Let's Party for a Change
On July 17th, the Sierra Club's Lightbulbs to Leadership campaign culminated with more than 1000 people attending over 300 house parties nationwide. The campaign's message is that in order to solve global climate change, we need to change more than just light bulbs -- we need to change direction. We need strong, serious, and fast action to get the job done. House parties were open to the public, each with a host and attendees listening in on a national conference call featuring Green For All President Van Jones, Washington State Governor Christine Gregoire, and Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope. Attendees then wrote letters to their governors to encourage green job development through the transition to a clean energy economy.
Throughout the nation people gathered at their local house party. Jenny Coyle, Sierra Club Website Producer and host of a San Francisco house party commented on the varied nature of the parties, "In Denver it was a festive outdoor affair. In Atlanta and Palo Alto, they were quieter gatherings of half a dozen people in a small living room. In Austin, folks packed the city council chambers, while up the road in Dallas they mingled in a café."
The House parties in Colorado, for example, were a huge success. In Denver, the gathering turned into a block party that closed the street and had live music (above). The 100 plus people in attendance continued to discuss the issues late into the evening. "The success of these parties just proves to me that people are interested in hearing about solutions to high gas prices and the continued addiction to oil evidenced in the Bush administration," said Roger Singer, Colorado's regional representative who attended the Denver block party.
City Councilman Chris Nevitt spoke at the Denver house party about local green jobs and highlighted the accomplishments of the Sierra Club and its role in the Blue-Green Alliance. Many attendees also signed a petition to protest The Bureau of Land Management's plan for Oil and Gas drilling into the wild Roan Plateau. The Enos Mills Group of the Sierra Club expects a large surge in volunteering and leadership following this successful gathering.
Besides Denver, there were around ten other house parties throughout Colorado. In Arvada, host Thomas Acampora entertained his 18 guests by showing them his personal energy costs savings from his Photovoltaic installation and resulting net metering payback. He and his guests, just like Robin Hoek and her party guests in Broomfield and other attendees elsewhere, sent their letters to Governor Ritter supporting green jobs. All in all, it was a fitting culmination to a successful campaign with a critical message.
"People want to get out and talk with their friends and neighbors about what changes in leadership need to occur this year to move us towards a new energy economy," said Singer. "These house parties gave them that opportunity, mixed in with a little social fun too. We ate, we laughed, we talked and we came away with plans before the night was through. This was a great way to spend a summer evening."
"Surely all God's people, however serious or savage, great or small, like to play." -John Muir
I am a Lupus patient, and have written to the Sierra Club re your effort to get all citizens to use the new eco correct fluorescent bulbs. Well now the Lupus Foundation of America has corroborated my information, which is that these eco buls emit UV light which is extremely harmful to Lupus patients. So is the sun, and we (most of us wear) high SSPF (I wear 70 SPF whenever i'm out), but it's important for us to have a home environment that isn't hazardous. Please take a look at the following from the LFA, and do something to help. Lupus affects a lot of people and can be as life threatening as cancer.
Read the Latest on LFA's Advocacy Efforts: Incandescent Light Bulbs, Off-Label Issues
From: Lupus Foundation of America (Newsletter@lupus.org)
Sent: Wed 7/23/08 11:08 AM
Reply-to: Lupus Foundation of America (Newsletter@lupus.org)
To: aclairephillips@hotmail.com
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July 2008
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Ban of Current Incandescent Light Bulbs
On December 19, 2007, President Bush signed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (Public Law No: 110-140). Under the new law, all light bulbs must use 25% to 30% less energy than today’s light bulbs by 2012-2014. Since today’s incandescent light bulbs do not fit the energy efficiency standard, there will be a phase-out of current incandescent light bulbs. The phase-out will start with 100-watt bulbs in January 2012 and end with 40-watt bulbs in January 2014. By 2020, bulbs on the market must meet the 70% efficiency standard.
Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) already meet the 70% efficiency standard, which means that most public spaces and homes are switching to CFLs. As you may know, some reports suggest that there may be enough UVB radiation in fluorescent light bulbs to cause photosensitivity in people with lupus.
The LFA government relations staff has been working with other groups affected by this legislation to form a coalition: Sjogren’s Syndrome Foundation, National Psoriasis Foundation, Epilepsy Foundation, MAGNUM, and American Academy of Neurology. The LFA government relations staff and this coalition have scheduled meetings on Capitol Hill and are working with the light bulb industry to determine whether a new incandescent light bulb will be released before January 2012.
