Dear friends,

The Brazilian Congress has just passed a catastrophic forestry bill that gives loggers and farmers free rein to cut down huge swaths of the Amazon. Now only President Dilma can stop it.

Fortunately, the timing is on our side -- in weeks Dilma will host the world’s biggest environmental summit and insiders say she cannot afford to open it as the leader who approved the destruction of the rainforest. She’s facing mounting domestic pressure -- 79% of Brazilians rejecting this new bill Now, let's turn up the global heat and push her to axe the bill, not the rainforest.

Dilma could make her decision any day. The national Veto Dilma campaign is on fire -- if we join them now together we can save this precious rainforest. Click below to sign the urgent petition to stop the Amazon chainsaw massacre and send this to everyone:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/veto_dilma_global/?tta

The Amazon is vital to life on earth -- 20% of our oxygen comes from this magnificent rainforest, and it plays a key role in mitigating global climate change. Over the last decade, Brazil has vastly reduced deforestation rates, achieving a 78% decline between 2004 and 2011. The reason? A world-acclaimed forestry law, strong enforcement and satellite monitoring.

But this dangerous new bill would open up an area the size of France and Britain combined to clear-cutting and gives loggers amnesty for all past deforestation crimes. This would not only spark total forest devastation in Brazil, it would also set a bad precedent for other countries. That’s why it’s so crucial that we all protect it.

Brazil is a rapidly developing country, battling to lift tens of millions out of poverty. Despite evidence that growth does not require deforestation, Dilma is under pressure from the powerful agricultural lobby that helped her get elected to cut down rainforest for profit. And it is an ugly battle -- activists are being murdered, intimidated and silenced. But ex-Environmental Ministers and people across Brazil have sent a clear message to Dilma that they want to save the Amazon. Now, it’s up to all of us to stand with them and urge President Dilma to remain strong.

The fate of Brazil’s rainforests is dangling by a thread. But, with President Dilma so vulnerable to public pressure right now, we can bring the global force of people power to get a win for our planet! Sign the urgent petition below and tell everyone -- the petition will be delivered by Brazil’s former Environment Ministers directly to Dilma:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/veto_dilma_global/?tta

In the last three years, we have won battle after battle against the odds. Now, let’s come together to stop the destruction of the Amazon, protect our planet and herald Dilma as a true international environmental leader.

With hope and determination,

Luis, Pedro, Maria Paz, Alice, Ricken, Carol, Lisa, Rewan and the entire Avaaz team

Dear Friend,

We need to speak out to stop the Senate from greatly expanding the power of the federal government and big corporations to spy on us as we use the Internet.

The House has already passed "Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act" (CISPA), a horrible bill that shreds our online civil liberties.

Supporters of CISPA cynically used the legitimate need to protect our vital national interests from cyber attacks as an excuse to give the government and private companies the authority to read, watch and listen to everything we do on the Internet.

Now the fight moves to the Senate, where several CISPA-like bills are under consideration.

I just signed a petition telling the Senate to stop the online spying bills. I hope you do, too.

You can find out more information and sign the petition at the link below.

http://ping.fm/EDGex

EmailEmail Your Friends

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Subject: Shocking new images from the BP Gulf disaster

Friend,

The White House and BP have been hiding the truth about the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf.

Greenpeace has obtained pictures that show garbage bags full of dead sea turtles, dolphins struggling to hold on for life in the poisoned water and sperm whales swimming through a sheen of oil. What else about the Gulf disaster is the White House and Big Oil hiding from the public before they finish the settlement?

It’s not too late. The government has yet to announce the amount of money BP owes for the damages caused by the disaster.

Join me and take action by demanding that the White House publicly release everything they have around the Gulf disaster, make BP pay what they owe and put a stop to ALL new offshore drilling before it’s too late.

https%3A%2F%2Fsecure3.convio.net%2Fgpeace%2Fsite%2FAdvocacy%3Fcmd%3Ddisplay%26page%3DUserAction%26id%3D1097%26s_src=TAF%26s_subsrc=Email

Check out hashtag ShutUpClinton.

Dear Friend,

FOX News' parent company, News Corporation, is embroiled in a phone hacking scandal that has shone a spotlight on the detestable practices its owner, Rupert Murdoch, promotes as journalism.

The ever-growing scandal has shut down one newspaper, led to multiple arrests and numerous resignations in the UK, and an FBI investigation into allegations that News Corp. staff may have sought to hack the voicemail of victims of 9/11 and their families in the US.

