American Workers Deserve Better (+ Announcement)

This blog will not be updated until September 2nd, 2008. Tara is in the process of preparing her boyfriend for driving school, moving, and getting her cats adjusted to their new home at her mothers house in anticipation of being more permanently on the road as a truck driver. Please stay tuned and thank you for the support! Sponsor: Care2
The U.S. holiday Labor Day came out of the labor movement as a way to celebrate the contributions of American workers. But this year, it marks another anniversary of our government's failure to pass the Employee Free Choice Act, a bill that would give back the rights that America's workers are too often denied. The Employee Free Choice Act is a bipartisan legislation that would hold anti-union employers accountable, guarantee workers a fair, simple, direct method for organizing and force employers to stop dragging out contract negotiations. Workers deserve a free choice and a fair chance to form a union if they want to - without risking their livelihood to do so. It's time to give working families the freedoms and protections they deserve. This Labor Day, urge your Senator to pass the Employee Free Choice Act and stand up for the rights of American workers!
More about this petition »

Hot Weather Window Tips

Adapted from Real Goods Solar Living Source Book,edited by Doug Pratt and executive editor John Schaeffer.

The main source of heat gain through windows in the warmer months is from sunlight. Here are some tips for handling the sun that will help keep your house cool.

• Install white window shades or mini-blinds. It’s a simple, old-fashioned practice. Mini-blinds can reduce solar heat gain by 40-50 percent.
  
• Close south and west-facing curtains. Do this during the day for any window that lets direct sunlight in. Keep these windows closed, too.
  
• Install awnings
  Another good, old-fashioned solution is to install awnings. Awnings work best on south-facing windows where there’s insufficient roof overhang to provide shade. Canvas awnings are more expensive than shades, but they stop the heat on the outside of your building, and they don’t obstruct the view.
  
• Hang tightly-woven screens or bamboo shades outside the window during the summer. They’ll reduce your view, but are inexpensive and stop 60 percent to 80 percent of the sun’s heat from getting to the window.
  
• Plant trees or build a trellis
  Deciduous (leaf-bearing) trees planted to the south or particularly to the
  west of your building provide valuable shade. One mature shade tree can
  provide as much cooling as five air conditioners (although they’re a bit
  difficult to transplant at that stage, so the sooner you plant the better).
  
• Deciduous trees block summer sun, but drop their leaves to allow half or
  more
  of the winter sun’s energy to warm you on clear winter days.
  
• Apply low-e films
  Low-e films are thin metal coatings allow the shortwave
  radiation of solar energy to pass in, but block most of the long-wave
  thermal energy trying to get back out. Low-e films block most solar heat
  gain while transmitting most visible light.
  (see shop for supplies, below)
  
• Exotic Infills
  The other new technology commonly found in new windows is exotic infills.
  Instead of filling the space between panes with air, many windows are now
  available with argon, or krypton, exotic gas infills that have lower
  conductivity than air, and boost R-values. These inert gases occur naturally
  in the atmosphere, and are harmless even if the window breaks.

Recapture the Flag

Sponsored by: Common Cause

It's been a tough few years for "we the people."

The Bush Administration has seized, consolidated and wielded executive power in ways unparalleled in modern American history. And on January 21, 2009, the next president of the United States and the next Congress will confront a host of critical issues created by our leaders under the guise of protecting America from terrorists.

The abuses of power include disregard for fundamental principles of American democracy -- separation of powers and our system of checks-and-balances; politicization of the justice system; grotesque acts of torture; disregard for international laws and institutions; and violations of fundamental civil rights and liberties at home and abroad.

President Bush will leave the White House in a few months, but these problems will remain. Now, and for the foreseeable future, we as a nation must fight to reclaim and preserve our fundamental values of liberty and justice, and ensure that the unprecedented power grabs of recent years don't set a dangerous precedent for the future. We must stop the erosion of our Constitution. We must recapture the flag.

Sign the petition!

Signature goal: 20,000

Current signatures: 5,969

No More Travel Abuses by the Department of Homeland Security!

Target: U.S. Congress
Sponsored by: American Civil Liberties Union

Traveling shouldn't mean checking your rights when you're checking your luggage. Yet the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to ask Americans to sacrifice more and more of their privacy for an illusion of security.

Among the DHS' offenses are:

1. Security agents who search laptops and other electronics as Americans enter the United States, with no suspicion of wrongdoing.

2. Invasive airport scanners that let agents conduct virtual strip searches of passengers.

3. A terrorist watch list with more than 1 million names on it, growing by 20,000 names per month.

4. A proposal to have every traveler wear an "electro-muscular disruption" bracelet that airline personnel or marshals could use to shock passengers into submission.

These policies are invasive, abusive and ineffective. It's time for some sanity when it comes to security. Tell Congress we need humane, effective reforms that will keep us safe while protecting citizens' dignity.

Sign this petition!

Signature goal: 10,000

Current signatures: 3,294

Beyond Paper: Eco-Friendly Crafts, DIY Fingerpaints & Playdough!

Today's Quote: Some things are simple and some things you make difficult for yourself.

Lena Rai, Cheboygan, MI
Click to visit her SocialVibe page! =)

By Terri Hall-Jackson, contributing writer, Care 2

Sometimes I think kindergarten teachers should be arrested because of the mounds of paper that are sent home on a daily basis. The father of my child’s preschool buddy looked mortified at me when I said that, but I could wallpaper my entire home with the voluminous amounts of printables and doodles that enter our doorway Monday through Friday, September through June.

I was kidding about the kindergarten teachers, of course. I love, love, love and deeply respect them. And I love seeing my children express themselves artistically. But the extensive use of paper does drive me nuts.

When doing crafts at home, may I suggest going paperless? Or at least recycle paper by creating a bin of paper that is clean on one side for kids to draw, doodle and play games on. If you are interested in crafts that don’t require the use of clean sheets of paper, consider the following activities.

1. Make a mosaic out of scraps of broken tiles, pictures from old magazines, paper scraps, odd cards from board games that are no longer played with. Potential material options are limitless.

2. Instead of using paper, how about making your own recycled paper and holiday cards, using ingredients such as newspaper, junk mail, paper scraps and dried flowers?

3. Check out resourcefulschools.org to learn how to make a kite, woven placemats, book covers and more out of old paper bags.

4. Before dumping items into the trash or recycle containers at home, consider if there’s any potential artistic use for them. A milk container could become a bird feeder. Can you see that baby jar as a snow globe or a paperweight? For more ideas on turning trash into art, check out The Imagination Factory’s Trash Matcher.

By Melissa Breyer, Producer, Care2 Green Living

With summer vacation in full swing, the constant clamoring for more Play-Doh and finger paints may be ringing in your ears. While buying toys that require creativity and young hands rather than batteries is certainly preferable—we have a better idea.

