Climate Change is the Biggest issue of our times. It underlies and exacerbates issues of food insecurity and health, and is tossed around as if it's just politics as usual. We cannot continue to let the issue be normalized to a normal debate. It's time we do something to hold media accountable.

It has been weeks, if not months, since I have seen or heard anything about the water sin Flint. We must not allow our state government, Governor and legislature, to forget that the situation still exists.

Ron Johnson uses the logic that "most of our air pollution comes from Chicago so why should Wisconsin businesses be penalized?" In other words if your neighbor throws his trash on his front lawn and it blows onto your property, the solution is that you start throwing your trash on your own front lawn as well? This is nuts!!! But unfortunately people buy into this crazy logic so we must be the keeper of sanity and denounce this as what it is: Greed at the expense of the air we all—even Republicans—breathe.

As a Texan and a mother, I am personally affected every time someone drinks poisonous water in my state. As an American, I have been appalled by the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. We are, all across the country, dealing with contamination issues with our drinking water due to the aging infrastructure our governments refuse to repair. Anti-anti-discrimination bills, bathroom policy debates, and the creation of MORE corporate wealth should be lower priorities than creating safe drinking water systems for all citizens. I am tired of Republicans wasting legislative time and tax payer dollars on distractions and want them to start making our Pipes Great Again. Deliver on SOMETHING positive that helps everyone for a change.

Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) recently investigated a Certified Humane, cage-free egg farm in Colorado that supplies eggs to Sprouts. The investigators found mass starvation, with hundreds of hens dying every week simply because they could not access food. They also found intense crowding, disease, and cannibalism. During the investigation, DxE found a hen on the brink of death, whose beak was sealed shut with feces. She had been eating feces off the floor because she couldn’t get to the food. Investigators rescued her, saved her life, and named her Annie. Sprouts sells cage-free eggs at a premium because they tell their consumers they are more humane, but the conditions on their farms are anything but humane. Demand Sprouts stop promoting cage-free eggs and other lies about how animals are treated.

Cambria Community Services District: CEASE and DESIST! The Regional Water Quality Control Board has issued more Notices of Violation to the Cambria Community Services District due to failures stemming from their rushed water project. In 2014 the Cambria Community Services District deceived ratepayers and claimed an emergency brackish water project would be temporary and portable, for existing customers only, costing between $100,000 to $4 million and would deliver water by July 1, 2014. The project construction was to be completed by November of 2014 and to run only during a Stage 3 water shortage declared by CCSD. None of these claims proved to be true. The district FAILED - to analyze less expensive alternatives to this project - to provide water by July of 2014 - to design/construct an affordable, temporary project to abate an emergency - to complete construction of the project - to analyze disposal of brine waste - to complete the application for a Coastal Development Permit for the emergency project - to complete an environmental impact report for three years - to respond to three years of comments submitted by regulatory agencies and citizens - to hold project contractor responsible for obvious hydrogeologic and design flaws - to comply with Water Board discharge regulations and monitoring requirements - to comply with County ordinances - to adequately respond to neighbor complaints regarding noise and brine overspray - to offset the $9 million loan by applying a $4 million grant as promised - to provide competent operators to run the emergency project Failing so much, the Cambria Community Services District must be held accountable. In March of 2016 the CSD changed the purpose and intent of this emergency project (renamed it the Sustainable Water Project) to support new water meter connections in Cambria without voter approval. The CSD submitted an application for this growth inducing project in 2017, which describes new water treatment construction options and brine disposal methods without analyzing the costs and impacts of these modifications. The project has not been subjected to the level of review required for a long term public works project that guarantees growth. Ratepayers did not vote for a public works project for growth. The project has already committed us to years of ratepayer debt while our infrastructure fails. Total cost of the “emergency” project and the “sustainable” project is unknown because the district continues to make decisions behind closed doors to revise and correct the current “emergency” water project and to amend contracts to expand their scope. We, the ratepayers of Cambria and others, oppose this deception and abuse of power. No new project for growth should be approved until long overdue habitat protection programs are fully funded and implemented by qualified and independent agents including: - Instream flow studies for both San Simeon and Santa Rosa Creeks - Water Quality Monitoring programs to protect iconic species - Build Out Reduction program to mitigate growth - Cambria Forest Management Plan and Forest Ecologist hired to protect Monterey Pines - Habitat Conservation Plans to protect our local creeks for the future The Regional Water Quality Control Board is preparing a cease and desist order (attached) and an administrative civil liability complaint against Cambria CSD for multiple violations of their permits. San Simeon and Santa Rosa Creeks and wildlife must be protected.

