December, 05 2011, 02:12pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Amy Kennedy, Tigercomm, 703-302-8392, akennedy@tigercomm.us; Todd Larsen, Green America, 202-872-5310, toddlarsen@greenamerica.org; Fran Teplitz, Green America, 202-872-5326, fteplitz@greenamerica.org.
Green America Joins Colleagues to Deliver Business Leaders' Letter to White House, No to Keystone XL Pipeline, Yes to Renewable Energy
Business Groups Deliver More Than 800 Anti-Keystone Signatures to the White House, State Department.
WASHINGTON
Today, businesses across the nation urged the White House and State Department to conduct an honest, thorough assessment of the Keystone Pipeline. In a letter organized by the American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) and coordinated by Green America, business owners and their supporters raised concerns about the potential economic and environmental consequences of the pipeline's construction. Representatives from 350.org and Green America, which, among others, helped gather the letter's 810 signatures, joined ASBC for its delivery to the White House.
"We were very pleased to see the Administration wisely choose to reexamine the details of the pipeline," said Fran Teplitz, Director of Social Investing & Strategic Outreach for Green America, one of ASBC's founding organizations. "We are confident that unbiased studies incorporating realistic economic and environmental data will conclude that the Keystone XL pipeline should not be constructed."
Because a recent study from Cornell University predicted significantly fewer jobs and economic benefits than TransCanada's projections, the signers requested that the State Department include updated and more realistic forecasts in its assessment. The requested criteria included the number of permanent jobs created and jobs lost. The groups also stated the need for strong transparency measures to ensure the public is aware of the data informing the Administration's decision-making.
"We were of course thankful the State Department did not rush into a bad decision based on flawed and overly optimistic projections. The Keystone Pipeline still raises serious concerns, especially from a business perspective. Keystone should not be able to impose its environmental costs onto the American people and we find it hard to believe it would move forward if assessed realistically," said Mitch Rofsky, Chair of New Voice of Business, one of the letter's signers. "Keystone needs to be required to cover the full remediation and economic cost of any potential leaks through insurance or a bond. The tar sand fuel involved should also be taxed to cover its environmental impact. No analysis should approve the pipeline unless these costs are included."
The business owners also encouraged the Obama Administration to make the development of our nation's clean energy economy a top national priority.
"We don't need another BP oil spill," said David Levine, ASBC's co-founder. "We need the federal government to strategically invest in the growing renewable energy market, especially at a time when the over-subsidized, fossil fuel industry is losing jobs and job growth nationwide has flattened. It's time we say 'no' to supporting outdated energy projects."
About American Sustainable Business Council
The American Sustainable Business Council is a growing coalition of business networks and businesses committed to advancing a new vision, framework and policies that support a vibrant, equitable and sustainable economy. The Council brings together the business perspective, political will and strength to stimulate our economy, benefit our communities, and preserve our environment. www.asbcouncil.org
Green America is a not-for-profit membership organization founded in 1982 and known until January 1, 2009 as "Co-op America." Green America's mission is to harness economic power--the strength of consumers, investors, businesses, and the marketplace--to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society.
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A trio of U.S. senators on Friday introduced what's being billed as first-of-its-kind legislation sponsors say will "take on the greed of the food and beverage industry and address the growing diabetes and obesity epidemics" with a federal ban on junk food ads targeting children.
The Childhood Diabetes Reduction Act—introduced by Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.)—would also require warning labels "on sugar-sweetened foods and beverages; foods and beverages containing non-sugar sweeteners; ultra-processed foods; and foods high in nutrients of concern, such as added sugar, saturated fat, or sodium."
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"Nearly 30 years ago, Congress had the courage to take on the tobacco industry, whose products killed more than 400,000 Americans every year," Sanders added. "Now is the time for Congress to act with the same sense of urgency to combat these diabetes and obesity epidemics. That means banning junk food ads targeted to kids and putting strong warning labels on food and beverages with unacceptably high levels of sugar, salt, and saturated fat."
Booker said that "the future of our nation depends on a continued investment in the health and wellbeing of our children," adding that "more and more of our children are developing diabetes and obesity primarily because a handful of corporate food giants push addictive, ultra-processed foods to drive up their profits."
"By banning junk food advertising to children, implementing front-of-package warning labels, and funding research on the dangers of ultra-processed foods, we can rein in the predatory behavior of big food companies and ensure a healthier future for generations to come," he added.
As the senators noted:
Today, more than 35 million Americans are struggling with type 2 diabetes—90% of whom are overweight or obese. These crises go hand-in-hand and children are severely impacted. Today, 1 out of 5 five kids are living with obesity. A serious illness unto itself, diabetes is also a contributing factor to heart disease, stroke, amputations, blindness, and kidney failure. Unless the U.S. dramatically changes course, these numbers will continue to grow exponentially.
The impact on the economy is enormous: Last year, the total cost of diabetes exceeded $400 billion, approximately 10% of overall U.S. healthcare expenditures.
Meanwhile, the U.S. food and beverage industry spends about $14 billion annually on marketing unhealthy products, with $2 billion of that spent on advertising these products to children.
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"This is the reality that extreme Republicans call 'pro-life.'"
"One year after submitting the request, the federal government agreed to release only some complaints and investigative documents filed across just 19 states," the AP's Amanda Seitz reported. "The names of patients, doctors, and medical staff were redacted from the documents."
"One woman miscarried in the lobby restroom of a Texas emergency room as front desk staff refused to admit her," the journalist detailed. "Another woman learned that her fetus had no heartbeat at a Florida hospital, the day after a security guard turned her away from the facility. And in North Carolina, a woman gave birth in a car after an emergency room couldn't offer an ultrasound. The baby later died."
According to Seitz:
Emergency rooms are subject to hefty fines when they turn away patients, fail to stabilize them, or transfer them to another hospital for treatment. Violations can also put hospitals' Medicare funding at risk.
But it's unclear what fines might be imposed on more than a dozen hospitals that the Biden administration says failed to properly treat pregnant patients in 2022.
It can take years for fines to be levied in these cases. The Health and Human Services agency, which enforces the law, declined to share if the hospitals have been referred to the agency's Office of Inspector General for penalties.
Responding to the reporting on social media, journalist Jane Mayer declared, "This is barbaric."
Texas Poor People's Campaign said that women in the state "are being left to die in ER waiting rooms. We cannot let this policy violence against women continue. Please join us as we mobilize voters for the '24 election."
Going into November, abortion has been a key issue at the state and federal level. Supporters of reproductive freedom are working to advance various ballot measures while Democratic President Joe Biden's campaign has highlighted his support for abortion rights and the presumptive Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, has bragged about his role in reversing Roe—he appointed three of the six justices behind the majority opinion.
"MAGA abortion bans deny women lifesaving care," stressed Alex Wall, senior vice president for digital advocacy at the Center for American Progress. Citing examples from Texas and Florida in the AP report, he reiterated, "MAGA Republicans did this."
Congresswoman Becca Balint (D-Vt.) said that "this is the reality that extreme Republicans call 'pro-life'—pregnant women being turned away at hospitals and emergency centers. Absolutely disgraceful. No woman should ever be denied emergency care."
Slate's Mark Joseph Stern, who covers U.S. legal battles, noted that this "devastating and timely story" from Seitz comes "just days before the Supreme Court considers whether emergency rooms can legally force patients to the brink of death before terminating a failing pregnancy."
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Bush (D-Mo.) joined progressives including Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) in opposing the legislation, with centrist Democratic Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina also voting with the left-wing faction.
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