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Press Release Issued by the Amazon Alliance
For Immediate
Release: December 10, 2001
Contact: David Rothschild, Amazon Alliance
202.785.3334
Peruvian Government
Commits to Expel Illegal Loggers Who Pose Threat to
Uncontacted Indigenous Tribes in the Amazon
Lima, Peru--The Peruvian Government
announced on Friday that it will begin
to forcibly remove
illegal loggers from rainforests inhabited by three
uncontacted indigenous tribes in the Amazonian department of
Madre de Dios.
On December 7 and 8, the Government
broadcasted warnings on local TV and
radio stations
urging illegal loggers in the provinces of Tahuamanu and
Tambopata to immediately leave the area of the uncontacted
peoples or face
expulsion.
An estimated 3,000 to 6,000 loggers have illegally invaded
the area and are
threatening the lives of the vulnerable
nomadic tribes known as the
Mascho-Piro, Amahuaca, and
Nahua. Violent confrontations with loggers have
increased dramatically in the last three
months. Five Indians were
reportedly killed
last week from gunshot wounds. Contact with the tribes is
also increasing the risk of deadly epidemics that have
devastated other
isolated Amazonian tribes.
“While we are encouraged by the
Government’s commitment to remove illegal
loggers from
the area, we are concerned that the Government urgently needs
additional resources to effectively expel intruders and to
permanently guard
the territories of the uncontacted
peoples,” said Betsy Marsh of the Amazon
Alliance, a
coalition of Amazonian indigenous and traditional peoples and
environmental and human rights organizations based in
Washington, D.C.
The isolated
tribes reside in the largest remaining stands of mahogany in
Peru. Most illegal loggers who have invaded the uncontacted
tribal lands
reportedly extract mahogany for three large
timber companies, including the
U.S. based Newman
Lumber.
Unlike the large timber
companies, local small scale logging associations
are
respectful of the uncontacted tribes. Over the weekend, the region’s
indigenous organization, the Native Federation of the Madre
de Dios River
and Tributaries (FENAMAD) met with local
small scale logging associations in
order to strengthen
a historic accord whereby these associations agreed to
respect the territories of the isolated indigenous groups.
The agreement
also commits the small timber producers to
develop sustainable forest
management plans for more
responsible extraction outside the uncontacted
tribes’
lands.
The Ministers of
Agriculture and Interior have publicly supported this
agreement but approval of regulations necessary to grant
concessions to the
small scale logging associations is
being stalled.
FENAMAD has
fought vigorously to protect the uncontacted peoples since 1996.
As a result of their efforts, the Government designated a
temporary area to
protect the isolated tribes. On
October 3, the Ministry of Agriculture
ordered the
agency to begin delineating the area in order to establish a
permanent territorial reserve in favor of the uncontacted
peoples.
However, the process is
advancing slowly and each day illegal loggers move
farther into the tribes’ lands in an apparent effort to
extract as much
mahogany as possible before the
permanent reserve is established and before
the
Government secures the area.
Meanwhile, large scale logging companies in Peru are
lobbying fiercely in
Lima to pass a new forest law that
would favor industrial logging
concessions in a nearly 5
million acre area recently declared as a forest
production zone and which borders the lands of the
uncontacted tribes. The
legislation as
proposed favors large scale logging interests over the
small-scale timber producers.
*******************************************************************
Distribuido
por: Distributed by:
'AMAZON ALLIANCE' FOR INDIGENOUS AND
TRADITIONAL PEOPLES OF THE AMAZON BASIN
1367 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20036-1860
tel
(202)785-3334
fax (202)785-3335
amazon@amazonalliance.org
http://www.amazonalliance.org
Disclaimer: All copyrights belong to
original publisher. The Amazon Alliance
has not verified
the accuracy of the forwarded message. Forwarding this
message does not necessarily connote agreement with the
positions stated
there-in.
Todos los derechos de autor pertenecen al autor originario.
La Alianza
Amazonica no ha verificado la veracidad de
este mensaje. Enviar este
mensaje no
necesariamente significa que la Alianza Amazonica este de acuerdo
con el contenido.
La Alianza Amazonica para los Pueblos Indigenas y
Tradicionales de la Cuenca
Amazonica es una iniciativa
nacida de la alianza entre los pueblos indigenas
y
tradicionales de la Amazonia y grupos e individuos que comparten sus
preocupaciones por el futuro de la Amazonia y sus pueblos.
Hay mas de
ochenta organizaciones del norte y del sur
activas en la Alianza Amazonica.
La Alianza Amazonica
trabaja para defender los derechos, territorios, y el
medio ambiente de los pueblos indigenas y tradicionales de
la Cuenca
Amazonica.
The Amazon Alliance for Indigenous and Traditional Peoples
of the Amazon
Basin is an initiative born out of the
partnership between indigenous and
traditional peoples
of the Amazon and groups and individuals who share their
concerns for the future of the Amazon and its peoples. There
are over eighty
non-governmental organizations from the
North and South active in the
Alliance. The Amazon
Alliance works to defend the rights, territories, and
environment of indigenous and
traditional peoples of the Amazon Basin.
========================================
NRDC's EARTH ACTION:
The Bulletin
for Environmental Activists
December 10, 2001
========================================
In This Issue:
--Special Holiday Ideas and Links--
1. The Great Green Gift-Giving Guide
2. Books Fit for Nature Lovers
3. Ten Ways to Have a Cool Holiday
and more!
--Updates on Previous alerts--
1. Tongass Forest Land Transfer
2. Arctic Refuge/Energy Legislation
===============================
Special Holiday Ideas and Links
===============================
Just in time for the holiday rush, NRDC has compiled a trio
of online
guides to help your season shine a bit
greener:
1. The Great Green
Gift-Giving Guide
http://www.nrdc.org/cities/living/ggift.asp
We asked NRDC staff members to tell
us the best
environmentally-friendly gift they've ever
given or received. From
National Park passes to
battery-free flashlights to bird-feeder
wreaths, we're
passing along their ideas, along with links to help
save
you time and gas mileage.
2.
Books Fit for Nature Lovers
http://www.nrdc.org/joinGive/shop/books.asp
From light-hearted to lyrical, from
provocative to poetic, our picks
for kids, cooks,
curious naturalists, history buffs, policy geeks,
etc.
3. Ten Ways to Have a Cool
Holiday
http://www.nrdc.org/globalWarming/gtopten.asp
Bet you didn't know you could enjoy
the holiday season and fight
global warming at the same
time. Shop, decorate, travel, give, and
even receive
smarter, and the earth will reap the benefits.
========================================
And one more great green gift idea, for anyone on your list
(or
yourself, for that matter): an NRDC membership.
https://www.nrdc.org/joinGive/join/basic.asp
For as little as $10 ($15 for a gift
membership), you'll receive a
handy tote bag, a
screensaver featuring stunning images of the wild
places
you're helping defend, and a year's subscription to "Nature's
Voice," NRDC's photo-filled campaign bulletin. Plus you'll
be
supporting the nation's most effective environmental
advocacy
organization in its work to protect wilderness
and wildlife and ensure
a safe and healthy environment
for everyone. So join now!
To
become an NRDC member:
https://www.nrdc.org/joinGive/join/basic.asp
To give an NRDC gift membership:
https://www.nrdc.org/joinGive/join/ggift.asp
==========================
Updates on Previous alerts
==========================
1. TONGASS FOREST LAND TRANSFER
In
our last alert we asked you to urge Senator Murray (D-WA), co-chair
of the Transportation Appropriations Conference Committee,
to delete
from the final transportation funding bill
language that would give
away 1,500 acres of the Tongass
National Forest to a private
organization. While
Congress did indeed approve the transfer of this
pristine area, setting a dangerous precedent of giving away
wild land
that should be protected, pressure from
activists like you forced
Congress to at least modify
the original language to restrict the use
of the land to
non-profit purposes that would benefit the public.
Thanks to all of you who took action that clearly helped
minimize the
final bill's damage.
2. ARCTIC REFUGE/ENERGY LEGISLATION
During the past several months, we've asked you to take
action a
number of times urging your senators and
representatives to pass
responsible energy legislation
that promotes energy conservation and
fuel- and
energy-efficiency and rejects proposals to drill for oil and
gas in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Recently, Sen.
Murkowski
(R-AK) and some other senators have tried
repeatedly to attach the
House energy bill, which would
allow drilling in the refuge,
to any legislation that is
moving on the Senate floor. The Senate has
so far
defeated these attempts, but whether or not Sen. Murkowski will
continue his quest during the final days of congressional
activity
before the holiday recess is unclear.
Meanwhile, on December 5th,
Senate Majority Leader
Daschle (D-SD) introduced an energy bill that
emphasizes
energy efficiency and renewable energy (and would not allow
Arctic drilling). Sen. Daschle's bill is scheduled to be
considered
and debated by the Senate in early 2002.
THANK YOU to the thousands of you
who have kept the pressure on your
representatives and
senators during this protracted battle to protect
one of
America's most treasured wild places. While the House bill was
a disappointing setback, the Senate leadership's
determination to pass
a responsible energy bill is
encouraging. The major battle, however,
still looms
ahead. So while we all catch a holiday breather, expect to
hear from us early (and often) in 2002, asking for your
continued
assistance as we fight to protect the Arctic
Refuge and work to enact
legislation that will both
reduce our dependence on oil *and* protect
our
environment.
========================================
As always, many, many thanks for
being part of NRDC's Earth Activist
Network. Your
activism plays a critical role in helping us achieve our
goals (go to https://www.nrdc.org/action/results.asp to read
about
just some of the successes you helped win this
year). We'll be back in
January, asking for your
continued action in the important
environmental battles
that await us in 2002. In the meantime, all of
us at
NRDC wish you and yours a happy, safe and peaceful holiday
season.
