home of the wildlife conservation environmental and freedom activist

In this Post:

1. San Francisco takes to the Streets to Protest Citi/Banamex merger
2. Take Action!  Sample letter from Inner City Press
3. California Reinvestment Coalition ACTION ALERT "Citigroup Targets Latinos
Wallets"

_________________________________________________________________

#1 SF DEMONSTRATION AGAINST CITI/BANAMEX MERGER

On June 21, the SF-based Greenlining Coalition mobilized about 50 local
community members to rally and picket outside the SF Citigroup tower.  The
Coalition included the California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Latino
Issues Forum, The Asian Business Association, Mexican American Political
Association and Allen Temple Baptist Church.  The groups had come together
to protest Citigroup's racist and predatory lending practices and to demand
public hearings on the Citigroup/Banamex merger.

The demonstration was joined by about 20 activists from the Rainforest
Action Network and the Student Alliance to Reform Corporations (STARC) who
were expressing their solidarity with efforts by communities of color to put
an end to high interest predatory lending practices.  Speakers addressed
Citi's horrific track record on community reinvestment, concerns about
Citi's involvement in the privatization of welfare through Electronic
Balance Transfer and Citi's involvement in massive environmental
devastation.

It was a spirited demonstration with a chanting, singing picket line and
many colorful signs with slogans like "Citi : Global Slum Lord", "Citi :
Rainforest Destroyer", "Citi : #1 in Democracy Buy Out" "Stop Predatory
Lending!  Real Investment in Communities of Color Now" and "Better Banks!
Not Bigger Banks!".  The rally culminated with a march on the SF Federal
Reserve Bank where messages were delivered to Chairman Alan Greenspan and a
series of letters demanding hearings on the merger were read.  Similar
letters to Mexican President Fox where delivered to the Mexican consulate
later in the afternoon.

To read a Background Statement on Why Community Groups Oppose Citigroup's
Acquisition of Mexico's Second Largest Bank and information on the 18
minority groups which have filed protests with the Federal Reserve check out
Greenlining's website at
http://www.greenlining.org/pages/citigroup_flyer_061501.htm

The same profit-at-all-costs policies that lead to redlining and predatory
lending in this country fuel Citi's investments in projects which violate
human rights and destroy the environment around the world.  Whether its
buying off politicians to get their illegal mega-mergers rubber-stamped,
funding oil development, logging and mining in the world's remaining old
growth forests or profiting from predatory lending Citigroup has proven its
a corporation out of control.

Citi's latest giant merger provides us with a rare opportunity to
monkeywrench their plans for global domination.  As environmentalists and
economic justice activist unite to challenge Citigroup we are taking an
essential step towards building a movement that can transform the rules of
the global financial system before it destroys the planet.  Together we can
raise our voices and demand public hearings.  We can stop this merger!  So
please take the time to write a letter to the NY Federal Reserve Bank and
tell them the public has a right to comment on this merger!  (See template
letter below)

But lets remember the Federal Reserve system was created and is still run by
bankers (Citi CEO Sandy Weill even sits on the board of the NY Federal
Reserve Bank!).  Winning a hearing is just one tactic in the broader
strategy of spreading the truth about Citi's destructive policies as far and
wide as possible.  Keep up the organizing and make sure Citi keeps getting
cut up credit cards in the mail!

For background information and downloadable flyers on Citigroup's
destructive practices check out www.ran.org.
For direct local organizing support and networking contact the Rainforest
Action Network :
SF - organize@ran.org  415-398-4404/1-800-989-RAIN
NY - beka@ran.org (718) 218-7566/1-888- 840-6416

DON'T BE AFRAID TO THINK BIG!  OUR TIMES DEMAND IT.....



_________________________________________________________________
#2  TAKE ACTION!  TELL THE FEDERAL RESERVE THAT THE PEOPLE'S VOICE MUST BE
HEARD!

Deadline for comments on the Citi/Banamex hearing is JULY 9th so spread the
word
and mobilize your community to send in letters today :

Please send copies of your letters to RAN attn : Patrick at 221 Pine St #500
SF CA 94104



Draft comment to Federal Reserve requesting hearings on Citi-Banamex,
prepared by Inner City Press / Community on the Move, June 19, 2001: use
freely  Fore more info on ICP see www.innercitypress.org

June __, 2001

Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Attn: Mr. James Beit, Bank Supervision Officer
33 Liberty Street
New York, NY 10045-0001
E-mail: <comments.applications@ny.frb.org>
Fax number: 212-720-1608



RE: Comment opposing Citigroup's applications to acquire Banamex

Dear Mr. Beit:

    On behalf of ______, this is a timely comment opposing and requesting
hearings on the applications of Citigroup, Inc. to acquire Grupo Financiero
Banamex Accival and its subsidiaries (Banamex).

    Citigroup is being sued by the Federal Trade Commission for predatory
lending.  An affidavit the FTC filed last month describes discriminatory and
abusive practices at CitiFinancial as far back as 1995, and continuing in
2001. Nor is Citigroup's Community Reinvestment Act performance in the
United States sufficient.The Fed should not allow Citigroup to export these
practices to Mexico.

    Citigroup's proposal raises numerous policy and regulatory issues,
including under the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), which the Fed must
closely consider, including at the requested hearings.  The Fed enforces the
cap of 10% of U.S. deposits that any one institution can control.  Here,
U.S.-based Citigroup seeks to control over 25% of the banking assets in
Mexico.

     Citigroup has a long track record of investing in projects with no
regard for basic environmental, social, and even human rights standards.
Citigroup has repeatedly been shown to be involved in money laundering, most
recently for Argentina's ex-president Carlos Menem, and, allegedly, the
Juarez drug cartel.  Additionally Citigroup investments have been linked to
the destruction of fragile ecosystems and displacement of indigenous
communities around the world.

For all of these  reasons, the Fed should schedule and hold public hearings
on Citigroup's applications to acquire Banamex.  The people of Mexico and
the U.S. don't need bigger banks we need better banks.  Citigroup's shameful
track record speaks for itself - the Fed should deny Citigroup's
applications.  Please respond to this letter in writing.

Sincerely,

_________________________________________________________________
#3

California Reinvestment Committee

!!! Action Alert !!!

Citigroup Targets Latinos’ Wallets

Citigroup, the biggest financial entity in the World, is buying Banamex, and
becoming the biggest bank in Mexico.  Banamex also owns California Commerce
Bank (CCB) in LA.   Sanford Weill, head of Citi, has stated that they will
use Banamex to market to Latinos in the U.S.  Citigroup also recently
purchased Associates Finance, a major subprime and reputed predatory lender.
CRC’s experience is that Citibank targets upper income people for their
conventional products and the rest of us get higher cost products from their
finance companies.

The California Reinvestment Committee (CRC) opposes the purchase because
Citi has made no commitments to the needs of Latinos and others on either
side of the border and calls on the Federal Reserve Bank to hold hearings in
Los Angeles, Phoenix and Albuquerque.  CRC expects that Citi will take
profits with no community reinvestment in return, dominate the wire transfer
business to Mexico, and open no branches in Latino communities.  Citi's
commitment when it was acquired by Traveler's Insurance was pitiful and they
have made no substantive changes in the predatory mortgage lender,
Associates, that they purchased earlier this year.  Citi must make a
community reinvestment commitment to the needs of Latinos in the U.S. and
Mexico.

Please write to the oversight agency, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York,
immediately opposing the purchase of California Commerce Bank and asking the
Fed to hold hearings because the acquisition will take profits out of low
income communities and return little or nothing (see attached letter).  The
deadline is July 9.  A sample letter is attached.  You can contact Kalina to
also receive it by fax or email.  This is a major, international bank
acquisition that will take advantage of Latinos in the U.S.,  Mexicans, and
all those who are not wealthy.  Your letter to the Federal Reserve helps
bring this reality to the public and pressure Citigroup to recognize its
responsibilities to reinvest in communities.

KEY ISSUES
• Predatory Mortgages: Citigroup’s pattern is to offer conventional products
to upper income people and higher priced, subprime products to lower income
people.  Its recently purchased subprime mortgage lender, Associates, is
being sued by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for predatory practices.
In cities across California, Associates targeted African Americans and
Latinos for its high-priced loans while Citibank overwhelming focused on the
white higher income applicants.   Citi says it will change Associates’
practices but a recent affidavit to the FTC shows that Citifinancial follows
the same predatory practices.
• EBT: Citigroup, the vendor in California and most states for Electronic
Benefit Transfer (EBT) makes millions off a program intended to provide
electronic access to entitlements, such as food stamps.  Access to Citigroup
EBT is so difficult that it is being sued by multiple states.   Citi cares
for profit, not low income peoples’ needs.
• Remittances: Citigroup, California Commerce Bank and Banamex’s do wire
transfer remittances from people and businesses in the United States to
Mexico.  One-third of the Mexican economy is based on such funds from the
U.S.  The merged financial institution will be a dominant player in the
remittance market. Citigroup must commit to not overcharging on fees or
hiking exchange rates.
• Credit Cards: California Commerce Bank had a credit card product.  So,
does Citigroup.  Will Latinos be targeted for credit cards by mail using the
Banamex name?  Will they be without fees and with low interest rates or
predatory?
• NY Puppet: CRC stopped meeting with Citibank FSB after it became clear
that it was a puppet of New York and would not develop products in response
to California needs.  California was squeezed for its profits.  Why would
this be different for Latinos or Mexicans?
• Banamex Name: Citigroup plans to use the Banamex name to market to Latinos
in the U.S.  Citigroup CEO Sanford Weill said, “This is not just about
growth of the Mexican market but the fast growth of the Hispanic population
in the U.S.”  What is the plan to help Latino neighborhoods, Mr. Weill??
• Weak Commitment: Citigroup’s $115 billion community reinvestment pledge
pales next to those of its peer banks.  Compared to peer financial
institutions’ CRA commitments, Citigroup must make a $500 billion
international commitment to the needs of low income communities.
• Communication: CRC and other groups have invited Citibank CEO Sanford
Weill to California to meet and make a substantial commitment to low income
communities and communities of color.  Why won’t you meet with us, Mr.
Weill?
• Foreign Monopoly: Citigroup will now own the largest bank in Mexico
controlling roughly 25% of the market.  (The limit for US corporations is
10% of the market.)  What will it mean for Mexican national interests that
1/4 of their financial sector is controlled by one profit-seeking U.S.
corporation?
• Job Cuts: Citigroup projects 50% cost cutting in this purchase.  How many
Mexicans will lose their jobs so that Citigroup profits?
• Money Laundering: Almost monthly, Citigroup is indicted in money
laundering schemes.  How much more will be stolen from Mexico?