Homemade art and craft materials are all natural, non-commercial, inexpensive to make, eliminate excess packaging, and encourage creativity and resourcefulness. There is a bit of magic in seeing modest kitchen ingredients transformed into toy store favorites—and these recipes are as much fun to make as they are to play with afterwards.

Finger Paints
1 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup soap flakes melted with 1/2 cup
boiling water
Juice dyes (see below)

Make your own soap flakes by grating a bar of homemade hand soap (available at your health food store) until you have 1/3 of a cup of soap flakes. Combine the cornstarch, water, and melted soap in a bowl. Stir to blend. Let the mixture set until it has become thick. Divide into separate bowls and stir in juice dyes for color.

Play Dough
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons cream of tartar

Stir together flour, cream of tartar, salt and oil, and slowly add water. Cook over medium heat stirring frequently until dough becomes stiff. Spread onto wax paper and let cool. Knead the dough with your hands until it reaches a good play dough consistency.

Springy Play Dough
2 cups baking soda
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup cornstarch

Mix with a fork until smooth. Boil over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat and carefully spread on wax paper, cookie sheet or a plate until cool. Play.

To Add Color or Scent
For an extra sensory addition to your art materials, you can add color and/or fragrance. These additions are food-based and fun!

Adding Color: Juice Dyes
Experiment with different foods: try berries, beets, walnut hulls, cranberries, or tea. Combine 1/4 cup of the food material with 2 cups of water and simmer over low heat for an hour. Strain if necessary and store in a covered, glass jar. You can also use the juice from canned beets, which requires no cooking. Straight turmeric mixed into a paste with a little water will give you a vibrant yellow hue. Once you have your dyes prepared, add to finger paints or divide your play dough into balls and knead in color.

Adding Scent:
This couldn’t be easier, just add a few drops of flavor extract, vanilla or peppermint extract for example, from your spice cupboard.

Top 10 Eco-Friendly Ways to Clean the House

Today's Quote: Mutuality and balance is the key to peace and happiness. Sadly, there's always going to be that one heifer that wants more.
Sandra, Rochester, NY
Click to visit her SocialVibe page!

By the Care2 staff.

Choosing environmentally friendly cleaning products — and removing toxic ones — goes a long way towards ensuring a home with fresh, clean air. Clean air renews and rejuvenates; it doesn’t pollute our lives or the environment. Living in a less toxic home, removed from neurotoxic chemicals, improves sleep and concentration, makes babies less fussy, and gives a sense of well-being. Your household’s toxic burden on the environment will be significantly reduced by following these steps, and this too can bring peace of mind.

1. LOOK UNDER YOUR KITCHEN SINK: Remove toxic products
WHY: Almost everyone in the world has a cupboard full of poisons under their kitchen sink. Wasp spray, oven cleaner, waxes and polishes—the place is full of chemicals that display the words poison, danger, warning, or caution. Small amounts of the poisons drift from, and leak out of bottles and spray bottles, which then waft around the kitchen. Household poisonings are one of the highest threats to the health of children.

HOW: Place products with signal words in a locked cupboard in storage for your community’s next Household Hazardous Pickup Day (see next tip); replace all hazardous products with safer versions in the future.

HIGHLIGHTS: No chemicals wafting into your household; safer environment for kids.

2. ABOUT HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE PICKUPS: Take toxic products
WHY: Hazardous materials shouldn’t be poured down the drain or thrown away in the trash as they can cause serious pollution problems in the waste stream.

HOW: Call your local recycling center, town or city hall. Most communities have at least one Household Hazardous Waste Pickup Day a year.

HIGHLIGHTS: There will be fewer toxic materials leaching out of landfills, burning in incinerators, and being washed into the waste water stream.

3. REPLACE TOXIC PRODUCTS: Choose non-toxic, biodegradable substitutes
WHY: Help reduce the toxic burden of manufacturing, your home, and the waste stream.
HOW: Read “Signal Words” on labels. The signal words poison, danger,warning, or caution, found on the label of products such as pesticides and cleaning products, are placed there by order of the federal government and are primarily for your production. In some cases these signal words are on the label because of the potential impact the product can have on the environment. Poison/danger denotes a product of most concern, one that is highly toxic, and ingesting small amounts—in some cases a few drops—can be fatal. Warning means moderately toxic, as little as a teaspoonful can be fatal; and caution denotes a product that is less toxic, one in which it would be necessary to ingest between two tablespoons and two cups to be fatal. Corrosive products can damage skin and mucous membranes, and a strong sensitizer is a chemical that can increase allergies.

HIGHLIGHTS: Labels provide information by which you can protect yourself, your family, and the environment.

4. LEARN NON-TOXIC CLEANING BASICS: How to use kitchen cupboard
ingredients

WHY: Save money, protect your health, reduce your use of valuable resources of the earth, avoid petroleum products and other non-renewable resources.

HOW: Learning to clean from scratch—making homemade recipes—can truly work if you take time to understand a bit about the chemistry behind how the materials work. Here are the five ingredients that Annie (the author of Clean & Green among other books, and Care2’s Healthy Living channel producer) finds to be the safest, most effective, and useful for cleaning.
The Five Basics for Non-Toxic Cleaning
Make sure to keep all homemade formulas well-labeled, and out of the reach of children.
Note how to safely reduce four airborne allergens in the home with these simple steps.
HIGHLIGHTS: Establish a safe, cheap and simple lifestyle.

MORE: Visit Care2.com’s Healthy Home category for many non-toxic cleaning tips. Just scroll down to Non-Toxic Cleaning.

5. OF MOPS, SPONGES, RAGS, AND OTHER ACCESSORIES: Natural, reusable

WHY: Reduce your use of non-renewable resources; avoid products with potentially harmful ingredients such as sponges with antibacterial ingredients; reuse old shirts as rags and more. Use cloth rags instead of paper towels to save trees. Save money!

HOW: Look at your purchase of mops, paper towels, sponges, buckets, vacuums, and more with an eye towards their durability, health and environmental impact. If you must use paper towels buy recycled, unbleached paper.

HIGHLIGHTS: Reusable mops, rags instead of paper, safe sponges, HEPA vacuums all work towards providing your home and environment with fresh, clean air, and reduce your consumption of nonrenewable resources.

6. LEARN ABOUT YOUR WATER: Is it hard or soft?
WHY: With hard water you will most likely need to clean with a detergent instead of a soap to avoid soap scum.

HOW: Read here about when and why to choose a detergent or a soap

HIGHLIGHTS: Choosing the right product for the right job reduces time and resources.

7. DISINFECTANTS? CHLORINE BLEACH? Look for alternatives
WHY: Just as antibiotics are causing drug resistance, so too are disinfectants. Chlorine bleach can cause cancer causing chemicals to form in the waste water stream. Here is more information about chlorine and the home.

HOW: Make a safer antibacterial spray by using these suggestions. Read here about toxic sponges.Visit your natural food store and ask for their recommended chlorine beach alternative. Seventh Generation and other brands offer alternatives that work.

