[All] OFFICIAL REPORT-BACK: February-May 2013

Sat May 25 17:27:43 EDT 2013

Campaign updates

HUGE PROGRESS! Apparel brands are signing the Accord on Fire and Building
Safety in Bangladesh

 NYT photo of Gap protest
<https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.sumofus.org/images/gap.png> Background: In the
wake of the November's terrible Tazreen factory fire that killed 112 workers
making clothes for Walmart and other brands, we called on major apparel
companies to join the independently-monitored Accord on Fire and Building
Safety in Bangladesh to ensure that their clothes weren't being made under
deadly conditions. The horrific Rana Plaza building collapse, which killed
more than 1,100 workers in April, only underscored the urgency of meaningful
reform in the Bangladeshi garment industry. 

Partners: International Labor Rights Forum, United Food and Commercial
Workers - Canada, United Students Against Sweatshops, Workers' Rights
Consortium, Corporate Action Network, CREDO, Clean Clothes Campaign, Making
Change at Walmart, Avaaz, and more

What we want: We wanted brands to sign the Accord on Fire and Building
Safety in Bangladesh to prevent tragedies like this from happening again.

Current status: We've made huge progress! Thousands of us donated to bring
Bangladeshi labor leader Kalpona Akter and Tazreen factory fire survivor
Sumi Abedin to the U.S. to challenge executives at Walmart, Gap and other
companies. While they were here, the Rana Plaza building collapsed and
Kalpona was able to talk to reporters right away and make sure they told the
story about who was ultimately responsible for the tragedy: the brands that
turned a blind eye to known safety issues in their factories. So many of us
were moved by the building collapse that we collectively chipped in enough
money to give $35,000 -- nearly double our goal -- to two courageous groups
organizing in the Bangladeshi garment industry, the Bangladesh Center for
Worker Solidarity and the National Federation of Garment Workers. Meanwhile,
under pressure from consumers and workers around the globe, more than 40
major companies -- including Joe Fresh, which our Canadian members targeted
specifically -- have signed the agreement. But Gap and Walmart are still
holding out, and we won't stop until they sign the legally-binding agreement
to protect their workers from death traps.

Read More: Shareable
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1738?t=2&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  Facebook
graphic | Drop off
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1707?t=3&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  a letter at
your local Gap | Original
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1171?t=4&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  petition to
Walmart | Petition
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1769?t=5&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  to Joe Fresh

Press coverage: NPR
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1739?t=6&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  | KNWA
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1740?t=7&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  Northwest
Arkansas | Photo in
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1741?t=8&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  the New York
Times

MAKING WAVES! Exxon: Release information on the massive tar sands oil spill
in Mayflower, Arkansas.

 Ads in DC metro <https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.sumofus.org/images/exxon.jpg>
Background:  ExxonMobil spilled 100,000 barrels of toxic tar sands crude in
the Arkansas town of Mayflower. It pressured the U.S. government to issue a
no-fly zone over the spill site to keep cameras away from the spill, and
threatened reporters with arrest so the public wouldn't know the effects of
the spill. This spill happened at the same time as the U.S. State Department
was considering whether to approve or reject the proposed massive Keystone
XL (KXL) tar sands pipeline.

Partners: Environmental Action, Oil Change International, and Tar Sands
Blockade

What we want: We were simultaneously demanding Exxon release all the
information on the spill, and calling for U.S. State Department officials to
reject the tar sands pipeline.

Current status: Over 86,000 of us signed the original petition to Exxon. We
linked up with Tar Sands Blockade, whose brave members snuck into areas
closed off by Exxon, to leak out photos of the tragic spill. Over 1,000
members of the Sum of Us donated to blanket the DC Metro station that State
Department employees use with images from the spill, so that every day, on
the way to and from work, they'd see the reality of what a tar sands spill
really looks like.

Read More: The <http://act.sumofus.org/go/1733?t=9&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>
original petition | Our ads!
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1734?t=10&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  | Shareable
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1735?t=11&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  Facebook
graphic | Petition
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1771?t=12&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  to the White
House to reject KXL

Press Coverage: Huffington
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1736?t=13&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  Post |
Arkansas <http://act.sumofus.org/go/1737?t=14&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>
Times

WE WON! H&M: Get slavery out of your supply chain

Background: Cotton in Uzbekistan
<https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.sumofus.org/images/hm.jpg>  Slavery is alive
and well in the modern world. Every year, millions of men, women, and
children in Uzbekistan are forced to work in the state-run cotton industry.
These crimes are only possible because a multinational conglomerate called
Daewoo International operates cotton processing plants in Uzbekistan and
deals in slave-grown cotton. H&M was complicit in this tragedy, since it
continued to buy cotton from Daewoo which profits off Uzbeki cotton.

Partners: International Labor Rights Forum, Anti-Slavery International,
WalkFree

What we want: We called on H&M to cut ties with Daewoo to help ensure that
no corporation profits from slavery.

