Earthhope Action Network environment action Alerts for May 24-31, 2002

home of the wildlife conservation environmental
and freedom activist

Environment Action
Alerts for May 24 - May 31, 2002

Your Help Needed by 5/29 to Protect Yellowstone!	NWF Urgent Action alert!	Hollywood Comes Out in Support of Clean Energy!

EarthNet News May 24, 2002	No Thumper Trucks in Canyons of the Ancients	Cancer and Nuclear Waste In Your Neighborhood?

Using Radar to Save Songbirds	Call Congress for Election Reform	Greenpeace Activist News Vol. 2, No. 3

DENlines 5/29	Congratulations! Clean School Bus Update	NRDC Legislative Watch 5/30/02

Support Maan Dam Hunger Strike Protestors	Wind Energy Industry & Greenpeace Blueprint Renewables Revolution	EarthNet News May 31, 2002

Great News on Washington Wilderness!

from Natural Resources Defense Council May 24, 2002

Dear NRDC BioGems Defender,

You already know that President Bush's energy plan is threatening to
despoil pristine stretches of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem with
oil rigs, pipelines, and roads. But now yet another special interest
is endangering this crown jewel of our natural heritage. Every
winter, tens of thousands of snowmobiles roar through Yellowstone
National Park, spewing air pollution, shattering the park's solitude,
and harassing wildlife in the midst of already harsh winters. Even
though they are outnumbered 16-to-1 by cars, snowmobiles cause as
much as 90 percent of the toxic hydrocarbon pollution in Yellowstone
-- forcing park employees to wear masks and respirators to protect
themselves from the noxious fumes. The park's free-roaming buffalo,
elk, and wolves have no such remedy.

You can help put a stop to this environmental menace by taking action
right now at
http://www.savebiogems.org/yellowstone/takeaction.asp?step=2&item=1202

The National Park Service is recommending a plan that would phase out
snowmobiles from Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks over a
four-year period. But the Bush administration, under pressure from
the powerful snowmobile industry, is  opposing this sensible
solution. Fortunately, Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton must
take public comments on the Park Service plan before she issues a
final decision. The comment deadline is Wednesday, May 29th, so if we
are to win this fight, Secretary Norton needs to hear from tens of
thousands of concerned people like you over the next few days.

Tell Secretary Norton to protect the people and wildlife of
Yellowstone by eliminating snowmobiles from the park. Take one minute
to send your message right now by going to
http://www.savebiogems.org/yellowstone/takeaction.asp?step=2&item=1202

And thank you again for helping to save America's BioGems.

Sincerely,

Chuck Clusen
Senior Attorney
NRDC Lands Program

. . .

BioGems: Saving Endangered Wild Places
A project of the Natural Resources Defense Council
http://www.savebiogems.org

from National Wildlife May 24, 2002

Take action to stop the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from needlessly destroying any more of America's wildlife and habitat! Click here to send an email to your senators.

Despite playing a key role in America's prosperity early on, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers today has dramatically altered and threatened America's most sensitive landscapes, home to countless species of plants and animals. In fact, the Corps routinely presides over many of the nation's hottest environmental issues and is in the thick of fights over the development of wetlands, alteration of river flows, ocean dumping, endangered species and dams and dredging.

According to an in-depth investigation by The Washington Post, the Corps has $52 billion worth of ongoing projects, many of which are environmentally damaging and fiscally irresponsible. NWF and Taxpayers for Common Sense have identified 25 of the most environmentally destructive and financially wasteful of these projects in a report entitled, Troubled Waters.

Despite the negatives, the Corps' engineering talents and resources when properly directed can be of tremendous assistance to wildlife and habitat. For example, the agency has played a leadership role in efforts to restore the Florida Everglades.

What You Can Do:
We need your help to put an end to misguided Corps projects that harm the environment, destroy wildlife habitat and waste taxpayer money. A bill, called the "Corps of Engineers Modernization and Improvement Act of 2002," has been introduced in the Senate by Senators Bob Smith (R-NH), John McCain (R-AZ) and Russell Feingold (D-WI). This vitally important legislation would order the Corps to provide greater protection to the environment by:

Bringing transparency and independent review to Corps proposals;
Reducing the backlog of outdated, environmentally destructive and wasteful projects; and
Making the agency more accountable for actions that negatively impact wildlife and habitat.

Please contact both your senators today and urge them to support this critical bill. Simply click here to send an email letter directly to your senators. You may send the letter "as is," or you may modify the suggested text. Remember, a more personalized letter has greater impact.

For more information on the NWF's efforts to "green" the Corps of Engineers, go to: www.nwf.org/greeningcorps.

* We look forward to receiving your feedback. Please email us at info@nwf.org or call us at 1-800-822-9919.
* Stay informed about NWF's conservation efforts and latest calls to action. Click here to receive NWF's free EnviroAction newsletter.
* Click here to support NWF conservation efforts.

from Greenpeace May 24, 2002

Greenpeace's Positive Energy Newsletter
May 20 - 26, 2002
V  2.17

Time for Greenpeace’s CLEAN ENERGY NOW! Campaign’s weekly good news update!

Inside this edition:
~ Hollywood Comes Out In Support of Clean Energy
~ A Week of Global ExxonMobil Action
~ Cracking the Whip on the Kyoto Protocol
~ San Francisco/Bay Area Volunteer Meeting

+ + + + +
Hollywood Comes Out In Support of Clean Energy

This week, Hollywood celebrities like Charlize Theron, Dennis Hopper, Billy Zane, and Ed Begley Jr, showed their support for clean energy solutions that help stop global warming by attending a premier screening of "The Wind," a public service announcement designed by Greenpeace and the Earth Communications Office.