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H.R. 6331, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act, Becomes Law
The Lupus Foundation of America would like to thank you for all of your phone calls and letters to the President and Congress. President Bush vetoed H.R. 6331, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act before noon on Tuesday, July 15th. However, thanks to all of your efforts, the House of Representatives and Senate voted later Tuesday afternoon to override the President’s veto. The House voted 383-41 and the Senate later voted 70-26. H.R. 6331 now becomes law!
This bill is important to people with lupus because it clarifies off-label drug usage, protects special classes of prescription drugs, and provides coverage of the benzodiazepines and barbiturates which are currently excluded under Medicare Part D. The bill also provides other beneficiary protections.
Learn more about Medicare Part D.
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Illinois State Legislation
On May 27, 2008, the LFA Illinois Chapter was successful in getting House Resolution 1185 adopted. HR 1185 declares the month of May as Lupus Awareness Month. Visit the Illinois General Assembly to read the full bill.
Georgia State Legislation
The LFA Georgia Chapter held a state Advocacy Day on March 5, 2008. They had State Senator David Adelman introduce a resolution (SR765) declaring March 5, 2008, as "Lupus Awareness Day." SR 765 was read and adopted.
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Food and Drug Administration: Off-Label Issues
On April 21, 2008, the LFA submitted comments to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) draft notice regarding Good Reprint Practices for the Distribution of Medical Journal Articles and Medical or Scientific Reference Publications on Unapproved New Uses of Approved Drugs and Approved or Cleared Medical Devices.
The LFA urged the FDA to loosen the restrictions regarding the dissemination of peer-reviewed, truthful and non-misleading medical journal articles and medical or scientific reference publications regarding off-label use of approved medications. It is critically important that physicians are aware of all safe and effective peer-reviewed treatments for lupus. View a copy of the LFA’s comments.
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Lupus REACH Amendments
The Lupus Research, Education, Awareness, Communications, and Healthcare (REACH) Amendments legislation, S.1359/H.R.1192, was introduced in the Senate by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Senator Robert Bennett (R-UT), and in the House of Representatives by Congressman Kendrick Meek (D-FL) and Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL).
We are working to get this bill passed in the 110th Congress. We are pleased that we have bi-partisan support with 84 cosponsors in the House and 16 in the Senate. The LFA government relations staff has been actively meeting with potential new cosponsors. Go to our Legislative Action Center to contact your Members of Congress!
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Appropriations Increase for National Lupus Patient Registry
The Omnibus Appropriations Bill which funds the federal government for 2008 included funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to continue and expand the National Lupus Patient Registry as part of a broader national epidemiological study on lupus. The Registry will provide data for the first ever comprehensive national study to determine the true incidence and prevalence of lupus in the United States, as well as measure the burden of the disease.
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10th Annual Lupus Advocacy Day, March 10-11, 2008
On Tuesday, March 11, more than 300 individuals with lupus, their families, and health professionals urged Members of Congress to increase government funding for lupus medical research and enact legislation that will greatly expand federal efforts on lupus. The advocates, representing 37 states, participated in the Tenth Annual Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) Advocacy Day. Read more about Lupus Advocacy Day 2008.
Save the date for Advocacy Day 2009 -- March 2-3, 2009!
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Sign up to be an e-Advocate for the Lupus Foundation of America
LFA e-Advocates are an important group of lupus activists who stand ready to spring into action when called upon. Our e-Advocates will respond to legislative alerts by contacting their federal or state elected officials to educate them on issues of critical importance to people with lupus, their families and health professionals. Sign up today.
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Make a Gift to the Lupus Foundation of America -- and Have it Double -- Today!
The Cooper Family Foundation has pledged $200,000 to the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA). Additionally, they have challenged us to match their pledge with new contributions from supporters of the LFA.
Any gift that you contribute between now and August 15, 2008 will be matched by the Cooper Family Foundation.
Your contribution will advance desperately needed research. Last year, the LFA could afford to fund only one in four requests from scientists working to bring us closer to new treatments and the answers patients and families still await.
With your gift today -- doubled by the $200,000 Cooper Family Challenge -- we can continue to fund promising research which yields new treatments, new hope, and ultimately, a cure!
Thank you for giving generously now, when your gift will go twice as far!
The Lupus Foundation of America is the nation’s leading nonprofit voluntary health organization dedicated to finding the causes of and cure for lupus and providing support and services to all people affected by lupus.
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Posted by: Allie Phillips | July 25, 2008 at 06:08 PM