CITIGROUP
Citigroup is a diversified financial holding company with $944 billion in
total assets.  Citigroup is a combination of Citicorp, Traveler’s Insurance,
Associates First Capital, and other financial corporations doing business in
the United States and internationally.  The acquisition of the European
American Bank in New York State and Banamex will increase assets over $1
trillion.

Citifinancial, which now incorporates Associates, is a major subprime
(predatory) mortgage lender in the United States.  Citigroup dominates
electronic benefit transfers (EBT) to entitlement recipients in almost every
state.  Citibank FSB does affordable housing, single family housing and
small business lending in California.

Citigroup’s subsidiaries provide financial services in more than one hundred
countries and territories.  Citigroup has been in Mexico for more than
ninety years.  It bought the Mexican bank Confia in 1998 and was soon forced
to pay out $12.2 million relating to money-laundering.  It has also been
indicted for or accused of money laundering connected with Xerox and other
corporations, drug cartels, etc.

Grupo Financiero Banamex-Accival
Grupo Financiero Banamex-Accival of Mexico (Banamex) has 1300 offices in
Mexico and assets of $35 billion.  Banamex is the most recognized brand name
among Latinos in the US.  It has been supported financially by the Mexican
government.

California Commerce Bank
California Commerce Bank (CCB) operates as an offshore bank for Mexicans
corporations providing capital and equipment loans.  It has two branches and
$2.07 billion in assets.  CCB is also a major money transferor and has
low-end credit cards.  To satisfy CRA, CCB purchases mortgages loans.
SAMPLE LETTER

SEND NOW!!  DUE BY JULY 9
Fax: (212) 720-7459        email: Jay.Bernstein@NY.FRB.org

Jay Bernstein
Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Banking Applications Department
33 Liberty Street
New York, NY 10045

RE: Citigroup Acquisition of Grupo Financiero Banamex-Accival and US
Subsidiaries

Dear Mr. Bernstein:

<Your organization> writes regarding Citigroup’s plan to acquire Banamex and
its US subsidiaries, including California Commerce Bank.  Citigroup has
stated that it plans to use this acquisition to market to Latinos in
California and the Southwest.  In contrast to these stated plans, Citibank
and Citigroup lend, market and serve primarily upper income people with
conventionally priced products and offer higher priced, “subprime” products
to lower income people and people of color.  We therefore ask the Federal
Reserve to deny this application unless the Bank makes a significant
community commitment with community organizations.

<description of organization>

Citibank’s lending, investments and services in California are targeted at
upper income people.  Its subprime subsidiaries target lower income people
and people of color with higher cost products.  Citigroup provides public
electronic benefit transfer (EBT) nationally to low income people in states
where it has no branches and offers no access to mainstream banking.  Given
this track record, we are concerned that Citigroup will use the Banamex name
to market products that are of no real financial benefit to Latinos or
others and reinvest nothing in their neighborhoods.

Citigroup’s so-called community commitment lacks substance compared to peer
banks.  It has made no community commitments to Mexico where it will become
the largest financial institution.   In addition, its recent acquisition,
Associates Financial, is being sued by the Federal Trade Commission for
systematic predatory practices.

Therefore, we oppose this merger due to a lack of a community commitment to
low income communities and communities of color.  We ask for careful
scrutiny of the acquisition including public hearings in Los Angeles,
Phoenix and Albuquerque.  Please respond to this letter in writing.


For more Info on the California Reinvestment Coalition check out their
website at www.calreinvest.org

In this Post :

1. RAN/Project Underground/Amazon Watch News Analysis June 22
2. SF Chronicle Article June 15
3. AP article  June 14
4. TAKE ACTION!  Letter to US Government to Support the Inquiry
5. 6 arrested at Monsanto HQ protesting company's role in deadly
spraying in Colombia

The ongoing investigation into Colombia's infamous 1998 Santo Domingo
massacre has proved what human rights and environmental groups have
been saying for years.  American oil companies like Occidental are
directly complicit in human rights violations and war crimes in
Colombia.   The U'wa have asked all their supporters to connect their
struggle with the struggle to end US military aid to Colombia because as
U'wa president Roberto Perez has said "Plan Colombia is a death sentence
for the indigenous peoples of Colombia".   Please take a moment to write
a letter to the US embassy in Colombia and other State Department
officials to demand that they support the Colombian government's
investigation into the role of US citizens and
corporations in the Santo Domingo massacre.  Additionally ask the
ambassador for full public disclosure of the US governments dealings
with criminal corporations like Oxy.  (See #4 below)

***************************************
#1
RAINFOREST ACTION NETWORK * AMAZON WATCH * PROJECT UNDERGROUND
_______________________________________________________________________
News Analysis - ENVIRONMENTAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS
                          CALL ON U.S. TO SUPPORT COLOMBIAN INQUIRY
For Immediate Release June 22, 2001
Contact: Patrick Reinsborough, Rainforest Action Network (415) 398-4404
Kevin Koenig, Amazon Watch (310) 455-0617 or Carwil James, Project
Underground (510) 705-8981

OXY’S COZY RELATIONSHIP WITH COLOMBIAN MILITARY TURNS FATAL
Oil Company Threatening U’wa People Implicated in Infamous Santo Domingo
Massacre

(Los Angeles)--New evidence surfaced late last week in a Colombia
inquiry exposing active collaboration between security forces protecting
oil operations of the Los Angeles-based Occidental Petroleum (OXY) and
the notorious Colombian military in one of the country’ deadliest
attacks on civilians - a relationship environmental and human rights
groups have been drawing attention to for years.

Led by Colombia’s Attorney General, the ongoing civil disciplinary
investigation into the Santo Domingo massacre of 1998 calls for the
subpoena of three Americans pilots working for AirScan, a private
security firm contracted by OXY to protect oil operations since 1997.  
According to testimony from Colombian military officials, AirScan
provided key strategic information to the Colombian military gathered
during their security work for OXY and helped coordinate the air attack
using the plane’s infrared and video equipment to pinpoint targets on
the ground.  While allegedly targeting suspected rebels, the attack
killed 18 civilians, nine of which were children.  No rebels were
killed.

OXY’s Colombian operations continue to be embroiled in controversy and
are a magnet for violence.  The company is currently proceeding with
exploratory drilling on the ancestral homeland of the U’wa- an
indigenous tribe of 5,000 who have been peaceful resisting oil
exploitation since 1992.  OXY came under fire last year when the company
called on the military and riot police to break up a non-violent road
blockade of the road leading to OXY’s drill site.  Three indigenous
children died in the attack and scores were seriously injured.  The U’wa
continue to call for the end of U.S. military
aid to Colombia and the cancellation of OXY’s project.

“It is essential that US companies be held accountable for their
involvement in human rights violations in Colombia.  Whether it’s the
invasion of the U’wa people’s land or implication in the Santo Domingo
massacre, OXY has shown they are a lawless corporation.  We call upon
the US government to support the inquiry and reveal its connections with
OXY in Colombia,” says Patrick Reinsborough, Organizing Director of the
Rainforest Action Network.

Occidental Petroleum has lobbied aggressively for increased U.S.
military aid to Colombia since 1996 when it help found the US-Colombia
Business Partnership a coalition of multinationals such as British
Petroleum, Royal Dutch Shell, and Enron with operations in Colombia.  
The company’s ties to the Colombian military and other armed factions
were revealed before the US Congress when OXY Vice President of Public
Affairs testified that employees are “regularly shaken down” by both the
FARC and ELN guerrilla groups and “required to pay a ‘war tax’ to both
or they will not be able to work.”

Human rights and environmental groups have highlighted the connection
between oil development and militarization for years.  OXY pays $1 on
every barrel of oil produced, which goes directly to the military.  One
in four Colombian soldiers are currently devoted to protecting oil
installations. OXY estimates that ten percent of the company’s in
country budget is spent on security costs.

###

***************************************
#2

SF Chronicle
Friday June 15 2001
Americans blamed in Colombia raid
Karl Penhaul, Chronicle Foreign Service

Bogota -- Three American civilian airmen providing airborne security for
a U.S. oil company coordinated an anti-guerrilla raid in Colombia in
1998, marking targets and directing helicopter gunships that mistakenly
killed 18 civilians, Colombian military pilots have alleged in a
official inquiry.

The air attack on the village of Santo Domingo in oil-rich northeast
Arauca province took place on Dec. 13 of that year amid efforts to hunt
down a 200-strong column of the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of
Colombia (FARC).  Survivors said the aircraft attacked them as they ran
out of their homes to a nearby road with their hands in the air to show
they were noncombatants.

The raid caused some of the worst "collateral damage" inflicted on
civilians by the armed forces in the recent history of Colombia's
37-year conflict.  Shortly after the incident, President Andres Pastrana
criticized the military's actions, saying that security forces "cannot
respond to barbarism with barbarism."

The alleged role of the U.S. airmen -- emerging only now -- has raised
fresh questions about American involvement in a war that is increasingly
being outsourced to private companies not accountable to the U.S.
Congress.  According to the State Department, about 300 U.S. civilians
are in Colombia, most of whom work on contracts ostensibly linked to
anti-drug efforts, which Washington has funded with more than $1 billion
as part of the Pastrana government's "Plan Colombia." Some have even
piloted helicopters in raids on drug plantations and installations in
southern Colombia.

