ARE ONLINE PETITIONS SUCCESSFUL?

Today, information from around the world is almost instantaneous.  We receive images from events taking place all around the world and the world is able to respond.  Not all information is generally good in fact, most of it is to ask for assistance in spreading word of injustices happening to people and places all over the world.  We have seen and heard about some of these injustices such as; the right for women to receive proper education, equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans gendered people, equality for minority groups, protection of sensitive geographical locations on the earth and so on.

When you receive a petition, do you generally dismiss it or are you more than likely to sign them in order to create positive change in the world?  And by signing, do you feel that a particular petition will make a difference?  After some careful research, I believe they do.  Here are some examples of some successful petitions:

• Greenpeace, League of Conservation Voters, Environment America and other organizations started a petition to support the Environmental Protection Agency’s Standards for limiting carbon pollution from power plants.

OUTCOME:  In the first 10 weeks over 1.4 million signatures were received.  According to Change.org: “By utilizing promoted sponsored campaigns on Change.org, these organizations increased the number of people voicing public support for the Carbon Pollution Standard to the EPA by 300% for a total of 2.1 million comments.  This is the largest number of signatures and comments submitted to any federal regulation in the U.S. history.”

• Avaaz.org, 350.org and 1,700 other organizations decided to deliver the largest mobilization on climate change in history.  Avaaz Executive Director, Ricken Patel presented a 2 million strong petition to UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon on the march in New York, calling for 100% clean energy worldwide.

OUTCOME:  The marches let to many leaders at the following UN summit acknowledging the pressure coming from the streets.  The pressure is working – less than two months after the march, the US and China signed a landmark agreement, including new targets for carbon emission reductions by the US and a first-ever commitment by China to stop its emissions from growing by 2030.

• Michigan high school student Katy Butler, 17, and Change.org organizer Mark Anthony Dingbaum delivered petitions with over 300,000 signatures to the Motion Picture Association of America in Los Angeles on March 7, 2012, asking the group to change the R rating on the anti-bullying documentary Bully.

OUTCOME:  In April, the Weinstein Company came to an agreement with the MPAA.  After toning the profanity, the film received a new rating of PG-13 (for intense thematic material, disturbing content and some strong language – all involving kids), which meant that children of all ages could watch the movie without and adult.  The Weinstein Company subsequently announced that the PG-13 rated version of Bully would be released nationwide.

• Greenpeace’s ‘SAVE THE ARCTIC’ campaign from SHELL has gathered over 7.3 million signatures to date.  Their goal is to reach 10 million signatures and stop Shell and the Russian oil and gas giant, Gazprom to access the Arctic through Russia.

OUTCOME: Pending.

Petitions are important and vital to a campaign because the people or companies that the specific petition is written for tend to receive their message loud and clear.  If the countries or companies in question don’t listen – they end up losing votes or losing money and that speaks loud and clear.

Together, we can make the world a more positive one!

IS THE PLANET TAKING ITS LAST BREATH?

Let me tell you what I am not……I’m not a scientist, physicist, a climatologist, or an expert on environmental issues.  I like to weigh the pros and the cons of any situation and do enjoy a good debate.  In terms of the planet and our environment – there is no need for debate.  Scientists have been warning us that if humanity continues to rely on fossil fuels and dirty oil instead of thinking about sustainable energy, we would cause a shift in climate change that would have a devastating effect on our planet and humanity forever. 

I am 44 years old and I have always had a love for nature and our environment.  As a teenager, the extent of my environmental activism was wearing t-shirts about saving the planet and protecting our forests.  At that time (nearly 30 years ago) I didn’t understand the severity humanity’s actions would have on the planet – whose fault is that?  I don’t know.  Should I have taken more of an interest, should our government and politicians taken this issue more seriously, should we have relied on the educational system to put emphasis on environmental issues?  Scientists warned us over 25 years ago that our dependency on fossil fuels would have a devastating effect on our climate but the urgency of their message was ignored and now we are in a ‘do or die’ situation and we must get involved.

So many of us fear the knowledge of climate change and don’t want to disrupt their lives with this knowledge.  Many people think “what’s the point, there’s nothing I can do about it now”.  Thoughts like this are so dangerous because when we close ourselves off from the reality of what is happening – we close ourselves off to potentially finding the solutions to those same issues.  If and when we understand the severity of the problem and what the problem may cause in the very near future – shouldn’t that knowledge engage people to seek the solutions to those problems?  I understand life is very difficult enough and that we have our own personal problems….we think – “let’s rely on the experts to fix this”.  Well, experts need the support of the masses to challenge those who don’t believe there is an issue and only care about profit margins.

