|
|
Natural
Resources Defense Council's
CALIFORNIA ACTIVIST NETWORK ACTION ALERT
NRDC's California Activist Network was formed to mobilize and provide
action tools to Californians and others concerned with protecting the
state's extraordinary wealth of natural treasures and the health of
its
citizens.
July 1, 2002
========================================
In This Issue:
--Action alerts--
Tell Interior Secretary
Norton to protect California's coast from oil
drilling
--Updates on
Previous alerts--
Genetically engineered fish
======================================================
You will also
find these alerts in NRDC'S Earth Action Center, which
includes tools for
taking action easily online, at
http://www.nrdc.org/action
(Please do not reply to this message; see
the instructions below for
how to unsubscribe or contact NRDC with questions
or comments.)
=============
Action alerts
=============
Tell Interior Secretary Norton to protect California's coast from oil
drilling
In May President Bush announced a buyout of oil leases off
the coast
of Florida, where his brother Jeb is governor. When California
Governor Gray Davis requested similar relief, Interior Secretary Gale
Norton refused. In a letter to Governor Davis, the secretary wrote,
"A
major difference between Florida and California is that Florida
opposes
coastal drilling and California does not."
As you probably already know,
Secretary Norton's claim doesn't square
with the facts. The vast majority of
Californians oppose offshore
drilling because they know that oil spills pose
a tremendous risk to
our environment and economy. But instead of helping
protect
California's coast, Secretary Norton is appealing a court order
requiring the federal government to let California review plans to
renew
36 undeveloped oil leases off our coast.
California's coast is no less
worthy of protection than Florida's.
Californians must let the
administration know that, just like
Floridians, they oppose coastal drilling
-- and expect the same level
of protection.
=== What to do ===
Send a message to Secretary Norton, urging her to drop her appeal in
the
California offshore drilling case.
=== Contact information ===
You
can send a message to Secretary Norton directly from NRDC's
Earth Action Center at
http://www.nrdcaction.org/index.asp?step=2&item=1234
Or use the contact information and sample letter
below to send your
own message, and please include your own reasons why
protecting
California's coast from oil drilling is important to you.
Secretary Gale A. Norton
U.S. Department of the Interior
1849 C
Street, NW
Washington, DC 20240
Fax: 202-208-6956
Email: gale_norton@ios.doi.gov
== Sample letter ==
Subject: Drop your appeal in the California offshore leases
case
Dear Secretary Norton,
I am concerned that you think
Californians support offshore drilling
and that you're using this as
justification for treating California
differently from Florida. As a
California resident, I'm very worried
about the risks that oil spills
present to our environment and
economy. The overwhelming majority of
Californians share my concern
and oppose offshore drilling as well.
I urge you to protect California's coast from offshore drilling by
dropping your appeal of a federal district court ruling last summer.
In
that case, Judge Wilken ruled that California has a right to
review federal
proposals to extend oil leases off its coast under the
provisions of the
Coastal Zone Management Act.
Again, I urge you take Californians' desire
to protect our coast
seriously, and drop your appeal in the case.
Sincerely,
[Your name and address]
==========================
Updates on Previous alerts
==========================
Genetically engineered fish
In our
last alert we asked you to urge your assemblymember to support
a bill that
would prohibit genetically engineered fish in California.
More than 1,000 of
you responded (thank you!), but industry also
turned up the pressure. Even
compromise amendments that would have
reduced the ban to a two-year
moratorium couldn't save the bill (SB
1525), and it died in the Water, Parks
and Wildlife Committee during
the last week of June. We'll let you know
if/when the issue
re-surfaces.
==================================================
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:
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(or see the unsubscribe information below).
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==========
About NRDC
==========
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
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General email:
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California Activist Network email: wildcalifornia@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
TO: FAN
Members
FROM: Caron Whitaker, Policy Analyst
DATE: July 1, 2002
RE: URGENT ACTION NEEDED White House threatens to eliminate UNFPA
funding
SUMMARY
In December 2001, Congress allocated $34 million to
the United Nations Population Fund. However, because of a loophole in the
language which states, "not more than $34 million" may go to UNFPA, the
administration has withheld all funds from the agency.
The Bush
administration is withholding the funding based on concerns that UNFPA's work in
China supports forced abortion and coerced sterilization in that country
contrary to U.S. law. Although UNFPA does work in China, under UNFPA policy, all
UNFPA-supported programs are completely voluntary, and UNFPA does not provide
funding for abortion.
In May, the Bush administration sent a study team
to China to investigate UNFPA's work. The results of the report are expected to
be released soon. According to a recent article in the Washington Post,
administration officials are now considering eliminating funding for UNFPA for
fiscal year 2002.
TAKE ACTION
Please take a few minutes to call the
White House comment line at 202-456-1111 during business hours of 9:00 am to
5:00 pm. Tell the operator that you urge the President to release
funding for UNFPA - the UN Population Fund - as soon as possible.
BACKGROUND
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) provides
education for girls and women and family planning services around the world.
