home of the wildlife conservation environmental and freedom activist

Environment Action
Alerts for September 1 - September 7, 2000

from Rural Advancement Foundation International September 1, 2000

RAFI Genotypes
31 August 2000
www.rafi.org

Prisoners and Plowshares
Who will feed the inmates?

The United States now has more prisoners than farmers.

According to the Washington, DC-based Justice Policy Institute the United States prison population recently topped 2 million.* The statistics are shocking, especially given that the US accounts for a quarter of the world's prisoners, but only 5% of the world's population.

According to the last farm census, there were 1.9 million farms in the US  (a farm is defined as any place selling $1,000 or more of agricultural products).  In other words, there are more people behind bars in the US than there are behind the wheel of a tractor.   

While some would argue that the US criminal justice system and industrial agriculture have little in common, the statistics reflect social systems in profound crisis:   

- Number of US farms . 1,911,859
- 2.5% of US farms are operated by blacks and other races.
- Direct federal payments to farmers in 1999:  $23 billion


- US prison population . 2,000,000
- Roughly half of the state and federal prisoners incarcerated in the US are African Americans, although they make up only 13% of the US population.
-  The cost of incarceration: approximately $40 billion per year.


*Jason Ziedenberg and Vincent Schiraldi, Justice Policy Institute, The Punishing Decade: Prison and Jail Estimates at the Millennium, December, 1999

from Defenders of Wildlife September 1, 2000

DEN ALERT:
Protect the Missouri River's Endangered and Threatened Species

As soon as Tuesday, September 5, the Senate is expected to vote on
an amendment to remove an anti-endangered species rider from an
appropriations bill. The rider would prohibit the Army Corps of
Engineers from changing water level management practices on the
Missouri River.  Allowing the natural rise of the river in the
spring is needed for the protection of vital nesting habitat for
the piping plover and least tern, two federally protected bird
species.  The river's rise in the spring also acts as a reproduction
cue to the recovering pallid sturgeon, also known as the Dinosaur
fish. In addition, the spring rise would help floodplain farmers to
drain their fields and encourage healthy crop production.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Send a fax to your Senators urging them to oppose this
anti-environmental rider in the Energy and Water appropriations
bill or in any spending bill.  The rider may be considered as early
as SEPTEMBER 5, so please send your faxes today.  We need your help
to protect our nation's rivers and its inhabitants.


INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA THE WEB:
If you have access to the web, simply click on the link below which
will take you to the DEN Action Center web site:

http://www.denaction.org


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To unsubscribe, send an e-mail to denlines@defenders.org and put the
word UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line.
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                    http://www.defenders.org/den

or send an e-mail to denlines@defenders.org and put the word SUBSCRIBE
in the subject line.  
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If your e-mail address has changed, send an e-mail to
changeaddress@defenders.org and put your new e-mail address in the
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Defenders of Wildlife is a leading national conservation organization
recognized as one of the nation's most progressive advocates for
wildlife and its habitat and known for its effective leadership on
saving endangered species such as brown bears and gray wolves, Defenders
advocates new approaches to wildlife conservation that protect species
before they become endangered. Founded in 1947, Defenders is a nonprofit
501(c)(3)organization with nearly 400,000 members and supporters.

                       Defenders of Wildlife
                  1101 14th Street, NW, Suite 1400
                       Washington, DC 20005
                     http://www.defenders.org
                     http://www.kidsplanet.org

from National Wildlife Federation September 1, 2000

DATE: September 5, 2000
TO: FAN Members (Member #1368)
FROM: Kelley Sayre, FAN Manager
RE: Update on Conference Committee & Voice Support to President

This is an update on the status of international family planning funding in Congress as well as a call to action.  We need you to ask the President to stand strong, and to push for sufficient levels of international family planning funding for programs that save lives and protect the environment.

UPDATE ON CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
Since our last FAN alert, both the House and Senate have passed their versions of the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill - the bill that allocates funding for programs overseas, such as voluntary international family planning.  However, the versions differ greatly.  The House version has low levels of funding as well as a restriction on the funding's use - otherwise known as the Global Gag Rule - that would be unconstitutional if applied in the US.  The Senate version, which we support, has increased levels of funding and includes language that forbids the unnecessary, anti-democratic restrictions on the funding.  

The House and Senate must pass one version of the bill to the President.  In the coming weeks, the differences will be worked out in conference committee.  This agreed upon bill then goes to President Clinton where it will either be vetoed or signed into law.

WE NEED YOU TO ASK PRESIDENT CLINTON TO REMAIN STRONG
Last year, women, families, and the environment lost the battle for international family planning funding when President Clinton had to choose between paying backlogged United Nations dues, or providing adequate, unrestricted funding for international family planning programs.  International family planning lost, and programs whose main purpose is to save lives had to do so with less funding and hampering restrictions.  We cannot let an unfortunate compromise like this happen again!    

Make your voice heard!  Tell President Clinton to stand firm on his commitments for international family planning.  He has stated that he is in favor of adequate funding and the abolition of anti-democratic restrictions.  We must let him know that it is crucial that he stands by his word.

ACT NOW!
Voice your support to Clinton so he will send a message to Congress that he will accept nothing less than the Senate version of the bill.  Below is a sample letter.  Please feel free to use this language, but remember, letters that are elaborated with your own thoughts and feelings are more politically powerful than simply copying our letter word for word.  And, as always, thank you for your dedication to the issue, and please send us copies of anything you send to the Hill or to the White House.  We love to see our FAN members in action!

SAMPLE LETTER:
Dear President Clinton:

U.S. funding of voluntary family planning and other reproductive health programs not only saves lives and improves human health, but it also helps slow population growth and protects the environment.  However, the "Global Gag Rule," imposed last year, interferes with the delivery of these vital services.  As a result, it undermines prospects for protecting the environment and raising healthy children.

Mr. President, please stand strong on the issue.  Do not accept a compromise that weakens funding or imposes hampering restrictions.  Families across the globe cannot afford such a compromise.  And for the sake of the future of our global environment, neither can the American public.

Thank you for your past dedication and support on the issue.  I applaud your version of the Fiscal Year 2001 budget that earmarked $542 million for voluntary family planning and opposed any restrictions.  I sincerely hope that Congress passes a bill that closely meets the high standard you have set, and above all, takes a step towards fulfilling our commitment to women, children, and the environment.