To learn more about clean energy solutions visit, our website at:
http://www.cleanenergynow.org/cleanenergy/

+ + + + +
A Week of Global ExxonMobil Action

Greenpeace staged an action at an ExxonMobil petrochemicals
plant in France to protest ExxonMobil’s opposition to the Kyoto Protocol and the United States’ rejection of the agreement. Activists dressed in tiger suits blocked roads while the Greenpeace ship, the Rainbow Warrior II, blocked
the coastal entry way leading to the refinery.  Dubbing
ExxonMobil as climate enemy no. 1, this action sets off a
global week of action against ExxonMobil to criticize the
US oil giant’s campaign to debunk the science of global
warming and derail the Kyoto Protocol.

To learn more about Greenpeace’s campaign against Exxon
Mobil go to:
http://www.stopexxonmobil.org

+ + + + +
Cracking the Whip on the Kyoto Protocol

Denmark is on its way in becoming the first EU nation to
ratify the Kyoto Protocol - making it the milestone 55th nation to consent to the treaty.  In order for the 1997
climate pact to be ratified, the treaty has to be adopted by 55 nations representing 55 percent of the 1990 greenhouse gas emissions of "Annex I" countries.
Unfortunately, many of the key nations seem to be wavering
in their grasp of the treaty’s principles.  The 55 nations that have adopted the protocol represent only 2.4 percent of the required emissions; and out of the 55 nations,
Romania is the only other Annex I nation to have acceded to
the protocol.  Although the EU looks poised to meet its
ratification goals before the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg this September, Russia, Canada
and Australia continue to waver in their commitment and the
United States seems persistent in its obstruction of the international treaty.

Voice your commitment to Climate Protection and Renewable Energy by signing on to the global petition for "Positive
Energy," go to:
http://www.choose-positive-energy.org/

+ + + + +
Special Announcement for SF/Bay Area Students on Summer Break

School’s out, you’re bored, and you’ve always wanted to do
something for environmental and human rights protection.  There is a Volunteer Meeting at the Greenpeace, San Francisco office at 7pm on Thursday, May 30th.  Find out how you can stay involved by helping out in one of our
various campaigns. There will be delicious pizza provided,
and a short training workshop.

If you are interested, please contact Ashby Smith, our Outreach Coordinator, by phone at:
(415) 255.9221 x 314
or send her an email at:
ashby.smith@sfo.greenpeace.org.

---------------------------------------
The "Positive Energy" newsletter and our website, http://www.cleanenergynow.org, will give you good news about ways to achieve clean air, climate justice, and renewable energy solutions to our ongoing energy crisis.

The "Positive Energy" newsletter and our web site,
http://www.cleanenergynow.org, will give you good news
about ways to achieve clean air, climate justice, and
renewable energy solutions to our ongoing energy crisis.

Want to do more?  Become a Greenpeace member!
http://www.greenpeaceusa.org/join2/cen.htm

from EarthNet News May 24, 2002

from The Wilderness Society May 24, 2002

from Care2 alerts May 28, 2002

Dear Eco Activist,

Help Protect for Wildlife and Wetlands in Canada's Rocky Mountains
A special joint alert from Nuclear Neighborhoods and Care2.com
http://www.care2.com/go/redirect/2/4339

1. CANCER AND NUCLEAR WASTE -- IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?
2. ACTIVIST TIPS
3. QUOTE OF THE DAY
**************************************
1) CANCER AND NUCLEAR WASTE -- IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?
According to several independent studies, cancer mortality
rates in counties with nuclear reactors are significantly
higher than in counties without nuclear reactors. If nuclear
reactors pose such a critical risk, do you want nuclear waste
transported through your neighborhood?

It just might happen. Recently, the U.S. House of
Representatives voted in favor of sending nuclear waste cross-country
to Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The mountain will become a national
repository for high-level radioactive waste. This risky plan
would involve sending 77,000 tons deadly material across 43
states via roads and rails to Nevada for over 30 years!

Even the government's own studies acknowledge that accidents
involving nuclear material are inevitable.
Our senators can stop it! Click here to sign a petition against
this plan: http://www.care2.com/go/redirect/2/4339

2) ACTIVIST TIPS
- Contact your local representatives and let them know how you
feel about their environmental policies.
- Start a neighborhood garden to help build a sense of community
and land stewardship.

3) QUOTE OF THE DAY
"Now she has risen into sight, our one familiar moon. A beautiful
world to our eyes, but cold and lifeless; without water or atmosphere
she is a presage of what Earth might become."

-- Jacquetta Hawkes

from The Nature Conservancy May 28, 2002

The Nature Conservancy's Nature News, May 29, 2002
_____________________________________________

Using Radar to Save Songbirds

Millions of neotropical migratory songbirds fly over North America on their annual northern spring migration from wintering grounds in Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean to nesting grounds in the United States and Canada. Many of these species have been in steady decline over the last 30 years, mostly due to a drastic loss of nesting habitat along their migratory routes.

Conservation ornithologists are now using modern Doppler radar technology, including Weather Surveillance Radar (WSR), as a tool to help stop the decline of these special creatures by saving their stopover habitat.

Learn more about this cutting-edge conservation technology and view radar images of birds:
http://www.you-click.net/GoNow/a14464a58856a67074702a0

Click here to tell a friend about The Nature Conservancy!
http://www.you-click.net/GoForward/a14464a58856aSa67074702a2

from US PIRG May 29, 2002

Dear supporter,

I'm writing to ask for your help again to make sure that the election reform legislation being considered in Congress solves the problems we experienced in the last presidential election.

Studies indicate that 4-6 million Americans didn't have their votes counted in the last presidential election.  Problems ranged from faulty voting machines, physical barriers for the disabled, discrimination, and eligible voters improperly turned away by misinformed poll workers.

An alarm was sounded - Americans' most basic right is threatened by an inadequate elections system.  Action is needed to safeguard the right to vote.

Almost two full years after the 2000 elections debacle, Congress is finally set to pass meaningful - and perhaps historic - election reform legislation.  The House and Senate have both passed election reform bills, and now a conference committee will work out the differences between the two bills.

