Tell the Indiana Assembly to pass bill 1483 to STOP BULLYING!
Covington, Indiana is a small, close-knit, and wholesome family town, and all of us that live here are proud to call it home. But when Covington Middle School 7th grader Terry Badger III was bullied so severely that he took his own life, we were devastated. Terry was just 13 years old when excessive bullying at school left him feeling so incredibly hopeless that he committed suicide. He had his entire life left to live, but the torment he endured made him believe that there was no way out. One can only imagine the pain, agony, and hurt he felt every single day. Our community rallied behind the Badger Family, and this petition stands to do the same. We have to demand that the Indiana State Senate pass HB 1483 immediately and protect our children from cruelty and bullying. Terry deserved better, and we cannot let this happen again. Sign and share the petition now. HB 1483 will help stop bullying and protect victims in a variety of ways in Indiana schools: bullying victims safety will be prioritized, schools are required to report bullying to both families rapidly, the victim or perpetrator could be transferred to a different school for the victim’s safety, and parents could be given suicide and bullying prevention material to review. This bill passed unanimously in the House over a month ago. It currently sits on lawmaker’s desks, awaiting a vote in the Senate. Too much time has passed and bullying victims remain at-risk. Let’s not put another one of our children to rest too soon. Tell the Indiana general assembly that the schools NEED stronger bullying prevention and interventions in place NOW. Pass HB 1483 and let’s turn this into law. Sign and share today!
… Read more31,826 signed of 35,000 goal
Stop Cypress Oil
Big Cypress, the United States' first national preserve, protects over 700,000 acres of wetlands that allow the flow of clean water into the Everglades and critical estuaries along the Florida coast. It is home to hundreds of species including over 100 threatened and endangered animals and plants including the Florida Panther. The land is sacred to the Miccosukee and Seminole tribes who continue to fight for the preservation of their homeland, way of life, and the environment amidst continued exploitation by the oil exploration and extraction industry. Burnett Oil Company has been seeking approval for new permits to develop oil infrastructure that would allow the company to construct oil wells and access roads to facilitate new oil drilling in the Cypress wetlands. As of recently, the company has withdrawn said permits but plans to resubmit soon. Now is the time for action. Still bearing scars from the company's previous exploitation of the land in 2017 and 2018, the effects of further oil development of Big Cypress include damage to wetlands (an important carbon sink), local wildlife, aquifers that provide clean drinking water, and cultural/educational resources and values. Not to mention the unequivocal contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, a problem that threatens the well being of countless species and billions of people all over the world including millions across coastal Florida. For the sake of Florida's natural environment and the affected communities, sign this petition to block these efforts by the Burnett Oil Company and keep the oil in the ground, now and always. #StopCypressOil
… Read more321,023 signed of 500,000 goal
Biden Administration and ConocoPhillips: SAY NO TO THE WILLOW PROJECT!
The Willow Project is a proposed development project in Northern Alaska by ConocoPhillips, a company that has been surrounded by controversy for continued oil drilling, exploitation of nature, and posing risks to indigenous communities globally. This project was proposed during the Trump administration, but has yet to be approved by the Biden administration. Despite Biden promising to turn away from non-renewable energy sources such as oil, he is still defending this project. If this project were to be approved, Willow would emit more climate pollution annually than more than 99.7% of all single point sources in the country. The first oil to be used from this project wouldn't be for years. We do not have much time, but it's still enough to defend the Arctic ecosystems that are already facing global warming. ConocoPhillips, the company that has proposed this project, claims that Willow would help address inflation and energy costs. The United States is already the world’s largest producer of oil and gas, despite the oil and gas industry’s vigorous and incorrect public relations campaigns aimed at convincing people that their opportunism to drill more is a legitimate policy solution. Even if the Willow project was approved, it would do nothing to address inflation or high energy costs. It would take years before Willow produced a single drop of oil, and the project would lock us into decades of fossil fuel development at a time when we need to be rapidly transitioning to clean energy sources. This project would disproportionately affect the Native Village of Nuiqsut, a predominantly Iñupiat village of around 400 people already surrounded by oil development. Their population faces disproportionately high rates of chronic illnesses like cancer and respiratory ailments due to the high amounts of pollution they're exposed to. Willow would also negatively impact the migration routes of the Teshekpuk Lake caribou herd, one of the primary sources of subsistence foods for the village. While the majority of Iñupiat are in support of this project, there are still many Iñupiat and Arctic Indigenous people that recognize this is the time for a Just Transition away from fossil fuels. It's time that we think for a safe and livable environment for future generations and lay the first steps to renewable energy. We are at the brink of irreversible damage to the earth that will cause losses of jobs and homes, illnesses, and displacement of entire communities at rates we have never seen. Recent studies have shown that the Arctic is warming at four to five times faster than the rest of the world. As oil is exported and sent around the globe, Indigenous communities in the Arctic are left to contend with the health impacts of pollution as well as the devastation that comes from dramatic changes to the land like sea ice melt, permafrost thaw, and coastal erosion. There must come a point where human health, food security, environmental justice, and a functioning ecosystem come before corporate profit. President Biden and the cooperating Biden Administration, STOP THE WILLOW MASTER DEVELOPMENT PLAN! Cover image courtesy of Protect the Arctic.