HIGHLIGHTS: A healthier home and healthier environment.

8. CONSERVE WATER

WHY: Clean water is one of our most precious and diminishing resources and we don’t want to waste it.
HOW: Don’t run the water unless you are using it or catching it in a bucket for use; sweep instead of wet mop when possible; put a tracking matt at the door to collect mud and dust so you will need to wash the floor less; etc. Use common sense.

HIGHLIGHTS: Do your part to preserve the earth’s precious resources.

9. CLEAN INDOOR AIR WITH PLANTS

WHY: Plants have been found to reduce indoor air pollution!

HOW: Here are the top 10 plants that clear indoor air.

HIGHLIGHTS: Plants clean the air and provide more oxygen too!

10. USE YOUR SENSES: Smell, feel, hear

WHY: If you use your nose you will know when food is rotten, when dog beds need to be cleaned, when toxic chemicals may be leaking from old product bottles, and more. If you use your sense of touch you will know when doorknobs are sticky, the floor needs washing, etc. If you allow your senses to be your guide you will stay on top of cleaning jobs that need to be attended to.

HOW: Listen to what your senses are telling you.

HIGHLIGHTS: Cleaner indoor air, alert to potential toxic exposures.

Stand Up To Cancer!

Sponsored by: Stand Up To Cancer

Cancer takes one person every minute. One life in a moment. They are our brothers, our sisters, our fathers and mothers, our husbands and wives, our best friends, our children, ourselves.

Just when science is on the verge of the breakthroughs that can end cancer, the will and the funding are disappearing from the national agenda. The time has come to join together to accelerate the development of life-saving cancer prevention, detection and treatment.

Harnessing the power and influence of the media, an extraordinary line-up of actors, musicians, athletes and journalists will be appearing in an historic, nationally televised event to Stand Up To Cancer, simultaneously broadcast live and commercial-free on ABC, CBS and NBC on September 5, 2008, at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Stand Up To Cancer is more than a rallying cry. It is a galvanizing force created to urgently move research on all forms of cancer forward.

PLEDGE TO TUNE IN:

I recognize that this is where the end of cancer begins: when we unite together in one unstoppable movement and Stand Up To Cancer.

I pledge to learn more by watching this groundbreaking television program on September 5 at 8 p.m.

Contraception Is Abortion?

Click here to sign an emergency message to the Department of Health and Human Services: "Contraception is NOT abortion. The Bush Administration's proposal to change the definition of abortion and reduce women's access to birth control must be stopped." Sign the petition In partnership with:

Can you imagine living in a place where birth control is considered an "abortion" and health insurers won't cover it? Where even rape victims are denied emergency contraception?

It seems unbelievable, but the Bush Administration is quietly trying to redefine "abortion" to include birth control. The Houston Chronicle says this could wipe out dozens of state laws that protect women's reproductive freedom and protect rape victims.¹ Access to basic health care for millions of women would be jeopardized. And it's being pushed as a "rule change"—meaning, it doesn't need congressional approval.

Can you sign an emergency message to Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, whose department is considering this rule change right now? Tell him: "Contraception is NOT abortion. The Bush Administration's proposal to change the definition of abortion and reduce women's access to birth control must be stopped."

Click here to add your name to this message.

The best way to beat back this proposal is to show Secretary Leavitt massive public outrage—that's why today we're launching this petition jointly with Planned Parenthood Action Fund. Together, we'll deliver every signature to Leavitt. You can help add to our momentum by forwarding this message to friends.

Here's what some others are saying about this proposal:

The draft regulation would define birth control as abortion...it could deny access to critical family planning for women across the country.—Letter signed by Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and 26 other senators.²

The draft rule could void laws in 27 states that require insurance companies to provide birth control coverage for women requesting it [and] laws in 14 states requiring that rape victims receive counseling and access to emergency, day-after contraceptives.—Houston Chronicle editorial³

The administration needs to stop playing word games with women's health and state clearly they will reject any regulations that will undermine women's access to basic health care.—Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.⁴

[It's] a spectacular act of complicity with the religious right... —RH Reality Check, Information and Analysis for Reproductive Health⁵

The birth control pill, the IUD, and emergency contraception might all become unavailable—illegal—as a result.—Brigid Riley, executive director of a Minnesota teen pregnancy prevention organization⁶

Can you help send a loud message to Secretary Leavitt that birth control is NOT abortion? Clicking here will sign your name:

http://pol.moveon.org/contraception/?r_by=13468-9390789-FpKtJ4x&rc=comment_paste

Thanks for all you do.

This message was provided by MoveOn.org. Want to support their work? They're entirely funded by their 3.2 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And their tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

Californians: Take Action! Vote No On Prop 8!

Prop 8 would re-write our California Constitution to provide that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California -- denying gays and lesbians the respect, dignity and responsibility that come with marriage.

The ''Vote No on Prop 8, Equality for All" campaign urges you to vigorously oppose this initiative by voting No on 8 on November 4th.

There are so many reasons Prop 8 is wrong for California. Denying a specific group of people access to the same freedoms and rights others enjoy is, quite simply, un-Californian.

Our California Constitution -- the guiding document of our great state -- promises the same basic rights and freedoms to everyone. In our Constitution, no one group can be singled out for unfair treatment.

Equal protection under the law is a founding principle of the United States of America. Prop 8 undermines that principle, and singles out a single group of people -- gays and lesbians -- for unequal treatment under the law.

Like the freedom of religion and the freedom of speech, the freedom to marry is fundamental to our society. Marriage allows couples to make legal their lifetime commitment to one another, and gives couples the opportunity to fully take responsibility for each other.

Regardless of how you feel about marriage -- for straight or gay and lesbian couples -- it’s wrong to single out one group of Americans and prevent them from having access to the same rights and responsibilities as their fellow citizens.

Please join us -- and our broad and diverse coalition members by vowing to Vote No on Prop 8. Protecting the freedom to marry is about upholding the ideals of equality, freedom and fairness for all.

Taken from the www.noonprop8.com website. No rights are claimed to this text.

To do even more, sign the Million for Marriage petition. Defend the progress that's been made and have your voice heard. ( 1,010,642 have signed already! )

Special thanks goes to Ashley for this alert!

Today's Action: Regain Your Sanity

Sometimes it seems that we are moving at the speed of light in ten different directions at once. Technology can be a time-saver, but at the same time the faster things get done, the more we expect ourselves to take on. It's time to stop the madness! (At least for a second.)

Take a moment to breathe and learn three basic steps to save your sanity. Hopefully you can then continue on with your day with a little more clarity, balance and spirit.

Save Your Sanity: 3 Simple Ways

By Cait Johnson, author of Earth, Water, Fire, and Air (SkyLight Paths, 2003).

