Guacfunders,
Important december updates we're following....
Tell Congress: No Money for Trump's Destructive Border Wall
This week Congress must pass a budget bill or face another government shutdown. That means we're on high alert for several backroom deals that could have devastating consequences for wildlife and the environment.
For one, President Trump continues to demand that Congress give him $5 billion for his destructive border wall. With a Democratic House arriving in January, Republicans know this may be their last chance to turn Trump's divisive campaign promise into reality.
And that's not all. House Republicans are trying to sneak anti-environment policy riders into the budget bill. - including undermine the Endangered Species Act.
Send a letter to congress on the take action section at the Center for Biological Diversity here: https://act.biologicaldiversity.org/onlineactions/ozqQa-sjjE-6joPnjC46bA2 ----- more updates at http://biologicaldiversity.org
Stop Congress From Allowing Wolf Slaughter
Spitfire, a matriarch of the Lamar wolf pack, was brutally gunned down last week just outside Yellowstone National Park because Congress stripped federal protection from wolves in the northern Rockies several years back. ----- Now Congress wants to spread its hatred of endangered wolves across the nation. A proposed rider to the final budget bill, H.R. 6147, would end federal protections for all gray wolves in the Great Lakes region as well as most wolves in the lower 48. -- These killings are wrong and must be stopped. Packs are left decimated, leaving pups orphaned to fend for themselves.
Please tell your Representative to say no to any budget bill that removes wolf protections. Congress will vote on the budget bill as early as next week. -- Thank you for helping to keep wolves protected.
Trump Trumped in Attempt to Halt Vaquita Safeguards
The Trump administration just failed in its third attempt to undo a court-imposed seafood-import ban that helps protect the world's rarest porpoise.
Litigation by the Center and allies forced the United States to ban the import of Mexican seafood caught by gillnets in the Upper Gulf of California. Gillnets are deadly for vaquitas, small porpoises that live there - and likely only 15 vaquitas remain.
"This victory helps U.S. consumers fight the vaquita's extinction before it's too late," said the Center's Sarah Uhlemann. More here: https://fronterasdesk.org/content/731051/appeals-court-upholds-seafood-ban-meant-protect-endangered-porpoise
Trump OKs Harmful Airgun Blasts in Atlantic
To open the Atlantic Ocean up to drilling, the Trump administration just revoked a ban on underwater airgun blasts for oil exploration.
This seismic blasting poses widespread, unacceptable risks to marine life. It can cause long-lasting harm to fish and mammals, including severely endangered North Atlantic right whales. At least 20 right whales have died since April 2017 - leaving only 411 individuals on Earth. -- "It's so sad to see whales and dolphins attacked for oil we shouldn't drill anyway," said the Center's Kristen Monsell. "We need to protect the Atlantic, not let industry destroy it." More here: https://thinkprogress.org/trumps-approval-of-offshore-seismic-blasting-for-oil-and-gas-threatens-marine-life-972ea9c7046c/
Take Action in Our Fight Against Rodenticides -
From Ojai Raptor Center, .. these are really good folks who survived the fires...again
Dear Friends- In our continuing quest to educate on the dangers of rodenticide use, we hope you'll take a moment to read the following and take action! Our colleagues at
R.A.T.S. (Raptors are the solution), have put together the basic information, and action needed to make a difference in upcoming legislation relating to second generation rodenticides. -- "Notice of Proposed Decision to Begin Reevaluation of Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides." Click here to help and take action:
https://ojairaptorcenter.dm.networkforgood.com/emails/182316
UCS economic basis for nuclear subsidies is flawed
The assumption in a recent report by the Union of Concerned Scientists -- that utilities would replace shut down nuclear plants with fossil fueled plants and that nuclear plants should therefore receive subsidies to stay open -- has been challenged by eminent physicist, Dr. M.V. Ramana.
Hanford waste problem
The US Department of Energy has decided to simply "reclassify" high-level radioactive waste as "low-level" in order to solve the problem of leaking radioactive waste at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.
Help push back against congressional lame duck session attempt to fund Yucca dump
House Republicans, like John Shimkus from Illinois, are doing the nuclear power industry's dirty work, even as the holidays are upon us, and a new Congress is about to be seated Jan. 3rd. They are scheming to attach a rider, to the omnibus appropriations bill due by Dec. 21,
UN expert calls for halt to return of Fukushima evacuees
A UN Special Rapporteur has decried Japan's decision to force Fukushima evacuees to return into regions with 20 times the radiation exposures once considered "acceptable." He cited "potentially grave risks" to young children and women of child-bearing age and described
exposure to toxic substances as "a particularly vicious form of exploitation."
https://beyondnuclearinternational.org/2018/12/02/fukushima-evacuees-forced-back-into-unacceptably-high-radiation-zones/
Don't Nuke the Climate -
Why everyone should reject nuclear power
The development of new nuclear power plants is actually no part of the solution to tackling climate change, and is in fact a big part of the problem. https://beyondnuclearinternational.org/2018/12/02/why-the-uk-labour-party-and-everyone-should-reject-nuclear-power/
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