❀ 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! 

. . . . . . . . . .

A victory for our planet: Oil company Soco not to drill in Virunga World Heritage Site 

Oil company Soco International PLC announced this week that it will end its operations in Virunga and stay out of all other UNESCO World Heritage Sites. 

Virunga is Africa’s oldest and most diverse national park. Its extraordinary landscape is home to an incredible array of wildlife, and 50,000 families depend on Lake Edward for jobs, food and drinking water. Together with government champions and activists within Democratic Republic of the Congo, your support helped remove this immediate threat. 

(Read full story here) 

Step Forward for Climate Change!

Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency released a historic proposal to limit carbon from power plants—the single biggest source of the carbon pollution that is driving climate change.

In Rural Kenya, Women Are Breaking Barriers to Bring Clean Energy Into Their Homes

Check out this beautiful story here: http://www.care2.com/causes/in-rural-kenya-women-are-breaking-barriers-to-bring-clean-energy-into-their-homes.html

Victory! Super-Toxic Rat Poisons Will Be Pulled From Store Shelves

Animal advocates and environmentalists are celebrating an announcement that the makers of d-CON will stop producing a number of super-toxic rat poisons and pull products from store shelves by early next year. The announcement came as part of an agreement that was reached between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Reckitt Benckiser Inc. to cancel 12 d-CON products that don’t currently comply with EPA safety standards. 

Environmental, public-health and animal advocacy groups have been fighting to get these products pulled from the consumer market for years over concerns about their inhumane nature and the risks they pose to wildlife, pets and children.

(Read more) 

Great news for whales - World Court rules against 'scientific' whaling‏

The UN's International Court of Justice ruled that Japan must stop whaling in the Antarctic.

The decision was focused on Japan's so-called "scientific" whaling in the waters of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary around Antarctica. The government of Japan claimed it could lawfully kill as many whales as it liked, so long as they were killed in the name of science. Over the last decade, Japanese whalers killed thousands of whales, with little scientific results produced from the slaughter of whales.

Australia, New Zealand and conservation-minded countries around the world had long criticized this practice and called upon Japan to stop. Last June, after years of preparatory briefs and written arguments, world class legal teams for Australia (supported by New Zealand) and Japan argued the case. Nine months later, the World Court has released its decision.

The court ordered that Japan should withdraw all permits and licenses for whaling in the Antarctic and refrain from issuing any new ones under their current lethal whaling programme.

IFAW has campaigned to end commercial whaling for more than 30 years.

(Read more) 

Breaking News: Amazon Protected for Life‏

History has just been made in the Amazon. The Brazilian government, WWF and others have implemented a model of conservation for the world—an innovative finance approach that will ensure that the planet's largest network of tropical forest protected areas can be properly managed and monitored for generations to come. Located in the Brazilian Amazon, this network is an area three times larger than all the US national parks combined. 

(Read the story) 

Sunder the Elephant Wins Court Case!‏

Court Rules That Sunder Be Released! Sunder is a young Indian elephant who has spent the last six years chained up in a temple, miserable and alone, and endured beatings and abuse. After an epic campaign by PETA India, the suffering of this abused young elephant held prisoner in an Indian temple could finally be at an end, the court ruling in favour of releasing Sunder to a Sanctuary.

(Read the Store here) 

Victory on Organics!‏

Thanks to your actions, the U.S. organic standards will no longer allow antibiotics to be used in organic fruit production, and the National Organic Standards Board delayed the process for factory-farmed fish to be labeled organic!

Patty Lovera, our Food Program Director, delivered 25,000 public comments from Food & Water Watch supporters on these two issues at the National Organic Standards Board meeting in Texas last week. Patty has been attending organic standards board meetings for years, and works closely with a strong coalition to monitor the USDA's actions around organic to make sure that the standards stay strong.

Kijiji Canada: Stop puppy mills and prohibit the sale of household pets - UPDATE

After Change.org asked us all to join in asking more advertisers to drop their ads from Kijiji in the campaign (to stop puppy mills and prohibit the sale of household pets), Tangerine (formerly ING Direct), zulily and National Bank have all removed their ads from Kijiji Canada pet sales pages within 24 hours!

(Read more and view the petition Here) 

Sierra Club Canada Foundation congratulates CBC for new conflict of interest rules

Sierra Club Canada Foundation congratulates the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) for putting an end to the practice of allowing its staff and freelance hosts to accept public speaking requests from companies, political parties or other lobbying groups “trying to influence public policy”.