==================================================
About Our Bulletins/How to Subscribe & Unsubscribe
==================================================
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==========
About NRDC
==========
The Natural Resources Defense Council is a nonprofit
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organization with over 500,000 members
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Also visit:
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A project of the Natural
Resources Defense Council
http://www.savebiogems.org
===========
To: All trade and environmental activists
From: Jason Tockman, American Lands Alliance
Date: December 10, 2001
--Please circulate widely--
=========================================
THE FAST TRACK VOTE
1. How House
members voted.
2. Implications / what comes next?
3. WSJ article: How the final 215-214 vote occurred.
=========================================
1. HOW HOUSE MEMBERS VOTED -- For
the most part, the Democrats voted no
on the Thomas Fast
Track Bill, and the Republicans voted for the
measure.
Here are the exceptions:
Democrats who voted for Fast Track (21): Bentsen (TX),
Carson (OK),
Davis (CA), Davis (FL), Dicks (WA), Dooley
(CA), Etheridge (NC), Hall
(TX), Hill (IN), Hinojosa
(TX), Jefferson (LA), John (LA), Lucas (KY),
Matheson
(UT), Moore (KS), Moran (VA), Ortiz (TX), Skelton (MO), Snyder
(AR), Stenholm (TX), Tanner (TN).
Republicans who voted against Fast
Track (23) : Aderholt (AL), Bartlett
(MD), Capito (WV),
Coble (NC), Duncan (TN), Foley (FL), Gilman (NY),
Graham
(SC), Hoekstra (MI), Jones (NC), LaTourette (OH), LoBiondo (NJ),
McHugh (NY), Norwood (GA), Paul (TX), Putnam (FL), Regula
(OH), Rogers
(KY), Simmons (CT), Smith (NJ), Taylor
(NC), Walsh (NY), Weldon (PA).
=========================================
2. IMPLICATIONS / WHAT COMES NEXT?
-- While House passage of Fast Track
is a small setback
for the U.S. movement to reform international trade
policies, this is by no means a disaster. It is very
substantial that
the bill passed by only a single vote
(a vote that had to be choked out
of South Carolina
Republican Jim DeMint, who switched his entry of a
"no"
vote to "yes" when Republican leaders pledged to protect the
textile industry in DeMint's district).
The fact that House Republicans
resorted to aggressive
arm-twisting, extending the vote
for more than 20 minutes when time had
elapsed, and
embracing protectionist measures in last-moment deals to
ensure the vote's passage demonstrates that the
Congressional impasse
over the detrimental impact of
trade agreements on workers and the
environment has not
been resolved. Even with their bully tactics, and
"we
must do this for our President in a time of war" rhetoric,
Republican leaders squeaked Fast Track through with a
215-214 vote.
Last Thursday
clearly showed that the Congress is far from reaching
consensus on international trade policy, and drew the lines
for future
legislative fights. As the Wall Street
Journal reported, "In winning
Thursday's battle, the
pro-trade forces may have lost the larger war.
Trade has
traditionally been a bipartisan issue, moved by moderates in
both parties... By forcing through a bill tailored narrowly
to
Republicans, the Bush administration may have
alienated pro-trade
Democrats who will be needed the
next time a trade deal comes up for
approval."
The momentum that has been built
still stands, both at the grassroots
level and within
Congress, as we have effectively advanced the
substantive debate over the merit of NAFTA-styled trade
deals.
The bill next goes to the
Senate, where Senate Finance Committee
Chairman Max
Baucus (D-MT) plans to move it quickly out of committee.
Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SC) has said that the bill
will not be
brought before the full Senate until
sometime next year. Although the
Senate has been a more
friendly venue for economic globalization
legislation,
Fast Track will likely run into turbulence there.
Democratic Policy Committee Chairman Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and
Senate
Appropriations Chairman Robert Byrd (D-WV) have
already begun to express
reservations with the Thomas
Bill, as passed by the House.
Now, we must take several steps:
A) COMMEND THOSE WHO VOTED WITH US (against Fast Track),
particularly
the 23 Republicans who bucked their party
and the "free-trade" New
Democrats. They should receive
frequent praise for their difficult
decision, in the
form of letters, phone calls, office visits, and
letters
to the editor. It is important that they are heaped with
gratitude in the next few weeks and months. If your member
voted right,
please thank them by calling 888-832-4246
(Chamber of Commerce's toll
free number).
B) SCOLD THOSE WHO VOTED AGAINST US
(for Fast Track), particularly the
21 Democrats and any
Republicans with industries such as steel that
stand to
lose under the terms of Fast Track. They should hear loudly and
often that their vote was a big mistake, and that this will
be held
against them. Our response to these members
should be vocal and public.
If your member voted wrong,
please express your disappointment by
calling
888-832-4246 (Chamber of Commerce's toll free number).
C) SHIFT TO THE SENATE. We must
begin to contact our members of the U.S.
Senate to
express our opposition to the bill passed by the House. Please
contact your senators and share your opposition to Fast
Track, as it
would undermine environmental and labor
standards through the
perpetuation of the failed NAFTA
model of trade. Call 888-832-4246
(Chamber of Commerce's
toll free number) and be sure to speak to the
senator's
trade aide.
=========================================
3. HOW THE FINAL 215-214 VOTE
OCCURRED -- The following article provides
an exciting
synopsis of how the vote went down:
The Wall Street Journal
December 7,
2001
HOUSE NARROWLY PASSES TRADE
BILL GIVING FAST-TRACK AUTHORITY TO BUSH
By Helene
Cooper, David Rogers, and Jim Vandehei
The U.S. House, in a historic but rancorous party-line
tally, approved
by a single vote fast-track authority
for President Bush to negotiate
trade deals.
Only 21 Democrats joined 194
Republicans to give the GOP leadership the
215-214 tally
needed for passage, a cliffhanger that left some
combatants on both sides of the aisle extremely emotional.
With a flurry
of last-minute horse-trading, GOP leaders
locked up the votes of most
Republicans, peeling away
traditionally antitrade GOP lawmakers who had
never
before voted for a free-trade agreement.
House votes customarily run 15 minutes; this one took 38.
With five
minutes to go, the vote stood at 215 against,
and 210 for the measure.
Toward the end, Democrats
started chanting "Regular Order!" in a bid for
Republicans to close the vote.
Running on fumes, GOP leaders went to, of all places, the
heavily
protectionist textile states for their last
needed votes. Over the
furious objections of the
fast-track bill's sponsor, Rep. William Thomas
(R.,
Calif.) -- who flashed a red vote card to signal his opposition --
House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois, Majority Leader
Richard Armey
of Texas, and Whip Tom DeLay of Texas
signed a letter promising South
Carolina Republican Jim
DeMint additional protection for textile dyeing
and
finishing companies. Mr. DeMint then switched his "no" vote to
"yes."
Next,
three Republican fence-sitters voted "yes," and the vote was tied.
Finally, a visibly shaken North Carolina Rep. Robin Hayes,
who had
publicly announced his opposition but withheld
his vote until the last
minute, punched yes. At 4:38,
about 10 seconds after they received the
215-214
majority, Illinois Republican Ray LaHood pounded the gavel
closing the vote.
In addition to special protection for textiles, Bush
officials promised
lawmakers special deals on everything
from oranges to protein milk
concentrate in order to get
the vote. They also used national security,
in a
strategy that largely failed with Democrats, but worked with
Republicans.
"I don't like fast track and I don't like free trade," said
Duncan
Hunter, a California Republican. "But I like less
the idea of weakening
my president [during wartime]. So,
for that reason, and that reason
only, I'm voting, just
this once, in favor of fast track."
The bill now goes to the Senate, where passage is expected.
But Senate
Majority Leader Thomas Daschle of South
Dakota has said he won't bring
it up this year. The vote
is expected to go to the floor of the Senate
next year,
although Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D.,
Mont.) said he would move it out of committee as early as
next week.
President Bush, in a
statement after the vote, said getting fast-track
authority will "help us pursue and complete trade
agreements, including
the global trade negotiations
launched last month in Doha, Qatar. By
promoting open
trade, we expand export markets and create high-paying
jobs for Americans, while providing opportunities for other
nations as a
result of free trade." Fast track allows
the president to negotiate
trade deals that Congress can
approve or reject but not amend.
In winning Thursday's battle, the pro-trade forces may have
lost the
larger war. Trade has traditionally been a
bipartisan issue, moved by
moderates in both parties.
Many conservatives are economic nationalists
who dislike
the idea of ceding congressional authority in order to
strike trade deals. Liberal Democrats, for their part, fear
trade deals
could lead to erosion of American jobs.
By forcing through a bill tailored
narrowly to Republicans, the Bush
administration may
have alienated pro-trade Democrats who will be needed
the next time a trade deal comes up for approval.
"This is a travesty," said
Democratic Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon,
who voted
against the measure. "This is a terrible way to create trade
policy. It's shameful and unnecessary."
Lori Wallach, director of Ralph
Nader's Global Trade Watch and a
free-trade foe, said:
"This one-vote totally partisan steamrolling
vaporizes
what was left of the bipartisan U.S. trade consensus, making
future agreements a major food fight."
Going into the final vote Thursday,
all sides knew the margin would be
extremely close. Even
as lawmakers were adopting the rule setting the
terms
for debate, Speaker Dennis Hastert, an Illinois Republican, called
a meeting with the GOP leadership and White House aides, off
the floor
of the House, as to whether to proceed. The
decision was made to go
ahead, but he joked it was
something like being 4 foot 2, and plunging
into a
4-foot snow bank. "You wear a very tall red hat," he said.