The pilots in the Santo Domingo incident were providing security for Los
Angeles-based Occidental Petroleum Corp., which operates the nearby Cano
Limon oil field, Colombia's second largest. Investigators at the
Colombian prosecutor general's office have asked the U. S. Embassy in
Bogota to help obtain information from the American airmen involved in
the attack, who worked for a private Rockledge, Fla.-based air
surveillance contractor called AirScan International Inc.

Embassy officials issued a terse statement Wednesday saying that the
airmen were not contract employees of the U.S. government and that the
embassy did not help oil companies solve their security issues. Although
it occurred 2 1/2 years ago, the Santo Domingo attack is becoming a
cause celebre for human rights organizations protesting creeping U.S.
involvement in Colombia's guerrilla war.

They say the fact that U.S.-donated helicopters dropped cluster bombs
and rockets on Santo Domingo is a disturbing demonstration of how the
Colombian military has sometimes used U.S. aid that in theory is
earmarked only for anti- narcotics operations.

"Here is an example of how U.S. aid is involved in human rights abuses,"
said Robin Kirk, senior researcher for the New York-based group Human
Rights Watch. "This is really the first test case of how the U.S.
government is going to abide by its own human rights laws," Kirk said,
referring to the so-called Leahy Law that restricts U.S. aid from being
spent on counterinsurgency operations.

Colombian Air Force pilot Cesar Romero told military judge Capt. Luz
Monica Ostos in testimony last month about the Santo Domingo attack:
"The coordination was done directly with the armored helicopters that
were supporting us and with the (Cessna 337) Skymaster plane flown by
U.S. pilots. The Skymaster and gunship crews talked directly to the
ground troops."

While Romero conceded that the U.S.-donated Vietnam-era Huey UH-1H
helicopter he piloted bombed a target marked by the Cessna, he said he
had no intention of causing civilian casualties.

If Romero and Jimenez are eventually accused of criminal action in the
deaths of innocent civilians, they could face up to 30 years in jail. It
is unlikely that the U.S. airmen will face any charges, analysts say.

The raid came a day after army intelligence sources and the Skymaster
plane detected rebel movements in the area. Air force helicopters
strafed Santo Domingo with machine-gun fire, air-to-surface rockets and
cluster bombs. Eighteen civilians were killed, including
nine children, but no guerrillas. At the time, the Colombian armed
forces and U.S. officials conceded that the aircraft and almost all
weaponry involved in the attack had been supplied under a 1989 U.S. aid
package that was exempt from current congressional restrictions. An
inquiry was launched immediately after the incident, but final results
have been delayed by military and civilian courts arguing over
jurisdiction.

In testimony to the military tribunal late last month, helicopter
co-pilot Lt. Johan Jimenez backed Romero's accounts of the role of the
AirScan spotter plane. "The Skymaster pilot chose the places for troop
disembarkment, pinpointed vulnerable areas and pointed out guerrilla
presence," Jimenez said in an official transcript shown to The  
Chronicle.

"The (Colombian) Blackhawk (helicopter) and Skymaster pilots are the
ones that helped the pilot of our Huey UH-1H to identify the target with
visual aid from the ground," added Jimenez.

The Colombian pilots said the Skymaster -- equipped with infra-red
sensors and high-resolution cameras -- was contracted by Occidental.
Since 1997, the plane has constantly patrolled over the 120,000
barrel-a-day Cano Limon field and along the length of the 500-mile
pipeline that pumps crude to the Caribbean coast. Oil infrastructure is
regularly sabotaged by the FARC and the small National Liberation Army
(ELN), which accuse multinationals of plundering the country's natural
resources. Juan Carlos Ucros, Occidental's legal representative in
Bogota, said the company had "no contractual links
with the pilots or the plane" at the time of the attack.

But a senior official for the Colombian state oil company Ecopetrol,
which has a stake in the Cano Limon field, said yesterday that
Occidental had always funded the Skymaster plane but had switched from
paying AirScan directly to channeling payments through the Colombian
Defense Ministry.

"I have confirmed that the plane is paid for by Occidental although the
contract has been held at various stages by either the
Occidental-Ecopetrol partnership or by the Defense Ministry," said the
official, who requested anonymity.

AirScan director John Manser, speaking from company headquarters, said
the Skymaster plane and crew were originally contracted to Occidental
and Ecopetrol in 1997. The company then trained Colombian crews and
eventually leased and later sold the spotter plane to the Colombian air
force. Manser confirmed that the three U.S. airmen named in the
Colombian investigation -- Joe Orta, Charlie Denny and Dan MacClintock
-- had worked for AirScan in Colombia but had since left the company. He
declined to say whether the men, like most of the company's employees,
were former U.S. servicemen.

Air Force chief Gen. Hector Fabio Velasco has declined to comment about
the allegations but told reporters briefly that there may have been U.S.
"trainers" aboard the spotter plane piloted by Colombians.

Copyright 2001 San Francisco Chronicle

***************************************

#3

Thursday June 14 9:37 PM ET
Testimony Sought in Bombing Probe
By JARED KOTLER, Associated Press Writer

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) - Investigators want to subpoena three U.S.
civilians who allegedly helped pinpoint targets from a plane for a
Colombian air force crew that stands accused of killing 17 villagers, an
official said Thursday.

Colombia's attorney general's office wants the three - all former
employees of AirScan International Inc. of Rockledge, Fla. - to testify
in a civil disciplinary investigation of the deaths in the eastern town
of Santo Domingo on Dec. 13, 1998, said an official, who spoke on
condition of anonymity.

The villagers were killed by a bomb allegedly dropped from a Colombian
airforce helicopter. But investigators have been unable to serve the
subpoenas because the Americans have since left Colombia. The official
said the attorney general's office has requested assistance from the
U.S. Embassy. The embassy said it does not comment on ongoing
investigations.

AirScan spokesman John Mansur confirmed that the three Americans - Dan
McClintock, Joe Orta and Charlie Demmy - were AirScan employees and
based in Colombia around the time of the battle. But in a telephone
interview Mansur said he did not know whether any company employees had
been flying that day.

``If it was something where a bomb was pitched into a town and we were
watching, I would have heard about it,'' Mansur said.

AirScan's Mansur said his company worked in Colombia from 1997 to March
1999 on contracts with oil companies, using a twin-engine Cessna
Skymaster which it owned to detect possible guerrilla attacks on
pipelines and oil installations.

The company's clients during that period included Los Angeles-based
Occidental Petroleum and Colombia's state oil company, Ecopetrol, Mansur
said, which produce oil in Arauca state, where Santo Domingo is located.

An Occidental spokesman in Bogota said AirScan was not working for the
company at the time of the Santo Domingo battle. An Ecopetrol spokesman
had no immediate comment.

Statements by a crewmember of the helicopter and testimony from a
military tribunal support allegations the U.S. contractors helped find
targets from an infrared-and-video-equipped Cessna Skymaster
surveillance plane.

But Mansur said he ``would very seriously doubt'' that any AirScan
employees provided targeting information to the Colombian military.
Video taken by the Skymaster plane may be key evidence in both the
military and civilian investigations into whether the Colombian Air
Force helicopter crew dropped a bomb on the civilians, or onto a
rebel-occupied forest as the chopper crewmembers assert.

The Air Force has long claimed that the civilians were killed by a
rebel-detonated bomb. In a sworn statement made before the military
tribunal and leaked to local media, helicopter crew chief Capt. Cesar
Romero said video taken by the Skymaster ``staffed with American
pilots'' backs the crewmembers' version of events.

Colombia's Air Force chief, Gen. Hector Velasco, acknowledged Wednesday
it was ``possible'' that a U.S. civilian instructor was aboard an
unarmed Colombian Air Force Skymaster during the battle. He told
reporters it was primarily staffed by Colombian Air Force members - even
if ``an American may have gone along.''

The Colombian Air Force helicopter crewmember, who spoke to the AP on
condition of anonymity, said there were two American pilots aboard the
Skymaster and one Colombian Air Force member. He said the Americans had
flown over Santo Domingo before the battle and then showed their video
to Colombian forces in a briefing at an oil field in Arauca.

The Skymaster piloted by the Americans was also in the air and in radio
contact with his helicopter during the battle, he said. However, the
crewmember said he did not believe the Americans at any time pinpointed
any targets within the village.

McClintock, reached by The Associated Press by phone at his home in
Florida, said he did not recall any bombing incident. He described
himself as an airplane mechanic and a former U.S. serviceman, and
referred further questions to AirScan.

***************************************
#4.


25 June 2001

The Honorable Anne W. Patterson
Ambassador of the United States of America
American Embassy
Carrera 45 # 22D-45
Bogotá, D.C.
COLOMBIA
Telephone: (571) 315-0811
Fax: (571) 315-2197

Lorne W. Craner
Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor
Department of State
Harry S Truman Bldg.
2201 C St., N.W., Room 7802
Washington, DC 20520
Telephone: (202) 647-2126
Fax: (202) 647-5283
http://www.state.gov/

General Colin Powell
Secretary of State
For the Secretary of State: Secretary@state.gov
(The Bureau of Public Affairs, on behalf of the Secretary, carefully
records foreign policy opinions sent to this address.)
You also may write to or fax :
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
Washington, D.C. 20520
Fax: 202-261-8577

Dear Madam Ambassador/Secretary/Assistant Secretary

On December 13, 1998, the northeast Colombian village of Santo Domingo
was attacked from the air. Eighteen residents of the village, all of
them civilians and nine of them children. We have recently learned that
the U.S. Embassy has been contacted to assist in the investigation of
these tragic deaths. We are writing to urge you to provide all available
assistance to ongoing investigation of the military attack upon Santo
Domingo.