Here are some interesting statistics:

• NASA completed a study to find out how much carbon in the atmosphere is too much – they indicated 350 ppm (parts per million).  In 2012, readings of carbon in the atmosphere were 395 ppm
• Arctic ice shield has been reduced by more than 50%
• Oceans are 30% more acidic than they were over 30 years ago
• Fossil fuel industry is allowed to pollute our environment without financial repercussions  
• Top 5 oil companies (Exxon, Chevron, BP, Shell, ConocoPhillips) had record profits in 2011 – over $130 billion dollars or $375 million dollars/day
• Top 5 oil companies received $6.6 million/day in federal tax breaks
• Top 5 oil companies spend $444,000 thousand dollars/day lobbying congress
• Rex Tillerson CEO, Exxon made $100,000/day

Here are some key issues from the WMO’s (World Meteorological Organization) 2012 Climate Statement summary:

• 2012 in the top 10 warmest years ever on record
• Above average temperatures were observed in most of the globe’s surface area
• Greenland ice sheet had the largest melt since satellite records began 34 years ago

What can we do?  Call your legislator’s and ask them to support sustainable energy.  Demand high performance/affordable electric cars.  Join a global movement and help them take the fight to parliament.  It is our obligation to do whatever we can to save our planet but we must act now.

Here are some great links to connect you to a global community of environmental activism:

DO THE MATH – YouTube video

http://350.org/

http://wwf.org/

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/

A detailed version of The Statement on the Status of the Global Climate 2012 report summary and additional information about The World Meteorological Organization can be found at:  http://www.wmo.int/pages/mediacentre/press_releases/pr_972_en.html

If we all work collectively – we can ensure that this planet will never take its last breath.  We may not be able to stop climate change but we can make changes today that will be positive for our environment, animals and for humanity tomorrow.

Together, we can make the world a more positive one!

ACT NOW TO SAVE OUR PLANET.

Please take off the blinders and ACT NOW to save our environment, planet and humanity!  We must stop saying that we can’t take on the big oil corporations like Exxon, BP and Shell – but WE CAN!  Scientists have indicated that we must drastically cut our dependency on fossil fuels and we must do so in the next 5 years. 

Please watch and share this video with everyone you know….we all have an obligation to the planet to ask our government and oil companies to invest in sustainable energy that will SAVE OUR PLANET…..

This video shows us exactly what we can do to create positive and effective change in the world.  It is time to show the BIG OIL companies that we can hurt them were it counts – their bottom line.

For more information and to advocate for the planet on a grass-roots movement….please join http://350.org/

Together, we can make the world a more positive one.

EYE-OPENING VIDEOS TO HELP YOU REMOVE THE BLINDERS.

Courtesy of Greenpeace.  Please visit their website and help fight for our environment and our planet.  http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/

Courtesy of WWF Canada.  Please visit their website and help fight for our environment and our planet.  http://www.wwf.ca

Isn’t it time we took a stand and do what must be done to save our planet?  We need to give our politicians a message and that message is we will not vote for you unless you make sustainable energy, the environment and saving the planet top priority.  We will not tolerate payoffs from BIG Corporation/oil/auto so that they can continue to destroy our planet.

Don’t support SHELL or the oil companies that are committing to drill for oil in the arctic or that do not want to invest in electric affordable vehicles.  Don’t support companies and corporations that don’t give back to the planet by trying to make products that don’t contribute to the destruction of our planet.  Don’t support corporations that are making you and your family sick with food that lacks nutrition and is causing an environmental catastrophe on the planet (KFC, McDonalds).

We need to do something now to clean our air and assure that we have enough water for future generations – WE CAN DO IT!  If we can put rovers on Mars – we can work towards healing our planet.  Are you ready?

TAKE A STAND and HAVE YOUR VOICE BE HEARD.

What can you do?  Write your politicians and tell them you will not support them in the next election if they don’t make a drastic and more positive change towards environmental issues.  Buy local and organic foods.  Don’t buy plastic products.  If you do buy plastic bottles or cutlery – keep reusing them and don’t throw them out.  Make donations to WWF and Greenpeace by visiting their website to ensure they are able to continue to pressure world governments for green initiatives and to stop any and further destruction to our planet.  Collectively – each one of us could be instruments for positive change in the world or we can continue being ignorant.  Eventually, the destruction behaviour we are allowing on our planet will no longer be out of sight/out of mind.

Together, we can make the world a more positive one!