Posted on March 22, 2021
How CREDO funding to Planned Parenthood is helping protect access to care
For more than 35 years, we’ve been honored to fund Planned Parenthood’s important work to protect access to health care and reproductive rights. In fact, since 1985, CREDO customers like you have generously helped us donate more than $3.6 million to Planned Parenthood and its affiliates, making CREDO among its top corporate donors.
Just by using our products and services every day, you and other CREDO customers power our donations to strengthen women’s rights, at no extra cost.
Today, we’d like to share a story that highlights how critical funding like ours to Planned Parenthood is helping Latinx organizers fight for public policies that represent their communities and work to protect access to health care.
Organizer Norma Jimenez got involved with Planned Parenthood in Phoenix, AZ in 2018 to help Spanish-speaking communities enroll in health care plans through the Affordable Care Act. After the enrollment period ended, she continued working with Planned Parenthood to provide educational forums for local Spanish speakers. And, after personally experiencing a lack of quality sex education in school and at home, she advocated for better sex education policies that were adopted by local school districts.
Norma is a Planned Parenthood organizer because: “Planned Parenthood is the country’s largest sex education provider as well as the go-to provider for reproductive health care for people. Planned Parenthood was there for me when I needed my first annual exam. They were there when I needed to learn about my birth control options and most importantly, Planned Parenthood helped me find my voice, and my identity. I learned to love my body unconditionally. I want all young people to know they are not alone, and it’s okay to feel confused and scared. Planned Parenthood is here for you.”
Stories like these are possible because of the generosity of supporters across the country, including funding from CREDO Mobile customers who use our products and services every day, at no extra cost to them.
While Planned Parenthood isn’t on our donations ballot this month, you have the opportunity to vote to help us fund three other, important nonprofit organizations who need our help: Amazon Watch, Center for Disaster Philanthropy, and UltraViolet.
If you haven’t yet voted this month, please take a minute and visit CREDODonations.com to vote for one, two or all three of these amazing groups today.
Posted on March 17, 2021
Here’s why you need to start using a password manager — and how you can get started
We’re all guilty of it: You’re signing up for a new account online, and it’s time to create a new password, so you reuse the same one you always use, and it’s probably your birthday or dog’s name, maybe with some extra numbers at the end.
And we get it, it’s tough to remember all those passwords for our email, social media, bank accounts, shopping sites and other online services. But if you’re not using unique and complex passwords on every site, you’re making it easy for hackers or criminals to compromise your sensitive information.
A password manager can help. It keeps all of your accounts secure by creating, encrypting and storing your passwords so you don’t need to write them on a sticky note next to your computer anymore.
Here’s a quick guide on how to get started using a password manager to help secure your online accounts.
What is a password manager?
If you’re reusing your passwords, you’re not alone. According to a recent study, more than 50 percent of all people reuse or modify similar passwords across their internet accounts — and this is a big problem, especially if you use similar passwords on very sensitive accounts, like banking, investments, and your primary email account.
With the alarming rise of data breaches and leaks — and the buying and selling of user data on the dark web — reusing the same password could put your information at risk. Even if you use the same, long, complex password across multiple sites, once hackers have that password, they could access other accounts that use the same or similar password. That’s why it’s so important to utilize a password manager to create strong and unique passwords for each site you use.
Here’s where a password manager can help. It can create long, complex passwords that you’ll never have to remember, then encrypt and store them in a digital vault that only you (or a loved one) can access. When you visit the login page for a site, the password manager automatically fills in your credentials from your vault. Additionally, password managers can also help protect you from phishing scams, because the password manager typically will only fill in your credentials on the correct site, not a fraudulent one.
How to get started with a password manager
This all may sound a bit confusing, but it’s pretty simple. Here’s how you can get started:
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- Choose a password manager. You may already be using a browser or operating system to store your passwords (like in Chrome, Safari or iOS), but we like password managers that are cross-platform and work across browsers. So, for example, if you save your password on Firefox on your PC, a cross-platform password manager will allow you to still seamlessly access that password on your iPhone or Android apps.Some popular password managers are LastPass, 1Password, Keeper, BitWarden and Dashlane. They all charge a monthly fee for premium accounts, but we think the protection they provide is worth it.
- Download the password manager, install its browser extension on your computer, and install the accompanying app to your phone. The process should be pretty straightforward and the password manager should guide you easily through each installation step.
