Science for the Public Good: An Open Letter to the 119th Congress I am asking you to defend the science and scientists that keep Americans safe. The Trump administration's current agenda promises to eviscerate the protections that Americans count on and support: clean air and water; safe food and medicine; products that won't harm us; and protection from extreme weather and other damaging effects of climate change. Without strong federal science, people will suffer, and historically marginalized communities will continue to bear the burden of these harms. Independent science can inform strong public policy that puts the health, safety and welfare of Americans first. Protecting rigorous and independent science is a common-sense, nonpartisan goal. The reason behind the Trump administration's radical proposals to sideline science and scientists is crystal clear: science stands in the way of polluters and special interests unleashing unprecedented amounts of pollution that would put short-term profits over people, no matter the cost to current and future generations of Americans. The first 100 days of the Trump administration will be absolutely essential for taking action that can save science that saves lives. Science supporters in your district and state are mobilizing to fight back and prevent the politicization of science and firing of scientists who help protect our families and communities. As a constituent and supporter of the Union of Concerned Scientists, I am asking for you to take the First 100 Days Pledge for Science: • First, oppose anti-science nominees to any federal agency who do not agree on the record to follow and/or implement a scientific integrity policy in their agency. • Second, oppose the elimination of federal agencies or their staff directly or indirectly including through draconian budget cuts, reclassifying staff, or abruptly moving agency headquarters, all of which are a transparent and explicit effort to decimate scientific expertise and decision-making. • Third, defend the safeguards that protect the health and safety of people across the United States, especially those overburdened by pollution. This includes the nation's bedrock public health and environmental laws—such as the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act—that are and must continue to be based on the best available independent science. This is a critical time to show the administration that members of Congress of both parties are united in championing the science that helps protect the communities they represent. I am asking for your support.

healthcare is a basic human right, and no one should be denied care due to financial barriers. A universal healthcare system would improve public health, reduce inequality, and create a more productive society by ensuring that everyone, regardless of income, can get the care they need when they need it. Together, we can build a more just and equitable system that benefits everyone.

A serious issue is threatening the health and safety of our children and community.  The relocation and expansion of Costco’s gas station in Culver City will place it dangerously close to two preschools - Sol y Luna Montessori and Morning Glory Preschool.  This would expose our most vulnerable community members to harmful air pollution, including benzene, a known carcinogen. Watch Here: https://youtu.be/IcjFYZ8aWn4?si=Ocyyc-JYZckONM0l WHY THIS MATTERS: CHILDREN’S HEALTH IS AT RISK: The World Health Organization (WHO), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recognize benzene as a hazardous air pollutant and a known carcinogen.  These organizations emphasize that children are particularly vulnerable to benzene exposure due to their developing systems and greater relative intake of air.  Exposure to benzene is associated wit respiratory problems and leukemia.  Google it - it’s terrifying! ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS: Increased emissions and traffic have the potential to harm not only preschoolers, but the entire neighborhood.  The plan to store 120,000 gallons of fuel underground - doubling their current capacity of 60,000 gallons of underground storage. INSUFFICIENT REVIEW: This project was deemed EXEMPT from ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW.  The Culver City Planning Commission granted Costco an exemption from doing an Environmental Impact Report which would require an analysis on impacts on traffic, noise, air quality, and water quality - the report would require an analysis to the impact on the preschoolers, a “sensitive receptor” population.’’ We need your support and your voice to help stope this harmful project and demand a safer solution - or at the very least - an Environmental Impact Report to assess the potential risks to our community.  The Culver City Council must hear from as many people as possible to understand that our community stands together and wishes to protect one another and especially our children! HOW YOU CAN HELP: 1. SIGN THIS PETITION 2. VISIT OUR WEBSITE - https://www.futurenotfossils.com/ 3. EMAIL THE CITY COUNCIL Please email the Council members to express your opposition to the relocation. [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Please utilize and customize one of the templates: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1i9Rmq3FbnwyYTgHw6MoqHwh8MFYDqJSplB3dXvJSAm8/edit?usp=sharing https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-xtzm9RAUOCznXCu2eFY4ENednAEeD8nHiwcoSU5lew/edit?usp=sharing 4. SPREAD THE WORD Please share this issue with friends and neighbors.  The more voices we have, the stronger our message. Thank you for standing with us in this fight. Sincerely, Noah & Alba Beller