By taking the best of both bills, Congress can ensure that Americans have equal access to the ballot.  A weak bill, however, could offer few protections to voters while pushing many elderly, disabled, student, and minority voters onto the sidelines of our system.

Your senator is on the conference committee and will help decide the fate of election reform.  Please call Senator Schumer and urge him to press for election reform that safeguards all eligible Americans' right to vote without erecting unnecessary barriers to voting.

You can call your senator at 1-800-810-6559 and leave the following message:

"Hello.  My name is _____ and I live at _______.  I urge you to support a strong election reform bill that takes care of faulty voting machines through strong minimum standards; removes discriminatory identification requirements; and respects the privacy of my social security number."

Then, let us know you made the call so we can keep a count by following the link below and filling out the form there.

http://pirg.org/alerts/route.asp?id=83&id4=ES

Thanks for your support.

BACKGROUND

Most Americans believe that voting rights have been guaranteed through women's suffrage and civil rights law; many think that barriers to participation were toppled along with Jim Crow laws. Recent experience suggests otherwise.

We are all familiar with the problems in Florida that precipitated a national crisis following the November 2000 election. What many may not know is that election officials across the country were breathing sighs of relief - that their states were not under similar scrutiny. A recent General Accounting Office (GAO) report estimates that 57% of the country's local election jurisdictions experienced "major" problems on Election Day 2000. These problems ran the gamut from technological failures and inaccessibility to old fashioned human error.

First, voters are often forced to use unreliable voting equipment. Too many localities are still using outdated technology such as the punch card systems that failed so notoriously in Florida. The GAO estimates that approximately 300,000 additional votes could have been counted in the 2000 elections with updated equipment.

Also, many Americans do not receive proper assistance at polling places or - worse - are improperly excluded by uninformed poll workers. GAO found that over half of jurisdictions had trouble recruiting poll workers in 2000. Those that do cover the polls often lack the necessary training to make proper decisions about eligibility, voter intent, and other issues. In fact, 13% of jurisdictions provided no training for poll workers whatsoever in 2000.

Finally, too few people are voting, and much of this is due to needless obstacles. Only 51% of eligible Americans turned out to vote in 2000. Although low voter is linked to political disaffection and other factors, over 20% of non-voters surveyed in a recent Census Bureau poll listed inconveniences such as work conflicts as the reason for not voting. In addition, many polling places and voting systems are inaccessibly to people with disabilities.

As a result of all of these problems, Americans have become increasingly skeptical about the equity of our elections systems. About half of those surveyed perceived the November 2000 elections as unfair - a sharp increase from similar polling done in 1996. This should raise an alarm to all of our public officials - especially those that were elected through the very process being questioned.

After nearly two years, election reform bills have finally passed both the House and Senate. The legislation now heads to a "conference committee" where members of both chambers will work out the differences between the two bills. The House appointed its conferees for election reform legislation on May 16, to join those appointed by the Senate several weeks earlier. They will begin deliberations soon.

In order to ensure that the final legislation is a major step forward that will truly address the problems we experienced in 2000, several issues must be addressed:

First, clear and effective national standards are needed in three key areas: voting systems, provisional voting, and statewide computerized voter registration lists. The 2000 election demonstrated that national standards are necessary to protect fundamental constitutional rights. The Senate-passed bill includes basic requirements that should be retained in conference.

Second, we oppose the voter identification system in the Senate bill. The identification provision (which includes asking voters for a photo ID) will likely be discriminatory because certain populations (including students, African-Americans, Latinos, and those with disabilities) are less likely to have photo ID than the population as a whole. Many of these populations are also unlikely to have any of the alternatives to photo ID listed in the bill.  Students, for example, often don't have a local ID. If they live in dorms, they are unlikely to have a utility bill in their name, etc. Many disabled Americans do not drive and hence lack drivers' licenses. This means that this provision will result in the disproportionate disenfranchisement of certain populations.

In addition to its discriminatory impact, the ID provision will place a heavy administrative burden on local election officials. Asking for ID will slow down lines at the polling place.  By being forced to ask some people for ID and not others, poll workers and election officials open themselves to charges of discrimination. For these reasons, most election officials also oppose this provision of the bill.

Third, amendments adopted as part of the Senate bill related to Social Security records are a cause of deep concern. In particular, we oppose matching voter registration records with records from the Social Security Administration simply because those records are notoriously inaccurate for voter verification purposes. In fact, the Social Security Administration has acknowledged that its databases are out of date and inaccurate because citizenship information was not solicited before 1978 and was not recorded before 1981. In addition, using Social Security numbers for voter identification purposes raises substantial privacy and "identity theft" concerns. The legislation requires states to create a database listing eligible voters. This database could divulge Social Security numbers to thousands of people who volunteer to work as poll workers on Election Day, infringing on the privacy rights of voters.

Your senator is on the conference committee and will help decide the fate of election reform.  Please call Senator Schumer and urge him to press for election reform that safeguards all eligible Americans' right to vote without erecting unnecessary barriers to voting.

You can call your senator at 1-800-810-6559 and leave the following message:

"Hello.  My name is _____ and I live at _______.  I urge you to support a strong election reform bill that takes care of faulty voting machines through strong minimum standards; removes discriminatory identification requirements; and respects the privacy of my social security number."

Then, let us know you made the call so we can keep a count by following the link below and filling out the form there.

http://pirg.org/alerts/route.asp?id=83&id4=ES

Sincerely,

Gene Karpinski
U.S. PIRG Executive Director
http://www.USPIRG.org

from Greenpeace May 29, 2002

from Defenders of Wildlife May 29, 2002

A Bi-weekly Update from Defenders of Wildlife:
Working to Save Wildlife and Wild Lands

SAVE OUR WOLVES: Scientists speak out for symbol of wild

ENDANGERED WHALE MEAT FOR SALE: Tests reveal Japan killing imperiled species

GLOBAL WARMING: Fishing holes could come up empty

BEAR AWARENESS WEEK: Be aware or be square

UNDERMINING ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS: Foreign corporations could attack U.S. laws

NORTON WATCH: Outside magazine reports on war against environment

HELP SAVE MANATEES! Free backpack or plush manatee toy

1. SAVE OUR WOLVES: Scientists speak out for symbol of wild
Forty-eight North American scientists sent a letter to Interior Secretary Gale Norton this week urging her not to strip legal protections from America's wolves. Powerful special interests are working to do just that and, as a result, many wolves may die. Click here to read the scientists' letter: http://www.defenders.org/den/wolfletter.pdf, and watch for a special e-mail next week from actor and conservationist Ed Asner on this rising threat to wolves.