… Read more5,002,348 signed of 6,000,000 goal
STOP THE EXECUTION OF AMIR NASR- AZADANI
Iranian footballer Amir Nasr-Azadani could face execution QATAR WORLD CUP 2022According to 'Iranwire', Amir Nasr-Azadani (26) was sentenced to death for "treason" after showing his support for human rights and defending women's rights in his country. The international players' union Fifpro denounces the case: "We stand in solidarity with Amir and demand that his sentence be lifted immediately". Sign this petition for the Iranian regime to STOP the execution of footballer Amir Nasr-Azadani.
… Read more1,973,262 signed of 3,000,000 goal
Save Fahimeh Karimi’s life
Addressed to: Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, head of the Iranian judiciaryFahimeh Karimi, a volleyball coach and mother of three young children, was arrested in Pakdasht, Tehran province, over a month ago. The accusation would be that she kicked a paramilitary in one of the demonstrations that followed the death of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old girl taken into custody by the Iranian morality police, last September 16th, due to a lock of hair that escaped her hijab.Karimi was first held in Evin Prison, then transferred to Khorin Prison.La Stampa and the subscribers to this appeal ask for the respect for the rights of all those who have been demonstrating peacefully for days and who, despite this, are being brutally repressed and unjustly arrested.In particular, the signatories of this appeal demand the immediate dismissal of the charges and the unconditional release of Fahimeh Karimi. The sentence that has been inflicted upon her is humanly, morally and juridically unacceptable. Furthermore, there is no evidence of any regular trial against her and therefore, pending her release, she must be ensured constant contact with her family and with a lawyer of her free choice.Respect for human rights now appears to be seriously violated by the Islamic Republic of Iran.The European Union cannot look the other way, but must exert continuous and growing pressure to guarantee the safety and security of the thousands arrested in street protests.
… Read more325,837 signed of 500,000 goal
Help Save Starving Manatees
Manatees in Florida are dying off at record rates. More than 20% of the manatees—close to 2,000—have perished in the past two years. More than 740 manatees died just last year, following a catastrophic 2021 for these gentle giants, when more than 1,100 perished. These animals are starving to death due to loss of seagrass, and swimming through some of the worst pollution they've ever known. Manatees are currently listed as "threatened," but it's clear they urgently need the full power of the Endangered Species Act. Tell the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to uplist Florida’s manatees to “endangered” to guarantee their survival. The manatee die-off has already taken more than 12% of their total population — and it isn't stopping. We must act now to protect them. Manatees are a keystone species. When they thrive, other plants and animals benefit, too. When they're in trouble, it's a powerful warning about the fate of Florida's aquatic ecosystems. The spike in manatee deaths is ecocide — it has to stop now. Join the outcry: tell the Fish and Wildlife Service that manatees should be fully protected under the Endangered Species Act before it's too late.
… Read more30,443 signed of 35,000 goal
Ban African Elephant Trophy Imports Now!
