EarthAction

This is HUGE - Europe's leaders are about to decide whether to END carbon pollution completely!

 

This is HUGE -- Europe’s leaders are about to decide whether to END carbon pollution completely! 

If they do it, it’ll be a giant leap towards a safe climate for all. But dirty energy blockers, like Poland, are already trying to derail the plan -- and it’s up to us to defend it. 

We urgently need a massive show of public support from the whole world for the plan. Key leaders like French President Macron and German Chancellor Merkel are deciding right now whether to get on board -- let’s flood them and other leaders with messages from around the world calling on them to back 100% clean energy to tackle the climate emergency!   

Tell Europe: End Carbon Pollution! 

Can you imagine how big a deal it would be if an entire continent announced a plan to abandon the filthy fossil fuels that are choking our skies with carbon? It could really happen -- and soon! 

Under the Paris climate deal we fought so hard for, countries are required to develop new plans to meet a goal to end carbon pollution by the middle of the century. The EU’s will be one of the first plans to be published -- and experts say it will set the tone for other plans all over the world. 

Nearly 4 million of us have added our names to the call for 100% clean energy and zero carbon pollution! And we just went all out to face down the far-right in Europe so we’d have opportunities like this one. Now we need to take it! Send a message now, and let’s show Europe they have massive backing to face down the polluters, and bring an end to dirty climate pollution!  

Tell Europe: End Carbon Pollution! 

Years ago, when our movement started campaigning for 100% clean energy, they said it was impossible. But we didn’t give up, and now we could be on the cusp of a huge victory in the fight for humanity’s future. Now it’s up to us to make it happen -- and end the era of fossil fuels for good.

Learn more at Avaaz

 

Plastic Pollution Deadline

We need to crank up the pressure against Nestlé's plastic pollution before April 11!

Tell Nestlé to protect communities and wildlife - ditch single-use plastic packaging today!

SIGN NOW

Can you believe that the world's largest food company has built its entire business model on throwaway packaging?

It makes me furious, but it's true. 98% of Nestlé's products are sold in single-use packaging.

We need Nestlé to make big changes this year and that means we need to crank up the pressure before the corporation's annual shareholder meeting in two weeks.

ADD YOU NAME to demand Nestlé make real commitments to protect our oceans and communities by phasing out single-use plastic packaging! We need hundreds of thousands of signatures before April 11 to make Nestlé feel the heat.

There is no time to lose. Have you heard that every minute a truckload of plastic enters the oceans? Corporations - starting with Nestlé - must reverse their tie of plastic pollution or even more communities, whales, sea turtles and birds will suffer.

I know people-power can force Nestlé to go from pollution to solutions. How?

• We're building off your successes. Some of the biggest food service and supermarket companies are stepping away from plastics and that will put pressure on corporations like Nestlé.
• Nestlé is already feeling the heat. Because millions of people like you have already spoken out. Nestlé has finally acknowledged that recycling alone won't solve the plastic pollution crisis. Now it's up to you to make sure Nestlé goes beyond greenwashing and makes real commitments to phase out single-use plastic. It knows its reputation is at stake.
• We're building a global movement. Millions of people, and dozens of organizations, from every continent, are posed to take creative action calling out Nestlé. That is a force that cannot be ignored!

But for your voice to have the biggest impact, I need you to speak out right now before Nestlé's Annual General Meeting for shareholders on April 11. This is the most important day of the year, and our biggest chance to expose its massic plastic pollution.

Sign the petition to Nestlé today!

By taking action today, you will help change history. Nestlé is such a big corporation that commitments to phasing out single-use plastic will shift the entire industry.

You can make Nestlé - and other mega-corporations - see that breaking free from plastic isn't a passing trend, but a movement that won't stop until we have a circular economy based on reuse, instead of waste. It won't happen unless you start taking action right now.

Thanks for all you do,

Annie Leonard

Executive Director, Greenpeace USA

P.S. Nestlé's Annual General Meeting for shareholders is April 11. This is the perfect time to crank up the pressure on Nestlé. Sign the petition to demand Nestlé immediately move toward phasing out single-use plastics and embracing systems of refill and reuse.

Learn more at Greenpeace

Country Energy Policies

Climate change is real, and what governments do matters.

