Royal Dutch Shell is poised to begin drilling 5 exploratory wells in the Arctic, once issued permits by the Obama Administration. Shell has never drilled in Arctic conditions before, coupled with the fact that this area has no infrastructure nor proximity to any human population centers that might respond in the event of a spill. Shell has formed such a ludicrous contingency plan, that in the event of a late summer spill when the Arctic begins to freeze over, of waiting until spring time to address the issue. If this eventually happens, Shell is prepared to allow oil to gush into the pristine Arctic waters for at least 180 days before responding. This cannot stand.

The world is getting warmer and greenhouse gases from fossil fuels are contributing significantly to this effect. This year has been the hottest on record for the U.S. and the thirteen warmest years for the planet have all occurred since 1998. Although difficult to prove for individual cases, recent droughts, temperature records, and extremely intense tornadoes and hurricanes are predicted by climate models and may be attributed to climate change.

The Democratic Board of Supervisors in Fairfax, VA is suing the federal EPA to forestall requirements to clean up the Accotink watershed. The decision to sue was made in a closed meeting - no sunshine here! While the watershed is an environmental nightmare, the lawsuit is a developer's dream come true!

For too long, corporate interests have stalled government progress on the issue of climate change, keeping our representatives from taking action and fully informing the public about this global threat. After the latest batch of wildfires have ravaged Colorado, we can no longer allow this inaction and disinformation to remain steering the public dialog and reactions. For years scientists warned that due to the overly dry conditions in Colorado, our 'table was set' for the brutal wildfire we have faced this year, but still our representatives continue to deny that the climate is making us less safe and much more vulnerable. We need to stand up and demand that our representatives take action to protect the safety of it's people, and they are not doing so by allowing corporate interests to prevent the state from moving on the surrounding issues and threats that climate change has presented across the globe, let alone here in Colorado. We want our elected officials to start introducing bills that will help address the issue of climate change before it is too late. We want regulations put in place, not just on a state level, but for our representatives to start leading others and introduce federal legislation to help ensure the sustainability and safety of the people they represent, and the country they are tasked with protecting.

I live in Michigan and the weather here has been devastating...fruit crops have been lost because of the unusually high temperatures in March and freezes in April. We have been dealing with regular temperatures in the 90s and over 100 degrees. There is drought throughout the state. I'm concerned that Congress is not doing enough to address the issue of climate change that no longer is an issue for the future but is an issue that needs to be dealt with now.

I think recycling is very important and I notice when the take-out containers from fast food are not recyclable. Some companies have made a point of it, but one of the biggest, MacDonalds, does not. All fast food containers and packaging should be marked for recycling.

All over the country requirements are being put into action to deter and to eliminate the votes of poor, elderly, and minorities. The Attorney General of the United States must insist on AND enforce the right to vote for every citizen in the country.

Bicycling is considered to be a major mode of transportation by many in New York City. Yet, the local government has failed to keep cyclists safe and continues to equate bikes with motor vehicles. We believe it is the best interest not only of cyclists but of drivers and the city itself to advocate for more protected bicycle lanes as well as stricter laws regarding bicycle-related accidents.

Rid Earth of Nuclear and the toxic dumping and storing in our Earth. Start cleaning up. Help Earth by finding solutions for restoring the natural systems on which all life depends.

The public sewer dept. used lies and miss information to borrow 34 mil to expand their system to 1670 residences and destroy there working septic tanks. Their system is failing and dumping raw or poorly treated sewage into a creek. We are being forced to pay a high monthly fee if we hook up to the system or not. If one hooks up to the system they will be adding more pharmaceuticals to the drinking water that is already affecting fish and the human race.

We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now to save the community garden that volunteers from the Saint Louis community have been growing for months. We have just celebrated our three month anniversary of creating a garden of flowers, organic vegetables, and other plants for the community on the corner of Red Bud and Carter in Saint Louis, Missouri. This lot remained vacant for at least 20 years and now is finally being used to benefit all people with free fresh vegetables for everyone in the community. The children of the community have been tending to the garden and learning valuable lessons about agriculture and farming, as well as how to take care of the environment. Unfortunately, we are now learning that there are plans to turn the space into a parking lot for a nearby facility. We are taking a pro-active stance in case something happens to the garden that has become a place of family gatherings, community cook-outs, and a place of peace for everyone who lives here. We urge you to donate the land to the community as a show of good faith, so that we can all continue to benefit from the Northside Community Garden as well as future gardens to come.

Veterans who trained or stationed at Ft McClellan were exposed to highly toxic agents while there! I personally trained there 10/79-4/80. Veterans are getting sick and there have been deaths! I am having health problems as well! The bill HR2052 has languishing in committee for two years while veterans are suffering!! Please sign petition and please call your Representatives!