The case of New York Republican Jim
Walsh illustrated the pressure
brought by the
administration. Mr. Hastert met with the New Yorker
Wednesday night and leading up to Thursday's vote, Mr. Walsh
got phone
calls from Gov. George Pataki, President Bush
and Vice President Dick
Cheney. "Grand slam," he said.
But he voted no. Mr. Walsh, a member of
the House
Appropriations Committee, said that too much authority has
already been given to the White House in recent years at the
expense of
Congress. "I am not going to be party to
ceding more power to the
executive branch," he said.
Late Wednesday night, the
Republicans lost their last chance to pass the
vote with
any kind of meaningful Democratic support. A group of
"high-tech" pro-trade Democrats rejected Ways and Means
Chairman
Thomas's package of $30 billion to help people
who have lost their jobs
because of the recession or the
Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in exchange
for their votes.
Fast track proponents had been
pressuring the high-tech Democrats -- the
so-called New
Democrats who depend largely on campaign support from
high-tech companies that have made fast track a top
legislative
priority. The National Republican
Congressional Committee has been
sending out e-mails to
political action committees asking, "Will the New
Democrats deliver on Thursday?"
On Wednesday night, the Democrats -- including Adam Smith
and Jay Inslee
of Washington state; Anna Eshoo, Jane
Harman and Ellen Tauscher of
California; and Dennis
Moore of Kansas -- wrote a letter to Speaker
Hastert,
saying the worker-assistance offer wasn't enough. In addition,
they said they wanted a vote on the stimulus package before
a fast-track vote.
Republican
leaders met with the Democrats again Thursday before the
vote. President Bush pledged to sign a letter
endorsing the
worker-assistance offer made by Mr.
Thomas. "They did not come through,"
Ms. Eshoo said,
before casting her no vote. Added Ms. Tauscher: "I have
a perfect free-trade record, but the promises we have been
receiving for
the past 14 weeks are hollow."
But Republicans, by and large, fell
into place behind the GOP bill. Even
fiercely
protectionist Republicans who had never before voted in favor
of a trade-liberalizing deal Thursday voted yes. President
Bush signed
off on a plan to provide additional
protections to the textile industry,
which was promised
in a letter from Commerce Secretary Donald Evans to
textile-state lawmakers. He also agreed to special
protections for
citrus, which garnered him needed votes
from Republicans in Florida.
--
Shailagh Murray contributed to this article.
---------------------------------------------
Jason Tockman, Director
International Trade Program
American
Lands Alliance
PO Box 555
Athens, OH 45701
(740)
594-5441
The great American grasslands have a special place in
American History. When Lewis and Clark crossed the Great
Plains, it was one of the world's largest grasslands.
The prairies once spread from Indiana to the Rocky
Mountains,
from southern Canada to northern Mexico, and
occupied more
land than any other ecosystem in North
America.
However it is shocking
to learn that in the 200 years since
Lewis & Clark's
historic journey, more than 90% of our native
prairies
have been lost. Scattered over 12 states are just
twenty
small patches of federally owned prairie. Even within
the National Grasslands, our prairies have been breached by
mining, road-building, and oil and gas drilling.
Isn't this majestic prairie worth
protecting for the
enjoyment and education of future
generations?
Click here to save the American grasslands,
It's Free:
http://www.care2.com/go/redirect/2/2824
The U.S. Forest Service has opened
its doors to public
comments. They are deciding whether
or not to protect our
National Grasslands from oil rigs
and off-road vehicles.
Take a
minute to submit your FREE public comments and tell
the
Forest Service to give our children a world where the
buffalo can still roam and the deer and the antelope still
play.
Click here to save important prairie land animal habitat,
It's Free:
http://www.care2.com/go/redirect/2/2824
Sincerely,
The Care2 Team
-----------------------------------------------------------
TO HELP MORE:
ENSURE ANTIBIOTIC
EFFECTIVENESS!
Recent threats of bioterrorism have
highlighted how important
it is that we safeguard the
effectiveness of America's
antibiotics supply to fight
all kinds of bacterial infections.
But it turns out that
Bayer Corporation is putting our public
health at risk.
Bayer - the maker of Cipro - is
refusing to comply with a
ban proposed by the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) on
the use of Bayer's
antibiotic, Baytril(R), in treating chickens
and
turkeys.
Click here, It's Free! http://www.care2.com/go/redirect/2/2825
FDA recommended a ban on Baytril(R)
after their scientists found
that using Baytril(R) in
chicken farming contributes to the
development of
stronger, antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria
that
affect humans.
Because of such
antibiotic overuse and misuse, infectious bacterial
diseases are emerging that we may not be able to cure
because
antibiotics won't work.
Tell Bayer to stop playing "chicken"
with our health.
Click here, It's Free! http://www.care2.com/go/redirect/2/2825
*****************************
* WILD
ALERT
* Tuesday, December 11, 2001
*****************************
Dear WildAlert Subscriber,
Last Monday, after one of the strangest debates in recent
memory, the
Senate voted 94-1 to kill an amendment that
would have opened the
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to
oil drilling. The amendment would
have been
added to the totally unrelated Railroad Retirement Security
bill. By the end of the day, even Sen. Frank
Murkowski (R-AK), who
introduced the amendment, was
urging his fellow Senators to vote
against it, after
realizing that his strategy had backfired.
YOUR HELP MADE THE DIFFERENCE
Your e-mails, calls, and faxes over the past year were a
*very*
important part of this victory. THANK
YOU. Many people have asked us
if their calls
and letters have any impact. This vote shows that your
voice is heard and does make a difference.
Although this round is over, it
remains unclear what will happen next.
What
*is* clear is that our champions in the Senate did an outstanding
job, and many Senators made articulate and passionate
statements on
the floor of the Senate against Arctic
Refuge drilling, including
Senators Daschle (SD), Dorgan
(ND), Dayton (MN), Cantwell (WA), Reid
(NV), Lieberman
(CT), Wellstone (MN), Kerry (MA), Boxer (CA),
Feingold (WI), and Cleland (GA).
NEW ENERGY LEGISLATION INTRODUCED IN SENATE
Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Daschle has introduced his
version
of energy legislation, and plans to begin debate
soon after the Senate
returns from its holiday recess
(around January 22).
While we are still analyzing the bill, S. 1766, for its
wilderness
impacts and the extent to which it moves the
nation toward greater
energy efficiency, it clearly does
*not* contain language opening the
Arctic to oil
drilling, and it omits the damaging provisions of H.R.
4, the energy bill passed by the House of Representatives
earlier this
year.
Sen. Daschle's legislation
represents a balanced approach and
underscores our need
as a nation to reduce our dependence on oil,
while
recognizing that energy security can be achieved in concert with
policies to protect our precious public lands.
There are portions of the bill --
like fuel economy standards for
vehicles -- that are
critical to our energy future, but are not yet
written. Strong provisions in these areas will be
vital to a
responsible energy policy.
IT'S NOT OVER
We fully expect Senator Murkowski to try and add Arctic
Refuge
drilling (perhaps the whole of H.R. 4) as an
amendment to Sen.
Daschle's energy bill, and that vote
will be vitally important. We'll
be asking
you again to help protect the Arctic -- stay tuned.
***************************************************************
For a full list of Action Items, visit
http://www.wilderness.org/whatcan/takeaction.htm
***************************************************************
An archive of past Wildalerts can be found at
http://www.wilderness.org/wildalert/wildalerts.htm
***************************************************************
To make a gift online to The Wilderness Society, click
here
https://secure-net.com/tws/join.asp
***************************************************************
WildAlert is an email action alert system brought to you
by The
Wilderness Society to keep you apprised of
threats to our wildlands --
in the field and in
Washington. WildAlert messages include updates
along with clear, concise actions you can take to protect
America's
last wild places. You are welcome
to forward Wildalerts to all those
interested in saving
America's wildlands.
FEEDBACK:
If you need to get in contact with the owner of the list,
(if you have trouble unsubscribing, or have questions about
the list
itself) send email to <action@tws.org>.
TO SUBSCRIBE: If you have been
forwarded this message and would like
to subscribe to
the list, visit
http://www.wilderness.org/forms/subscribe.htm
The BC Community Forestry Forum: Exploring Policy and
Practice
March 14-16, 2002 - Delta Ocean Pointe Resort,
Victoria, BC, Canada
Over the
past decade, interest in community forestry has grown rapidly
in British Columbia. Part of this interest stems from the
creation in
1998 of the province's Community Forest
Pilot Project, which is designed
to increase the direct
participation of communities and First Nations in
the
management of local forests. To date, 10 new community forests have
been created under the new community forest tenure created
by the Pilot
Project. In addition, there are numerous
other community forests in the
province, created under a
variety of older forest tenures.
The benefits of community forestry have been widely
recognized by
governments and communities - allowing
local citizens greater control
over decisions that
affect local forests, creating greater opportunities
for
employment, training, and economic development, and fostering local
stewardship of resources (to mention only a few). Community
forestry
offers many challenges as well, such as gaining
access to forest
resources, the need to develop local
capacity to assume management
responsibilities, securing
financing for forestry activities, and
working with the
community to ensure meaningful participation.
The BC Community Forestry Forum is designed to explore the
practice of
community forestry and the policies required
to support it. While the
primary focus of the
Forum will be on British Columbia, an xamination
of community forestry policies and practices from across
Canada and
other countries will be
included. The Forum will provide an opportunity
to address conceptual and policy questions as well as to
examine
practical aspects of community forestry.
The Forum will bring together
diverse groups and individuals with an
interest in
community forestry, including community forestry
ractitioners, First Nations, community economic development
specialists,
community leaders, representatives from
relevant provincial and federal
agencies, policy-makers,
conservationists, consultants, researchers, and
students.
