❀ The Good News ❀

. . . . . . . . . . 

Stop watching the News on T.V. filled with lies, propaganda, and made to make you feel helpless and afraid.

With all the negative news in the world, it's time to give you hope and inspiration. It's time to the weekly Good News! 

. . . . . . . . . .

SeaWorld: Your Days of Holding Orcas Captive Might Be Numbered

Animal advocates are applauding the introduction of a groundbreaking bill that seeks to ban orca captivity in California and retire the state’s current residents to sea pens.

The bill, the Orca Welfare and Safety Act (AB 2140), was introduced by California Assembly member Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica), in response to the growing concerns about the inherent cruelty involved in confining an apex predator to a tank that were raised in the documentary Blackfish.

Since Blackfish made its debut, public awareness about the problems associated with keeping orcas in captivity has grown, and attitudes appear to be shifting in their favor, despite the industry’s continued rebuttals.

(Read more) 

Victory! Colorado Bans Greyhound Racing

Colorado made history by becoming the 39th state to ban dog racing when Governor John Hickenlooper signed a bill making it illegal in the state.

(Read more) 

Victory! South Dakota Ends Breed Discrimination 

In a victory for dogs and their advocates, South Dakota officially became the eighteenth state to pass a law against breed discrimination when the Governor Dennis Daugaard signed a bill that will make all breeds equal in the eyes of the law.

(Read more) 

Success! Oregon Town Rejects Breed-Specific Dog Bans

At the start of this year, the City Council of Medford, Ore., proposed a ban on pit bulls on the grounds that they are a dangerous breed. Care2 member Tyler Woodard considers his pit bull, Smokey, just like his son, so he started a Care2 petition to stop such a ban in its tracks. More than 8,600 Care2 members joined his fight and, two and a half months later, the Medford Police Advisory Committee has decided that it will not recommend any dangerous-dog ordinance that target specific breeds.

(Read more) 

Some Good News for Pit Bulls and Their Guardians

You don’t need to tell pit bulls (also affectionately known as pits, pitties or bullies) and their guardians that it’s a dog eat dog world. Pitties went from being America’s darling dog to vilified quasi-assault weapon status.

Thankfully, there is some great news to report: laws targeting pit bulls are softening around the country: In the U.S., eighteen states do not allow breed-specific bans in their communities; Six more states could soon follow; Certain cities are reconsidering labeling pit bulls as “dangerous animals”

(Read more) 

VICTORY! China Southern Airlines BANS Shipping of Monkeys to Labs!

Following an intense, three-year international PETA campaign, which included more than 100,000 calls and e-mails from supporters like you, China Southern Airlines announced in an e-mail to PETA this morning that it will "stop transporting live primates for laboratory experiments on all flights"—effective immediately!

60-Year-Old Dog Walker Stops Man from Throwing Baby Bunnies into River

If you found yourself in the right place at the right time, would you have the courage to stop a crime? One brave 60-year-old Englishwoman named Elle risked her own safety recently to save nine frightened baby bunnies who had been stuffed into a bag and were seconds away from being hurled into the river.

(Read more) 

How a 12-Year-Old Homeless Girl Helped More Than 400 Children Find Safer Shelter

The idea of having to navigate cockroaches, mice, no heat and sexual predators before you even leave for school is not something any child should go through. Yet, this is the daily life for hundreds of children living in two shelters in New York City and Brooklyn. They are part of the more than 22,000 children that make up New York City’s homeless population.

Now, after more than a decade of repeated citations for deplorable conditions, more than 400 children and their families are being moved from the city-owned facilities – all because of a determined 12-year-old girl.

(Read the story) 

Sorry, Monsanto. No GMO Corn South of the Border

Monsanto will have to wait awhile longer before it can contaminate Mexico’s countryside with its GMO corn. And thanks in part to the work being done by OCA’s Mexico-based sister network, Vía Orgánica, the Biotech Bully may never get the chance to destroy what has traditionally been a global haven for food crop biodiversity.

Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_29548.cfm

Victory! San Francisco bans bottled water!

Thanks to members like you, San Francisco leads the way when it comes to protecting the tap. Months of working closely with city leaders and mobilizing members on the ground paid off earlier this month, when the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a historic ordinance making it the largest city in the country to phase out bottled water. This landmark action sets an exciting precedent for other cities and national parks to follow suit.

