Corporations love to make big sweeping public announcements about “going green” and then taking victory laps in the press without making real, concrete changes to address climate change. Take General Motors for example. Last year they unveiled their plan to become carbon neutral by 2040. Which sounds good on paper until you realize the process to make aluminum for cars generates about 1.1 billion tons of CO2 emissions.1 And with the rising adoption of electric vehicles, demand for aluminum is expected to explode in the coming decades.2 Tell General Motors CEO to walk the walk when it comes to climate change and commit to sourcing only carbon-free aluminum! Sign the petition! Right now China is the biggest aluminum producer and they use coal-powered electricity to drive the process. This generates a massive carbon footprint for a country that is already the world leader in greenhouse gas emissions.3 But it doesn’t have to be this way. Suppliers can make aluminum using renewable energy-powered electricity and stop relying on coal. They can also use recycled aluminum which generates only 5% of the carbon emissions.4 Not only are the current aluminum supply chains dirty from a climate perspective, they’re also dirty from a human rights perspective. Early this year, General Motors was found to have ties with Chinese aluminum suppliers in the Xinjang region, known to use forced labor from Uyghur muslims.5 Just as bad, the bauxite needed to make aluminum has created a strip mining industry that has devastated the health and livelihoods of Indigenous communities across Africa, Asia and Australia.6 General Motors is a world leader in the automotive industry. If they demand their suppliers to decarbonize, the industry will follow. And when it comes to climate, we can’t afford to wait for corporations to just decide to do the right thing. We have to push them. Tell General Motors CEO to walk the walk when it comes to climate change and commit to sourcing only carbon-free aluminum! Sign the petition! Sources: 1. Center for Strategic & International Studies, “Decarbonizing Aluminum: Rolling Out a More Sustainable Sector,” February 25, 2022. 2. Ibid. 3. BBC, “Report: China emissions exceed all developed nations combined,” May 7, 2021. 4. BloombergNEF, “Green Aluminum is Competitive Today. It’s Time to Start Transforming,” June 16, 2021. 5. Washington Post, “Automaker suppliers linked to controversial labor programs in Chinese aluminum industry, report says,” April 8, 2022. 6. Human Rights Watch, “Aluminum: The Car Industry’s Blind Spot,” July 22, 2021.

This isn’t only affecting me but people all over dealing with this. People are being taken advantage of and peoples health can be affected. This is not right that companies like this can take over, overcharge, give you a disconnect notice no sooner you get your bill, and you have zero right to choose. I even know someone who has been gone not using their power in a couple of months but yet still over a two hundred dollar bill! They been overcharging me and other people! When they do their off with the power they don’t care if you have a medical issue. This has gotten beyond out of hand.

We all believe we are under paid for our positions

Amazon wishes it could bury this headline: Their warehouses are being investigated by OSHA for workplace injuries.1 That’s because Amazon’s productivity quotas push workers past the limits of their bodies and their health. While this OSHA investigation could reveal damning evidence about how dangerous Amazon warehouse jobs are, Congress can act now to protect Amazon warehouse workers. Sign the petition: Tell Congress to pass legislation to protect Amazon warehouse workers from abusive productivity quotas! Workplace accidents and even deaths have been a problem at Amazon warehouses for years. So much so that in 2019 the National Council of Occupational Safety and Health named Amazon warehouses as one of the most dangerous jobs in America.2 Amazon’s obsession with placing speed above safety leads to 80% more serious workplace injuries at Amazon warehouses than non-Amazon warehouses.3 They use productivity algorithms called “Rate” and “ToT” (Time off Task) to keep a constant eye on their warehouse workers’ every movement, pushing them to go faster and faster, and even punishing them for taking bathroom breaks. This could be just the tip of the iceberg. The OSHA investigation into workplace injuries could reveal an even clearer picture of how Amazon abuses its workers for the sake of speedy delivery. But we don’t have to wait for an OSHA report to do something to protect Amazon warehouse workers. We can pressure Congress to act now and pass legislation to get rid of abusive productivity quotas at Amazon warehouses. Sign the petition: Tell Congress to pass legislation to protect Amazon warehouse workers from abusive productivity quotas! Sources: 1. CNBC, “Amazon faces probe by federal prosecutors and OSHA into warehouse safety,” July 18, 2022. 2. National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, “Dirty Dozen 2019,” April 22, 2019. 3. CNBC, “Amazon warehouse workers injured at higher rates than those at rival companies, study finds,” June 1, 2021.

Water is a basic human right. At a school that demands academic excellence, it is hypocritical that no water is provided for paying students. Dehydration negatively impacts academic performance and focus. How can we perform if we are not given the basic tools in order to do so. We are also in school for the HOT summer months with no AC in the classrooms as well. Water is something that should AT LEAST be provided considering the tuition we pay to attend this institution.

