ACTION CENTER

GET ACTIVE: CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES!

Your voice matters and it should be heard. Read this "Legislative Guide" (from the Union of Concerned Scientists) and learn how to most effectively share your views about critical environmental policies currently being decided upon by your elected representatives.

>> Act Now:

• Urge Senate to strengthen and pass the historic Climate and Energy legislation House Bill- In late June, the House of Representatives took a historic vote to pass comprehensive climate and energy legislation that would put in place a nationwide plan to rein in global warming pollution and establish a cleaner approach to our nation's energy system. Help the Union of Concerned Scientists push this bill over the finish line.
  

• AB 479 (Chesbro) - Waste Diversion - Location: Assembly Appropriations. Would raise waste diversion mandate to 75%. To further this goal, the measure would require counties to adopt commercial recycling ordinances.

• SB 55 (Corbett) - Bottle Bill -Location: Senate Floor. Would prohibit convenience zone beverage container recyclers from engaging in predatory pricing.

• SB 723 (DeSaulnier) - Electronic Waste Payments - Location: Senate Appropriations. Would authorize the CIWMB to adjust E-waste Collector and Recycler payments annually, rather than every two years to more accurately reflect market conditions for scrap material.

• AB 1329 (Brownley) - PVC - Location: Assembly Floor. Would phase out PVC resin in consumer packaging by 2014 due to its contaminating affect in the recycling stream and toxicity concerns.

• AB 147 (Saldana) - Electronic Waste Reporting - Location : Assembly Appropriations. Authorizes DTSC to request documentation from electronics manufacturers about the amount of hazardous materials contained in the consumer electronics they offer for sale in the State.

• AB 1173 (Huffman) - CFLs - Status: Assembly Appropriations. Would limit payment of ratepayer derived Energy Efficiency Funds for CFL 'prebates' to only those entities that produce high quality lamps and who support either direct implementation of specified CFL recycling program or commitment of specified financial support for CFL recycling.

• AB 907 (Chesbro) - Used Oil - Status: Assembly Floor. Gives the Integrated Waste Management Board authority to develop a program to provide incentives to manufacturers of rerefined oil, and to develop additional capacity for the re-refining of used oil.

• AB 283 (Chesbro) - Extended Producer Responsibility - Location: Assembly Appropriations. Would implement an Extended Producer Responsibility program in California that would require manufacturers increase the recyclability, and recycling, of their products, as well as reduce toxicity.

• AB 222 (Adams) - Waste-to-Energy - Location: Assembly Floor - Would undermine the success of California's waste reduction and recycling efforts by allowing resource-destroying "conversion technologies" to count as recycling under AB 939 and as renewable electricity under the state's renewable energy law.

• Petition to urge your Congresspeople to stop using BPA in children's products - BPA has been linked to many chronic diseases and disorders--and fetuses, babies, and children are especially vulnerable...via MomsRising.org

• Tell your representative to co-sponsor a national Healthy Oceans Act - brought to you by NRDC

• Tell congress to put an end to the overuse of human antibiotics in the feed and water supply of healthy feed animals.
  

• Contact CA Senator Jenny Oropeza to voice your opinion on upcoming legistlations. Choose from the various standing "issues" from the roll-down menu on this site.
  

• Mountaintop removal coal mining: On February 13th, 2009, a federal appeals court in Richmond, VA dealt a devastating blow to the environment by overturning a 2007 lower court decision curtailing mountaintop removal...
  

• Tell our new Secretary of Treasury your thoughts on the Department of Energy's rulemaking on bulbs
  

• Join the effort to eliminate nuclear weapons globally
  

>>Newly Enacted Legislations:

• House takes historic first step to help curb global warming emissions
  
• President Obama unveils new fuel economy standards
  
• President Obama signs bill instating one of the largest expansions of wilderness protection in a quarter-century
• President Obama increases fuel economy standards for 2011
  
• California bans phthalates in children's toys
• President Obama stalls Bush drilling plans
• UN reaches landmark decision to curb global mercury pollution
  
• Commerce department upholds coastal commission decision

GET ACTIVE: IN YOUR COMMUNITY

You have the vision and the power to promote sustainability in your own community! Whether it's in your office, at your local eateries, your gym, or at any other number of places you frequent, jump in and become the agent of change in promoting sustainability! You'll never know how large the ripples in the pond will get once you've dropped in the pebble. Use these easy-to-use tools to begin:

• Office: A practical, step-by-step guide on how you can green your office no matter how big or how small. Be sure and visit the tips section as well, brought to you by Greenyour.com
  
• Dining out: Green your local eateries with these easy-to-follow steps from Greenyour.com
  
• Following Dr. Meattle's advice on TED, use these three common household plants to improve the air quality in your bedroom, office, yoga studio, or any other place that you frequent: Areca or butterfly palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens), Mother-in-Law's Tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata) and Money Plant (Epipremnum aureum).
• Save our precious northern forests by opting out of catalogs and getting yourself off of mailing lists
• Start a recycling program at your business, your gym or at a school using this guide from the California Department of Conservation