Success! Texas Won’t Destroy Historic Oak Trees

The oldest tree in Texas is 500-years-old, meaning that it’s not only older than the United States but has been standing in central Texas for longer than the plays of Shakespeare have existed. Yet the state of Texas’ Department of Transportation (Tx DOT) determined that this tree and a number of others had to be removed to build a new road through the small farming community of Snook. Care2 member Phyllis Tietjen — whose family has owned the property the trees are located on for almost 150 years — took action and started a Care2 petition not to destroy the trees. More than 68,000 members like you signed — and, in early March, the TxDOT announced it will reroute the planned highway bypass so as not to endanger the trees.

(Read more) 

Virginia is for Lovers Again as State Repeals its Sodomy Ban

Virginia’s General Assembly last week approved by unanimous vote a bill that would repeal the state’s sodomy ban, a provision that historically has been used to make being gay a crime.

Lawmakers voted 100 to 0 to approve language that will decriminalize non-commercial sodomy between consenting adults in private quarters. The move essentially repeals the state’s last overtly discriminatory elements of the Virginia Crimes Against Nature statute.

(Read more) 

Indiana’s Defense of Marriage Act Challenged 

Filed last week, a new federal lawsuit seeks to overturn Indiana state’s 2004 ban on marriage equality, otherwise known as Indiana’s Defense of Marriage Act (IDMA).

Currently, as well as not recognizing marriages within the state, the ban also deems void any same-sex marriages carried out in other states and, as the ban also covers civil unions, same-sex couples have absolutely no chance at any meaningful recognition for their relationships. The four couples behind the suit challenge that the IDMA therefore infringes on their 14th Amendment rights.

(Read more) 

5 Highlights from Michigan’s Groundbreaking Marriage Equality Ruling

Read them here: http://www.care2.com/causes/5-highlights-from-michigans-groundbreaking-marriage-equality-ruling.html#ixzz2xkwvEr1a

How One Woman Is Helping Empower Kenya’s Maasai Women

In the words of Beatrice Sisina Shanka, a 26-year-old community activist from the Inkinyie community. She works for Il’laramatak Community Concerns (ICC), a non-governmental organization that addresses human rights and development concerns of pastoralist (nomadic livestock herding) indigenous peoples of Kenya, with a focus on women and girls. 

Read the article here: http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2014/3/empowering-kenyan-maasai-women#sthash.Olpv6hUa.dpuf

. . . . . . . . . .

Thanks for reading this week's "Good News!" Join us every week and feel inspired! 

Be sure to sign up for Care2's newsletter for some real news around the globe, to make a change, and to open up your mind to the Real World!

See that your actions count and get out there and do good! Be the Change!  

If you found this article to be helpful, please consider a small donation or visit the shop. Thank you for your love and support.

❀ The Good News ❀

. . . . . . . . . . 

Stop watching the News on T.V. filled with lies, propaganda, and made to make you feel helpless and afraid.

With all the negative news in the world, it's time to give you hope and inspiration. It's time to the weekly Good News! 

. . . . . . . . . .

Victory: India Ends Tests on Animals for Household Products!‏

India has decided to end tests on animals for household products following campaigns by PETA India, PETA and PETA U.K., which included appeals from scientists as well as MP Maneka Gandhi and other members of the Indian Parliament.

This decision comes from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) following efforts by PETA India’s science policy adviser, Dr. Chaitanya Koduri, the only representative from an animal-protection group to sit on the BIS committee on household products.

This decision makes India the second country, following Israel, to end animal tests for household products and comes on the heels of a recently enacted ban on cosmetics testing on animals in India and similar bans in the EU and Israel. 

(Read more) 

Animal Rights Activists Win a Huge Victory in São Paulo

A huge animal rights victory has just been won in São Paulo, Brazil. Governor Geraldo Alckmin recently signed a bill that bans cosmetics testing on animals in the state. The ban covers both finished products and ingredients. Those caught breaking this new law will be subject to a $435,000 fine per animal. The fine will double for repeat offenders and the establishment can be closed temporarily or permanently.

(Read more) 

Lolita the Whale, One Step Closer to Freedom!

The bad news: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) excluded Lolita—a wild-caught orca who has been held in solitary confinement for decades—from the endangered listing of the Southern Resident orcas.

The GREAT news: After hearing from PETA and others, the NMFS has now issued a proposed rule to list Lolita and finally grant her the same protections from harm!

This decision gets Lolita closer to her release from the Miami Seaquarium! Help is still needed to make sure that the agency does the right thing and helps give Lolita the protection that she deserves.

Click here to speak up: http://www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D=NOAA-NMFS-2013-0056-1841

Greyhound Racing Could Be on its Way Out in Iowa

There’s growing support among lawmakers and business leaders in Iowa to shut down the only two greyhound racetracks in the state that are operating in Dubuque and Council Bluffs.