Ben & Jerry’s is in court protecting their decision to stop selling ice cream in occupied Palestinian territories, after a betrayal by their parent company, Unilever. To appease the Israeli government, Alan Jope, CEO at Unilever, authorized a backroom deal to sell the franchise to an Israeli company – essentially overriding Ben & Jerry’s decision. Sign the petition: tell Unilever to stop its betrayal of Ben & Jerry’s and Palestinian human rights. Ben & Jerry’s made the human rights-affirming decision in 2020 to stop doing business in occupied Palestine, following a decade of grassroots organizing and campaigning by Palestinians and allies across the globe. In 2021, Ben & Jerry’s finally went public with their decision — after a particularly brutal Israeli military assault on Gaza which killed over 200 people — and during a huge surge of international support for Palestinian freedom. Now, a year after Ben & Jerry’s public announcement, their parent company, Unilever, has made a backroom deal to sell ice cream operations to the Israeli licensee rather than honor Ben & Jerry’s decision to respect Palestinian lives.

Amazon and the rest of corporate America want to reap the benefits of appearing pro-reproductive rights without actually having to stop their donations to candidates actively passing abortion bans. Companies across various industries—from AT&T and Disney to Amazon—have donated to Republicans and extremists for years including Republican governors who are now signing abortion bans into law. Amazon released a statement that “team members should get the care they need" and have offered to reimburse their staff for travel. But that’s simply not enough to combat an issue they’ve contributed to. Amazon has the opportunity to actually support their staff, by ending all donations to Republican and right-wing extremist candidates that will support abortion bans and limit worker’s rights across the country.

Big Tech companies have massive stockpiles of intimate user data that could be used to enforce laws criminalizing abortion. There’s no law or government requirement that Big Tech companies collect and keep records of its users’ data. Other tech companies like Apple says “privacy is a fundamental human right” and does not collect user location data. Although Google has said they will delete user location data for those visiting abortions, it’s not clear how Google will identify these locations. Moreover, Google will not delete search requests automatically, putting the burden on users who want to protect themselves to have to do that themselves. Google should prioritize privacy. Join us in demanding Google delete users’ location data that could be used by state governments to prosecute those seeking reproductive health care. SOURCES: 1. Ortutay, Barbara. “Democrats: Google must protect privacy of abortion patients.” Associated Press. 24 May, 2022. 2. Aten, Jason. “Apple's New Privacy Page Is a Not-So-Subtle Smackdown of Facebook and Google.” Inc. 7 Nov., 2019. 3. Rosenberg, Scott. “Roe's overturn is tech's privacy apocalypse.” Axios. 7 July, 2022.

On June 11th, 11 churches joined together to provide $25,000 in free gas in Prince George's County to provide direct aid to the community. Organizers were discouraged to learn that Sunoco Gas Station on Marlboro Pike increased the price per gallon by 10 cents during the event- and immediately lowered the price after. Currently, in Laurel, MD residents are receiving rent increases from $400.00 - $1600.00 as well as parking fees of varying amounts depending on rental seniority & Schweb Partners LLC based in Jackson, NJ claims this is market value for their units. Blatant exploitation and price gouging are unacceptable when our community is struggling to make ends meet, Maryland needs explicit anti-price gouging legislation to protect our citizens from industry greed.

Pride was not created to be a party. It was civil unrest to fight against police brutality and to celebrate who we are and fight for equality and justice. This cannot happen when organizers of pride are in bed with a corporation who funds campaigns to turn the clock back on our fight for equality. The Center on Colfax must end oors' sponsorship of Pride today. Pride was, and always should be, a grassroots movement.

Big Tech companies can take down and stop profiting off racist violent content like the Buffalo shooting video. Google designated the Buffalo shooting as a “sensitive event,” preventing ads from running on searches related to it. Facebook has not yet decided to demonetize and remove content related to the Buffalo shooting video and replacement theory. The New York Times and Tech Transparency Project found that “Facebook is surfacing the violent video or links to websites hosting the clip next to ads.” Facebook even recommended some search terms for the Buffalo shooting video as “popular searches” on the platform. A study by Media Matters for America revealed that Facebook has profited off over 50 ads from right-wing political candidates pushing the replacement theory and allowed hundreds of similar organic posts from right-wing media outlets. Facebook doesn’t have to profit off this racist violence and white supremacy. Join us in speaking out and demanding action from Facebook. SOURCES: 1. Mac, Ryan. "Buffalo gunman’s video is surfacing on Facebook, sometimes with ads beside it." The New York Times. 19 May, 2022. 2. Gogarty, Kayla. "Facebook profited from ads promoting white supremacist “great replacement” theory." Media Matters for America. 20 May, 2022.

If it passes, the NY Deforestation-free Bill can protect some of the world's most vital ecosystems, curb deforestation, inspire other states to do the same, and help humanity actually address climate change. Deforestation is a major driver of climate change. It causes 10 to 15 percent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. What's more, keeping forests standing and promoting reforestation is a key solution to reversing climate chaos. If deforestation were a country, it would be the third largest “country” in terms of emissions. We need to fight for climate solutions on the federal AND the State level, and NY State can lead the way. Bill S.5921 is simple. It would ensure that products New York State buys are not contributing to the deforestation of the earth's most precious forests. If NY pulls this off, it'll be the first State in the US to do so. But NY won't be alone. In fact, the European Union and the United Kingdom are already creating regulations to curb imported deforestation into their jurisdictions. By having NY do the right thing, we can send a message to other countries and companies that they should do the same. Sign our petition to pass a strong law to fight deforestation! Be a forest champion and help save this planet for future generations.