We are seeking a million signatures on a petition to Secretary Norton calling for protection for America's wolves. To sign the petition, go to www.savewolves.org. Help us spread the word. Forward this edition of DENlines to friends.

2. ENDANGERED WHALE MEAT FOR SALE: Tests reveal Japan killing imperiled species

Japan lost its annual fight in the International Whaling Commission last week to restore commercial whaling. But that won't stop the Japanese from continuing to kill whales. They do it through a "scientific research" loophole in the 16-year ban on whaling, even though the meat winds up on dinner plates in expensive Japanese restaurants. And the Reuters news service states that DNA tests of whale meat for sale in Japan reveals that it comes from endangered humpback, sei and finback whales, not only from allegedly abundant species as Japan claims.

Help stop this outrageous slaughter of endangered whales. Go to www.saveourwhales.org to send a petition to President Bush urging economic sanctions against Japan for killing whales.

3. GLOBAL WARMING: Fishing holes could come up empty

Trout and salmon could disappear from many U.S. waterways due to rising temperatures caused by global warming. Habitats for some species could shrink as much as 17 percent by 2030, 34 percent by 2060, and 42 percent by 2090 if emissions of heat-trapping pollution such as carbon dioxide are not reduced, according to a new study by Defenders of Wildlife and the Natural Resources Defense Council. Click here to read the report: www.defenders.org/publications/fishreport.pdf

4. BEAR AWARENESS WEEK: Be aware or be square

Next week is Defenders of Wildlife's annual Bear Awareness Week, and zoos and libraries around the country are joining us to educate the public about the role of bears in our ecosystem. Among the many planned activities, kids can meet "Smokey Bear" at the Folsom Children's Zoo at Lincoln, Neb. at the Grizzly Discovery Center just outside Yellowstone National Park, bears will demonstrate how easily they can grab improperly stored food and wildlife biologists will demonstrate bear tracking devices at the Silver Springs, Fla., zoo. To find an activity near you, go to www.defenders.org/baw.

5. UNDERMINING ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS: Foreign corporations could attack U.S. laws

Last week the U.S. Senate approved so-called "fast track" legislation limiting the ability of Congress to amend future international trade deals negotiated by the president. The problem is that many of these agreements contain provisions that allow foreign governments and foreign corporations to undermine laws protecting our natural resources, environment and wildlife. It is unclear whether the House of Representatives will give final approval to this fast-track bill. Watch for an e-mail on ways you can help defeat this dangerous legislation. To learn more, click here http://www.citizen.org/trade/index.cfm

6.NORTON WATCH: Outside magazine reports on war on environment

The June issue of Outside magazine details Interior Secretary Norton's quiet war against the environment. In an article titled, "What's Gale Norton trying to hide?" Outside reports, "With as little fanfare as possible, she is using the internal machinery of the executive branch to quietly open great expanses of public land to oil drilling, mining and natural-gas exploration." Defenders of Wildlife helped lead the fight against Norton's nomination, the article points out. "Literally, in all the years I've been doing this, we have never fought someone's nomination as hard as we did hers," Defenders President Rodger Schlickeisen tells the magazine. Look for a Defenders article on Norton in our upcoming summer issue.

7. HELP SAVE MANATEES! Free backpack or plush manatee toy

Florida?s manatees are in grave danger from speeding boaters and their deadly propellers. Defenders is working to pressure Secretary of Interior Norton not to take away federal protections for these endangered animals. Please help by making a contribution of $25 or more. We?ll thank you with your choice of a Defenders sturdy backpack or plush manatee toy. Go to: www.defenders.org/donate/manatee.html

Help Save Bears! America's bears are facing harm from oil companies that want to drill in wildlife sanctuaries, logging companies that want to clear-cut national forests, and poachers who want to sell their parts in international trade. Help celebrate National Bear Awareness Week, June 2-8, by adopting a polar, black or brown bear today. For your sponsorship you'll receive a plush toy bear of your choice and the satisfaction of knowing you're helping to save their lives. Adopt a bear today.

Defenders of Wildlife Credit Card

For the next 30 days, you can apply for a Defenders of Wildlife credit card with an introductory 0% Annual Percentage Rate (APR)* on all cash advances, including balance transfers, for your first six (6) billing cycles. In addition, you can select from one of 11 beautiful wildlife images for your personal card to showcase your love for America's wildlife. For each new account and purchase, MBNA will make a contribution to Defenders at no additional cost to you to fund our programs. Get more details about this offer or apply online for the Defenders of Wildlife credit card: www.applyonlinenow.com/us/TJ5P-A0000004I9

*See Application for information about the rates, fees, and other details of the card.

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO DENLINES

DENlines is a bi-weekly update of Defenders of Wildlife, a leading national conservation organization recognized as one of the nation's most progressive advocates for wildlife and its habitat. It is known for its effective leadership on endangered species issues, particularly predators such as brown bears and gray wolves. Defenders also 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 400,000 members and supporters. To unsubscribe, send an e-mail to denlines@defenders.org and put the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

Defenders of Wildlife
1101 14th Street, N.W.
Suite 1400
Washington, DC 20005

Copyright Defenders of Wildlife 2002

from Union of Concerned Scientists May 30, 2002

Thank you for taking action with our Clean School Buses, Healthy Kids
campaign. During the past several months, nearly 12,000 people sent
letters to their Senators--letting them know we want our children to
ride in cleaner, safer alternatives to dirty diesel school buses. Due
in large part to this overwhelming public support, the legislation
passed both the House and the Senate.  Thank you!