I struggle to find the difference between taking some 50 unfilled balloons and strings and tossing them out in the parking lot of your local park and receiving a hefty fine for littering but fill those same 50 balloons and fill them up and let them go and float away to become your neighbors problem and in many cases vet bill no one cares. How is this not considered littering?  When questioning our local North Sewickley police department it was stated that they didn't care and if that's the case what else don't they care about ? In a township that consists largely of land used for agricultural purposes and farms why aren't we taking this seriously? Are we this naive sitting here in 2024 to not understand that once these balloons go up that they come back down somewhere else to become someone else's problem and expense? As someone who has worked heavily in agriculture and wildlife conservation for all of my life I plan on presenting these questions to our township and finding the answers to these questions.There is so many other wonderful ways to celebrate lost loved ones such as planting a tree or candlelight vigil.If you care about the negative impact releasing balloons causes to our animals,wildlife,environment, and also our neighbors please take a moment to sign my petition.

As Allegheny County Council prepares to vote on the fee increase, U.S. Steel lobbyists are making the case that it is unfair for the company to have to pay perhaps $50,000 for a few such permits every five years.  U.S. Steel earned $2.14 Billion in 2023, spent $1.65 Million on lobbying this year, and pays its 13 board members $175,000 annually.  The fee increase would amount to a fraction of the millions in fines the company pays each year for air pollution violations in what amounts to a “pay to pollute” arrangement. Please sign the petition asking that County Leadership Vote YES on operating permit fee increase

The concept of a ban on fracking in Pennsylvania has been getting a lot of attention in recent weeks. But banning fracking in a place where it has been happening for 20 years is not the same thing as banning it where it has never happened. What must happen here and what will happen is a phase out of fracking. How rapid the phase out is will determine how smoothly the public, workers, and entire communities will be able to make the transition. We're calling on Governor Shapiro and our state legislators to start the rapid phase out now and urging them to take the steps we have listed.

This is a David vs. Goliath story with the City acting as a go between. We need YOUR help. Remember, the City works for US as well as the AutoCenter. There is common ground. But we can't get there when the City appears to be covering up its mistakes by sweeping this under the rug.  If inclined, join because you don't like looking at the sign and don't think it "beautifies" the city. It was a bait and switch to the public and city council (at that time). The design changes made out of public view (post approval process) were deceitful and dishonest. We expect more from our city representatives.  I am the one who "discovered" that the land was not owned by the sign owner. It took us a year to get a clear answer from the City as to who actually owned it (the City) and how much they were being paid to transfer public land into private hands (an application fee is all). IF the city signs it over to the sign owner, it lessens their leverage to initiate change. The change we are asking for. We already have plenty of night sky blocking light coming from the AutoCenter. This sign profits a few. I know I'd be fuming if I bought a $1.3 million house up on the hill and had to look at this! Oh wait, that happened to me in my little Craftsman home. I see this thing from my bedroom window!  As for the sign owner, well... they have their own agenda and are probably happy with the current outcome. Might explain why in the four years we've been asking, the owner NEVER agreed to meet with us! 