And now a committee in the UK parliament has issued a report blasting both Rupert Murdoch and his son James (also an executive at News Corp.) for their complicity in the scandal, concluding that Rupert Murdoch is "not a fit person to exercise stewardship of a major international company."

It's time for the FCC to take action. The law requires that the FCC consider the "character" of media owners when deciding whether to grant, deny or revoke a broadcast license.

I just signed a petition telling the FCC to enforce the law and revoke the broadcast licenses held by Rupert Murdoch's media empire.

I hope you do, too. You can find out more information and easily sign the petition at the link below.

http://ping.fm/TT2jG

Dear Friend,

If the financial crimes task force President Obama announced in his State of the Union speech doesn't hand down criminal indictments soon, we might never see Wall Street bankers held accountable for causing the worst economic collapse since the Great Depression.

So it is deeply worrying that Congressman Brad Miller, who has been a real advocate for Wall Street accountability, recently said he was told months ago by the office of New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, one of the task force's five co-chairs, not to expect criminal indictments from the task force.

If we want to see criminal Wall Street bankers behind bars, we must insist that President Obama and the co-chairs of the financial fraud task force do not take criminal prosecutions off the table.

I just signed a petition to them about this, and I hope you do as well.

There's more information and an easy way to sign the petition at the link below.

http://ping.fm/7tnjX

Hi,

I wanted to draw your attention to this important petition that I recently signed:

"Release Yemeni journalist Abdulelah Haider Shaye"
http://ping.fm/LbcbB
I really think this is an important cause, and I'd like to encourage you to add your signature, too. It's free and takes just a few seconds of your time.

Thanks!


PS, US needs to arrange the release of this journalist very soon. ;-)

Regards,
proclus
http://www.gnu-darwin.org/

If they kill women and children and call them Al Qaeda, then all of us are Al Qaeda. - drones

Dear Friend,

Keeping federally subsidized student loans affordable for the families who need them most will provide millions of working class Americans with much needed economic relief. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) has introduced the Student Loan Affordability Act (S. 2051) which locks in the federally subsidized student loan rate at 3.4 percent and prevents it from doubling this summer.

It is urgent that we organize in support of Senator Reed's legislation today to make sure that interest rates do not double on July 1. The more Senators who come out in support of S. 2051 today, the more likely it will be that Congress acts on this issue before interest rates double this summer.

I just signed a petition asking my senator to stop Republicans from doubling the interest rate on student loans by cosponsoring the Student Loan Affordability Act (S.2051). Can you join the cause today? Thanks for taking action.
http://ping.fm/WzTca

Rep. Aaron Schock @repaaronschock
Rep. Adam Kinzinger @repkinzinger
Rep. Ben Quayle @benquayle
Rep. Bill Huizenga @rephuizenga
Rep. Brian Bilbray @bilbrayca50
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers @cathymcmorris
Rep. Dennis Cardoza @repcardoza
Rep. Gary Miller @repgarymiller
Rep. Greg Walden @repgregwalden
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen @roslehtinen
Rep. Jeff Miller @congjeffmiller
Rep. Jim Cooper @repjimcooper
Rep. Joe Baca @repjoebaca
Rep. John Carter @judgecarter
Rep. John Sullivan @usrepsullivan
Rep. Ken Calvert @kencalvert
Rep. Kevin Yoder @repkevinyoder
Rep. Larry Kissell @RepLarryKissell
Rep. Lee Terry @LEETERRYNE
Rep. Leonard Boswell @leonardboswell
Rep. Lynn Westmoreland @repwestmoreland
Rep. Michael Burgess @michaelcburgess
Rep. Michael Grimm @repmichaelgrimm
Rep. Michael McCaul @mccaulpressshop
Rep. Michael Turner @repmiketurner
Rep. Mick Mulvaney @repmickmulvaney
Rep. Mike Coffman @repmikecoffman
Rep. Mike Pompeo @repmikepompeo
Rep. Paul Broun @reppaulbrounmd
Rep. Phil Roe @drphilroe
Rep. Randy Hultgren @rephultgren
Rep. Rob Wittman @robwittman
Rep. Robert Hurt @reproberthurt
Rep. Robert Latta @boblatta
Rep. Steve Stivers @repstevestivers
Rep. Thomas Rooney @tomrooney
Rep. Timothy Walberg @repwalberg
Rep. Trent Franks @reptrentfranks

I managed to obtain Twitter addresses for 38 of 100+ CISPA
co-sponsors. I only had time to spot check them, so if you want them
checked, you need to do that yourself. ;-), I can also provide some
Facebook page names. If people would find that helpful, just ask.
Let's give these people TURBULENCE!