Sincerely,   



PLEASE SEND LETTERS TO:
President William J. Clinton
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20500

Thank you!
Kelley
Population & Environment FAN Manager

PLEASE SEND COPIES OF SENT LETTERS TO:
National Wildlife Federation
Population & Environment Program
1400 16th St., NW
Washington, DC 20036
population@nwf.org

from Environment News Service September 1, 2000

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TO BUSINESS, ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY EDITORS:

         16.8 MW Foote Creek IV Wind Power Project Nearing Completion

    SAN DIEGO, Sept. 1 -/E-Wire/-- SeaWest WindPower, Inc. announced today
that the 16.8 MW Foote Creek IV wind power project is nearing completion.  To
date, all 28 of the MHI 600KW wind turbines have been erected, with
commissioning and electrification nearly complete.  The entire wind farm is
scheduled to be complete and begin commercial operation in early October 2000.

    In May of this year, the Bonneville Power Administration and SeaWest
jointly announced a 20-year power purchase agreement.  The Foote Creek IV wind
power project will supply the federal agency with an additional 16.8 MW of
wind energy from the Foote Creek Rim Site.  SeaWest has installed 28 new
turbines at the Foote Creek Rim site in Carbon County, Wyo. to support the
agreement.  The wind turbines used on the Foote Creek IV project have a rotor
diameter of 45 meters, mounted atop 50 meter tubular towers.  Each turbine
produces enough electricity for over 350 households, while offsetting
greenhouse gas emissions.

    "In a time of rising energy prices in the West, we need to be looking into
alternative energy sources.  In the U.S. House Renewable Energy Caucus, we
encourage projects like this one to provide for the energy needs of future
generations," said Congressman Greg Walden (R-Ore.).

    "Progress on the Foote Creek IV Project is moving ahead on schedule," said
Jan C. Paulin, SeaWest's President and CEO.  "This 16.8MW project will deliver
affordable clean renewable energy to the BPA and customers in the Pacific
Northwest.  While power prices are fluctuating due to fuel costs and market
uncertainties, wind power is delivering wholesale energy at very cost
competitive rates."

    Over the past three years, SeaWest has developed three utility scale
projects on the Foote Creek Rim Site.  It is considered one of the finest
documented wind sites in the contiguous United States.  With the completion of
this fourth phase, the Foote Creek Rim Site will have a total installed
capacity of 84.8 megawatts.  Foote Creek IV is the latest wind energy project
developed by SeaWest on the site.  Construction began in May 2000 and the
project will be on line in October 2000.  With the addition of the Foote Creek
IV project, SeaWest will supply BPA with enough power for 10,500 homes, with a
total capacity of 18.8 megawatts from 31 turbines.

    SeaWest WindPower is the leading independent developer of utility-scale
wind power projects in the world.  Including the Foote Creek IV phase, SeaWest
has developed over 85 megawatts of utility-scale wind energy projects in the
Foote Creek Rim area of Wyoming, in addition to nearly 500 megawatts of
projects in California, the United Kingdom and Spain.  For more information,
please visit www.seawestwindpower.com.

SOURCE  SeaWest WindPower, Inc.

    -0-                             09/01/2000

    /CONTACT:  Dave Roberts of SeaWest WindPower, Inc., 619-908-3440/

    /Web site:  http://www.seawestwindpower.com/
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from Environment News Service September 1, 2000

ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS)          http://ens-news.com

                   "We Cover the Earth For You"
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EUROPEAN TRAFFIC POLLUTION COSTS THOUSANDS OF LIVES, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS

BASEL, Switzerland, September 1, 2000 (ENS) - Pollution from cars kills
more than 20,000 people a year in three European countries studied by
researchers at the University of Basel, Switzerland.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-01-10.html

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BROWNFIELDS 2000: GATEWAY TO JOBS AND FUNDING

WASHINGTON, DC, August 31, 2000 (ENS) - In cities across the United States,
contaminated vacant lots and industrial sites are being turned into parks,
housing - even a sports arena. In preparation for its biggest brownfields
conference of the year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has
released figures showing how many jobs the program has created.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/aug2000/2000L-03-31-03.html

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U.S. BOYCOTTS ENVIRONMENTAL MEETINGS OVER JAPAN'S EXPANDED WHALE HUNT

WASHINGTON, DC, August 31, 2000 (ENS) - The United States has taken
diplomatic action to punish Japan for the killing of sperm and Bryde's
whales this year in addition to the continued killing of minke whales.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/aug2000/2000L-08-31-03.html

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ZAMBIA STRUGGLES TO CONTROL TOXIC PCBs

By Singy Hanyona

LUSAKA, Zambia, September 1, 2000 (ENS) - The Zambia Electricity Supply
Corporation (ZESCO), the sole supplier of Zambia's hydroelectric power, has
warned the public against unscrupulous people stealing oil which contains
toxic chemicals from the company's transformers. This oil contains
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-01-03.html

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CATCHY AD CAMPAIGN URGES DANES TO RECYCLE ELECTRONICS

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, September 1, 2000 (ENS) - A punchy public awareness
campaign was launched this week in Denmark, in a bid to more than double the
recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-01-02.html

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HIGH HOPES FOR EGYPT'S LITTLE TORTOISE

CAIRO, Egypt, September 1, 2000 (ENS) - Small, slow and increasingly rare,
the Egyptian Tortoise faces an uphill battle for survival thanks to threats
from unlikely sources.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-01-11.html

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MULTINATIONALS WITH HIGH ECO-STANDARDS MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED

LINTHICUM, Maryland, September 1, 2000 (ENS) - Large companies that adopt
strict global environmental standards in developing countries are rewarded
with higher stock market performance, according to a study published today
in a journal of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management
Sciences (INFORMS). These findings run contrary to the widespread belief
that multinational corporations suffer from environmental regulation.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-01-01.html

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ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: SEPTEMBER 1, 2000

Automakers Exploit Loophole Favoring Gas Guzzlers

New Jersey Dedicates $36 M for Open Space

Lawsuit Filed to Protect Northern Spotted Owl

Genome Research to Remediate Hanford Nuclear Site

Park Service Publishes Annual Natural Resource Review

Florida Gets Tough With Environmental Criminals

Professor Tackles Smelly Subject: Sewage Sludge

California Residents Worried About Beach Closures

Rare Southwestern Cats Win Fighting Chance in Legal Settlement

Pesticides Suspected in Eastern Crab, Lobster Deaths

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-01-09.html

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HEALING OUR WORLD: WEEKLY COMMENT By Jackie Alan Giuliano, Ph.D.

The Migration Begins: The International Space Station

On October 30, 2000, an American astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts will
be launched from the space complex in Kazahkstan, Russia to the
International Space Station (ISS), under construction in orbit, 220 miles
above the surface of the Earth.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-01g.html

Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2000 All Rights Reserved.