When people have the ability to choose the number and spacing of their children,
they often have smaller, healthier families. This reduces population pressures
on natural resources and wildlife. The services UNFPA provides are vital to the
health of women and children and to the health of our environment. This is why
the National Wildlife Federation is working to maintain funding.
In
December 2001, Republicans and Democrats in Congress compromised on an
appropriations bill figure of $34 million in FY02 for UNFPA. However, because of
a loophole in the language which states, "not more than $34 million" may go to
UNFPA, the administration has withheld all funds from the agency. The
administration's threat to defund UNFPA goes against Congress's bi-partisan
agreement, and is also in conflict with earlier actions of the Bush
Administration. Now, supporters from both chambers will debate this issue again
in Conference Committee. However, the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) has indicated that White House advisors may urge the President
to veto the Supplemental Appropriations bill if it contains language
requiring the administration to release the funds to UNFPA.
The Bush
administration is withholding the funding based on concerns by Rep. Chris Smith
(R-NJ 4th) that UNFPA's work in China supports forced abortion and coerced
sterilization in that country contrary to U.S. law and UNFPA policy. Although
UNFPA does work in China, under UNFPA policy UNFPA-supported programs are
completely voluntary and UNFPA does not fund abortions. In fact, UNFPA acts as a
source of contact with international experts who can recommend voluntary
approaches and alternatives to the compulsory family planning program used in
some parts of China.
Since 1999, approximately 60 delegations and 145
diplomats from various countries have visited UNFPA in China and none have found
any evidence of wrongdoing. A team of parliamentarians from the United Kingdom
recently returned from China with praise for the UN Population Fund's work there
and has come to the conclusion that "there was no evidence to implicate UNFPA in
any coercive practice." Also, Secretary of State Colin Powell found no violation
of U.S. law and a U.N. investigatory team has found no violation by the UNFPA of
parallel U.N. policy
In May, the Bush administration sent its own three
person study team to China to investigate UNFPA's work. The Bush administration
stated that it is waiting for this report to decide whether, and how much of the
funds, to release. The team returned and completed a report, which
they submitted to the White House at the end of May. More than three
weeks later, we are still waiting for the Administration to release its
findings. The results of the report are expected to be released in
the next few days. The administration has not yet announced whether it will
release the $34 million to UNFPA. However, a recent Washington Post article
reports that presidential aides "directed State Department officials in recent
days to devise a plan to eliminate this year's funding for the program*"
TAKE ACTION
Please take a few minutes to call the White House
comment line at 202-456-1111 during business hours of 9:00 am to 5:00
p.m. Tell the operator that you urge the President to release funding
for UNFPA - the UN Population Fund - as soon as possible.
STAY TUNED
Once the U.S. Study Team releases its report and the Bush administration
responds to it, and as legislation moves forward, we may be contacting you again
via the Fast Action Network to ask for your help ensuring the release of the
funding for UNFPA.
Population & Environment Program
National Wildlife Federation
1400 16th St NW
Washington, DC 20036
phone: (202) 797-6800
fax: (202) 797-5486
email: population@nwf.org
website: http://www.nwf.org/population/
EarthNet News
... a project of the
Center for Environmental Citizenship
http://www.envirocitizen.org
----------------------------------------------------------------------
July 1, 2002
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to EarthNet's June review! We're bringing good
stuff to chew
on for lazy days in the summer heat.
In this issue you can read about
how our government
wants us to pay to clean up corporate polluters' messes.
And you'll find a great look at the weird and wonderful
philia we get
from living things in GLIMMER OF HOPE
II. Meanwhile, WHO'S WHO tells the
story of a swimming
activist and his fight to save a river.
Remember: EarthNet is in the summer cycle. That means
we're
publishing monthly and looking at a review of
the month's most interesting
enviro news. We'll be
back to weekly come September.
--Zachariah Silk, EarthNet Editor
mailto:earthnet@envirocitizen.org
----------------------------------------------------------------------
CONTENT
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Shadow Congress: Super Duper
2. Quote of the Week
3. Glimmer of Hope I: Fries with that engine?
4. Glimmer of
Hope II: Feel the lawn
5. Who's Who
6. Jobs and
Internships
7. Conferences and Gatherings
8.
Activist Phone Book & EarthNet News Info
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Shadow Congress
----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUPER DUPER
Congress created the Superfund law based
on two powerful
propositions. First, hazardous waste sites should be
quickly and thoroughly cleaned up. Second, polluters
-- not innocent
taxpayers -- should pay to cleanup
the contamination.
The American public insists that cleaning up hazardous
waste is one
of the greatest environmental issues we
face. Under the Comprehensive
Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), parties
that
release hazardous substances are responsible for damages
or
injuries to natural resources and are liable for
restoration. And, wouldn't
you know it, big industry
and their friends in government are attempting --
once
again -- to weaken our Superfund laws. In fact, the
EPA just
announced they will be cutting much of what
the program was scheduled to do
this year.