The current energy policies of many countries fail to demonstrate a commitment to lowering greenhouse gas emissions. However, many countries have policies that could be quite effective if strengthened. It is encouraging to see that almost all countries also contain a commitment to the use of renewable energy.

READ THE REPORT

Become a Partner: We must save the Paris Agreement!

Our campaign is focused on raising public awareness and putting public pressure on leading greenhouse gas emitting countries. Learn More

Donate Today! Every donation helps our work.

Our global grassroots organization relies on the support of other committed individuals. Learn More

From Climate Scorecard. Read more here

Stop the Slaughter

The Government of Iceland announced that they had authorized the slaughter of more than 2,000 whales over the next five years. 

Earth Day Network stands in solidarity with those voices condemning Iceland for this decision, and we ask that you join us in sending a clear message of opposition to the Icelandic Government.

Join Earth Day Network and citizens worldwide telling the Government of Iceland that you oppose the recent decision to allow the killing of these innocent creatures. If enough of us speak up, they will have to listen!

Send a letter urging the Icelandic Government to reverse this decision. For your convenience, we've drafted a letter for you to send directly.

Please click here to send your letter

We can't afford to be silent. We must push back, speak up, and tell them that what they are doing is unacceptable.

Share our video and help save our whales.

Thank you for acting to Protect Our Species!

Learn more at Earth Day Network

Top 10 Animals Going Extinct Because of Climate Change

NASA scientists announced yesterday that 2018 was the fourth hottest year on Earth, exceeded only by 2017, 2016 and 2015. After 140 years of record-keeping, 18 out of 19 of Earth's warmest years have occurred since 2001.

For humans, this means more destructive hurricanes, floods, forest fires, droughts, and bone-chilling Arctic blasts resulting in thousands of deaths, billions in property destruction and massive interruptions of life as we know it.

But let's stop and think about what extreme weather and changes in climate caused by humans means for species.

By 2100, an estimated 50% of all world's species could go extinct because of climate change. We can't let that happen. At Earth Day Network we're working to Protect Our Species.

Here are 10 animals threatened with extinction because of climate change.

1. Bumblebees: Rising temperatures force bees north, disrupting access to the nectar and pollen they need to survive.
2. Whales: Migration, feed, and reproduction necessary for survival are disrupted by warming waters.
3. Asian Elephants: Habitat is disappearing due to lower rainfall and higher temperatures.
4. Giraffes: In addition to illegal poaching, shrinking habitat and disappearing food sources threaten their survival.
5. Insects: 18% of insect species will die off due to warming by 2100; if the planet warms 3.2 degrees C, that number rises to 49%.
6. Oceanic Birds: Rising waters threaten to submerge their coastal habitats and nests completely.
7. Sharks: Difficulty hunting and lower birth rates threaten sharks as ocean temperature and acidity rise worldwide.
8. Monarch Butterflies: Monarchs can't survive without milkweed, now being destroyed by hotter dryer land often damaged by pesticides.
9. Great Apes: With nearly 75% of forest cover at risk due to climate change, their habitat is disappearing.
10. Coral: Sustained heat stress causes coral bleaching, an often deadly occurrence in which coral starves from a loss of nutrition.

Join Earth Day Network's campaign to Protect Our Species, Together we can slow the pace of extinction.

Got ideas? Please share your plans to Protect Our Species.

Thank you for being part of our global movement.

From Earth Day Network. Read more here.

Earth Day 2019: Protect Our Species

This year, Earth Day Network is working to Protect Our Species, and we urge you to join us.

Nature's gifts to our planet are the millions of species that we know and love. Many more species remain to be discovered. Unfortunately, the world is facing the greatest rate of extinction since that of the dinosaurs more than 60 million years ago.

Today's unprecedented global destruction and rapid reduction of plant and wildlife populations are directly linked to human activity: deforestation, habitat loss, unsustainable agriculture, climate change, trafficking, poaching, pollution, and pesticides.

The good news is that through advocacy, education, changes in consumer behavior, preservation of current legal protections and advancement of new policies, species extinction can be slowed!

That where YOU come in.

We're offering the resources below to help you educate, inspire, and organize your communities and networks to protect species locally and globally.