While the push to end racing in Iowa isn’t so much about the welfare of greyhounds as it is about bad business, if it shuts down the tracks it’s still a win for the dogs. Dwindling profits indicate a dying industry that only exists because it’s being propped up by casinos that are subsidizing the tracks to the tune of $14 million a year.

Commercial dog racing is illegal in 38 states, but is still legal in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Iowa and Texas. Hopefully, Iowa will be next on the list to close its tracks.

(Read more) 

Take Action: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/815/528/407/iowa-its-time-to-end-greyhound-racing/

Alberta's solicitor general backs tougher animal cruelty laws 

Alberta's solicitor general is adding his support to the fight for tougher animal cruelty laws. After a spate of animal abuse cases across the province in recent weeks — including one involving an emaciated husky and kitten found with their mouths taped shut — many Albertans are expressing outrage at the possibility those responsible could get off easy and are calling for stronger laws to punish those found responsible. 

(Read more) 

Some Good News For Veal Calves in a New Jersey Slaughterhouse

This week the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) stepped up and suspended operations at a calf slaughterhouse in New Jersey following an undercover investigation conducted by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) that exposed cruelty to veal calves.

It’s probably important to note that while many people won’t touch veal because of the cruelty involved, veal calves are direct byproducts of the dairy industry. While females will likely follow in their mother’s footsteps as dairy cows, the calves who have the misfortune of being born male will be sold for beef or veal. The easiest way for us to stop the cycle of suffering is to pass on both meat and dairy products.

(Read more) 

Finally, The Last State Without a Felony Animal Cruelty Law Proposes One

It’s 2014. Wouldn’t you expect by now that every single state in the U.S. would have a law on the books making the worst types of animal cruelty a felony? After all, some states got on board with this idea literally hundreds of years ago — Massachusetts, for example, which enacted the first such law in 1804.

Beginning in earnest in the 1980s, states began recognizing that certain crimes against animals demanded stronger penalties. One by one, each state added felony provisions to their regulations, until today only a single state is left without one. Which state? South Dakota.

Right now in South Dakota, no matter what horror you perpetrate against an animal, it’s nothing more than a misdemeanor. Fortunately, it looks like that may finally change this year.

After years of resistance, in recognition of the persistent pressure exerted by state animal advocates and national groups like the Humane Society of the United States, the state began work to change its animal cruelty law in 2013.

(Read more) 

Great News: Huge Victory for Idaho Wolves!‏

State-sponsored Wolf Killing Ends in Idaho!

Faced with a looming deadline to defend its actions before a federal appeals court, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) announced this afternoon that it is halting its wolf extermination program in the Middle Fork region of the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness as of today.

(Read more) 

Victory! King Amendment Dropped from Farm Bill!

Thanks to the work of hundreds of organizations and hundreds of thousands of activists, the King Amendment—an attempt by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) to wipe out hundreds of state laws designed to protect food and agriculture standards—has been dethroned. The amendment did not survive the House version of the Farm Bill, which passed this week.

It’s a huge victory. For animal welfare. For states’ rights. For every group and individual who fought for its defeat.

Read Pingree’s statement: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_29205.cfm

More on the farm bill: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_29204.cfm

Organic Farmer Going to Court Against Monsanto’s GM Crops

You may not have heard of Steve Marsh yet, but this Australian farmer could lose everything to protect your right to eat GM-free food.

Steve is an organic farmer from Kojonup, in Western Australia. In 2010, the Western Australian State Government lifted the moratorium on GM canola/rapeseed, allowing cultivation of this GM crop for the first time. As a result of this change in policy, many farmers, including Steve Marsh’s neighbor, began growing Monsanto’s genetically modified (GM) canola/rapeseed. Subsequently Steve’s organic farm was contaminated. As a result of this contamination Steve lost organic certification on 70% of his farm. Steve has since lost a great deal on his premium income and his once profitable livelihood has been decimated.

As the only avenue available, Steve is taking his neighbor to court for compensation of loss and damages. This is not something that Steve wanted to do, but he had no other option to protect his right — to protect our right — to farm GM free.

Steve’s suit is the world’s first in which an organic farmer is using the courts to recover loss and damages from a GM farmer. His case has been described as a landmark one that will determine who should take responsibility about GM contamination.