Workshop topics will address a variety of topics, such as:
a.. Opportunities
and Challenges for Community Forestry in BC
b.. Policy Options for Community Forestry
c.. First Nations & Community Forestry
d.. Community Forestry Case Studies (from BC and
Beyond)
e.. Community Forestry &
Ecological Sustainability
f.. Networking,
Collaboration & Advocacy
g.. Practical
Steps to Developing a Community Forest
h..
Involving the "Community" in Community Forestry
i.. Community Forestry Research & Extension
The BC Community Forestry Forum is a unique partnership
of four
organizations: the University of Victoria, the
Southern Interior Forest
Extension and Research
Partnership (SIFERP), the Canadian Forest
Service, and
the British Columbia Ministry of Forests.
For more information, contact:
The BC Community Forestry Forum
PO
Box 3060
Victoria, BC, Canada V8W 3R4
Phone: (250) 472-5106
Fax: (250)
472-5060
Email: info@cf-forum.org
Web: www.cf-forum.org
DENlines
Defend Environment Network
(DEN)
Wednesday, December 12, 2001
1. ISLAND
EVACUATION: Global warming forces entire country to flee
2. DOLPHIN DEADLY: Court ruling undercuts dolphin-safe tuna
3. ON THIN ICE: New report chronicles shoddy oil safety
record in Alaska
4. STOP ANOTHER SLAUGHTER: Government
targets Yellowstone buffalo again
5. OPERATION
MIGRATION: Whooping cranes complete experimental journey
6. MAKING THE GRADE: We're one of America's Top 100
charities
7. YEAR-END CHECKLIST – Eighteen days and
counting!
____________________________________________________________________
1. ISLAND EVACUATION: Global
warming forces entire country to flee
The debate over global warming isn't merely academic for the
11,000
citizens of the Pacific island country of Tuvalu
halfway between Hawaii
and Australia. Rising seas from
the melting of glaciers are forcing
them to abandon
their homeland. During the 20th century, the ocean
rose
by up to a foot at Tuvalu, causing saltwater to contaminate its
drinking water and erode its coast. Higher temperatures are
also
generating more tropical cyclones. The country is
bitterly critical
of the United States for abandoning
the Kyoto agreement to combat
climate change. A Tuvaluan
government official told the BBC: "By
refusing to ratify
the protocol, the U.S. has effectively denied
future
generations of Tuvaluans their fundamental freedom to live
where our ancestors have lived for thousands of years."
2. DOLPHIN
DEADLY: Court ruling undercuts dolphin-safe tuna
Defenders of Wildlife is vowing to appeal a judge's decision
undermining one of the most significant environmental
protections
of the 1990s -- the dolphin-safe tuna
program created by the U.S.
government. Under the ruling
from the Court of International Trade,
foreign-caught
tuna need not be verified as dolphin-safe when it
comes
into the United States. In addition, the Bush administration
can lawfully ignore the "depleted" status of three dolphin
populations
harmed by tuna fishing, and it has no
obligation to abide by the
congressional mandate to
reduce the deaths of dolphins. In the
eastern tropical
Pacific Ocean, fishermen intentionally net dolphins
to
catch tuna swimming underneath. That practice has killed 7 million
dolphins since the 1950s.
"We will absolutely appeal this flawed decision to the U.S.
Court of
Appeals and to the U.S. Supreme Court if
necessary," said William
Snape, Defenders' vice
president for law and litigation. To read his
statement,
go to http://www.defenders.org/releases/pr2001/pr1210a01.html
and go to http://www.Savedolphins.org to send a free e-mail to
President Bush to demand that tuna sold in the
United States remain
truly dolphin-safe.
3. ON THIN
ICE: New report chronicles shoddy oil safety record in Alaska
A new report by the state of Alaska
concluded that safety valves at
drilling pads on
Alaska's North Slope are failing at rates higher than
those considered acceptable even by the oil industry. Chuck
Hamel, a
former oilman who represents a group of BP
workers, told the Wall Street
Journal: "The industry is
isolated and virtually unregulated up there."
And Big
Oil's latest maneuver to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge flopped in the Senate, losing on a 94-1
vote on a procedural
question involving whether to
attach national energy policy onto a
railroad retirement
bill. The House already has passed legislation that
allows drilling. An up-or-down vote could come by late
January in the
Senate, where the outcome is too close to
call.
Senate Majority Leader Tom
Daschle has introduced legislation emphasizing
efficiency over drilling. "Instead of throwing the doors to
the Arctic
refuge wide open to Big Oil, Senator
Daschle's approach says it's not
worth it to pillage one
of our last, best wild places for maybe six months'
worth of oil that we wouldn't begin to see for a decade,"
Defenders of
Wildlife President Rodger Schlickeisen
said.
How big is Big Oil's
footprint in the Arctic? Click here to see the
DENlines
cartoon by Bruce Plante:
http://www.defenders.org/newsroom/images/arcticed.jpg
WHAT YOU CAN DO: To urge
your senators to preserve America's greatest
wildlife
sanctuary, go to http://www.Savearcticrefuge.org
Help spread the word by forwarding this edition of DENlines
to friends
and stay current on the latest developments
by visiting our Web site
daily.
4. STOP
ANOTHER SLAUGHTER: Government killing Yellowstone buffalo again
Yellowstone National Park is home to
our last wild, free-roaming herd
of buffalo. But the
state of Montana has killed about 3,000 of these
bison
in the past decade on public land outside Yellowstone, and fears
are mounting that this winter will bring another slaughter.
State agents
have just shot and killed the first bison
of the season -- a majestic
bull that left the park in
search of food -- and they are trapping
more buffalo and
shipping them to slaughter. A harsh winter could send
hundreds of buffalo from Yellowstone's high plateau to the
milder
lower-elevation pastures that have become
government killing fields.
Montana claims buffalo might infect cattle with the disease
brucellosis.
But there are no cattle grazing on the
public land just outside
Yellowstone in the winter, and
even if there were, there's never been a
single
documented case of wild buffalo infecting cattle with brucellosis.
"These bison are a precious reminder of America's heritage.
They deserve
to be protected, not shot or trapped and
shipped to slaughter," said
Caroline Kennedy, director
of special projects for Defenders of Wildlife.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: Go to http://www.denaction.org (Alert 125) to send a
free e-mail to Montana Gov. Judy Martz urging her to stop
the killing
of Yellowstone's buffalo.
5. OPERATION
MIGRATION: Whooping cranes complete experimental journey
With an ultralight aircraft showing
them the way, a flock of six
whooping cranes landed at a
Florida wildlife refuge to finish a
1,200-mile journey
that may help save the endangered birds. The
cranes left
Wisconsin's Necedah National Wildlife Refuge on Oct. 17
and followed the ultralight -- a motorized hang-glider whose
pilot
wore a white bird costume. Their arrival at
Chassahowitzka National
Wildlife Refuge was a milestone
in establishing a second population
of migratory
whoopers in the Lower 48 states. There were only 21
whooping cranes left in the world in 1941. Today there are
slightly
more than 400, but almost half of those live in
one wild flock that
migrates between Canada's Northwest
Territories and the Texas Gulf
Coast. A second migrating
flock will help ensure the species' survival.
The experiment was conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, a
Wisconsin state agency and several private
groups, including Defenders
of Wildlife. Laurie
MacDonald, one of our Florida representatives, was
there
when the birds landed. To read her first-person account, go to
http://www.defenders.org/newsroom/whoopingcranes.html
For more information, go to http://www.bringbackthecranes.org
6. MAKING
THE GRADE: We're one of America's Top 100 charities
Defenders of Wildlife has been rated one of the Top 100
charities in
America by Worth magazine. "When ranchers
wanted to wipe out the
wolves and grizzlies threatening
their herds, this group started
trusts to pay full price
for any lost livestock," the magazine wrote
in praise of
Defenders. "Few claims were ever made, and the animals
were spared. That's Defenders: an ingenious blend
of education,
policy analysis, advocacy, and litigation
to protect wild animals
and their habitats."
To read more about our achievement, go to
http://www.defenders.org/results/top10.html
7. YEAR-END
CHECKLIST – Eighteen days and counting!
* With these uncertain times and the significant tax law
changes
going into effect Jan. 1, many are updating or
preparing their wills.
Without the legal instructions of
a will, the government could
decide how your assets and
property will be distributed and even who
will care for
children and your pets. As a public service Defenders
has created a special web site, http://www.makeawill.org
that can
provide you helpful information.
* Making vacation plans for
2002? Visit Yellowstone National Park
during
prime wolf-watching season accompanied by Dr. Jim Halfpenny.
Jim is an outstanding naturalist and expert tracker who's
worked in
the Yellowstone region for over 20 years. The
tour is set for April
6-11th and is limited to 15
participants. Contact
trackdoctor@tracknature.com or
call 406-848-9458 for the exciting
details.
* Certificate of Deposit coming due?
Defenders of Wildlife supporters
can enjoy special rates
through our relationship with MBNA Bank.
Go to http://www.mbna.com/goldportfolio/rates/defenders .
* Thank you to all those DEN readers
who've already made a year-end
gift to the 2002 DEN
Annual Fund Drive! If you haven't already
sent your check, please do so today.
Go to http://www.defenders.org/den/annualfund to make a
contribution
online or call 1-800-385-9712. You can also
mail your check. For a
contribution of $25 or
more, you'll also receive our popular T-shirt
featuring
a wolf image by acclaimed photographer Jim Brandenburg.
* Our "Harry Potter" owls are flying
off to kids of all ages through
our popular "Adopt a
snowy owl" program. For your adoption contribution,
the
person will receive a plush snowy owl toy, our Defenders magazine
and the satisfaction of knowing you're helping keep this
beautiful
bird out of harm's way. Go to http://www.saveowls.org
for more
information.
FOR THE HOLIDAYS: Show you care by recommending that family
and
friends sign up for free DENlines updates about
saving wildlife and
wild lands for future generations.
