Fracking is a heavy industrial practice that involves injecting water, sand and toxic chemicals underground to fracture subsurface rock for the extraction of shale gas.* In states where fracking has expanded rapidly, hazardous spills and leaks are common. The process is also known to contaminate water supplies and increase air pollution. Late last month, a report released by Gov O’Malley’s administration recommended a set of regulations for fracking.** The report's 52 recommended steps for minimizing potential health risks fail to address all of the safety concerns raised in the report. The O'Malley Administration has already taken an important and brave step that addresses safety concerns by placing a moratorium on fracking in Maryland. If we can get enough public support, we can convince him to ban fracking in Maryland for good. In every state where fracking is taking place, it endangers nearby communities, despite attempts to make fracking safe through regulations. Governor O’Malley must protect our health by keeping Maryland’s moratorium on fracking in place. Therefore, we the undersigned urge Gov O’Malley to uphold the moratorium that bans fracking and to not endorse any regulations that would put Maryland’s residents in danger while lining the pockets of the fracking industry. Sources 1. Ryan Marshall, "Draft of fracking report draws both sides’ questions," Southern Maryland News, 7/5/14 http://www.somdnews.com/article/20130705/NEWS/130709533/1055/draft-of-fracking-report-draws-both-sides-x2019-questions&template=southernMaryland 2. Governor O'Malley Announces Study of Marcellus Shale Drilling, State of Maryland 6/7/14 http://www.gov.state.md.us/pressreleases/110606.asp

Congress will never address climate change head on as long as powerful members still deny that there is a problem. Earlier this year, the Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives placed Rep. David Schweikert, a climate change denier, in charge of a subcommittee that deals with environmental policy matters.* Rep. David Schweikert, R-AZ, now steers the Environment Subcommittee on Science, Space and Technology. That subcommittee has jurisdiction over all U.S. Government efforts to research and combat climate change, including all the work done by the Environmental Protection Agency. But while Congressman Schweikert dithers, Arizona and the rest of the planet are burning. The number of record high temperature events in the United States has been increasing, while the number of record low temperature events has been decreasing since 1950.*** In 2011, Rep. Schweikert's district in Phoenix, AZ, had 33 days over 110 degrees F.** Let's fill Rep. Schweikert's inbox with emails calling on him to accept climate science and stand up for the environment in his committee. Sources: 1. House Republicans Pick Climate Skeptic To Head Environment Subcommittee http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/16/house-science-schweikert-_n_4613145.html 2. The least sustainable city: Phoenix as a harbinger for our hot future http://grist.org/climate-energy/the-least-sustainable-city-phoenix-as-a-harbinger-for-our-hot-future/ 3. Climate change: How do we know? Evidence by National Aeronautics and Space Administration http://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/

The elephant poaching crisis reached its peak last year with about 30,000 of these amazing animals slaughtered for solely their tusks.* ­­ With an estimated 96 elephants murdered for their tusks every day, taking all ivory off the market may be our last shot at stopping the killings.** California is the second-largest market for ivory in the U.S., after New York, with major hubs in San Francisco and Los Angeles, according to a 2008 study from Care for the Wild International.*** New York and New Jersey have already taken steps recently to tighten restrictions on the sale of ivory, and now it’s time for California to take a stand and enforce a complete ban on the commercial sale of ivory. A complete ban on the commercial sale of ivory is the best way to help ensure that U.S. markets do not to the further decline of African elephants in the wild. **** It’s up to the Gov. Jerry Brown to propose legislation that would step up enforcement, increase penalties for violations and close legal loopholes. Therefore, we, the undersigned, respectfully request that the State of California Gov. Jerry Brown and the California State Assembly work to enforce a complete ban on the commercial sale of African elephant ivory in California, before it's too late for the majestic African elephant species. Sources: 1. U.S. Limits Ivory Sales! by Emily Pepper, NRDC 2/11/14 http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/epepper/us_limits_ivory_sales.html 2. No wild elephants by 2025? by Ivory for Elephants 2/7/14 : http://ivoryforelephants.org/wild-elephants-2025/ 3. States are eyeing stiffer ivory laws amid a surge in elephant poaching by MARIANNE LEVINE, LA Times 9/2/14: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ivory-bans-20140902-story.html 4. Saving the Elephants? State Bans on Ivory Trade Gather Steam by GIL AEGERTER, NBC News 9/8/14 : http://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/saving-elephants-state-bans-ivory-trade-gather-steam-n179121