- Choose a master password or passphrase that allows you to access your password manager and start storing your passwords. This will typically be one of the last passwords you’ll ever need to remember and enter manually. LastPass has a good blog post on how to choose a strong and easy-to-remember master passphrase. We recommend you also write this master password down, and store it securely in a locked desk or fireproof safe, in case you forget it.
- Audit your current passwords. As you begin logging into sites or apps, your password manager will start saving your account information in your vault. After you’ve logged into most of your important sites, like your email, banks and other sites, your password manager should allow you to run a security audit of your current passwords to let you know which ones are being reused and suggestions for which passwords to change. You may also have alerts for email addresses and passwords that have been found on the dark web, which would also need to be changed.
Posted on March 16, 2021
Survey results: What apps are helping you get through the pandemic?
For more than a year now, CREDO members have found new and exciting ways to be more resilient and innovative in their day-to-day lives — with new technology, tools and apps to make things more manageable, organized and connected.
We recently asked our members which apps and other tools they’ve relied upon to make life a little easier during the pandemic. From video conferencing to mindfulness to books and social media, CREDO members found a lot of ways to stay connected, entertained and productive on their phones and tablets during these tough times.
After nearly a thousand responses, here are the results and suggestions for new apps to try out. Enjoy!
During the pandemic, have you spent more time at home than you did before?
We just passed the one-year mark announcing the official start of the pandemic, and during the time since, many of us transitioned to work-from-home or distance learning, traveled less and have sadly seen our family less, too (which we hope is ending soon!). We asked our members if they’ve been home more during the past year, and the answer was an overwhelming “Yes” from nearly 95% of our members who responded.
Have you adopted any new tools or apps that have made your life easier while you’ve been at home?
With all this time spent at home, a majority of CREDO members sought out new apps and tools to make life a little easier.
In which areas, if any, have you adopted new tools or apps that have made your life easier?
There are a lot of apps, programs and tools on the market today, but one category of app stood above the rest: health and wellness, followed closely by communication and shopping.
For many of us here at CREDO, health and mindfulness apps have been important additions to our phone’s home screen. Personally, I use Headspace every day, and it’s been very helpful to reduce stress and increase happiness.
In which areas, if any, do you face regular inconveniences and wish you had better solutions?
At the same time, our members would still like better solutions to help with health, fitness and mindfulness, as well as shopping, productivity and communication.
Looking for a new app? Here are some member suggestions.
We also asked specifically which apps you are using regularly and which ones you’d recommend to a friend.
Not surprisingly, Zoom came out on top as the most suggested app among all of our members.
Also not a surprise, the most popular social media app recommended by our members is Facebook. If you haven’t liked CREDO Mobile on Facebook yet, now’s your chance!
A lot of CREDO members use Kindle to read e-books, but many also use Libby, an app that lets you borrow and read e-books from your local public library for free. You can download Libby on the App Store or Google Play.
Lastly, the most popular health and wellness app suggested by our members was Calm, a popular meditation and sleep app. One year ago, just as the pandemic was about to change our lives, we suggested 5 apps to help you manage stress and anxiety, many of which are still helpful today, especially as we look forward to life hopefully returning to normal soon.
Posted on March 8, 2021
COVID-19 Threatens the Future of the Amazon and Its Peoples
“The second wave of COVID-19 is advancing quickly across the Amazon. We are losing elders, our youth and children. We are losing part of our history and a part of our future. We need to protect our wisdom holders and our future!” – Francinara Souza, Baré, Coordinator of COIAB
The COVID-19 emergency in the Amazon is escalating dramatically. A new strain of the virus has overwhelmed and debilitated the public health system in Manaus, the capital of the state of Amazonas in Brazil, and it is spreading quickly across the Amazon, threatening Indigenous and forest peoples protecting the rainforest and climate for our collective future.
As of February 22, 2021 there have been over 2 million reported cases and more than 52,000 people have died from COVID-19 across the Amazon Basin, primarily in Brazil. According to the Coordination of the Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB), 71% of all COVID-19 infections in Brazil are in the Amazon.
Indigenous Amazonian leaders have expressed outrage at government negligence and discrimination against Indigenous peoples as the virus continues to spread. In a declaration on January 19, COICA (Coordinating Body of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin) urged governments to ensure equal access to medical care and vaccines for Indigenous peoples with free, prior, and informed consent. While vaccine plans are underway in Amazonian countries, they do not prioritize Indigenous peoples.