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TO BUSINESS, ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY EDITORS:

         16.8 MW Foote Creek IV Wind Power Project Nearing Completion

    SAN DIEGO, Sept. 1 -/E-Wire/-- SeaWest WindPower, Inc. announced today
that the 16.8 MW Foote Creek IV wind power project is nearing completion.
To date, all 28 of the MHI 600KW wind turbines have been erected, with
commissioning and electrification nearly complete.  The entire wind farm is
scheduled to be complete and begin commercial operation in early October
2000.
    /CONTACT:  Dave Roberts of SeaWest WindPower, Inc., 619-908-3440/
    /Web site:  http://www.seawestwindpower.com/
For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Aug00/01Sept0001.html

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from Alaska Wildlife Alliance September 2, 2000

NEW PUPS FOR TOKLAT & SANCTUARY WOLVES

After last winter's trapping season, eight out of the ten world-famous
Toklat wolves returned to their den site in Denali National Park, Alaska.
We are pleased to bring you the good news of their successful litter of five
new pups, bringing their total to thirteen.  Already, thousands of visitors
to Denali have seen them, including a recent incident where the Toklats
brought down a young bull moose (see attached photo).  Over 7,000 visitors
had the chance to see this rare spectacle within 100 yards from the road --
an opportunity found nowhere else in the world!

The six-member Sanctuary wolf family experienced more difficult times this
year, losing three of their eight-month-old pups to a trapper -- less than
one mile outside the Park boundary.  No one knows what has happened to the
remaining pup.  The good news is that the two surviving adults had four pups
this past spring.

Thanks to your help, the U.S. Department of Interior, Alaska's Governor Tony
Knowles, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the Denali Citizen's
Council all support the need to protect both of these wolf groups.  The
Alaska
Wildlife Alliance is pushing onward to get protection for the Toklat and
Sanctuary
wolves on state lands where they go during the winter in search of food.  A
proposal to achieve this will be reviewed by Alaska's Board of Game this
November.

For more information, please visit our website at www.akwildlife.org, or
email us at awa@alaska.net.

Thank you for your continuing support of the Toklat and Sanctuary wolves in
Denali National Park!


Photo Credit:  copywrite Leo Keeler 2000

The Alaska Wildlife Alliance
P.O. Box 202022
Anchorage, AK  99520
(907) 277-0897
(907) 277-7423 Fax
www.akwildlife.org
awa@alaska.net

from Environment News Service September 4, 2000

ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS)          http://ens-news.com

                   "We Cover the Earth For You"
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GERMANY AND UK ISSUE CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGE

BERLIN, Germany, September 4, 2000 (ENS) - Two of the European Union's most
proactive environment ministers have issued a joint plea to the United
States and like minded nations to agree to strong rules implementing the
United Nations Kyoto climate protocol at November's conference of parties
to the UN climate change convention in the Hague, Netherlands.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-04-05.html

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FOREST CONCESSIONS ON TRIAL IN GUATEMALA

By Diane Jukofsky
SANTA ELENA, Guatemala, September 4, 2000 (ENS) - In a bid to stem
deforestation in the Petén, in northern Guatemala, the government has given
five community organizations permission to sustainably log trees in their
neighboring forests over the next 25 years.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-04-03.html

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ASIAN MINISTERS DEEPEN ENVIRONMENTAL COOPERATION

KITAKYUSHU CITY, Japan, September 4, 2000 (ENS) - An Asian ministerial
conference held once every five years to assess the state of the environment and
sustainable development policies is taking place through Tuesday in Japan. Based
on this review, the outcome may be a regionalaction program with priorities and
targets for action in 2001-2005, followed by a commitment by the ministers for its
implementation  through a declaration.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-04-02.html

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SKYLARKS MAY STARVE IF BRITISH FARMERS USE GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS

EAST ANGLIA, United Kingdom, September 4, 2000 (ENS) - Songbirds like the
skylark, renowned for its vertical flight and liquid trilling song, feed on
the seeds of plants considered weeds by farmers. These birds will suffer if
genetically modified herbicide tolerant crops replace formerly weed
abundant fields, a new British study has found.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-04-04.html

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ANGOLA'S QUICAMA PARK TO RECEIVE 30 SOUTH AFRICAN ELEPHANTS

RUSTENBERG, South Africa, September 4, 2000 (ENS) - The North West Parks
and Tourism Board is donating 30 elephants to Angola. The Kissama
Foundation, mandated by the Angolan government to rehabilitate the
country's national parks, will take delivery of the animals at the end of
the week.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-04-06.html

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ALIEN PLANTS AND ANIMALS COULD HITCHIKE TO OLYMPICS

SYDNEY, Australia, September 4, 2000 (ENS) - Australian Quarantine and
Inspection Service staff are working at airports and seaports and at the
Olympic Equestrian Centre in Sydney, to stop exotic pests and diseases from
entering Australia in connection with the 2000 Olympic Games opening in
Sydney September 15.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-04-01.html

Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2000 All Rights Reserved.

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TO BUSINESS, TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDITORS:

              Environ.com Celebrates Labor Day With FREE Health
                        And Safety Management Software

    TEMPE, Ariz., Sept. 4 -/E-Wire/-- In honor of Labor Day, Environmental
Support Solutions (ENVIRON.com) announced today that their new software, MSDS
Executive(TM), the company's easy to use solution for tracking material safety
data sheets (MSDS), can be downloaded from their website for free at
http://www.environ.com.
    /CONTACT:  Robin Suzelis of Environmental Support Solutions (Environ.com),
480-346-5524, robin_suzelis@environ.com/
    /Web site:  http://www.environ.com/software_health.asp/
    /Web site:  http://www.environ.com/
For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Sept00/04Sept0001.html

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from Zero Population Growth September 5, 2000

You can take action on this alert either by email or preferably on the web at:
http://actionnetwork.org/take-action.tcl?key=419220A11089B0905120032C215

Here's what this alert is about:

GLOBAL GAG RULE ON AGENDA WHEN CONGRESS RETURNS: ACT NOW TO SUPPORT INTERNATIONAL FAMILY PLANNING!
----------------------

Thanks to many of you, who wrote your member
of Congress in July, we generated hundreds of
faxes to Congress urging them to drop the Global
Gag Rule (See description below.) We lost an
extremely close vote, but WE HAVE ANOTHER
CHANCE TO WIN!