Modern life is pretty crazy: Too much stress, too much information, too much speed, too much too much. And many of us are so relentlessly busy. Who has time to read all the self-help books that get churned out every season? Can’t we somehow boil down it all down into something we have time for? Yes, we can.

Try these three simple sanity-savers to feel more at peace with yourself and the world:

1. Slow Down. Stop what you’re doing. Breathe. Close your eyes. Listen to the sounds where you are. Can you identify them? Now allow your imagination to fill with the image of a beautiful place in nature. It could be one you’ve actually seen, or one you’ve seen in photographs or a movie, or one you have only imagined. Walk there (or sit or lie down) and experience it with as many of your senses as you can imagine. What does it smell like? Feel like? What season is it? What time of day? What plants are growing there? Enjoy this nature break as often as you can. If you have access to the real thing, spend time outside simply observing the sky, the changing vegetation. Allow your mind to rest.
(Most of us race through life in a blur of activity. Simply slowing down for five minutes and replacing frantic mental images with a calming picture of nature can be a lifesaving stress reducer.)

2. Pay Attention to Your Body. Close your eyes. Scan your body from the top of your head down to your toes. Where is a feeling or a sensation coming up? Go to anyplace that feels something—a twinge, an itch, numbness or tingling—and just be with it, without trying to fix it or label it. Just allow it to be, held in your open and compassionate attention. Imagine the feeling speaking to you, telling you what it needs, or what it wants you to know.

(Many of us aren’t even really IN our bodies, only in our heads. Every moment of every day, our bodies are sending us signals, which all too often we ignore. Paying attention to our precious bodies is a wonderful healing practice. We can get in the habit of spending just a few minutes of every day doing this.)

3. Be Kind to Others. Do something kind for someone else. This may sound like just one more thing on the endless To Do list, but they can be very simple things: Calling a distant friend to say hi, holding the door for someone, picking up and recycling the empty water bottle on the sidewalk, smiling at a grouchy checkout clerk, repeating the compliment about a friend that you overheard. Or you could perform an act of service: Cook a meal for a shut-in, take out the garbage for an elderly neighbor, clean up a local park, offer to babysit for a frazzled single mom. Doing something kind for someone else has a profoundly uplifting effect—and it is often wonderfully contagious.

(We can remake the world in a kinder, more compassionate image when we take the first step and perform simple acts of kindness for others.)

An Update From Dennis Kucinich

September 10th: The day before our world changed,
a day to change the world!

Dear Friends,

On August 1st, I delivered to Speaker Nancy Pelosi; a petition bearing the names of over 100,000 Americans that, like us, feel that the President must be held accountable for abusing executive power and disregarding his Constitutional obligations.

Your voices have been heard and your support continues to send a powerful message to lawmakers. That is why I call on you again to help us in a new effort to deliver 1 Million signatures to Speaker Pelosi on September 10, 2008.

Together we can:

• Urge real Congressional action to hold President Bush accountable now
• Reinstate the authority of our Constitution
• Document crimes committed by President Bush for historical account
• Facilitate post-Administration law enforcement and prosecution
• Reset the standard for the incoming and future administrations
• Demand justice for the over 3,000 who died on 9/11and whose deaths were tragically exploited to take us into an illegal war in Iraq
• Demand justice for the estimated 30,324 U.S. military personnel who have been injured/wounded
• Demand justice for the estimated 4,138 U.S. military personnel who have been killed or died
• Demand justice for the 1 Million innocent Iraqis who have died*
• Avert another illegitimate looming war – this time against Iran

We need your active participation to deliver 1 Million signatures to Congress by September 10, 2008.

Please give at least ten of your friends the opportunity to stand up for our country – the way you and I have, by inviting them to sign the impeachment petition online at www.Kucinich.us. Send your friends an email invitation to sign the petition by clicking here.

Together we can make September 10, the day before the world changed, a day we change the world!

Thank you for your active and ongoing citizenship.

Dennis Kucinich

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Answers!

Get your questions about Impeachment answered!
Click here to find out why your involvement is essential and how we can succeed.

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Justice!

After you have invited at least ten of your friends and family to sign the petition, consider sending your own member of Congress a personal letter urging him or her to support:

• House Resolution 1258: President Bush
• House Resolution 333: Vice-President Cheney.

Click on the link here to find a form letter and some guidelines which may help in your efforts.

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Truth!

*Lancet reported 650,000 war-related Iraqi civilian deaths as of October, 2006. Nearly two years later, a reasonable projection of the conservative Lancet estimate would place war-related Iraqi civilian deaths at least 1 million.

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PO Box 110475 | Cleveland | OH | 44111 | 216-252-9000

Healthy Homemade Dog Shampoo

Do you know what’s lurking in your pet’s shampoo? Actually, many of the same troublesome ingredients that our found in human beauty products. I had never really considered it before, but I have become so accustomed to scanning ingredient lists on beauty products, that when I inadvertently read a label on a dog shampoo I was purchasing (an “all-natural” one at that), I had a major “what?!!!” moment. I saw creepy parabens listed, and when I started looking at other brands saw the usual list of shady characters including sodium lauryl sulfate and the ever mysterious fragrance. If I won’t use those ingredients on my kids or myself, why would I use them on my dogs?

I looked around to see what other DIYers were washing their dogs with, and found a few interpretations of a formula that combines a mild dish soap, glycerine, vinegar and water. Sounds good! Using an all-natural dish soap (Seventh Generation, Ecover, etc.) will work to clean, glycerine is a humectant and emollient, and vinegar will boost shine and remove odor.

INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup glycerin
1 cup all natural dish soap
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 quart water

Mix ingredients into a large bottle, shake, and use as needed.

For tips on how to bathe your dog, see this guide on Petplace.com.

Protect Wild Tigers From Poachers

Target: Ms. Hongyan Guo, Deputy Director, Wildlife Conservation Department, State Forestry Administration, People's Republic of China
Sponsored by: Care2.com

The beautiful wild tiger is heading quickly toward extinction, with its diminishing numbers estimated at a meager 3,500.

Indian studies suggest that if poaching increases, wild tigers will almost surely be pushed into extinction. Yet China is considering a policy that would open its market to tiger parts, which could entice more poaching of wild tigers. Although Chinese officials would keep the ban on wild tiger products, it is difficult to distinguish between wild and farmed tiger parts, and equally difficult to enforce.

Moreover, killing a tiger in the wild is 250 times cheaper than breeding and raising a tiger in captivity, and then killing it. Such a profit would be irresistible to poachers.

We must preserve the irreplaceable wild tiger by refusing to put a bounty its head. Urge China to keep its successful ban on the tiger part trade, and protect wild tigers from extinction.

Sign the petition!

Signature goal: 20,000
Current signatures: 11,700

Today's Action: Honour the World's Indigenous Peoples

August 9th is the International Day of the World's Indigenous People. To mark this day, read a news story about a grave injustice happening to indigenous women in the United States.