Scientists estimate that humans kill between 70 and 100 million sharks each year and many shark species are on the brink of extinction.** The General Nutrition Center (GNC) is a huge shark cartilage seller, marketing their shark products as a remedy for arthritis with anti-cancer properties. This misleading marketing helps drive the demand for shark products and incentivizes hunters to illegally kill sharks. Furthermore, there is no scientific evidence that shark cartilage promotes joint health or acts as a tumor suppressant.*** GNC, one of the largest health stores in North America can make a significant dent in the demand for shark products like cartilage. Although shark cartilage may be a popular supplement, the market for such products is unsustainable and continued sale of these products will lead to the further endangerment and threat of extinction of many shark species. **** We strongly urge General Nutrition Center to remove shark cartilage products from its stores, and to explain to its customers why it is taking this decision, as public awareness of this issue is essential to improving shark conservation worldwide. Sources: 1. Miller, DR., Anderson, GT., Stark JJ., Granick, J.L., Richardson, D. 1998. Phase I/II trial of the safety and efficacy of shark cartilage in the treatment of advanced cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol 16, 3649-3655 (http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/16/11/3649.short) 2. 100 Million Sharks Killed Each Year // BY MEGAN GANNON, LIVE SCIENCE NEWS EDITOR 15 March 2014: http://news.discovery.com/earth/oceans/100-million-sharks-killed-annually-130305.html 3. SharkSavers, a Program of WildAid - Threats: Nutrional Supplement http://www.sharksavers.org/en/education/sharks-are-in-trouble/nutritional-supplements/ 4. Shark Trust - Shark Cartilage http://www.sharktrust.org/en/shark_cartilage 5. William D. Robbins, Mizue Hisano, Sean R. Connolly, J. Howard Choat, Ongoing Collapse of Coral-Reef Shark Populations, Current Biology, Volume 16, Issue 23, 5 December 2006, Pages 2314-2319, ISSN 0960-9822, 10.1016/j.cub.2006.09.044. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982206022767) http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070329145922.htm

California's unique San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary – including the rivers that feed it and the species that depend on it – is in a state of crisis because too much of its water is diverted. Incredibly, most water diverters in the Bay’s watershed are not required to allow water to flow to the Bay to protect water quality, or the fish and wildlife species and natural environments that make this ecosystem so unique. Many water users do not use water nearly as efficiently or wisely as they should. As a result, Central California's once abundant salmon runs and other fishes are in imminent danger of extinction, and the Bay-Delta estuary ecosystem that supports these and other economically critical species is collapsing. This fall and early next year, the California State Water Resources Control Board will decide whether to require that more water make it from the San Joaquin River basin into the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary. Currently, two-thirds of the San Joaquin’s water is diverted upstream of the Delta, on average – in some years close to 90% of this river’s water is diverted upstream. Increasing flows from the San Joaquin River to the Bay-Delta estuary is a critical first step towards restoring the balance between the needs of California’s fish and wildlife, the many businesses that depend on healthy fisheries and rivers, and the other uses of water. Based on the best available science, the State Water Board’s own findings show that 60% of the San Joaquin River basin's natural flow in the winter and spring is needed to fully restore the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary and the fish populations of the San Joaquin River and its tributaries. But, those who divert most of this river's water, including wealthy industrial agriculture interests, are lobbying to maintain the unacceptable status quo – or worse! Now is the time to remind the Board to do what its own science shows is needed to restore the San Joaquin River and the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary.

The Geauga park district is a great resource for families of Geauga county and surrounding areas to enjoy year round. Families can and do often gather and spend the majority of a day in one of our beautiful parks grilling and eating, socializing and playing. Thanks to the recent addition of tether ball, sand volleyball, horseshoes, bocce ball, soccer/multi-purpose fields, and user friendly additions enjoying a day in the Geauga park district promotes a sense eudaimonia more now than ever and we the undersigned would like to see this trend continue. Geauga park district consisting of 19 developed areas and 9600 acres should be user friendly to all people of all ages and abilities all year round.

A new report by Forecast the Facts shows companies like eBay, Ford, Google, Microsoft, and UPS are among the companies that have contributed $641 million to climate deniers in Congress since 2008. These companies want us to believe that they’re on the right side of climate history — and now we’ll give them a chance to prove it. Help #DisruptDenial today: Tell U.S. businesses to stop donating to politicians who lie to voters about climate change. MORE INFORMATION: "#DisruptDenial: How Big Business is funding climate change deniers in the 113th Congress and why they should stop," Forecast the Facts, September 8, 2014 http://bit.ly/1xE9GU4

The proposed route through Nelson County traverses much of our most scenic, rugged, and undeveloped terrain. Specifically, the construction of the pipeline through the watershed of the Rockfish River would disturb and damage surface water resources at or near every stream crossing. The existence of a gas pipeline of the magnitude proposed would have a harmful effect on tourism, a critical component of the economy of Nelson County. The continued presence would impose a significant burden on local government resources including but not limited to our largely volunteer fire and rescue services. Real estate along or near the proposed route would be adversely impacted, harming property owners directly in the path of the pipeline, as well as neighboring properties. Nelson County would not derive any perceptible benefit from the project sufficient to compensate for the harm caused to property owners, tourism, natural resources, and the ongoing disruption of life in the county for a period of years. Please help to resolve this!

I'm only a thirteen year old girl, but hopefully I can enter adulthood into a green, healthy world you and I have helped change.

It is about the devastation, without any regulation to hang onto, on my road, Crooked Run Rd. in Alum Bridge, WV, in Alum Bridge, WV, in the state of WV., in the country of the U.S., in the world. It is ecocide - it ruins the water, the air, the earth and the quality of life of anyone near it. Please sign the petitiion.

Help those people without water!!

The Arctic is an amazing place, home to whales, polar bears, and other amazing creatures. We need to act now to protect it for future generations