Superfund sites are some of the most contaminated toxic
waste sites in the nation. These sites poison our land,
water, and air
with toxic chemicals that potentially
cause cancer, birth defects, liver,
brain and nerve
damage, as well as other adverse health effects. With
10
million American children living within a bicycle
ride of a Superfund site
we need to ensure these sites
are cleaned up properly. Environmental groups
across
the country are pushing to strengthen the Superfund
laws. They
recognize that cleaning up these sites is
a priority for public health and
environmental quality.
Ensuring the life of the Superfund trust fund is
imperative
and should be accomplished through corporate polluter's
coffers not our pocketbook.
TAKE ACTION NOW:
http://actionnetwork.org/ct/h7qAAaF1mc-j/
Use EarthNet's Action Center to tell your government
to make polluters
pay.
FOR MORE INFO:
**Environmental Defense's news on Superfund
http://actionnetwork.org/ct/87qAAaF1mc-i/
** EPA's Superfund Site
http://actionnetwork.org/ct/8pqAAaF1mc-k/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
----------------------------------------------------------------------
We should sit back and watch the flowers grow.
-lyrics by singer
India.Arie
----------------------------------------------------------------------
GLIMMER OF HOPE
----------------------------------------------------------------------
FRIES WITH THAT ENGINE?
Finally, there's an alternative to
diesel fuel for
the world's tractors, trucks, and generators. Biodiesel,
made from vegetable oils and animal fat, yields 95%
less hydrocarbons
than conventional diesel as well
as 50% less carbon dioxide and 30% less
particulate
matter. Unlike diesel, it does not produce any sulfur
oxides
or sulfates. This great new choice for the combustion
engine decreases
pollution and can be used with only
minor vehicular modifications. Although
used more in
Europe, biodiesel can now be found across the U.S.
Lawmakers have proposed tax exemptions in an attempt
to even the playing
field with the less expensive conventional
diesel. Farms currently have the
option of receiving
a subsidy to produce biodiesel. The glimmer of pollution
on the highway will soon be a glimmer of hope if biodiesel
continues to
rise in popularity and replace its prehistoric
predecessor.
FOR MORE
INFO:
**Biodiesel Website
http://
http://actionnetwork.org/ct/idqAAaF1mc-o/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
GLIMMER OF HOPE
----------------------------------------------------------------------
FEEL THE LAWN
According to sociobiologist E.O. Wilson, the
presence
of nature affects human happiness and health. Humans
have
always been drawn to other species. Numerous studies
regarding this
phenomenon, biophilia, have documented
an increase in life expectancy and
psychotherapy success
and a decrease in stress, blood pressure and even
repeat
crime offenses resulting from adding a component of
the natural
world to day-to-day life. This practice
is common in settings such as
hospitals, nursing homes,
therapy sessions, dentists' offices, and detention
centers. Studies suggest people are more productive
at work and the
incarcerated follow the rules in jails
more when they have a view of trees
and rolling hills
from their respective windows.
Fairfax
County, Virginia recently acted on this knowledge
of the human benefits from
plant and animal life when
they passed a law prohibiting homeowners from
turning
their front lawns into multiple-car driveways on June
3rd. The
new law states that "no more than thirty (30)
percent of any front yard
shall be surfaced area for
a driveway or vehicle/trailer parking area."
Imagine
protecting human health, happiness and the environment
in one
fell swoop.
FOR MORE INFO:
**Interview with E.O. Wilson
http://actionnetwork.org/ct/hpqAAaF1mc-m/
**E.O. Wilson's Biophilia
http://actionnetwork.org/ct/i1qAAaF1mc-9/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
WHO'S WHO
----------------------------------------------------------------------
RIVER WILD
Compliments of Grist Magazine http://www.gristmagazine.com
Most people like what they see when they
look at a
river. When Christopher Swain first set his eyes on
the
Columbia River, he didn't like it. He loved it.
By his own account, Swain
fell in love with the river
and devoted himself to studying it. Upon
learning of
its severe degradation and waters polluted with everything
from human to radioactive waste, he vowed to clean
it up. Swain dove
into the river at its headwaters
in Columbia Lake on June 4th, and began his
historic
swim of its entire length to draw attention to the
river's
plight. When not swimming, this dedicated environmentalist
and athlete will
be spending his days from June until
November visiting the river's neighbors
and educating
them about the importance of cleaning it up. Thus far,
Swain has focused specifically on meeting with school
children and town
mayors, recognizing the power to
facilitate change that both hold. To learn
more about
his journey and to donate much needed supplies, go
to his
website at http://actionnetwork.org/ct/n1qAAaF1mc-E/
.
FOR MORE INFO:
**Swain's website
http://actionnetwork.org/ct/n1qAAaF1mc-E/
**Grist Magazine
http://www.gristmagazine.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------
JOBS AND INTERNSHIPS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
These are a sampling of the over 200 environmental
and activist jobs
and internships listed at http://www.envirocitizen.org/enet/jobs/index.asp
Job Title: Environmental Program Coordinator
Organization: Eco-Logical Solutions
Location: Boston, MA
http://actionnetwork.org/ct/8dqAAaF1mc-8/
Job Title: Editor/Writer
Organization: Rainforest Alliance
Location: New York, NY
http://actionnetwork.org/ct/81qAAaF1mc-n/
Job Title: Environmental/Natural Resource Planner
Organization:
Tetra Tech, Inc.