African elephants are in grave danger: They’re being slaughtered by trophy hunters looking to mount their heads on walls. It’s disgusting and inhumane. Savanna elephant populations have plunged by 30%, and yet the United States may soon allow hunters to import elephant body parts as trophies once again. We cannot allow that to happen. We must ban the import of elephant trophies under the Endangered Species Act. Banning elephant trophy imports would deter many trophy hunters and send a clear message that the United States does not support killing these iconic animals — whether it’s for a head mount or a poached ivory tusk. U.S. trophy hunters historically played an outsized role in the international trophy trade but recently, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service largely paused letting these hunters bring back their kills. After a hunting group sued, the agency is now deciding whether to allow hunters to bring elephant heads, tusks, feet and other trophies from Zimbabwe and Namibia back home again. Elephants are not trophies. They’re highly intelligent, social animals – and just last year savanna elephants were declared to be in danger of extinction. Now is the time to strengthen protections to save this species and stop hunters from using these animals for thrill-kills to show off their body parts on walls and floors. That’s why the Center for Biological Diversity and allies are calling on the Biden administration to end those imports once and for all, by banning them under the Endangered Species Act. The Center has been fighting trophy imports of imperiled species for years. Policies that allow or expand the killing of rare and vanishing wildlife fly in the face of reason and decency — and accelerate the extinction crisis. Take action today: Tell the USFWS to ban trophy imports from these magnificent creatures as head mounts, feet, tusks or any other meaningless trophy.
… Read more34,201 signed of 35,000 goal
Save the Maine Lobster Industry
Note: Donations to the Maine Lobster industry are not being collected through this petition. Donations to Change.org are not encouraged or required to participate in this initiative. For more than 150 years the Maine Lobster industry has worked tirelessly to preserve the Maine Lobster species and protect the marine environment including the North Atlantic right whale. The recent decision by the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program to move Maine Lobster to its “Red list” of seafoods to avoid is not supported by the facts. It is counterproductive to decades of proactive efforts made by the fishery to ensure the protection of right whales, including new regulations that are still in the process of being implemented. The facts speak for themselves: Not a single right whale death has been attributed to Maine Lobster gear and there have been no known entanglements in Maine Lobster gear since 2004. The MBA’s decision ignores a long history of efforts from the fishery designed to protect right whales, including: removal of more than 27,000 miles of floating rope, the use of “weak links,” designed to allow whales to break free in the rare event they are entangled, and distinctive gear marking, as well as compliance and collaboration with state and federal rule makers on all regulations. Further, the decision to Red List Maine Lobster contradicts the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s own past assessment of Maine Lobster as a “good alternative” as recently as 2014. Protection measures have only increased since then. Maine Lobster has always been sustainable, and the baseless decision by the Seafood Watch program greatly impacts an industry that is the backbone of the economy in Maine, supporting entire communities, composed of generations of fishermen who have always prioritized the health of the fishery and the Gulf of Maine. Sign our petition to the Monterey Bay Aquarium to push them to reconsider this decision. The livelihoods of Mainers, lobstermen and their families, all of whom support sustainable lobstering, depends on your support. Learn more about Maine Lobster’s sustainability practices by visiting LobsterFromMaine.com and continue to support the fishery by enjoying Maine Lobster.
… Read more27,775 signed of 35,000 goal
Tell Congress to Keep Gas Prices Low
My name is Carrie Anne and I am a single mom of two living in Florida. Since the loss of the child tax credit at the beginning of this year I have made budget cuts, used coupons more, and held off on fun activities for my girls in order to make ends meet. However, all of that frugality goes out the window when I get to the gas pump. Every penny I managed to save elsewhere ends up going in the tank to get us where we need to go, school, work, Girl Scout meetings. As we come out of this pandemic, we cannot sit at home and do nothing. We have places to go, and so does the rest of America. Oil companies have been making record profits over the last decade. Please join me in signing this petition to tell Congress to protect and support people, not big oil. Please join me in signing the petition to tell Congress they must support everyday Americans immediately, by either reducing the price of gas, or getting extra cash to folks to cover these new added costs. Send the message: Enough is Enough, Congress must support and prioritize everyday people, not big oil.
… Read more185,307 signed of 200,000 goal
Fire the Police Officers that Stood by in the Uvalde Shooting
The police are sworn to an oath to serve and protect their community. What happened in Uvalde, Texas on May 24, 2022, was a gross dereliction of duty by the presiding officers. Their failure to not only stop the shooter from entering Robb Elementary School, but refusal to enter the building to engage the shooter cost the lives of 19 children and 2 adults. These officers should be held accountable for their ineptitude and released from their positions, as they have no intentions on serving and protecting the children of Uvalde.
… Read more106,926 signed of 150,000 goal