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Posts Tagged ‘United States’

World Water Day is March 22nd, what can you do?

Thursday, March 18th, 2010

We’re gearing up for World Water Day, and we hope you’ll be joining us in spreading awareness to the clean water cause. We’re working with our corporate sponsors and YOU, of course, to support the efforts of Partners in Health and Engineers Without Borders–USA in the work that they do to provide clean water around the world.

Did you know, in a recent report released by the WHO and UNICEF show that some 5.9 billion people, or 87 per cent of the world’s population, now have access to safe drinking water? This reports suggests that we are on track to meet our 2015 Millennium Development goals. We’re positive that this in large part to the active nature of local communities, nonprofits like PIH and EWB-USA, and supports like you!

So what can you do this World Water Day to show your support for the clean water cause? Here are a few of our ideas:

Participate in UNICEF’s Tap Project. Restaurants across the US ask patrons to donate $1 for the tap water they normally enjoy for free, which is then donated to UNICEF. This year, UNICEF Tap Project donations will fund programs in Central African Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, Togo, and Vietnam—countries that UNICEF water and sanitation experts have prioritized for their immediate needs.
Leave comments for the EPA on their web forum about how to better protect America’s waters. That’s right, they’re asking for public input for the next two weeks on how to address and solve some of the most significant water pollution problems facing the nation. Please leave your ideas! (You’ll see this is especially important if you’ve been following the Supreme Court decision regarding the EPA’s jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act.)
Watch a documentary about water to raise your awareness. There are some great ones out there, including award winner Up the Yangtze, about the Three Gorges Dam. Our witty and intelligent friends at the Groundwater Up Project just finished their documentary on issues of clean water in Delhi (though these issues are surely not specific to Delhi). Check out their trailer:

Get your friends to sign up with replyforall! We are pushing to get enough users to provide 100 families with clean water for 1 year. If you remember last year, we had enough of your help to build 2 wells for 2 villages! Help us this year to reach our goal– we need less than 300 new replyforall users to get there, so spread the word!

If you have other ways that you can support the clean water cause, comment below or send us a shout out on Facebook or Twitter! We know our users are both aware and active, and we’re so glad to have you on the replyforall team.

Fight the Good Fight,

Johanna Hudgens

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Between 1990 and 2004, 62 million more people in rural sub-Saharan Africa gained access to water supplies.

By using this email signature, Johanna and Engineers Without Borders-USA provided an hour of clean water for 9 people.

Pete Wentz: UNICEF’s New Tap Project Spokesperson! (justjared.buzznet.com)
Global Access To Safe Drinking Water Increased, Sanitation Lagging Behind, WHO-UNICEF Report Finds (medicalnewstoday.com)
Toxic Waters: Rulings Restrict Clean Water Act, Hampering E.P.A. (nytimes.com)

Tags: clean water, Drinking water, Environment, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, Johanna Hudgens, March 22, Millennium Development Goals, provide clean water, Replyforall, Supreme Court of the United States, tap project, UNICEF Tap Project, United States, Water pollution, world water day
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States take the lead on animal rights legislation

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

Over the last few weeks, a lot has been happening in state legislatures regarding breeding facilities, animal abuse, and chaining dogs. We wanted to update you about a few of them so together we can celebrate this huge step forward in protecting animal rights.

Regulating “Puppy Mills”

This week in Iowa, the state legislature passed a bill that would require more regulation of dog breeding facilities, often called puppy mills. The bill, awaiting the governor’s signature as I write this, would give greater state oversight of the facilities to ensure the animals are well treated. Some legislators, however, expressed concern that this type of bill would lead to regulating livestock raised for food production (animal agriculture is exempt from the regulation). As one Republican state senator said, “Theyre going to be back next year…theyre going to ask to restrict layer cages. Theyre going to ask to eliminate gestation crates for sows. Theyre going to make sure that our livestock has access to open air at all times [or] something like that, its coming. Bring it on, we say!

