Coral reefs are vitally important for the progression of our society into the future, and for the betterment of all peoples who live near, or is affected by, the sea. Coral reefs provide us with protection from natural disasters, an abundant and diverse amount of food, and an untold amount of new, life saving drugs unknown to science. And that is only scratching the surface of the beneficial uses of coral reefs to humans. Not only are coral reefs beneficial to humans, but also to the abundant amount of life that this precious ecosystem maintains. Coral reef ecosystems have the highest biodiversity of all ecosystems in the world; even rainforests do not contain the vast amounts of species that coral reefs house. Hundreds of thousands of species call this ecosystem home, and many have yet to be discovered. However, this ecosystem is being threatened by climate change and ocean acidification. About 60% of coral reefs are being threatened today, and by 2050 that number is set to increase to 100% of all reefs worldwide. It is our responsibility, as the most technologically advanced society, to protect and preserve these fascinating and advantageous ecosystems. We must get as many people educated about how climate change is affecting the very way we live, and what they can do about it. The purpose of this petition is not to change or create a new law or enact new regulations, although that would be a beneficial outcome, but to help spread the word of our deteriorating biosphere. Please sign our petition and educate everyone around the world to be smarter about how they interact with the world around them.

The SUNY Ulster Environmental Club as well as many members of the surrounding community do not agree with SUNY Ulster Community College's choice in partnering with Niagara Bottling Co. through the Start-Up NY program. Niagara is one of the largest water bottling companies in the world. Through the Start- Up NY program, this company would be eligible for tax exemptions for up to 10 years. In return SUNY Ulster would receive internships and ensured jobs for graduating students. Niagara wants to build a bottling facility that will process at least 1 million gallons per day (MGD) of water from Kingston's water supply at Cooper Lake in Woodstock, using over 25% of its capacity. According to SaveCooperLake.org “With the City of Kingston averaging 3.9 MGD and the Town of Ulster averaging .7 MGD - that's 4.6 MGD . Add in .2 MGD for the new medical complex across from Adams and you get 4.8 MGD. With the new demand from Niagara, the total demand equals 6.55 MGD, which doesn't even account for the .5 MGD guaranteed as a reserve for Woodstock, which brings the total to 7.05 MGD, an excess of 1.05 MGD, or 17% in excess of Safe Yield.” Many organizations within the Hudson valley such as Riverkeeper, Catskill Mountainkeeper, Food and Water Watch, Espous Creek Conservancy, Woodstock Land Conservancy, Savecooperlake.org and KingstonCitizens.org along with the SUNY Ulster Environmental Club feel that this partnership further jeopardizes the sanctity of the water supply at Cooper Lake by increasing the likelihood of Niagara entering the Ulster County. Through SUNY Ulster's interactions with the Start-Up NY program, it has the capability to aid in the introduction of sustainable jobs and companies, as well as the potential to introduce unsustainable or environmentally harmful companies to the local area. Support SUNY Ulster in making sustainable business choices through its involvement with Start-Up NY, as well as encourage a stable, long-living community built around a healthy environment. Please sign this petition to show that the communities within Ulster County do not support this partnership.

Please sign this petition to save our community. East San Carlos is a peaceful & lovely community about to be destroyed. At the corner of Old Country and Holly sits a beautiful park with a preschool, community room, picnic tables, benches, barbeque pits, and baseball + soccer fields for children under 12. Last month I learned that an upscale hotel will be constructed down the block from me starting in 2015. That was hard to swallow, but I understand. Now, I just learned that a new high school construction is also in the works. And the high school wants Laureola Park. I'm distraught. Our elected government is doing nothing to protect us. We received NO NOTICE that a 400 student high school is planned for our backyard. Instead we were informed of the School District's plan and vote just a few days ago. We were given the wrong time. By the time we showed up, it was obvious the decisions had been made. Our voice was not heard. One block north, the children on Holly street can't play on their front lawns because of dangerous traffic congestion. And now the School District expects us to send small kids to play next to 17 year olds. Or maybe they will just take away the park. Who knows, because we were never told. So much for notice and hearing. - Where will our children play? - Are we going to suffer through construction sounds to the east and west for the next two years? - What is being done to prevent all these strangers from parking and speeding down our streets? - Why is the San Carlos government doing nothing to protect us? - Why is the School District spending our tax dollars to place students on top of a railroad track, a natural gas pipeline, and 1 mile from an airport and major highway? The environmental study, traffic study -- NOTHING has been completed and shared with the public.

The risk of frackquakes is well known and proven. The scientists know less about frackquakes in the active earthquake zones - many of them have recommended that active seismic zones be placed off limits to fracking and disposal of waste water. Springfield is not listening but maybe Gov. Quinn, as he exits the office, will be moved to act. Injection-Induced Earthquakes, William L. Ellsworth Earthquakes with magnitude (M) ≥ 3 in the U.S. midcontinent, 1967–2012. After decades of a steady earthquake rate (average of 21 events/year), activity increased starting in 2001 and peaked at 188 earthquakes in 2011. Human-induced earthquakes are suspected to be partially responsible for the increase. http://www.sciencemag.org/content/341/6142/1225942.short These small central U.S. quakes have been occurring near sites of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. http://mrges.com/news/ESNews/scinews/files/fracking-waste-and-quakes.pdf Fracking Industrialization And Induced Earthquakes, Brent Ritzel http://fullerfuture.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/frackingindustrializationandinducedearthquakes-12-2-13.pdf