Since the time of the bombing of Santo Domingo, justice for the families
of those killed and for those wounded has been continually delayed. The
Colombian Air Force long claimed that the cluster bomb explosion was
caused by a FARC truck bomb, an analysis refuted by an FBI ballistics
analysis last year. The denials and delays have contributed to climate
of impunity that imperils the lives of Colombian civilians.

For over most of the last two decades, including during the 1989
provision of the cluster bomb used in the attack on Santo Domingo, the
United States has explained its military aid to Colombia in terms of the
war on narcotics production and traffic. However, recent reports suggest
that these eighteen deaths occurred not as a part of that policy, but
rather as a part of an aggressive military effort around American oil
installations in Colombia. The potential involvement of a U.S.-based
security contractor, AirScan, and of a U.S.-based oil corporation,
Occidental Petroleum, in this attack raise troubling questions about the
aims of American-supported military operations

A complete, open investigation is essential to addressing all of these
questions. You have an immediate opportunity to support the interest of
securing justice, ending impunity, and full accountability for the uses
of military force supplied in the name of the American people. The full
knowledge of the United States government on the events surrounding the
attack and full subpoena powers for the American pilots who may have
been involved in the incident should be provided to this important
investigation.

Additionally, accountability to American citizens is essential given the
apparent mixing of public and private interests in U.S. military
involvement in Colombia. We urge you to fully disclose the role of
Occidental Petroleum and AirScan in U.S. diplomatic and military
contacts with Colombia and the positions your embassy has taken
concerning these corporations with histories of human rights abuses.

Thank you for your attention to this serious matter.

Sincerely,

***************************************
#5

86 Demonstrate Against Fumigation in Colombia at Monsanto Headquarters
in  St. Louis - 6 Protesters Arrested

Eighty-six people peacefully demonstrated outside of the headquarters of
the  Monsanto Corporation in St. Louis, Missouri today to protest
fumigation in  Colombia.   Monsanto produces the herbicide glyphosate,
or Round-Up Ultra,  that is being sprayed in deadly quantities daily all
over Colombia.  The  herbicide, which is intended to erradicate coca
plants used to make cocaine, is destroying food crops, water sources,
and wildlife in Colombia. For more  info and pictures of the fumigations
see:
www.soaw-ne.org/Pccrops.html

Six nonviolent protesters were arrested at the direct action when they
attempted to deliver a petition to Monsanto representatives and request
for  dialogue. They are currently being held at the Creve Coeur Police
Department.  Their arraignment is scheduled for this Wednesday night at
7:00 p.m.  Call the St. Louis Inter-Faith Committee on Latin America
office at 721-2977 or the HRAS at 314-725-5303 if you need more
information.


June 25, 2001
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Six arrested at protest
over Monsanto's role in spraying in Colombia

By Betsy Taylor
Associated Press Writer

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Six protestors were arrested outside of Monsanto Co.
headquarters Monday morning during a protest over the company's role in
fumigating South American fields as part of the war on drugs.

The arrests were made when a few protesters attempted to cross a line of
security and police officers at the company's front entrance. Plastic
restraints were placed on the protesters' wrists, and they were led away
without incident.

Several dozen people met outside Monsanto headquarters in west St. Louis
County this morning, and attempted to turn over a petition with roughly
2,500 signatures.

It asked Monsanto to take responsibility for its role in the fumigation
efforts in Colombia.

``We're concerned about the sales and production of Roundup Ultra. It's
being indiscriminately sprayed on families and farms, not just on
growing coca plants,'' said Margaret Hill of the St. Louis Inter-faith
Committee on Latin America.

The fumigation is part of a United States-backed effort at eradicating
the leaf used to make cocaine.

Michael Joseph, who has spent the last nine months in Bogota, Columbia,
with Witness for Peace, said he's seen agricultural fields destroyed by
the product. Colombians are reporting respiratory and skin problems as a
result of the spraying, he said.

Opponents also say the spraying is adversely affecting water, soil and
farmers in the region.

Monsanto spokeswoman Janice Armstrong said the company will not divulge
information about who buys its products. She referred questions to the
State Department and Plan Colombia, which is a $7.5 billion campaign to
cut Colombian drug production in half by 2005.

Roundup has a documented history of safe use, as long as it is being
used according to directions, Armstrong said.

She said the decision to make the arrests was one made by the Creve
Coeur police, not by the Monsanto. ``The company is happy to have people
express their views as long as it is peaceful,'' she said.Associated Press

**URGENT ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE!!**

        - JOIN OUR DEMONSTRATION at the climate talks, Bonn, 21st July!
        - JOIN OUR CYBER ACTION - lobby the Japanese government!

COME TO BONN ON JULY 21!
BUILD A LIFEBOAT TO SAVE THE CLIMATE TREATY!
http://www.foeeurope.org/lifeboat

July 16 to 27, Bonn, Germany: World leaders will meet for the UN climate
negotiations.  In Bonn they will decide if the Kyoto Protocol, the
world's only binding agreement to reduce CO2 emissions, will survive, or
if they will let political inaction cause climate disaster.

July 21st, Bonn, Germany: Friends of the Earth invites thousands of
people to build a giant climate RESCUE BOAT with their messages from
around the world, a symbol telling politicians and the media:
DON'T SINK THE CLIMATE TREATY!

EVERYONE'S WELCOME to participate in this colossal action - watch out
for a bus going from your area (see website) or make your own way there.
Bring a wooden plank (1m x 10cm) to add to the boat, with your
personal message to the politicians written on it! If you can, dress in
blue, and be part of the "sea of people" around the boat, or come in
fancy dress on a maritime theme.

We will all construct the Lifeboat together in the middle of Bonn - the
boat will be 30 meters long!  We will pull the boat through Bonn to the
conference centre, where it will stay for the rest of the negotiations -
a monument to our demands for real and effective action on climate
change.

We will provide you with free overnight accommodation, cheap food and a
great party on Saturday night.

Buses are already planned from Bulgaria, Denmark, England, Estonia,
France, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland,
Scotland, Sweden and Switzerland.
If you want to organise a bus yourself, please let us know. We can also
offer some financial assistance for the organisation of buses:
daniel.mittler@bund.net

You cannot come to Bonn?
But your message can! Simply send us your message -- via the web or
normal mail (or why not on a thin piece of wood?).  All messages
received
in time will be used to construct and decorate the Lifeboat.

For action details, info on buses from your region, and for mailing your
messages go to:
http://www.foeeurope.org/lifeboat

**JOIN THIS YEAR'S BIGGEST CLIMATE ACTION!
COME TO BONN! BUILD THE BOAT! SAVE THE CLIMATE TREATY!

****************************************
**CYBER ACTION - KEEP JAPAN ON BOARD - SAVE THE KYOTO PROTOCOL!!**

In Gothenburg, EU heads of governments said they would stick to the
Kyoto treaty but...
NOW THE U.S. IS OUT, THE KYOTO PROTOCOL CANNOT BECOME LAW WITHOUT JAPAN.

Japan's Prime Minister, Mr Koizumi, is meeting with George Bush in
Washington on 30 June.  The issue of whether or not to go ahead on Kyoto
without the US is already an election issue in Japan - we can influence
the Japanese government!

ACT NOW! Send your message to the Japanese government now via:
http://www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/climate/press_for_change/fax_japan_pm/
In Japanese:
http://www.foejapan.org/cgi-bin/csvmail/mailkizm.html

******************************************
Thank you again!

The Climate Team at Friends of the Earth
http://www.foeeurope.org/lifeboat

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

Over the last several years, Global Response joined many other environmental
and human rights organizations worldwide to oppose construction of an oil
pipeline from Chad's oil fields to the Camaroon coast (for the text of the
Global Response Action Alert, please see:
http://www.globalresponse.org/gra_index/gra0499.html).

Last week Friends of the Earth International, FoE Cameroon and FoE
Netherlands released a report on the Chad Cameroon Oil Pipeline. The report,
'Broken Promises,' takes a look at all the promises that were made related
to this highly controversial project and concludes that this project will
not contribute to poverty alleviation, as the World Bank is stating.

You can obtain the report in English and/or French from the following
Website:
http://www.milieudefensie.nl/earthalarm/publicaties/index.htm

You can take action on this alert either via email
(please see directions below) or via the web at:
http://actionnetwork.org/take-action.tcl?key=419220A22669B0628014615C108

Visit the web address below and tell your friends to
take action on this important campaign!
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/OCS/forward?rk=-1qUq8d1f1axW

We encourage you to take action by August 13, 2001

Save Our Fragile Coastlines

----------------------

On a fragile stretch of shoreline between two sensitive
national marine sanctuaries on the Central California
coast, the Department of Interior is preparing to give
the go-ahead to Big Oil for new offshore drilling.

Along the spectacular coast of northern Santa Barbara
County and southern San Luis Obispo County, as many
as five new offshore drilling rigs would be put in
place. Immediately to the south lies the lush ocean
environment of the Channel Islands National Marine
Sanctuary, and just to the north is found the rugged
Big Sur coast and the Monterey Bay National Marine
Sanctuary.

This new drilling proposal brings an increased risk
of oil spills to some wild and pristine coastline,
home to the slowly recovering population of threatened
California Sea Otters. Discharge of toxic drilling
muds and cuttings, seafloor disturbance from undersea
pipeline construction, and degraded air quality are
only a few of the impacts identified in recently released
studies from the Interior Department.  

You can comment on the draft Environmental Impact Statement
for this controversial proposal right now. All you
need to do is to click "send" to forward the attached
letter to Interior Secretary Gale Norton and formally
register your concerns about this project. You are
also invited to customize the letter with your own
thoughts about this proposal. Act now and let Big Oil
know your views.

----------------------

INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA THE WEB:
If you have access to a web browser, you can take action
on this alert by going to the following URL:

http://actionnetwork.org/take-action.tcl?key=419220A22669B0628014615C108  

INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA EMAIL:
Just choose the "reply to sender" option on your email
program, and edit the letter below as you wish. Do
not delete "-YOU MAY EDIT THE LETTER BELOW-" and "-END
OF LETTER-". Please do not add your name and address
to your letter. Our system automatically does this
for you.  