Regulating Dogs on Chains

Many states already have regulation regarding tethering or chaining dogs. According to the Animal Law Coalition, thirteen states have already passed laws requiring shelter or minimum tether lengths, and similar bills are being considered in seven other states. One bill in Illinois would be the strictest yet– requiring that tethered dogs must be visible to the owners. This reflects laws passed in counties already like Ashville, NC and Miami/Dade County, FL. Abolishing the practice altogether would be difficult, however, when it comes to enforcing such a law.

Animal Abuse Registry

This might be the most progressive animal rights bill yet, and it comes from the sunny state of California. A bill proposed in the state legislature would create an online registry for animal abusers; similar to a sex offenders registry, it would include the abusers’ home addresses and places of employment. Any person convicted of a felon involving animal cruelty would be registered. The bill stems from evidence that animal abuse is often a warning sign of future, more heinous crimes. Similar bills have been introduced in other states, but none have been passed. What do you think about having a state registry of animal abusers? Let us know!

These are just a few examples of the coming surge of animal rights bills in legislatures across the United States. And most of our readers believe that it is up to the government to protect animal rights– check out the results from our last poll.

Come back next week as we wrap up our focus on protecting animal rights with a profile of one of our nonprofit partners, PetFinder.com Foundation.

Fight the Good Fight,

Johanna Hudgens

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As many as 100 million invertebrate animals are used for testing each year.

By using this email signature, Johanna and ASPCA provided an hour of protective services for 52 animals.

Farmers fight back against animal rights groups (sfgate.com)
Registering animal abusers like sex offenders (timesunion.com)
Iowa lawmakers consider dog breeder measure (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

Tags: Agriculture, animal rights, Animal welfare, California, Cruelty to animals, Iowa, Johanna Hudgens, protect animal rights, Puppy mill, Replyforall, United States
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Tech alternatives to testing, eating animals

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

Cruelty is a big topic when considering the rights of our animal friends, and science seems to be taking the lead over legislation. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in US v. Stevens that selling videos of dog fights and animal brutality and such is completely protected under our First Amendment rights. (For the record, dogfighting is illegal in all 50 states and a felony in most. The message here: apparently it’s not okay to harm animals, but if you just so happen to have video of the heinous crime, it’s totally fine to sell it for a profit.) This is going on at the same time New Zealand is working to toughen penalties for those who harm animals.

Luckily, it looks like science is making some forward strides in animal rights when it comes to cosmetic testing and what I like to call Petri Pork. Both take the animal out of the situation and use cells instead. L’Oreal helped to fund research at the Hurel Corp. to create technology that uses lab-grown human skin cells. There’s still a long way to go to make sure that the results are accurate, but if so, mice and guinea pigs could be spared. That’s huge, since it’s estimated that 50 to 100 million vertebrate animals are used for testing each year (almost all die, either from the testing or euthanasia). Is it worth it to manipulate human cells if it means sparing the lives of millions of animals?

What about stem cells? Scientists in the Netherlands have developed a way to use the stem cells of pigs to grow meat in a petri dish. They believe that, once embraced, the practice could alleviate world hunger, save the lives of pigs, and offer a green solution to raising livestock. The only question is, who will eat Petri Pork? While factory farming isn’t all that natural, either, meat from a petri dish may be a hard sell… what do you think? Take our poll at the bottom of this page!

If you have any news that you’d like to see shared with our replyforall users, email Johanna with your article, video, or link! We’d love to hear from you.

Fight the Good Fight,

Johanna Hudgens

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To make foie gras birds are force-fed huge amounts of food, leading to enlarged livers & internal damage.

By using this email signature, Johanna and ASPCA provided an hour of protective services for 19 animals.

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Court takes up free-speech case of pit bull videos (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
Lawmakers Forced to Choose Between Welfare of Budget, Animals (takepart.com)
Animal welfare victories prompt farmers’ PR moves (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
Food and Feelings: Animals and the Ethics Behind Eating (replyforall.com)

Tags: animal research, animal rights, animal testing, Animal welfare, Factory farming, Johanna Hudgens, New Zealand, pig stem cells, protect animal rights, Replyforall, United States
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Food for thought: eating to support animals, people, and a cleaner environment

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

As I said in my last post, I’m trying to live more consciously, taking into account how my decisions affect the world around me. I thought food was a good, though perhaps the hardest, place to start. So how can my (and your) food choices support animal rights, the fight on global warming and poverty, and clean water? It’s all connected, even if we tend to compartmentalize to lessen our guilty conscience.