More on the conflict of interest: http://www.sierraclub.ca/en/autosaurus-rex

Mexico City Bans Circus Animals in Shows

Mexico City has joined six other states within the country, banning animals in circus acts.

(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! 

. . . . . . . . . .

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! 

. . . . . . . . . .

Care2 Reaches 25 Million!

Care2 and the Petitionsite are such amazing places to be making a difference in the world, and they have reached 25 Million members! That's 25 Million people making a difference in the world! If that isn't good news, I don't know what is!  

Cages, crates, cruelty, BANNED in Australia's New ACT!

The ACT has become the first Australian jurisdiction to prohibit by law some of the worst horrors inflicted on animals in factory farms. A company in the ACT can be fined up to $35,000 for locking a pig in a crate or a hen in a cage.

This landmark legislation is a welcome reminder that with consistent and strategic campaigning we can change laws to improve the lives of animals. 

Success! Canada Bans Gestation Crates For Pigs

Thanks to 37,000 Care2 members taking action, the more than one million pregnant pigs on Canadian farms will not have to spend their lives confined in a space so small they can’t even turn around. A Care2 petition demanded an urgent response to help mother pigs — and Canada’s National Farm Animal Care Council and the Canadian Pork Council have created new regulations that ban the continuous confinement of sows in newly built and rebuilt facilities.

(Read more) 

Two Blind Cows 350 Miles Apart Come Together to Form a Beautiful Friendship

You may have already seen this floating around Facebook, but if you haven't, here's the heartwarming tale (and video) of Two Blind Cows that are brought together at the amazing Farm Sanctuary in New York and form a beautiful friendship.

Read the Story Here.

Watch the video of Sweety and Tricia Below

Victory! Venue Cancels Nosey the Elephant Rides

Thanks to the support of many, a long-suffering elephant named Nosey has been spared a grueling weekend giving rides at the Oak Haven Farms & Winery in Sorrento, Florida. In response to our alert asking supporters to urge the Winery to cancel plans to use Nosey this past weekend, activists flooded the Winery with emails, calls, and posts on Facebook.

Hugo Liebel, Nosey's exhibitor, is currently under investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for alleged violations of the Animal Welfare Act following numerous complaints submitted by IDA and others. The USDA fined Liebel in 2013 as a result of earlier charges claiming more than 30 welfare violations, including failure to provide adequate veterinary care and to handle Nosey safely in public.

IDA will continue to push for the end of Nosey’s exploitation at the hands of an exhibitor who flagrantly ignores federal law at the expense of this beleaguered elephant and the public. For more information on how you can help elephants held in captivity, please visit our What You Can Do page. 

WWF gaining momentum for Virunga and its wildlife!‏

The fight to stop oil exploration in and around Virunga National Park—home to more than half of the world's endangered mountain gorillas—is gaining considerable momentum, giving hope that the Africa equivalent of North America's Yellowstone will become protected.

In this month alone:

• WWF surpassed 650,000 signatures on their petition demanding oil giant Soco International's immediate retreat from Virunga. 
• An international agency, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, has accepted WWF's complaint that highlights allegations of lack of transparency and human rights violations related to Soco's operations in Virunga.
• French oil company Total SA, which has an oil concession overlapping Virunga, publicly committed to keeping out of all natural World Heritage Sites.

Help keep the momentum going! 

Share the petition with your friends and family and ask them to join you in taking a stand for Virunga. 

Home Depot is listening - Bee Protection Hopefully Ahead! 

Good news – after receiving hundreds of thousands of emails, printed letters and a whole lot of visits from YOU and other activists across the country urging Home Depot to stop selling bee-killing pesticides, Home Depot listened!

SaveOurEnvironment.org's coalition is now in dialogue with the retail giant and they are working on a policy on neonics. This is a good step in the right direction, making things hopeful that Home Depot will be a leader in bee protection moving forward.

Wildlife Win in Court

Of 345 species at risk in Canada, more than 160 have waited far too long for recovery strategies. Thanks to a recent federal court decision, four luckier ones are finally getting overdue plans detailing steps needed to save and protect them, including identifying habitat they need to survive. But to make it happen, environmental groups including the David Suzuki Foundation, with the help of Ecojustice lawyers, had to take the federal government to court. It wasn't the first time they've gone to court to protect wildlife.