(Read more) 

BREAKING NEWS: Shell won't drill in Alaska this summer!‏

Time for some great news! Thanks to so many amazing Activist organizations and over 33,500 other activists who have lent their voices to this important issue, we're celebrating a step forward for protecting the health of Alaska's pristine waters. 

In a major victory for Alaska's wildlife and people, Royal Dutch Shell announced it will cease plans to drill in the Alaskan Arctic this summer.

Shell's decision comes on the heels of a court ruling that the Department of the Interior had failed to consider all environmental impacts of the exploration in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas when it gave Shell permission to drill. Your messgae telling the US government they should not expose Arctic communities and wildlife to the risk of oil spills like the Deepwater Horizon disaster was heard and it's making a real difference in our continued fight to protect the environment. 

(Read more) 

Protections for Pregnant Workers in New York City Are Now in Effect

Pregnant women and teens in New York City have a reason to celebrate. As of January 30, being pregnant or recovering from a recent childbirth will no longer put your job at risk.

Women in the workforce have had to deal with various types of discrimination based solely on their gender — from lower wages for similar work as their male counterparts to their employment being jeopardized due to needing time away from jobs to care for family members — by virtue of more female workers also being the caregivers at home as well.

Now, gender equity in the workplace is one step closer in New York City, as a law has gone into effect that prevents companies from refusing to make accommodations for pregnant workers or workers who have recently given birth.

(Read more) 

How One State Plans to Wipe Out Sexism at Work in a Single Bill

On Thursday, Minnesota state lawmakers unveiled the “Women’s Economic Security Act of 2014,” a legislative package “designed to break down barriers to economic progress facing women – and all Minnesotans,” according to the release. Among the pieces of the package are paid sick leave, a raise in the minimum wage to $9.50, and expanded access to high-quality, affordable childcare.

(Read more) 

. . . . . . . . . .

Thanks for reading this week's "Good News!" Join us every week and feel inspired! 

Be sure to sign up for Care2's newsletter for some real news around the globe, to make a change, and to open up your mind to the Real World!

See that your actions count and get out there and do good! Be the Change!  

If you found this article to be helpful, please consider a small donation or visit the shop. Thank you for your love and support.

❀ The Good News ❀

. . . . . . . . . . 

Stop watching the News on T.V. filled with lies, propaganda, and made to make you feel helpless and afraid.

With all the negative news in the world, it's time to give you hope and inspiration. It's time to the weekly Good News! 

. . . . . . . . . .

Israel Will Trap, Neuter and Return 45,000 Street Cats

Street cats are everywhere in Israel, in huge numbers, and they tend to be dirty and skinny, often with visible skin infections and eye problems. Their lifespans average just one or two years, compared to 13-17 years for cats who live indoors or in managed colonies.

The outlook for street cats in Israel is improving thanks to changing attitudes. The Israeli government just committed 4.5 million NIS (about 1.27 million in U.S. dollars) to trap, spay or neuter, and release 45,000 feral cats before June 2014. There are an estimated 39,000 street cats in the Tel Aviv area alone — just one shelter, the SPCA, takes in 200 kittens every day during breeding season — so the government’s plan is not a comprehensive solution.

Nonetheless, it is a huge step forward.

(Read more) 

Readers Go On a Mission to Save Kindly Barber and His Stray Cats

This is one of those heart-warming stories about the goodness of people and what they do for each other as well as for animals. Manuela comes  by Hussein's Barber shop in Turkey every week where they feed the alley cats--which is often scorned there in Turkey with the overpopulation problems. So when Hussein's Barber shop was closing down due to lack of rent, there was sadness for the man and for his four-legged friends.

But as fate would have it,  there is something better in store for the barber and his cats. Although animal rescue is thought of as an art exclusively devoted to the four-legged, it is often about saving people as well. As Manuela’s Facebook supporters read her post about the barber’s fate, there is a swell of support. One after another, readers begin making small contributions to help...

(Read the full heart-warming story here) 

Victory! Toronto Zoo’s Elephants Arrive at Sanctuary

After years of lobbying, debating, delays and a seriously long road trip, animal advocates are celebrating a victory with the safe arrival of the Toronto Zoo’s three remaining elephants at a sanctuary.

The three elephants — Iringa, 44; Toka, 43; and Thika, 33 — who were born at the zoo, embarked on a long journey across the continent from Ontario, Canada, to their new home at the Performing Animal Welfare Society’s (PAWS) sanctuary near Sacramento, Calif., where they will spend the rest of their lives being cared for in peace.

A huge thanks to the Care2 members who signed petitions demanding the elephants’ removal from the zoo. Their arrival at PAWS would not have been possible without the continued support of concerned citizens like you.