Location: Honolulu, HI
http://actionnetwork.org/ct/npqAAaF1mc-h/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
CONFERENCES, GATHERINGS AND VIEWINGS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lots more events listed at http://www.envirocitizen.org/enet/events/index.asp
Event: Ecological Design: The Unstoppable
Wave
Location: Berkeley, CA
Date: 7/4/2002 - 7/7/2002
http://actionnetwork.org/ct/n7qAAaF1mc-y/
Event: Animal Rights National Conference 2002
Location:
McLean, VA
Date: 6/28/2002 - 7/3/2002
http://actionnetwork.org/ct/ndqAAaF1mc-U/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ACTIVIST PHONE BOOK
----------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. Capitol Switchboard: 202.224.3121
White House
Comment Line: 202.456.1111
White House Address:
1600 Pennsylvania Ave
Washington, DC 20500
Senate Address:
US Senate
Washington, DC
20510
House Address:
US House of
Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Write your own short articles for submission to EarthNet.
We are
particularly interested in articles about student
activism on your
campus.
For general comments:
mailto:earthnet@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
--------------------------------------------------
Visit the web
address below and tell your friends about
this important issue!
http://actionnetwork.org/join-forward.html?domain=san&r=lpqAAaF1mqJ1
If you received this message from a friend,
you can
sign up for Student Action Network at:
http://actionnetwork.org/san/join.html?r=lpqAAaF1mqJ1E
--------------------------------------------------
If you would like to unsubscribe from Student Action
Network, you
can respond to this email with "REMOVE"
as the subject, or you can visit
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management page at:
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The new
issue of E/The Environmental Magazine is now online at emagazine.com.
Check
it out at:
<http://www.emagazine.com>
This issue features the following articles, among many others...
+++++ COVER STORY: Taking the Natural Path
<http://www.emagazine.com/july-august_2002/0702feat1.html>
The International Year of Ecotourism is a time for reflection. Will your
trip be arranged by a dedicated, conservation-minded tour operator, or a
fast-buck artist who exploits the local community? By Jim Motavalli
+++++ YOUR HEALTH: Hair to Dye For -- Natural Alternatives to Toxic
Coloring Agents
<http://www.emagazine.com/july-august_2002/0702gl_consumer.html>
More than 50 million women in America dye their hair on a regular basis,
from those covering gray to those who like to highlight or frost. And in case
you hadn’t noticed, men are no longer immune to this particular vanity or the
potential risks associated with it... By Starre Vartan
+++++ CURRENTS:
Africa’s Green Belt -- Wangari Maathai’s Movement is Built on the Power of Trees
<http://www.emagazine.com/july-august_2002/0702curr_wangaari.html>
On a winter day in 1999, Kenyan environmental activist Wangari Maathai was
doing what comes naturally to her: planting trees. As in Thailand, where a
Buddhist monk who protected trees by ordaining them was thrown in jail,
Maathai’s activities made the authorities uneasy. The seedlings that Maathai and
her cohorts in the Green Belt Movement were attempting to plant replaced trees
felled by real estate developers, whose private security guards were reportedly
behind an attack that left Maathai’s head gashed and many of her supporters
injured... By Jim Motavalli
SEARCH THE E MAGAZINE ONLINE ARCHIVE
The emagazine.com archive is a keyword-searchable collection of past
articles
from five years of articles from E/The Environmental Magazine. So
come see what
you're missing at...
<http://www.emagazine.com>
The emagazine.com website is a service of E/The Environmental Magazine.
Copyright © 2002. All Rights Reserved.
Good
Morning,
The wolf hunts in Norway are no longer legally valid because
permission
to kill was only granted until June 30, 2002.
However a
few days ago calves were taken by wolves. They were trying to
get
permission to kill the wolves and the local authoriies would not
grant it.
Perhaps the BBC Wildlife Magazine article, the CNN News coverage AND
all of our efforts have paid off ...... for now.
But I am asking all
of you to "be alert" because this is not the end of
the way
predators are "controlled" in Norway.
This is only the end of this
particular hunt.
There has been no change, at this point, in
the way Norway "controls"
its predators.
We must make the government
realize that there are other ways to
handle wildlife. So,
our work is not done.
Permission could be given for another hunt.....at
this point we do not
know.
The government needs to implement a
plan that will help the sheep farmer to
pay for fences, guard dogs, etc.
to stop livestock loss.
Paying "compensation" for livestock loss
alone will not solve the problem.
As I said, at least for now, the
"crisis" is over.
We have "won the battle" BUT "not" the war.
I
want to thank all of you for everything that you did for the Norwegian
wolf;
and
for me so that I, in turn, could try to help them.
I
will keep you posted as developments occur.
Once again, thank you from
the bottom of
my heart ---- "for the wolf."
