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Launching today in Canada, Europe and the U.S., TarSandsRealityCheck.com presents up to date, accurate facts about Alberta's tar sands to counter the high-level pro-oil sands lobbying ongoing in Canada, the U.S. and Europe around the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, and Europe on the Fuel Quality Directive. 

Environmental Defence Canada, EcoWatch

May 16, 2013 | Launching today in Canada, Europe and the U.S., TarSandsRealityCheck.com presents up to date, accurate facts about Alberta’s tar sands to counter the high-level pro-oil sands lobbying ongoing in Canada, the U.S. and Europe around the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, and Europe on the Fuel Quality Directive.

The digital campaign launches the same day Canadian Prime Minister Harper is expected in New York to address the Council of Foreign Relations and promote the tar sands and the Keystone XL pipeline. It also comes just days after the Canadian government launched a new website as part of its massive pro-tar sands PR campaign.

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Guns & Alcohol Don’t Mix

Progress Report,  ThinkProgress

This article is made possible with the generous contributions of all reader supported Evergreene Digest readers like you. Thank you!

May 13, 2013 | If there’s one thing Americans don’t need a coupon for, it’s an outing mixing guns and alcohol.  Unfortunately, LivingSocial seems to think otherwise.

A new report out today from CREDO Action and the Gun Truth Project calls out the daily deal and experience company for offering booze and bullet-fueled experiences from coast to coast. The wide variety of deals even sometimes feature AR-15s, the same assault rifle used to kill 20 children and 6 educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Other experiences include AK-47s, semi-automatic pistols, and rifles.

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• Indiana farmer must pay agribusiness giant $84,000 for patent infringement.
• Monsanto Wrote Monsanto Protection Act
• Monsanto Rules 

Jacob Chamberlain, Common Dreams

This article is made possible with the generous contributions of all reader supported Evergreene Digest readers like you. Thank you!

Indiana grain farmer Vernon Hugh Bowman walks past the US Supreme Court on February 19, 2013 in Washington (AFP/File, Mandel Ngan)

May 13, 2013 | The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday in favor of biotech giant Monsanto, ordering Indiana farmer Vernon Hugh Bowman, 75, to pay Monsanto more than $84,000 for patent infringement for using second generation Monsanto seeds purchased second hand—a ruling which will have broad implications for the ownership of 'life' and farmers' rights in the future.

In the case, Bowman had purchased soybean seeds from a grain elevator—where seeds are cheaper than freshly engineered Monsanto GE (genetically engineered) seeds and typically used for animal feed rather than for crops. The sources of the seeds Bowman purchased were mixed and were not labeled. However, some were "Roundup Ready" patented Monsanto seeds.

Full story…

Related:

Monsanto Wrote Monsanto Protection Act, Anthony Gucciardi, Natural Society

No longer can we sit idly by while corporate juggernauts like Monsanto triumph over the people through swindling and deceit. Share this article and publicly denounce all politicians willing to sell their souls to Monsanto.

Three brave Michigan families are standing up to the banks that ravaged our economy, and they need your support!

Rob, Occupy Our Homes

Dear Home Defender,

Michigan's been hit hard enough by the economic crisis--they don't need any more empty houses. Three brave Michigan families are standing up to the banks that ravaged our economy, and they need your support!

Beverly and Matthew Murray live in Coldwater Creek, MI with their children. Like so many others in Michigan and across the country, they were lured into a sub-prime predatory loan. The Murrays had been trying to work with Bank of America for a reasonable loan modification to no avail. During this same time period the Murrays’ daughter became gravely ill based upon an undetected Type I diabetes medical condition. The Murrays needed a reasonable modification even more, due to excessive medical bills resulting from their daughter’s hospitalization and subsequent ongoing medical care. Instead, as a result of a disputed wrongful foreclosure, the Murrays face the immediate loss of their home.

Can you sign the petition to support the Murray family's fight for their home?

S. Baxter Jones, a Detroit school teacher for over 20 years, is facing eviction by Fannie Mae and Wells Fargo. He suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2005 and is now living with severe disabilities. Unable to work for almost two years, Mr. Jones depleted his sick bank fund and life savings--forcing him to return to work prematurely with an undiagnosed traumatic brain and spinal cord injury. Mr. Jones fell behind on his mortgage while waiting for Social Security and his pension to be processed. He wrote to Wells Fargo explaining his situation and had a phone conference with them to discuss a loan modification. Wells Fargo refused to work with Mr. Jones and went ahead with foreclosure, even though he started receiving Social Security benefits. He faces imminent eviction from his home in Jackson, Michigan where he has lived since 2002.

Can you sign Mr. Jones' petition and help him keep his home?

In 2006, Michael Bentin and his family purchased a fixer-upper in Portage, MI. At the time, it was a deal for the neighborhood it was in, but it was in need of a lot of updating. Nothing fancy, just a cozy three bedroom ranch with a nice backyard, but it was perfect for them. Just 18 short months later, after many thousands of dollars, and hours of time put into updating the house, the economy crashed. Home values went down, and the mortgage on their perfect fixer-upper was now underwater. Michael was eventually laid off from his job. When they fell behind on their mortgage, they tried to contact Bank of America for a loan modification with no luck. The bank didn't even bother to notify them of the foreclosure sale last year, and they are now faced with losing their home.

Can you sign Michael's petition and help his family keep their home?

Homeowners like these, all around the country, are standing up and fighting back against the big banks. Next month, many of these people will join us in Washington, D.C. as we take action to demand justice and prosecution of the big bank executives who caused this crisis.

Click here to learn more about the action or sign up to join us in DC!

Thanks for your support!

The Occupy Homes team