While there is no one action that can solve the complex maze of injustice these women face, bearing witness can serve as a powerful instrument of change. We must resist silence and the notion that sexual violence is a matter to be buried and forgotten.

For today's Daily Action, bear witness: learn about the chronic injustice faced by American Indian and Alaska Native women and share your comments on C2NN.

Reform American Health Care

Target: U.S. House of Representatives
Sponsored by: IOUSA: The Movie

Did you know that Americans spend more on health care than any other country? Costs have been rising significantly faster than economic or personal income growth for the past 40 years, and the trend is continuing at an unsustainable rate. In fact, it is the worst long-term crisis facing the nation, and it demands a solution.

If we don't address these rising costs now, our entire safety net could disappear, including Medicare and Social Security. Even worse, cost burdens and our $9.5 trillion national debt make it almost impossible to invest in new programs that make us healthier and more secure.

Annually, the U.S. health care industry spends an amount equal to the entire gross domestic product of France and Spain combined, so reform is going to be complicated and challenging. But it needs to happen sooner rather than later, and the first step is asking hard questions about health care in America.

Waiting to reform the health care system will just push the problem onto our children and grandchildren, and that is irresponsible and immoral. Ask Congress to seriously face health care reform today.

Sign the petition!

Signature goal: 25,000

Current signatures: 2,370

There's a dark shadow over this year's Olympic games.

I know you're all probably sick of hearing about the controversy over the Olympic games...But this goes much deeper than just games.

China's horrific abuses must end. Tell President Bush to speak out when he meets with Chinese President Hu Jintao.

The spirit of the Olympics is supposed to be one of peace and international cooperation. As host of this year's games, China should embody that spirit.

Instead, China used its position as a convenient excuse to jail, deport, and murder political dissidents.

Instead, China continues to support the genocide in Darfur, supplying 88% of the Sudanese government's small arms and threatening to interfere with international prosectution of Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir.

Instead, China maintains its oppressive reign of terror in Tibet, closing the nation to all unmonitored foreign reporters after Chinese paramilitary police torched a Tibetan market in March, killing at least sixteen people in the process.

Despite these egregious violations, President Bush has insisted that his visit to the Olympics is not as the most powerful leader in the world, but rather as a sports fan.

Bush said that changes in China will come "on its own terms and in keeping with its own history and traditions" — but that just isn't good enough. It's not good enough when people are dying in China and in Darfur and in Tibet, and it's not good enough when the Chinese government throws a shroud over its abuses and pretends they don't exist. President Bush must display the strength demanded by his office and by these international crises that continue to go unchecked in any serious way.

President Bush's trip to China must serve a greater purpose than cheering for America's athletes.

Click here to tell President Bush that when he meets with Chinese President Hu Jintao and other leaders, he must demand that the human rights violations end, once and for all.

After you sign the petition, be sure and tell a few friends.

- Tara

Which Drinks Hydrate and Which Don’t? + Summer Drink Recipes!

filed under: Health & Wellness, Diet & Nutrition, Healthy Beauty Basics, alcoholic beverages, fruit juices, hydrators, purins, soft drinks

Adapted from The Water Prescription, by Christopher Vasey, N.D. (Inner Traditions, 2002).

Have you ever wondered if a cup of coffee or tea and milk can substitute as one of your recommended eight glasses of water a day? Most drinks do a good job of hydrating, but the components of some common drinks sharply reduce their hydrating ability. Which drinks are the best hydrators, and which the worst? Here are the three most hydrating and the four least hydrating drinks.

Drinks That Are Strong Hydrators

*Water
Water is the preeminent beverage for correctly hydrating the body.

* Herbal Teas (Infusions)
The leaves from plants such as mint, verbena, linden, balm, and so on give a pleasant aroma and flavor to the water in which they are steeped, which makes infusions a satisfying alternative to people who don’t enjoy drinking plain water.

The medicinal properties of the plants do not have a negative effect on the body’s assimilation of the water.

Note: The benefit does not extend to sweetened infusions, or if the tea is made with plants that have diuretic properties, such as dandelion.

* Fruit and Vegetable Juices
The water in fruits and vegetables–their juice–is one of the liquids nature has provided for hydrating our bodies. Juice is water bound to a substance. To maintain our harmonic balance with nature and avoid taking in too high a concentration of nutrients and sugars, we should consider juice a secondary resource to be used in moderation.

Drinks that Are Weak Hydrators

* Coffee, Tea, and Cocoa
Drinks that have a base of coffee, black tea, or cocoa are quite high in purins, toxins that must be eliminated from the body by urine or sweat in the form of uric acid. Purines need to be diluted in large quantities of liquid to be evacuated without irritation. A good portion of the water consumed with these drinks is used to eliminate the toxins.

* Milk
Milk is a food, not a drink, and its digestion by adults is frequently incomplete.

Whey, on the other hand, is very easily digested, but its diuretic properties are an impediment to its consumption as a daily beverage.

* Soft Drinks
Soft drinks often have a high caffeine base, a diuretic, which makes a body lose water before it has time to make its way into the intracellular environment. The other problem comes from the high sugar content of most sodas. The body has a hard time properly metabolizing refined sugar. To correct the reaction to this, the body has to surrender water from the extracellular fluid. Because that makes a person thirsty, a vicious circle is created, as the thirst is being maintained by the very beverage that is drink with the intention of getting rid of it.

* Alcoholic Beverages
Alcohol itself has dehydrating properties, removing water from the tissues it contacts and drying them out and increasing the need for water.

5 Favorite Cool Summer Drinks

Compiled by the editors of Eat Well Naturally.

Here are five frosty drinks filled with fresh fruit and other healthful ingredients to keep you refreshed, hydrated, and nourished in the coolest way possible! Avoid packaged drink mixed filled with sugar and artificial ingredients and turn to Mother Nature’s storehouse for these tasty treats to beat the heat.

Find out how to make Honeydew Lime Cooler, Peachy Iced Green Tea, Watermelon Mint Smoothie, and more. It’s all here:

Honeydew Lime Cooler

This one can also help us lose unwanted weight: Peachy Iced Green Tea

Watermelon Mint Smoothie

This one is a tonic for your third-eye chakra: Mystic Mango Smoothie

Berry Banana Smoothie

Urge Moratorium on Everglades Development

Target: Florida Governor Charlie Crist
Sponsored by: Care2

Recognizing the environmental importance of the Everglades, the state of Florida is planning to purchase 187,000 acres of land to restore its waterways and estuaries. While this is a huge achievement in the fight for Everglades restoration, the state must go one step further.

Developers continue to submit proposals that would encroach on the Everglades, destroying many of the benefits that restoration promises. The Everglades are the home of hundreds of unique species of plants and animals, including 67 threatened or endangered species. A mere 10 percent of the former wading birds that once inhabited the Everglades still exist today.