Sincerely,
Donna Bettinger
BREAKING NEWS: Landmark Global Warming Bill Passes
in California. Your Help Is Needed. Find out how below.
***************************
Action Network from
Environmental Defense
finding the ways that work
***************************
On July 1, 2002, the most important
Global Warming
Bill in 20 years passed the California State legislature.
The bill now awaits Governor Davis' signature. However,
the Governor
still faces intense pressure from the
auto industry to reject this climate
legislation.
Click here to send a message to Governor Davis urging
him to sign this bill:
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/ca_globalwarming4/wk8bxn2h78xmx6
MORE:
The millions of cars and trucks on the road each day
are
among the largest sources of greenhouse gas pollution,
accounting for 40% of
all greenhouse gas emissions
in California alone. Under this new
legislation, AB
1493, California is poised to become the first state
to
implement regulations on greenhouse gas emissions
from passenger vehicles.
This bill would spur other
states to adopt California's strict regulations
and
set their own standards for auto emissions - breaking
from the
federal government's policy of inaction on
climate change issues.
Now, it's up to California Governor Gray Davis to ignore
the auto
lobby and sign this bill into law demonstrating
his environmental leadership
to California, America,
and the world.
PLEASE CONTACT GOVERNOR
DAVIS:
Email activists like you have sent over 20,000 messages
to
Governor Davis and raised thousands to dollars to
support this bill.
However, the Governor still faces
intense pressure from the auto industry to
reject this
landmark climate legislation.
It's not too
late to act. Contact California's Governor
Gray Davis and urge him to sign
this bill:
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/ca_globalwarming4/wk8bxn2h78xmx6
OTHER WAYS TO TAKE ACTION:
- Invite your friends and family to
send their own
message to the Governor. Click here:
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/ca_globalwarming4/forward/wk8bxn2h78xmx6
- Give a gift to support Environmental
Defense's fight
to make sure Governor Davis signs this bill:
http://actionnetwork.org/ct/971-AS11mc-Q/support_us
GET MORE INFORMATION ON THE CALIFORNIA BILL
AND GLOBAL WARMING
Visit our special website:
http://actionnetwork.org/ct/9d1-AS11mc-P/globalwarming_update
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| Thank You! |
July/August 2002 Edition
In This Issue:
|
NWF To Push For
Healthy Environment At World Summit |
|
|
Greening the Corps: A newly released report analyzing the Corps' Delaware Deepening Project helps support NWF's claim that the misguided project should be stopped in its tracks. Meanwhile, if you haven't already taken action, you can send a letter directly to the Corps of Engineers opposing the Yazoo Pumps Project in Mississippi, which would drain valuable bottomland forest habitat and threaten one of the two most significant populations of endangered pondberry plants in the country! Bush Administration: Despite a new report admitting that the nation's wildlife and wild places are vulnerable to global warming if greenhouse gas emissions remain unchecked, the Bush administration continues to turn its back on the climate change threat. |
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Making a Difference: Texan paddles to protect one of the state's wildest rivers. Farm Bill: A last-minute addition to the 2002 Farm Bill poses a significant threat to the nation's buffalo herd and other wildlife. |
|
Land Conservation: House bill would provide protection to Alaska's Chugach National Forest. EnviroCalendar: Find out what's going on in the conservation community and/or your region or state. |
|
The full issue of EnviroAction is available at:
www.nwf.org/enviroaction We look forward to receiving your feedback. Please email us at info@nwf.org or call us at
|
Gale Norton is compiling a record as perhaps the most anti-environmental Interior secretary in the nation's history, and the summer issue of our award-winning Defenders magazine -- now available online -- details how her agenda threatens our wildlife and wild lands. We're calling it to your attention because it's an unusually important story: There is growing evidence, in fact, that Norton is engaged in a massive, behind-the-scenes campaign to weaken, undermine and subvert the nation's conservation laws to benefit the administration's big corporate supporters. Also in this issue of our magazine, we explain how growing coffee beans under the forest canopy has long-term benefits for wildlife and farmers alike, and we go to the front lines of the tuna-dolphin wars to describe the fight to save beleaguered dolphins from deadly tuna nets. There are also articles on endangered Mexican wolves gaining support -- and land -- from the White Mountain Apache tribe in Arizona, and on our new project to defend the environment state-by-state. Please click here to read these stories and the rest of our summer magazine: http://www.defenders.org/defendersmag/.
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Defenders of Wildlife 1101 14th Street, N.W. Suite 1400 Washington, DC 20005 Copyright Defenders of Wildlife 2002 |
Is your beach contaminated? Find out!
Did you know there were more than 14,000 beach
closings and advisories throughout the U.S. in 2000? And those are just
the ones we know about...many states don't monitor beach water quality at
all!
People can and do get sick from swimming in contaminated
beach water, especially after heavy rains.
In 2000 Congress passed
the BEACH Act to protect the public from unsafe swimming conditions by
funding beach water quality monitoring programs in the coastal and Great
Lakes states. Citizens are alerted when beach water results come back
showing high levels of bacteria that pose a threat to swimmers, surfers
and waders.
