First off, the following 8 steps are suggested by Paul Stamets as a viable solution to diffusing, containing, & securing the radioactive elements of the disaster: 1. Evacuate the region around the reactors. 2. Establish a high-level, diversified remediation team including foresters, mycologists, nuclear and radiation experts, government officials, and citizens. 3. Establish a fenced off Nuclear Forest Recovery Zone. 4. Chip the wood debris from the destroyed buildings and trees and spread throughout areas suffering from high levels of radioactive contamination. 5. Mulch the landscape with the chipped wood debris to a minimum depth of 12-24 inches. 6. Plant native deciduous and conifer trees, along with hyper-accumulating mycorrhizal mushrooms, particularly Gomphidius glutinosus, Craterellus tubaeformis, and Laccaria amethystina (all native to pines). G. glutinosus has been reported to absorb – via the mycelium – and concentrate radioactive Cesium 137 more than 10,000-fold over ambient background levels. Many other mycorrhizal mushroom species also hyper-accumulate. 7. Wait until mushrooms form and then harvest them under Radioactive HAZMAT protocols. 8. Continuously remove the mushrooms, which have now concentrated the radioactivity, particularly Cesium 137, to an incinerator. Burning the mushroom will result in radioactive ash. This ash can be further refined and the resulting concentrates vitrified (placed into glass) or stored using other state-of-the-art storage technologies. By sampling other mushroom-forming fungi for their selective ability to hyper-accumulate radioactivity, we can learn a great deal while helping the ecosystem recover. Not only will some mushroom species hyper-accumulate radioactive compounds, but research has also shown that some mycorrhizal fungi bind and sequester radioactive elements so they remain immobilized for extended periods of time. Surprisingly, we learned from the Chernobyl disaster that many species of melanin-producing fungi have their growth stimulated by radiation. The knowledge gained through this collaborative process would not only benefit the areas affected by the current crisis, but would also help with preparedness and future remediation responses. SOURCE: http://punkrockpermaculture.wordpress.com/2011/03/28/paul-stamets-on-radiation-contamination-around-fukushima/

I am starting this petition as a concerned mother and citizen. I have a small child and currently live in a rural county with no animal control. This is a danger not only to my child, but to everyone living in this county. It is time for this to change.

My son David attends Bessie Carmichael K-8 school at the K-5 campus and participates in the after school programs there. When I went to pick him up in the evening a few days after Daylight Savings ended (November 3, 2013) I was surprised to see how dark the playground was. When I asked a program staffer if anyone had asked the school's custodial staff to update the timer on the playground lights I was informed that the floodlights that are supposed to illuminate the playground were not working and that Principal had submitted a work order in September for their repair. So far the District has not sent out Maintenance staff to fix them. This represents a serious safety hazard for children and school day/after school staff alike and must be remedied immediately.

Philosophically, it makes no sense for political parties to boss political primaries. But the objection is not just philosophical, it is pragmatic: DC usually backs the wrong candidate. Here in Montana, our state party rules ban intervention in primaries. We let the voters decide and it is a smart policy. But the Washington, DC based Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) is trying to boss our 2014 senate nomination. The Senate Majority Leader even tried to prevent voters from even having a choice. Adding insult to injury, new Public Policy Polling results show the candidate the DSCC is backing has *worse* poll numbers for the general election, in a race that could decide control of the US senate. Washington, DC wants somebody who won't rock the boat. Washington, DC wants somebody who won't mention "single-payer" and talk about health care as a fundamental right. Washington, DC wants somebody who won't mention "Snowden" and talk about the need to restore the Fourth Amendment. Washington, DC wants somebody who will follow orders, not fight to fix the filibuster. Montana voters deserve a choice. And Montana Democrats should be the only ones deciding who will represent us in the November general election.

As torture survivors flee for their lives, most of them carry the heavy weight of multiple and cumulative traumas in addition to the on-going traumatic experiences that can be associated with being a refugee. Receiving asylum in the United States can be a lifeline to safety and provide a path to healing. However, when asylum seekers arrive at a U.S. border or port of entry, they are frequently shocked at the treatment they endure upon reaching a perceived destination of safety and protection, as they are arrested, shackled, and confined. Due to the long-term impacts of torture and trauma, the fact of being detained at all is often retraumatizing for survivors of torture. Further, particular elements inherent in the detention experience—including a profound sense of powerlessness and loss of control—may recapitulate the torture experience. Beyond this, the indefinite nature of immigration detention is a blanket over it all, contributing to severe, chronic emotional distress. In less than three years – from October 2010 to February 2013 – the United States detained an estimated 6,000 survivors of torture as they were seeking asylum protection. Given the extreme hardship, particularly in light of less expensive and more humane alternatives, survivors of torture should not be detained. Once detained most asylum seekers do not have access to legal information and representation. Only 14% of the asylum seekers in immigration detention have access to the legal orientation program (LOP) or some form of legal assistance. Most of the asylum seekers including torture survivors forced to represent themselves and some lose their legal battle and deported to the country where they were tortured or persecuted. There are important steps that the Department of Justice can take to mitigate the harmful impact of detention on survivors of torture and improve the immigration detention system overall, including: • Expand the Legal Orientation Program to serve all detention facilities used by ICE and guarantee that all immigrants in detention receive a legal orientation Program as soon as possible; and • Establish systems for government-funded counsel for survivors of torture and other particularly vulnerable immigrants in detention. Please sign this petition and help torture survivors in detention facilities.