The school bus program is one of the bright spots in a largely anti-
environmental energy bill.  Although neither the House or Senate
energy bills reduce US dependence on oil--a top priority for the
Union of Concerned Scientists--they do make progress towards
protecting our children's health by including the Clean School Bus
Grant Program.

The next step for the campaign is to make sure that the program is
funded.  Please stay tuned for upcoming alerts as we work on the
appropriations process to ensure the money for these grants become
available so school districts can purchase clean school buses.

It's not too late to join the campaign.  If you have friends who
would be interested in this effort, please urge them to go to
www.cleanschoolbus.org to get more information and take action.  If
you have any questions, you can contact Rebecca Sayre at
rsayre@ucsusa.org

Thank you again for your support and congratulations on this success!

from Natural Resources Defense Council May 30, 2002

Natural Resources Defense Council's

LEGISLATIVE WATCH

May 30, 2002

Contents:

1) Legislative Watch
2) About Our Bulletins/How to Subscribe & Unsubscribe
3) About NRDC/How to Contact Us

The information in this bulletin is also available on our website at
http://www.nrdc.org/legislation/legwatch.asp. The web version links
to the text of bills and congressional web pages. To take action on
these and other environmental issues, visit NRDC's Earth Action
Center at http://www.nrdc.org/action, where you can use our online
activism tools or subscribe to Earth Action, our biweekly activist
bulletin.

1) LEGISLATIVE WATCH

This is a status report on congressional action on the environment.
To make new or updated sections easy to find, we've highlighted them
with:
= N O T E ! =

5/30/02

Congress is away for Memorial Day recess this week, and will return
on 6/3. Last week the Senate passed a bill granting the president
"fast-track" authority to negotiate international trade agreements,
after voting against an amendment that would have strengthened the
bill's environmental and public health protections. Meanwhile, the
House passed an emergency supplemental spending bill, which includes
a provision that exempts the Department of Defense from Endangered
Species Act compliance in connection with water use around military
installations.

...

Budget/Appropriations

= N O T E ! =
On 5/24, the House passed an emergency supplemental spending bill
(H.R. 4775) by a vote of 215-203. The bill includes a provision
written by Rep. Kolbe (R-AZ) that exempts the Department of Defense
from complying with the Endangered Species Act when species or their
habitats are threatened by increases in water consumption in areas
surrounding military installations. Environmentalists are concerned
that the language could specifically allow over-use of water from the
San Pedro River in Arizona, harming reptiles, mammals and migratory
birds that depend on the river. Additional language may be added when
the bill reaches the Senate that would authorize the Army Corps of
Engineers to issue permits allowing waste from mountaintop removal
coal mining and other types of industrial activities to be dumped
into the nation's waters. On 5/8, a federal district court blocked
the Army Corps from issuing any additional permits for disposal of
mountaintop removal mining waste in U.S. waters. The ruling came five
days after the Bush administration finalized a change to Clean Water
Act rules that would expressly allow mountaintop removal waste
disposal into streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands, and other waters. The
administration is appealing the court's decision.

On 3/20, on a party-line vote, the House passed a Republican FY '03
budget resolution (H. Con. Res. 353) that backs the Bush
administration's proposed cut of $14 billion from environmental
programs over the next five years. House Democratic leaders opposed
the cuts in environmental priorities and offered amendments restoring
this funding in committee, but their efforts were defeated. On 3/21,
the Senate Budget Committee considered a Democratic resolution that
would restore and increase environmental and natural resources
funding levels well above those requested in the administration's
budget proposal. As the House and Senate are not likely to close the
gap between their competing resolutions, they will likely pass
separate budget plans to guide their work for the rest of the year.

See NRDC's analysis of the Bush budget.
http://www.nrdc.org/legislation/abudget03.asp

For a step-by-step guide to our annual odyssey through resolutions,
reconciliations and appropriations, see NRDC's budget process fact
sheet.
http://www.nrdc.org/legislation/fbudg.asp

...

Clean Air and Energy

The Senate has selected its members for the energy bill conference
committee, but the House has yet to do so. Once the committee is
complete, it will likely need several months to negotiate a
compromise bill. On 4/25, the Senate passed its version of the bill
(S. 517) after rejecting, on 4/18, amendments from Sen. Murkowski
(R-AK) and Sen. Stevens (R-AK) to open the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge to oil drilling by votes of 46-54 and 36-64, respectively. The
House energy bill (H.R. 4) would allow oil drilling in the Arctic
refuge. Unlike the House bill, the Senate includes a provision
increasing the use of renewable fuels -- mostly ethanol -- in
gasoline by five billion gallons by 2012. The Senate bill also would
ban MTBE (a gasoline additive that has contaminated drinking water),
require companies to report their emissions of greenhouse gases, and
require electric providers to produce 4-5 percent of their energy
from new, renewable resources. The House bill includes over $33
billion in tax incentives that are largely for the oil, coal, and
nuclear energy industries. The Senate bill includes $15 billion in
incentives, about half of which would be available to improve energy
efficiency in vehicles, appliances, and buildings, as well as to
increase the use of solar, wind, and other cleaner alternative energy
sources.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee expects to consider
S. 556, a bill co-authored by committee chair Sen. Jeffords (I-VT)
and Sen. Lieberman (D-CT), in June. The bill seeks to reduce four
types of power plant emissions by imposing mandatory cuts in carbon
dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and mercury emissions. No
action has been taken on the House companion bill (H.R. 1256), which
was introduced on 3/27/01 by Rep. Waxman (D-CA) and Rep. Boehlert
(R-NY). The Bush administration opposes regulating carbon dioxide
emissions, arguing that the costs on the economy would be too high.
The administration has announced a proposal that would regulate only
three of the four worst power plant pollutants, reversing a Bush
campaign promise to regulate carbon dioxide, a key greenhouse gas
that contributes to global warming.