In what the judge called "the tip of the iceberg", the court found an enormous systemic problem in the two ministries responsible for protecting endangered and threatened wildlife. Both the environment and fisheries ministers broke the law for the species in question by allowing multi-year delays in meeting deadlines required under the Species at Risk Act.

This legal win is good news for Pacific humpback whales, marbled murrelets, Nechako white sturgeon and southern mountain caribou. 

(Read More and find out what you can do to help) 

Victory! Cleaner gas & cleaner cars‏

Thanks in part to the hundreds of thousands of comments from Save Our Environment activists and others in their coalition, the EPA has announced new clean gasoline and tailpipe pollution standards.

These new standards will help us all breathe easier, prevent thousands of asthma attacks, cut dangerous pollution, save up to $19 billion in health costs per year, and put the U.S. back on track with global efforts to reduce sulfur in gasoline, cutting the sulfur in our gas by two-thirds!

A Program For Crowdfunding Home Solar Launches in Connecticut

Earlier this month, Mosaic joined together with The Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority (CEFIA), Connecticut’s green bank and Sungage Financial, a platform that enables homeowners to efficiently apply, qualify and contract for solar financing, to offer homeowners crowdsourced loans for solar installations.

Mosaic is a pioneer in the world of solar energy, even though they have nothing to do with developing solar technology. Leaving design up to the scientists and engineers, this California-based B-Corp is instead focused on the financial part of solar: inventing new ways for people to invest in and install solar installations in their own communities.

(Read more)

Hundred of Students Create “Human Oil Spill” at White House to Protest Keystone XL Pipeline

I so love hearing about the creative ways young activists use to spread a message and make a point. Here is another great story of just that! And it is always inspiring to hear people standing up for what they know is right!

Anyone who says that today’s youth are apathetic about politics simply needs to look at the nearly 1000 students who protested in Washington D.C. on Sunday against the continuing plans for building the Keystone XL Pipeline.

According to CNN, nearly 1,000 students marched from Georgetown to Secretary of State John Kerry’s home in D.C., where they then formed a “human oil spill” by placing black tarps on the ground and lying on them outside his house. They then continued to Lafayette Square, and approximately one third of the march proceeded to the White House, where they created another “oil spill,” while part of the group separated from the others and zip-tied their hands to the fence surrounding the White House grounds.

(Read more) 

Newly-Introduced Energy Efficiency Bill Is a Necessary First Step

Last week, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Rob Portman (R-OH) introduced the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act with a bipartisan group of co-sponsors. The bill would spur the use of energy efficiency technologies in the residential, commercial and industrial sectors of the U.S. economy. Among its many provisions, the legislation would strengthen the Department of Energy’s role in fostering technical support and supply-side energy efficiencies in the manufacturing sector.

The Shaheen-Portman efficiency bill is an important step in not only making American businesses more competitive, but also saving consumers money and creating jobs. According to a recent study by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, the bill has the potential to save American consumers $14 billion and to support the creation of 172,000 jobs by 2030.

(Read more) 

Kroger and Safeway Refuse to Sell GMO Salmon, No Matter What FDA Decides

While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is still busy working on approval for genetically modified salmon, another two store chains put their names on the list of places that will refuse to sell it. Kroger and Safeway, the largest retail grocery companies in the United States, have made the commitment to keep GMO salmon off of their shelves, a commitment being made by more than 9,000 stores nationwide.

(Read more) 

Celebrate! Texas Gay Marriage Ban Overturned by Federal Court

A federal judge this week ruled that Texas’ ban on marriage equality violates the United States Constitution. While the decision is stayed, LGBT rights activists are celebrating the ruling as a major victory.

U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia issued an opinion on Wednesday, February 22, that Texas state’s refusal to recognize same-sex marriages and its refusal to recognize same-sex marriages from out-of-state violates the Constitutional rights of same-sex couples.

(Read more) 

7 Women Who Have Inspired Us in Honor of International Women’s Day

March 8 marked the 106th annual International Women’s Day, a wonderful opportunity to applaud some amazing accomplishments, successes and triumphs, all a testament to the incredible progress women are making right now. In honour of this, Care2 applauded seven of the women who have made major strides over the past year and who can inspire all of us.