We STRONGLY encourage you to make edits directly to
our sample letter below, and put the alert talking
points into your own words. An individualized letter
is worth ten computer generated letters. Of course,
hundreds of unedited letters will still create a large
impact, so please reply even if you don't have time
to personalize the letter.

Your letter will be addressed and sent to:
Secretary Gale Norton


-------YOU MAY EDIT THE LETTER BELOW---------

I am writing to comment on the draft Environmental
Impact Statement for your proposal to permit delineation
drilling on offshore tracts along the Central California
coastline. Please include my letter in the formal legal
record, and respond in writing to each of the concerns
I have raised as the final EIS is prepared. As you
are no doubt aware, a recent federal court decision
has determined that activities described in your draft
EIS cannot be conducted until approved by the California
Coastal Commission. Since the lessees of the tracts
covered by your draft EIS have not been diligent in
following the law, I encourage you to cancel the offshore
leases in question and preclude the activities described
in the draft EIS.

The draft EIS is inadequate because it fails to fully
consider the risks posed by the proposed offshore drilling
and related activities to the environmentally sensitive
coastline and living resources of this region. The
adjacent Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
protects lush marine habitats harboring an unusually
diverse array of marine life. To the north of the proposed
drilling activities lies the fragile Monterey Bay National
Marine Sanctuary and the limited range of the oilspill-sensitive
California Sea Otter, a threatened species. The draft
EIS fails to take into account existing declines in
marine communities, cumulative effects of the proposed
drilling in conjunction with existing drilling activities
near Santa Barbara, and the impacts of drilling discharges
and pipeline construction. Onshore facilities which
would be required to support as many as five new offshore
drilling production platforms are not adequately considered.

Please withdraw your current proposal for new drilling.
Thank you for your consideration.

-------END OF LETTER-------------------------

EarthNet News
...a project of the Center for Environmental Citizenship

June 28, 2001  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
This week, support efforts to improve SUV fuel standards and tell Ford to get
on board with the Kyoto Treaty.  Also, check out the Glimmer(s) of Hope
section.  That’s right, plural!  There’s more than one piece of good news this
time around.  And, please, I urge you to use us and show off your enviro
stripes -- we offer free Web-based EnviroCitizen.com email at
http://www.envirocitizen.org/mail

mailto:earthnet@envirocitizen.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Shadow Congress:  Up Fuel Standards for SUVs!  
2. Corporate Corner:  Get on Board, Ford!
3. Quote of the Week
4. Glimmer(s) of Hope
5. Letters to the Editor
6. Eco-Exposure
7. Jobs, Conferences and Gatherings
8. Activist Phone Book & EarthNet News Info

SHADOW CONGRESS 1
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Everyone’s in a frenzy over rising gas prices.  One of the best and most
straightforward ways to control these costs and decrease our demand for more
oil is to reign in SUVs and increase their fuel efficiency standards.  It’s at
the heart of many of the critical enviro issues we’re currently facing --from
drilling in the Arctic to our urgent need for an effective mean to halt global
warming.

Here’s a little perspective:  The U.S. consumes over 7 billion barrels of oil
products each year. But SUVs and light trucks -- which now account for nearly
half the passenger vehicles sold each year -- are still getting away with
meeting an average of 20.7 miles per gallon, rather than the 27.5 required for
regular cars. Forcing SUVs to meet the same standards would save more oil over
the next 15 years than is economically recoverable from the Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge over the next 50 years! If gas prices stay near current levels
(and it sure seems more likely that they’ll go up), this increase in fuel
economy would save consumers $23 billion per year at the gas pump.  

Working to close this land-yacht (sorry -- SUV) loophole, both Representative
Olver (D-MA) and Senator Feinstein (D-CA) have introduced bills that would make
SUVs and light trucks adhere to the higher fuel efficiency standards of other
passenger vehicles.

TAKE ACTION NOW:  Express your support for new legislation that’ll make SUVs
catch up with the standards of their smaller cousins, sending letters from
http://www.envirocitizen.org/enet

FOR MORE INFO:
http://www.house.gov/olver/pr010510.htm;
http://www.ucsusa.org/releases/06-20-01.html;
http://slate.msn.com/Features/GodzillaSUV/page2.asp;
http://www.sierraclub.org/globalwarming/cleancars/cafe/gasprices.asp

CORPORATE CORNER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
How’s this for greenwashing?  On May 8, the Ford Motor Company spent an
estimated $200,000 on advertisements professing its concerns about global
warming.  These ran in USA Today, the New York Times, and the Financial Times.
Yet, Ford has yet to support the Kyoto Treaty.  Even more damning, Ford is part
of an industry lobbying group -- the U.S. Council of International Business --
which is full-on supporting the Bush Administration’s efforts to nix the
Treaty.  Meanwhile, some of Ford’s big auto buddies, including
Daimler-Chrysler, support Kyoto.

TAKE ACTION NOW:  Write Ford Motor Company and demand they start walkin’ the
global warming talk and stop working to defeat the Kyoto Treaty!  Use the
EarthNet Action Center at http://www.envirocitizen.org/enet to make your views
heard.

FOR MORE INFO:
http://www.igc.org/trac/climate/gwford.html;
http://www.greenpeaceusa.org/features/fortune100.htm;  
http://www.ford.com/servlet/ecmcs/ford/index.jsp?SECTION=ourCompany&LEVEL2=c
ommunityAndCulture&LEVEL3=buildingRelationships&LEVEL4=strategicIssues&LEVEL
5=changingOurApproach


QUOTE OF THE WEEK
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The human race is challenged more than ever before to demonstrate our mastery
not over nature but of ourselves."

--Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring
Silent Spring is one of the first and still preeminent books on the negative
effects of chemicals and pesticides.  She died of breast cancer in 1964 at age
56.  


GLIMMER(S) OF HOPE: Part Uno
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Earlier this month, the House of Representatives gave a big, fat “no thanks” to
the Bush Administration plans to open our National Monuments to oil drilling
and coal mining. The House approved the Rahall amendment to the Interior
Appropriations bill by a decisive vote of 242-173, with 47pro-Monument
Republicans joining the Dems. The Rahall amendment will prevent the Interior
Department from issuing any new leasing or pre-leasing activity on National
Monuments’ land in the coming year.  

BONUS QUOTE: "They are incredible treasures; from the Atlantic to the Pacific,
historic sites, glacial fjords, towering mountains, and fragile deserts. Are we
really that desperate that we will allow coal mining or oil and gas drilling in
these National Monuments? I do not believe so." -- Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV)

GLIMMER(S) OF HOPE: Part Deux
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In April, a committee of the Maine state legislature reviewed legislation that
would have prevented students from voting in their college towns.  This was not
the first time Maine students had seen this sort of threat to their voting
rights.  This bill followed a trend of officials from Maine towns (such as
Brunswick, Bar Harbor, Gorham, Farmington, and Standish) harassing students at
the polls and preventing them from voting on Election Day.  But students at
Bowdoin College were ready to fight this time around!  They sent 150 letters in
support of the bill’s defeat to the co-chairpeople of the committee and
collected 175 signatures for a petition sent to Representative Schneider of
Durham, the sponsor of the legislation.  They then marched on the state house
to protest the legislation during a committee work session.  The students won
acknowledgment from the committee reviewing the bill, which was subsequently
defeated with a unanimous vote after only minutes of discussion.  The event was
even a media hit, with televised coverage that appeared on Maine’s Channel 6
NBC statewide news!
        
Props to the Bowdoin students involved -- here’s hoping that their courageous
and strategic efforts will slam the door on any future efforts to suppress
students’ right to vote in Maine!

ECO-EXPOSURE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Do you ponder environmental ethical quandaries?  Write about it and you could
qualify for the Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest 2002 and win $5,000.
Deadline for applications is December 1, 2001.  Check out more details at
http://www.eliewieselfoundation.org/EthicsPrize/EPIntro.htm


LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Viequez battle continues…

To the Editor:
A recent letter to the editor regarding the Navy's continued presence in
Viequez expressed that the Navy should not be the target of the protests about
environmental damage. But Viequez, regardless of whether locals are the ones
putting themselves on the line, is symbolic of a greater struggle against the
unchecked expansion of the American military worldwide. Historically it has
been obvious that war and conservation are staunch opposites. Military
planning, for valid reasons, is always secretive. As a government institution
they are exempt from the few, but essential, environmental regulations on
commercial developers. In another example, the Sonoran desert has been torn up
by reckless border patrol vehicles with free range to create new roads.In this
situation, environmental protection is placed at the bottom of the priority
list. Viequez symbolizes the urgency for the environmental movement to replace
the military's dominance on our political agenda. Many on the island have been
witness to the brutal proof that all our current decisions will eventually come
back to us. Those who have gone to raise awareness in the area should be
praised in hopes that we switch our policy priorities in Washington.

--Brian Turner

Got something to say?  Send your letters to mailto:earthnet@envirocitizen.org
We reserve the right to edit for length, clarity, and purpose.


JOBS AND INTERNSHIPS
------------------------------
These are a sampling of the over 200 environmental and activist jobs and
internships listed at www.envirocitizen.org/enet/jobs/index.asp!

