TAKE ACTION: Say NO to Vilsack

Stop Vilsack's Confirmation as Secretary of Agriculture

Despite a massive public outcry, including more than 20,000 emails from the Organic Consumers Association, President-Elect Obama has chosen former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack to be the next Secretary of Agriculture.

While Vilsack has promoted respectable policies with respect to restraining livestock monopolies, his overall record is one of aiding and abetting Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) or factory farms and promoting genetically engineered crops and animal cloning. Equally troubling is Vilsack's support for unsustainable industrial ethanol production, which has already caused global corn and grain prices to skyrocket, literally taking food off the table for a billion people in the developing world.

The Organic Consumers Association is calling on all concerned citizens to join a call to action and block Vilsack's confirmation as the next Secretary of Agriculture. Please help us reach the goal of 100,000 petition signatures against Vilsack' nomination. Sign today! Your email will be sent to your Senators and the President-Elect's office. To sign the petition click here.

To listen to a National Public Radio (NPR) show featuring author Michael Pollen on the appointment of Tom Vilsack as the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture click here.

Action Alert – San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant

The nuclear industry is at it again! In these tough economic times, the industry is requesting millions of dollars from California electricity customers in order to fund a license renewal study for the San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant (officially known as the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station) twelve years BEFORE the study is needed.

Send a postcard to the Governor and the Public Utilities Commission saying "NO" to spending any money on outdated and non-sustainable energy production.

Here's a sample text that you can use:

Dear ___________,

I am joining thousands of Californians who are saying "No" to the premature license renewal feasibility study for the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. We are looking to you for leadership in developing safe, sustainable, clean and renewable energy for California like solar, wind, and conservation initiatives.

Sincerely,

__________________

Mail your postcards to:

Public Utilities Commision

505 Van Ness Ave.

San Francisco, CA 94102

and

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

State Capitol Building

Sacramento, CA 95184

Nutty Muffin Recipe

Hey, it’s the first day of December! Brrrrr . . . we may not have snow, but it is a bit on the foggy side this morning. Wouldn’t it be nice to wake up to some warm, sweet smelling, ever-so-good-tasting, Nutty Muffins? We think so, and we’re happy to give you the recipe that we use in the Co-op Deli to make these muffiny wonders. Enjoy!

Nutty Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

4 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup walnuts, chopped

1 cup pecans, chopped

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 cups maple or agave syrup

¾ cup apple juice

½ cup sunflower oil

1 tablespoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix all of the dry ingredients together except for the nuts. Mix all of the wet ingredients together. Combine dry and wet ingredients and mix well, then fold in nuts. Line a muffin pan with muffin cups and fill with batter. Bake for approximately 24 minutes, rotating muffin pan halfway through. Use a toothpick to check if muffins are done.