“People adapt their attitudes to specific contexts and may actively avoid learning about specific animal procedures and uses to minimize cognitive conflict,” said Dr. Grahame J. Coleman, professor at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, and deputy director of the Animal Welfare Science Centre.

I have to agree. I’m guilty, for sure. I don’t want to think about my pizza’s production process, or the rights related to that rib-eye. But some facts should be hard to ignore:

The USDA reports that animals in the US meat industry produce 61 million tons of waste each year, which is 130 times the volume of human waste – or five tons for every US citizen.
The 7 billion livestock animals in the United States consume five times as much grain as is consumed directly by the entire American population.
Agriculture accounts for 87 percent of all the fresh water consumed each year. Livestock directly use only 1.3 percent of that water. But when the water required for forage and grain production is included, livestock’s water usage rises dramatically. Every kilogram of beef produced takes 100,000 liters of water. Wheat takes 900 liters of water per kilogram, and producing potatoes uses 500 liters of water per kilogram
According to the EPA, hog, chicken and cattle waste has polluted 35,000 miles of rivers in 22 states and contaminated groundwater in 17 states. (The EPA has begun to crack down on Clean Water Act violations at livestock feeding operations.)
Animal production, whether for meat or dairy, is hazardous for the atmosphere. In fact, a 2006 UN report states that meat industry alone accounts for more greenhouse gases than the emissions of all the SUVs, cars, trucks, planes, and ships combined.

You can find more facts about food production’s harmful effects by checking out books like Omnivore’s Dilemma, Livestock’s Long Shadow, and Making a Killing, to name a few. And check out this UK site about how to sustain a healthier diet and a healthier planet (which just so happens to be animal-friendly, too), or this compassionate eating guide. Every time you sit down to eat, think about it.

What are your thoughts on the topic?

Fight the Good Fight,

Johanna Hudgens

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The fur industry demands the thicker pelt of an older animal and almost no fur comes from the slaughterhouses.

By using this email signature, Johanna and ASPCA provided an hour of protective services for 12 animals.

Animal Welfare Victories Prompt Farmers to Change – ABC News (abcnews.go.com)
Livestock accounts for 51% of greenhouse gas emissions, says new report (energyrefuge.com)
Jeff Biggers: New Year’s Resolution: Mountaintop Removal Ends in 2010 (huffingtonpost.com)

Tags: animal rights, clean water, Clean Water Act, diet, global warming, Johanna Hudgens, Livestock, Livestock's Long Shadow, Making a Killing, Omnivore's Dilemma, poverty, Replyforall, United States
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Climate change, a recession, and the world economy

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009

I’m no expert, but in today’s world of marketing and consumer awareness, going green may not be the only thing you consider, but it’s certainly a factor in buying products. So, I checked; as it turns out, experts have come to the same conclusion.

Millennials, or those born between 1979 and 2001, have a strong commitment to social and environmental responsibility. In fact, in a Cone study, 69% of millennials said they consider a company’s social/environmental commitment when deciding where to shop. A Generate Insight study found that 64% of 18-29 year olds would be willing to pay more for a product if they knew some of the money from their purchase would go toward an environmental cause.

So what’s the hold up on the push for green technology? Obama has promised a commitment to lowering greenhouse gases, and has offered green technology for job creation in light of the recession. But now it looks like the United States will be taking a backseat to China?

That’s right, China’s 863 plan (named for the year and month in which it was developed) pumps billions of dollars into labs and research. As of 2006, China committed again to energy technology and increased funding for solar, wind, and hydroelectric technology. Since then, they’ve doubled their wind-power capacity year, after year, after year. They’ve also become the largest producer of solar photovoltaic cells than any other country, bringing in foreign customers from around the world.

