Causes Galore Seek Supporters: Look No Further for Ways to Help the Environment

As anyone who’s ever contributed a few dollars to a charity or signed a petition for a worthy cause can attest to, there’s never a shortage of worthy battles you can help wage in today’s often environmentally challenged, profit-driven world. If you’ve already adopted a pet cause to devote your money and efforts to: good for you! However, if you’re looking for an issue both meaningful and timely that’s seeking public support, check out some of the following recent action alerts:

Defenders of Wildlife: Adopt-a-Snowy-Owl Just in time for the release of the last Harry Potter book, Defenders of Wildlife is seeking sponsors for Alaska’s snowy owls, kin to Harry Potter’s avian friend Hedwig. Funds used from the snowy owl adoption program will help Defenders of Wildlife fight efforts to open the Alaskan Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling.

National Council of Churches of Christ Eco-Justice Programs: Summer Sacred Waters Challenge NCC’s Eco-Justice Program is encouraging church-goers to educate themselves about the importance of conserving water, spread the word to others and pledge to be better environmental stewards for our precious water resources. As the program points out, “Water, used in the holy sacrament of baptism and mentioned over 500 times in the Bible, is a precious and scarce gift. While 70 percent of the Earth is covered in water, only 1 percent is suitable for human consumption.”

National Resources Defense Council: Protect Whales from Sonar The NRDC’s BioGems project is asking concerned citizens to ask the National Marine Fisheries Service to reject a U.S. Navy plan to use LFA (low-frequency active) sonar for training in more than 70 percent of the world’s oceans. The sonar system, blocked once before five years ago, can harm, deafen and even kill whales, according to the NRDC. Sonar signals capable of traveling up to 300 miles underwater might also pose a threat to whale migration, feeding, mating and communication, according to some scientists. Equally trouble, says the NRDC, is that opponents have been given only 15 days — through next week — to formally submit their objections to the proposal.

Union of Concerned Scientists: Stop the Unnecessary Buildup of U.S. Nukes The UCS is seeking support to help it fight a proposal in Congress to allocate $118 million to develop the first of a series of new nuclear bombs. It hopes to educate policy-makers and the public about “the reality and dangers of current U.S. nuclear weapons policy,” encourage citizens and scientists to questions presidential candidates about their nuclear weapons policy plans and spell out how the next U.S. administration should reduce the nation’s dependence on nuclear weapons.