Rather than discovering the future of energy, some within the coal industry spend a majority of their time donating to conservative, intolerant elected officials and bashing President Obama and the Environmental Protection Agency. Although Bob Murray, President of Murray Energy, has seen many die in his coal mines he refuses to acknowledge the dangers of coal mining and incineration, and instead chooses to cut down those who attempt to move the U.S. energy sector forward. If coal-fired power plants ran more efficiently they would burn less coal and emit less carbon dioxide. This field should be the focus of the coal industry, not demeaning agencies attempting to protect Americans from the effects of climate change. Coal mining jobs have been lost, not because of EPA rules, but because of mechanization. In 1951, the leaders of the United Mine Workers of American and the Bituminous Coal Operators Association lifted their opposition to the mechanization of the mining industry. In 1940, West Virginia employed 135,457 miners. In 1968, it was 41,573. Currently there are 22,786 West Virginians employed in coal mines. The job losses over the last 50 years are dwarfed by job losses during an era when the EPA did not exist.

Europe has already fought back against powerful chemical companies and took a big step to protect bees by putting into effect a ban of the top bee-killing “neonic” pesticides. Now it’s our turn! Join Friends of the Earth and our allies in demanding that the EPA take immediate action to protect bees! Bees are critical in producing the majority of our food crops and the evidence is mounting that Bayer and Syngenta’s pesticides are a key contributor to mass bee die-offs. However, the EPA continues to ignore scientists -- even those employed by the EPA -- and has delayed action until 2018. But the bees can’t wait -- and neither can we! U.S. beekeepers have been consistently losing 40-100 percent of their hives. This winter, beekeepers are likely facing yet another season of historic bee die offs. We can’t let the EPA wait another five years to address this crisis. Please take action today and tell the EPA to ban bee-killing pesticides.

Europe has already fought back against powerful chemical companies and took a big step to protect bees by putting into effect a ban of the top bee-killing “neonic” pesticides. Now it’s our turn! Join Friends of the Earth and our allies in demanding that the EPA take immediate action to protect bees! Bees are critical in producing the majority of our food crops and the evidence is mounting that Bayer and Syngenta’s pesticides are a key contributor to mass bee die-offs. However, the EPA continues to ignore scientists -- even those employed by the EPA -- and has delayed action until 2018. But the bees can’t wait -- and neither can we! U.S. beekeepers have been consistently losing 40-100 percent of their hives. This winter, beekeepers are likely facing yet another season of historic bee die offs. We can’t let the EPA wait another five years to address this crisis. Please take action today and tell the EPA to ban bee-killing pesticides.

Europe has already fought back against powerful chemical companies and took a big step to protect bees by putting into effect a ban of the top bee-killing “neonic” pesticides. Now it’s our turn! Join Friends of the Earth and our allies in demanding that the EPA take immediate action to protect bees! Bees are critical in producing the majority of our food crops and the evidence is mounting that Bayer and Syngenta’s pesticides are a key contributor to mass bee die-offs. However, the EPA continues to ignore scientists -- even those employed by the EPA -- and has delayed action until 2018. But the bees can’t wait -- and neither can we! U.S. beekeepers have been consistently losing 40-100 percent of their hives. This winter, beekeepers are likely facing yet another season of historic bee die offs. We can’t let the EPA wait another five years to address this crisis. Please take action today and tell the EPA to ban bee-killing pesticides.

Europe has already fought back against powerful chemical companies and took a big step to protect bees by putting into effect a ban of the top bee-killing “neonic” pesticides. Now it’s our turn! Join Friends of the Earth and our allies in demanding that the EPA take immediate action to protect bees! Bees are critical in producing the majority of our food crops and the evidence is mounting that Bayer and Syngenta’s pesticides are a key contributor to mass bee die-offs. However, the EPA continues to ignore scientists -- even those employed by the EPA -- and has delayed action until 2018. But the bees can’t wait -- and neither can we! U.S. beekeepers have been consistently losing 40-100 percent of their hives. This winter, beekeepers are likely facing yet another season of historic bee die offs. We can’t let the EPA wait another five years to address this crisis. Please take action today and tell the EPA to ban bee-killing pesticides.