The problem is that ever since passing the BEACH Act,
Congress has fallen short on funding it. Thousands of people get sick from
contaminated beach water every year, yet the Bush Administration and
Congress continue to hold back on this program.
Right now,
Congress is deciding once again whether or not to fully fund the BEACH
program.
Now is the time to remind Congress about their commitment
to the health of your family and the American public. Please ask your
Senators and Representatives in Congress to fully fund the BEACH Act so
that we can all swim safely.
Click here to make Congress keep
its promise!
Know Before You Go! Before you head to the beach this
summer, check out: www.oceana.org first! This site
has the latest water quality information and is designed to keep you and
your family healthy and help you plan your summer fun.
What is the
BEACH Act? Learn more about it: BEACH ACT
Sincerely,
Dawn
Martin
Oceana
Dear U.S.
PIRG supporter,
For a long time, it appeared Congress and the Bush
administration were just going to wring their hands about Enron. The
House passed a weak accounting reform bill, and the Senate was going to do
nothing.
Then they heard about WorldCom, the telephone company which
cooked the books to the tune of $3.8 billion. Both WorldCom and Enron
used the same accountants, Arthur Andersen.
Now, President Bush has
indicated that he is tired of corporate wrongdoers and that he will support a
modified version of the Sarbanes accounting reform bill. The Sarbanes
bill, which is coming up for a vote in the Senate soon, establishes a new
accounting oversight panel, restricts auditors from some consulting contracts
with companies they audit, and imposes standards on corporate boards of
directors.
Please take a moment and follow the link below to go to a web
page where you can e-mail your senators and ask them to support the Sarbanes
accounting reform bill.
http://pirg.org/alerts/route.asp?id=315&id4=ES
BACKGROUND
Consumers and
investors as well as employees and taxpayers need tough laws to guarantee that
their investments are protected. Employees and investors lost
billions when Arthur Andersen accountants let Enron CEO Ken Lay and other
executives cook the books and pocket millions. But Enron appears to
be the tip of the iceberg - or the canary in the coal mine. The
recent news about WorldCom and other investigations involving Xerox, Global
Crossing, Halliburton Oil Services (where Vice President Dick Cheney was CEO),
KPMG, Merrill Lynch and other firms show the need for Congress to pass tough
legislation to regulate accountants and reform corporate governance to protect
our investments and punish wrongdoers.
Senator Sarbanes has proposed a
bill that takes important steps to restore investor confidence and prevent
future Enrons. The Sarbanes bill would prevent accountants from
providing consulting services to their clients. The bill creates a
tough, independent new accounting oversight system, replacing the current system
where industry lobbyists control their supposedly independent oversight boards.
In addition, the Sarbanes accounting reform bill makes it a crime for
executives to deceive or manipulate auditors and grants the government new
powers to recover their ill-gotten gains. It also reforms the conduct
of corporate boards of directors to ensure that audits protect investors.
There are some ways the Sarbanes bill could be
strengthened. The oversight panel should have stronger rules to
prevent the accounting industry from taking it over, and the auditor
restrictions need to guarantee auditor independence. Amendments to
improve the bill will come up for a vote on the Senate floor, including the
Leahy amendment which would strengthen penalties against shredding documents and
protect corporate whistleblowers, and other amendments to strengthen the
accounting independence standards and to make it easier to sue accountants and
lawyers who aid financial frauds.
We need to tell senators that the
Sarbanes accounting reform bill should be strengthened on the Senate floor.
Please take a moment and follow the link below to go to a web page where
you can e-mail your senators and ask them to support the Sarbanes accounting
reform bill.
http://pirg.org/alerts/route.asp?id=315&id4=ES
Sincerely,
Gene Karpinski
U.S.
PIRG Executive Director
http://www.USPIRG.org
P.S. Thanks again for your
support. Please feel free to share this e-mail with your family and friends.
******************************
* WILD ALERT
* Wednesday, July 3, 2002
******************************
This
issue of WildAlert brings you news of issues you may have
recently taken
action on and a timely connection between our national
lands and
Independence Day as well as some suggestions on how you can
help us keep
them wild -- and free:
1. A Red, White and Blue tribute to our public
lands
2. Roadless Area Protection: legislative update
3. Energy bill
conference and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
4. Keeping our Parks safe
from ORVs, with updates on:
-Yellowstone snowmobiles
***************************************************************
1.
SALUTE THE RED, WHITE AND BLUE WITH A CONTRIBUTION TO SAVE WILD
LANDS!
It's July Fourth this week, and to mark the nation's birthday, our
website is featuring 10 special places from across our public lands
whose names include our patriotic colors. Take a look and enjoy
the
scenery at http://www.wilderness.org/abouttws/july4th.htm
Our list includes spectacular wildlands such
as the Red Desert in
Wyoming, the White River National Wildlife Refuge in
Arkansas and the
Blue Mountain Roadless Area in
Alabama. All these places are part of
your public lands, an
American birthright. They depict the rich
variety of America's
natural legacy and symbolize our commitment to
keeping it unimpaired for
generations to come.
