Obama Rejects KXL! EMA Weekly Forecast
President Obama Rejects the Keystone Pipeline!
The Keystone Pipeline has been many things over the past few years. It's been a political talking point, an environmental movement, and a sign of fossil fuel's dwindling influence. But what the pipeline has never been, and never will be, is a good idea.
Thankfully, President Obama, after more suspense than an Alfred Hitchcock film, finally rejected the Keystone Pipeline! His reasoning? “The pipeline would not make a meaningful long-term contribution to our economy." Further, Keystone XL doesn't fit in with his ambitious plans to curb climate change. According to The New York Times,
"The construction would have had little impact on the nation’s economy. A State Department analysis concluded that building the pipeline would have created jobs, but the total number represented less than one-tenth of 1 percent of the nation’s total employment. The analysis estimated that Keystone would support 42,000 temporary jobs over its two-year construction period — about 3,900 of them in construction and the rest in indirect support jobs, like food service. The department estimated that the project would create about 35 permanent jobs."
A Major Win for the Environment!
Despite the fossil fuel industry's misleading rhetoric, and a massive campaign to promote the pipeline, environmentalists and concerned citizens fought smartly to inform the public of the truth. Our soil, water, and air are more important than the short-term profit of wealthy oil companies.
The President's decision sends a strong message: the future of energy lies in renewable, clean sources, not dirty fossil fuels!
Back in February, we joined Appeal to Reason and the Sierra Club to send a message to President Obama pleading him to reject the Keystone Pipeline. Today, we say thank you to President Obama, and all of the concerned citizens who used their voice to say no to Keystone XL!
Watch: Neil Young “Who’s Gonna Stand Up” at Harvest the Hope #NoKXL Benefit
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"CONSUMED" a film by Daryl Wein
GMOs are scary, which is why the film CONSUMED struck our attention. There are plenty of amazing documentaries about Genetically Modified Organisms, but we hadn't heard of a GMO drama. According to the official website,
"CONSUMED is a dramatic thriller that explores the complex world of genetically modified food.
The story is anchored by a working-class, single Mother on a hunt to uncover the cause of her son's mysterious illness. Interwoven are the stories of an Organic farmer, the CEO of a biotechnology corporation, two Scientists on the verge of a major discovery, and an ex-Cop caught in the middle of it all."
The film stars Zoe Lister-Jones, Danny Glover, and Taylor Kinney. How can you see the film? Head to the website to find a screening new you, or host your own!
EMA and GMO Labeling
In the spring, EMA joined forces with fellow NGO, JUST LABEL IT (JLI), to help cause change in the way we buy or food. Every day, parents across the nation purchase food for their families without the ability to discern which products contain genetically modified organisms (aka GMOs). Partnering with JUST LABEL IT, EMA helped launch the “Conceal Or Reveal” campaign recruiting celebrity moms across the nation to urge both congress and corporate America to “Just Label” their products.
#MeatlessMondays with Gardein
Did you know that eating one burger has the same carbon footprint as driving 320 miles in your car? Better be a good burger, right? Or you could choose the more Eco-friendly, healthier option of going meatless every Monday. Our and Gardein's goal is to inspire people to give up the meat with the help of tantalizing vegetarian recipes. Pesto stuffed mushrooms, Thai fishless sliders, pasta Alfredo with walnut Parmesan...you get the point.
Do you have a favorite meatless recipe? Share it with us and we'll post it on our blog and social media. #MeatlessMonday will be a fun way to get people eating less meat and thinking about the environmental impacts of their eating habits. Also, you won't have to worry about what to make every Monday.
Want to submit a recipe for our blog? Have a question about how to tweet/instagram your #MeatlessMonday? Email our community manager Jay Jasinski at jayjasinski10@gmail.com
Sadly, Americans are "Meh" About Climate Change
Mark this one under "things we must change now!" You know the phenomenon that will cause severe droughts, mass displacement, and sea level rise? Yeah, climate change. Well, despite the immense amount of warnings coming from most of the world's leading scientists, Americans are choosing to shrug their shoulders. According to the article,"However, fewer than one in four Americans are extremely or very worried about it, according the poll of 1,058 people. About one out of three Americans are moderately worried and the highest percentage of those polled - 38 percent - were not too worried or not at all worried.
Despite high profile preaching by Pope Francis, only 36 percent of Americans see global warming as a moral issue and only a quarter of those asked see it as a fairness issue, according to the poll which has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points."
The good news? Climate change apathy is something WE can change. Now's the time we must join our voices and not allow what could be the biggest challenge our children face to be ignored. Join EMA, and together we'll inspire action on climate change.
The Tiny Nation of Palau Goes Big With New Ocean Reserve
Here's proof that every country, no matter how big or how small, makes an impact on our planet. Thankfully, the tiny nation of Palau chose to make a positive impact with its enormous new ocean reserve. Is it just us, or does it seem like every week a country one-ups another with a bigger ocean reserve? That's the kind of friendly competition we love to see!
Just how big is Palau's ocean reserve? According to the article,
"The president of Palau signed legislation Wednesday designating a reserve that's about 193,000 square miles (500,000 square kilometers) in size. This makes it one of the five largest fully protected marine areas in the world."
Why so big?
"Island communities have been among the hardest hit by the threats facing the ocean," Remengesau said in an earlier statement. "Creating this sanctuary is a bold move that the people of Palau recognize as essential to our survival."
Let's hope we have another, even larger, ocean reserve to report next week!
These Are The Foods We'd Lose if Honeybees Die Off
Bees are humanity's greatest ally when it comes to food production, which is why colony collapse among these pollinators is so frightening. Though it sounds like something out of a b-horror film, a world without bees would be devastating. Like apples? Gone. Broccoli? Gone. Lemons? Gone. According to the article,
"Honeybees are the most important pollinators of fruits and vegetables, and scientists and beekeepers around the world are still alarmed at the sustained rate in which bees continue to die. Colony collapse disorder, a detrimental convergence of many possible factors, is responsible for the loss of up to 90 percent of beekeepers' bees, adding up to the devastation of 10 million beehives in six years."
A necessary step in saving the bees is to raise awareness of their importance to our food supplies. Check out the infographic below and share it via social media!
More Than Honey: Honeybees and Our Food System
A Taste of "The Best of the Best" Nature Photography
We'll end our newsletter with a series of stunning nature photos. Sometimes, all we need is a photo to remind us of what we're fighting for.