Urge Florida Governor Charlie Crist to institute a moratorium on approving new development, mining or other changes in use that could impact the upcoming restoration project!

Sign the Petition!

Signature goal: 10,000
Current signatures: 2,066

Conservation Nation: Use Less Water

Originally posted by Annie B. Bond Apr 24, 2007 5:58 pm
Adapted from Water: Use Less, Save More by Jon Clift and
Amanda Cuthbert (Chelsea Green, 2007).

Did you know that Americans use 127 percent more water than they did in 1950? Or that about 95 percent of the water we use goes down our drains? Given the severe drought conditions occurring in parts of the United States right now, it seems prudent to dive in and share some helpful water saving tips with you.

Although we appear to have plenty of rain in the United States, our water resources are under pressure. Quite simply we are consuming too much. Water also requires huge amounts of energy, both to treat it and pump it to our houses, so our thirst for water is damaging our planet in more ways than one.

The good news is that there are many simple things we can do at home and at work to reduce our consumption of water. Here are 10 of the 100 smart water-saving tips from Water: Use Less, Save More:

1. If you are making a hot drink, fill the kettle with only as much water as you need. You will save energy as well as water.

2. Garbage disposals use a considerable amount of water. Start composting and put vegetable scraps in your compost bin.

3. Use a bowl to wash vegetables or to wash and rinse plates.

4. Don’t keep the tap running when cleaning your teeth.

5. While waiting for shower water to run hot, collect the cold water and use it on your plants.

6. Have a five-minute shower instead of a bath and save 30 gallons of water.

7. Attach a hose to your washing machine outlet pipe. Collect the used water when the machine is discharging and use it to water the garden.

8. Use a rain barrel to collect the rainwater from your roof rather than using treated drinking water on your garden. (Read all about using rain barrels here.)

9. Make sure everyone in your home knows where the main water valve is and how to work it. Use it to turn the water off if you have a leak.

10. Keep the telephone number of a plumber handy for emergencies.

Create a Green Nursery

Healthy Product Recommendations for the Baby's Room

A New Priority for Parents

Taking toxic materials out of the nursery is becoming a top priority for new parents. Creating a green nursery just makes sense since your delicate little one will spend up to 17-hours a day in there! Consider everything your baby comes in contact with and choose your nursery furnishings with natural, organic materials in mind.

Use Non-Toxic Paints and Finishes

Before baby comes home from the hospital you can start preparing your green nursery. Painting should be done at least a month before the new addition arrives and it should be done by someone other than a pregnant mom. Avoid residual toxic chemicals found in typical paints and finishes by choosing Zero VOC or Low VOC options. Babies are particularly vulnerable to the dangers of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) found in common commercial oil and water based paints.

Using healthy non-toxic paints and finishes for the creation of an organic baby nursery is a must. The crib is your baby’s “home” and needs to be as pure as possible in every way. Choose real wood and natural finishes.

Choose Safe Flooring

You can be sure your baby will spend a lot of time on the floor, so stay away from new carpeting. Instead choose natural and hard surfaced flooring like wood (with a low VOC sealant), linoleum or cork. Hard surfacing is easier to maintain and less likely to trap potential contaminants than wall-to-wall carpeting. If an area rug is needed, be aware that VOC’s can be found in carpet backing, adhesives and the fibers themselves, as well as stain or water resistant treatments that have been applied to the carpet. Make sure to choose natural fibers and untreated options.

Choose Organic Baby Clothes, Organic Bedding and Natural Toys

Choose certified organic cotton that’s been untreated, unbleached, and unprocessed for bed sheets, baby clothes and toys your baby will use. Also make sure that colored dyes in the fabric have all-natural ingredients derived from nature’s plants and minerals.

Make sure your baby sleeps on an organic mattress that is free of dangerous flame retardant chemicals. Ours are made from certified wool, natural rubber and organic cotton.

In 2007, 12 million children's toys were recalled. Be aware of imported toys from China, which may contain lead, a neurotoxin. But that’s not the only toy hazard. Most toys sold in major toy stores are made from plastics. Plastic is a major contributor to indoor air pollution. There are many natural cloth and wood toys available on the Internet.

Use Safe Baby Bottles

There has been a lot of news lately about a chemical found in baby bottles, called Bisphenol-A. Bisphenol-A is a hormone-disrupting chemical considered to be potentially harmful to human health and the environment and is found in common plastic baby bottles. It has been known that scratched and worn polycarbonate feeding bottles will leach Bisphenol-A into liquids. Studies have been shown that very low levels of Bisphenol-A in a baby can cause behavioral effects like hyperactivity, and impaired learning. Make sure to use BPA free plastic baby bottles or glass bottles for feeding your baby.

Trust Your Senses

It may not always be possible to determine which materials are used in nursery products, or their safety, but there is one tool you have that you can rely on to evaluate any product—your nose. If the smell bothers you, it will bother your baby, so don’t put it in the nursery. Once you have a natural, organic, green nursery, keep it safe by using only natural and nontoxic cleaning products and pest controls.

Originally authored by Ron and Lisa Beres

Lisa and Ron Beres are Building Biologists,
Certified Green Building Professionals and
the founders of www.GreenNest.com.

Clean and Green Exercise

Originally posted by Annie B Bond. Excerpted from "Wake Up and Smell the Planet" (Skipstone, 2007), by Grist.org.

Even eco-types like us can be couch potatoes (though the couch is formaldehyde-free and our potatoes are organic and locally grown). But when the clock says 5:03 p.m. and the stress of your last meeting lingers on, nothing beats the satisfaction of a sweat-inducing, tension-releasing workout. (Well, that or a good stiff bourbon.) Still, popular modes of exercise come with their own set of environmental concerns, so educate yourself before dropping to give us 20 at the end of your busy day.

For the Fleet of Feet
Those of you whose post-work exercise routine includes an invigorating run may want to consider the implications of inhaling deeply—especially if you live and jog in an urban area.

Your chief outdoor foe is likely ozone, created when the chemicals in car exhaust and other emissions react to sunlight. It lurks mostly during the day, usually hitting its peak in the late afternoon and early evening, and lessens quickly as the sun goes down. Since traffic is usually lighter at night, and factories are likely to be spewing less, it’s likely that nighttime air is cleaner than daytime air. Of course it all depends on weather, geography, traffic intensity, the type of pollution, and so on. Some particulate matter can stick around for weeks, but in general pollution weakens with time.

If your schedule—or safety concerns—don’t allow for nighttime jogging, you still have options. Just pay attention to the local air-quality forecasts and keep a close eye on your body’s reactions as you run, especially if you have asthma or another respiratory condition. Try not to run on days or nights when the air quality is especially bad. If you simply can’t miss a day, ease up a bit: Walk instead of jog, jog instead of sprint.

As for other alternatives, you could create a gym with your friends by combining collective equipment. Or think about joining a local sports league—you get to exercise and socialize all at once. (And whether you win or lose, there’s always a reason to hoist an organic beer or two afterward.)