Sadly, the story of these wild public treasures
must also include the
threats they confront. The future is
much in doubt for many of our
National Forests, National Parks, Monuments
and Wildlife Refuges.
The ever-compliant Bush
Administration has thrown our public lands
open to big oil, the timber and
mining industries, merchants of sprawl
and the off-road-vehicle
industry. If we let it happen, our children
on some distant
Independence Day will not thank us.
Please help us to continue to fight
to protect our precious natural
heritage with a gift today in honor of these
special places. To give
your Independence Day gift online,
go to
https://secure-net.com/tws/join.htm
**** A half-century ago, when he led The Wilderness Society, Olaus
Murie said, "God bless America ... and let's save some of
it." With
your support, we can succeed. Thank you!****
***************************************************************
2.
UPDATE: FOREST ROADLESS PROTECTION LEGISLATION
As of today, 176 members of
the House of Representatives have rallied
to the cause of roadless area
protection. The legislation responds to
the Bush Administration's refusal to
defend the roadless rule, adopted
in January 2001 after an unprecedented
public response.
Reps. Jay Inslee (D-1/WA) and Sherwood
Boehlert (R-23/NY) authored the
legislation and introduced it in early
June. The measure is in the
form of an amendment to the Interior
appropriations bill and could
come to a House vote as early as mid-July.
Expect similar legislation
to be introduced in the Senate shortly after it
returns from the July
4 recess.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Senators and representatives will be in their states and districts
over
the recess in this election year. If you should attend a forum
or
town meeting with any of your congressional representatives, please
let them
know how important roadless area protection is to you -- and
that you
vote!
To see whether your representative is a co-sponsor and
to learn more
about the legislation, visit:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d107:h.r.04865:
***************************************************************
3. UPDATE: ENERGY BILL CONFERENCE AND THE ARCTIC REFUGE
House and Senate
conferees met for the first time on June 27 to begin
work to reconcile two
versions of the giant energy bill. The House
version opens the
incomparable Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil
and gas
exploration. The Senate bill does not. The opening
meeting
was more ceremonial than substantive; work will begin in earnest
after
the July 4 recess.
Arctic protection got a
major boost in June when the National Congress
of American Indians, the
largest and most influential native
organization, passed unanimously a
resolution supporting the
"subsistence lifeways" of the Gwich'in and other
Alaska natives.
Among the greatest concerns about
exploration in the Refuge is
disruption of the migration patterns of the
Porcupine caribou herd on
which the Gwich'in rely.
***************************************************************
4.
UPDATES: OFF-ROAD VEHICLES PLAGUE OUR PARKS
YELLOWSTONE SNOWMOBILES
In the face of over 350,000 public comments, 80 percent of which
called
for banning snowmobiles in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National
Parks, the
Bush National Park Service said, "Nah."
You will
recall that in the last Administration, and after a decade of
scientific
study, the agency banned the noxious machines from those
two
parks. The snowmobile industry sued to overturn the
administrative action. In a negotiated settlement with the
new
Administration, the National Park Service agreed to reopen the process
to seek "new scientific information."
PARK SERVICE
MASQUERADE
Americans responded, again. Loudly. On June
25, Yellowstone
Superintendent Suzanne Lewis announced the new alternatives.
She
claims that only around 100 of those comments were
"substantive." She
casually dismisses all the rest as "emotional"
or "polarizing," a sad
new milestone of blatant disregard for public
sentiment in what is
supposed to be a public process.
It was a masquerade and the agency did what meant to do from the
moment it reopened the process: sacrifice our greatest National Park
to
snowmobile industry greed. If there was science in the latest
analysis, it was political, not natural.
The alternative talks about
clean technology and "encouraging"
snowmobiles to use guided
tours. All of that is eyewash; it's back to
business as usual
with a very large B -- and bison beware.
YOUR COMMENTS
MATTER!
One response to this tactic is to assume that public comments matter
little or not at all. Another--and better--one is to note that we've
put
enough pressure on the agency that it is scrambling desperately to
find a
way to brush our comments aside and to give away some of the
best of our
public lands to inappropriate uses. That interpretation
argues for keeping
the pressure up. The National Park Service's tactic
is a dishonest
expedient. The owners of these lands won't stand for
it. And finally,
neither will the Congress.
CONGRESSIONAL ACTION IS PROMISING
While
the alternative is even worse than feared, it makes a compelling
case for
legislation that would do what the National Park Service
lacks the courage
to do: rid Yellowstone of snowmobiles. The
response was
swift. Reps. Rush Holt (D-12/NJ) and Chris Shays
(R-4/CT)
wrote the Yellowstone Protection Act (H.R.5044). They
introduced
the bill with 125 co-sponsors on June 27, two days after
the Park Service
capitulated. Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and six of his
colleagues,
including Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), introduced companion
legislation in the
Senate.
