Los Angeles Bioneers – get involved and active on the fracking issue here in LA

See Notes at Bottom
Please join Barbara Bosson, Anneke Campbell and Sara Nichols for the Tuesday, October 30, 2012, gathering of Los Angeles Bioneers, people dedicated to re-imagining the future of our planet. Bioneers are biological pioneers who are working with nature to heal nature and ourselves.

Our guest speaker this month is Andrew Behar, CEO of “As You Sow,” will give a presentation of the exciting work of this ground-breaking non-profit, with a special emphasis on their “No Fracking Way” initiative. Hydrolic fracturing is already happening in California and is sited to occur in Culver City soon, and the more we know about it, the better we will be able to fight it. As You Sow seeks to protect children, families, and communities from the toxic byproducts and carbon pollution caused by burning fossil fuels for energy, and to ensure that the cleantech industry is not only clean, but green.

Founded in 1992, As You Sow promotes environmental and social corporate responsibility through shareholder advocacy, coalition building, and innovative legal strategies. Their efforts create large-scale systemic change by establishing sustainable and equitable corporate practices.

As You Sow was founded on the belief that many environmental and human rights issues can be resolved by increased corporate responsibility. As investor representatives, they communicate directly with corporate executives to collaboratively develop and implement business models that reduce risk, benefit brand reputation, and protect long term shareholder value while simultaneously bringing about positive change for the environment and human rights.

They build coalitions with shareholder allies including socially responsible investors (SRIs), pension funds, labor groups, foundations, and faith-based investor communities. Through proactive dialogue, these coalitions educate and encourage companies to reform policies and practices with negative environmental and social impacts. If dialogue alone is insufficient they file shareholder resolutions and reach out to institutional investors, media outlets, and proxy analysts to raise awareness and advocate for change.

As You Sow has led or actively participated in hundreds of shareholder dialogues and resolutions. The many companies whose policies and practices have been impacted by our work include: Chevron, ExxonMobil, Duke Energy, FirstEnergy, General Electric, McDonald‘s, Safeway, Whole Foods, Yum! Brands, Apple, Dell, HP, Best Buy, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Nestlé Waters, Starbucks, Target, Gap, Home Depot, Walt Disney, and DuPont.