• 10 Facts on Global Species Decline
• What you Need to Know About Declining Species
• Earth Day 2019 Organizers Toolkit
• Earth Day 2019 Teach-In Toolkit
• Climate Education Week Toolkit for Educators and K-12 Students
• Plan a "Protect Our Species" communications campaign using the hashtags #EarthDay2019 and #ProtectOurSpecies and tagging us @EarthDayNetwork.

Together we can slow the pace of extinction and Protect Our Species. Got ideas? Please share your plans to Protect Our Species with us.

Thank you for being part of the global movement to make Earth Day Every Day!

From Earth Day Network. Read more here.

2018 EarthAction Report & Request

December 2018

 

Dear Friend of EarthAction,

Our current President and his allies, with their domestic and foreign policies, judicial appointments, rhetoric, insults, and name-calling have set our country and the world on a very dangerous course.

EarthAction has a key role to play in limiting the damage and getting the world back on track to a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world. That's why we need your support now, more than ever.

With your contributions over these last 26 years, EarthAction has made real progress in finding solutions to many of the world’s most pressing issues. Our work has helped to educate children around the world, provide health care to women, protect the lives of indigenous peoples and immigrants, stabilize our climate, and reduce the risk of chemical, biological and nuclear wars.

As one of our generous friends, you have—and will continue to play—a critical role in changing our national and global political landscape forever. I urge you to make a donation that will enable us to continue and expand our work in 2019.

There is so much more we can do, with your help. This is the time of year when many of us make our most meaningful donations to help change the world. I hope you’ll include EarthAction on your list of causes to support. Click here to contribute on our website, or send a check to EarthAction, PO Box 63, Amherst, MA 01004. Please make the most generous gift you can.

EarthAction remains unique in its ability to build global political will and create positive solutions on such a wide diversity of issues. Whenever there are opportunities to make change towards a world with more peace, justice, and environmental protection, we are at work making sure people understand the issues, appreciate what’s at stake, and know how to add their voice for change.

Your support is what makes it possible.

With gratitude for your generosity,

Lois Barber
Co-Founder & Executive Director

 

P.S.  Can't help spilling the beans a little … as you'll read in our EarthAction 2018 Campaign Report, Best Climate Solutions has given its 2018 International Award to our Climate Scorecard Spotlight Project for our “effectiveness in Communicating Climate Change Threats and Opportunities.” I'm very proud and very grateful for your help to make this possible. This is one more example of what we're doing together for democracy, peace, and the environment. Your donation today will help us continue that critical work in 2019. Click here to donate. Many thanks.

Climate Scorecard Spotlight Report: Significant Greenhouse Gas Emission Activities

Less Coal, More Carbon Tax

This month, our Country Managers focused on significant greenhouse gas emissions activities. The results were a mix of positive and negative.

Germany's AfD, Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro, less coal and more carbon taxes are some of the most significant climate change activities this month.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE ACTIVITIES

Become a Partner

We must save the Paris Agreement!

Our campaign is focused on raising public awareness and putting public pressure on leading greenhouse gas emitting countries. 

Learn More

Donate Today!

Every donation helps our work.

Our global, grassroots organization relies on the support of other committed individuals.

Learn More

Read more at Climate Scorecard

The Status of Climate Finance in Leading Greenhouse Gas Emitting Countries

For Global Report #8 Climate Scorecard Country Managers identified key issues affecting international climate finance in leading greenhouse gas emitting countries. The first identified whether their country was an international climate finance donor or recipient and then described the effectiveness of their efforts (if they were a donor country) or the impact of international assistance (if they were a recipient country).

There are many insights that can be gleaned from reviewing the totality of the country posts in this global report. For example, countries are using a wide range of international climate funding mechanisms, such as multilateral development banks, UN agencies, bilateral assistance, and private sector investment. The Green Climate Fund, which remains undersubscribed, is only a small part of global international climate finance.

May recipient countries (e.g. Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Thailand) report the lack of a system for targeting international climate finance with the needs of recipient countries for specific mitigation or adaptation efforts. Conversely, several donor countries, e.g. Canada and the EU, have a need for better mechanisms to report on and account for the impact of their investments.