The Pew Wilderness Center in Boulder, Colorado, is looking for a Wilderness
Conservation Intern.  Find the job description at
http://www.envirocitizen.org/enet/jobs/detail.asp?id=2921

Sierra Club seeks a Program Assistant for its International & Population
Programs in its DC office.  Find the job description at
http://www.envirocitizen.org/enet/jobs/detail.asp?id=2890

Eco Education has an opening for an educator to work with teachers in
developing an environmental curriculum for Minneapolis/St. Paul area middle
schools.  Find the job description at
http://www.envirocitizen.org/enet/jobs/detail.asp?id=2920


CONFERENCES AND GATHERINGS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
All events listed at http://www.envirocitizen.org/enet/events/index.asp

WHAT: 7th International Interdisciplinary Conference on the Environment
WHERE: San Francisco, CA                
WHEN:  July 2-July 4, 2001
FOR MORE INFO: http://www.envirocitizen.org/enet/events/detail.asp?id=543

WHAT: Communication and the Environment
WHERE: Cincinnati, OH
WHEN:  July 27-July 30, 2001
FOR MORE INFO: http://www.envirocitizen.org/enet/events/detail.asp?id=459

WHAT: Principles of Community Organizing Training
WHERE:  Sioux Falls, SD
WHEN:  July 27-30, 2001
FOR MORE INFO: http://www.envirocitizen.org/enet/events/detail.asp?id=731


ACTIVIST PHONE BOOK
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. Capitol Switchboard: 202.224.3121
White House Comment Line: 202.456.1111
EarthNet Action Center: http://congress.nw.dc.us/cec
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
**Look up e-mail addresses in a comprehensive congressional directory at
http://congress.nw.dc.us/cec/congdir.html or http://www.vote-smart.org/ce

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Write your own short articles for submission to EarthNet. We are particularly
interested in articles about student activism on your campus. The email
accounts for EarthNet News are:
For general comments: mailto:earthnet@envirocitizen.org
For article submissions or ideas: mailto:submissions@envirocitizen.org
Submit Jobs/Internships/Volunteer listings at
http://www.envirocitizen.org/enet/jobs/add.asp.
Submit Events at http://www.envirocitizen.org/enet/events/add.asp.

****************************
* WILD ALERT
* Thursday, June 28, 2001
****************************

Early next month, the U.S. House of Representatives will likely vote
on whether or not to allow oil drilling in the Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge during consideration of energy legislation.  

Ask Congress to protect the Refuge from oil & gas drilling.  Take action
and find out the latest at http://www.wilderness.org/arctic/action/

JULY VOTE EXPECTED ON ARCTIC REFUGE
Next month, the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on a
proposal to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas
drilling.  President Bush has made drilling in the Refuge the
cornerstone of his national energy proposal, and the House Republican
leadership has committed to bringing the issue to the House floor
despite numerous polls that show strong opposition to drilling in the
Refuge.  A vote is also possible next month in the U.S. Senate.

Meanwhile, support continues to grow for legislation that would
protect the Arctic Refuge permanently by designating its 1.5 million
acre coastal plain as Wilderness.  Such a designation would prohibit
oil and gas drilling and other developments in the area.  One hundred
and fifty members of the House have cosponsored H.R. 770, Arctic
Refuge wilderness legislation introduced by Rep. Ed Markey (D-7/MA)
and Nancy Johnson (R-6/CT).  Twenty-six Senators have cosponsored S.
411, a companion bill introduced by Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT).

TAKE ACTION
Send your Representative and Senators a message asking them to protect
the Arctic at http://www.wilderness.org/arctic/action/ or contact them
directly with this message:

- OPPOSE oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
- SUPPORT permanent protection of the Arctic Refuge as Wilderness by
cosponsoring HR 770 and S 411.

Send your message to:
Sen. _______, US Senate, Washington, DC  20510
Rep. _______, US House of Representatives, Washington, DC  20515
Capitol Hill Switchboard; (202) 224-3121

FORESTS, MOUNTAINS, TUNDRA, COASTLINE
The 19.6 million-acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a spectacular
wilderness of boreal forests, rugged mountains, sprawling tundra,
coastal lagoons, and barrier islands.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service has called the Refuge's 1.5 million-acre Coastal Plain "the
center for wildlife activity for the entire refuge."  But the oil
industry and its allies in the White House and Congress are lobbying
hard to open this part of the Refuge to oil drilling.

WILDLIFE
Polar and grizzly bears, wolves, and muskoxen are just a few of more
than 200 animal species that use the Coastal Plain.  Millions of
birds, representing some 125 species, migrate from as far away as the
Southeastern U.S., South America, and Asia to nest, rear their young,
molt, and feed there.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
The Gwich'in (Athabaskan) people depend on the Porcupine Caribou Herd
for their subsistence and culture, a relationship that has existed for
thousands of years.  For millenia, the 129,000-member caribou herd has
used the Coastal Plain as a calving area , for which there is no
alternative.

WHAT WOULD DEVELOPMENT MEAN?
The Arctic Refuge is not an environment that can tolerate development.  
Oil drilling in the Refuge would bring hundreds of miles of roads and
pipelines, air strips and port facilities, power lines, massive gravel
mining, air pollution, and housing for thousands of workers. This kind
of industrial development has no place inside a national wildlife
refuge.

Oil development at Prudhoe Bay west of the Arctic Refuge results in
more than a spill a  day of oil and other toxic substances according
to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.  The same
would almost certainly occur in the Refuge.  

President Bush and Interior Secretary Norton are continuing to push
the myth that opening up the Arctic Refuge will somehow resolve
California's energy problems or lower oil prices.  Nothing could be
further from the truth.  Less than one percent of California's
electricity comes from burning oil.  In addition, it will take more
than 10 years for any oil from the Arctic Refuge to get to market --
not a solution to California's current problems.  Finally, Arctic oil
would do nothing to affect overall oil prices, which are set on the
world market.  Alaska oil amounts to a tiny drop in that bucket.

The U.S. Geological Survey has determined that the most likely amount
of oil that could be economically extracted from the refuge is less
than what the U.S. consumes in six months.  Even less natural gas
occurs under the refuge relative to U.S. demand.

***************************************************************
For a full list of Action Items, visit
http://www.wilderness.org/whatcan/takeaction.htm

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http://www.wilderness.org/wildalert/wildalerts.htm

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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
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Shop the Ocean Friendly Way

Dear WWF Conservation Action Network Activist:

Here's a chance to vote with your pocketbook to save the ocean.  
Starting on June 30, go to a Whole Foods Market (known as Fresh
Fields in parts of the United States) and purchase Alaska salmon that
has been certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).  (To
find a store near you, go to www.wholefoodsmarket.com)  For fish
products to carry the MSC label, they must come from well-managed
fisheries that maintain healthy fish stocks and preserve surrounding
ecosystems.

On June 30, and throughout the month of July, consumers will be able
to choose MSC-certified Alaska salmon at Whole Foods stores. An
outpouring of consumer support for MSC-certified fish during the
promotion will show the seafood industry that the public
enthusiastically supports marine conservation.

Even if you can't make it to a Whole Foods Market, please go to
http://takeaction.worldwildlife.org/ to send a free message showing
Whole Foods Market that you appreciate their making MSC-certified
Alaska salmon available at their stores.  And, if your local supermarket
doesn't stock MSC products, please ask them to.  If they do, let us
know at <actionquestions@worldwildlife.org> so we can thank them.  

As a result of overfishing, pollution, and habitat destruction, many fish
populations are in real trouble.  The Marine Stewardship Council
(MSC) was founded in 1997 by Unilever and World Wildlife Fund to
promote responsible fishing practices worldwide, and last year
Alaska's salmon fishery became the first in the United States to meet
the organization's standards.  More than 100 major seafood
businesses, fishing groups, and conservation organizations now back
the independent, nonprofit council, so consumers will get more options
to support fisheries that help protect our environment.

Natural Resources Defense Council's

LEGISLATIVE WATCH

June 27, 2001


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 ! =

6/27/01

Though the official reorganization of the Senate under
Democratic leadership is not yet complete, the annual
appropriations process is moving ahead quickly. In a sprint
to complete a few appropriations bills before the July 4th
recess, the House approved funding for the departments of
Interior and Transportation, and is poised to approve
funding for Energy, Agriculture, and the Army Corps of
Engineers.

...

Budget/Appropriations

= N O T E ! =
The Senate will soon consider President Bush's request for
$7 billion in supplemental military funding for fiscal year
2001. This bill also contains $300 million in financial
assistance for low-income households struggling with high
power bills this summer. The House approved the request on
6/20, with the passage of H.R. 2216. Sen. Domenici (R-NM)
added a provision to the Senate bill (S. 1077) that could
weaken federal protections for the endangered silvery minnow
in the Rio Grande River.

= N O T E ! =
The Senate is likely to push the Interior funding bill
through committee on 6/28. The House overwhelmingly passed
its version of the bill, H.R. 2217, on 6/21 by a vote of
376-32. In a great victory for the environmental community,
the House repeatedly rejected key anti-environment
components of the Bush energy agenda. Bipartisan amendments
were approved to reverse Bush administration policies that
would have allowed oil and gas drilling within the
boundaries of national monuments (including those created
recently by President Clinton), oil and gas development off
the west coast of Florida, and mining on public lands. The
House bill also contains $800 million more than the
president's request for the agency, and does not include two
controversial provisions requested by the administration
that would have jeopardized enforcement of the Endangered
Species Act and provided funding for a study on oil and gas
drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The House
bill also boosts funding for the U.S. Geological Survey and
for energy programs, which the Bush administration had
targeted for severe cuts.

= N O T E ! =
The bill funding energy and water projects passed the House
Appropriations Committee on 6/20 and headed to the House
floor on 6/27. The bill contains a number of problematic
provisions, including one that authorizes one million
dollars in studies on an expensive California water project
that would destroy environmental resources while failing to
provide funds for environmental restoration. The bill would
also hinder the recovery of endangered species on the
Missouri River by preventing the federal government from
releasing water to restore more natural conditions.

= N O T E ! =
On 6/26, the House approved its transportation funding bill
(H.R. 2299) for next year. The bill does not include
language blocking the federal government from considering
whether vehicle fuel economy standards should be increased.

On 6/13, the House Appropriations Committee approved the
fiscal year 2002 funding bill for the Agriculture
department. The bill does not contain funding for important
wetlands reserves, wildlife habitat, and farmland
conservation programs. Environmentalists would like to fully
fund these programs by adding $650 million.

On 5/6, Congress passed the Bush administration's tax cut
bill, H.R. 1836. The bill authorizes a $1.35 trillion tax
cut over the next decade. Opponents of the cut maintain that
the huge loss of government revenue will make it impossible
to adequately fund many important environmental programs.