Due to the inaction and discrimination by Amazonian governments, Indigenous peoples have called upon international allies to show solidarity at this critical moment to protect Indigenous rights and lives. They have called on allies – including Amazon Watch – to unite and work together to raise awareness and solidarity funding to ensure medicine, oxygen tanks, logistics, and communication channels are available to serve the most vulnerable populations.
Amazon Watch is responding to the Indigenous health emergency in several ways and has been closely coordinating with APIB (Association of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil) and COIAB. Amazon Watch is contributing to this call for solidarity and disbursing funds via its Amazon Defenders Fund, in close coordination with Indigenous peoples. So far in 2021, Amazon Watch has committed over $200,000 to the COVID-19 health emergency and we are committed to mobilizing and deploying an additional $500,000 in the coming months.
Additionally, as a founding member of the Amazon Emergency Fund, an alliance of Indigenous, NGO, and donor allies responding to the COVID-19 emergency, Amazon Watch is working closely with allies to amplify the calls of Indigenous peoples and raise crucial funds. At least $5 million is urgently needed to cover the immediate needs across the Amazon, including oxygen, rapid-response and traditional health care, food and medical kits, prevention (PPE and vaccines), transportation, logistics, and communications. Amazon Watch is also prioritizing food and economic sovereignty projects led by women. Amazon Watch has committed $125,000 directly for the Amazon Emergency Fund.
Amazon Watch is also coordinating closely with NGO allies including Expedicionarios de Saude, Greenpeace Brasil, Avaaz, and Rainforest Action Network to provide logistical and communications support. For example, as the requests for oxygen increased over the last months, Amazon Watch purchased 100 oxygen concentrators, as well as food and medical kits for Indigenous towns and villages outside of Manaus, including São Jose da Cachoeira. The logistics of getting oxygen concentrators to remote villages are challenging. Funds and swift coordination are required, as Amazon Watch did in solidarity with the Kayapo and Munduruku peoples last spring. Support for Indigenous health centers and traditional medicine is critical for the prevention of the virus and so no one needs to travel outside of villages for healthcare.
José Gregorio Díaz Mirabal, of the Wakuenai Kurripaco people in Venezuela and General Coordinator of COICA, said at a virtual press conference in January “The governments of the region have failed all the inhabitants of the Amazon, both the Indigenous peoples and the rest of us who live in the [Amazon] Basin.”
The Brazilian government is intentionally negligent, and its lack of action has been decried as a deliberate strategy to spread the virus, according to a study by Conectas Direitos Human and the Center for Research and Studies of Health Law of the School of Public Health of the University of São Paulo. Last year, in Brazil alone more than 30,000 cases were registered in 140 Indigenous nations, more than 730 suspected cases, and almost 750 deaths in 107 Indigenous nations in the Amazon, according to official data and that collected by Indigenous grassroots organizations.
Combined with the intentional destruction of Indigenous territories by deforestation, industrial development, and arson, the spread of COVID-19 is more than a public health emergency: it is ethnocide. To hold Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro accountable, in January Indigenous chiefs Raoni Metukire and Almir Surui filed charges of crimes against humanity against Bolsonaro at the International Criminal Court.
While Amazon Watch’s efforts are primarily focused on responding to the epicenter of the health crisis in Brazil right now, the new strain of the virus is spreading across the Amazon Basin. It has already reached the Loreto province in Peru and the Napo province in Ecuador.
“This pandemic is killing our brothers and sisters – our leaders – throughout the Amazon and if they don’t help us defend it, we are going to disappear.” concluded Tomas Candia Yusupi, from the Chiquitano people, president of Confederation of Indigenous Peoples of Bolivia.
While Amazon Watch is responding and mobilizing resources for immediate action, much more support is urgently needed to respond to and prevent further spread from the new COVID-19 strain. The world must rise and respond to this crisis if we are to prevent more deaths. We cannot afford to lose one more Indigenous elder or child. It has been over a year since the start of the pandemic and every day the world’s leaders fail to halt the crisis in Indigenous communities brings us closer to losing the Amazon, and with it our collective future.
Thank you again for your solidarity and generosity!
