EarthAction

Stop the Spying

Last week, House passed a bill that grants telecoms immunity for the warrantless wiretapping they did in the past - and allows them to continue doing so in the future! From the Wired blog:

"The proposed FISA deal is not a compromise; it is a capitulation," said Wisconsin Democratic Senator Russ Feingold, the only senator who voted against the Patriot Act in 2001. "The House and Senate should not be taking up this bill, which effectively guarantees immunity for telecom companies alleged to have participated in the President’s illegal program, and which fails to protect the privacy of law-abiding Americans at home."

The bill grants amnesty to the nation's telecoms that are being sued for allegedly breaking federal wiretapping laws by turning over billions of Americans' call records to government data-mining programs and giving the government access to internet and phone infrastructure inside the country. The bill strips the right of a federal district court to decide whether the companies violated federal laws prohibiting wiretapping without a court order.

Within the next few days, Senate will vote on this piece of legislation. If last week's vote in the House is any evidence, this vote will also be in favor of this gross piece of legislation that takes away our right to privacy - unless you do something about it. CALL YOUR SENATORS TODAY - the Electronic Frontier Foundation makes it easy for you to find your senator and make sure your voice is heard. This five-minute phone call could make the difference for our nation - we need to protect our rights to privacy, and ensure that the Executive Branch of our government cannot flagrantly disregard the law.

If all that isn't enough to convince you, BoingBoing just quoted a fascinating piece by Salon's Glenn Greenwald. In part:

It is absolutely false that the only unconstitutional and destructive provision of this "compromise" bill is the telecom amnesty part. It's true that most people working to defeat the Cheney/Rockefeller bill viewed opposition to telecom amnesty as the most politically potent way to defeat the bill, but the bill's expansion of warrantless eavesdropping powers vested in the President, and its evisceration of safeguards against abuses of those powers, is at least as long-lasting and destructive as the telecom amnesty provisions. The bill legalizes many of the warrantless eavesdropping activities George Bush secretly and illegally ordered in 2001. Those warrantless eavesdropping powers violate core Fourth Amendment protections. And Barack Obama now supports all of it, and will vote it into law. Those are just facts.

The ACLU specifically identifies the ways in which this bill destroys meaningful limits on the President's power to spy on our international calls and emails. Sen. Russ Feingold condemned the bill on the ground that it "fails to protect the privacy of law-abiding Americans at home" because "the government can still sweep up and keep the international communications of innocent Americans in the U.S. with no connection to suspected terrorists, with very few safeguards to protect against abuse of this power." Rep. Rush Holt -- who was actually denied time to speak by bill-supporter Silvestre Reyes only to be given time by bill-opponent John Conyers -- condemned the bill because it vests the power to decide who are the "bad guys" in the very people who do the spying.

It's chilling to think that our presidential candidate supports this bill, especially when Barack Obama vowed to "support a filibuster of any bill that includes retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies." MoveOn.org may support Obama as a candidate, but is appalled by his lack of commitment to this past promise. They encourage you to call Obama's campaign office and let them know how you feel about this frightening bill. So, after you call your senators, take another minute to call Obama and make sure your voice is heard.

(Photo courtesy of Flickr user xirannisx shared under a Creative Commons license.)

Congratulations Grassy Narrows!

Exciting news is in the air!  From a press release from the folks at RAN: 

"Rainforest Action Network (RAN) praised the decision of logging company AbitibiBowater—the largest paper company in the world—to stop logging on the traditional territory of the Grassy Narrows First Nation. The logging company is the last to cease operations in the million-acre Whiskey Jack Forest that comprises Grassy Narrows traditional territory. Its decision comes in the wake of decades of lawsuits and peaceful protests by the people of Grassy Narrows, including the longest standing logging blockade in North America."

At the RAN blog, JB Forister, a Grassy Narrows member, has this to say:

"I’m very happy today. People need to hear about what we have done. Then people need to stand up and do something for themselves and for the land too. If Grassy can do it, so can you ."

Congratulations to the people of Grassy Narrows, and all the activists who have worked so hard on this issue.  It's uplifting to hear about such a hard-won and well deserved victory!

(Photo courtesy of Rainforest Action Network.)
 

A Step Forward on Cluster Bombs

    Last month, 111 countries convened in Dublin, Ireland to endorse the Cluster Munitions Convention, a treaty to ban the use of cluster bombs. Cluster bombs are munitions used in combat which eject smaller "bomblets" when they are set off. Many are dropped or launched but do not explode until years later, harming or killing civilians who unintentionally come in contact with them.

This treaty includes provisions barring the production, stockpiling, and transfer of cluster bombs. Nations, organizations, and victims of cluster bombs around the world have worked for many years to bring about this agreement. It will not only eradicate cluster bombs, but actively support the victims of cluster explosions.

The treaty will be formally signed in December of 2008 by the 111 original countries, and any other countries that have since endorsed it. After countries sign the treaty, each of their governments must ratify it. Once 30 countries ratify the treaty it becomes international law. Once the treaty becomes law, it will be an important tool to end the use of these indiscriminate weapons.

The Cluster Munitions Coalition, which has been a major leader in the campaign to end cluster bombs, has a petition called the People's Treaty which was re-launched when the treaty was endorsed in Dublin. The Petition calls on governments who have already signed the treaty to carry it through to law. It also calls on countries who have not yet signed (like the United States) to sign on in December.Add your name  to this important petition by clicking on the link above!

(Photo courtesy of Flickr user Leesan under the Creative Commons License )

GlobalVote: Aid to Myanmar

GLOBALVOTE is a new online nonprofit initiative that enhances democracy through shadow voting and polling systems. GlobalVote will empower the world's Internet users by recording their opinions and registering their votes on the world's most pressing issues, including resolutions under consideration at the United Nations and other international organizations.  We will speak on behalf of our voters by disseminating voting results to these international organizations, national governments, the media, universities and NGO's.

Currently GlobalVote is on its thirteenth international vote, and the topic is: Should the UN intervene in order to provide more aid to the people of Myanmar? The situation has come to the attention of GlobalVote because of the limited supply of humanitarian aid that the country's ruling military junta has allowed from other foreign countries.  Giving your opinion on this matter is essential. We'd be happy if you could take a look at the site, sign up as a member and vote on our current resolution. Make your voice heard!

Photo curtsy of GlobalVote

World Environment Day is Approaching!

World Environment Day, sponsored by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is celebrated every year on June 5 (tomorrow!) in more than 100 countries.  This year's slogan is "Kick the Habit: Towards a Low Carbon Economy."

All kinds of organizations participate in many different ways.  Governments, individuals, NGOs, businesses, media, youth groups, and more have all participated in the past and are lined up to do so again this year.  People have put on community clean-up campaigns, street rallies, green concerts, and essay and photo competitions in schools, as just a few examples.

I encourage our partners and friends of EarthAction to celebrate World Environment Day this year in some small (or big) way.  UNEP has a handy WED Alphabet - 80 ways to celebrate site with plenty of short and creative ideas for actions you can take.  Reading the list inspired me- you might find me writing some poems, making recycled art, and encouraging debates on environmental issues. 

Check out the main WED 2008 site for more information and to register your event.

(Photo courtesy of flickr user KaCey97007.)