Renewable Energy in US, China, World

When we talk about fixing our economy in the capitalist market, we have to offer products to individual consumers and sign contracts with foreign companies and investors. Renewable energy technology can do both by offering individuals eco-conscious product choices, and giving the United States energy technology to export (rather than relying on foreign oil we import). While we wait for Congress to decide on cap-and-trade, or the UN to come to a climate agreement, I’m still waiting for companies to realize that it’s actually profitable to “go green.” What do you think about renewable energy technology and it’s possible impact? I’m all ears!

Fight the Good Fight,

Johanna Hudgens

Methane is 23 times more potent than CO2.

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By using this email signature, Johanna and ClimateCounts.org prevented 1,081 kg of CO2 from entering our skies.

Copenhagen climate summit: technological revolution needed to combat climate change (telegraph.co.uk)
Texas Curb ‘Em: How the Lone Star State Slashed Emissions (blogs.wsj.com)
The environmental shakedown of the industrial democracies in Copenhagen (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
China Emerges as Green-Tech Leader (online.wsj.com)

Tags: China, Copenhagen, Emissions trading, energy, green technology, Greenhouse gas, Johanna Hudgens, Renewable, Replyforall, United States, Wind power
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Taking the Water Cause to Film

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

It’s hard to get a handle on all the issues of clean water– why we’re in our current situation, who is responsible for it, and what we can do about it. Finding and sorting through all the information to amalgamate into one opinion or action is the first step in really understanding the issue of clean water, both in the United States and around the world.

One of my favorite ways to get information, and one I think is most powerful, is through film. Luckily for all of us clean water activists out there, there have been several films made about clean water issues. Tapped is film that aims to inform the public on the truth of the bottled water industry, based on the belief that water is the one resource that should never become a commodity to be bought and sold.

If you’re interested in the battle between public health and private interests, check out FLOW, a documentary on the condition of our water and the people behind the privatization of water. And yep, it names names:

One film that is currently in production calls attention to the world water crisis by telling one city’s story– New Delhi, India. The goal of the Groundwater Up Project is to untangle the issues of one city in terms you can relate to, and to share the small scale solutions that are taking place. By focusing on the local methods of water management, people from all over the world can share ideas about how to take action around the water issues in their area, and find ways to incorporate traditional knowledge in an age of multinational corporations and rapid globalization. Interested? You can learn more by checking out their website and donating to the project.

Once you’ve checked out these documentaries, there are plenty of ways to get involved. If you believe that water is a basic right, sign the petition to add it as article to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, first established in 1948. Or make the pledge to give up bottled water. Or, our favorite, add the replyforall signature to drive donations for our clean water partners, Student Movement for Real Change and Partners In Health. In one month, you can provide a month of clean water for 54 people, just by using the replyforall signature when you send emails.

Fight the Good Fight,

Johanna Hudgens

sponsored by

It takes between 250 and 650 gallons of water to grow just one pound of rice.

By using this email signature, Johanna provided an hour of clean water for 805 people.

Tags: Bottled water, clean water, flow, India, Johanna Hudgens, Multinational corporation, Public health, Replyforall, Tapped, United States, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, water crisis, water film
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Global Warming– no longer a hot topic?

Thursday, November 5th, 2009

Our last blog at replyforall covered the worldwide action around climate change, led by 350.org. With thousands of actions in over 180 countries, it’s hard to deny that we’re serious about the issue.

Climate Change Map

Are we in the minority? The same weekend that hundreds of thousands of people came out to take a stand for earth, an article was published in the New York Times saying that Americans, at least, are cooling on the issue of global warming.

The research to suggest this comes from the Pew Research Center, which reports that the number of Americans who believe that global warming is a big issue has dropped sharply. In April of last year, 44% said that global warming was a very serious problem; this year, only 35% of people interviewed did. Of course, what is categorized as “serious” can be very relative–but facts are facts, right? The research shows that only 36% of Americans believe that human activity causes rising temperatures, down from 47% last year.

