Tackling Childhood Obesity

President Barack Obama signs a memorandum on childhood obesity in the Oval Office. From left are, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, First Lady Michelle Obama, and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar February 9, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)




First Lady Michelle Obama introduces a new nationwide campaign to combat childhood obesity, "Let's Move." Learn more at http://www.LetsMove.gov.





"It’s done, honey," President Obama said to The First Lady earlier today as he signed a Presidential Memorandum establishing a task force on childhood obesity to address the growing health epidemic. "Now we work," she responded.
 
The new task force is charged with developing an interagency action plan to solve the problem of obesity among our Nation's children as part of the First Lady’s Let’s Move campaign. The campaign will take a comprehensive approach to engage both public and private sectors to help children become more active and eat healthier within a generation, so that children born today will reach adulthood at a healthy weight.

Within 90 days, the task force will develop and submit to the President a comprehensive interagency plan that details a coordinated strategy, identifies key benchmarks, and outlines an action plan.  The President applauded all those involved:

I am so proud of the work that the First Lady, along with the Cabinet Secretaries behind me, has done in trying to tackle one of the most urgent health issues that we face in this country, and that is the increase of childhood obesity. And because of the outstanding planning that they've done, they are going to be rolling out a terrific plan of action that involves the private sector as well as government agencies coordinating much more effectively a lot of public information out there to help parents make good decisions about allowing their children to be active and eating healthier.

Members of the task force include: the Secretary of the Interior; the Secretary of Agriculture; Secretary of Health and Human Services; Secretary of Education; Director of the Office of Management and Budget; Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the First Lady; Assistant to the President for Economic Policy; and heads of other executive departments, agencies, or offices as the Chair may designate.
Speaking at an event later, the First Lady explained what motivated her to take this on: "These words – 'overweight' and 'obese' – they don’t tell the full story.  This isn’t just about inches and pounds or how our kids look.  It’s about how our kids feel, and how they feel about themselves.  It’s about the impact we’re seeing on every aspect of their lives."

Help Save Virginia's Wilderness Battlefield from Wal-Mart

The Civil War's Wilderness Battlefield is under siege...again! But, this time it does not involve soldiers and artillery. Wal-Mart and JDC Ventures LLC have proposed to commercially develop 240,000 square feet on critically important land at the historic Wilderness Battlefield and just across the road from the National Park Service's center of interpreting the Battle of the Wilderness.

NPCA and its partners have determined that Wal-Mart's project would irrevocably harm the battlefield, undermine the visitor's experience of the National Military Park, and open the door for more incompatible, large-scale development at the gateway to the national park.


Save the Battlefield from Wal-Mart

Subject:

Relocation of Orange County, VA, Wal-Mart Supercenter


Dear [ Decision Maker ],

I am writing you to ask that you please protect our nation's Civil War heritage for the benefit of future generations. 

Like Virginia's Governor Tim Kaine and many thousands of Americans, I am seriously concerned that the proposed Wal-Mart development in Orange County, Virginia, would permanently harm historic Wilderness Battlefield and the Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park. 

I am writing to ask you to relocate Wal-Mart's proposed Supercenter to another site in Orange County, but away from the battlefield and the national park.  Ultimately, this is your decision. 

Wal-mart is getting to big for it over sized britches. It is like they have senators in their pockets feeding them when they need something approved. Now they want to build near an Historical Battlefield, nuts plain nuts.  DO NOT DO IT, I could not vote in any re-election of any congress person who did not support the Virginia Wilderness Battlefield against Wal-mart.... There has to be another location away from the Battlefield, where the truck traffic will not matter but the battlefield...GEEZ
 And that you can take to the bank, and thats all I have to say on the subject

Thank you for considering my comments and helping to preserve our nation's unique and irreplaceable heritage.

Keep BLM lands near Katmai and Lake Clark National Parks closed to mining

One million acres of prime wolf, bear, and salmon habitat adjacent to Lake Clark and Katmai National Parks could be opened to new mining claims with the stroke of a pen. Closed to mining since 1971, these wild Alaska lands are integral to Bristol Bay's salmon-supporting ecosystem that is anchored by these two grand national parks.

A recommendation from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to lift this mineral closure and expand a modern day gold rush was issued in the last days of the Bush Administration and we need your help to send this bad idea back to the drawing board.
Send a letter to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar 

Keep BLM lands near Katmai and Lake Clark National Parks closed to mining

Subject:
 Keep BLM Lands near Katmai and Lake Clark National Parks Closed to Mining


Dear [ Decision Maker ],

Last November, just after the election, the Bureau of Land Management recommended that you lift a mineral closure that has kept 1 million acres of land adjacent to Katmai and Lake Clark National Parks closed to mining since 1971. These parks are located in southwest Alaska's Bristol Bay, home of the largest wild salmon fishery left on earth and an area already under siege from a future mining district that is anchored by the proposed Pebble Mine.

Please don't sign anything that would open these lands to mining. The modern day gold rush occurring in this region is threatening not only the fish and wildlife, but also the livelihood of many local residents that depend on undeveloped lands. Adding another million acres to the stampede for gold will only add to the problems.

Instead, I would ask that you send the recommendation back to BLM to have them do a better job of scientifically reviewing the impacts of 1 million acres of new mines upon the area's fish and wildlife and our national parks. Please ask the BLM to evaluate permanent protections for these lands for the sake of Bristol Bay's clean waters and cultural traditions so we can protect Katmai's and Lake Clark's wolves, bears, and wild salmon forever.