Posted on March 8, 2021
Center for Disaster Philanthropy COVID-19 Response Fund: A Year in Review and a Look Forward
The global COVID-19 pandemic has affected us all, although not equally. As the United States mourns the deaths of more than 500,000 of its population due to the COVID-19 virus, we solemnly consider the past year of tragedy, loss and survival, while also looking forward with hope and a sense of community.
We saw many of our friends, neighbors, families and communities come together for each other. At Center for Disaster Philanthropy, we saw unparalleled generosity from our donors and vital life-saving work from our grantee partners. And yet, as the pandemic continues and the impact on lives and livelihood mount, there is much work to be done.
Early response to COVID-19
The CDP COVID-19 Response Fund has become the largest pooled fund CDP has ever managed at nearly $42 million. As a result of gifts from more than 8,000 donors, we have granted $21.8 million to 137 organizations in the U.S. and abroad through January 2021.
Since its founding, CDP has prioritized mid- to long-term recovery following disasters. Yet, we knew that providing organizations with the resources to educate, inform, provide for basic needs and prevent the spread of COVID-19 was critical in mitigating long-term recovery from the pandemic. So we made our first grants just as we began to see the pandemic’s effects on the world.
Now, our grantmaking moves to support recovery from the pandemic. But what does “global recovery” look like? What will be our focus as vaccines are approved and distributed?
Evolving impact of COVID-19 on communities worldwide
The economic impact of social distancing, social isolation and stay-at-home orders has far-reaching implications for working people, especially those with already limited resources and those who rely on a gig economy.
Job losses, the closing of businesses and limited access to basic needs and other resources continue to be critical challenges, even as communities reopen. Some are being forced to shut down again as outbreaks and virus mutations continue.
Refugee camps, homeless camps or shelters, informal urban settlements or any place with high occupancy in enclosed areas where social isolation protocols are near-impossible continue to experience devastating effects and are at greater risk for viral transmission.
Vaccines are now available, but getting those vaccines to enough of the population to control the virus will take time, particularly in locations most difficult to reach.
“This past year has been one of uncertainty and heartbreak. But we must be steadfast in our commitment to helping one another –sometimes simply being there for one another – even if being “there” is a bit different…We appreciate CREDO, its subscribers and the many donors who have contributed to the CDP COVID-19 Response Fund for putting their trust in us to do what we can to support a global recovery.”
Our approach
The CDP team examines who has the greatest needs, what the needs are and where needs are greatest.
In the U.S., it is clear that immigrants, refugees, communities of color and low-income communities are the most affected by the pandemic – as is the case in all disasters. We seek to fund organizations that advocate for these populations and those providing direct support for them.
We are committed to mobilizing our resources to create real, transformative change by listening, learning, understanding and investing in organizations led by Black, Indigenous and other leaders of color.
Supporting COVID-19 Recovery in 2021
The CDP COVID-19 Response Fund is now focusing on addressing the following issue areas worldwide:
- Mental health: Psycho-social support is a major priority as the pandemic, alongside multiple disasters affecting our communities, has caused layered trauma.
- Physical health: We will support communications about the virus and vaccines to combat disinformation and misinformation and equitable vaccine distribution so that even those populations most challenging to reach will have access.
- Economic impact: We will provide for basic needs as we continue to see economic uncertainty, food insecurity, homelessness and job loss.
- Health care systems: We will support health care systems to enable them to provide prevention and treatment for the virus.
- Most affected populations: We will support efforts that mobilize and amplify the voices of communities and populations most devastated by the pandemic to improve their access to resources.
Appreciation and hope
This past year has been one of uncertainty and heartbreak. But we must be steadfast in our commitment to helping one another – sometimes simply being there for one another – even if being “there” is a bit different.
We’ve seen this commitment in the creative ways teachers have managed remote learning, and friends and families have celebrated events together but apart.
We’ve seen this in the financial commitment from donors like Dolly Parton, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and others who helped ensure vaccines were developed quickly and will be shipped and shared universally.
We appreciate CREDO, its subscribers and the many donors who have contributed to the CDP COVID-19 Response Fund for putting their trust in us to do what we can to support a global recovery.
And, as we wait our turn for a vaccine, we will continue to support one another by remaining committed TOGETHER – masked up and from a distance of at least six feet apart.