Current status: We won! After 70,000 members of the Sum of Us signed our
petition to H&M, the apparel giant agreed to stop buying from Daewoo and to
reach down into its supply chain and ensure that none of its suppliers do
business with Daewoo either. We're helping set a new standard for ethical
behavior in the garment industry, and we'll be calling on other companies to
cut ties with Daewoo soon.

Read More: Original
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1746?t=15&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  petition | H
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1772?t=16&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa> &M's
announcement

Daily Mail: Sack Richard Littlejohn for his hateful column

Background: Daily Mail delivery
<https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.sumofus.org/images/littlejohn.jpg>  Daily Mail
columnist Richard Littlejohn used English schoolteacher Lucy Meadows'
private decision to transition from male to female as a basis for a
disgusting hit piece in which he called on her to resign. The media circus
over Lucy's transition caused her to withdraw from her job, and she
committed suicide a few months later.

What we want: We petitioned the Daily Mail to make a formal apology, and to
sack Richard Littlejohn.

Current status: The outcry was immediate, and immense. We had an massive
response from our UK membership, and over 200,000 people from around the
world signed our petition calling for the Daily Mail to sack Littlejohn.
Hundreds of members of the Sum of Us helped fund bicycle ads circling the
Daily Mail headquarters, and people handing out flyers at the nearest Tube
stop, calling for Littlejohn's ouster. The Daily Mail took Littlejohn's
column offline, but has yet to otherwise respond. We will continue to
monitor the Mail, and look for opportunities to apply pressure in the future
to stop the paper's horrible campaigns against ordinary citizens.

Read More: Original
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1755?t=17&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  petition |
Photos <http://act.sumofus.org/go/1756?t=18&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  from
petition delivery | Photos
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1757?t=19&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  of bike ads
and people flyering Daily Mail employees

Press Coverage: Pink
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1758?t=20&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  News | So So
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1759?t=21&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  Gay

Prime Minister Harper and Finance Minister Flaherty: Keep your hands off our
CBC
(Canada only) 

Background: CBC <https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.sumofus.org/images/cbc.jpg>  If
Prime Minister Harper gets his way, the government will have more control
over the CBC than its ever had in the CBC's 80-year history. The Harper
government snuck sweeping changes to the CBC deep into the last section of
the budget -- on page 109 -- granting it disturbing powers to directly
control and interfere with our national broadcaster.

Partners: Friends of Canadian Broadcasting and Leadnow.ca

What we want: We called for the Conservative government and the Canadian
Finance Minister to take out the provision in the latest budget bill.

Current status: Friends of Canadian Broadcasting delivered 113,000 petition
signatures collected by Friends, Leadnow.ca and the Sum of Us to NDP leader
Thomas Mulcair and Liberal leader Justin Trudeau. Our supporters chipped in
to fund radio ads that aired in the riding of the Finance Minister, showing
him (and his constituents) that we don't want government to control the CBC.

Read More: Original
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1742?t=22&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  petition |
Shareable <http://act.sumofus.org/go/1743?t=23&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>
Facebook graphic

Press Coverage: Huffington
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1744?t=24&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  Post Op-Ed |
Hill <http://act.sumofus.org/go/1745?t=25&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  Times

Coke: Don't crush the world's best recycling system

Background: Coke sticker
<https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.sumofus.org/images/coke-sticker-final-copy.jpg>
Coke was suing an Australian state government to prevent one of the world's
most effective recycling programs, a container deposit scheme, from going
into effect. This is part of a long history of Coke fighting to oppose
effective recycling programs worldwide.

Partners: The Boomerang Alliance and Greenpeace Australia

What we wanted: We wanted Coca Cola to drop its lawsuit against the Northern
Territory Government in Australia. We also wanted Coca Cola to abolish its
global policy of opposing container deposit recycling programs. 

Current status: Over 114,000 of us signed a petition to Coke to drop its
opposition globally. Sadly, Coke won its lawsuit and the Northern
Territories government is not allowed to implement the container deposit
recycling program as planned. The environment ministers of each state and
territory in Australia will soon decide whether or not to introduce a
national program instead. If they do, Coke and other beverage companies will
be required to participate. 

Read More: Original
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1768?t=26&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  petition

Press coverage: Recycling
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1719?t=27&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  Today |
Environmental <http://act.sumofus.org/go/1720?t=28&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>
Leader | Earth <http://act.sumofus.org/go/1730?t=29&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>
Techling

SUCCESS! ConocoPhillips: Stop drilling in the arctic

Background: ConocoPhillips polar bear victory
<https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.sumofus.org/images/cp.jpg>  ConocoPhillips
planned to stick with its reckless plans to drill in the Arctic, in spite of
the fact that many of its rivals -- most notably Shell -- had put a halt to
Arctic drilling.

What we want: We demanded that ConocoPhillips drop plans to drill in the
Arctic.

Current status: ConocoPhillips announced it will stop drilling in the
Arctic!