NO STRIP MINING, are you crazy, destroy a natural habitat, that supports wolf, bear and salmon. Salmon that for hundreds of years have swam the rivers to get to their spawning grounds.  If there are future salmon where do they go if their rivers are destroyed, GEEZ....miniong destroys lands, look at other strip mining in other parts of the country large naked holes with roads that go down and down and down, you can't fill them back up  DO NOT DO IT....... You need to seriously take measures to protect it for my greatgrandchildren, and yours. Do you not want them to see the natural beauty of a n ecosystem that thrives. Mining would destroy it and it would never recover,that is a crime against nature, and I could not vote in any re-election of any congress person who did not support the Katmai and Lake Clark National Parks against the Bureau of Land Management. And that you can take to the bank, and thats all I have to say on the subject

Save Everglades National Park from Mining

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to issue mining permits for the destruction of up to 15,000 acres of wetlands near Everglades National Park. Together with existing mines, this would convert 30 square miles of historic Everglades and wildlife habitat into deep mining pits. Alternative plans exist and include buffers to protect the park, but these plans still allow at least eight years of mining.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the authority to stop the proposed mining project. Tell EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson that the current proposals will cause unacceptable damage to the Everglades.

Save Everglades National Park

 Subject:
Miami-Dade Lake Belt Mining Permits Re-issue

Dear [ Decision Maker ],

I am writing to urge the EPA to intervene to stop current plans to expand limestone mining activities in the Everglades, our country's largest subtropical wilderness.

The Army Corps of Engineers' proposals both to re-issue mining permits set aside last January by a federal court because of violations of federal environmental laws and to approve expansion of the mining would irreversibly destroy critical wetlands and endangered species habitat, harm Everglades restoration, contaminate local drinking water supplies and cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. Everglades National Park has already been devastated by a century of draining the Everglades and poor growth management, and must be protected from further harmful practices.

The EPA has the legal authority and the responsibility to prevent the permanent harm that the proposed mining would cause to the Everglades and drinking water. The EPA should only approve a five-year mining plan that includes buffers to protect the Everglades and the public wellfield. This would still allow years of mining while necessary studies are completed to see if any more mining can be done safely and without unacceptable environmental impacts.


I grew up going to the everglades, riding air boats, camping, stepping on alligators, heheheh, seriously, NO STRIP MINING, are you crazy,  GEEZ....mining destroys lands, look at other strip mining in other parts of the country large naked holes with roads that go down and down and down, you can't fill them back up  DO NOT DO IT....... You need to seriously take measures to protect it for my greatgrandchildren, and yours. Do you not want them to see the natural beauty of a n ecosystem that thrives. Mining would destroy it and it would never recover,that is a crime against nature, and I could not vote in any re-election of any congress person who did not support the Everglades National Park against the EPA. And that you can take to the bank, and thats all I have to say on the subject

Clear the Air in America's National Parks

 My comment:
 Why is it that our National Parks are under seige from big business and that the groups that are suppose to protect these parks from interests who want to destroy them.   We American's have to save them for our next several generations, otherwise our legacy of beautiful clean natural parks given to us by some Presidents and people who wanted us to protect these lands will disappear to companies who want to mine, build communities to close or build big commercial properties, and we have to support the President with his clean air proposals.  Natural clean air is essential to plants, animals, aand for people who visit the parks. Get out and show your support, carry signs, send these letters and promise not to re-elect any senator who does not support the President, whether they are Democrat or Republican this has to bipartisan......There are four letters here regarding four different parks in the United States

Be a wise American know what all the issues are, and where you can help........Now that is all I have to say about that.

 
Our national parks--and their visitors--are threatened by dirty air. Ground-level ozone, formed mostly in the summer months from automobile, industrial, and coal-fired power plant pollution, is one of the most deadly forms of air pollution and has a history of catastrophic consequences for people and parks. Across the United States park ecosystems show damage from ozone pollution.

However, new, stronger ground-level ozone rules from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could protect both parks and people, but protection is not guaranteed. The EPA has proposed a range of standards, from more to most protective. Big polluters and others will pressure EPA to adopt the weakest possible standards, and we can help counter that pressure by explicitly stating our support for the strongest standards. That's why we're suggesting you specify the precise standard you support in the letter you send to EPA. For more information on the range of standards proposed by EPA, please see EPA's Ozone Fact Sheet by clicking on the "Tell me more" link. Please contact EPA and let them know you care!

 Clear the Air for America's National Parks

Subject: Ozone stndards



Dear [ Decision Maker ],

I 'm writing to comment on the Environmental Protection Agency's proposal to revise the air quality standards for ground-level ozone. America's national parks are at risk: every summer visitors and the parks alike are harmed by ozone pollution. Our national parks should be a place of refuge during the summer months, but today many Americans, especially children, the elderly, and people with asthma, heart, and lung issues, are unable to safely hike or bike in many of our national parks due to ozone levels. I hope you will choose the standard that is most protective of park visitor health. Make every day in America's national parks a safe day to visit for every American.


I hope you will also consider the value of protecting national park ecosystems. Ozone pollution from coal-fired power plants and automobiles has long damaged multiple species of plants and trees and the wildlife that depend on them. From the Great Smoky Mountains to Yosemite, ground-level ozone pollution threatens the long-term sustainability of America's parks.

Our parks and the public deserve the most protective and science-based standards.  I therefore urge you to set the "primary" ground-level ozone standard at .060 parts per million to protect public health, and the "secondary" ground-level ozone standard at 7 ppm-hours to protect healthy parks and ecosystems.


This is a national crime,some Presidents have set aside these beautiful parks for the people of America to have and behold their beauty, and now with the pollution of the air some Americans can nor even enjoy them. I believe we should step up and embrace what President Obama wants to do in clean air and energy, aand we should not be Democrat or Republican, we should united Americans saving our national parks for our future generations.
That is all I have to say on the subject.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this important proposal.