Posted on March 4, 2021
Vote for Amazon Watch, Center for Disaster Philanthropy and UltraViolet this March
Every month, CREDO members vote to distribute our monthly donation to three incredible progressive causes – and every vote makes a difference. This March, you can support climate justice, disaster relief and women’s rights by voting to fund Amazon Watch, Center for Disaster Philanthropy and UltraViolet.
Amazon Watch
For 25 years, Amazon Watch has worked to protect the Amazon rainforest and advance Indigenous rights in solidarity with Indigenous and environmental organizations in campaigns for human rights, corporate accountability and climate justice.
With support from CREDO, Amazon Watch will step up its COVID-19 rapid-response for Indigenous peoples in the Amazon, elevate Indigenous women’s voices, and demand climate justice.
Center for Disaster Philanthropy
Center for Disaster Philanthropy is the only full-time national resource dedicated to maximizing disaster-related giving. CDP leverages the power of philanthropy to mobilize resources that strengthen communities’ ability to withstand disasters and recover from them equitably.
Full disaster recovery takes years, and many of those most affected don’t have the resources to rebuild. A donation from CREDO members will fund housing, health care, mental health support and other long-term community needs caused by a disaster.
UltraViolet
UltraViolet drives feminist cultural and political change. Through people power and strategic advocacy, UltraViolet works to improve the lives of women of all identities and backgrounds by disrupting patriarchy and creating a cost for sexism.
Funding from CREDO will allow UltraViolet to drive more feminist cultural and political change. It will enable the organization to ramp up its tactics to combat the spread of disinformation as well as racist and sexist attacks in the media and on social media platforms.
Your vote this month will determine how we divide our monthly donation among these three progressive groups. Be sure to cast your vote to support one, two or all three by March 31.
CREDO members who use our products and services everyday are the reason we are able to make these donations each month. Learn more about CREDO Mobile and CREDO Energy and join our movement.
Posted on March 4, 2021
How to quickly scan documents right from your mobile phone
Whether you’re applying for a new apartment or loan, or saving old recipes or receipts, at some point you’ve probably needed to scan a document or two.
But scanning can be tedious yet necessary — an analog task that somehow still exists in the digital age — and it can be especially difficult if you don’t own a scanner or all-in-one printer, or don’t want to shell out hundreds for a piece of equipment you may only use a few times.
We have a great solution for you found right in your pocket! Here’s a quick tip on how to scan documents from your phone without the need for a scanner or all-in-one printer.
Scanning documents from your iOS device
You can easily scan documents from your iPhone or iPad from right inside the Notes app. Here’s how to scan documents from your iOS device:
- Open the Notes app.
If you can’t find the Notes app, search for it by swiping down from the middle of the home screen (on older devices, you might need to swipe right). Tap the search bar, start typing “Notes,” then open the app. - Create a new Note
or open an existing Note. - Tap the Camera button
, then tap Scan Documents
- Hold your phone over the document or object you want to scan and follow the instructions on the screen (for example, your device may ask you to move closer or farther away).
- If Auto is enabled, your device should automatically scan. If not, manually press the shutter button
. Drag the corners to adjust the scanned area, and press Keep Scan. Then, scan a new document to add to the Note or press Save. - In order to use the document outside of the Notes app, you may want to send it to yourself or someone else. To do that, tap the More button
to bring up a list of commands, including Send a Copy.
Scanning documents from your Android device
Scanning documents and saving them as PDF files from your Android device is also equally as simple. Here’s how to do that from your Android phone or tablet:
- To begin scanning, open Google Drive
- Next, tap Add
in the bottom right corner of the app. - Then, tap Scan
- You can now adjust the scan area, take the photo again, or scan another page.
- Tap Done
when you’re finished. Your file will be saved in your Google Drive.
Posted on March 1, 2021
Our February grantees thank you for your support
Each month, CREDO members vote on how we distribute funding to three incredible nonprofits. Those small actions add up – with one click, you can help fund groups fighting for women’s rights, the environment and economic justice. In February, over 40,000 CREDO members voted to distribute our monthly donation to the National Women’s Law Center, Rainforest Action Network and Social Security Works.
These donations are made possible by CREDO customers and the revenue they generate by using our services. The distribution depends entirely on the votes of CREDO members like you. And for that, our February grant recipients thank you.
National Women’s Law Center
$38,738
“Thank you for your support of the National Women’s Law Center! Supporters like CREDO and its members, make it possible for the Law Center to help lead the fight for gender justice in such a critical time for women and their families.” – Fatima Goss Graves, President & CEO, National Women’s Law Center
To learn more, visit www.nwlc.org.