Read More: Original
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1721?t=30&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  petition |
Shareable <http://act.sumofus.org/go/1722?t=31&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>
Facebook graphic

Press Coverage: USA
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1723?t=32&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  Today

Bayer: Stop killing the bees

Background: Sick bee
<https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.sumofus.org/images/sickbee.jpg>  Bayer, the
global chemical company, is manufacturing a chemical called neonicotinoids
that new evidence shows is killing off bees. The global die-off of bees
represents an enormous danger to the planet. 30% of our crops -- and 90% of
wild plants -- rely on bees to thrive. Without bees, our entire global food
supply is in serious trouble.

What we want: We want Bayer to withdraw its neonicotinoid pesticides from
the market, as they pose a grave threat to bee populations worldwide.

Current status: Since our petition in January, further reports have emerged
implicating neonicotinoids in bee deaths, bird deaths, and mass die-offs of
dragonflies and other beneficial insects. In response, the EU has adopted a
landmark ruling, banning neonicotinoids for two years in order to assess
their impact. We have taken our fight to retailers in the United States,
Canada, and Australia, asking them to pull the bee-poisoning neonicotinoids
from their shelves.

Read More: Petition
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1760?t=33&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  to Bayer |
Petition <http://act.sumofus.org/go/1761?t=34&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  to
Home Depot and Lowe's (North America) | Petition
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1762?t=35&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  to Bunnings
Warehouse (Australia)

Press Coverage: UK
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1639?t=36&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  Independent

GRABBING HEADLINES! FDA: Don't redefine milk
(US only) 

Background: Cows at the FDA
<https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.sumofus.org/images/fda.jpg>  The dairy lobby is
pushing to change the legal definition of "milk" to allow the addition of
aspartame and other artificial sweeteners, without special designation on
the front of the packaging.

What we want: We are pushing the FDA to deny their petition, and keep milk,
milk.

Current status: Before we picked up this campaign, it was relegated to small
websites -- very few people knew what was going on. Now, dozens of media
outlets have covered the story, and the dairy lobby is on the defensive.
Thanks to your donations, we were able to fund radio and bus ads that got
the attention of dozens of press outlets. And this past Tuesday, we
delivered our own petition with 117,000 signatures to the FDA. We brought
Sum of Us staff (and a puppy!) dressed as cows to the FDA headquarters to
hand out chocolate milk to FDA employees arriving at work, and offer them
aspartame with their milk. Unsurprisingly, no one took us up on the offer of
aspartame. At the moment, the FDA has not decided whether to take up the
dairy lobby's petition and propose a redefinition of milk.

Read More: Original
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1747?t=37&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  petition |
Photos <http://act.sumofus.org/go/1748?t=38&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  of the
petition delivery (with cows!) | Photos
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1749?t=39&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  of our bus
ads

Press Coverage: International
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1750?t=40&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  Business
Times | NPR <http://act.sumofus.org/go/1751?t=41&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  |
Philadelphia <http://act.sumofus.org/go/1752?t=42&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>
Inquirer | The Hill
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1753?t=43&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  | Huffington
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1754?t=44&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  Post

Suncor: Stop spilling tar sands waste into our rivers
(Canada only) 

 Suncor's spill
<https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.sumofus.org/images/Suncor_tailings_LP.jpg>
Background: In March, the pipes from Suncor's operations froze and then
burst, spilling 2,200 barrels of toxic tar sands waste into the Athabasca
River for 10 hours. That's all the public, including the communities
impacted by the spill, know -- because Suncor hasn't bothered to release any
information to us. This has happened before, and then, like now, Suncor
refused to answer basic questions.

Partner: Greenpeace Canada

What we want: We wanted Suncor to release information about oil spills so
that affected communities could take precautions.

Current status: Greenpeace Canada delivered a 40-foot-long petition
containing the signatures of 16,000 SumOfUs.org supporters to Suncor's
corporate headquarters in downtown Calgary.

Read More: The <http://act.sumofus.org/go/1731?t=45&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>
original petition | Photos
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1732?t=46&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  from the
petition delivery

Onwards!

As you can tell, we've been busy! But we wouldn't have it any other way. We
are excited to build a movement together, and we're honored that you're a
part of it. We want to keep up our momentum and make sure that corporations
are taking our voices into consideration. As we are still a tiny
organization, we make sure that your donation does the most it can to help
better our world. Please
<http://act.sumofus.org/go/1763?t=47&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa>  consider
becoming a donor in order to help our movement grow!

We depend on members like you to keep us going. Any donation that you can
make not only improves our ability to campaign for corporate accountability,
but also energizes us, knowing that you are invested in what the Sum Of Us
can do. Thank you so much for being one of us.

 <http://act.sumofus.org/go/1763?t=48&akid=1718.896239.26fSxa> donate

Thanks for reading, and for continuing to support our growing movement for
corporate accountability.

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 <http://www.sumofus.org>  SumOfUs is a world-wide movement of people like
you, working together to hold corporations accountable for their actions and
forge a new, sustainable path for our global economy. You can follow us on
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