Weekly Justice Highlights

Urgent: Urge Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar to stop the planned sale of more than 700 million tons of coal in the Powder River Basin. (Act as soon as possible)

Care of Earth: Call EPA headquarters (1.202.564.4700; charges apply) and urge Administrator Lisa Jackson to intervene in the Army Corps’ rubber-stamping of Keystone XL through Oklahoma and Texas without public review and input. I urge you to order a full environmental review. I am depending on you. (Act as soon as possible)

Child Trafficking: Urge U.S. legislators to support the Strengthening the Child Welfare Response to Trafficking Act that would require foster care programs to report and address the needs of children who are trafficked.

Immigrants: Call and urge U.S. Senators and Representatives to co-sponsor and/or support the DREAM Act (S. 952/H.R. 1842) with a path to citizenship and/or urge comprehensive immigration legislation here.

Care of Earth: Urge political leaders to create a global sanctuary in the high Arctic making it off limits to oil drilling and other industrial activities creating a safe place for polar bears and other living creatures who call it home.

U.S. citizens are invited to adapt a message to members of Congress telling them that we need Faithful Alternatives to the Sequester (i.e. balanced approach in reducing spending AND increasing revenue to meet our Nations needs).

Urge Bahraini authorities to drop charges against an 11-year-old, Ali Hassan, who is on trial for “illegal gathering” and “disturbing security.” International action is available.

As the Trans-Pacific Partnership Free Trade Agreement is being negotiated, urge President Obama and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk to work at creating jobs in the United States, improve working conditions and worker rights at home, and protect the rights of sovereign governments to make policies in the public interest, including policies with respect to clean air and water.

The U.S. House will begin debate on the 2012 Farm Bill soon now that the Senate has passed their version. Urge Representatives to support the international food aid provisions passed by the Senate and thank Senators for taking such bold action here.    

Urge U.S. Representatives to stop the Monsanto Protection Act that would strip federal courts authority to halt the sale and planting of GMO crops.

On June 19, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a policy that establishes a public online database of credit card complaints from customers. The database allows consumers shopping for a credit card to view data about other customers' experiences in order to avoid abusive practices and poor customer service. Thank the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for launching its new credit card complaint database that will empower consumers and set a new standard for transparency.  Scroll down to action. 

The 2012 Trafficking in Persons report was released recently.

The Environmental Working Group's annual Shopper's Guide to Pesticides that lists those fruits and vegetables to buy organic due to pesticides.