The Trump administration says the EPA cuts reflect a philosophy of limiting federal government and devolving authority to the states, localities and, in some cases, corporations. But environmental groups say the Trump administration is answering the call of companies seeking lax regulation and endangering Americans’ air and water.

In the fall of 2016, Kalamazoo, Michigan agreed to take a 70 million dollar donation from the 1% of Kalamazoo led by Former Monsanto board director, MPI research president (a company that sells animals for scientific testing with several animal abuse cases) and Chair of Michigan Governor Rick Snyder's Political PAC William "Bill" Parfet. Kalamazoo essentially took this money as a partnership with an undisclosed understanding of what the people of Kalamazoo would be committing to with taking this money. We have heard claims of being responsible to raise 500 million in 3 years, that our emergency services will be radically budgeted with Wall Street market performance (not like traditional options). Now Kalamazoo is financially in bed with the same corporate circles who made the decisions with flints water no less. Kalamazoo is hearing whispers that our water is next to be privatized under Michigan government. This petition is here to work as a preemptive statement to say the people of Kalamazoo will not see privatized water like Detroit and Flint. We will not accept this corporate favoritism. Before we hold a local election, we demand to know who will agree to not allow privatization of water for Kalamazoo and Portage Michigan. This petition is not legally binding and is intended to be used as outreach about addressing the problem. No petition addresses corruption alone. This is simply used to let people know this fight is about to happen before it is publicly presented.

Cutting protections in environmental, public health, consumer protection, labor standards, occupational safety and civil rights law affect everyone. With Trump's destroy your department Cabinet, we must keep any control we have to preserve public safety. (Story that captured my attention is from Huffington Post - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carl-pope/the-most-dangerous-bill-y_b_14067390.html?)

These resolutions must not be passed by the Senate. We urge Senators Collins and King to vote NO on H.R. 1430 and H.R. 1431 if they come to a vote in Committee or on the floor. These two bills are backdoor attempts to undermine the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to use science in decision-making and obstruct the process for developing effective public health safeguards.

Chairman Earlen did not uphold his oath to protect the sensitive NJ Pinelands. The Pinelands is our nation's first National Reserve, a U.S Biosphere Reserve and protects a 17 trillion gallon fresh water aquifer. The Pinelands Commission is entrusted with its protection. Allowing the pipeline to be constructed through the pinelands, sets a dangerous precedent that cannot be reversed. The pipeline does not protect the sensitive Pinelands.

In a move that will put almost anyone who comes into contact with many common foods at risk, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt has refused to ban the toxic pesticide chlorpyrifos. Based on many scientific studies, the EPA determined that even very low levels of exposure to chlorpyrifos—a pesticide used on staple foods like corn, wheat, apples and citrus—can cause irreparable harm and damage children’s developing brains. But Pruitt refuses to ban this dangerous chemical from our food, a decision that neglects the agency’s own science and puts millions at risk. Chlorpyrifos contaminates our food and water, and agricultural workers and families in rural communities are at the front lines of exposure to this neurotoxic chemical. Exposing children to chlorpyrifos results in reduced IQ, loss of working memory and attention deficit disorders. Workers poisoned by chlorpyrifos experience vomiting, muscle cramps and twitching, tremors and weakness. This neurotoxic pesticide was banned for residential use 17 years ago, so why would the EPA continue to allow it to be used on farms, where it can poison everything it touches? Earthjustice will hold the EPA accountable. We’re back in court asking for an order directing the EPA to put a full ban in place. Join us in urging the government to keep this toxic pesticide out of our food, our water, our schools and yards, and our bodies.