(Read about these women Here) 

Meet the Tanzanian Woman Who Said No to a Forced Marriage

Here is another beautiful and empowering story from a woman who said no to a forced marriage. These are the sort of stories that pave new futures for generations of women to come. 

Read her story 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.

❀ 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! 

. . . . . . . . . .

Sorry, I missed last week's "Good News" post, so this one is extra long, which is even more good news because what inspiration it is to see so much good going on in the world! ;)

GMO Labelling Laws Advance in Maine, Vermont, Connecticut!

GMO labeling bills recently cleared hurdles in Vermont, Maine and Connecticut. They still have a way to go before becoming law. But it’s a good sign that despite millions spent on lobbying, and despite threats of lawsuits against states that pass the GMO labeling laws, lawmakers are starting to take a stand.

On May 10, the Vermont House of Representatives passed H.112 by a vote of 99-42. The bill will be taken up by the Senate in January, 2014. On May 14, Maine’s L.D. 718 passed out of the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee by a vote of 8-5. If passed, the law won’t go into effect until 2018, and then only after four of the nine northeastern states approve similar laws. And on May 21, the Connecticut Senate approved SB 802 by a vote of 35-1. The bill moves next to the Connecticut House.

(More on Connecticut) 

(More on Vermont) 

(More on Maine) 

Monsanto Surrenders: Ends All GMO Lobbying In Europe

Monsanto has officially give up its fight to spread genetically modified seeds and plants throughout Europe.

In a time when the power and political influence of Monsanto Co. seems nearly insurmountable, this is a huge victory for opponents of genetic engineering. For those in the U.S. and other countries where Monsanto’s stranglehold is palpable, it serves as a rally cry to keep up the good fight.

(Read the full story) 

Portland, Ore. Voters Say ‘No’ to Fluoride in City Water

On Tuesday, May 21, voters in Portland, Ore. rejected a plan by city officials to fluoridate the city’s water, despite being outspent 3 – 1 by proponents of fluoridation. The anti-fluoridation campaign was launched last year after the City Council voted to add fluoride to the water supply, and citizens responded by gathering enough signatures to force a vote. Showing once again that when right, left, center, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian and Independents join forces for the common good, citizens can defeat corporate interests.

(More on the story) 

Montana Governor Vetos Bad Mining Bill

A heartfelt thank you to Montana's Governor Bullock, who recently took the hatchet to SB 347, a terrible bill that would have allowed mining companies to divert unlimited amounts of water from Montana rivers and streams.

Montana's nondegradation law keeps that in check by preventing dewatering over a certain numeric point. SB 347 would have chucked the numeric standards, and put in vague language that would make it difficult to protect Montana's famous trout streams and the downstream water rights holders who rely on that water.

(Read the full story) 

Victory! Facebook Agrees to Combat Hate Speech Against Women

On Tuesday, after an onslaught of tweets and emails and facing a growing advertising boycott, Facebook agreed to do more to combat gender-based hate speech.

In a statement, Facebook admitted that its system for identifying and removing hate speech has been less than effective, and it has pledged to take some concrete steps.

The campaign elicited 60,000 tweets and 5,000 emails, and 15 companies pulled their ads from Facebook. This is truly an example of what we can do when we pull together.

(Read the full story) 

Feds Postpone Plans to Delist Wolves Indefinitely

In a surprising turn of events, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced a delay in its plan to strip federal protection from nearly all gray wolves throughout the U.S. this week, but the plan could still move forward at any time.

Wolves aren't in the clear yet so it's important to keep the pressure on! 

Sign the petition Here!

(Read the full story) 

Wildlife Champions Stand Up to Stampede of Anti-Bison Bills

Just a few weeks ago, it looked like the effort to return wild bison to tribal lands would be stopped just as it was gaining ground. It looked like the dreams that culminated in the release of more than 60 bison from Yellowstone National Park last year on the Fort Peck Reservation would be killed.

The campaign to restore wild bison to the American prairies is still alive, thanks to the work by tribal and conservation leaders and the overwhelming public response. The National Wildlife Federation and more than 53,000 NWF members, activists, other sportsmen’s and conservation groups and wildlife advocates to defeat a barrage of anti-bison bills sponsored by Montana lawmakers. 

