[Chicago] Fwd: Your Help Needed Now to Protect the Great Lakes

[Jo Marie]

>Subject: Your Help Is Needed Right Now! to Protect the Great Lakes
>From: admin at ilcpj.org
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>Help keep lead out of the Great Lakes! More than 1400 people have 
>signed our online petitions to stop the U.S. Coast Guard from 
>shooting lead bullets into the lakes. If you haven't signed yet, 
>please sign right now at  http://www.CitizensForLakeSafety.org/petition.html
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>Ask your friends to sign, too.
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>Your help is needed right now. The Coast Guard held public hearings 
>where people could say what they thought of their plan to establish 
>live-fire target practice ranges in the Great Lakes. Ninety-five 
>percent of the people who commented were against the Coast Guard's 
>plan, but unless we let our government know how strongly we oppose 
>the Coast Guard's plan, it will probably be put into effect. You 
>received this email because you have been active before in promoting 
>worthwhile causes. We need your help once again.
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>Citizens For Lake Safety has an appointment at U.S. Senator Dick 
>Durbin's office in a few days and will be presenting the petitions. 
>The more signatures we have on the petitions, the more persuasive we will be.
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>The Great Lakes contain 95 percent of the surface fresh water in the 
>U.S., and 20 percent of the world's fresh surface water. Nearly 42 
>million people live near the lakes, and most of them get their 
>drinking water from the lakes. Scientists agree that it is not safe 
>to have any level of lead in the water. They know that lead causes 
>brain damage, birth defects, and death. They know that the lead in 
>the bullets will dissolve into the lake water. We cannot let our 
>water be poisoned. You can find more information at 
>http://www.CitizensForLakeSafety.org
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>There are three more ways you can help right now:
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>1) Write letters to the editors of magazines and newspapers. Tell 
>them you don't want live-fire target practice on the Great Lakes. A 
>lot of publications have already reported on this story, but they 
>need to know that people are still concerned.
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>2) Write, call, and email your mayor, state representatives, 
>congressmen, senators, and governor. Tell them you want them to show 
>leadership in protecting an irreplaceable natural resource, the Great Lakes.
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>3) Contact environmental organizations and tell them to work harder 
>on this issue. Some of the biggest environmental groups haven't done 
>much yet to stop the Coast Guard from turning the Great Lakes into 
>the world's largest freshwater firing range. These groups should be 
>doing more. They need to hear from you.
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>The Coast Guard does not need to pollute the water, endanger 
>boaters, or despoil an international natural treasure by using it as 
>a firing range. They could use simulators and enclosed ranges like 
>other branches of the military do. We can have safe shores and clean 
>water, if you help.
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>Thank you,
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>Citizens For Lake Safety