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).

...

Campaign Finance Reform

After the July 4th recess, the House is expected to take up
a campaign finance reform bill (H.R. 380) introduced by Rep.
Shays (R-CT) and Rep. Meehan (D-MA). The Senate passed S.
27, Sen. McCain's (R-AZ) and Sen. Feingold's (D-WI) campaign
finance reform bill on 4/2. Both bills would ban "soft
money" donations from corporations to political parties,
which currently are not subject to federal limits. Huge soft
money contributions from wealthy corporations have made it
easier for these corporations to persuade members of
Congress to attach anti-environment riders to funding bills,
and to gain special exemptions from environmental laws and
regulations.

...

Clean Air and Energy

= N O T E ! =
The House leadership plans to vote on an omnibus energy bill
reflecting key components of the Bush energy plan before the
August recess. Working towards that goal, both the House
Resources and Energy and Commerce committees plan to
consider bills relating to energy development in the second
week of July.

Sen. Bingaman (D-NM), the new chair of the Senate Energy and
Natural Resources Committee, will focus first on a
short-term energy bill to address energy supply and prices
for this summer and winter. Sen. Bingaman and the Senate
Democratic leadership have been more supportive of energy
conservation measures than their Republican counterparts,
and unlike the Republican leadership, the Democrats oppose
drilling for oil and gas in the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge. However, environmentalists do not support the
Democratic energy bill (S. 597) introduced by Sen. Bingaman
on 3/22 because, in part, it would increase the use of coal
without environmental safeguards and allow offshore oil and
gas leases in the eastern part of the Gulf of Mexico.

On 6/7, Rep. Matsui (D-CA) introduced a comprehensive energy
tax bill (H.R. 2108) that provides tax incentives for energy
conservation and production. While environmentalists support
incentives for energy efficiency technologies, this bill
contains objectionable tax credits for coal production. This
bill is a companion to the Senate bill, S. 596, offered by
Sen. Bingaman.

Sen. Reid (D-NV), the highest-ranking Democratic member of
the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in the
Republican-controlled Senate, gave up his chance to become
chair of the committee when the Democrats gained control so
that Sen. Jeffords (I-VT) could have the position. In his
new role, Sen. Jeffords will have the opportunity to move
the bipartisan bill that he and Sen. Lieberman (D-CT)
authored to impose mandatory cuts on carbon pollution
through committee. The Jeffords-Lieberman bill, S. 556, has
14 cosponsors and new momentum. The House bill, H.R. 1256,
introduced by Rep. Boehlert (R-NY) and Rep. Waxman (D-CA) on
3/27 has over 100 cosponsors.

On 5/17, the Bush administration announced its energy plan,
which heavily emphasizes domestic development of oil, gas
and coal, and has new incentives for nuclear power plants.
While the plan includes some energy efficiency and renewable
energy proposals, these fall far short of what is needed and
what environmentalists are advocating. The plan also would
weaken protections for air, water and wildlife. In addition,
the plan proposes opening the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge and other wildlands to oil and gas drilling.

On 5/16, Rep. Camp (R-MI) introduced H.R. 1864, a bipartisan
bill aimed at making highly-fuel-efficient hybrid
gasoline-electric vehicles more affordable, and saving
consumers money at the gas pump. On 4/24, a bipartisan group
of ten senators led by Sen. Hatch (R-UT) and Sen.
Rockefeller (D-WV) introduced S. 760, a companion Senate
bill with the same goals. The bills link the amount of tax
savings for each vehicle to increased fuel efficiency, and
would help decrease both carbon dioxide emissions that
contribute to global warming and the use of petroleum fuels.

On 5/10, Rep. Olver (D-MA) and Rep. Gilchrest (R-MD)
introduced H.R. 1815, a House companion bill to S. 804.
Introduced by Senators Feinstein (D-CA), Snowe (R-ME),
Schumer (D-NY), and Collins (R-ME) on 5/1, S. 804 seeks to
tighten corporate fuel economy standards for sport utility
vehicles and light trucks. The bill would require that SUVs
and other light trucks increase fuel economy to 27.5 mpg by
model year 2007, expand the current fuel economy standards
to trucks weighing between 8,500-10,000 pounds by 2007, and
raise the fuel economy of the federal government's fleet by
6 mpg. SUVs and light trucks currently use 43 percent more
gasoline per mile than the average car.

Because the Energy and Commerce Committee was unable to
reach consensus on Rep. Barton's (R-TX) bill to address the
California power shortage (H.R. 1647), the bill has not yet
made it to the House floor. Introduced on 5/1, the bill
purports to address the electricity shortages in California,
but would do little for California, and would drastically
undermine federal environmental protections. The bill would
give governors the power to allow utilities to bypass
federal environmental protections contained in the Clean Air
Act and Endangered Species Act under poorly defined "energy
emergencies." Under such circumstances, the bill also would
exempt utilities from regulations that limit smog and soot
pollution. In addition, the bill would allow states to let
hydroelectric plants ignore federal requirements that
protect endangered species such as salmon and that ensure
that water is available for fish and wildlife or ecosystem
restoration.

NRDC's report, A Responsible Energy Policy for the 21st
Century (http://www.nrdc.org/air/energy/rep/repinx.asp),
outlines the components of an alternative energy policy --
one that can meet the nation's energy needs without
destroying wilderness or rolling back environmental
safeguards.

...

Endangered Species

On 6/7, the House Interior Subcommittee approved a funding
bill for the Interior department. The bill did not include a
legislative rider, requested by the Bush administration,
which would have blocked citizen access to the courts to
enforce key provisions of the Endangered Species Act. When
the Senate takes up the Interior bill on 6/28, Sen. Burns
(R-MT) may try to again insert the Bush rider into the bill.
Also on 6/28, Sen. Reid (D-NV) is expected to try to
increase funding significantly -- from $8.5 million to $24
million -- for protecting endangered species.

On 5/9, the Senate Fisheries, Wildlife and Water
Subcommittee considered funding for the Endangered Species
Act. Witnesses generally agreed that this program needs a
minimum funding level of $120 million to adequately protect
endangered or threatened species and their habitats.

...

Global Warming

On 6/8, Sen. Byrd (D-WV) and Sen. Stevens (R-AK) introduced
the bipartisan Climate Change Strategy and Technology
Innovation Act of 2001 (S. 1008). This bill creates a
framework for the United States to develop a comprehensive
program to reduce pollution that contributes to global
warming. The bill would require the federal government to
develop a robust strategy to stabilize concentrations of
greenhouse gases (those that exacerbate global warming) in
the atmosphere at levels required to protect human health
and the environment.

On 5/16, the House approved a bill to reauthorize the State
Department. The bill contains language, added by Rep.
Menendez (D-NJ), which urges the U.S. to reduce greenhouse
gases and continue to participate in international
negotiations on the Kyoto Protocol treaty.

...

Public Health

= N O T E ! =
On 6/28, the House Hazardous Materials Subcommittee will
hold a hearing on brownfields legislation. The agenda will
include review of a draft bill introduced by committee chair
Gillmor (R-OH), which is opposed by environmental groups
because it fails to provide adequate protection for
communities during brownfields redevelopment.

On 5/22, the House unanimously approved H.R. 1831, a
bipartisan bill that exempts municipal solid waste and small
quantities of hazardous waste from Superfund liability. This
bipartisan compromise legislation moved swiftly through the
House because it had the support of key leaders on both the
Commerce Committee and the Transportation Committee.

On 5/3, Sen. Chafee (R-RI) introduced a bill (S. 830) that
would fund research into links between breast cancer and the
environment. Rep. Lowey (D-NY) introduced a House companion
bill (H.R. 1723) on the same day.

On 4/26, Sen. Boxer (D-CA) led six other Democratic senators
in offering S. 796, a bill designed to inform the public
about the health dangers associated with arsenic in drinking
water. The bill also seeks to inform people that the EPA has
decided not to strengthen the arsenic standards because of
cost concerns.

On 4/25, by a vote of 99-0, the Senate approved a popular
bipartisan brownfields redevelopment bill (S. 350),
introduced by Senators Smith (R-NH), Chafee (R-RI), Reid
(D-NV), and Boxer (D-CA). The bill provides states with
increased funding and authority to clean up former
industrial sites known as brownfields. The bill now moves to
the House, where its fate is uncertain. The Bush
administration has signaled its support for the bill, but
with funding extremely tight, finding money in the budget
for brownfields clean-up may be difficult.

On 4/4, Rep. Waxman (D-CA) introduced H.R. 1413, which would
reinstate the arsenic-in-drinking-water standard of 10 parts
per billion (ppb) issued by the Clinton administration in
January and revoked by the Bush administration in late
March. This bill would also provide funding for local water
authorities to bring their systems into compliance. With 173
cosponsors and the support of environmental and public
health groups, the bill's supporters are pushing hard to
quickly bring it to the floor of the House. In a move also
applauded by environmentalists, Rep. Sanders (I-VT) has
introduced H.R. 1252, a bill that would establish an
arsenic-in-drinking-water standard even lower than the 10
ppb standard in H.R. 1413.

...

Public Lands

On 6/7, Rep. Simpson (R-ID) introduced the National Monument
Fairness Act of 2001 (H.R. 2114), a bill seeking to curb the
president's ability to either designate new national
monuments or expand existing national monuments under the
1906 Antiquities Act. This bill, which would require
congressional approval for monuments over 50,000 acres in
size, is opposed by the environmental community because it
would hinder swift presidential action to protect important
public resources that are threatened by development.

On 5/23, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
approved, by voice vote, J. Steven Griles, President Bush's
nominee to be second in command at the Department of the
Interior. Griles served in President Reagan's Interior
Department for eight years. He is a lobbyist and a former
industry official who is expected to push for more industry
resource extraction from, and less environmental protection
for, public lands. Environmentalists oppose his nomination.