(Read the full story) 

Victory! Venues Cancel Piccadilly Circus Over Reports of Animal Abuse 

At least two venues scheduled to host the Piccadilly Circus have canceled appearances after receiving information about the circus’s dismal record of animal abuse. Armed with information provided by In Defense of Animals, a New York advocacy group called Long Island Orchestrating for Nature (LION) and local activists in Bensalem, Pennsylvania provided venues with detailed histories of Piccadilly Circus’s egregious treatment of performing animals. Shows were promptly canceled at both of the venues.

Tarzan the Tar-Covered Cat is Saved by Good Samaritan

Last week, a young orange tabby got himself into a very sticky situation when he wandered into a construction site in Hyde Park, Massachusetts. The cat made his way into an area of thick tar and was coated in the black substance all the way up to his chest. Fortunately a Good Samaritan noticed the cat and was able to calmly capture him. The cat was brought to the MSPCA’s Angell Animal Medical Center in Jamaica Plain where veterinarians named him “Tarzan,” and gave him a shave to save him from toxicity.

(Read the full story) 

Victory! Nevada Bans Breed Discrimination

Animal advocates and pit bull lovers are celebrating the news that Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval signed a bill that will ban breed specific legislation (BSL) in the state as of October 1, 2013.

Once it goes into effect, Assembly Bill 110 will prevent any governing body from enacting any type of laws or regulations that declare a dog dangerous or vicious based solely on a dog’s breed anywhere in Nevada, making it the 14th state to pass a law against BSL.

(Read the full story) 

. . . . . . . . . .

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 for Bees! Pesticide banned in Europe!

Europe has voted to ban three of the world's most widely used chemicals for two years after EU scientists said there were links to the decline in bee populations, crucial to the pollination of crops. Mega-corporations like Bayer threw everything they had to stop this, but people-power, science and good governance came out on top. It was a close vote but thanks to Avaaz members (with a giant petition with 2.6 million signers!!), 17,000 Care2 members, bee keepers, and other groups this result was made possible.

In Washington 130,000 petition signatures, a swarm of activists, led by the OCA, Occupy Monsanto and GMO Free DC, also swarmed the Washington D.C. headquarters of the EPA on Earth Day to demand a ban on Bayer, Dow and Syngenta's bee-killing neonicotinoid insecticides. Hopefully the U.S. is next to follow! 

New York Senate passes the New York Solar Bill

On April 23, the New York State Senate unanimously passed the New York Solar Bill. The bill extends the popular NY-Sun program for 10 years, provides enough solar energy to power 400,000 New York homes, creates thousands of local jobs, saves New Yorkers billions by reducing the need to fire up our dirtiest and most expensive fossil power plants, and will spur millions of dollars of investment in the state's growing clean energy economy.

Protection for Sea Turtles in Mexico

In February, a new Mexican law (known as Official Norm-162) took effect, offering new protections for sea turtle nesting grounds in Mexico. Previously, only the most important sea turtle nesting sites have been designated as sanctuaries and natural reserves, which allowed them some level of protection but left the majority of nesting habitat vulnerable. But now, the new regulation extends habitat protections to all turtle nesting sites.

More protection is still needed however as this law protects turtles on land but not in the ocean. Take Action and sign the petition here. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/410/105/666/

20 Elephant Poachers Arrested

Elephants face a lot of threats due to poachers for the ivory and meat, and they are endangered and need of more protection. It is, however, cheering to hear that in southeastern Cameroon, 20 elephant poachers have been arrested. Local authorities found them armed with 45 weapons including chainsaws, machetes and Kalashnikov rifles; a store of ivory tusks were seized as well as meat from elephants, gorillas and chimpanzees. 

The fight for their protection goes on. 

New York School Goes All-Vegetarian

The Active Learning Elementary School just made the move to all-vegetarian meals five days a week. The school of nearly 400 students, from pre-kindergarten to third grade, was founded five years ago on the principle that a healthy lifestyle leads to strong academic achievement. Their focus on healthy meals for kids began 3 years ago and made the switch to all-vegetarian in January, and students are enthusiastic about it. 

Charges dropped in first Ag-Gag Law Charge

Amy Meyer, a 25-year-old animal rights activist, was set to be the first person prosecuted under an ag-gag law for filming animal cruelty. She stood on the sidewalk and used her smart phone to record what was happening across the street in broad daylight. Police arrived and charged her with a violation that carries a possible penalty of six months in jail. Even though she remained on public property, never once crossing the barbed wire fence that exists to demarcate private and public property. 

