"A proposed bill in Hawaii has ignited renewed discussion about the impact of the state's largest aquarium fishery, which catches hundreds of thousands of gem-like saltwater fish each year for shipment to collectors around the world. Supporters say the industry is sustainable and regulated. But environmental activists say the practice is destructive and depletes populations of popular fish species." - Mike Taibbi, Public Broadcasting Service, Feb. 14, 2015. I have been snorkeling on the Kona Coast since 1966, spending 8 to 10 weeks a year there. I am shocked by the drop-off in numbers of fish I have seen since 2005. Several years ago 800 dead yellow tangs were found in a dumpster in Honokohau harbor, apparently left there by a collector who had developed a hole in his boat tank. Which begs the question, what was he doing with 800 yellow tang in the first place? It's high time to stop this destruction of the reef. Join me in asking the State of Hawaii to stop it for good.

Right now, power plants in New Jersey and all over the country are free to emit unlimited levels of carbon pollution, to devastating climate change. This summer, the EPA released a solution that will finally rein these emissions in and move our country toward a clean energy future -- the Clean Power Plan. Big Oil and Dirty Coal are going ballistic. Their allies in Congress are pushing to rip the plan to shreds. They’ve tried to defund the EPA. Groups like ALEC and the coal industry are trying to derail the plan across the country. Mitch McConnell has even told governors to flat-out ignore the EPA and the Clean Power Plan. How this all plays out in New Jersey depends on Governor Christie. And with all of these attacks, it’s imperative that he hears from you. Stand up to protect New Jersey’s shores from sea-level rise and ask Governor Christie to support the Clean Power Plan.

Political leaders in Harrisburg have hijacked the state budget to protect the oil and gas industry. If they get their way, they’ll block the Wolf administration from regulating the gas and oil industry to prevent our drinking water from being contaminated. And Republican leaders’ budget slashes all investments in clean energy – investments that won’t cost the state a dime if the oil and gas industry finally pays its fair share in taxes. House and Senate leaders want business as usual. It’s up to us to remind them that that’s not what Pennsylvanians voted for in November. We can counter Republican leaders’ strategy and force anti-environment lawmakers to back down if they see massive support for the governor’s budget and pro-environmental policies.

As a physician, I am very concerned about the plans to replace some of the grass in Carmel Valley parks with artificial turf. Artificial turf is toxic to humans and the environment. One of the most commonly used artificial turf uses infill consisting of ground up old tires, which contains toxins including dangerous chemicals and lead that are loosely packed into the turf and can be easily inhaled, absorbed or eaten. These chemicals have been implicated in causing lymphoma in soccer goalies, among other health concerns. As a mother of two boys at Ocean Air Elementary school, I am particularly concerned that one of the parks to be affected is Ocean Air park. On the off chance that a selected turf may not contain these directly toxic compounds – for example some use silica for infill – it still is dangerous in other ways. It does not support our desert ecosystem. It requires regular maintenance, including frequent washing with WATER, often weekly, to keep it clean. This dirty outdoor carpet also is prone to growing bacteria, MRSA (flesh eating bacteria), mold and fungus, and for that reason it requires regular spraying with toxic antibiotic chemicals that wash off into our groundwater. It also gets very hot in direct sunlight and increases ambient temperatures and can cause burns. While I certainly understand the need to conserve water in the drought, I have unsuccessfully requested a safe and environmentally friendly option instead of toxic turf. This concerns me because I have enough patients already with devastating neurological diseases; I want to protect our kids from this. Relevant articles: "As the turf ages and weathers, lead is released in dust that could then be ingested or inhaled, and the risk for harmful exposure increases. If exposures do occur, CDC currently does not know how much lead the body will absorb; however, if enough lead is absorbed, it can cause neurological development symptoms (e.g., deficits in IQ). Additional tests are being performed by NJDHSS to help us better understand the absorption of lead from these products." -- http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/tips/artificialturf.htm "There are now 153 cancer cases reported, and of those, 124 are soccer players with 85 being soccer goalies. Many of them are student athletes." -- http://www.ehhi.org/turf/turf_cancers.shtml "The most conservative approach would be to limit access to an artificial turf field that contains lead. Proper maintenance can reduce exposure risk. Field users should wash properly afterward and ensure that their clothing is washed." -- http://www.state.nj.us/health/news/2008/view_articlea114.html?id=3190\ "The study evidences the high content of toxic chemicals in these recycled materials. The concentration of PAHs in the commercial pavers was extremely high, reaching values up to 1%. In addition, SPME studies of the vapour phase above the samples confirm the volatilisation of many of those organic compounds. Uses of recycled rubber tires, especially those targeting play areas and other facilities for children, should be a matter of regulatory concern." -- http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653512009848 "Hazardous chemicals in synthetic turf materials and their bioaccessibility in digestive fluids." -- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18728695 "Carbon black, which makes up 20-40% of crumb rubber, has been identified as a cancer-causing chemical by California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment" -- www.ceh.org/get-involved/take-action/a-cocktail-of-harmful-chemicals-in-artificial-turf-infill/ “What to Know About Artificial Turf Fields.” Mount Sinai Children’s Environmental Health Center. --http://www.mountsinai.org/static_files/MSMC/Files/Patient%20Care/Children/Childrens%20Environmental%20Health%20Center/ArtTurf_Fact%20Sheet_final_2011.pdf Further Resources: http://ehhi.org/reports/turf/turf_report07.pdf http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2265067/

