" (Greenpeace) http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/press/releases/Greenpeace-comment-on-state-of-Rio20-negotiations-text-for-adoption/ Latest text of the Rio+20 conference http://avaazpress.s3.amazonaws.com/295The%20Future%20We%20Want%2019%20June%202.45am.doc

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