NRDC has detailed an energy policy that would provide a secure energy
future without destroying wilderness or rolling back environmental
safeguards in reports including Dangerous Addiction: Ending America's
Oil Dependence
(http://www.nrdc.org/air/transportation/oilsecurity/securityinx.asp)
and A Responsible Energy Policy for the 21st Century
(http://www.nrdc.org/air/energy/rep/repinx.asp).

...

Clean Water

= N O T E ! =
On 5/23, the Senate approved a final compromise version of the Public
Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of
2002 (H.R. 3448) by a vote of 98-0. The bill, which authorizes
bioterrorism-related funds for public health infrastructure, food
inspection and nuclear security, includes language requiring drinking
water facilities to assess their vulnerability to terrorist attacks
that could threaten water supplies. The bill also authorizes $20
million to facilitate cooperation between the EPA and drinking water
facilities to improve basic security, reduce chemical threats, and
develop emergency response plans. The House approved this final
version of the bill on 5/22 by a 425-1 vote.

= N O T E ! =
On 5/16, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee passed the
Water Investment Act of 2002 (S. 1961) by a vote of 13-6. The bill,
which was introduced by Sens. Graham (D-FL), Jeffords (I-VT), Smith
(R-NH), Warner (R-VA), and Crapo (R-ID), authorizes significant
increases in funding for cleaner water. Environmental groups are
seeking to ensure that the bill provides incentives for states and
cities to fund water quality projects that are good for the
environment, such as stream buffers, wetlands restoration, and
stormwater controls. Environmentalists are also eager to prevent the
funds from going to support sprawl or noncompliance with
environmental regulations. The committee approved an amendment from
Sen. Reid (D-NV) that would create a grant program to help small
public drinking water systems comply with new environmental
regulations, and one from Sen. Voinovich (R-OH) that would
reauthorize a wet-weather grant program to help remedy sewage
overflows. The committee also accepted amendments from Sen. Wyden
(D-OR) to make funding available for water conservation projects and
provide loan-forgiveness for projects that address pollution runoff.
On 4/17 and 3/20, the House Ways and Means and Transportation and
Infrastructure committees, respectively, considered the House
companion bill (H.R. 3930). This bill would increase the level of
funding available to states for clean water projects under the Clean
Water Act by $1 billion per year, up to a total of $6 billion in
2007. The White House objects to the cost of these bills, claiming
that it needs the money to fund the war on terrorism.

On 5/15, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee considered
Sen. Boxer's (D-CA) and Sen. Feinstein's (D-CA) bill to reauthorize
CALFED (S. 1768), an important federal and state partnership in
California that provides water for urban and agricultural users, as
well as for wildlife and habitat restoration. No vote was held, and
the committee is expected to take up the bill again in early June. On
5/2, Rep. Tauscher (D-CA) and Rep. Napolitano (D-CA) introduced a
similar bill (H.R. 4657) in the House. Environmentalists oppose a
related bill (H.R. 3208) by Rep. Calvert (R-CA) that would allow the
construction of new dams in California without appropriate review,
and could give agricultural water users priority over the
environment.

On 5/7, the House passed H.R. 3908, Rep. Hansen's (R-UT) bill to
reauthorize the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, by a voice
vote. The act has served to restore and preserve wetlands throughout
the United States, Mexico, and Canada since 1989. The bill includes
two amendments from Rep. Gilchrest (R-MD). One amendment would
increase funding for the act's programs from $250 million to $325
million over five years, while the other would shift about 20 percent
of funding from projects outside the United States to those within
the country.

...

Climate Change

On 5/2, Rep. Olver (D-MA) introduced a bill (H.R. 4611) that would
require companies to report their global warming pollution emissions
to a federal database.

On 4/17, the House Science Committee held a hearing to address the
funding and direction of federal climate science and technology
programs. Rep. Boehlert (R-NY), committee chair, addressed the
administration's proposal to create and fund two new research
programs, the Climate Change Research Initiative and the National
Climate Change Technology Initiative, voicing concern that the
programs are not yet clearly defined. Researchers testifying at the
hearing stressed the need for better coordination between scientists
who conduct climate change research and develop related technologies
and consumers, policymakers, and industry.

...

Coastal and Marine Resources

= N O T E ! =
On 5/23, the House Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans
subcommittee considered Rep. Gilchrest's (R-MD) bill to reauthorize
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (H.R.
4749), the primary law governing fisheries management in the United
States. Environmentalists oppose the reauthorization bill in its
present form, primarily because it contains language that could lead
to continued overfishing. Rep. Farr (D-CA) introduced a different
version of the reauthorization bill last year (H.R. 2570), which is
supported by environmentalists for its plan to promote both
sustainable management of marine fisheries and recovery of depleted
fish stocks.

...

International Environmental Protections

= N O T E ! =
On 5/23, the Senate passed H.R. 3009, the Andean Trade Preference
Expansion Act, by a vote of 66-30, after accepting compromise
language granting "fast-track" authority to the president to
negotiate new trade agreements. The bill now heads to conference
committee to work out a compromise between the House and Senate
versions. Environmentalists oppose the legislation because it
contains weak environmental standards and safeguards and inadequate
protection for international environmental agreements. The bill also
raises new barriers to environmental regulation and blocks consumer
labeling that would identify how and where imported products are
produced. On 5/21, an amendment offered by Sen. Kerry (D-MA) and
supported by environmentalists that would have strengthened the
bill's environmental and public health protections, laying out
specific criteria that foreign investors would be required to meet in
order to challenge environmental regulations in the U.S., was
rejected 55-41.