INTERNATIONAL FAMILY PLANNING WORKS!
Family planning programs improve the lives of
women, children and families.  When women are
allowed to freely choose the size and spacing of
their families, they choose smaller families, and
they have healthier pregnancies and healthier
children.  Smaller families are better for the
environment and the earth's natural resources.

ANOTHER CHANCE!
Now it's time for President Clinton to step-in.  ASK
President Clinton to firmly state his opposition the
Global Gag Rule and to demand that Congress
support international family planning programs by
overturning the Global Gag Rule.  When Congress
reconvenes on September 5, a conference
committee will try to iron-out the differences
between the House and Senate versions of the
foreign aid bill.  (The House version still includes
the Global Gag Rule, while the Senate's version
doesn't!)

HOW TO TAKE ACTION!
Follow the simple instructions below and you and
other online family planning supporters will send
President Clinton a message asking for his help to
make sure that Congress finally eliminates the
Global Gag Rule, restoring important international
family planning assistance to women around the
world.

MORE ON GLOBAL GAG RULE!
The gag rule denies U.S. family planning funding to
organizations that 1) provide legal abortion
services or referrals using their own, non-U.S.
funds or 2) participate in public debates about
abortion, again, using their own, non-U.S. funds.
In short, it forces many health care providers to
choose between providing needed services and
participating in their own country's political
process.  It's anti-democratic, anti-free speech,
and un-American.  In fact, it would be
unconstitutional if applied in the United States.

For more information on the Global Gag rule, visit:

http://www.zpg.org/globalgag.html


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

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=419220A11089B0905120032C215

INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA EMAIL:
Just choose the "reply to sender" option on your email program, and edit
the letter below as you wish.  You must include the whole letter in your
response including "-YOU MAY EDIT THE LETTER BELOW-" and "-END OF
LETTER-".  Please do not add your name and address to your letter.
Action Network 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:
President Bill Clinton


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


Voluntary family planning and other reproductive
health programs not only save lives and improve
human health, but also helps slow population
growth and protect the environment.  The "Global
Gag Rule", though, interferes with the delivery of
these vital health services.  As a result, it
undermines prospects for protecting the
environment, and ultimately, for ensuring a
healthy and prosperous future for our children.

During the upcoming negotiations with Congress
on the Foreign Operations bill, I urge you to stand
by your previous statements and to strongly and
publicly support:

* Increased funding for international family
planning programs, AND

* The elimination of the Global Gag Rule
restrictions on overseas family planning
organizations.

International family planning programs provide
services that save women's lives. Increased
funding for these programs empower women to
choose smaller families, resulting in safe
pregnancies, safe motherhood, and help protect
the environment.

Unfortunately, funding alone doesn't solve the
problem.  Every year these programs are
hampered by more restrictions.  The Global Gag
Rule makes organizations choose between
providing critical services or participating in their
own country's political system.  It is
anti-democratic and does nothing to address the
real needs of women overseas for access to the
information, counseling and supplies necessary to
plan their families. Such a rule would be
unconstitutional if applied in the United States.  It
is unconscionable to apply it overseas.

Women all over the world, and our vulnerable
environment, benefit from these programs.  But to
reap the full benefits, the programs must be well
funded and free of unnecessary restrictions like
the Global Gag Rule.  Your strong, public support
for international family planning programs is
critical.  Please remain firm on both funding and
policy issues.

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

Sincerely yours,

from Natural Resources Defense Council September 5, 2000

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.

September 5, 2000

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Contents

1) alerts

a) Urge Governor Davis to sign clean, affordable, reliable energy into law now
b) Tell officials to protect kids in southern California from harmful diesel school buses
c) Urge Interior Secretary Babbitt to ensure strong protections for Yosemite
d) Reminder -- ZEV comments due this week!

2) ABOUT OUR BULLETINS

3) ABOUT NRDC

You will also find these alerts in NRDC'S Earth Action Center (http://www.nrdc.org/action), which includes tools for taking action easily online.

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1) alerts

Urge Governor Davis to sign clean, affordable, reliable energy into law now

In our last alert we asked you to urge your state legislators to vote for AB 995 and SB 1194 -- legislation extending the Public Benefits Charge, which would ensure continued investment in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and research and development of clean energy technologies. Your response really made a difference (thank you!) -- the legislation passed with overwhelming support by over three-quarters of both houses.

But victory is not yet assured. Despite strong support from dozens of businesses, associations, unions, and environmental and consumer groups, plus overwhelming bipartisan support in the state legislature, Governor Davis has not yet indicated whether he intends to sign the bills into law.

== What to do ==
Send a message to Governor Davis urging him to sign AB 995 and SB 1194 into law now.

== Contact information ==
You can email Governor Davis directly from NRDC's Earth Action Center at http://www.nrdc.org/action. Or you can use the contact information and sample letter below to send your own message.

Governor Gray Davis
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-445-4633
Email: graydavis@governor.ca.gov

== Sample letter ==

[Date]

Dear Governor Davis:

I am writing to urge you to sign AB 995 and SB 1194 -- the Reliable Electric Service and System Benefits Program bills. As you know, these bills were just passed in the Assembly and Senate with broad bipartisan support. They are the product of extensive multi-party negotiations and, as a result, enjoy near universal support -- from consumers to utilities, from business to environmental and agricultural interests, all of whom agree that we must continue to invest in sound energy solutions.

Conservation and renewable energy investments must play a significant role in California's long-term energy security. While California struggles to keep the lights on during this long, hot summer, we must prevent even more frequent supply shortages and pay attention to long-term infrastructure planning. These bills will help meet our state's growing energy needs by providing for continued investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy resources. Savings from energy-efficiency investments are particularly valuable at summertime peak periods, when system reliability is threatened by surging loads.

These bills cannot and will not increase electricity rates for any California resident or business. They simply continue, at current levels, a long-standing charge on electricity bills with no increase -- a charge that small and large consumers support.

The Reliable Electric Service and System Benefits Program is a long-term investment in California's future. Once again, I urge you to sign AB 995 and SB 1194 now.

Sincerely,

[your name and address]

..

Tell officials to protect kids in southern California from harmful diesel school buses

Diesel exhaust has been listed as a known carcinogen under California's Proposition 65 since 1990 and has been identified by the California Air Resources Board as a toxic air contaminant. Earlier this year the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) concluded that over 70 percent of the cancer risk from the air in the South Coast Air Basin comes from diesel exhaust. In recognition of this health threat and responding to public pressure from activists like you, in June the SCAQMD adopted a rule requiring all transit agencies in the region to buy only new alternative fuel transit buses. But now, the SCAQMD is waffling on whether to apply this same health-protective standard to school buses.