Rainforest Action Network
$52,035
“Thank you for supporting Rainforest Action Network (RAN)! CREDO members like you further RAN’s mission to protect people and the planet by addressing the root causes of climate change, deforestation, and exploitation within extractive industries.” – Ginger Cassady, Executive Director, Rainforest Action Network
To learn more, visit https://www.ran.org.
Social Security Works
$59,227
“10 years ago, when SSW was founded, it was a lonely time to be against Social Security cuts. CREDO members stood with us and stopped every deficit commission they threw at us, and we built a movement that will expand Social Security. Thank you!” – Alex Lawson, Executive Director, Social Security Works
To learn more, visit http://socialsecurityworks.org.
Now check out the three groups we are funding in March, and cast your vote to help distribute our donations.
CREDO members who use our products are the reason why we are able to make these donations each month. Learn more about CREDO Mobile, the carrier with a conscience.
Posted on February 23, 2021
How March For Our Lives used CREDO funding to turn out the youth vote in 2020
This month marks a sad and tragic milestone: The third anniversary of the mass shooting massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL when a gunman murdered 14 students and three staff members.
Out of this tragedy sprung the largest youth-led mobilization to protest against gun violence and the creation of March For Our Lives, which harnesses the power of young people across the country to fight for sensible gun violence prevention policies that save lives.
Last May, CREDO members donated $51,944 to MFOL which helped the organization drive record-breaking young voter turnout — and huge victories — across key battleground states. This funding from CREDO, which was powered by our customers who use our products every day, came at a critical time in MFOL’s infrastructure-building and growth phase and helped provide stability during a challenging year.
“Thank you for believing in our youth-led movement to save lives! CREDO members enable us to mobilize our 250+ chapters nationwide and ensure gun violence is front of mind for lawmakers and Americans from all walks of life until we end this epidemic.” – Alexis Confer, Executive Director, March for Our Lives
The donation in part helped the organization set out to catalyze a movement of young voters to turn out in record numbers — just like it did in 2018.
And it was a great success: Young people defied predictions and played a decisive role in the 2020 election. Specifically, young voters of color drove the results, and the young people of MFOL were at the forefront of national efforts to get out the vote.
As part of those efforts, MFOL launched Our Power 2020 last March, its campaign to drive record youth turnout and continue gun violence prevention advocacy through grassroots direct action. Our Power engaged all of MFOL chapters but was heavily focused on nine priority states: AZ, CO, FL, MI, TX, WI, GA, PA, NC. Here’s how they helped drive what was potentially the highest youth voter turnout in history:
- Over 780,000 text messages sent to young voters through our peer-to-peer program in the final 10 days.
- More than 800,000 calls made to young voters in the final 10 days.
- Engaged over 1,700 volunteers in a GOTV program.
- At least 2.8 million people reached in key states by MFOL’s digital ad program
- In August, MFOL released Our Power: Next Time which garnered over 1 million views organically within 48 hours of being released, and in the final GOTV stretch, they released The Power Of Our Vote driving viewers to make a plan to vote.
- MFOL also worked with its chapters, local artists, and national/local partners (including UWD, CJAF, Sunrise, Dream Defenders, NextGen, Voto Latino, LCV) for Our Power in the States to host digital rallies and on-the-ground art interventions in major cities in each of our 9 key states.
- March for Our Lives Florida worked for the last two years to get Precinct 538 at the University of Central Florida to a 100% turnout rate (yes, you read that right!).
- Built an infrastructure for 300 chapters to do organizing work on the ground in their communities on issues most important to them.
- Held countless zoom rallies, phone banks, and text banks.
As MFOL continues its gun violence prevention work in 2021, it looks to continue building on these successes to organize and advocate to move funding from police budgets to community-based violence intervention programs proven to reduce gun violence. The organization has also recently launched a process to further refine its gun violence prevention policy platform and identify where they can have the most lifesaving impact in the coming year.
We hope you’ll follow the incredible and inspiring work by the great leaders and activists at March For Our Lives in 2021. You can follow them on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, or sign up for text or email updates on their website.
