Southern Illinois is the nexus of two major faults zones, the New Madrid and the Wabash and a secondary fault line called the Cottage Grove Fault. Science and data continue to link increased seismic activity with fracking. Last week, a new report shows earthquakes in Ohio were triggered by hydraulic fracturing (http://bit.ly/11ZfObI). Oil and gas industry injections appear to be bringing faults to their critical thresholds. Earthquakes are not a gamble to which we should be subjected. Ban Fracking in the Illinois fault zones!

The earth's climate is getting warmer and humans are responsible. This is a fact supported by more than 97% of climate scientists. The result over the next 50 years and beyond could include massive heat waves, prolonged drought, extreme weather and the mass extinction of species. While virtually all climate scientists agree that human activities are warming the planet, 1 out of 3 members of Congress are stalwart, head-in-the sand climate deniers and many more hide behind other excuses to avoid addressing this threat. We have an election coming up, and we are asking voters to vote for those candidates who are actively strategizing to resolve the climate crisis. It is the responsibility of elected officials to protect citizens. Future generations need non-toxic renewable energy sources and minimal use of fossil fuels. For further information go to www.Vote-Climate.org.

DEAR NEIGHBORS: WE NEED YOUR HELP TO STOP COYOTE KILLING CONTESTS IN GRAYSON COUNTY, VA Let's help Grayson County find a more ecologically responsible, effective way to deal with coyotes in the area, by promoting coexistence through education. Coexistence management plans work, as attested to by cities such as San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Vancouver, Denver and many others throughout the country. We ask officials in leadership positions to become proactive in stopping the trapping and in reaching out to the public with educational materials to promote a plan for coexistence. *Killing coyotes, especially so cruelly through killing contests, does not work because vacated niches are soon filled by newcomer coyotes, and when coyotes are killed, they reproduce more to make up the difference. Published research shows that indiscriminate killing of coyotes throws off their natural social structure which keeps their own numbers in check. *Killing coyotes, either through massive shooting or by trapping them is terrifyingly cruel to the animals and causes a huge amount of suffering and pain to individual coyotes and entire family structures. *Simple guidelines and education work in other cities, they can work here. These include never feeding a coyote, not leaving food out, securing garbage cans, protecting small pets by keeping them indoors when they cannot be supervised out of doors, keeping dogs leashed in coyote areas, learning how to appropriately shoo a coyote away if it gets too close. *Coyotes play a vital and natural role in the ecosystem, eating mostly rodents that can carry plague and hantavirus. Learn about their amazing close knit families, intelligence and survival skills even as humans have tried to wipe them out. We, the undersigned, want coyote killing contests in Grayson County stopped, and we want our leadership officials to become proactive in support of coexistence. We support a coexistence plan which involves management through community education programs, presentations and workshops, information websites and other communication forms such as flyers on doorknobs and information in water bills. PETITION BACKGROUND Please make your voice heard by signing the “Stop Coyote Killing Contests in Grayson County” petition to be delivered to leadership officials in the area. In addition, we would appreciate your contacting your city and county officials -- either by phone or by email, using any of the talking points in the petition, telling them you oppose not only killing contests, but also trapping, and you support a proactive educational approach to coyote coexistence. This is a native American species for which we all are stewards. The wild animals in the area belong to all of us, and no one has the right to kill them indiscriminately. Please visit the COYOTE COEXISTENCE website at www.coyotecoexistence.com for information and updates. If you are willing to help out more, please write us at [email protected] Thanks for your support!

The public Hearing on this matter has been delayed due to some of the concerns raised in this petition. This provides a little extra time to work with experts to prepare testimony for the hearing. Please make your voice heard - show up to the re-scheduled hearing dates or sign this petition or both.

The Raleigh News & Observer reported on Oct. 10, “In the 4-3 decision, the [Utilities] Commission said that even though NC’s corporate income tax was cut by the state legislature from 6.9 percent to 5 percent, utilities can continue charging customers at 6.9 percent and pocket the difference.” The newspaper said all the Commission members appointed by Gov. Pat McCrory voted in favor of this giveaway of our money. McCrory is a former Duke Energy executive; he benefited from over $1 million of the company’s campaign spending, and his environmental agency tried to block efforts to force Duke to clean up its coal ash pollution. The Utilities Commission’s decision is an example of favoritism to big political donors, rather than sound economics or fairness. The strong protest against Duke’s coal ash pollution of the Dan River forced some modest improvements. Now we need to push the agency responsible for protecting the public interest to oppose a bad decision that will cost us over $20 million a year. Mr. Chris Ayers of the Public Staff said they are “considering our options” to challenge the decision. Please sign the petition to urge the Public Staff to take strong action for the public.

In the Native American tradition, Mothers hold the power to remove leaders who are not serving the community. From the United States Native American Museum: "To this day, the Native America Tribal Council Leaders are elected by the MOTHERS of the tribe. They also continue to hold the power to remove a leader based on lack of performance." It is time to remove leaders that are not protecting our people. Moms Across America and supporters call for the resignation or removal of Gina McCarthy, Head of the EPA. Allowing toxic chemicals to be sprayed on our food and near our schools is harmful to our children and citizens. We demand a leader of the EPA that will put the safety of our children over the profits of a chemical company.

This pollution is the largest source of global warming pollution in America, and if we don't take action now, it will mean more heat waves, extreme weather, and dangerous sea level rise for future generations.

The Pentagon says climate change is an immediate national security threat, yet key political leaders refuse to accept this reality – including Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK). It's bad enough that Sen. Inhofe calls global warming "a hoax" even though scientific consensus exists. But for the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services Committee to blatantly disregard such dire warnings from military leaders shows how deep Sen. Inhofe's denial runs. Americans hate this type of ideological fervor. If enough of us speak out, Sen. Inhofe will see how out of step he is with the mainstream when it comes to climate change. MORE INFORMATION "Pentagon Warns of Immediate National Security Threats From Climate Change," VICE News, 10-14-14 http://bit.ly/1CvuZVb

Factory farms house thousands of animals and can generate as much waste as a small city — waste that too often ends up in our rivers, lakes, and streams.

Right now, we're calling on Gov. Pat Quinn to step up and protect Illinois from this dirty gas drilling. But if state officials will not protect us from fracking, then we need Congress to close the loopholes exempting fracking from our nation’s bedrock environmental and public health laws, and we need to convince federal officials to keep Shawnee National Forest — and all of our treasured places — off limits to dirty drilling.

Maui County is ground zero for GMO and associated pesticide experimentation and it is making people sick. Monsanto claims it is a farming ban although only 1% of farms use GMOs. They claim they'll lay off their workers although they have extensive nonGMO seed operations. They claim that GMOs are safe but they are afraid that the study will show they are not. They claim that backyard gardeners will be subject to arrest but the initiative only punishes DELIBERATE planting of GMOs. Any plant in the ground can go through harvest and be replanted with nonGMO. They claim it hurts farmers but they're the only ones growing GMOs except for a tiny number of coffee, squash and corn that is GMOs. In fact, THEY have harmed local farmers by their claims because now people are avoiding local nonOrganic produce because they are under the misapprehension that local produce is all GMO.

We cant afford 2 billion gallons of water wasted each day by the fracking industry. Our mountains are full of water that will be needed by future generations. We can live without gas but not water.