__________________________________________________________________
To SUBSCRIBE to DENlines, visit
Defenders' website at:
http://www.defenders.org/den or send an e-mail to
DEN@defenders.org and put the word SUBSCRIBE in the
subject line, and your name and address in the text
area.
__________________________________________________________________
DENlines is a biweekly publication of Defenders of
Wildlife, a
leading national conservation organization
recognized as one of
the nation's most progressive
advocates for wildlife and its
habitat and known for its
effective leadership on saving
endangered species such
as brown bears and gray wolves. Defenders
advocates new
approaches to wildlife conservation that protect
species
before they become endangered. Founded in 1947, Defenders
is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization with more than 480,000
members and supporters.
Defenders
of Wildlife
1101
14th Street, NW, Suite 1400
Washington,
DC 20005
http://www.defenders.org
http://www.kidsplanet.org
Copyright
(c) 2001 by Defenders of Wildlife
TO: ACLU Action Network Members
FR:
Jared Feuer, Internet Organizer
DT: December 12, 2001
Without observing the legally
mandated period of public review and comment, Attorney General Ashcroft has
implemented a new eavesdropping regulation that gives the government, without
judicial oversight or meaningful standards, the unprecedented power to listen in
on conversations between prison inmates and their attorneys.
The new regulation renders the
age-old tradition of attorney-client privilege worthless and essentially guts
the right to counsel guaranteed by the Constitution. Furthermore, the
new regulation is unnecessary since the Department of Justice already has the
legal authority to record attorney-client conversations by
going before a judge and obtaining a warrant.
Take Action! The Bureau
of Prisons is compiling public comments through December 31 and a huge public
outcry could force Ashcroft to rescind the regulation. Now is the
last time to speak out! You can read more and send an email to the
Bureau of Prisons from our action alert at:
http://www.aclu.org/action/attorney107.html
December 12, 2001
Dear friend,
In a move that could be a disaster for overall US security,
the Bush administration may announce its withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic
Missile (ABM) Treaty tomorrow. It would be the first time in history the United
States has unilaterally withdrawn from a major international arms control
agreement.
Please go to the UCS
action website at www.ucsaction.org to contact your Senators
TODAY and tell them to urge President Bush not to take this unnecessary and
potentially dangerous step. Also ask your Senators to support any efforts to
deny funding for Pentagon activities that would violate the ABM Treaty.
The website will enable you to send
a well-informed fax or email directly to your Senator's
office.
Environmental Defense Action Network News
December 2001
***************************
Action Network from Environmental Defense.
finding the ways that work.
***************************
CONTENTS:
1. ACTION NETWORK AT WORK!
- Arctic Drilling Delayed...
For Now; New Report on
Antibiotic Resistance Details
Health Risks; Protecting
"America's Galapagos"
2. TAKE ACTION NOW - Fight Air
Pollution from Snowmobiles
3. ECO-TIP - Use Rechargeable
Batteries
4. FEATURE - How to Buy Green Electricity
ACTION NETWORK AT WORK! SUCCESS
STORIES AND UPDATES
**Paul
Newman and Environmental Defense Action Network
Help
Derail Arctic Drilling... For Now!**
Last week, Paul
Newman asked you to call on Washington
to reject special
interests trying to open the Arctic
Refuge to oil
drilling. After nearly 20,000 of you
took action, the
Senate heeded your call voting 94-1
against including
Arctic Drilling in unrelated railroad
retirement
legislation. Your messages to the Senate
helped derail
this effort, at least temporarily, as
drilling
supporters in Congress vow to continue their
push to
open the Arctic Refuge to oil companies. You
still have
time to act!
Follow
Paul Newman's Lead and Take Action on Arctic
Drilling!
Click here:
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/newman_arctic/wk8bxn2f78x66x
If you have already joined Paul
Newman in taking action,
tell your friends about it by
clicking here:
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/newman_arctic/forward/wk8bxn2f78x66x
**Activists Urge Bayer to Help
Fight Antibiotic Resistance:
New Report From
Environmental Defense Details Health
Risks**
So far, nearly 6,000 activists have sent messages to
Bayer CEO Helge Wehmeier asking the company to comply
with FDA recommendations to stop over-using precious
antibiotics on our nation's poultry farms. The effectiveness
of these drugs to fight bacteria and disease is
declining
as antibiotics are overused.
Its not too late to take action!
Click here:
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/antibiotics_envdef/wk8bxn2r78xbin
Or read our report online at:
http://actionnetwork.org/ct/d71-AS11uuFN/ABRreport
**Protecting "America's Galapagos:"
Environmental Defense
Members Weigh-in Online and at
Public Hearings!**
Since earlier this year, over 6,500
activists around
the country have taken action online
urging officials
to protect the Channel Islands, off the
California
coast, by establishing a network of marine
reserves.
Last week, more than 80 activists joined with
leaders
of conservation organizations representing
nearly a
million members, to speak out at a public
hearing in
Southern California in a show of strong
public support
for protecting this Channel
Islands.
The push
continues! Send your message to California
Governor Gray
Davis supporting efforts to protect the
Channel Islands.
If you have already acted on this
issue, weigh in again,
this time with the Governor!
Click here:
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/mpa2/wk8bxn2o78x636
TAKE ACTION NOW!
**Fight Air Pollution from
Snowmobiles and Other Off-road
Vehicles**
Each year, off-road vehicles, including snowmobiles,
ATVs, dirt bikes and tractors, emit nearly 5 million
tons of carbon monoxide, 340,000 tons of nitrogen oxides,
and 8 thousand tons of particulate matter. Yet these
sources go virtually unregulated. Take action to clean
up this air pollution source. Click here:
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/EPAoffroad/wk8bxn2o78x6xw
ECO-TIP - Use Rechargeable
Batteries
It's best to buy
reusable alkaline batteries for common
sizes AAA through
D. They can be recharged over and
over, 25 times or
more, saving money and resources.
And they're not made
with toxic cadmium like old-style
nickel cadmium (NiCd)
rechargeable batteries. Visit
Get Green at http://actionnetwork.org/ct/c11-AS11uuFw/getgreen,
a new site from Environmental Defense to find more
tips that will help you save the world AND save money
at the same time.
FEATURE - How to Buy Green Electricity
Buying clean electricity is a simple
and effective
way for people to make an immediate
environmental difference
and help build a sustainable
future. Where can you
buy green electricity? What are
the benefits of green
electricity? Find out by clicking
here:
http://actionnetwork.org/ct/dd1-AS11uuFM/green_power
VISIT YOUR ACTIVIST WORKSPACE
Update your mailing address or email address, take
action on alerts, check out your Representatives, and
more. Just visit your Action Network activist workspace.
Click here:
http://actionnetwork.org/pvtm/index.tcl?nkey=wk8bxn4178x6dd
TELL A FRIEND
Help spread the word about Arctic Drilling, Air Pollution
from Snowmobiles, and Environmental Defense Action
Network! Invite your friends and family to take action
online. Click here:
http://actionnetwork.org/ct/ep1-AS11uuF./tellafriend
GIVE TO ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE
Your online gift to Environmental Defense will help
us continue fighting issues such as Arctic Drilling
and Air Pollution. Give your gift today. Click here:
http://actionnetwork.org/ct/cd1-AS11uuFs/donate
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL
DEFENSE
Visit our website at http://actionnetwork.org/ct/d11-AS11uuFA/environmentaldefense
DEN Alert: Support Cleaner Air on Public Lands
Noise and noxious fumes from
snowmobiles, dirt bikes and all-terrain
vehicles are
marring the beauty of our national parks and other
public lands. But the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
is
caving to pressure from the off-road vehicle industry
and proposing
new standards that would do little or
nothing to reduce air or
noise pollution from these
machines. We need your help to clean up
our national
parks and other public lands.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Please send a FREE e-mail urging the EPA to strengthen air
and
noise standards for dirt bikes, snowmobiles and
all-terrain vehicles.
The EPA is accepting comments
until DECEMBER 19, so please send
your e-mail TODAY.
Thanks for supporting cleaner, quieter and safer
public
lands.
INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND
VIA THE WEB:
If you have access
to the web, simply click on the link below which
will
take you to the DEN Action Center web site:
http://www.denaction.org
If you don't have access to the
Internet, please mail your comments
to: The Honorable
Christine Todd Whitman, c/o Margaret Borushko,
U.S. EPA,
National Vehicle and Fuels Emission Laboratory, 2000
Traverwood, Ann Arbor, MI 48105 or via e-mail at:
NRANPRM@epa.gov
Be sure and refer to Docket A-2000-01 at
the top of your letter or
e-mail.
SAMPLE
LETTER:
RE: "Docket A-2000-01."
Dear Administrator Whitman:
I am writing to express my concerns
with the EPA's proposed
standards for air pollution from
snowmobiles, dirt bikes and other
all-terrain vehicles.
The EPA has taken a step in the right
direction by
proposing to reduce pollution from these machines –
a
step that's long overdue. However, the proposal falls far short
because:
1)
It fails to encourage a rapid transition from dirty
two-stroke to cleaner, more fuel-efficient four-stroke
engines,
especially in snowmobiles.
2) It fails to address noise
pollution from machines that are
as loud as a busy
street.
3) It does not include a
labeling system that would give consumers
user-friendly
information about emissions to help them make more
informed choices between machines.
These standards can be much
stronger. Thank you for considering my
comments.
Sincerely,
====================================================================
To subscribe, visit Defenders' website at http://www.defenders.org/den
or
send an e-mail to denlines@defenders.org and put the word SUBSCRIBE
in the subject line.