On 12/6/01, after intense lobbying by the White House and House
Republican leaders, the House passed a corresponding trade authority
bill (H.R. 3005) by one vote. The bill was introduced by Rep. Thomas
(R-CA). Democratic leaders, as well as environmental, consumer,
social justice, and labor groups, oppose H.R. 3005 because it fails
to ensure adequate environmental and labor standards and could
undermine current protections.

...

Lands

The House and Senate passed the final version of the farm bill (H.R.
2646) on 5/2 and 5/8, respectively, and President Bush signed the
bill on 5/13. Conservation programs -- including funding for energy
efficiency and renewable energy programs on farms -- total about $9
billion of the bill's $45 billion in new spending. But
environmentalists claim that conservation funding will be outweighed
by commodities subsidies and environmentally damaging provisions in
the bill. For instance, the bill raises the payment cap on funding
that giant livestock farms, whose waste management practices pose a
threat to local water supplies, will be able to receive. Several
other environmentally damaging provisions, including language that
would have provided incentives to log national forests, were
ultimately eliminated from the bill.

On 3/20, the House Resources Committee approved, on a mostly
party-line vote of 23-18, H.R. 2114, Rep. Simpson's (R-ID) National
Monument Fairness Act. The bill is opposed by Democrats on the
committee because it would restrict the president's authority to
create national monuments under the Antiquities Act by requiring
congressional consent within two years after a president designates
any national monument over 50,000 acres, thereby preventing quick
presidential action to protect significant and environmentally
sensitive public lands and resources.

Also on 3/20, the House Resources Committee approved, along another
nearly party-line vote of 23-18, a provision in H.R. 3853 offered by
Rep. Radanovich (R-CA) that effectively overturns a Clinton
administration policy banning recreational jet skis in national parks
by delaying the deadline for the ban for two years.

...

Nuclear

= N O T E ! =
On 6/5, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is expected
to vote on a resolution to designate Yucca Mountain, Nevada, as the
sole repository for the nation's high-level radioactive waste (S.J.
Res. 34). The resolution was introduced by Sen. Bingaman (D-NM),
committee chair, after the House approved the resolution on 5/8. On
4/8, Nevada governor Kenny Guinn (R) vetoed the Bush administration's
recommendation of the site, beginning a 90-day window during which
Congress can override the veto. Opponents of the selection of Yucca
Mountain, 90 miles from Las Vegas, believe that the proposed facility
would not adequately protect the public and the environment from
radiation contamination.

...

Public Health

On 3/21, Sen. Clinton (D-NY) and Sen. Reid (D-NV) introduced the
National Health Tracking Act (S. 2054), a bill to protect children's
health by tracking data on local, regional, and national causes of
chronic health conditions. Rep. Pelosi (D-CA) introduced a companion
bill, H.R. 4061, on 3/20 in the House.

...

Wilderness and Wildlife Protection

= N O T E ! =
On 5/16, the House Government Reform Committee held a hearing at
which the General Accounting Office presented its findings from a
study on the impact of environmental regulations on military
readiness and training. The GAO report concluded that the Department
of Defense has achieved readiness and has failed to demonstrate how
and to what extent environmental laws have negatively affected its
mission.

On 5/9, the House passed the Defense Authorization bill, H.R. 4546.
The bill includes provisions that give the Department of Defense
broad exemptions under the Endangered Species Act and the Migratory
Bird Treaty Act, as well as language that would reduce protections
for Utah wilderness lands. The provisions were part of a larger
proposal by the Department of Defense that also included exemptions
from the Clean Air Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, Resource
Recovery and Conservation Act, and Superfund. Democratic leaders and
environmentalists argue that the remaining exemption provisions have
not received adequate review, that stakeholders have not been allowed
to comment on the provisions, and that language in existing laws
already provides flexibility for the Defense Department to seek
exemptions on a case-by-case basis. In the Senate, the Armed Services
Committee passed the bill on 5/9 without any of the exemption
provisions. The committee included provisions authorizing the Defense
Department to participate in partnerships with non-federal entities,
including local governments and conservation groups, to manage lands
adjacent to military installations.

On 3/20, the House Resources Committee held a hearing on two bills
that would modify the Endangered Species Act, making it harder for
the government to protect endangered and threatened species. Rep.
Walden's (R-OR) H.R. 2829 and Rep. Pombo's (R-CA) H.R. 3705 would
impose a higher burden on federal agencies to obtain additional
scientific information on species and mandate additional review of
that data, resulting in delay and additional hurdles before
protections could be put in place.

...

For information on the environmental voting records of members of
Congress, see the League of Conservation Voter's National
Environmental Scorecards at http://www.lcv.org/scorecard/index.asp

...........

2) About Our Bulletins/How to Subscribe & Unsubscribe

NRDC distributes three bulletins by email. To subscribe to any or all
of them or to join our activist networks, go to
http://www.join.nrdcaction.org/subscribe.asp. If you already
subscribe and want to change your subscriptions or update your email
address or other information, go to
http://www.join.nrdcaction.org/profileeditor (or see the unsubscribe
information below).

EARTH ACTION is sent biweekly and calls out urgent environmental
issues requiring immediate action.

LEGISLATIVE WATCH is sent biweekly when Congress is in session and
tracks environmental bills moving through the federal legislature. To
unsubscribe from Legislative Watch, send an email message to
legwatch@nrdcaction.org with REMOVE in the subject line.

The CALIFORNIA ACTIVIST NETWORK ACTION ALERT is distributed monthly
to members of NRDC's California Activist Network and provides action
tools to Californians and others concerned with protecting the
state's natural resources and the health of its citizens.

...........

3) About NRDC/How to Contact Us

The Natural Resources Defense Council is a nonprofit environmental
organization with over 500,000 members nationwide and a staff of
scientists, attorneys and environmental experts. Our mission is to
protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and ensure a safe and
healthy environment for all living things.