***********************
IF YOU'D LIKE TO
HELP
Forward this email to a friend. By swelling our numbers, you
make us
a more powerful voice. And remember, The Wilderness
Society does not
share, sell or rent your email address with
others. Thanks for being
a part of our online wilderness advocacy
community!
***************************************************************
For a full list of Action Items, visit
http://www.wilderness.org/whatcan/takeaction.htm
***************************************************************
An archive of past Wildalerts can be found at
http://www.wilderness.org/wildalert/wildalerts.htm
***************************************************************
To make a gift online to The Wilderness Society, click here
https://secure-net.com/tws/join.asp
***************************************************************
WildAlert is an email action alert system brought to you by The
Wilderness Society to keep you apprised of threats to our wildlands -
in
the field and in Washington. WildAlert messages include updates
along with clear, concise actions you can take to protect America's
last
wild places. You are welcome to forward Wildalerts to all
those
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FEEDBACK: If you need to get
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TO
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Founded in 1935,
The Wilderness Society works to protect America's
wilderness and to develop
a nation-wide network of wild lands
through public education, scientific
analysis and advocacy. Our
goal is to ensure that future
generations will enjoy the clean air
and water, wildlife, beauty and
opportunities for recreation and
renewal that pristine forests, rivers,
deserts and mountains
provide. To take action on behalf of wildlands today,
visit our
website at http://www.wilderness.org
ETC
Genotype
3 July 2002
http://www.etcgroup.org
Peruvian
Farmers and Indigenous People Denounce Patents on Maca
Extract of Andean
Root Crop Patented for "Natural Viagra" Properties
Indigenous peoples'
and farmers' organizations from the Andes and the Amazon gathered at the offices
of the Ecological Forum in Lima, Peru on June 28 to formally denounce US patents
on maca, the high-altitude Andean plant (of the Cruciferae [mustard] family)
that has been grown for centuries by indigenous peoples in the Puna highlands of
Peru, both as a staple food crop and for medicinal purposes.
Today,
companies are selling maca-based products as natural enhancers of sexual
function and fertility. While maca exports have the potential to create new
markets and income for Peruvian farmers, recent US patents on maca may actually
foreclose opportunity for the true innovators of the Andean crop.
"We
are deeply offended by monopoly patents on our food crops and medicinal plants,"
said Efrain Zuniga Molina of the Association of Maca Producers of Valle del
Mantaro (Peru). "The Andean region is becoming known as the
'biopiracy capital' of the world. We've seen patents on ayahuasca, quinoa,
yacon, the nuña popping bean, and now maca," said Molina.
"These patents
claim novel inventions, but everyone knows they are based on the traditional
knowledge and resources of indigenous peoples," said Gladis Vila Pihue, a
representative of the maca growers association in the Department of Huancavelica
(Peru).
The farmers are calling on two US companies to abandon patents
related to maca, and they are asking the Peruvian government and the World
Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to investigate and condemn monopoly
claims related to maca that appropriate traditional knowledge of farming
communities. (The Geneva-based WIPO promotes intellectual property as a means of
protecting traditional knowledge.)
Maca Patents:
US Patent No.
6,267,995 - Pure World Botanicals, Inc. - Issued: July 31, 2001 - title: Extract
of Lepidium meyenii roots for pharmaceutical applications. Applications pending
in Australia, the European Patent Office, and at the World Intellectual Property
Organization (WIPO).
US Patent No. 6,093,421 -Biotics Research
Corporation - Issued: July 25, 2000 - Title: Maca and antler for augmenting
testosterone levels.
US Patent Application No. 878,141 - Pure World
Botanicals, Inc. - Published: April 11, 2002 Title: Compositions and methods for
their preparation from Lepidium.
The coalition is also requesting that
the Lima-based International Potato Center (CIP), as promoter and protector of
maca seed, take action to prohibit intellectual property claims - not just on
seeds and genetic material held in its gene bank, but also on traditional
knowledge of indigenous communities. The coalition is asking CIP to declare a
moratorium on the patenting of all Andean crop germplasm and their genetic
components, and indigenous knowledge related to these genetic materials.
CIP is one of 16 international research centers under the umbrella of
the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), the
public plant breeding network responsible for safeguarding crop genetic
diversity.
"We want to send a strong message that patenting indigenous
knowledge is morally wrong and unacceptable," said Pedro Rivera Cea, Director of
the CHIRAPAQ-RAAA, an indigenous peoples' network based in Ayacucho.
Hope Shand, Research Director of ETC Group, agrees: "Companies like Pure
World Botanicals may have done nothing illegal in the eyes of the US Patent and
Trademark Office, and the company will likely claim that it has followed the
letter of the law. Nevertheless, patent claims on maca are morally unacceptable
and they make a mockery of the idea that access and benefit-sharing regimes,
such as the Andean Community's Decision 391, or WIPO's efforts to promote
intellectual property, can be used as tools to protect indigenous knowledge and
resources."
The 6-page document released by ETC Group today offers
background information on maca and the demands of the Peruvian organizations
that are protesting the maca patents. The full text is available on the ETC
Group website: http://www.etcgroup.org
Rodger Schlickeisen