====================================================================
Defenders of Wildlife is a leading national conservation
organization
recognized as one of the nation's most
progressive advocates for
wildlife and its habitat and
known for its effective leadership on
saving endangered
species such as brown bears and gray wolves, Defenders
advocates new approaches to wildlife conservation that
protect species
before they become endangered. Founded
in 1947, Defenders is a nonprofit
501(c)(3)organization
with more than 420,000 members and supporters.
Defenders
of Wildlife
1101
14th Street, NW, Suite 1400
Washington,
DC 20005
http://www.defenders.org
http://www.kidsplanet.org
Invitation to Endorse the NPLGC Grazing Permit Buyout
Proposal
The National Public
Lands Grazing Campaign is seeking endorsements from
organizations for their legislative proposal to authorize
and fund
voluntary federal grazing permit
buyout. Permit buyout is a fiscally
prudent,
politically expedient, socially compassionate and
environmentally beneficial way to end grazing on
inappropriate federal
public lands. American Lands is a
member of the NPLG Steering Committee
and endorses the
buyout proposal.
You are invited
to visit the NPLGC temporary website at
www.publiclandsranching.org to learn more about the
proposal. Please
contact Mark Salvo at
mark@americanlands.org if you would like to add
your
organization's endorsement to the list.
Federal Grazing Permit Reform
Proposal
Domestic livestock
grazing is the most pervasive and destructive use of
western federal public lands. Cattle, sheep, horses and
goats graze
lands managed by the Bureau of Land
Management, Forest Service, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife
Service, and the National Park Service. Scientific
studies conclude livestock grazing threatens native species,
reduces
water quality, spreads noxious weeds, alters
natural fire regimes, and
accelerates soil erosion,
damaging both riparian and upland ecosystems.
The federal grazing program operates at a loss, costing
taxpayers at
least $500,000,000 annually. This figure
includes direct program costs
and millions of dollars
spent on emergency feed, drought and flood
relief, and
predator control to support or mitigate damage from public
lands grazing.
Some ranchers have already voluntarily relinquished their
grazing
permits to the government in exchange for
compensation from third
parties, and we believe many
more would sell their permit interest to
the government
and retire the associated allotments from grazing.
To promote recovery of native ecosystems and save taxpayer
funds, we
support legislative reform to allow retirement
of federal grazing
permits voluntarily relinquished by
public land grazing permittees and
leasees to the
federal government in exchange for $175 per animal unit
month.
American Lands Alliance
California
Wilderness Coalition
Center for Biological Diversity
Clearwater Biodiversity Project
Committee for Idaho’s High Desert
Endangered Species Coalition
Forest
Guardians
Forest Service Employees for Environmental
Ethics
Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands
The Larch Company
National Forest
Protection Alliance
Native Forest Network
Northwest Ecosystem Alliance
Oregon
Natural Desert Association
Predator Defense Institute
Prescott Forest Friends
Sinapu
Sublette Riders Association
Western Watersheds Project
Wild Utah
Project
The Wildlands Project
***Please note new e-mail address***
Mark Salvo
Legislative Counsel
National Public
Lands Grazing Campaign
c/o
American Lands Alliance
408 SW Second Avenue, Suite 412
Portland, Oregon 97204
Fx.
503/978-1757
503/978-1054
mark@americanlands.org
Dear Members of Global Response's "Quick Response Network:"
Global Response letter campaigns
have helped persuade many corporations to
withdraw from
Burma during the years of the brutal military dictatorship.
Right now is a crucial moment to put pressure on the oil
company Amerada
Hess. Please take just a few
minutes to make a toll-free phone call or send
a
letter/fax (see sample letter below). Thanks to Global Exchange for
circulating the following alert:
* * * * PLEASE FORWARD TO FRIENDS
& NETWORKS * * * *
* * * * CALL FOR HUMAN RIGHTS & ENVIRONMENT! * * *
Pls take 5 MINUTES
To make a FREE CALL
TO STAND UP for
HUMANS RIGHTS & the ENVIRONMENT
TELL AMERADA HESS
the Oil Company to Clean UP ITS MESS!
GET OUT OF BURMA
NOW!
SEE
BELOW FOR
I. WHY
II. FREE
AMERADA HESS TEL # & Talking Points
III. SAMPLE
LETTER YOU CAN FAX
WHY:
AMERADA HESS & DICTATORSHIP
*Amerada Hess, a U.S. oil company with gas stations
throughout the
Eastern U.S. owns 25% of Premier a
British oil company.
*Hess is
deciding whether to stay or divest from Premier
*Now is a CRITICAL TIME TO CALL HESS & tell THEM TO
CLEAN UP THEIR MESS &
DIVEST!
(please read below for why Now)
*Premier is the largest British company invested in Burma, a
Southeast Asian
country currently ruled by a brutal
military dictatorship.
*Premier's pipeline in BUrma is one of the single largest
sources of cash
for the military junta.
*Entire villages have been relocated
at gunpoint, women have been raped and
children killed
by Burmese military units providing security for the gas
pipeline; whole families have been forced into slave labor
to construct
infrastructure used by foreign oil
companies like Premier
*Premier's pipeline cuts directly through the Tenasserim
rainforest, one of
the largest intact forests in
Southeast Asia, home to numerous endangered
species
including Asian elephants and rhinos.
*Premier has no public face in England and so it is far more
difficult for
the British public to pressure them.
but
*Hess owns 25% of Premier
*Hess has gas stations where U.S. consumers shop, or not. .
.
*Hess is deciding whether to
stay or divest from Premier
*Now
is a CRITICAL TIME TO CALL HESS & tell THEM TO CLEAN UP THEIR MESS &
DIVEST!
more
information on why now is so critical
AMERADA HESS,
PREMIER OIL AND DICTATORSHIP
Premier Oil, a British company, has a major gas pipeline
operation in
Burma, creating not only a major security
zone in the pipeline
region resulting in mass human
rights violations, but also supplying
the regime with a
continuous stream of hard currency in gas revenue.
The
last payment the regime received for gas was spent immediately on
Russian MIG fighter jets.
Amerada Hess owns 25% of Premier. When Amerada increased its
stake in
Premier Oil in 1999 it signed a contract that
it would not sell its
shares until after November 2001.
Premier Oil has not proved
to be a good investment for
Amerada and it is quite
likely they will choose to sell
their shares in Premier on or sometime
soon after the
November 2001. Petronas, the Malaysian State Oil company
who also own 25 % of Premier, is quite likely to buy up
Amerada's
shares, giving it 50% of ownership, and
precipitating Premier's
de-listing from the British
stock exchange, a major blow to this
oil and gas
company. De-listing becomes a major threat to other
companies operating or planning to invest in Burma, making
it a less
and less attractive place to do business.
We have a unique opportunity to
pressure one of the largest
owners of Premier Oil to
dump their shares in the company!!!!
PLEASE CALL HESS & Tell Them to CLEAN UP THEIR MESS
& DIVEST
FREE TELEPHONE #
Hess's Customer Service Hotline
800 HESS OIL (800-437-7645)
Sample Talking Points:
*I am calling
because I am shocked to learn that Hess is connected to
Burma's brutal military regime
*I know that Hess prides itself on its clean gas stations
but how can you call yourself "clean" when you support
Burma's brutal
military regime?
*Hess should clean up its mess and
salvage its good name by divesting
immediately from
Premier Oil
*Until Hess cleans
up its mess I will not shop at Hess gas stations
FAX NUMBER for LETTERS
(212) 536-8494 (CEO John Hess's direct fax #)
SAMPLE
LETTER TO Chairman and CEO JOHN HESS
John B. Hess
Chairman of the Board
& CEO
Amerada Hess Corporation
1185 Avenue of the Americas
New
York, New York 10036
Dear John
Hess,
I am writing because I was
shocked to learn that Amerada-Hess is connected
to
Burma’s brutal military regime. Amerada Hess owns 25% of Premier, the
British oil company that still chooses to do business
with Burma’s brutal
military regime even though many
other companies including ARCO, Amoco and
Texaco have
left Burma. Premier’s pipeline in Burma is connected to gross
human rights abuses including slave labor, rape, torture and
murder, and is
one the largest sources of revenue for
the military.
The United States,
the United Nations and Amnesty International have
condemned Burma’s brutal military for its human rights
violations and
suppression of democracy. Just
singing a democracy song will land you in
prison in
Burma and the military forbids more than 5 people from meeting in
public.
I
know that Amerada Hess prides itself on its “clean stations.” How can
you
label your company “clean” when you have blood on
your hands, profiting from
a partnership with a brutal
military regime? How can you call yourself
“clean” when you profit from a pipeline project that has
benefited from
slave labor, torture and even murder?
Until Hess cleans up its mess and
divests from Premier I have no desire to
patronize gas
stations owned by a company that is reaping profits from other
peoples’ blood and suffering.
As Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Peace Prize winner and leader of
Burma’s human
rights movement has stated, Premier
“should be ashamed of itself,” its
pipeline “does a
great disservice to the cause of democracy” and
“contributes to repression in the country.”
I support human rights and
democracy, in the United States and abroad, and
therefore I do not support Hess’s connection to Burma's
brutal military
regime.
John Hess clean up your Mess!
I await your written response as to what Amerada Hess
intends to do about
its investment in Premier.
Sincerely,
(Name)
(Address)
For more information on the
HESS is a MESS campaign, and other campaigns to pressure US
oil companies to
withdraw from Burma
please contact:
Heidi Quante
Burma Project
c/o Global Exchange
2017 Mission
Street, #303
San Francisco, CA 94110
Telephone: (415) 503-0888
E-mail:
zquante@igc.org
The year may be coming to a close, but the good news never
ends!
Time for another edition
of the Greenpeace Clean
Energy Now! campaign's weekly
update - POSITIVE ENERGY!!!!
***
JOIN THE GREENPEACE CLEAN ENERGY TEAM ***
Since the California Clean Energy Now! campaign started
in June of this year, there have been incredible successes.
