A majority of the people in the United States are concerned about climate change as a “major threat” to our country. The U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported that about 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions are from burning fossil fuels—yet Big Oil continues to prioritize profits over our planet's future. ExxonMobil spreads disinformation and denies climate change to cover up Big Oil’s complicity. A former Exxon chief executive even said, “I’m not convinced that the earth is warming at all.” Allowing Big Oil to get even bigger is a threat to our climate, democracy, and future. Our government has a responsibility to rein in mergers and acquisitions like this to prevent monopolies and prioritize people. We must prevent this dangerous takeover and protect our interests. Let Big Oil know that we are watching. Launch an investigation ASAP!

Should a company that pollutes our air be promoted at a fitness event? We don't think so. EQT is one of the largest fracking companies in America. With over 2,400 wells across Pennsylvania, they pollute our air & water with toxic radioactive pollution and contribute to global climate change with significant methane emissions. A recent Pitt study found that Pennsylvanians living near fracking wells are 4-5x more likely to have an asthma attack, and kids living within 1 mile are 5-7x more likely to develop lymphoma. (https://www.alleghenyfront.org/pitt-researchers-find-higher-risks-for-lymphoma-and-asthma-for-those-near-fracking-but-no-association-to-ewing-sarcoma/) Just last year, EQT's activities in Greene County caused a frackout (dangerous fracking fluids entered an older abandoned well and shot out the top of it). Afterward, residents reported a change in their drinking and bathing water (supplied by local well water). People got sick and the child of one resident broke out in hives after showering. Over 1 year later, EQT has yet to take responsibility and residents must rely on jugs of water being regularly brought into town. (https://www.publicsource.org/fracking-new-freeport-greene-county-pa-water-quality-eqt-corporation/) Despite all this, EQT has been the main sponsor of Pittsburgh's annual 10 Miler race for years. EQT's damage to communities in our region and to the global climate make it incompatible with an organization like P3R, which focuses on encouraging fitness and healthy lifestyles. A running event sponsored by a corporation that increases asthma and cancer rates is both shocking and oxymoronic. You wouldn't want a tobacco company sponsoring a marathon. Why should a fracking company sponsor a 10 mile race? We can't run on a polluted planet. . . . P3R is a non-profit that organizes sporting events in the Pittsburgh area. Learn more about them here: https://p3r.org This campaign is organized by activists associated with Ohio Valley Environmental Resistance (OVER) and Pennsylvania Action on Climate (PAC)

The statements in the petition are excerpts from a letter the Better Path Coalition is circulating for signatures from organizations and individuals. This petition is a companion to that letter and will be delivered at the same time. Read the full letter at bit.ly/ditchthedeal.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Amazon became a trillion-dollar corporation, with Bezos becoming the first person in history to amass $200 billion in personal wealth. Meanwhile, Amazon warehouse workers risked their lives as essential workers and only briefly received an increase in pay. Now, we're demanding Amazon pay its fair share to workers, communities, and the planet. Sign the petition to join workers, activists, and citizens from across the globe coming together to Make Amazon Pay its workers fairly, pay for its impact on the environment, and pay its taxes. Together, we'll demand Amazon and lawmakers implement policies to improve the workplace, provide job security, respect workers, operate sustainably, and pay back to society.

We encourage everyone to read the Compendium's Summary of Findings and to encourage your governor and state legislators to read it closely. https://concernedhealthny.org/compendium/ The photo was taken on October 2 at the People's Hearing on Climate Change when people from across the state testified for four and a half hours on the harms they have already suffered and the need for action on climate. Governor Shapiro, every legislator, and their staff were invited to attend the hearing just steps from their offices. We can count on one hand how many even stopped by.

No one should have to bury their loved ones because of someone else’s lack of concern.

We need to act NOW if we want to slow and eventually stop the damage we’re doing to our planet. We don’t have anywhere else to go, and the lives of our children and grandchildren are in our hands.

Our neighbors are losing their homes, and sometimes even their lives, to fires, floods, and extreme heat. Cities and states are spending billions to respond to non stop climate disasters and extreme weather events. But instead of paying their fair share for the damage they’ve caused, fossil fuel companies continue to rake in massive profits at our expense. It’s time to make polluters pay for the damage they’ve done. There’s now a growing global effort to use our legal process to hold Big Oil accountable for their climate disinformation and the damage they’re doing. Cases in South Africa, the Netherlands, the United States, and beyond are already making their way through the courts. Together, we can build a global movement that supports these lawsuits and other mechanisms to hold Big Oil accountable. These lawsuits aren’t a solution to the climate crisis – we need governments to do their part – but they’re a powerful tool for us to finally hold this industry accountable. Join us and sign the petition.

A fight over the future of Maui is coming. Opportunists are already seeking to capitalize on Lāhainā and Maui’s crisis to profit as Maui rebuilds. The Big Money special interests who have held back progress in our islands for too long and helped create the conditions for our current mess can not be the ones to profit or lead us on the way out. We know that as we rebuild, we need to return the power, and rights to our land and water, to the people who give life to Lāhainā. Government and developers need to empower us to decide what’s next, and if they don’t, we will rise up together to fight for what's ours. Image credit: Tiffany Kidder Winn | AP

Each year, more than 500 million plastic bags are discarded. Most people do not think about where this plastic goes, but the truth is, it never goes away. The amount of plastic on the planet is growing. It clogs up the rivers and oceans, chokes animals, enters the air, and contributes to pointless mass production. A simple 5 cent tax on single use plastic bags may seem like a small effort, but it would benefit the environment greatly. It would help people to only take what they really need, and stop over production ie double bagging, if there is a price involved.

Allowing students to park on campus offers a myriad of benefits that enhance their overall college experience. First and foremost, convenient parking facilities alleviate the stress and time constraints that commuting students often face, or even UK's classified 'residential students' due to how large our campus is. By providing ample parking spaces, educational institutions create a more accessible and inclusive environment, enabling students to attend classes, participate in extracurricular activities, and engage with campus resources without the hassle of off-campus parking. Moreover, on-campus parking fosters a stronger sense of belonging and community, as students can easily connect with peers and engage in impromptu discussions or collaborative projects. It also contributes to campus safety, as students don't need to walk long distances in potentially unsafe areas or during unfavorable weather conditions. Allowing students to park on campus ultimately promotes student well-being, academic success, and campus vibrancy by facilitating seamless navigation and engagement within the university environment. Further, not all apartments, houses, townhouses, etc. around Lexington offer parking for their residents, let alone visitor parking. Lex park is no longer available around UK South campus, only closer to downtown. If students need to work, drive to class, go to the store, and other basic living necessities, where are they able to park their cars overnight without being towed, or ticketed by UK? Furthermore, what about our out-of-state student population that makes the commitment of high tuition but has no parking accommodation? What about our working students that need vehicle accessibility to pay towards their tuition and/or rent? How do these students efficiently commute to their place of work in order to sustain income for their education and living? Why are these students forced to struggle as UK transportation refuses to accommodate with any type of local parking availability on campus? Why is student parking not prioritized? Why are the STUDENTS that need to park NOT prioritized?

Only sign this petition if you care about this beautiful planet and how we want to leave it for our future generations.