Prince Charles of Great Britain has emerged as one of the world's highest-profile promoters of a scheme that could finally put an end to destruction of tropical rainforests.

http://www.care2.com/news/member/537645068/1291824

 [ send green star]

The average adult receives 41 pounds of postal junk mail every single year. Getting those worthless ads, catalogues, and sweepstakes letters to your mailbox involves a lot of cut-down trees, burned coal, wasted water, and climate-dooming greenhouse gases. And that thing about you having already won 10 million dollars? Not true. Even Ed McMahon couldn't beat the odds.

Unburden your mailbox with a quick trip to 41pounds.org -- a nonprofit that stops 80 to 95 percent of junk mail from ever being stamped with your address -- and help save species at the same time. Because now when you use 41pounds.org, you can designate more than a third of the fee to go to the Center for Biological Diversity.

 [ send green star]

Showing anew the Clean Air Act's crucial role in fighting climate change, last week the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed another step toward curbing greenhouse gas pollution under the Act. The proposal will require big industrial facilities that annually emit more than 25,000 tons of greenhouse gas to get construction and operating permits covering those emissions -- which must show the use of the best emissions-control and energy-efficiency measures. This is a good step, but the administration should be moving more quickly to make full use of the Clean Air Act now. The Center for Biological Diversity (and you, our supporters) worked hard to tell the Senate to maintain the Clean Air Act in its climate legislation -- and it did. But the Act could still be gutted in the final version of the bill.

Read more in The New York Times and take action to make sure the Senate bill is as strong as it can be.

 [ send green star]

Reform the 1872 Mining Law

Today, a Civil War era law that's still on the books gives the mining of gold, uranium and other "hardrock" minerals priority status on our public lands regardless of its impact on conservation and recreation. It permits mining companies to take precious metals virtually for free.  And it allows claimholders to purchase public land at the rock bottom price of $5 an acre or less.

Mining is a messy business.  The federal government estimates that hardrock mining has degraded approximately 40% of western watersheds and that it will cost at least $50 billion to clean it all up. Here in New Mexico there are an estimated 15,000 abandoned mines.

Fortunately, New Mexicans can play a pivitol role in reforming this antiquated law, because Senator Jeff Bingaman is a stout supporter of reigning in irresponsible mining operations.

The Grand Canyon, one of America's most iconic landmarks, is being threatened by uranium mining. Mining claims within miles of Grand Canyon National Park recently forced the Obama administration to take emergency action to halt temporarily new claimstaking in the area. The Department of Interior now has asked the public whether mining should be prohibited on a long-term basis around park boundaries. While this action is an important first step, neither this treasure nor dozens like it will be safe until Congress gives mining a new law.   

We need your help.  Please send the letter below to Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar.  Ask him to take administrative action to withdraw 1 million acres around Grand Canyon National Park from new mining and work with Congress to protect our parks and forests on a permanent basis by modernizing the 1872 Mining Law.

Send Your Letter Here

 [ send green star]

Take a stand against the illegal commercial bushmeat trade!

With the increased commercialization of the illegal bushmeat trade across Central and Western Africa, thousands of adult chimpanzees and other endangered animals like elephants and gorillas are killed every year.

⇒ Ask Congress to support legislation to end this cruel practice. Sign our petition.

Help us end the use of chimpanzees in entertainment!

The happy chimpanzees you see on the screen are not the real deal. The use of chimpanzees and other great apes in entertainment is often very cruel, requiring the animals to perform unnatural acts day after day, on command. We encourage media companies and others to sign our pledge NOT to allow the use of these animals on their networks or in advertising We're reaching out to a variety of organizations to ask them to sign. Our efforts depend on the support of people like you. We want a list of 20,000 Jane Goodall Institute supporters to hand each company to show them the degree of concern about this issue.

We're asking the entertainment industry to pledge: "As a leader in our industry, our organization pledges not to use live great apes (gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans or bonobos) in connection with any of our products or services or for advertising, entertainment or any other purpose."

⇒ Tell advertisers and others that a chimpanzee on a high wire isn't funny or cute. Sign our petition. 

There are compelling reasons to end the use of great apes in entertainment.
⇒  Learn more about this brand of animal exploitation.

Many people now realize chimpanzees are not meant to live in our homes.
⇒ Learn more of the facts about why chimpanzees can't be pets.

Chimpanzees are our closest cousins in the wild.
⇒ Visit Chimpanzee Central to learn about behavior, biology and more!

Jane Goodall's life story has inspired millions.
⇒ Visit Jane Goodall's Study Corner to learn about her life, work with chimpanzees, and vision.

 [ send green star]