Our food system is broken thanks to a handful of powerful Big Ag companies that are driving climate change and human rights abuses. For years, RAN has profiled Cargill's role in this flawed system, but there are other US Food Giants that are responsible for some of the worst food system impacts, and Tyson Foods is one of them. Tyson is known around the world for its massive poultry operation, and recently RAN exposed the company for its link to Conflict Palm Oil via one of its leading brands, Sara Lee. Tyson Foods and its global subsidiaries are one of the world's largest producers of chicken, beef, pork as well as prepared foods containing Conflict Palm Oil. It's leading brands include Tyson®, Jimmy Dean®, Hillshire Farm®, Sara Lee® Frozen Bakery, Ball Park®, Wright®, Aidells® and State Fair®. Tyson Foods is one of the largest meat producers in the world with recently reported record profits over $37 billion in revenue. The food giant has unprecedented control over the U.S. meat supply and is the biggest poultry producer in the world. The system of chicken production that Tyson has built keeps farmers in a state of indebted servitude, living on the edge of bankruptcy, and takes a huge toll on the climate. Altogether, our industrial system of agriculture is driving roughly one third of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, largely from tropical deforestation/land conversion for livestock and commodity feed crops, methane emissions from the prevalent industrial/factory farming model of animal production, and food sector emissions like manufacturing processed foods. Corporations like Tyson Foods, through its factory farm industrial model of production, is driving runaway climate change, increased levels of corporate control, high levels of food waste, forest loss and fragmentation, soil erosion, water scarcity and pollution, loss of biodiversity - both genetic diversity of crops and threatened extinction of key species, food insecurity, and racial inequity. Take action with RAN to demand that the biggest and most egregious global food producers, starting with Tyson Foods, adopt a comprehensive palm oil and meat sector policy. Tyson Foods must transparently report on its efforts to curb its impact on people, wildlife and the planet. It must publish data on its contribution to rainforest destruction, carbon pollution, biodiversity loss, human and workers rights abuse and its impact on global water supplies.

The science couldn't be more clear. We must take swift action to end the dangers that fracking and extreme oil extraction pose to California's future. Fracking and these other dangerous forms of drilling and extraction are a direct threat to our water, air, food and environment. Governor Brown and the Legislature must act now to keep our families, communities and planet safe by banning all dangerous forms of drilling and extraction immediately.

Maryland and its economy depend on a healthy Chesapeake Bay. But water quality threats from big corporations continue to endanger America’s largest estuary system. Right now, Maryland has the authority to negotiate corporate licenses to protect the Chesapeake Bay and the livelihoods and ecosystems it supports. Special interests would like to change that. As Marylanders, let’s remain in charge of protecting our Chesapeake Bay, our clean water, and our endangered species. Add your name and join me in telling Congress to reject this bill!

Please sign no matter where you live to show the whole country is watching! When Los Angeles voters passed Measure H with 75% of the vote they said loud and clear they want the city's system of public financing of campaigns strengthened. Now LA City Council is about to consider a proposal to do that. The Ethics Commission's proposal would help small donors compete with big donors by matching them on a 6 to 1 basis, meaning that a $50 donation to a qualified candidate would generate an extra $300 of public funds. But the proposal applies to donations up to $500 in citywide races. Thus, a wealthy person who donates $500 would generate an outrageous $3,000 in public funds – 5 times more than small donors who can barely afford $100! Tell the Council to amend the proposal to help small donors, not big donors!

In his encyclical on the climate, Pope Francis wrote: “There is an urgent need to develop policies so that, in the next few years, the emission of carbon dioxide and other highly polluting gases can be drastically reduced, for example, substituting for fossil fuels and developing sources of renewable energy.” Inspired by the Pope's call for climate action, and called to act by FERC's continued rubber-stamping of fracked gas projects like pipelines, compressor stations and export terminals, the BXE fast is in the great tradition of Gandhi, Cesar Chavez, Dave Dellinger and Bobby Sands. They plan to visit FERC every day, and refuse to accept any food or drink except water until September 25th, the day the Pope speaks at the United Nations in New York City, or FERC stops issuing new permits -- whichever comes first. These brave climate warriors are risking their health, comfort and safety to stop any of our towns and communities from being sacrificed to fracked gas infrastructure. Sign here to stand in solidarity with them.

Refugees from the Mideast.

I feel Bernie speaking at the freedom rally would be a great opportunity for him as well as for thousands of people in Massachusetts trying to get involved in the political process of our country

Our congress has become corrupt with lobbyist and corporate donors. The best way to cure these symptoms of a broken system is to impose term limits on those who represent us in Congress. This will help to ensure that the most informed and connected representatives are the voice of the people they represent, instead of the companies who have paid for their voice.

I would like to see Bernie Sanders - regardless of his candidacy for the president of the United States in 2016 - be recognized for his service in legislative and executive actions in his capacity as representative of the People. Bernie Sanders' record for standing for the equality and rights of the LGBTQ community is unshakable and he needs to be recognized for who he is. From a time when being so aligned could have cost him his whole career, he stood with us unmoved from the task, without needing to look to polling results to know how to react or on which side of history to stand.

Urge American Airlines and their partners to participate in the collection of recyclable items on their aircrafts. American Airlines leads major companies like; U.S. Airways, PSA and of course, American Airlines. According to a recent study “the EPA estimates that 75% of the American waste stream is recyclable” and with such a large company, they can make a major difference by simply doing recycling collections. Please urge them to act now and make recycling collection occur on all of their aircrafts.

I still remember the pride I felt when I first learned this quote: “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me: I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”

My daughter's high school is shuffling students to 'balance' class sizes, some of which are larger than 40 students. Teachers are digging into their own pockets to purchase critical supplies that are not forthcoming from their school districts. Administrative staffs have had to perform more tasks due to the under funding of their budgets. Teacher salaries have been declining. In the past fifteen years the number of graduates seeking to become a teacher has fallen from over 40,000 to less than 21,000 people. Let's reverse this ominous decline! No more talk...we need action. Now!