(Read more) 

Bystander’s Kindness Saves Terrified Orangutan from Jeering Crowd

Sometimes it takes only a simple act of kindness to change an animal’s life. So it was for Ael, an orangutan whose only offense was searching for food near a village in Borneo.

Ael was captured while foraging in a field that had been cleared for planting rice. It’s not clear why they decided to capture her, but it took six men to grab Ael, hold her down and secure her. Then they dragged her back to their village for a little fun. The poor orangutan became a public spectacle — an object of curiosity and degradation. Villagers crowded around her, jeering and taunting to get a rise out of her. Word spread, and soon people from other nearby areas arrived on motorcycles to get in on the excitement.

Poor Ael had little chance of living her life as anything other than a roadside attraction until one compassionate villager decided enough was enough. This kind villager, whose name we don’t know, contacted Argitoe Ranting. Ranting works for International Animal Rescue (IAR) as its field manager for IAR’s project in Ketapang, on the island of Borneo. Ranting also oversees rescues in the area and has a great deal of experience working with orangutans. He arrived on scene to find Ael tied to the tire, struggling to break free and frightened for her life.

Ranting called his team, realizing immediately he had a rescue situation on his hands. The team removed her from the scene to their 60-acre orangutan rehabilitation center in West Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo.

(Read the full story) 

New York School’s Plan to Go Vegetarian Is an All-Around Success

A public school in Queens, N.Y. is the first in the nation to offer a 100 percent vegetarian lunch menu. That’s right, no more sloppy joes or scary meatloaf. Instead 400 students in grades pre-K through 3 choose from options like organic roasted tofu, braised black beans and falafel.

Before you get upset about the school forcing kids to eat vegetarian, know that students are still allowed to bring any lunch item from home that they want, including meat. The funny, and truly awesome part is, about 90 percent of the students voluntarily choose the veggie-based cafeteria food. And the results have been phenomenal.

After one semester, the number of students at the school who were classified as overweight and obese dropped 2 percent and is still falling, according to school officials. They’ve also documented improved attendance, higher test scores and better attention spans in the wake of the change.

(Read more) 

VICTORY! Fox News North will not be on every TV in Canada

SumOfUs helped keep the racist and biased “Fox News North”, or Sun News, off our TVs. Over 20,000 SumOfUs supporters called on the Canadian regulators (CRTC) to reject the channel’s request for mandatory carriage and a $20 million subsidy -- and they listened! The rejection of this ridiculous bid will hopefully mean that the commercially unviable Fox News North and its vitriol will soon be gone from Canadian airwaves, forever.

(Read more) 

Thanks For Your Help:  SumOfUs filled the war chest to fight Harper’s secret trade deal

SumOfUs: "For the past year, Prime Minister Harper has been trying to ram through his secretive Canada-China FIPA trade deal. When it was introduced, Harper expected he would face no opposition and be able sign the deal in weeks. But thanks to our opposition and strong partners like LeadNow, we have delayed the deal for longer than anyone thought possible.

The next battle is a crucial legal fight that, with our support, the Hupacasath First Nations is waging. Thousands of us donated to support the Hupacasath as they take the Harper government to court to challenge the constitutionality of FIPA. If we keep up this crucial fight together, we can defeat FIPA once and for all and save Canadian democracy."

Victory! River Island (UK) and Woolworths (AU) sign the Bangladesh Fire and Safety Accord!

SumOfUs has called on major apparel companies to join the independently-monitored Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh to ensure that their clothes weren't being made under deadly conditions that might repeat mistakes in the past. 

Over 90 companies have now signed the landmark accord. In breaking news, major Australian brand Woolworths has announced it will also join the Accord, after months of pressure from SumOfUs and friends at Oxfam Australia, the Uniting Church and elsewhere. In the UK, more than 16,000 SumOfUs members and their allies targeted major UK brand River Island, demanding it stop dragging its feet and sign the Accord -- and it listened! River Island was one of the last major UK holdouts on the Accord, so it’s a huge win for Bangladeshi workers and all consumers everywhere!

Cameroon Elections Catapult Women to Power

In Cameroon, defenders of gender equality and the empowerment of women today have a reason to celebrate. This follows the announcement of the results of the legislative elections held on September 30. The results of the elections have ensured that women now hold 56 of the 180 deputy positions in the National Assembly, making up 31.1 percent of the legislature.

The percentage exceeds the threshold set out in the Beijing Plan of Action. It is even more significant since the numbers have more than doubled. The previous legislature had only 25 women deputies out of 180, a mere 13.8 percent.