Regards,
proclus
http://www.gnu-darwin.org/

Dear Friend,

Apple, Amazon and Microsoft are leaders when it comes to innovative technology. While their products are cutting edge, their giant data centers use the oldest, dirtiest power source on the planet -- coal.

Help them clean up their act:

https%3A%2F%2Fsecure3.convio.net%2Fgpeace%2Fsite%2FAdvocacy%3Fcmd%3Ddisplay%26page%3DUserAction%26id%3D1075%26s_src=TAF%26s_subsrc=Email

Hi,

I signed a petition to Rep. John Kline (MN-2), The United States House of Representatives, and 2 others which says:

"Total outstanding student loan debt in America is expected to exceed $1 TRILLION this year. Millions of hardworking, taxpaying, educated Americans are being crushed under the weight of their educational debts, while the economy continues to sputter. Support a REAL economic stimulus and jobs plan. Support the Student Loan Forgiveness Act of 2012 (H.R. 4170)."

Will you sign this petition? Click here:

http://ping.fm/gT7d9

Thanks!

Dear Friend,


The Arctic Ocean has never been drilled for oil, not even under George W. Bush.

But at the end of March, the Obama Administration approved Shell Oil's inadequate Spill Plan for the Beaufort Sea, and right now, Shell's Kulluk drilling rig is getting towed up the pacific coast.

This is the eleventh hour. Drilling in these pristine waters could begin as soon as this summer.

Before it does, President Obama still has to approve the final Permit to Drill, and a decision could come by the end of this month.

I just signed a petition telling the Obama Administration to save the Arctic Ocean from Oil Drilling. This is the last change, please sign your name too:

http://ping.fm/AN4WC

It is usually the same culprits. Google OpBlackout dox on SOPA & PIPA. We can out these cretins. -
#cispa stopcispa opdefense hr3523

This is what we feared. The copyright cartel, and their lapdogs on capitol hill are bringing back SOPA by other means. It is wrapped in the cybersecurity bills, and this time it is worse. CISPA would allow the corporatists to conduct takedowns and privacy invasions on their own, without government oversight. They would be protected from legal claims based on these actions. We must stop this!

Regards,
proclus
http://www.gnu-darwin.org/

GNU-Darwin OS would not boot on a Phenom II,& the development cycle is over for this year. Things are looking dismal for the OS at this time

Tim DeChristopher looks like another hero in US solitary confinement. Hopefully we can do something for him.

Dear friend,

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is preparing to approve genetically engineered salmon, which would be the first genetically engineered animal on supermarket shelves in the United States. The salmon is engineered to produce hormones year-round that cause the fish to grow at twice its natural rate. But without labels, we'll never know.

We need to speak out now, because there's just days until the FDA must respond publicly to a petition calling for labeling of genetically engineered foods -- and we need to make sure the FDA knows how ordinary Americans feel about this issue before that deadline.

That's why I submitted a comment to the FDA demanding that genetically engineered foods be labeled. And in about 30 seconds and with just a few clicks, you can join me. Will you tell the FDA that you support mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods too?

http://ping.fm/DT3xE

Please, click on that link and contact the FDA today. They need to hear from more people like you and me.

Thanks!

Dear Friend,

This is unbelievable. The interest rates on federal student loans will double this summer if Congress doesn't take action.

Congress, led by Republican leadership in the House, is planning to let the College Cost Reduction and Access Act legislation expire on July 1, effectively doubling the interest rates on loans for millions of Americans. This will result in an average of $5,000 in additional payments for students who are scheduled to pay their loans backs in 5 years, and $11,000 for those who are paying back in 10.

We can't let this happen. I just signed a petition urging Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to pick up the fight on behalf of millions of American students. I hope you do too.

You can sign the petition and find out more information at the link below.
http://ping.fm/kgaPX

Dear Friend,

At the height of the financial crisis, we spent billions of dollars bailing out failed insurance giant AIG after its reckless bets on mortgage-backed securities went south.

And now, according to recent reports, the Treasury is engaging in a second, secret bailout of the firm -- one that's costing U.S. taxpayers billions, and artificially boosting AIG's profits, leading directly to higher share prices and bigger executive bonuses for some of the same people who ran the company into the ground.

Elizabeth Warren and three other members of the Congressional Oversight Panel for the Troubled Asset Relief Program she chaired -- including two members appointed by Congressional Republicans -- have denounced this stealth bailout of AIG and asked Congress to intervene.

I agree, so I just signed a petition telling Congress to stop the secret AIG bailout

I hope you'll sign the petition too.

You can find out more information and easily take action at the link below.

http://ping.fm/K0p5B