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We're taking action together to build a better world. You can help make it happen.

As an intern with the Student PIRGS you can make a difference and learn valuable skills. Find out more and apply online: http://studentpirgs.org/internships

You could: register and turnout out thousands of students to vote in November; work to increase financial aid funding and make college more affordable; join a team of students volunteering at a food shelter; or hold events on campus to make sure students don’t forget about the oil spill and to prevent another one from happening. You’ll also learn more about the issues and skills like how to work with the media, organize events, and influence decision makers.

Apply today!

Good news! The deadline to enter this innovative contest has been extended until September 6th.

The CoolClimate Art Contest is designed to collect the brightest and most creative visions about our relationship with the Earth. What is your vision of the Earth's future? What will happen if we do nothing to stop events like oil spills, deforestation, and global warming? What are the solutions that will make a clean energy future possible?

The contest is open to a wide array of submissions, but the images have to be static (no motion graphics or video, sorry!) and they have to be your own. You can do photo manipulations as long as you own the rights to the photo you are manipulating. We're excited to be cosponsoring this contest along with a ton of great environmental groups and we can't wait to see the artwork you submit!

Check out the contest at www.coolclimate.deviantart.com.

Reposted from Ed Mierzwinski on US PIRG's Consumer Blog

Don't say yes to overdraft "protection" -- it's now the law that banks need your consent for OD on new accounts

- Ed Mierzwinski

As of today, August 1, banks will need a new customer's opt-in (must affirmatively agree or say yes) before imposing so-called overdraft protection on debit and ATM card transactions. Effective August 15, banks will need a current customer's consent to continue imposing the so-called benefit that hurts you and enriches the bank. Don't say yes. Ignore the entreaties, pleas, exhortations, solicitations, supplications and, especially, ignore the opt-in forms from your bank or credit union. Overdraft "protection" doesn't protect you, it costs you, $35 a pop. Worried about the social stigma of having your card declined at the coffee bar? Start carrying $5-10 bucks in your wallet again.

I will admit, it is somewhat fascinating, if scary, to see some of the sales pitches prepared by the PR flacks and behavioral economists at the bank  -- after all, they need to sell it now, because they need to convince you that it makes sense to opt-in to a product that allows the bank to overdraw your account at a coffee shop so that you can pay $39 for a latte-- $4 for the coffee and $35 for the "protection." Bob Sullivan of the Red Tape Chronicles has more.

The Federal Reserve rules represent one of its few ventures into consumer protection but are no reason to consider the Fed a robust consumer protection agency. These new rules are essentially a do-over from a series of ill-advised, bank-friendly regulatory decisions by the Fed over the last ten years that distorted reality as they re-defined the definition of a loan to allow overdraft protection without APR (interest rate) disclosures) or concomitant consumer protections. At the same time, its fellow regulator, the obscure but powerful Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), aided and abetted abusive overdraft practices by national banks, according to a report by our colleagues at the Center for Responsible Lending. Fortunately, we will soon have a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to enforce the rules.

In 2009, I testified in favor of even stronger remedial legislation that still has not been considered in committee. We also joined comprehensive comments on the proposed rule.

Some large banks, such as Bank of America, are dropping the "protection"  schemes, but we are watching closely to see what their next fee-gouging practice will be. Meanwhile, Chase and others are aggressively attempting to confuse consumers into saying yes or opting-in.

Despite all my caveats, the new rules -- because they require a pro-consumer opt-in -- are welcome and will save many customers billions of dollars. Now, we need legislation to protect everyone who does opt-in, by capping the number of overdrafts allowed and adding more consumer rights. We also need strict enforcement of the rules, particularly as to whether bank efforts to sell the product to consumers are unfair and deceptive. That's why we need the CFPB.

Note: Consumers who don't opt-in won't face OD fees at the ATM or debit card point of sale, but could still face bounced checks or OD fees on certain recurring electronic transactions.

The Gulf oil disaster is just the latest example of the consequences of our dependence on fossil fuels but the impacts of global warming loom even larger as a threat to sustaining life on Earth.  It’s time for a change and there’s no time to waste.

That's why we're partnering with CoolClimate Art Contest to call on artists worldwide to participate in the first online art contest exploring climate change in its many forms – how it is impacting our lives and what can be done to ensure a sustainable future for all of Earth’s inhabitants.

Artist brief: submit a work of art that explores our relationship with the climate – from clean energy jobs to pollution-free oceans – the subject choice is yours. You can submit a piece you’ve already made, or pass this email along and get an artist friend involved. Post your art on www.coolclimate.deviantart.com and you will be eligible to win prizes, be featured on the Planet Green Planet100 show and be displayed at key leader events nationwide on 10/10/10.