The advocacy efforts were already underway some years ago and were further spurred by UN Women’s strategic plan for gender and elections that received national approval on June 12, 2012.

(Read more) 

Celebrating the 1,000th Sierra Club Solar Home

The Sierra Club and its solar home partner Sungevity reached a clean-energy milestone when the 1,000th rooftop solar array was installed as part of the Club's Solar Homes Program. The program makes it easy for homeowners to go solar, save money, and curb carbon pollution. 

(Read more and join the solar revolution!) 

Asheville, NC, Moves Beyond Coal 

Last week the city council in Asheville, NC, voted unanimously to move the city off coal-fired electricity. Duke Energy's coal plant in Asheville is the largest source of carbon pollution in western North Carolina, and the city will now work with Duke to phase out the use of coal there. Asheville joins Chicago, Los Angeles, Austin, and a growing number of other cities transitioning to clean energy.

Los Angeles Could Become the Country’s Largest GMO-Free Zone

Two Los Angeles City Councilmen have introduced a measure [PDF] that would ban the growth, sale and distribution of genetically engineered seeds and plants within the city limits. If passed, Los Angeles would have the illustrious honor of being the country’s largest GMO plant-free zone.

The councilmen, Paul Koretz and Mitch O’Farrell, say they proposed the ban in the hopes of protecting local gardens and homegrown food from GMO contamination. ”We don’t want to consume mystery food,” O’Farrell told The Huffington Post. “Since there’s currently no requirement, anyone could unwittingly purchase a genetically modified product and not know it. I think that’s irresponsible.”

(Read more) 

. . . . . . . . . .

Thanks for reading this week's "Good News!" Join us every week and feel inspired! 

Be sure to sign up for Care2's newsletter for some real news around the globe, to make a change, and to open up your mind to the Real World!

See that your actions count and get out there and do good! Be the Change!  

If you found this article to be helpful, please consider a small donation or visit the shop. Thank you for your love and support.

❀ The Good News ❀

. . . . . . . . . . 

Stop watching the News on T.V. filled with lies, propaganda, and made to make you feel helpless and afraid.

With all the negative news in the world, it's time to give you hope and inspiration. It's time to the weekly Good News! 

. . . . . . . . . .

L.A. Council prepares to ban use of bullhooks on circus elephants

The Los Angeles City Council took action Wednesday to ban bullhooks used by elephant trainers in traveling circuses, becoming the first U.S. metropolis to outlaw a tool that critics say inflicts pain.

Voting unanimously, the council asked the city attorney’s office to prepare an ordinance outlawing the use of the bullhook, a sharp-tipped tool used to train and keep elephants under control. Baseball bats, ax handles, pitchforks and other implements used on the pachyderms would also be banned.

(Read More) 

Good news out of China: demand for shark fin soup has dropped significantly.

The size of the decline and the reasons behind it are both in question, but the fact that fewer people are eating shark fins is unequivocally progress.

There is evidence that consumption of shark fin soup has dropped in China by 50 to 70 percent since 2011. Though Treehugger cautions against believing official government data from China, the fact that Chinese industry corroborates the figures lends them credence. Evidence shows that demand is down by 20 to 30 percent in Hong Kong.

Several factors are contributing to the change in consumers’ preferences. One is a national campaign to raise awareness about the cruelty behind the soup.

(Read more) 

3 Piggies Saved from becoming meat!

Great news -- the Ulster County SPCA has won in the neglect case where Isaac and his 2 sisters Brandi and Erica were being raised for meat. Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary will be caring for them as the case has made its way through the courts and passed. The Sanctuary (and everyone who's been following this case) are so relieved they are no longer the legal "property" of the farmer. 

Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary is always looking for loving adoption homes so they can help more animals in need. These guys must stay together as a family!

Check out Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary and see what you can do to help! 

http://www.WoodstockSanctuary.org/

Grizzly Bears Kept in “Concrete Graves,” Tribal Elders Fight to Save Them

Two Cherokee tribal elders want to change the lives of four captive grizzly bears. They’re prepared to bring a lawsuit to do so.

Bucking their own tribal council’s inaction on this issue, Amy Walker and Peggy Hill, both elders of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), say they will sue a North Carolina roadside zoo to liberate four captive grizzly bears. Walker and Hill believe the zoo is violating the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA).

I would like to see how this one unfolds! Go taking action!!