Low-Impact Exercise

• Walk or bike to work.
• Run up and down the steps of your local museum (just try not to sing the “Rocky” theme song.)
• Work in your garden.
• Do sit-ups while watching Animal Planet.
• Clean out your garage.
• Take your dog for a long walk.
• Chase your kids around the yard.

Advanced Workout

• Bike home from the market with panniers full of fresh food.
• Volunteer to lift sacks of bulk grains at your grocery (you never know).
• Join a group that clears trails in local hiking areas.
• Bench press your composting bin.
• Plant trees with a local arbor organization.
• Push a Hummer into a Prius car lot. Bonus workout: Engage in the ensuing scuffle (don’t forget to guard your face)!

Come On In, the Water’s … Probably Okay

We know some of you go to great lengths to achieve a weekly quota of laps at the pool. Perhaps you’ve noticed the scent of chlorine wafting off your skin for hours afterward and thought, “I stink of chemicals and my hair is turning brittle and green. Could this be harmful?” Well, perk up those swimmer’s ears as we dive into what we know about pools.

Chlorine is used to remove harmful contaminants from water, mostly because it’s
cheap (and because anyone who’s swum in a kid-populated pool is thankful for its mighty
pathogen-zapping powers). But when chlorine reacts with organic matter such as dirt and dandruff, a whole new family of chemicals results: Trihalomethanes (THMs), which hang around in the water and the surrounding air. Their concentration depends on water temperature and the amount of chlorine in the pool.

When swimming in chlorinated water, you have an elevated exposure to this group of chemicals, though the actual risks from such exposure are currently unknown. How long do THMs persist in the body? In the case of the most notorious, chloroform, the answer appears to be: not very long. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has set allowable workplace chloroform levels for the standard work week at 50 parts per million. Most pool air will be at that level or higher, but you are only in the pool for an hour or so.

If swimming is your exercise of choice (and if you don’t do it all day long, every day), the associated chemicals aren’t likely to do you in. Be aware that outdoor pools and indoor pools with high ceilings are considered safer than those in low-ceilinged or otherwise tight quarters. Rest assured that swimming is great exercise—and you look totally hot in that Speedo.

Stop the War on Women in Congo

Target: U.S. House of Representatives
Sponsored by: Care2.com

There's a war raging in the Democratic Republic of the Congo -- a war that's killed approximately 5.4 million people since 1998. In fact, it's the deadliest conflict since World War II. And the most frequent targets in this hidden war are women, so much so that it's often called a "war against women."

And the most frequent weapon used to destroy them, their families and their communities is rape.

Tens of thousands of women and girls have been and continue to be victims of systematic rape and sexual assault. Rape is used deliberately and strategically to terrorize, humiliate and attack the community bonds of those suspected of supporting an enemy group and to impose the supremacy of one group over another.

The situation is intolerable, and something must be done! Act today to support H.Res. 1227 and call on the U.S. Administration to do more to stop the violence against women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Take Action!

Signature goal: 20,000

Current signatures: 60

Banning Phthalates in Toys

Originally posted by Melissa Breyer Jul 30, 2008 9:05 am

Finally, lawmakers in D.C. are taking action against phthalates. It’s about time. At Care2 we’ve been issuing a clarion call against these toxic chemical plasticizers that are commonly used in children’s toys and have been banned for use in children’s toys in Europe since 1999. More than a dozen other countries have banned the chemical, as has California.

According to the Washington Post, federally funded research found that male babies born to women with high levels of phthalates in their blood exhibited changes related to low sperm count, undescended testicles and other reproductive problems. Other studies have connected some phthalates to liver and kidney cancer. Health experts argue that dangers may be more significant from cumulative exposure, because phthalates surround babies not only in toys and products but also in breast milk if the mother has been exposed to the chemicals.

Although it isn’t law yet, the House and the Senate have agreed to ban three types of phthalates from children’s toys as well as three other phthalates. Since U.S. companies make $1.4 billion worth of phthalates a year, you can imagine there was some serious lobbying going on against a ban; Exxon Mobile is a major manufacturer of phthalates. Not all that surprising to find that President Bush opposes the ban, but it is unclear whether or not he will veto the measure. The legislation would also ban lead in children’s products. It is stunning that this isn’t law already.

If you’d like to help, please sign this Consumers Union letter at the Care2 Petition site.

Read the complete Washington Post article here.

More from Melissa Breyer (203 articles available)

Tell Congress to Finish the Job for Toy and Product Safety

Target: U.S. Congress
Sponsored by: Consumers Union

We have momentum for making toys and products safer for our families, including a product safety bill now in Congress that will stop secrecy about problem products -- making public shoppers' complaints about toys and other goods. This is one important victory, and we couldn't have done it without you.

But time is running out to get the bill to the President. Congress leaves in less than two weeks for summer recess, and they must finalize the bill before then.

Industry is pulling out all the stops to stall the bill. We need your voice now to pass this bill and make sure that all toys meet safety standards before they reach store shelves, ban certain dangerous chemicals from children's products, and protect strong state laws.

The clock is ticking -- let's not miss this opportunity for real change. Tell your lawmakers to make toys and products as safe as possible, before Congress adjourns for its summer break!

Tell Congress / Sign the petition!

Signature goal: 20,000
Current signatures: 12,195

Build a Compost Heap

Originally posted by Annie B. Bond Apr 22, 2008 7:00 am

Adapted from Four-Season Harvest, by Eliot Coleman

So often, the obvious solution is right at our fingertips, but
it looks so simple that we fail to notice. Generations of
gardeners have consistently come up with the same chain of
logic: A fertile soil is the key to growing garden vegetables;
compost is the key to a fertile soil. The first step in the
four-season harvest is learning to make good compost. It’s
not difficult. Compost wants to happen.

Pick a site near the garden so the finished compost will be
close at hand. Whenever possible, place the heap under the
branches of a deciduous tree so there will be shade in hot
weather and sunlight to thaw the heap in spring. A site
near the kitchen makes it convenient to add kitchen scraps.
Access to a hose is handy for those times when the heap
needs extra moisture. If the site is uphill from the garden,
the heavy work of wheelbarrowing loads of compost will have
gravity on its side.

Build the compost heap by alternating layers of brown
ingredients (such as dried grass stems, old cornstalks, dried
pea and bean vines, reeds, and old hay) with mostly green ones
(young, moist, and fresh materials such as kitchen wastes,
grass clippings, fresh pea vines). Begin with a layer of straw
about 3 inches deep, then add 1 to 6 inches of green ingredients,
another 3 inches of straw, and then more green ingredients.
The thickness of the green layer depends on the nature of the
materials. Loose, open material such as green bean vines or
tomato stems can be applied in a thicker (6-inch) layer,
while denser material that might mat together, such as kitchen
scraps or grass clippings, should be layered thinly (1 to 2
inches). These thicknesses are a place for you to start, but
you will learn to modify them as conditions require.