Europe has already fought back against powerful chemical companies and took a big step to protect bees by putting into effect a ban of the top bee-killing “neonic” pesticides. Now it’s our turn! Join Friends of the Earth and our allies in demanding that the EPA take immediate action to protect bees! Bees are critical in producing the majority of our food crops and the evidence is mounting that Bayer and Syngenta’s pesticides are a key contributor to mass bee die-offs. However, the EPA continues to ignore scientists -- even those employed by the EPA -- and has delayed action until 2018. But the bees can’t wait -- and neither can we! U.S. beekeepers have been consistently losing 40-100 percent of their hives. This winter, beekeepers are likely facing yet another season of historic bee die offs. We can’t let the EPA wait another five years to address this crisis. Please take action today and tell the EPA to ban bee-killing pesticides.

Solar energy is clean energy that helps reduce air pollution, saves ratepayers money because there is less wear and tear on the grid so less need for infrastructure upgrades, and is one solution to help mitigate the catastrophic impacts of climate change. Solar energy should be promoted and celebrated, not burdened with unnecessary fees.

Tim DeChristopher spent almost two years in prison for an act of civil disobedience when he peacefully disrupted a BLM oil and gas lease auction in Salt Lake City. The BLM aggressively pursued charges against DeChristopher. He broke the law and went to prison for it. Earlier this month, a group of protesters led by San Juan County Commissioner Phil Lyman, and including Cliven Bundy's son, illegally rode ATVs through a protected section of Recapture Canyon near Blanding, Utah. The canyon is protected because it houses significant ecological and archaeological sites. Indeed, local Native American tribes consider the land sacred. Yet Lyman and his band ignored pleas by local tribes and BLM officials and instead rode motorized vehicles over the protected land, calling it an act of civil disobedience. Lyman and his band broke the law. They should be held accountable. Tell US Attorney David Barlow and Utah BLM Director Juan Palma to hold the protesters and armed militia accountable for riding their ATVs through Recapture Canyon and breaking the law.

We, the undersigned, being people of conscience, call upon the McCrory Administration and the North Carolina General Assembly to recognize their moral obligation to assure that Duke Energy shareholders, not the people of North Carolina, pay to clean up all the toxic coal ash dumps. Additionally, decisions must be made in consultation with the communities currently and potentially impacted by the toxic waste, with particular concern to protect communities of color and low-income communities that have historically been targeted for the storage of hazardous waste.

Elephants may become extinct in our lifetimes if we do not take immediate action on all fronts. I want my grandchildren to be able to experience this wonderful, beautiful animal.

The Mokelumne River provides 90 percent of the water for the East Bay. California State Senate Bill 1199, authored by Sen. Loni Hancock, will protect 37 miles of the river from new dams while safeguarding the East Bay's clean Sierra drinking water. It's time to protect the free-flowing sections of this special river and its Native American cultural values, rich history, great scenic beauty and valuable family recreation sites for generations to come.