In fact, children are among those *most* susceptible to the health effects of diesel exhaust -- which include increased risk of asthma attacks, lung cancer and premature death. Children breathe at a faster rate than adults, therefore retaining more pollution in their lungs, and their developing bodies are less capable of defending against the harmful emissions of diesel exhaust. Despite this, school bus fleets in California include some of the oldest and most polluting buses on the road today.

Oil companies and engine manufacturers are lobbying intensively against stringent emissions standards for school buses, arguing that newer "green diesel" vehicles are good enough. But while the newer diesel vehicles may be cleaner than old dirty diesels, they still have not been proven to reduce toxic and other harmful emissions to the same low levels achieved by alternative fuel school buses. Opponents also claim that school districts cannot afford to purchase only clean alternative fuel buses, and that stricter standards will lead to a choice between "books and buses." But in truth significant funding is available to subsidize the purchase of clean school buses that is separate and apart from educational funding: the governor has set aside $50 million in his 2000-01 budget solely to fund the purchase of cleaner school buses throughout the state. Now we must make sure this money is spent on the cleanest school buses available today -- alternative fuel buses.

== What to do ==
Contact the members of the SCAQMD and urge them to develop and adopt an "alternative fuel only" school bus rule similar to the transit bus rule and to resist oil company pleas for a weaker rule. Please also contact Governor Gray Davis and urge him to support using the $50 million in school bus funds to purchase only alternative fuel buses.

== Contact information ==
You can send an email to the SCAQMD chairman directly from NRDC's Earth Action Center at http://www.nrdc.org/action; we'll send a copy to Governor Davis. Or, you can use the contact information and sample letters below, and feel free to include your own reasons for wanting to protect children from the harmful effects of diesel exhaust.

Chairman William A. Burke, Ed.D
Dr. Barry Wallerstein, D. Env., Executive Officer
South Coast Air Quality Management District
21865 E. Copley Drive
Diamond Bar, CA 91765
Fax: 909-396-3340
Email: bwallerstein@aqmd.gov

Governor Gray Davis
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-445-4633
Email: graydavis@governor.ca.gov

== Sample letter to SCAQMD ==

[Date]

Re: Proposed Fleet Rule 1195 -- Require the purchase of alternative fuel school buses only

Dear Chairman Burke, Dr. Wallerstein and Members of the SCAQMD Board:

I am writing to urge you to develop and adopt a school bus rule that requires the purchase of only clean alternative fuel powered buses. Only a strong Proposed Rule 1195 -- which prohibits the purchase of dirtier diesel buses -- will significantly reduce the level of toxic air contaminants and other harmful pollutants that our children are exposed to each day on their way to and from school and while buses idle outside classrooms for long periods of time.

As you know, diesel exhaust has been listed as a known carcinogen under Proposition 65 since 1990 and has been identified by the California Air Resources Board as a toxic air contaminant. Moreover, your agency concluded earlier this year that over 70 percent of the cancer risk from the air in the South Coast Air Basin comes from diesel exhaust. While children are among those most at risk from the hazards of diesel exhaust, school bus fleets include some of the oldest and most polluting buses on California's roads today.

Why should a lesser health standard apply to our kids? Please adopt a rule like your transit bus rule -- which limits new purchases to alternative fuels -- to protect our children. Proposed Rule 1195 should not allow cancer-causing diesel vehicles -- even so-called "green diesel" -- to qualify for purchase.

Once again, please stand up for the children in the South Coast Air Basin and support a rule which mandates the purchase of *only* clean alternative fuel school buses.

Sincerely,

[your name and address]

== Sample letter to Governor Davis ==

[Date]

Re: Support using the $50 million in clean school bus funds for alternative fuel school buses only

Dear Governor Davis:

I am writing to urge you to support using the $50 million appropriation for clean school buses in your 2000-01 budget for the purchase of alternative fuel powered buses only.

Diesel exhaust has been listed as a known carcinogen under Proposition 65 since 1990 and has been identified by the California Air Resources Board as a toxic air contaminant. The South Coast Air Quality Management District has determined that more than 70 percent of the cancer risk from air pollution in the South Coast Air Basin comes from diesel particulate pollution, and a proposed Air Resources Board report makes similar findings statewide. Diesel particulates contribute to premature deaths, increase respiratory illnesses, and exacerbate asthmatic conditions. Children are among those most at risk from the hazards of diesel exhaust, yet school bus fleets include some of the oldest and most polluting buses on California's roads today.

The so-called "green diesel" school buses are not the answer because they fail to meet the cleanest emissions standards achievable by alternative fuel technology. Even with low-sulfur diesel fuel and particulate traps, these diesel engines still emit more smog-forming nitrogen oxides, and have not been shown to adequately address the cancer-causing risks associated with diesel emissions.

Please stand up for the children of California and support using the 2000-01 clean school bus funds to purchase *only* clean alternative fuel school buses. Our children are worth the investment.

Sincerely,

[your name and address]

..

Urge Interior Secretary Babbitt to ensure strong protections for Yosemite

As many of you know, NRDC's Yosemite National Park initiative aims to preserve the park's spectacular scenery and improve the way visitors experience it by drastically cutting the number of private cars in Yosemite Valley, ridding it of unnecessary development, and restoring its riverbanks, meadows and other natural habitats. The National Park Service, at the urging of NRDC and other groups, has developed a plan to replace Yosemite's traffic jams with shuttle buses, unpave parking lots, and restore sensitive areas of the valley. The plan has the potential to protect this unique place, and to make visiting Yosemite special again, but it needs to be strengthened, finalized and implemented soon.

In previous alerts, we asked you to contact the Park Service about strengthening its management plan for the Merced River, which runs through Yosemite Valley, and also to urge that the final Valley plan incorporate strong restrictions on individual vehicles and other protective actions. The Park Service's public comment period ended in July and officials at the agency and the Interior Department (which oversees the Park Service) are now reviewing the many letters, faxes and emails they received from you and others. Since the comment period ended, we've obtained still more evidence of public support for positive change at Yosemite: a statewide poll in which Californians overwhelmingly favor a strong restoration and detailed implementation plan. (You can find a sampling of poll questions and results at: http://www.nrdc.org/wildcalifornia/yospol.html)

The Park Service is expected to announce its final Yosemite Valley plan in November. In the meantime, we need to keep the pressure on.

== What to do ==
Contact Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, informing him of the broad public support for strong measures to protect Yosemite Valley and urging him to ensure the final plan provides the level of protection the park deserves.