Has the evidence been shoved aside, or has new evidence clouded our understanding of the issue of climate change? The good news is, according to Pew, a majority of Americans still believe that the United States should join other countries to set standards around global climate change.

Yet, the U.N. has lowered its expectations of the climate change summit in Copenhagen, stating that a legally binding deal between developed nations will take longer than they expected. And the legislation for cap and trade, or any substantive climate policy, has been buried in Congress.

Maybe truthdig.com is right– Americans won’t believe in global warming until they’re actually melting. So thank you to our users for staying aware and spreading that awareness to your friends with the fight global warming email signature. replyforall is so happy that your emails are driving donations to ClimateCounts.org and the Clean Energy Coalition– two organizations who aren’t cooling off when it comes to global climate change and the need to act now.

What do you think about changing perceptions? We’d love to hear what you have to say, comment below!

Fight the Good Fight,

Johanna Hudgens

Nylon and polyester create nitrous oxide which is 310 times worse than CO2.

sponsored by

By using this email signature, Johanna and ClimateCounts.org prevented 1,030 kg of CO2 from entering our skies.

Survey Says: Americans Not Worried About Global Warming (blogs.wsj.com)
If Cap-and-Trade is So Terrible, What’s the Alternative? (blogs.wsj.com)
UN Signals Delay in Climate Change Treaty (usnews.com)
Poor nations accuse rich over climate (guardian.co.uk)

Tags: 350.org, CEC, climate change, Climate Change Map, climatecounts.org, Copenhagen, Emissions trading, Environment, global warming, Global Warming Map, Johanna Hudgens, Pew Research Center, Replyforall, United States
Posted in news | 14 Comments »

Push for Climate Change Legislation is coming: the top down approach

Thursday, October 22nd, 2009

For many of us following the news over climate change, it’s been a long and obstacle-ridden path to pass energy reform. But as the road gets longer, the travelers get impatient. We’re seeing that people around the world are pushing for immediate climate change action, and US senators are hopping on the bandwagon.

The UN Climate Change panel reports that there is still a deadlock over an international treaty to cut carbon emissions. While a few countries have announced large cuts, like Norway and Japan, other developed nations are committing to less than 20% emissions. The UN panel recommends cuts to range from 25-40% in developed nations.

In the United States, though, there’s been some progress. The Senate is looking to pass legislation to cut carbon emissions without endangering American jobs or pressuring American pocketbooks, and it’s doing so though bipartisan legislation. Democratic Senator John Kerry (MA) and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham (SC) wrote an Op-Ed in the New York Times outlining the Senate’s plan for energy reform. It’s called, “Yes We Can (Pass Climate Change Legislation).” (You can read my series on the costs of nuclear energy, if you’re curious.) Kerry and Graham also urge other Congressmen/women to pass reform, warning that the EPA will regulate either way, and Congress can write bills to protect jobs.

So what will it take for climate change reform to happen? Stay tuned next week when we cover what is happening from the bottom-up. Grassroots movements are taking shape around the world, and replyforall sponsor 350.org is leading the pack.

You can join the movement everyday to reduce carbon emissions, just by adding the replyforall signature to your emails. Adding the signature drives donations to our nonprofit partners, ClimateCounts.org and Clean Energy Coalition, and removes the equivalent of 32 kg of CO2 every month! (Not to mention the cool graphics that are a part of the Fight Global Warming signature.)

Fight the Good Fight,

Johanna Hudgens

Heating with sustainably harvested wood in an EPA-certified stove is carbon neutral.

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By using this email signature, Johanna and ClimateCounts.org prevented 968 kg of CO? from entering our skies.

Senate climate bill drops “cap and trade” term (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
E.P.A. Moves to Curtail Greenhouse Gas Emissions (nytimes.com)
Senate Climate Bill Gets Bipartisan Support (treehugger.com)

Tags: climate change, Greenhouse gas, Johanna Hudgens, John Kerry, legislation, Lindsey Graham, Senate, UN, United States
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replyforall and Polaris Project– Stop human trafficking!