Update: July 6, 2014. With the RTC rejecting the second call for an independent investigation on June 26, and going ahead with adoption of the $5.6 billion transportation plan, it has given me the opportunity to re-evaluate this campaign and how I can be of service. This is the conclusion I have come to: We, the public, paid for the RTC traffic pollution reduction program, and we have a right to know exactly what went wrong and why. Therefore I am going to continue to push ahead with the demand for an independent investigation. Over the weeks ahead I will be writing to all thirteen RTC transportation commissioners, continuing to provide more evidence to build the case. How many letters to transportation commissioners will be needed for an independent investigation to be agreed to? I hope you can join us. - Paul ----------------------------------------- I’m an entrepreneur / commute consultant in Santa Cruz, California who develops and implements commute programs to reduce traffic and pollution. The purpose of this petition is to bring to light actions taken over the past five years by my local transportation agency that have: - Directed public funds into known ineffective traffic reduction, pollution reduction strategies - Prevented public funds being directed into known effective traffic pollution reduction programs - Undermined, and attempted to discredit valid concerns raised - Deceived the public Brief history of events: From 2005 – 2014 I have been working with the City of Santa Cruz to develop and provide commute programs to shift single occupant vehicle (SOV) commuting to alternative commuting: biking, carpooling, transit, walk, etc., with positive results: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qePeHoSLDTs I have also worked with the County of Santa Cruz (independent from the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission – the target of this petition), also with positive results: http://greenstartupstory.com/2012/08/28/rsclients-in-santa-cruz-county/#santacruzco In 2008 a local community college, Cabrillo College, applied for an *AB2766 traffic pollution reduction grant to use my services to reduce their largest source of CO2 – the commute. To support Cabrillo College’s grant application I provided commute services for free for six months starting April 22 (Earth Day), 2008. Again with positive results: http://greenstartupstory.com/2012/05/26/welcome-spotlife/grantadvocacyletter-small-highlighted/ [*AB2766 is a $200M/year California-wide traffic pollution reduction grant fund paid by drivers through vehicle license fees. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) oversees the AB2766 fund.] Unfortunately, rather than supporting Cabrillo’s grant application, the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (SCCRTC) ‘competed’ with Cabrillo’s grant application, with false and exaggerated claims of their own capabilities to achieve effective traffic pollution reduction. These false claims by the SCCRTC resulted in the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District (Air District) denying Cabrillo’s top priority funding request, and instead funding the SCCRTC with $120,000 AB2766 public funds to serve Cabrillo College’s commute program needs, as well as the commute program needs of all other employers in Santa Cruz County. With funding being denied, Cabrillo College’s successful commute program had to be shut down in September 2008. Keeping in touch with Cabrillo College I learned that the SCCRTC program delivered no benefit from 2008 - 2012. In May 2012, the Air District (responsible for managing the AB2766 grant fund locally) were asked about the performance of the SCCRTC program. Their response: ‘The District feels that SCCRTC has made adequate progress'. June 2012: After further investigation, findings were summarized in a report calling for an independent investigation: http://greenstartupstory.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/ridespringcabrilloreportjune2012-2.pdf The report was provided to the SCCRTC and Air District. In a Santa Cruz Sentinel article in July 2012, both the SCCRTC and Air District dismissed concerns, and reiterated confidence in the SCCRTC program: “We still believe this is a great program” (with 0.16% of the projected traffic pollution reduction achieved). http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_21168663/ June 2013: SCCRTC Executive Director describes report calling for an independent investigation as ‘misleading and untrue’ January 2014: Air District issues Stop Work Order against SCCRTC program. Stop Work Order confirms key concerns raised in report: http://greenstartupstory.com/2014/02/25/ad-stopworkorder-rtc/ March 2014: Attempting to bring attention to this issue at an SCCRTC public hearing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yc0pZf7FyxI What’s next… June 26, 2014: The SCCRTC is scheduled to approve a $5.6 billion transportation plan claiming priority and capabilities in effective traffic pollution reduction. Highlights from the SCCRTC plan include: Page 13 ‘Much effort on this 2014 RTP and the 2035 Metropolitan Transportation Plan has been focused on prioritizing projects that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions primarily from a reduction in vehicle miles traveled (VMT)’ Page 19 ‘With the passage of the California Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act of 2008 (SB 375) and the establishment of regional greenhouse gas emissions targets, a much greater emphasis is being placed on transportation plans to reduce the number of vehicle miles we travel’ Page 140 ‘The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission is taking a proactive approach towards identifying strategies for reducing greenhouse gases in the 2014 RTP’ Page 140 ‘The 2014 RTP relies on reductions in vehicle miles traveled along with improvements in vehicle speed to achieve the five percent greenhouse gas emissions reduction’ Page 220 ‘The California Air Resources Board (ARB) requires a five percent reduction in per capita ...