(Read more) 

Victory! No Plea Bargain for Crash the Dog’s Killer

After being shot and killed on his own lawn, Crash the dog is finally getting the justice he deserves. His killer, Jonathan Edwards, will not be issued a plea bargain. His owner, Tracy Smith, fought hard to see that Edwards be charged to the full extent of his crime, and her efforts paid off.

A huge thanks to the Care2 members who signed the petition. This victory for Tracy and Crash would not have been possible without your support.

(Read more) 

Victory! Two Pro-Wildlife Bills Become Law In California 

Governor Jerry Brown signed two important bills into law last Friday, October 11 - the Bobcat Protection Act (AB 1213), which sets no-trapping buffer zones around Joshua Tree National Park and other parks where bobcats are protected, and AB 711, which will phase out the use of lead in bullets for any hunting over the next five years. Neither of these two laws are ideal, nor mandate the much more peaceful life we wish for other species, but they do show that change for the better can happen. 

California Workplaces Can No Longer Discriminate Against Domestic Violence Victims

On Friday, California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signed a law that bars employment discrimination against victims of domestic violence and those who experience stalking or sexual assault.

The new law, which will take effect on January 1, makes it unlawful for an employer to fire or otherwise discriminate against a worker based on the fact that he or she is a victim. It also entitles victims to “reasonable” safety accommodations in the workplace, such as changing a work telephone number, relocating a desk or implementing a workplace safety plan.

(Read more) 

Now You Can Fuel Your Car With Waste at 35 California Gas Stations

Use of fossil fuels for transportation is a leading source of climate-changing greenhouse gases. Sure, new technology cars allow us to reduce or even eliminate the use of gas and oil, but only if you can afford the upgrade. In the mean time, many of us are stuck wishing there was something, anything, else to put in the tank.

For those living in California, a convenient alternative is now available. Clean Energy, a company known for providing fuel for natural gas vehicles, recently launched a new type of fuel made entirely from organic waste, including trash from landfills and by-products from large dairies and sewage plants.

Called “Redeem,” the fuel is said to be up to 90 percent cleaner than diesel and 100 percent renewable. The waste fuel is already flowing through the engines of thousands of cars, taxis, shuttles and industrial fleets in California, and will soon be available at 35 public Clean Energy stations

(Read more)

Success! California Bans Toxic Lead Bullets

For years, animal advocates and environmental activists in California have been campaigning to ban the use of lead bullets, which pose significant health threats to both humans and animals, and their hard work has finally paid off.

California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law Assembly Bill 711, which will require hunters to use non-lead ammunition. The Fish and Game Commission will be required to create regulations to certify that hunters follow this mandate if they plan to hunt for wildlife.

A huge thank you to Care2 members who signed petitions urging the California legislature to end this harmful practice.

(Read more) 

Success! Canadian Citizens Released From Prison in Egypt

Excellent news! After 54 days of imprisonment and detainment in Cairo, Tarek Loubani and John Greyson are free and back home in Canada.

A huge thank you goes to the nearly 26,000 Care2 members who signed the petition urging Egyptian authorities to allow Loubani and Greyson to leave the country.

(Read more) 

Nestlé bows to pressure from community groups on bottled water fight

Wellington Water Watchers, Ecojustice and the Council of Canadians are celebrating Nestlé Canada Inc.'s decision to back down from a bottled water fight.

The groups challenged Nestlé's attempt to have drought restrictions dropped from one of its water taking permits in Wellington County, Ontario. In September, Nestlé announced that it was withdrawing its appeal. Just last week, the Environmental Review Tribunal approved Nestlé's withdrawal and dismissed the proceedings.

(Read more) 

Mexico Bans GMO Corn, Effective Immediately

Just when you think there’s no winning against the biotech industry, news out of Mexico City shows that all is not lost. After years of deliberation, a Mexico judge has placed an indefinite ban on genetically-engineered corn. Effective immediately, companies like Monsanto and DuPont/Pioneer will no longer be allowed to plant or sell their corn within the country’s borders.

(Read more) 

14 Reasons to Be Hopeful About the Future of Food

When it comes to the future of the food system, it's hard not to be discouraged. Nearly one billion people are hungry, and another 1.5 billion are obese or overweight. All over the world, people waste 1.3 billion tons of food each year. And according to the International Panel on Climate Change, humans are to blame for an increasingly hot, dry and natural disaster-prone planet.

But Food Tank has compiled a list of 14 reasons to be hopeful about the future of the food system. Share these with your networks to spread the message that the food system is changing for the better.

Read the List Here 

. . . . . . . . . .

Thanks for reading this week's "Good News!" Join us every week and feel inspired! 