Monday, September 21st, 2009

Last week we introduced you to the issue of human trafficking. replyforall only touched the surface of the iceberg, but we hope that we perked your interest in this issue, because it permeates into all sectors of our society, right down to the products we buy.

replyforall’s partner for the protection of children’s rights is the Polaris Project, which is dedicated to stopping this modern-day slave trade. Named for the North star, which guided slaves to freedom along the Underground Railroad, the Polaris Project is one of the largest anti-human trafficking organizations in the US (and Japan!), and has been fighting the good fight since 2002.

Check out Polaris Project’s deputy director Bradley Myles on CNN with Nancy Grace:

replyforall is happy to have the Polaris Project as its nonprofit partner in protecting children’s rights because they have a holistic approach to combat human trafficking. With the donations they receive from your replyforall signature, Polaris Project conducts direct outreach and victim identification, provides social services and transitional housing to victims, operates the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) serving as the central national hot line on human trafficking, advocates for stronger state and Federal anti-trafficking legislation, and engages community members in local and national grassroots efforts. There’s a lot to be done, and Polaris Project is committed to leading the fight.

You can follow Polaris Project on Facebook and Twitter to get updates. And of course, you can generate donations to Polaris Project just by adding replyforalls Protect Childrens Rights signature. With your support we can finally end the second largest criminal industry in the world.

Fight the Good Fight,

Johanna Hudgens

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There are 264 million children who might be attending high schools that do not.

By using this email signature, Johanna and Polaris Project provided an hour of abuse recovery services for 5 children.

Tags: children rights, children's rights, Human trafficking, Johanna Hudgens, Polaris Project, Replyforall, United States
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Human Trafficking and Children's Rights

Saturday, September 12th, 2009

Happy back to school time! Children are getting on the bus and to the classroom, and replyforall wanted to take this opportunity to raise awareness for one of our eight causes, Protect Children’s Rights. Children around the world, who are not often given a political voice with which to protect themselves, are still subject to many of the issues we see among adults– forced labor, prostitution, abuse, poverty, and war. As we go into the fall semester, whether we’re a student or not, replyforall would rather see children in classrooms than in sweatshops, armies, or on the street.

Have you heard of the term “human trafficking?” Some people think it just means forcibly transporting someone across national borders but, that’s considered kidnapping. Those who are transported across borders willingly are being smuggled into the country. But human trafficking, while it is involves kidnapping and smuggling, is akin to modern-day slavery.

Human trafficking is based on the recruitment, harboring, and transportation of people solely for the purpose of exploitation. The United Nations estimates that human trafficking generates over $7 billion annually in profits, making it the one of the fastest growing criminal industries in the world. Victims of trafficking are forced or coerced into labor (anywhere from a domestic servant to a multinational corporation), or may be sexually exploited through bride trades, pornography, or prostitution.

Children are far too often the victim of this business, both within national borders and across them. The US Department of Justice reported that 50% of transnational human trafficking victims were children, and the US Department of the State estimates 1 million children are exploited by the global commercial sex trade every year.

If you think this doesn’t happen in the United States, think again. An estimated 17,500 foreign nationals are trafficked– against their will– into the US every year. And a study funded by the Department of Justice found that upwards of 240,000 children and youth in the United States were at risk of child sexual exploitation, including commercially. In fact, the average age to enter prostitution in the US is between 12 and 13 years old.

replyforall is happily partnering with the Polaris Project to fight human trafficking around the world and to stop the entry of children into slavery. We hope that you’ll spread the word about this great organization and add our signature to your email to not just raise awareness for the Protect Children’s Rights cause, but to generate donations to the Polaris Project with every email you send.

Fight the Good Fight,

Johanna Hudgens

sponsored by

Based on enrollment data, about 72 million children of primary school age in the developing world were not in school in 2005; 57 percent of them were girls.

By using this email signature, Johanna and Polaris Project help protect childrens rights with replyforall and sponsors. What’s replyforall about? Click to learn more »

Tags: children rights, Human trafficking, Johanna Hudgens, Polaris Project, Replyforall, Slavery, U.S. State Department, United Nations, United States, US Department of Justice
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