Posted on February 19, 2021
Onward: RAN’s 10 Environmental Justice Demands for the Biden Administration
Our allies at the Rainforest Action Network are fighting to preserve forests, protect the climate and uphold human rights by challenging corporate power and systemic injustice. We hope you take a few minutes to read this story, then vote for the RAN to receive a share of our monthly donation this February.
This story was featured on the Rainforest Action Network blog, The Understory, on January 19, 2021 and was written by Ginger Cassady, RAN’s Executive Director.
Onward. That’s our mantra at this historic juncture — post impeachment, pre-new administration, mid-pandemic.
We need to move forward for racial justice, move forward to keep forests standing, and move forward to halt climate catastrophe.
Of course, we can’t simply forget the past four years. We have a *lot* of work in front of us to repair the damage of climate denialism, egregious corporate welfare and recklessness, and the intentional dismantling of voting rights, civil rights, and our faith in science and facts.
But now is the time to build for a just and sustainable future. Because even during the worst administration in modern history, we have still been able to make incredible progress — forcing PepsiCo, the biggest snackfood company, to clean their supply chains of deforestation and human rights abuse; pushing JPMorgan Chase to announce alignment with the Paris Climate Agreement; bringing insurance companies like AXIS and Chubb to announce policies restricting fossil fuel coverage.
The foundation of this movement forward must be built upon racial justice. Over the past seven years, the Black Lives Matter movement has uplifted the need for true progress; and in January, the Capitol invasion embodied the ugly culmination of four years of an openly racist president. We must now take this opportunity to begin the reparation process for our people and our planet.
RAN is proud to be a convening partner in a growing coalition of hundreds of organizations calling for immediate action on multiple fronts to move us forward. We need to act aggressively and urgently to launch such a large-scale transition in a just and equitable way. We need to limit global warming to below 1.5°C and we need to ensure that working families and frontline, fenceline and Indigenous communities are leading the decision making and implementation of these solutions.
This will require effort from all of us. But it will also require leadership that we have not seen up until now.
TEN ACTIONS THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION & CONGRESS MUST TAKE:
- Declare a national climate emergency under the National Emergencies Act.
- Keep forests standing and keep fossil fuels in the ground: Take regulatory actions to shift financial flows from fossil fuels and commodities driving deforestation to climate solutions.
- Stop fossil fuel exports and infrastructure approvals: Thank you for banning KXL. Now please do the same for the Line 3 and DAPL pipelines within your first 100 days in office.
- Pass the BREATHE Act: Re-invest in the safety of our communities. Defund budgets for police forces that have consistently demonstrated that they are fundamentally designed to sustain white privilege at the expense of Black, Brown, and other marginalized communities. This means re-investing in schools, job programs, affordable housing, health, and human resources, and environmental justice. These are the services that keep communities safe.
- Make polluters pay: Investigate and prosecute fossil fuel polluters for the damages they have caused and end all fossil fuel subsidies. Make fossil fuel companies reimburse the government for the COVID funding they received. Commit to veto all legislation that grants legal immunity for polluters, undermines existing environmental laws, or advance false solutions.
- Advance climate justice: Direct federal agencies to assess and mitigate environmental harms to disproportionately impacted Indigenous Peoples, People and Communities of Color, and low-wealth communities.
- Protect our right to protest: we are calling for a national recommitment to protect the fundamental first amendment right of people in every state to peacefully protest injustice without the fear of being maced, beaten, bitten, shot, or thrown into a van by unmarked, unidentifiable government agents.
- Ensure the transition to a clean economy is just: to protect our communities, workers, and economy.
- Power the electricity sector with 100% clean and renewable energy: by 2030 and promote energy democracy.
- Strengthen the Clean Air Act: to set a science-based national pollution cap for greenhouse pollutants. Then, use all Clean Air Act programs to drive emissions towards zero economy-wide.
While there is hope and opportunity in this moment, there is also plenty of work to do — and that will include exercising the basic and vital right to protest and dissent. We are also calling for a national recommitment to protect the fundamental right of people in every U.S. state to peacefully protest injustice without the fear of being maced, beaten, bitten, shot, or thrown into a van by unmarked, unidentifiable government agents.
At Rainforest Action Network, we know a lot about protests and peaceful civil disobedience. That is one of the great levers of positive social change in this country.
We will continue to fight for people and planet. We will continue to join together with committed activists and frontline communities across the globe against systemic injustice. We hope you will join us by voting to increase our CREDO grant now.