Be sure to sign up for Care2's newsletter for some real news around the globe, to make a change, and to open up your mind to the Real World!

See that your actions count and get out there and do good! Be the Change!  

If you found this article to be helpful, please consider a small donation or visit the shop. Thank you for your love and support.

☆ Monsanto: Protected Thanks to Congress ☆

If you feel squeamish at the mere mention of the name Monsanto then you have good reason. If you still don't care about what Monsanto is doing then it's time to wake up.

I'm actually surprised at myself for not having yet written an article about Monsanton directly yet or GMOs. I've talked about reasons to go Organic, but not specifically about Monsanto. Guess that will be coming soon then. In the meantime, GMOs (genetically modified organisms) cause known health problems, and wreck havoc on ecosystems and the environment. So why was a bill just passed that protects Monsanto from lawsuits and from being held liable?  

Almost any industry that puts its consumers in harm’s way is subject to lawsuits, yet the U.S. government has just granted corporations that genetically alter food an exemption by sneaking it into the Agricultural Appropriations Bill. Activists are not so lovingly referring this new Bill as the "Monsanto Protection Act."

This bill was quickly and rather sneakily signed into law, with Obama and Congress under the pressure of a government shutdown due to being out of a federal budget. The politics of it all sounds as absurd as they likely are. On top of that, this law was signed while everyone was so busy paying attention to the Marriage Equality rights were being reviewed in the Supreme Court. Sneaky much?

Congress members are also playing dumb, saying they weren't aware of that part of the bill when they signed it. Well, that's reassuring? 

Monsanto, of course, is the agricultural biotechnology giant constantly surrounded by controversy. Considering the company had the most to gain from this law’s passage, surely it played some role in lobbying. As if it weren't obvious enough, Monsanto has really labeled itself guilty by needing this act to go through, in the first place. I mean if Monsanto genuinely believes its approach to agriculture is not harmful, then it wouldn't go to such great, secretive lengths to grant itself immunity from litigation now would it? 

Let's take a look at Monsanto's track record shall we? 

Research Firm Blames Monsanto for Bee Deaths So…Monsanto Buys It 

8 Reasons Not To Trust Monsanto With Your Food [Infographic] 

Monsanto Gets $2.5 Million Penalty For Misleading Cotton Farmers 

Did Monsanto Trick California Voters? 

UCS Exposes Lies Behind Monsanto’s Claims 

Is Monsanto Responsible For 200,000 Farmer Suicides? 

I think one word can continually be applied to the corporation’s business practices: Untrustworthy! 

So what to do about it?

Well, despite all of this there is a stem of hope and good news… since the entire bill was passed on an emergency basis, the law is only in effect for six months. The real question will be now that the formerly “oblivious” members of Congress have been made aware by concerned Americans, will they put a stop to this dangerous precedent or renew it to continue to protect their negligent corporate friends?

I say we keep some pressure on Congress to reverse the bill over the next six months. Join any lobbying against Monsanto and GMOs.  

And, of course, aside from being aware and speaking up, you can always put your money where your mouth is; by choosing to support companies against GMOs and for GMO labelling, and by buying from companies that do not use GMOs in their products. Choose Organic, and Local whenever possible. Grow your own food, and choose to get your seeds from local people or sources that you know are organic and non-gmo, and open-pollinated seeds so that you can save seeds and replant the next year. Remember that money speaks. With GMOs already being banned in other regions of the world, I certainly believe we can band together to make that happen in North America. It's time for a Food Revolution!

If you found this article to be helpful, please consider a small donation or visit the shop. Thank you for your love and support.

☆ Big Bad Corn (Infographic) ☆

Unless you live under a rock… maybe you do, who am I to know? ;)… then you've at least heard that corn is not so great for you. You've hopefully heard about High Fructose Corn Syrup and it's terrible effects on health and obesity. You've also hopefully heard about the horror of Monsanto and the havoc corn wrecks on the environmental with its monoculture and genetic engineering. 

Well, even if you haven't (which if you haven't you certainly should look into--watch Food Inc.), you'll learn something from this infographic. Interesting information and visually interesting to read, what's not to love about infographics? 

Thanks to our friends over LearnStuff for this informative infographic. 

What bothers me is the huge surge of people getting mad at corporations for producing bad-for-you products. Yes it sucks, but we have tremendous power to do something about such things. You know, put your money where your mouth is. Avoid HFCS and corn, and if you do want to eat some then opt for local and organic. 

If you found this article to be helpful, please consider a small donation or visit the shop. Thank you for your love and support.