Disaster relief and weather forecasting shouldn't be partisan issues. Politicizing disaster response and spreading lies about FEMA's role undermines public trust in a vital federal agency–and this disinformation can be life-threatening during natural disasters.  The devastating wildfires raging across Southern California have already killed multiple people and displaced tens of thousands from their homes. Residents are grieving as entire communities—childhood homes, schools, hospitals, parks, and small businesses—are engulfed in flames.  But instead of coming together to demonstrate swift and bipartisan action to address the crisis and support families on the ground as they fight to survive and rebuild, Trump and his MAGA loyalists are spreading lies and attacking those who are actually working to address the crisis. And this isn't the first time. Last year in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, Republicans like Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene spread fringe disinformation accusing the government and Democrats of controlling the weather, making it difficult—and even dangerous—for meteorologists to deliver lifesaving information ahead of climate disasters. Meteorologists said that climate conspiracy theories and threatening messages flooded their inboxes. Instead of being able to focus solely on delivering lifesaving weather forecasts ahead of natural disasters, meteorologists had to debunk GOP-proliferated conspiracy theories about the government controlling the weather, and are even receiving death threats for doing their job. FEMA workers have also been targeted by right-wing harassment and abuse. In Hurricane Helene's aftermath, Donald Trump falsely accused FEMA of stealing donations and diverting disaster aid to migrants. Threats of truckloads of militia members "hunting FEMA" forced FEMA and U.S. Forest Service workers to pause their lifesaving recovery efforts to relocate workers out of fear for their safety. Survivors of natural disasters who urgently need assistance are refusing FEMA's help because of this disinformation.  GOP-led disinformation campaigns against our disaster relief workers and meteorologists are threatening public safety and undermining public trust in our lifesaving institutions. In times of crisis, our elected officials should be working to deliver aid and recovery–not spreading conspiracy theories on social media. Politicizing disaster response efforts for political points at the expense of real people who are suffering after natural disasters is unacceptable. Add your name to the petition to demand Trump and the GOP stop their life-threatening disinformation campaign and put people first! Photo credit: Salon / Getty Images

The office of Heat Ready Phx has started a new initiative called, “Sidewalk Shade Project.” While this initiative is well-meaning in that it intends to solve issues of heat in Phoenix, Arizona, it will not realize this solution since it ignores what is more basic to us. And that is this: The best thing we can do to solve shade and heat issues in Phoenix, Arizona is to plant more native trees. These structures they want to put up will only radiate more heat and become a breeding ground for vandalism, abuse, and overall wear and tear. They will make our beautiful city corners and streets look more barren and more tacky. These structures will not solve the issue of heat and shade, but native trees will. Trees naturally cool the environment, provide shade and improve overall quality of life. Essentially, where there is life, you are sure that there are trees nearby. If we want to fix our problem of heat, air quality, and shade, it is most natural to the majority of us, Phoenicians, that we should promote the planting of more trees. Moreover, if our streets were filled with trees that provide more shade, our streets would be cooler and much prettier. 

It is important for the ninth graders to participate in my campaign, as it is unjust that we are excluded from the highschoolers' recreational activities despite being acknowledged as members of the school community. By rallying others to our cause, we can convey to the higher authorities that our desire for inclusion is not isolated but rather a collective sentiment. Together, we can effect change and secure our rightful participation in a broader array of activities at the highschool.

We all play on these fields and our kids are exposed to these chemicals for extended periods of time all year long. Let’s not wait for more studies that show the dangers of turf fields. Let’s get ahead of this!

Congress has the power to make sure that our neighbors in states impacted by category 4 Hurricane Helene and incoming Hurricane Milton get the funding needed for rescue efforts to save lives, basic necessities like water, food, and prescriptions, and rebuilding their communities, homes, roads, businesses, and infrastructure. Congress is currently out of session through November 12, but relief can't wait. So we have to come together to make sure they return and get it done—because hundreds of thousands of impacted people are counting on the lifesaving resources that Congress can deliver. Just last week, Congress passed a bill that would fund the government through December, but despite forecasted hurricanes and wildfires raging, it left out billions of dollars that were requested for supplemental disaster funding—which would’ve been available now to communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. Frustrated by underfunded disaster relief, Representative Kathy Castor of Florida said, “The right-wingers here, the MAGA crowd, even after disasters happen, they have opposed disaster aid for communities in need.” It's completely unacceptable. FEMA’s disaster relief fund is already depleted and is currently at a nearly $2 BILLION deficit, forcing them to hold back billions of dollars in rebuilding projects to support more lifesaving work.6 But this was avoidable. FEMA should have the funding it needs to provide relief to our communities, which are enduring one climate catastrophe after another. Disaster funding should never be a partisan issue. Our communities that have been harmed by Hurricane Helene can’t wait until Congress is back in session in November; they need relief right now. Congress must come back and pass supplemental disaster funding NOW. Will you sign the petition?