It also is clear, that despite the diversity of funding mechanisms, the overall level of donor finance support is too low to meet the needs of poorer countries. Several donor countries, such as France and the UK, report that their level of funding is diminishing. Only a few countries (Canada, China, France, the UK, the EU and Japan) have made substantial commitments, and the US has reneged on $2 billion of its $3 billion pledge to the Green Climate Fund.

Hopefully there will be an effort at COP 24 to ramp up and better coordinate international climate finance. The Green Climate Fund seems to be in a state of disarray after the resignation of its Director. There also is an overall sense, at least based on our reports, that the flow of finance support is somewhat random, based more on political considerations than climate mitigation/adaptation needs. Hopefully, discussions at COP 24 and elsewhere will lead to making the international climate finance system more inclusive, transparent and accountable.

Download the full report here

From Climate Scorecard. Read more here

Retiring One Trident Missile Could Ensure UN Does Not Run Out of Cash

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres last week warned member states and UN staff that the United Nations is $140 million short of its budget and could run out of cash, due to late and non-payment of UN dues by member states.

In a letter sent to UN members, Guterres said that the UN had "never faced such a difficult cash flow situation this early in the calendar year. An organization such as ours should not have to suffer repeated brushes with bankruptcy. But surely, the greater pain is felt by those we serve when we cannot, for want of modest funds, answer their call for help." 

Move the Nuclear Weapons Money has called for re-allocation of a portion of nuclear weapons budgets to assist the UN cash crisis. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, the cost to extend the lifetime of each US Trident nuclear missile is $140 million, the same amount as the UN shortfall.

Trident II nuclear missile

"if the US retires just one Trident nuclear missile from their arsenal, the money saved could be used to meet the UN deficit," says Alyn Ware, Global Coordinator for Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (PNND) and Co-founder of Move the Nuclear Weapons Money.

"Better yet, if all the nuclear armed States abandoned their plans to upgrade their nuclear arsenal, nearly $100 billion could be saved. This could then re-directed into the economy for job creation, climate protection, education, health, peace, diplomacy and sustainable security."

PNND Co-President Senator Ed Markey has introduced the Smarter Approach to Nuclear Expenditures (SANE) Act into the U.S. Senate to cut redundant and destabilizing nuclear programs and curtail nuclear modernization. "It is time we inserted some desperately needed sanity into America's budget priorities,"  says Senator Markey.

Senator Markey introducing the Smarter Approach to Nuclear Expenditure (SANE) Act

"Unfortunately, Senator Markey is unable to move a majority of the US Senate to support his act due to the lobbying power of the companies which are manufacturing the nuclear weapons systems" says Mr. Ware. "We can reduce this pro-nuclear lobbying power, and encourage the companies to get out of the nuclear weapons business, by nuclear weapons divestment."

The Move the Nuclear Weapons Money campaign shows how you can be involved, by moving your government, city, religious institution, university, bank and/or pension fund to divest (See Take Action). The campaign also lists examples of divestment policies adopted at these different levels.

"Next week parliamentarians, faith communities and peace organizations will commemorate the 73rd anniversary of the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki," says Vanda Proskova, PNND Research Officer, "Amongst the many actions around the world will be calls for further divestment from nuclear weapons corporations." 

In order to highlight the issue, the World Future Council along with PNND and other partners, will hold Count the Nuclear Weapons Money, an action during UN Disarmament Week (October 24-30) to "count out" the $1 trillion budgeted for nuclear weapons for the next ten years, and reallocate this money to better areas.

One million mock notes, each of $1 million value, will be counted by people of all ages, nations, backgrounds; celebrities, activists, politicians, UN officials, diplomats, artists, religious leaders, sportspeople, refugees and others. The counting will take place in front of the United Nations and at other relevant locations in New York.

"Counting the money note-by-note, no-stop over seven days and nights, will demonstrate what an exorbitant amount of money is being wasted on nuclear weapons - money which is sorely needed to end poverty, protect the climate, provide adequate health care and basic education, fund the United Nations and achieve the sustainable development goals," says Holger Güssenfeld, Creative Director of Count the Nuclear Weapons Money.

"This event will reach millions of people, encouraging them to take action to end investments in nuclear weapons, and reinvest in peace and the planet."

READ MORE AT UNFOLD ZERO