A panel of esteemed judges will select 20 finalists from hundreds of submissions. The finalists will then move to Huffington Post for public voting utilizing the Huffington Post’s innovative online social voting tool.

Submissions are now open and will close on August 23, 2010.  You can read the Official Contest Rules on the CoolClimate Group Page.

Historically the creative community has always helped to create new and expanded visions of possibility during difficult times and we look forward to the artist’s vision for a cool and sustainable future.

On July 15, the U.S. Senate passed the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act by a count of 60 to 39.

The bill reins in Wall Street and protects consumers, investors, and taxpayers from further financial meltdowns. The centerpiece of the reform legislation is the establishment of the new, independent the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to protect consumers of financial products, including private student loans. 

See what the reform will mean for you.

On May 13, U.S. PIRG released “Risking Our Future Middle Class: Young Americans Need Financial Reform” to point out the damage the financial crisis has inflicted on students and young adults.

Also check out this short video reflecting on the passage of financial reform legislation, including: an interview with U.S. PIRG Consumer Program Director Ed Mierzwinski, a rally in DC organized by Americans for Financial Reform, and DC office Director Gary Kalman speaking at a press conference in the Capitol with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

 

 

According to BP, the new well cap shows promise in stopping the flow of oil into the gulf. Unfortunately, millions of gallons of oil have already leaked into the Gulf of Mexico, and the environment will continue to be damaged for years to come.

To show your support, please consider joining our Facebook Cause (http://www.causes.com/causes/500349) and signing our petition to President Obama.

Help us stop more spills and prevent corporations like BP from further damaging the environment today!

More on the current state of the spill:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/17/us/...

After nearly two years of anticipation, the federal textbook price disclosure law we passed in 2008 officially goes into effect today.  This law is a tremendous step forward in our fight for textbook affordability, because it empowers both students and professors to save money on textbooks.

Here's a quick summary of what this law means:

First, publishers are now required to give professors detailed information about textbook prices and revision histories, including the dates of the last 3 editions and a list of alternate formats.  Publishers often withheld this information, hoping professors would choose more expensive books.  Getting these details on the table will make it easier to identify and select lower-cost options.

Second, publishers are required to sell the components of bundled textbooks separately, so students have the option to buy their books without unnecessary CDs, workbooks and online pass-codes.

Third, colleges need to list the required textbooks for each course in the catalog students use to register.  That way, students know what they're getting into, and they have more time to shop around.

The law will save money for some students right away - the new information will help some professors choose less expensive books, and savvy students will have more time to track down the best deals.  Over time, the law will have even greater benefits on textbook costs.  Increased transparency will build economic pressure on publishers, which will pave the way for competition and eventually force them to offer more affordable options. 

For more information about the new federal textbooks law, click here.

Congress is on the verge of cutting $5 billion from the Pell grant financial aid program. This would make college more expensive for close to nine million students next year.

We can't afford this cut, especially when states are cutting college budgets, causing tuition and fees to skyrocket.

You might remember that back in March, Congress made big increases to federal grant aid. However, that new aid is for future years and doesn't impact current students.

We can't let this happen.

Please tell your Congressman to stop the cuts to Pell grants!

The National Rifle Association just strong-armed a magnum-sized loophole into the DISCLOSE Act, a bill that would require corporations to disclose their contributions to political campaigns.

The loophole would allow the NRA to funnel corporate money into campaign contributions without saying where it came from.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court ruled 5 to 4 that corporations are legally "persons," and thus have a right to spend freely to influence elections. This opened the floodgates, allowing corporations to use their riches to protect their interests at the expense of ours.

Congress can’t undo the Court’s decision, but they can make sure we know where corporate contributions are going.

We cannot excuse the NRA, its corporate backers, or any group from the new law.

Sign our petition to Congress: Tell them to shoot down the NRA loophole!

This afternoon the Senate vote to block a bailout of the oil industry. 

The Murkowski resolution, a.k.a the Dirty Air Act, a.k.a the Big Oil Bailout would have dismantled the Clean Air Act and barred the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gas pollution.

This would have been a giant step backward in our efforts to support clean energy and work for global warming solutions.

In February, student leaders with the Student PIRGs went to D.C. to work stop the Murkowski Amendment.

It's time for national action to cut our oil dependence, and move to a clean energy economy that prioritizes energy efficiency and clean, renewable energy. We need to hold polluters accountable for their actions. From oil spills to greenhouse gas emissions, enough is enough.

Read the New York Times story: Thursday Is High Noon for Sen. Murkowski's Climate Resolution

Read the New York Times editorial: Where's the Senate on This One?