For more information about NRDC or how to become a member of NRDC,
please contact us at:

Natural Resources Defense Council
40 West 20th Street
NY, NY 10011
212-727-4511 (voice) / 212-727-1773 (fax)
General information: nrdcinfo@nrdc.org
Email subscription questions: nrdcaction@nrdc.org
http://www.nrdc.org

Also visit:
BioGems -- Saving Endangered Wild Places
A project of the Natural Resources Defense Council
http://www.savebiogems.org

from Global Response May 31, 2002

Dear Members of Global Response's "Quick Response Network:"

Please send a letter/fax/email to support hunger strikers and residents of
communities that are about to be inundated as the reservoir fills behind the
Maan Dam in India. The following Action Alert and model letter are
circulated by International Rivers Network. Global Response members have
sent multiple rounds of letters in solidarity with Indian communities along
the Narmada River, where 30 large dams are in various stages of
construction. We celebrated a victory last year in our campaign to stop
German government/bank financing for the Maheshwar Dam.

Please let the Madhya Pradesh state government know that world citizens
stand in solidarity with the affected tribal people who are resisting
displacement for the Maan Dam. Thank you.

ACTION ALERT!!!!

MAAN DAM PROTESTORS IN THEIR EIGHTH DAY OF HUNGER STRIKE

Dear Friends,

As you might know, nearly 150 adivasis (tribals) affected by the Maan Dam
in the state of Madhya Pradesh in India have been engaged in an indefinite
sit-in in Bhopal, the capital city, since 15 May 2002.

Four activists from the group went on an indefinite hunger strike on 20 May
2002. Please take action - pressure the government of Madhya Pradesh to
respond to the demands of the protestors as the hunger strike enters the
eighth day.

The Maan dam is one of the 30 large dams planned as part of the Narmada
Valley Development Project (NVDP). It is under construction on the river
Maan that drains into the Narmada River.

In 1994, the Central Environment Ministry granted environmental clearance
for the project, on the condition that the affected adivasis must be
resettled with non-forest agricultural land. Contrary to this, the Maan
dam-affected people were given a pittance in cash compensation without
being offered land-for-land compensation or information about their legal
entitlements.

The 17 affected villages will be submerged this monsoon (June to September)
without any rehabilitation. Tree felling and dismantling of local schools
has started in the area despite protests from the local communities.

The affected people have demanded an immediate halt to tree felling and
police presence in the submergence zone. They have demanded a stop to
construction and other dam related activities until the 1000 adivasi
families are given adequate agricultural land and until rehabilitation is
satisfactorily completed.

As the indefinite hunger strike enters the eighth day, the response of the
government of Madhya Pradesh has been very poor.

Your support, as always, is invaluable. Send faxes/emails to the Chief
Minister of Madhya Pradesh to urge him to respond to the demands of the
protestors struggling for their basic human right to life and livelihood.

In solidarity,

Malavika Vartak
South Asia Campaigns
International Rivers Network

---------
SAMPLE LETTER

The Honourable Mr. Digvijay Singh,
Chief Minister
Government of Madhya Pradesh
Vallabh Bhavan,
Bhopal
Phone: 91 755 540503
Fax: 91 755- 540501
Email: cm@mp.nic.in

Dear Mr. Digvijay Singh,

We are writing to you in reference to the ongoing protest and indefinite
hunger strike in Bhopal by the Maan dam-affected persons.

We understand that there is less than a month left until the monsoon
submergence and little or no possibility of rehabilitating the 17 affected
villages. However, the 1994 Central Environment Ministry clearance for the
Maan Project was given on the condition that affected tribal families are
rehabilitated on non-forest agricultural land.

As the hunger strike enters the eighth day, we strongly urge you to respond
positively to the demands of the protestors and stop all construction
activity on the dam until rehabilitation is provided on a land for land
basis. We also urge you to engage in meaningful dialogue with the affected
people to ensure protection of their basic human right to life and
livelihood.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Your Name
Organisation/Address

from Greenpeace May 31, 2002

Greenpeace's Positive Energy Newsletter
May 27– June 2, 2002
v 2.18

Time for the Greenpeace CLEAN ENERGY NOW! campaign's weekly
good news update!!!

Inside this edition:
- The Will for Wind
- ExxonMobil Shareholders Push Drive for Renewables

+ + + + +
The Will for Wind

Greenpeace and the wind energy industry released a global
blueprint to provide 12 percent of the world's future
electricity through wind power by 2020. This report is a
call to governments at the final pre-World Summit on
Sustainable Development(WSSD) meeting in Bali to stop
standing in the way of a renewable energy revolution.

For more information about WSSD and renewable energy,
please visit:
http://www.greenpeace.org/earthsummit/index.html

+ + + + +
ExxonMobil Shareholders Push Drive for Renewable Energy

A coalition of ExxonMobil investors is leading the way to
push the corporation to adopt a renewable energy resources
plan. Although the resolution was not passed, it was
approved by more than 20 percent of current shareholders
compared to 9 percent in 2001.

This is a direct challenge to ExxonMobil's denial of the
effects of global warming as linked to emissions from the
use of the fossil fuels.  And it's fossil fuels that form
the core of ExxonMobil's product line.

Peter Altman, national coordinator of Campaign ExxonMobil
stated, "mainstream investors are questioning whether
ExxonMobil is really protecting shareholder value with
its isolated position on renewable energy and global
warming. For the first time, mainstream investors are
saying that they need to see the rationale behind the
company's strategy of saying 'just trust us and don't ask
questions' isn't going to work anymore."

An article on this issue can be read on:
http://ens-news.com/ens/may2002/2002-05-29-05.asp
_________________________________________________

The "Positive Energy" newsletter and our website,
http://www.cleanenergynow.org, will give you good news about
ways to achieve clean air, climate justice, and renewable energy
solutions to our ongoing energy crisis.

The "Positive Energy" newsletter and our web site,
http://www.cleanenergynow.org, will give you good news
about ways to achieve clean air, climate justice, and
renewable energy solutions to our ongoing energy crisis.

from EarthNet News May 31, 2002