On 5/1, the House unanimously passed a substantially
improved version of H.R. 601, a bill that redesignates a
portion of the Craters of the Moon National Monument in
Idaho as a preserve where traditional hunting would be
allowed. Environmentalists did not oppose the final version
of this bill, because it reflects an agreement that the
Clinton administration had reached with the local community,
and it ensures that the Interior Department retain oversight
of hunting there.

...

Regulatory Reform

On 5/23, the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee approved,
by a 9-3 vote, the nomination of John Graham for a key
position within the White House that makes recommendations
on regulations to be issued. Sen. Lieberman (D-CT) joined
Sen. Durbin (D-IL) and Sen. Torricelli (D-NJ) to oppose
Graham. Environmental, labor, and consumer groups oppose
Graham's nomination because he consistently advocates an
ideological approach to regulation that is hostile to strong
environmental, health, and safety protections.

...

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/scorecards/index.htm

...........

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. To
unsubscribe from Earth Action, send an email message to
earthaction@nrdcaction.org with REMOVE in the subject line.

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. To unsubscribe, send an email message to
wildcalifornia@nrdcaction.org with REMOVE in the subject
line.

...........

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

HOUSE VICTORIES: Endangered   Species Act is spared TROUBLE AHEAD: White   House unleashing PR blitz for energy plan SHELL GAME: President's   budget eliminates important programs SAVING GRIZZLIES:   Speak out for restoring bears to Bitterroot SLAUGHTER ALLEY: Panthers   dying at record rate on highways SPECIAL INTERNET   OFFER: Save wildlife through EarthLink! WHALE WATCH: Navy   suspected in two deaths 1. HOUSE VICTORIES: Endangered Species Act is spared    With Republicans breaking ranks with the White House, the U.S. House has   rebuffed the Bush administration on a number of environmental fronts over the   past week -- voting to ban oil and gas drilling in the Great Lakes and in   national monuments, to prevent proposed oil and gas leasing off the Florida   coast, and to preserve protections against mining disasters on public lands.   The House also rejected an attempt to gut citizen enforcement of the   Endangered Species Act. The Bush administration wanted to give Interior   Secretary Norton the sole discretion to decide which animals and plants to   protect under that law. "We are deeply gratified that the House kept   citizens in the picture on listing endangered species," Defenders of   Wildlife President Rodger Schlickeisen said. "The administration proposed   to throw the fate of species at risk on the tender mercies of Secretary   Norton, who has argued that the entire Endangered Species Act is   unconstitutional. House passage of this bill, along with these amendments that   repudiate a whole laundry list of President Bush's proposals, show just how   extreme his anti-environmental agenda really is."    The Senate Appropriations Committee snubbed the White House again   yesterday, refusing to fund a study of oil drilling in the Arctic National   Wildlife Refuge or to cripple the Endangered Species Act.   2. TROUBLE AHEAD: White House unleashing PR blitz for energy plan    The Bush administration is plotting an all-out public-relations blitz to   try to sell the president's "drill-and-burn" energy plan. Polls   show most Americans don't like the plan because it would weaken   environmental protections and it all but ignores energy efficiency and new   technologies. The White House's allies in Congress are worried that the   unpopular plan could hurt them in next year's elections. House committees   are preparing to consider the plan after the Fourth of July, and insiders say   the draft of the legislation is ominous. Despite overwhelming public   opposition, it opens the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. The   legislation also gives states the authority to allow for-profit exploitation   of our national lands, among other anti-environmental provisions. It's clear   that Big Oil hasn't given up on drilling in the Arctic. Interior Secretary   Norton has named Camden Toohey, the director of the pro-oil development group   Arctic Power, as her special adviser on the issue. That's even though Arctic   Power exists solely to lobby for drilling in the refuge. Congressman Edward   Markey of Massachusetts criticized the appointment as "an ethical oil   spill."    To speak out against drilling in the Arctic refuge, go to www.savearcticrefuge.org    3. SHELL GAME: President's budget eliminates important programs   President Bush is claiming green credentials because his budget fully funds   the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which helps federal agencies and states   buy open space and build recreational facilities. But Defenders of Wildlife   pointed out that the Bush budget does so only by cutting or eliminating other   conservation programs, including $100 million to protect wildlife. It amounts   to $2.7 billion in cuts over six years. "The Bush plan is all smoke and   mirrors, robbing Peter to pay Paul," Mary Beth Beetham, Defenders   director of legislative affairs, told the Washington Post. "It puts aside   money for the land and water fund, but only by starving important   programs." A GOP-controlled House subcommittee already has refused to   play the Bush shell game.    4. SAVING GRIZZLIES: Speak out for restoring bears to Bitterroot   It's a grass-roots plan that's earned broad popular support -- even the   timber industry is for it. But Interior Secretary Gale Norton is trying to   stop the citizen-run initiative to bring grizzly bears back to a vast swath of   public land in the remote Bitterroot Mountains of Idaho and Montana.   Scientists see this project as critical to the long-term survival of grizzlies   in the American West. Defenders of Wildlife President Schlickeisen said,   "The fact is, the Bitterroot is the last, best place for recovering   grizzly bears in the Lower 48 states. If we do not seize this opportunity, the   future of the grizzly is indeed uncertain."    Help bring grizzlies back to the Bitterroots. Log in to  http://www.denaction.org   and send an e-mail   urging Secretary Norton to allow this critical project to go forward.   The U.S.   Fish and Wildlife Service is now accepting public comments on the plan. The   survival of grizzlies in the West could depend on the number of wildlife   supporters who make their voices heard.     For more information, click here http://www.defenders.org/wildlife/new/grizzlybear.html   5. SLAUGHTER ALLEY: Panthers dying at record rate on highways    More than 1 million animals are killed on our highways every day, and the   problem is so bad in Florida that one notorious road has been dubbed   "Slaughter Alley." It's State Road 846 in the southwest corner of   the state, where five endangered Florida panthers have been killed this year.   In all, six panthers – about 8 percent of the entire remaining population   – have been killed on highways so far this year. That's the worst death   rate in 18 years. Two 10–month-old siblings were killed within hours of each   other. There are no fences or underpasses for panthers on Slaughter Alley. Defenders of   Wildlife is helping by providing highway warning signs and handouts to be   distributed to drivers at toll booths and elsewhere.   For more information on the dangers that highways pose to wildlife, click   here: http://www.defenders.org/habitat/highways    You can help Defenders save Florida panthers, lynx, jaguars and   other Big Cats in America. Click here to learn how: http://www.webapply.com/defenders-aeq9     This contribution will be used to help keep the animals you   cherish out of harm's way from the special interests who would destroy them.   Sign up today to get unlimited Internet access through the Dial-up Service or   the DSL Service. You'll save yourself money and know you're doing your   part to safeguard wildlife for future generations. Click here for more   information: http://cgi.earthlink.net/joinnow/dw/index.jhtml?RN=400063534    EarthLink is the nation's second largest internet service provider (ISP) as   ranked by paying subscribers. 7. WHALE WATCH: Navy suspected in two deaths Scientists are questioning whether the deaths of two rare beaked whales were caused by Navy tests of sonar equipment. The whales beached at Vero Beach, Fla. An adult male was dead by the time rescue teams arrived. And biologists had to euthanize a juvenile male that was badly injured. For the last several years the Navy has been moving ahead with plans to deploy a submarine-detection sonar system that would blast the oceans with noise billions of times more intense than that known to disturb whales. In this case, the Navy didn't admit any sonar testing, but confirmed detonating four 10,000-pound explosive charges to test the shock resistance of a new guided missile destroyer. Go to: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/prot_res/PR2/Acoustics_Program/acoustics.html for more information on the dangers of the Navy's sonar system. E-MAIL BAG:       "Quick note. Your e-mail alerts are excellent! Very easy to use. I don't   have the time to compose detailed letters to all the different legislators. I   am so glad that you have chosen this format to help all animals. More power to   you. Keep those alerts coming. You have my support. Thanks for caring."   – K.M.   "Hi folks! I agree with G.B.'s e-mail that you certainly make it   fast and easy by the computerized system of sending my opinions and comments   regarding the saving of wildlife and conservation lands. Time is very precious   to many of us, and this system enables us to get the job done. Many thanks for   all the work you do for the benefit of our precious earth and all who reside   here. I am proud to be a member of this organization." – D.D.    "I love this newsletter. It is so much more immediate than a written   format and quicker to read through. I especially like how you present an   issue, and then show readers exactly how to sign a petition or contribute   easily on-line. That is a tactic that works. When you already have our own   senators and congress people for us to e-mail to, that makes it so much easier   to make our voices heard. Good luck in all your worthy endeavors." –   C.S.   Thanks folks! Together we can make a difference – Editors           *   FORWARD THIS ISSUE TO A FRIEND.   HELP SPREAD THE NEWS   ABOUT WILDLIFE AND CONSERVATION. *           CLICK     HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO DENLINES                 DENlines is a bi-weekly 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. 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 2001

Positive Energy
June 29, 2001
V1.02

Welcome back to another issue of Positive Energy
(a.k.a. PowerShift). Don't get confused: this is
still the Clean Energy Now Campaign's fantastic
weekly on-line newsletter providing you with the
latest good news on ways we can achieve clean air,
climate justice and renewable energy solutions to
California's current energy crisis.

Up this week:
* Greenpeace Invites Gray Davis to Bonn!
* A Win for California's Coast!
* Reality Burns in Southern California!

>>>>>THE GOOD NEWS...
GREENPEACE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ASKS
GOVERNOR GRAY DAVIS TO GO TO BONN FOR
CLIMATE NEGOTIATIONS.


Greenpeace Executive Director John Passacantando
personally delivered a plane ticket for the global
warming talks in Bonn next month to Governor Gray
Davis on Monday, June 25. Passacantando was accompanied
by three Greenpeace protesters bearing signs that said,
"Clean Energy Now!", an oversized boarding pass, and
carry-on luggage