Republicans are refusing to allow any of President Obama’s extremely well-qualified nominees for the D.C. Circuit court—the second most important court in the land—to get a vote. In 2005, at a similar crisis point, senators from both parties agreed that they would only filibuster a judicial nominee under "extraordinary circumstances." However, despite the fact that many of the Republicans who were central to that agreement are still in office, now they are ignoring it. These same Republicans are refusing to allow a vote on anyone President Obama nominates for the court, and not because of "extraordinary circumstances." Instead, they are pushing to eliminate the vacant seats on this court altogether because they don’t want anyone Obama nominates to serve. Senate Republicans are not acting in good faith. Please sign our petition urging Senate Majority Leader Reid to exercise the nuclear option and end the filibuster on judicial nominees.

The U.S. Senate will be voting after Thanksgiving on a bill to increase the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour over the years. The bill would also increase the tipped minimum wage, which has been $2.13 an hour since 1991. Huge majorities across the political spectrum support an increase in the minimum wage. It's good for workers, good for local businesses, and it's the right thing to do. Tell Senator Kirk: it's time to raise the minimum wage.

The U.S. Senate will be voting after Thanksgiving on a bill to increase the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour over three years. The bill would also increase the tipped minimum wage, which has been $2.13 an hour since 1991. Huge majorities across the political spectrum support an increase in the minimum wage. It's good for workers, good for local businesses, and it's the right thing to do. Tell Senators Shaheen and Ayotte: it's time to raise the minimum wage.

The U.S. Senate will be voting after Thanksgiving on a bill to increase the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour over the years. The bill would also increase the tipped minimum wage, which has been $2.13 an hour since 1991. Huge majorities across the political spectrum support an increase in the minimum wage. It's good for workers, good for local businesses, and it's the right thing to do. Tell Senators Chambliss and Isakson: it's time to raise the minimum wage.

On September 1, a new contractor, Novel Service Group, replaced the prior cleaning contractor. Novel Service Group went on to cut the wages of the janitorial staff in half and eliminated their health insurance and pension benefits. As business owners and tenants at 295 Madison Avenue and nearby, we believe that the best possible investment in New York's economic future is by making sure people have good jobs with good benefits and wages. That is why we’re urging the Eretz Group to ensure that a responsible janitorial contractor returns to 295 Madison; a contractor that will restore the wages and benefits for the hardworking men and women that clean 295 Madison . These building workers need good jobs with decent wages in order to properly care for themselves and their families. Join us in demanding good jobs with good wages and dignity for these hard-working building service workers!

The way to boost incomes and employment, raise tax revenues and lower budget deficits is to grow the economy. That can only be done by getting money into the hands of consumers via community banks, credit unions, infrastructure improvements, personal and business loans, and into Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. $2 trillion injected over time will produce $12 trillion in GDP, $10 trillion in income, 50 million new jobs, and $4.8 trillion in new tax revenues to balance the budget and lower the debt. Let the Fed sell a new round of bonds and direct all sales proceeds into M1, the source of all new growth.

MSNBC hosts Chris Hayes, Rachel Maddow, Ed Schultz, Al Sharpton and Lawrence O’Donnell are strong defenders of labor and progressive causes. And now they have a chance to stand up for workers at NBC. Producers and associate producers for Peacock Productions—which is owned by NBC and creates nonfiction and reality programming for MSNBC, NBC, CNBC and other networks—have been trying to organize for fair pay and better working conditions for more than a year. But Peacock has fought them at every turn. After workers started to organize, Peacock began to hold mandatory group and one-on-one meetings to badmouth unions. Despite that, workers persisted and finally got to vote on whether to unionize. But Peacock has used legal tactics to impound the ballots and stall workers from getting the voice on the job they deserve. Peacock workers have called on Chris Hayes, Rachel Maddow, Ed Schultz, Al Sharpton and Lawrence O’Donnell to stand with them. It’s time these MSNBC hosts practice what they preach and support the rights of these producers and associate producers to organize.