Sprinkle a thin coverage of soil on top of each green layer.
Make the soil 1/2 inch deep or so depending on what type of
green material is available. If you have just added a layer
of weeds with soil on their roots, you can skip the soil to the
compost heap has both a physical and a microbiological effect:
physical because certain soil constituents (clay particles and
minerals) have been shown to enhance the decomposition of organic
matter; microbiological because soil contains millions of
microorganisms, which are needed to break down the organic
material in the heap. These bacteria, fungi, and other organisms
multiply in the warm, moist conditions as decomposition is
initiated. If your garden is very sandy or gravely, you might
want to find some clay to add to the heap as the soil layer.
As an additional benefit, the clay will improve the balance of
soil particle sizes in your garden.

More on Lawns & Gardens (104 articles available)
More from Annie B. Bond (3187 articles available)

Lead With Your Heart

Sponsored by: William J. Clinton Foundation

Too many children die before their time—40 children die of AIDS every hour. President Clinton's visit to Africa is an important opportunity to save lives that need not be lost. For example, President Clinton and the Clinton Foundation have already negotiated a 90 percent reduction in the cost of pediatric medicines!

In 2007 the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative's pediatric program, in partnership with UNITAID, helped double the number of children on treatment in 33 countries. That means two out of every three children globally receiving treatment for HIV/AIDS is supported by the Clinton Foundation's program.

That's what it means to lead with your heart—doing what you can to build a bright, healthy future for children who would've otherwise suffered or even died. In keeping with this spirit, stand together with President Clinton and pledge your support. Help make the next generation the first generation free of AIDS.

Pledge your support here!

Current pledges: 4,190

Articles of Impeachment for President George W Bush

ImpeachBush.org members, and the millions of people who favor impeachment, have forced Congress to hold an impeachment hearing this Friday, July 25 starting at 10:00am

A number of speakers will advocate impeachment and ten members of the House Judiciary Committee are expected to speak for impeachment.


Before Friday, please call your elected U.S. House of Representatives members (www.house.gov) by calling the Congressional switchboard at 1-800-828-0498.


To send an email to your elected official demanding immediate action of impeachment, click this link: http://www.impeachbush.org/site/R?i=MjUnCK7u2GQCWEGbdpPOnQ..


Articles of Impeachment for President George W Bush
by Dennis Kucinich

Introduced in Congress June 9, 2008.

Resolved, that President George W. Bush be impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors, and that the following articles of impeachment be exhibited to the United States Senate:


Articles of impeachment exhibited by the House of Representatives of the United States of America in the name of itself and of the people of the United States of America, in maintenance and support of its impeachment against President George W. Bush for high crimes and misdemeanors.


In his conduct while President of the United States, George W. Bush, in violation of his constitutional oath to faithfully execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has committed the following abuses of power.

1. Article I - Creating a Secret Propaganda Campaign to Manufacture a False Case for War Against Iraq.
2. Article II - Falsely, Systematically, and with Criminal Intent Conflating the Attacks of September 11, 2001, With Misrepresentation of Iraq as a Security Threat as Part of Fraudulent Justification for a War of Aggression.
3. Article III - Misleading the American People and Members of Congress to Believe Iraq Possessed Weapons of Mass Destruction, to Manufacture a False Case for War.
4. Article IV - Misleading the American People and Members of Congress to Believe Iraq Posed an Imminent Threat to the United States.
5. Article V - Illegally Misspending Funds to Secretly Begin a War of Aggression.
6. Article VI - Invading Iraq in Violation of the Requirements of HJRes114.
7. Article VII - Invading Iraq Absent a Declaration of War.
8. Article VIII - Invading Iraq, A Sovereign Nation, in Violation of the UN Charter.
9. Article IX - Failing to Provide Troops With Body Armor and Vehicle Armor
10. Article X - Falsifying Accounts of US Troop Deaths and Injuries for Political Purposes
11. Article XI - Establishment of Permanent U.S. Military Bases in Iraq
12. Article XII - Initiating a War Against Iraq for Control of That Nation's Natural Resources
13. Article XIII - Creating a Secret Task Force to Develop Energy and Military Policies With Respect to Iraq and Other Countries
14. Article XIV - Misprision of a Felony, Misuse and Exposure of Classified Information And Obstruction of Justice in the Matter of Valerie Plame Wilson, Clandestine Agent of the Central Intelligence Agency
15. Article XV - Providing Immunity from Prosecution for Criminal Contractors in Iraq
16. Article XVI - Reckless Misspending and Waste of U.S. Tax Dollars in Connection With Iraq and US Contractors
17. Article XVII - Illegal Detention: Detaining Indefinitely And Without Charge Persons Both U.S. Citizens and Foreign Captives
18. Article XXVIII - Torture: Secretly Authorizing, and Encouraging the Use of Torture Against Captives in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Other Places, as a Matter of Official Policy
19. Article XIX - Rendition: Kidnapping People and Taking Them Against Their Will to 'Black Sites' Located in Other Nations, Including Nations Known to Practice Torture
20. Article XX - Imprisoning Children
21. Article XXI - Misleading Congress and the American People About Threats from Iran, and Supporting Terrorist Organizations Within Iran, With the Goal of Overthrowing the Iranian Government
22. Article XXII - Creating Secret Laws
23. Article XXIII - Violation of the Posse Comitatus Act
24. Article XXIV - Spying on American Citizens, Without a Court-Ordered Warrant, in Violation of the Law and the Fourth Amendment
25. Article XXV - Directing Telecommunications Companies to Create an Illegal and Unconstitutional Database of the Private Telephone Numbers and Emails of American Citizens
26. Article XXVI - Announcing the Intent to Violate Laws with Signing Statements
27. Article XXVII - Failing to Comply with Congressional Subpoenas and Instructing Former Employees Not to Comply
28. Article XVIII - Tampering with Free and Fair Elections, Corruption of the Administration of Justice
29. Article XXIX - Conspiracy to Violate the Voting Rights Act of 1965
30. Article XXX - Misleading Congress and the American People in an Attempt to Destroy Medicare
31. Article XXXI - Katrina: Failure to Plan for the Predicted Disaster of Hurricane Katrina, Failure to Respond to a Civil Emergency
32. Article XXXII - Misleading Congress and the American People, Systematically Undermining Efforts to Address Global Climate Change
33. Article XXIII - Repeatedly Ignored and Failed to Respond to High Level Intelligence Warnings of Planned Terrorist Attacks in the US, Prior to 911.
34. Article XXXIV - Obstruction of the Investigation into the Attacks of September 11, 2001
35. Article XXXV - Endangering the Health of 911 First Responders

Full articles: http://www.impeachbush.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5283

Please pass this along, and only vote for those who vote to impeach Bush and his cronies.

Imported from external blog