San Francisco has become the solar capital of the US!
The
California Power Authority has changed its mission
from
investing in dirty fossil fuel to fully supporting
renewable energy to stop global warming! And Californian
students in LA and SF are demanding that their schools'
Board of Trustees install solar on all new buildings!
We have come a long way, but not without the help of
volunteers!
Take action now and volunteer!
The
Clean Energy Now campaign team, and California, needs
you to get involved. There are opportunities to work in
the San Francisco Greenpeace office, and to work in your
own community.
For information about our volunteer program, contact:
Kristin at kristin.casper@sfo.greenpeace.org
*** CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD
VOTES YES TO
PROTECT ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
COMMUNITIES***
On December 13,
2001, the California Air Resources
Board adopted
"Environmental Justice Policies" requiring
the board to
fully consider how every decision it makes
affects
low-income and minority neighborhoods. Once again,
a
California agency is leading the way for other state
and
national agencies to follow in the hopes that all
communities will be treated equally, because no matter
if you live next to a power plant or on Rodeo Drive, every
Californian deserves clean air and climate protection.
Congrats to all the citizens, community advocates,
public
health activists, and environmentalists who
fought long and
hard for this win!
To learn more, go to: http://www.arb.ca.gov/homepage.htm
*** WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE DASCHLE
ENERGY PLAN? ***
Instead of
advancing a secure energy plan for
the 21st century, the
Democrats are giving us almost the
same dirty energy
plan as Bush. The Daschle energy plan is
little more
than Bush-lite, with the same bad taste for
working
families, and the same bad consequences for global
warming. The Daschle plan will not get us off our dependence
on foreign oil or lead to a secure energy future. It is
a
shame that Daschle's plan continues to support nuclear
power (more dangerous than ever), while continuing to
pay
lip service to the threat of global warming, the
greatest
environmental danger of our time.
To learn more, read Kert Davies',
Greenpeace Global
Warming and Energy Campaign
Coordinator, explanation of
why Daschle's Energy Plan is
yet another Energy Scam:
http://www.greenpeaceusa.org/media/press_releases/01_12_05text.htm
The "Positive Energy"
newsletter and website,
http://www.cleanenergynow.org, will give you good news
about ways to achieve clean air, climate justice and
renewable energy solutions to our current energy crisis.
Want to do more? Become a Greenpeace
member today!
http://www.greenpeaceusa.org/join2/cen.htm
Rainforest Action Network - Monthly Email Newsletter
December 2001
Welcome! Thank you for
being a partner in Rainforest Action Network's
campaigns. Read on to get the latest news and
learn how you can help
save the world's rainforests.
In this
post:
1. Exciting Matching Gift
Opportunity
2. Citi Threatens the
Peruvian Amazon
3. Fun Holiday
Caroling Action!
Donate Now and Your Gift is Matched!
Support Rainforest Action Network
with a donation before December 31,
2001 and your gift
will be matched dollar-for-dollar! A major donor has
offered to match all gifts given before the end of the
year-up to
$100,000.
Membership is a gift that continues all year
long. Remember Rainforest
Action
Network in your holiday plans! Give the gift of a Rainforest
Action Network membership. And, ask your loved ones to share
your
concern for the world's rainforests and request a
gift in your name to
RAN.
We're sure you have enjoyed receiving our email Action
alerts throughout
the year. Please
consider becoming a member to support the valuable
work
we do and share in our victories-like saving the Great Bear
Rainforest of British Columbia.
https://secure.bluemandala.com/ran-secure/give/gift.html
If you have already given a gift or
are a current member-thank you for
an amazing year!
__________________________________________________________________
Citi-backed Gas Project
Threatens the Peruvian Amazon
A
remote region of the Peruvian Amazon may soon be the site of a $2.7
billion gas project. The Camisea project will be located in
Peru's Lower
Urubamba Region, a biologically rich area
that is home to several
uncontacted indigenous tribes.
Construction on the project is slated to
begin in early
2002, with equipment expected to arrive in the area at
any time. The financial advisor for the Camisea project is
none other
than Citigroup (Citi)-a notorious backer of
destructive oil and gas
projects around the world.
According to a study by the
Smithsonian Institution, the Camisea project
will affect
one of the world's most biologically diverse regions. The
study found that the region houses more than 61 different
plant species
per acre, nearly 800 species of birds, 120
species of fish, 86 species
of reptiles, 69 species of
medium and large mammals, 300 species of
small mammals,
and 600 species of invertebrates. Researchers found the
region to be in "nearly pristine condition," with no
evidence of human
activity.
The Lower Urubamba Region is also home to the legally
recognized
territory of two isolated and uncontacted
indigenous tribes, the Nahua
and Kugapakori. Dozens of
Machiguenga communities can be found along
rivers in the
region. An initial Environmental Impact Assessment report
found that the project's socio-cultural impacts could
include loss of
food resources, contamination of
drinking water, loss or damage to
archeological sites,
changes to existing economic activity, and the
spread of
disease.
The project has already
proven deadly for the Nahua. During preliminary
exploration in the Camisea region in the 1980s, Shell
exposed the Nahua
to a whooping cough and influenza
epidemic that killed off an estimated
50 percent of the
tribe's population. Shell and Mobil, two original
partners in Camisea, later withdrew from the project after
investing
more than $250 million. The project has been
on hold since 1998, due in
part to strong opposition
from human rights, environmental, and
indigenous groups
around the world.
What You Can
Do:
As the financial advisor for the project, Citigroup
has the important
role of arranging the project's
financing. With the project's start date
rapidly
approaching, now is the time to take a stand for the Peruvian
Amazon and its inhabitants. Please call on Citigroup to
immediately end
its involvement in the Camisea project.
See our website to send out
quick emails:
http://www.ran.org/action/alerts.html
Or, here's a sample letter:
Mr. Sandy Weill
Chief Executive Officer
Citigroup
Center
153 East 53rd Street
New
York, NY 10043
Dear Mr. Weill,
I am deeply concerned about
Citigroup's involvement in the Camisea
project in Peru.
According to a study by the Smithsonian Institution,
the
Camisea project is located in one of the world's most biologically
diverse regions. The region is also home to the legally
recognized
territory of two isolated and uncontacted
indigenous tribes, the Nahua
and Kugapakori. A major gas
development project in such a culturally and
environmentally sensitive area would have far-reaching and
potentially
devastating consequences.
I urge you to show respect for the
environment and indigenous rights and
by withdrawing
from the Camisea Project immediately. Furthermore, I ask
that you help protect the global environment by replacing
all funding
for fossil fuel projects with funding for
sustainable energy. Please let
me know what action you
plan to take on these important issues.
Sincerely,
Your Name
_____________________________________________________________________
PROTEST CITIGROUP WITH SOME
CREATIVE CAROLING!
Citigroup is
the world's most destructive bank! They are the number one
funder of global warming projects and forest destruction.
They are
investing in projects that threaten the rights
of indigenous peoples,
public health and democratic
decision making around the world. So stand
up and raise
your voice in Song!
Grab a few
friends and area activists and sing popular holiday tunes
with lyrics that shed light upon the World's Most
Destructive Bank!
Serenade
Citibank and passersby, leaflet customers, educate and spread
good cheer. Supplement your beautiful voices with a little
symbolic
deposit. After all 'Tis the season
for Santa to visit the local Citi
branch and pass out
eviction notices, flyers, lumps of coal, etc.
WHEN: this holiday season
WHERE: your local Citibank branch, CitiFinancial, or
Salomon Smith
Barney office
find
one in your area:
http://www.citibank.com/branches/
http://www.citifinancial.com/branchlocator/
http://www.salomonsmithbarney.com/abt_sb/brnchloc.html
***
Download sample flyers, fact sheets, and a complete holiday spoof
carol songbook at
http://www.ran.org/ran_campaigns/citigroup/xmascarols.html
For organizing help, or to
report a caroling action, contact Patrick at
organize@ran.org or call 415-398-4404/1-800-989-RAIN
* * * * *
SAMPLE SONGS: (visit
http://www.ran.org/ran_campaigns/citigroup/homev3.html
for the complete song book)
* * * * *
"The Twelve Days of Christmas"
On the first day of X-mas Sandy Weil gave to me
a dead orangutan in a chopped down tree.
On the second day of X-mas Sandy
Weil gave to me
two leaking pipelines and a dead
orangutan in a chopped down tree.
On the third day of X-mas Sandy Weil gave to me
three high interest rate loans, two leaking pipelines and a
dead
orangutan in a chopped down tree.
On the fourth day of X-mas Sandy
Weil gave to me
four politicians, three high interest
rate loans, two leaking
pipelines and a dead orangutan
in a chopped down tree.
.
.
.
On the twelveth day of X-mas Sandy
Weil gave to me
twelve singing protestors, eleven
corporate b*stards, ten
sweatshop workers, nine debted
families, eight destroyed
habitats, seven illegal
mergers, six brand new prisons, five
genetically
engineered meals, four politicians, three high interest
rate loans, two leaking pipelines and a dead orangutan in a
chopped down tree.
* * * * *
"Rudolph the Redlined Reindeer"
Rudolph the redlined reindeer,
Had a
different color nose
And when Citibank saw it,
They made sure his account was closed.
All of the Citibank branches
Used to
laugh and call him names
They never let poor Rudolph
Play their racist lending games.
Then one foggy December eve
The
people came to say,
"Citigroup you're the world's
blight,
We've come to stop you tonight!"
And all the people loved it,
And
they shouted out in glee,
"Citigroup, you racist
bankers,
You won't get a cent from me!
* * * * *
to the tune of Dreidel, Dreidel,
Dreidel
They're not a little
banker
They're the biggest in the land.