Western Environmental Law Center is a nonprofit, public-interest environmental law firm. We filed a lawsuit challenging the Loafer logging Project in December 2013. In April 2014, in response to WELC’s lawsuit, the Forest Service pulled its proposal, but now it’s back. We are fighting this project because it would not only impact native and endangered species in the short-term, but would preclude some of the last remaining untouched Western forests from wilderness protection.

Shell has the GREEN light and is ready to do some hefty drilling in the Arctic. Top officials from the Obama Administration say that there is a 75 percent chance of a major Arctic Oil Spill. I need your help in urging top officials with the Seattle Port, State of Oregon and United States Department of Interior. Their dangerous drilling machine is ready to leave the Seattle Port and head to the Arctic. Are you ready to make sure it doesn't go anywhere near our ocean and polar bears?

An oil company is proposing to drill in Broward County, only a few miles from the city of Miramar. This oil well would be located in the Florida Everglades and would endanger critical water resources that millions of South Florida residents rely on. This permit is one of several recent proposals to drill in the Florida Everglades. And loopholes in state law allow drilling companies to use fracking techniques to produce more oil and gas, with almost no oversight over the chemicals being injected underground. All forms of drilling and fracking (including hydraulic fracturing, acid fracturing and acid matrix stimulation) are inherently unsafe, especially in Florida where our aquifer is so vital to our livelihoods. In states across the country, the extraction of oil and gas has led to serious health and environmental issues, and communities are taking action by passing ordinances to prevent fracking. Florida state agencies are currently reviewing this drilling proposal, but the Broward County Commissioners can weigh in by passing a binding ordinance prohibiting this well and any future drilling and fracking in the county.

If Big Oil can build pipelines across the country to transport their oil, why can't we build pipelines and canals to transport water from areas of flooding (having too much water) to that of areas of drought (like California right now)? Think of all of the people who could find work building these pipelines and canals. And if there were a spill from a pipeline carrying water, it wouldn't endanger our wildlife or pollute our environment. Please sign this petition! It makes so much more sense than building oil pipelines. Thank You.

Because my daughter is worried about bears in the house.

President Obama's proposed new rule to reduce carbon pollution is exactly what we need. It's about clean air. Our children's health depends on it. It's about climate change. The planet is heating up, and we have to reverse it. It's about time. We must act before it's too late. Republicans in Congress are peddling junk science, pretending climate change isn't happening, and acting on behalf of the Koch brothers and the coal industry. Please join me in standing with President Obama -- and tell Republicans in Congress to back off. Climate change is a fact. And America must lead the way.

Sharks are threatened worldwide, largely driven by the shark fin trade. As many as 100,000,000 sharks are being killed each year. Airlines play a major role in allowing import and export of illegal, unregulated, and unreported seafood products like shark fin. Twenty-six other major air carriers have said they will not ship shark fin. Help save the world's and Malaysia's sharks by stopping this unsustainable trade.

The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission is set to recommend that the Martin Drake power plant be given more time to pollute our air before determining whether it meets EPA's 2010 revision to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for sulfur dioxide (SO2). I created this petition to tell the Commission that the Martin Drake power plant must meet those requirements now. According to the EPA's Integrated Science Assessment for SO2, the “data are sufficient to conclude that there is a causal relationship between respiratory morbidity and short-term exposure to SO2.” Simply, even brief exposure to SO2 in the air can be harmful, hence why the EPA passed the revised 1-hour standard for SO2 emissions in 2010. Our community, especially those with respiratory illnesses, cannot afford more delays before complying with this regulation. Multiple models show that the Martin Drake power plant does not meet the 1-hour standard for SO2, and yet the Commission wants to give Colorado Springs Utilities more time to pollute the air we breathe before requiring the Utilities to take any action. Tell the Commission that enough is enough - we have enough information to determine that Martin Drake does not meet the 1-hour SO2 standard. Will you sign the petition? For more information about modelling of SO2 from Drake visit: http://tinyurl.com/SierraClubSO2 Aug. 20, 2015 CDPHE Public Hearing Notice (Amended Aug. 7): https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/SO2-Designations-PH-Notice-082015-REV_1.pdf CO AQCC Public Hearing Agenda & Comments Received: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/aqcc-meeting-materials-august-20-2015 CO Air Quality Control Division Background Information: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/061815-SO2-materials.pdf Health Impact of Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) in the air from the American Lung Association: http://www.lung.org/associations/states/colorado/clean-air/Sulphur-dioxide.html