The charges however have been dropped--the good news! But these new ag-gag laws should be a sign for people to pay attention and realize that if they had to create these laws then what are they trying to hide? 

. . . . . . . . . .

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! 

Have a story you want to share? Email me at alter_eco@hotmail.com to submit your story (no matter how big or small).  

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! Harvard to Close Primate Prison

For decades, the more than 2,000 primates imprisoned at Harvard's New England Primate Research Centre have been subject to cruel and irrelevant experiments. Now, following years of campaigning, largely impart thanks to PETA, Harvard will reportedly close its notorious primate prison by 2015!

Victory! EU Ban is upheld for Seals! 

Canada's embattled sealing industry was dealt another blow Thursday when a European Union court upheld the EU's three-year-old ban on seal products. It's the second time the group has lost a challenge before the European court.  

The ban has hurt Canada's 300-year-old commercial sealing industry, the number of seals killed in commercial hunting in Canada (where most seal hunting occurs) falling to 40,000 seals killed in 2011, a significant drop from the 354,000 in 2006.

Keep up the pressure and we'll see this hunt over soon! 

Success! Animal Cruelty is Finally a Felony in North Dakota

The North Dakota legislature passed S.B. 2211, a bill that establishes some felony-level penalties for incidents of malicious animal cruelty within the state.

This is a huge victory for animals and animal welfare advocates everywhere, and especially good news to the thousands of Care2 community members who signed the petition asking North Dakota to classify animal cruelty as a felony rather than a low-level misdemeanor. 

California Kills Ag-Gag Bill

The California Cattlemen’s Association introduced an ag-gag bill to the state legislature that would have required investigators to turn over any evidence of crimes at agricultural facilities to authorities within just 48 hours. It also would have criminalized undercover photography and videography at farms and slaughterhouses and exempted farms from turning over footage of animal cruelty captured on surveillance cameras.

The ASPCA reported that the sponsoring legislator had to withdraw the bill in the face of overwhelming opposition. IDA's California supporters responded to IDA's alert by sending almost 3,000 emails and faxes in just 3 days. Over 26,000 Care2 members signed their petition saying “No” to the California ag-gag proposal and to similar bills in other states. 

If you haven’t signed these petitions yet, please do! This has been a success in California and other states, with petitions and public emails and support that will rise up to oppose these bills in every state that considers them--so stay in the loop! ;) 

A Major Fracking Victory

Sierra Club and the Center for Biological Diversity won a landmark victory on April 8 when a federal judge ruled that federal authorities broke the law when they failed to consider the environmental impacts of fracking before they leased 2,700 acres of public land in Monterey and Fresno counties to oil and gas drillers. 

Scotland is on its way to 100% renewable energy 

… and part of the transition will be powered by whiskey. Of course. ;) Helius Energy has officially opened its new biomass power plant in Rothes, Scotland. The biomass plant will create energy using by-products from the local distillery that produces the world famous single malt Glenrothes whiskey. The Helius CoRDe Ltd biomass plant is capable of supplying 9,000 homes with clean power. 

Campaign achieved $30,000 for Community Gardens across the US

On Earth Day, a campaign on Causes.com launched by Odwalla asked people to “Spread the Goodness” for Earth Day by doing something environmentally sound for the planet. For each pledge, $1 was donated to Kitchen Gardener’s International to help fund their Sow It Forward grants program, which is helping more than 60 communities across the country to start and sustain garden projects that provide healthy food, recreation and learning opportunities for their members. On April 24th, the campaign surpassed its goal of 30,000 pledges, translating to $30,000 for community gardens across the country.

Keep spreading the goodness! And don't forget to start your own garden! 

SumOfUs.org reaches 1 million members!

The SumOfUs.org community just reached one million people fighting together around the world to hold corporations accountable. I felt this was worth mentioning in our weekly news to show that people do care and are making a difference. This is just One organization doing good as well and there are so many others! Feel good about change and that more and more people are "waking up."

A Good Week for Marriage Equality! 