And their Earth-destroying projects
have gotten out of hand
Oh - Citi, Citi, Citi - Don't kill us with your dough
Oh - Citi, Citi, Citi - We've nowhere else to go
We're on a lovely planet. She's
worth a bit of fuss.
At the rate you mine and drill her,
she'll soon be through with us.
Oh - (Chorus 2x)
* * * * *
"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"
Arrest the Citi banker thugs who profit from our pain
They've built a finance empire from their ill-gotten gains
From dams to AIDS to poverty their record is insane
We will take away the privilege they enjoy
all they enjoy
We will take away the
privilege they enjoy
From Chad
to Cameroon a pipeline for which they are funders
Has
displaced native people and torn the rainforest asunder
Shareholders see their profits rise while poor countries go
under?
We'll expose all the lies that they deploy
all they deploy
We'll expose all the
lies that they deploy
Citigroup
is now the largest bank in all the world
From Bengalor
to Brooklyn flows their dirty capital
They cast aside
their conscience so their coffers they can fill
They
paid off congress to nix Glass-Steagle
Glass-Steagle
They paid off congress to nix Glass-Steagle
Now predatory lending is their habit
in the States
They hook the poor on credit then they
jack up interest rates
redlining in poor neighborhoods
is one more Citi trait
We will bury corporate greed with
human joy
with human joy
We will
bury corporate greed with human joy
* * * * *
AOL Links
<a href="www.ran.org ">RAN's website</a>
<a href="http://www.ran.org/action/alerts.html">Action
alert</a>
<a href="
http://www.ran.org/ran_campaigns/citigroup/xmascarols.html">holiday
carols</a>
<a
href=" https://secure.bluemandala.com/ran-secure/give/gift.html">gift
donation</a>
*******
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
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subscribe to this list, send a blank message to:
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rainforest Action Network
221 Pine
Street, Suite 500
San Francisco, CA 94104
tel: 415-398-4404
fax: 415-398-2732
URL: http://www.ran.org/
EarthNet News
... a project of
the Center for Environmental Citizenship
http://www.envirocitizen.org
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
December 14, 2001
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This week in EarthNet, tell Congress to start planning
for the
future and read the last installment in our
War and the Environment series.
Plus, see what your fellow readers have to say in the
Letter from
You section. If you'd like to contribute,
mailto:submissions@envirocitizen.org .
--Zachariah Silk, EarthNet
Editor
mailto:earthnet@envirocitizen.org
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONTENT
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Shadow Congress: let's plan for the future
2. Quote of the Week
3. War and the Environment: the final installment
4. Letters from You
6. Jobs, Conferences and Gatherings
7. Activist Phone Book
& EarthNet News Info
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHADOW CONGRESS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Protecting women's health and promoting women's empowerment
can help
protect the earth and our environment. The
growing population -- and our
consumption patterns
-- have profound consequences for the global
environment,
including species extinction, deforestation, desertification,
climate change, and the destruction of natural ecosystems.
These global
environmental impacts pose a significant
threat to the earth's
sustainability and our quality
of life. Women have a lot of control over the
world's
population, so we should give women more control over
their
lives. Seems logical, right?
Unfortunately, not everyone gets it. The
congressional
leadership is scuttling the very important Foreign
Operations Appropriations Bill (HR 2506) because it
funds one of the
most significant family planning and
women empowerment programs in the world
-- the United
Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
In many developing
countries, women are those most
affected by environmental degradation. But
-- in a
strange twist of fate -- they are also the ones who
can most
affect these issues. Study after study shows
that when women are given
reproductive guidance and
social opportunities their families, their
communities
and the environment benefit.
That's what
UNFPA is all about. They know that promoting
women's empowerment -- granting
them educational opportunities,
credit, land, and equal protection under the
law for
starters -- allows everyone to win. Now all we have
to do is
convince congress of that.
Please urge the congressional
leadership to look beyond
partisanship and support strong families, strong
communities
and a healthy environment. Now is the time to plan
for the
future.
TAKE ACTION NOW:
http://actionnetwork.org/ct/0pqAAaF1uuJ2/fund_future_planning
Use the EarthNet Action Center to urge the congress
to start
planning for the future.
FOR MORE INFO:
Zero Population Growth: http://actionnetwork.org/ct/QpqAAaF1uuJf/zpg
Negative Population Growth: http://actionnetwork.org/ct/Q1qAAaF1uuJX/npg
UNFPA: http://actionnetwork.org/ct/Q7qAAaF1uuJr/unfpa
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex,
and more
violent. It takes a touch of genius -- and
a lot of courage -- to move in
the opposite direction.
-Albert Einstein
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WAR AND THE ENVIRONMENT
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A final word on war and the environment...
In his book, Greening
America, Charles Reich makes
the point that "Modern society makes war on
nature."
He points out that we have been winning battles against
nature
as early as 5,000 years ago when we were flooding
our farmlands to
manipulate natural cycles and modern
environmental warfare has only become
more sinister.
The land has not only been blasted by bombs -- it has
been poisoned by chemical byproducts from our modern
society. As our
technology has advanced so too has
the threat to the
environment.
Studies show that more wars will be fought over
natural
resources in the next century than over any other issue.
The
environment is both the reason for war and the
victim of war.
At its most superficial, the parallel made between
war and
environmental degradation is a simple matter
of cause and effect. On a
deeper level, we find that
our abuse of the environment on a routine basis
--
from refusing to recycle to driving SUV's -- is in
itself an
unforgivable, insidious form of violence.
Is this not in itself a form of
war?
Whether this series touched you, enraged you, left
you feeling
hopeful or hopeless, I hope it left you
with one vital piece of information:
if we are gentle
with the earth, we will be gentle with each other.
filed by Leigh-Anne Havemann, EarthNet Intern
Unfortunately,
there are too many issues to cover in
one series. For more information:
On the Environmental-Industrial Complex: http://actionnetwork.org/ct/pdqAAaF1uuJs/war_info
Military Nuclear Mess: Out of Sight, Out of Mind: http://actionnetwork.org/ct/p1qAAaF1uuJw/war_info
Silent Casualties of War: http://actionnetwork.org/ct/QdqAAaF1uuJ4/unesco
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LETTERS FROM YOU
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDITOR'S NOTE: This letter refers to last week's Shadow
Congress
which highlighted the use of toxic sludge
in fertilizer.
Dear
Earthnet,
Here at the Media Education Foundation, we are producing
a
media literacy video called, "Toxic Sludge is Good
For You: The Public
Relations Industry Unspun." In
the video we interview John Stauber (author
of the
book "Toxic Sludge is Good For You" and the regular
publication
"PR Watch"), who tells us the story about
how he named his book. John
explains how "Toxic Sludge
is Good For You" was their working title before
their
book was complete. It was a catchy title with which
pop culture
seemed familiar. One day, he received a
phone call from a public relations
flack asking him
to change the title of his book. "Well," she said,
"we're not calling it 'sludge' anymore, it's actually
called
'biosolids,' and it's not toxic anymore. Maybe
you could change the title to
something like, 'Smoking
is Good For You'?" John was taken by surprise (not
knowing that a campaign for toxic sludge really existed),
and being the
mischevious investigator that he is,
discovered that there is a whole public
relations coalition
to sell biosolids to farmers and convince the EPA and
local waste treatment plants that toxic sludge can
be packaged and sold
as a product. Of course, as Earthnet
has pointed out, this is not at all
true; the biosolids
contain high levels of toxins and farmers who try the
biosolids actually get smaller yields from their crops.
In my research
for the video, I contacted the organization
that pushes biosolids and
watched one of their bogus
"educational" videos. They have lots of materials
for
children and teachers to use in their classrooms to
learn more about
biosolids and waste treatment. Find
out more about this scandalous
enterprise at http://www.biosolids.org .
It's quite astonishing.
-Caitlin
m e d i a e d u c a t i o n f o
u n d a t i o n
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JOBS AND INTERNSHIPS
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These are a sampling of the over 200 environmental
and activist jobs and
internships listed at http://www.envirocitizen.org/enet/jobs/index.asp
Job Title: Environmental Education/Group Center
Organization: US
Forest Service at Land Between the
Lakes
Location: Golden Pond, KY
http://actionnetwork.org/ct/PdqAAaF1uuJd/jobs1
Job Title: Student Intern
Organization: Institute for Tribal
Environmental Professionals
Location: Flagstaff, AZ
http://actionnetwork.org/ct/PpqAAaF1uuJB/jobs3
Job Title: Shipboard Educator
Organization: Ocean
Classroom Foundation
Location: Rockland, ME
http://actionnetwork.org/ct/P7qAAaF1uuJc/jobs2
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CONFERENCES, GATHERINGS AND VIEWINGS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lots more events listed at http://www.envirocitizen.org/enet/events/index.asp
WHAT: Biotechnology, Agriculture, and Racism
WHERE: Plainfield,
VT
WHEN: 1/4/02 - 1/8/02
FOR MORE INFO: http://actionnetwork.org/ct/ppqAAaF1uuJ3/events2
WHAT: 8th Public Interest Environmental Conference
WHERE:
Gainesville, FL
WHEN: 2/14/02 - 2/16/02
FOR MORE INFO: http://actionnetwork.org/ct/p7qAAaF1uuJx/events1
WHAT: LinkAGES Conference
WHERE: Washington, DC
WHEN:
1/15/02
FOR MORE INFO: http://actionnetwork.org/ct/P1qAAaF1uuJe/events3
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ACTIVIST PHONE BOOK
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. Capitol Switchboard: 202.224.3121
White House Comment
Line: 202.456.1111
White House Address: 1600 Pennsylvania
Ave, Washington,
DC 20500
Senate Address: US Senate,
Washington, DC 20510
House Address: US House of Representatives,
Washington,
DC 20515
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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