== Contact information ==
You can send a fax to Secretary Babbitt directly from NRDC's website at http://www.nrdc.org/wildcalifornia/yosact.html. Or use the contact information and sample message below, and feel free to add a personal note about your own reasons for caring about Yosemite.

Secretary Bruce Babbitt
U.S. Department of the Interior
1849 C Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20240
Phone: (202) 208-3100
Email: bruce_babbitt@ios.doi.gov

== Sample letter ==

[Date]

Dear Secretary Babbitt:

I am counting on you to ensure that the Yosemite Valley plan includes strong protections for this outstanding national park.

I am not alone. A recent poll taken by NRDC and two other groups shows clearly that Californians overwhelmingly want a plan that reduces access by private cars to Yosemite Valley, provides for clean-fuel shuttles and buses, eliminates unnecessary development, ensures maximum restoration of the Merced River, and includes a detailed implementation plan. The poll also shows that, by large margins, the public opposes building any new permanent parking lots in Yosemite as well as adding units to Yosemite Lodge at the expense of camp sites and similar accommodations.

As this poll proves, Californians treasure Yosemite, but the park is also beloved by Americans from across the country, and people from around the world. It is up to you now to put a strong Yosemite plan in place. Please know that many, many Californians and others are expecting a final plan that will do Yosemite justice.

Sincerely,

[your name and address]

..

Reminder -- ZEV comments due this week!

California's Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) regulation, which requires major automakers to offer vehicles that produce no exhaust emissions, is once again up for review. In each of the past two reviews the big oil and auto companies successfully pressured the California Air Resources Board to delay and weaken the ZEV program, and this year these industries have once again teamed up to try to further weaken or even kill the program. The board meets on September 7 to decide the issue, so you still have a couple of days to tell the board and Governor Davis to resist industry pressure and reduce California's air pollution and costly dependence on foreign oil.

== What to do ==
If you haven't already done so, please contact Governor Davis today! You can email the governor directly from NRDC's Earth Action Center at http://www.nrdc.org/action/a_zev.asp (or send your own email to graydavis@governor.ca.gov). If you prefer to call Governor Davis, the phone number is (916) 445-2841.

.........

2) ABOUT OUR BULLETINS

This bulletin is distributed to members of NRDC's California Activist Network. If this message was forwarded to you and you would like to receive the bulletin directly, visit NRDC's Save Wild California website at http://www.nrdc.org/wildcalifornia or see the subscription instructions at the end of this bulletin.

In addition to our California Activist Network Action Alert, the Natural Resources Defense Council distributes EARTH ACTION, a biweekly bulletin calling out urgent environmental issues at the national level and from around the country. To subscribe, visit the Earth Action Center at http://www.nrdc.org/action or send a message to nrdcaction@nrdc.org with SUBSCRIBE EARTH ACTION BULLETIN in the subject line. To unsubscribe from the EARTH ACTION BULLETIN, send an email message to nrdcaction@nrdc.org with UNSUBSCRIBE EARTH ACTION BULLETIN in the subject line.

NRDC also publishes another biweekly bulletin, LEGISLATIVE WATCH, which tracks environmental bills moving through Congress. To subscribe to LEGISLATIVE WATCH, send an email message to nrdcaction@nrdc.org with SUBSCRIBE LEGISLATIVE WATCH in the subject line. To unsubscribe, send an email message to nrdcaction@nrdc.org with UNSUBSCRIBE LEGISLATIVE WATCH in the subject line.

.........

3) ABOUT NRDC

The Natural Resources Defense Council is a nonprofit environmental organization with 400,000 members nationwide and a staff of scientists, attorneys and environmental experts. Our mission is to protect the world's natural resources and improve the quality of the human environment.

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
New York, NY 10011
212-727-2700
General email: nrdcinfo@nrdc.org
Save Wild California email: wildcalifornia@nrdc.org

from World Wildlife September 5, 2000

Save the Everglades

Dear WWF Conservation Action Network Activist:

We need your help to convince Congress to pass legislation to restore
the Everglades, a globally unique wilderness that sustains an enormous
diversity of plant and animal life.  The Everglades system is essential
to the future of South Florida.  People rely on it for clean drinking
water and billions of dollars in direct spending to the regional
economy each year.  Unfortunately, the Everglades is in danger of
becoming a paradise lost, degraded by levees, canals, and pump
stations built by the federal government many years ago for flood
control, land development, and agriculture.  Sadly, the Everglades has
shrunk to little more than half its original size.

Fortunately, there is hope in the form of pending bipartisan federal
legislation that would authorize the first stages of a comprehensive
Everglades restoration plan developed over the past three years by
federal, state, and local governments and nonprofit organizations,
including World Wildlife Fund.  Passage of the legislation, which
would launch the largest ecosystem restoration project ever attempted,
is essential to the future viability of this world class ecosystem.  
However, if the bill is not passed by the end of this session of
Congress, which is only a few weeks away, important momentum to
pass the legislation may be lost and there will be further degradation of
the Everglades.

Please go to http://takeaction.worldwildlife.org/ to send free messages
urging your congressional representatives to support the Everglades
restoration legislation.  Please act today.

from Sierra Club September 5, 2000

SC-ACTION Vol. II, #249
DEFENDING THE ENVIRONMENTAL AGENDA
September 1, 2000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Americans care about protecting clean water, stopping sprawl and other
environmental issues, and they want to know whether their public officials
measure up on the environment."

                               --  Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FEATURED ITEM: Sierra Club's Voter Education Web site

1. TAKE ACTION: Free Mexican Anti-Logging Acvitists

2. TAKE ACTION: Protect our Streams and Wetlands

3. TAKE ACTION: Tell the BLM to Properly Manage Off-Road Vehicles

4. TAKE ACTION: Support United Nations Population Fund -- No "Global Gag Rule"

5. TAKE ACTION: Protect Our Wild Heritage -- Stop Logging Our National Forests

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
FEATURED ITEM: Sierra Club's Voter Education Web site

www.sierraclub.org/voter_education

The Sierra Club's Environmental Voter Education Campaign (EVEC) is a
grassroots effort to hold policy-makers accountable for their
environmental positions. Our goal is to educate the American public
about the importance of environmental issues, the voting records of
our elected officials and candidates, to create demand for
environmentally responsible leaders and urge the public to contact
legislators to vote to support upcoming environmental measures. Our
2000 campaign will focus on the United States Congress and the
presidency.