The risk of frackquakes is well known and proven. The scientists know less about frackquakes in the active earthquake zones - many of them have recommended that active seismic zones be placed off limits to fracking and disposal of waste water. Springfield is not listening but maybe Gov. Quinn, as he exits the office, will be moved to act. Injection-Induced Earthquakes, William L. Ellsworth Earthquakes with magnitude (M) ≥ 3 in the U.S. midcontinent, 1967–2012. After decades of a steady earthquake rate (average of 21 events/year), activity increased starting in 2001 and peaked at 188 earthquakes in 2011. Human-induced earthquakes are suspected to be partially responsible for the increase. http://www.sciencemag.org/content/341/6142/1225942.short These small central U.S. quakes have been occurring near sites of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. http://mrges.com/news/ESNews/scinews/files/fracking-waste-and-quakes.pdf Fracking Industrialization And Induced Earthquakes, Brent Ritzel http://fullerfuture.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/frackingindustrializationandinducedearthquakes-12-2-13.pdf

When our state representatives meet again in January, they'll have a chance to expand the amount of clean energy that powers our homes and businesses. That would mean cleaner air and water, more good jobs, significant capital invested in Minnesota, and less of the carbon pollution that is causing climate impacts like flooding, extreme weather and shrinking forests. Producing more clean, homegrown energy right here in Minnesota would also reduce the $13 billion we spend every year to import fossil fuels like coal and oil into our state. While about 15% of Minnesota’s electricity is currently generated from renewable sources like solar and wind, a new report shows that Minnesota utilities have the capacity to more than double it, getting to at least 40% clean power by 2030. (1) That’s why scores of businesses and organizations are calling on Minnesota legislators to increase the Renewable Energy Standard, the percentage of power utilities are required to generate from clean sources, to at least 40% in the next fifteen years. But fossil fuel interests are determined to stop Minnesota’s move toward more clean energy. They’d keep us reliant on imported fuels that import pollution and export our dollars. We need to let our legislators that we expect them to resist pressure from special interests and support stronger clean energy standards for the health of our kids, communities, economy and climate. Please join me in telling state legislators to support clean energy for Minnesota by strengthening the Renewable Energy Standard to 40% or higher by 2030. Thank you for taking action! Sincerely, Dan Rustowicz Father, Founder of RedWind Consulting, and Climate Parents member. (1) Report on capacity of Minnesota utilities to generate 40% of power from clean energy sources: http://mn.gov/commerce/energy/images/FINAL-MRITS-Report14.pdf

Our environment is being poisoned with aluminum and other heavy metals. If this is not stopped, there will be health consequences to us and our children.

At a time when impacts of climate change and the clean energy economy are both growing, Florida just voted to….gut energy efficiency goals and terminate a solar program! The backward decision by the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC), the agency charged with regulating utilities, was done at the behest of big, fossil-fuel dependent utilities like Duke Energy that succeeded in pressuring the PSC to do its bidding. This decision sets up our kids to live with dirty power plants that pollute our air and climate many decades in the future. Florida is importing pollution, and exporting dollars. This despite the fact that the Sunshine State has enough solar power potential to meet all of the state’s energy needs many times over. As Florida confronts climate impacts like sea level rise and extreme storms, we need to support every pathway to cut carbon pollution--not create more of it. That’s why we’re demanding that the Public Service Commission reconsider and reverse its vote at one of its first meetings in 2015. If enough ratepayers tell the Public Service Commission that supporting clean, healthy, homegrown energy and energy efficiency is more important than lining the pockets of utilities and fossil fuel corporations, they will have to listen. Please join me in telling the Florida Public Service Commission to restore energy efficiency and solar programs! Thank you for taking action.

The oil industry is saddling firefighters with the threat of oil train fires and explosions that few, if any, fire departments can contain. Even after a record year of disasters, the US Department of Transportation has yet to take action to stop these bomb trains. It's time to take the next step and demand that President Obama protect our nation's firefighters and the 25 million Americans who live in the oil train blast zone.

Republican leaders have already promised to bring the Keystone Pipeline back up for a vote in January. We need to prevent lighting the fuse on a carbon bomb that could blow up our climate. Tell Sen Markey and Warren to pledge to filibuster the KXL pipeline bill when it comes up for a vote in January.

All development plans for Rio Santiago have failed, and there are no current plans to develop anything there. The owners of the property, Milan Capital, confirm the current plan is to expand concrete crushing and stockpiling activities indefinitely. My neighbors and I are directly affected by these operations because we can hear the crushing, rumbling and beeping of trucks and dozers all day. The dust covers our homes and yards, and the piles of gravel impair views across the valley and are unsightly. This dump in the middle of a beautiful rural residential area of East Orange is a visual eyesore. It is time to address the current use directly, by shutting down the dump in East Orange.

HC&S ignores the requirement not to allow their smoke to drop to ground level, and Dept of Health doesn't do their job. On Dec 2, their smoke was a choking blanket on Kihei Elementary school. On Dec 3, they burned wet cane and smoked out Kahului and Wailuku. Their permit needs to be suspended for the rest of the year since weather conditions will continue to cause smoke to be at ground level.