Ways to Complain

NO one has called, but the White House comment line is closed!
No one has made calls to Donald Trump complaining about his renewal of the Keystone and Dakota Access pipelines??? The White House comment line has been closed for a few weeks! This is what he said this week, “As you know I approved two pipelines that were stuck in limbo forever. I don’t even think it was controversial. I approved them. I haven’t even had one call from anybody saying that was a terrible thing you did. I haven’t had one call … Then as you know I did the Dakota Pipeline and no one called up to complain.” Donald Trump
The telephone comment line to might be closed , but you can send a tweet @realDonaldTrump or send a post card. I hope you will do both. You can also call one of his businesses: https://whitehouseinc.org/ or contact him through this link: http://p2a.co/xdL9jbf

Some background:

This is an excellent analysis from NRDC.
More information from Ecowatch
An idea for a postcard from NRDC “I am outraged that you have issued executive memoranda clearing the way for the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines with no input from the American public. I urge you to reverse course on these dangerous and dirty fossil fuel projects.
These pipelines are not in our national interest and I, along with millions of others, will fight you every step of the way if your administration moves forward with them.” Idea from NRDC for postcard

Three Happy Stories

New Dehli trying to ban single-use plastic — New Delhi trying to ban single-use plastic

Today I’m starting an occasional series on good-news events. Three stories have made me happy this past week, and I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.
*First, this is amazing. New Delhi, India, banned plastic bags and single use plastic. It will make a difference for our oceans, and Delhi’s air quality. A plastic ban will not be easy to implement, and I wish them luck. Read about it from Independent News, and from Ecowatch.
** Second, Solar energy added 73,615 new jobs to the U.S. economy over the past year while wind added a further 24,650. According to a new report from the U.S. Department of Energy, solar power employed 43 percent of the Electric Power Generation sector’s workforce in 2016, while fossil fuels combined accounted for just 22 percent. Read about it from Forbes

*** Third, PBS did a marvelous story of an American woman making great efforts to educate girls in Liberia. Watch on PBS

Voters for Dirty Air And Water?

Did voters on November 8, vote for dirty water and dirty air? I know one Trump voter who is totally against the Dakota Access Pipeline. I can’t believe that November’s vote was to trash our water and air! Please call your senators.

No matter where you live, call your senator and tell them to oppose Scott Pruitt’s confirmation as EPA Administrator: (202) 224-3121
You can use this tool to quickly find your senator and click to call them: http://on.nrdc.org/2kkFfOL

Below is from the NRDC, Natural Resources Defense Council:

Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt is the worst, most extreme nominee ever tapped to lead the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. We must stop him! As Oklahoma Attorney General, he has sued the EPA 18 times to fight clean air and water rules. Seventeen of these 18 he joined with fossil fuel companies in suing the EPA. Pruitt has gone to court to fight rules that would save up to 45,000 lives, and avoid hundreds of thousands of asthma attacks and heart attacks every year.. More than 1 in 10 children in Oklahoma have asthma, which is one of highest rates of asthma in United States.

He routinely allies with big polluters to promote prioritize their profits over the health and safety of ordinary people. How could he possibly be qualified to protect our air and water?

Bottom line: he is unfit to serve as the nation’s top environmental steward. We only need 3 senators to swing their votes the right way to stop him! CALL RIGHT NOW.

And if you live in one of the following states, it is particularly important to call these senators:
Sen. Joe Donnelly (Indiana) 202-224-4814
Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (North Dakota) 202-224-2043
Sen. Susan Collins (Maine) 202-224-2523
Sen. Dean Heller (Nevada) 202- 224-6244
Sen. Jeff Flake (Arizona) (202) 224-4521
Sen. Rob Portman (Ohio) (202) 224-3353
Sen. Lamar Alexander (Tennessee) (202) 224-4944
Sen. Joe Manchin (West Virginia) (202) 224-3954

Things you should never flush!

Even if they say biodegradable, do not flush!

We now have a federal government that will not protect us from water or air pollution. Many new burdens will fall on our cities to protect its residents. All of us need to do everything we can to keep city resources focused on what is important. By keeping the city sewers from getting plugged we can make a difference. There are many things that should NEVER be flushed down the toilet, and to send them to their death via the toilet drain is to risk significant plumbing problems as well as environmental pollution. The following list is from http://www.care2.com/

1. Bathroom and cleaning wipes – These “moist towelettes” are marketed to be flushed like toilet paper, these wipes are creating clogs and backups in sewer systems around the nation. Read the entire list of things that should NOT go down the toilet here

And read about the problem these wipes are causing to sewer systems . Please throw in the trash, not down the drain!

Marching Forward

https://www.womensmarch.com/

Saturday, January 21: March in solidarity for clean air and water, march for the protection of civil rights, women’s rights, and the health of our children. Imagine the world as we want it to be and work for it.

To a find a march location near you, Click here

Justice For All

"He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetuate it!" MLK — “He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetuate it!” MLK

Martin Luther King would have fought for environmental justice too. Read about it here.

Fish for dinner? Where was it caught?

To think that people are going to stop eating fish is a heavy lift. Even the vegans I know will eat fish and sushi. Do you purchase fish and shrimp? Some things to consider:

Why would anyone purchase or eat fish caught in Viet Nam or China? I thought this was such an interesting and strange story, and It should be shared to heighten people’s awareness. Most Americans eat fish caught in Asia while fish caught in Massachusetts is exported to Europe. Why would anyone purchase or eat fish caught in Viet Nam or China? Watch the segment on Dog Fish, a sustainable fish, here.

In the United States it is possible to purchase sustainable Gulf caught shrimp and scallops, as well as wild caught cod, salmon and other fish from the Pacific Ocean. Also, fish from the Great Lakes is excellent.

Be a Climatarian, consider the planet when you make all food and fish choices, and buy local and USA products if they are available. And then there is the thought that we shouldn’t be eating fish at all. Read it here from One Green Planet

Use Writing to Make the World Better!

“Imagine a world where humankind lives in harmony, not only with itself but also with other forms of life, in balance with the planet’s resources. Imagine the world as you would like it to be.” Steve Wilbers

Writing coach, Steve Wilbers is imagining the world as he would like it to be. Can you imagine how powerful it would be if everyone held a vision of kindness, and imagined a world of kindness. Powerful!

His suggestions are timely: Write a thank you note, blog, write a letter to a newspaper. Read his article here. Write about your passions, your images of how the world should be. Speak out, write, and make the world a better place!

“You may say I’m a dreamer

But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one”

Imagine, John Lennon

Water Belongs to Us All

My thoughts on kindness continues.

https://health4earth.com/2017/01/01/plunging-into-the-unknown/

Plunging Into the Unknown

The year ahead is impossible to predict. As with every year, many unknowns lie ahead. Most of us like being in control, and the unknowns are scary. What can we control in 2017? How we treat other people, and how we treat the earth are things we can control. What kinds of kindness can we spread?

Category: clean water