• Rhode Island Senate Says Yes to Marriage Equality, approving, in a 7-4 vote, a marriage equality bill on Tuesday. 
• Nevada Senate Says Yes to Gay Marriage, passing a resolution late on Monday in a first step to repealing the state’s ban on marriage equality. The resolution now heads to the Assembly. If passed, and then once again passed by both chambers in 2015, the measure will go before voters for ratification in 2016.
• Delaware House Passes Marriage Equality Bill, narrowly with a vote of 23-18. The measure now heads to the Democratic-controlled Senate where another close vote is expected.
• Lawmaker Who Holds Swing-Vote in Minnesota Announces Support for Marriage Equality. Meaning the bill hasn't yet passed but if it reaches the floor it has a good chance with growing support behind it. 
• French National Assembly Says ‘Oui’ to Marriage Equality, which will also include adoption rights for same-sex married couples!

CISPA rejected by the Senate!

The controversial cybersecurity bill known as the Cyber Information Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), which passed the House of Representatives last week, is dead, for now.

The bill would have allowed the federal government to share classified "cyber threat" information with companies, but it also provided provisions that would have allowed companies to share information about specific users with the government. Privacy advocates also worried that the National Security Administration would have gotten involved.

. . . . . . . . . .

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! 

Have a story you want to share? Email me at alter_eco@hotmail.com to submit your story (no matter how big or small).  

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! 

. . . . . . . . . .

Humpback Whale Nursery and the Kimberley Saved!

Western Australia’s Environmental Protection Authority put industrial interests before the whales and other wildlife when, back in July 2012, it gave approval to Woodside Petroleum to build such a build a liquid natural gas processing plant in a region that houses the world’s largest humpback whale nursery, at James Price Point. As of April 12, the company is dropping plans for the $4.5 billion project that would have created one of the biggest industrial complexes on the planet and led to drilling and dredging some six kilometers out to sea. 

This is all thanks to the Goolarabooloo Aboriginal people and nonprofit organization Sea Shepherd, undertaking “operation Kimberley Miinimbi” to bring the creation of Woodside Petroleum’s plant to public attention with support from the Australian Greens and a former Greens Senator, Bob Brown. At least 700 people participated in a Sydney demonstration against the project and contacted local and federal officials, says ENS.

Goods News for the Arctic and Polar Bears!

ConocoPhillips announced last week that it will be cancelling its 2014 Arctic drilling plans.

New Zealand legalizes same-sex Marriage

New Zealand has just become the 13th country to legalize the freedom to marry for same-sex couples. Brazil, Mexico and the U.S. offer marriage in parts of the country. 

Antibiotic Tetracycline no longer allowed in Apple Production

Last week, the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) decided that it will not allow the antibiotic, tetracycline, to be used in the production of organic apples and pears beyond the original 2014 deadline.

This was a hard fought victory, one that you made possible. Nearly 32,000 of you signed our petition asking the NOSB to get antibiotics out of organic fruit production. The OCA’s Alexis Baden-Mayer delivered the petitions in person at the NOSB meeting in Portland, Ore. She testified along with activists from other groups about the threat these antibiotics pose to public health, and to the organic industry.

Earth Day Deeds!

In Pakistan, Earth Day Pakistan is in the process of planting 50,000 trees today.

In the Cayman Islands, 1,500 people are participating in a beach and reef clean-up.

In Columbus, Ohio, volunteers are pulling invasive plants, cleaning up neighborhoods, and preparing gardens at over 1000 sites in the region.

Check out more Earth Day Deeds here http://www.earthday.org/highlights-submissions

Success! U.K. Saves Wild Animals from Kidnapping and Circus Life

The United Kingdom has finally banned circuses from using wild animals in their shows. Over 13,500 Care2 members urged them to do so.

(Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/success-u-k-saves-wild-animals-from-kidnapping-and-circus-life.html#ixzz2RP0v5b5q)

Success! New York Wildlife Rehab Center Will Remain Open

A critically important wildlife rehabilitation operation in Long Island called Wildlife in Need of Rescue and Rehabilitation (WINORR) was in danger of losing their animals. Robin Lynn created a petition on Care2 to keep them open and it worked, allowing WINORR to continue rescuing and caring for wildlife at their current location.

It was the collective force of your support that pressured the town to negotiate and reach a compromise that works for both sides and sees all charges against the Horvaths dropped. 

One more successful petition and to show that your actions do count for the greater good!

. . . . . . . . . .

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! 

Have a story you want to share? Email me at alter_eco@hotmail.com to submit your story (no matter how big or small).  

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