"Americans care about protecting clean water, stopping sprawl and
other environmental issues, and they want to know whether their public
officials measure up on the environment," said Sierra Club Executive
Director Carl Pope. "In the 30 years since the first Earth Day, we've
cleaned up pollution in some very tangible ways -- the Cuyahoga River
no longer burns, smog no longer chokes Los Angeles. Unfortunately,
Congress refuses to tackle the insidious but less tangible problems
still looming over our environment and our families' health. Our ads
tell Americans whether their public officials are making progress on
the environment or blocking it."

The EVEC Web site includes information about the Presidential election and
officials from the following states:

     Colorado
     Connecticut
     Delaware
     Illinois
     Kansas
     Michigan
     Montana
     Nevada
     New Jersey
     Pennsylvania
     Virginia
     Washington

The materials on the site include:
- Our Presidential Voter Guide, comparing the environmental records of
Texas Gov. George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore
- Digital versions of our TV and radio ads designed to educate the
public about their senators' and representatives' environmental positions
- Voting charts showing how each featured elected official has
voted on the environment
- "Slade dollars" showing how much special-interest money Sen. Slade
Gorton (Washington) has received from corporate polluters
- Contact information for each EVEC organizer.

This year's efforts build on the experience of the Sierra Club's past
voter education campaigns in 1996 and 1998. In addition to launching TV and
radio ads, in the coming months Sierra Club members in the EVEC sites will
conduct a variety of activities including grassroots lobbying, distributing
voting charts and voter guides door-to-door, posting signs, holding rallies
and conducting other creative actions.

If you have questions, comments, or concerns about this Web site,
contact eli.levitt@sierraclub.org or alex.veitch@sierraclub.org

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. TAKE ACTION: Urge Mexico's President-Elect to Work to Free Rodolfo Montiel
and Teodoro Cabrera

In a stunning decision, a judge convicted Rodolfo Montiel and
Teodoro Cabrera, two anti-logging environmentalists from the
Southern Sierra Madre region, of crimes they confessed to under
duress of torture, including possession of illegal weapons and
drug trafficking. Montiel was convicted on three counts and
sentenced to nearly seven years. Curiously, Cabrera, who was only
convicted on one count, was sentenced to ten years.

The evidence is overwhelming, however, that both men were
targeted because they successfully protested and eventually
stopped excessive and possibly illegal logging of old-growth
forests in their community. A little more than one month ago, the
National Human Rights Commission (CNDH), a governmental
organization, concluded that the evidence that Montiel and
Cabrera were in possession of guns was fabricated. The CNDH also
found that drug charges were untrue, since the Public Ministry
never registered the existence of a marijuana plot and the
soldiers could never determine its location.

Mexico's record on human rights and environmental protection is
deeply scarred by this ruling. We are asking all concerned write
a letter to President-Elect Vicente Fox urging him to do
everything in his power to assure the prompt release of Montiel
and Cabrera.

Please send letters to:
President-Elect Vicente Fox
c/o Ambassador Jesus Reyes-Heroles
Embassy of Mexico
1911 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20006

For a sample letter, go to our Web site at:
www.sierraclub.org/human-rights/Mexico/action.asp

Any other questions should be directed to:
Sam Parry
(202) 675-7907
sam.parry@sierraclub.org


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. TAKE ACTION: Our Streams and Wetlands Need Protection from Sprawl

Developers are exacerbating sprawl by turning wetlands into strip malls, tract
housing and golf courses -- all without any environmental review. Why?
They are exploiting a 1998 court ruling that struck down the "Tulloch Rule"
and opened a loophole in the Clean Water Act enabling developers and others to
do various ditching, draining and excavating projects without public notice or
a permit.

Destroying these wetlands and streams harms the quality of our
nation's water, aggravates flooding, robs a wide array of birds, fish
and wildlife of critical habitat and invites sprawling development in
sensitive ecosystems.

You can help protect our streams and wetlands by supporting a rule the EPA and
the Army Corps of Engineers proposed to limit the destructiveness of this
loophole and by urging these agencies to do more to stop sprawl from invading
sensitive ecosystems.

The comment period on this rule ends on Oct. 16, 2000, so urgent action is
necessary. Please write a personal letter including the bullet points below.
If you want to  do more to help with this campaign or need further details,
call the Sierra Club at (202) 547-1141 or visit our Web site at
www.sierraclub.org/wetlands/tulloch.

- Provide clarity in the rule that specific activities -- such as sidecasting,
stockpiling, clearing, grading, leveling and backfilling -- always
require environmental review to ensure that developers are not able to
exploit any vagueness within the rule;

- Develop stronger language to protect our streams from toxics, heavy
metals and other pollutants that are sent downstream by ditching and  dredging.

The Army Corps must seize this opportunity to protect our nation's
streams and wetlands from the widespread destruction this loophole has
created. I urge you to finalize the rule with the above revisions as
soon as possible. Please count this as my formal comment in support of
the proposed rulemaking for limiting the Tulloch loophole.

Mail to:
Mr. Mike Smith
Office of the Chief of Engineers
ATTN CECW-OR (3 F73)
Further Revisions to Definition of Discharge or Dredge Material
441 G Street NW
Washington, DC 20314-1000

Email to:
CECWOR@HQ02.USACE.Army.Mil

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. TAKE ACTION:  Tell the BLM to Properly Manage Off-Road Vehicles

Unrestrained use of off-road vehicles (ORVs) on lands managed by the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) is causing severe damage to some of the nation's most
sensitive wildlife habitat areas. The BLM announced earlier this year the
development of a national strategy to ensure "environmentally responsible off-
highway vehicle use" on BLM lands. The agency will be gathering public input
for the strategy through "listening sessions" held this summer throughout the
West, as well as accepting written comments.

The BLM must develop a uniform policy that gives specific direction on how ORVs
should be managed to protect resources and eliminate user conflicts. The BLM
should adopt five basic changes to the current ORV management framework:

- ORV use should be prohibited in roadless areas and wilderness study areas.

- All BLM lands should be specifically designated, mapped, and signed as open,
limited, or closed to ORV traffic. The BLM should adopt a "closed unless open"
policy, to allow ORV use only on roads, trails, and routes designated and
posted as "open." Cross-country ORV travel should be prohibited.

- Designation of ORV routes should only occur where the agency has shown that
ORV use will not cause adverse environmental impacts.

- The BLM should follow the National Environmental Policy Act when designating
ORV routes, constructing new ORV routes, upgrading existing routes for new or
additional ORV use, and constructing or upgrading facilities for ORV use.

- ORV use should be prohibited unless adequate monitoring and enforcement of
the use and impacts are fully funded and implemented.

