Lots to do

California is on the verge of approving a very toxic gas for use in strawberry fields. Click here to sign a petition in opposition to the use of methyl iodide. More on methyl iodide here. Please note the comment period ends on June 29.

Even though I'm a vegetarian, I believe meat-eaters have the right to safe critters. Click here to send your Senators a message asking them to "beef up" the USDA's E. coli program.

Click here to urge Congress to support investments in quality, affordable childcare.

Click here to share your story: Why are paid sick days important to me?

Oxfam is asking you to urge Congress here to help end violence against women worldwide:

· Improve our government's ability to respond to systemic violence against women.

· Provide aid to women's groups on the ground working to help survivors.

· Support innovative programs that decrease acts of violence.

· Focus resources on prevention and ensure that dollars are used in the most effective ways possible.

Plant a virtual flag here to state your support for moving the U.S. away from oil dependence. (Kinda goofy, but what the heck?)

Let's not forget Darfur. 4.9 million people are displaced and violence is raging. Click here to help make a difference.

Click here to learn how to write an effective, attention-getting letter to your Representatives.

Urge Congress to pass the Safe Chemicals Act here.

Free shipping through June 30th at the Unitarian Universalist Bookstore. Click here.

I told you there is a lot to do!

Help realize Cesar Chavez' dream of safe food and justice for all a reality here.

Urge Elton John to give the money he received from Rush Limbaugh to marriage equality funds here.

Click here to urge Congress to fully fund NPR and PBS. Donate to your local stations if you haven't already.

Click here to urge Congress to bring all commercial dog breeders under federal oversight. This would be a huge step in puppy mill reform.

Click here to tell BP to quit burning the endangered sea turtles. Seriously. Gah. ^%#*&$^!

Tell President Obama "NO" last minute deals with whaling countries here.

Update on previous action:

On June 9th, EPA officials announced the end to use of the dangerous chemical endosulfan in this country. This is one step toward a global ban (you clicked to urge India to ban endosulfan here).

All about the animals

Today's actions are all about animal welfare. Please click away.

Help save Africa's lions from extinction here. Can you imagine a world without lions? Mind boggling.

Click here to rescue 9 chimps from a research lab. Did you know humans and chimps share 95% of the same DNA? It's true (we also share 25% of our DNA with bananas, but that's a different post...).

Click here to shop the Animal Rescue page of the Greater Good network. Each purchase helps feed a marine animal in need.

Love them or hate them, sometimes PETA does good work. Click here to tell the Australian government to stop lamb mutilation. (Warning: graphic photo alert)

Check out the work being done by the 2010 Goldman Environmental Prize winner here. He is amazing - after helping get protection for his beloved sea turtles, he has turned to helping ban shark finning and is taking on shrimp trawlers and tuna farming as well. He is inspiring and incredible. You can adopt a shark or sea turtle at the site and take part in helping save the creatures of the sea. I heard an interview with him on The Story yesterday and am enthralled. Having visited Costa Rica - and Tortuguero National Park - I *get* what he's talking about and am amazed at his energy, enthusiasm, pragmatism, and compassion.

More to do

So, if you aren't doing your daily clicks at the Hunger Site, you're missing these:

Click here to end violence in schools.

Click here to raise awareness about orphaned and abandoned children worldwide.

Click here to sign a letter thanking U.N. peacekeepers for "making our world a safer place."

Click here to sign a petition to help the sea otters.

Click here to send a free e-card that benefits the Animal Rescue site. It's free. Really.

Click here to help improve health care in developing countries.

Click here to sign a petition stopping "drive-thru mastectomies."

Circus Hell

If you hate the circus as much as I do, click here to stop Ringling Bros. from expanding on Coney Island. From Change.org:

New York City officials recently announced that the notorious elephant abusers at Ringling Bros. Circus will be at Coney Island for several months this summer thanks to a land donation from Taconic Investments.

PETA has contacted the city and Taconic to let them know of Ringling's lengthy history of animal abuse, and how animals used in the circus are beaten with bullhooks, whipped, and shocked with electric prods to force them to perform physically painful acts. But the city and Taconic refuse to sever ties with the animal-abusing company.

Please take just a few seconds now to send a message to New York City officials and Taconic Investments' CEO letting them know that you'll be crossing Coney Island off your destination list as long as it's the home of animal abusers.

No matter how you feel about PETA, their investigative team is top notch and their findings are indeed disturbing. Please click now to send the message that animal abuse and elephant "entertainment" is wrong.

Home for the Holidays

The ASPCA has a video warning about puppy mills and puppy scams. If you or someone you know is planning on giving a puppy as a gift this year, this video is a must see. That said, the best pet you can give or get comes from your local shelter. Click here to find one near you.

Here's the video:

Victory for Animals!

I blogged about two ballot initiatives concerning animal welfare: Prop 2 in California and Prop 3 in Massachusetts. Both passed! From the ASPCA:

Tuesday was an historic day in America in more ways than one. With resounding victories for California’s Prop 2 and Massachusetts’s Ballot Question 3, voters on both coasts sent a clear message that preventing animal cruelty is a national priority.

In California, the factory farm-related Standards for Confining Farm Animals Act (ballot Proposition 2) won in a landslide, with over 60 percent of respondents voting “yes” to mandate an increase of confinement space for veal calves, breeding pigs and egg-laying hens. On the Act’s effective date, January 1, 2015, these animals will have their rights to turn around, lie down, stand up and fully extend their limbs guaranteed by state law. Violators will face a fine up to $1,000 or six months in county jail.

The Massachusetts ban on dog racing has been a long time coming—in 2000, a similar ballot measure was narrowly defeated, and attempts to get the question included on the 2006 ballot were unsuccessful. With the ban’s passage this week (57 percent to 43 percent), commercial dog racing will be phased out in Massachusetts by 2010. There are two dog tracks in the state—each of which is believed to currently house about 1,000 greyhounds. Because the phase-out will occur over a period of 14 months, greyhound advocacy groups such as Grey2K USA are confident that they will be able to find homes for any racing dogs who become available for adoption.

How to keep the momentum going? You can join the ASPCA's Advocacy Brigade.

If you would like to be alerted when animal-friendly legislation is being considered in your state, please sign up to receive email alerts from the ASPCA—the alerts are targeted to your area, and taking action is easy, fun and free!

How Orange is Your State?

From the ASPCA:

Whether you’re Red or Blue, when you support the ASPCA you’re also Orange. And we need as many Orange supporters as we can get to put an end to cruelty and abuse.

That’s why we need your help! Check out our map to see how your state stacks up and ask 5 friends to join us today. Together we can end animal abuse.

I blogged about the "Cast your vote for cruelty" campaign between Mittens and Rowdy here. Now, you can click here to see a map and how many in your state have cast a vote to end animal abuse. It's not too late to cast your vote! Click here to help spread the word.

It’s only a few days till the election and the critical date when we deliver our list of signatures against abuse to the next American president. Please take action now!

Proposition 2 in California

California has so many "cultural" issues for voters to ponder this fall: gay rights, abortion rights, and animal rights. I've blogged about the former so here's some info on the latter...

Cute ad against factory farming:


and, here's the real story (viewer discretion advised)


h/t Huffington Post