For a list of hearings and more info. on the impact of ORV's visit
http://www.sierraclub.org.wilderness/ORV

Written comments should be sent by August 31 to:
Comment Manager, Bureau of Land Management
1849 C St NW, LSB 406-C
Washington, DC 20240

or through the BLM web site: http://www.blm.gov/ohv/ohvstrategy.htm

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
4) TAKE ACTION: Support the United Nations Population Fund With No "Global Gag
Rule"

The fate of international family planning funding and policy will be determined
in September when a conference committee, comprised of House and Senate
members, will forge a joint document to be sent to the president.

The House version (H.R. 4811) passed with funding levels of $385 million for
international family planning assistance and $25 million for the United Nations
Population Fund (UNFPA). These represent no increase from the funding levels of
last year. The House also voted to retain the Global Gag Rule which
disqualifies overseas family planning associations from receiving U.S. funds if

they, with their own money, lobby to change laws on abortion or legally provide

abortion services in their own countries.

The Senate passed their act (S. 2522) with increased funding levels and removed
the Global Gag Rule restrictions from the legislation. The Senate requested
$425 million for international family planning assistance and $25 million for
UNFPA.

President Clinton has threatened a veto if the Global Gag Rule restrictions and
low funding levels remain. Therefore, difficult negotiations will have to be
made to produce a bill that the President will sign.

TAKE ACTION:

The following Senators are key players for successful negotiations:

Specter (Pa.), Leahy (Vt.), Inouye (Hawaii), Lautenberg (N.Jj), Harkin (Iowa),
Mikulski (Md.), and Murray (Wash.).

If you live in one of these states, please contact your senator and ask him or
her to stay in strong support of the Senate language and funding levels.

Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
5) TAKE ACTION: Protect Our Wild Heritage -- Stop Logging Our National Forests

Protecting forests make environmental and economic sense. The Forest Service
predicts that in the year 2000, recreation, hunting and fishing in National
Forests will contribute 38 times more income to the nation's economy than
logging, and will create 31 times more jobs. More than 3,000 species of fish
and wildlife and 10,000 plant species -- including 230 endangered plant and
animal species -- rely on National Forests for habitat.

The National Forest Protection and Restoration Act would eliminate the
commercial logging program on federal public lands, promote restoration, and
help communities that receive logging revenue develop a more diverse and stable
economy.

Call your Member of Congress through the Capitol switchboard at (202)
224-3121 and urge them to cosponsor H.R. 1396, the National Forest Protection
and Restoration Act.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sierra Club Legislative Hotline - 202-675-2394
Sierra Club National Headquarters - 415-977-5500
Sierra Club World Wide Web - http://www.sierraclub.org
Sierra Club Vote Watch Website - http://www.sierraclub.org/votewatch/

White House Comment Line - 202-456-1111
White House Fax Line - 202-456-2461
Clinton's e-mail - president@whitehouse.gov
Gore's e-mail - vice-president@whitehouse.gov
White House Address - 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington, DC 20500

US Capitol Switchboard - 202-224-3121
To contact your senators - http://www.senate.gov/contacting/index.cfm
To contact your representative - http://www.house.gov/writerep/

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
For SC email list T-and-C, send: GET TERMS-AND-CONDITIONS.CURRENT
to listserv@lists.sierraclub.org

from Rural Advancement Foundation International September 5, 2000

RAFI Genotype
Tuesday, September 5th 2000

UN's Global Compact - New Model from an Old Assembly Line?

Kofi Annan's tryst with multinationals has embarrassed the UN.  It's not the first time an intergovernmental body has been humiliated by its efforts to "bond" with transnational power. But it is time to confront companies directly?

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's platform appearance with the CEO's of 50 multinational corporations last July to announce a "Global Compact" has given the United Nations nothing but grief.  No one knows what the Global Compact will do or  how what it does will be monitored.  UN officials are at a loss to explain the advantages or the logic behind what appears to be a surrender of authority to global corporations.  The Global Compact was ill conceived and should be jettisoned during the Millennium Session of the UN General Assembly that opens today.

This is not the first time the UN has embarrassed itself by kowtowing to transnational business.  The last quarter-century reveals a history of silly initiatives.  Nevertheless, it remains true that the UN should recognize the immense power corporations wield, and directly confront their threat to democracy, equity, and good governance.  Ignoring global companies would be as stupid as granting them an undefined role in shaping UN policies and programmes.  

History Regurgitated:  

When the UN General Assembly convened the first "political" conference on hunger - the World Food Conference of 1974 - the U.S. delegation spearheaded by Henry Kissinger and Hubert Humphrey told everyone prepared to listen that the solution to world hunger was agribusiness.  Given incentives and the now-famous "level playing field", Kissinger and Humphrey insisted industry would grow the food and get it to market for everyone.  The corridors of the Rome congress centre were stuffed with American and European business lobbyists peddling tractors, spreading fertilizers, and pumping pesticides to "feed the hungry".  Indeed, the only big winner to come out of the confab was not the hungry, but the ICP (the Industry Cooperative Programme) which had corporate employees and offices made available to them in FAO.  A.H. Boerma, FAO's retiring Director-General in 1974, was horrified by the corporate influence.  Although he himself had a long association with Royal Dutch Shell, Boerma ha!
d also been the Dutch Agriculture Minister, and carried a strong sense of the role of intergovernmental organizations and public service.  Corporations had their place - but not as moles within UN agencies.

It took until 1978 for FAO's new Director-General, Eduard Saouma - with the backing of the Swedish Government - to expel the ICP.  During its time at FAO, however, the small secretariat had considerable influence over all FAO policies, technical assistance, and field programmes - especially those related to agricultural equipment and inputs.  Expulsion from Rome was by no means the end of the ICP.  Within months, the same staff had morphed into the ICD (Industry Council for Development) and were cuddled cozily within the confines of UNDP in New York.

During the Seventies and early Eighties, the UN General Assembly and UNCTAD both struggled hard to gain some control over the influence of transnational corporations.  The creation and rapid demise of the UN Centre on Transnational Corporations (UNCTC) clearly defines the battle lines and timelines of the UN's efforts.  By the close of the Eighties, the battle was over, UNCTC was shut down, and corporate influence over the UN was in its ascendancy.  Recent revelations from the global tobacco industry describing how it infiltrated the UN and FAO give no doubt as to the power the companies began to wield over intergovernmental negotiations.   

The sequel to the 1974 World Food Conference came in 1996 with FAO's World Food Summit.  With the corporate drive toward globalization at full throttle, governments and the FAO itself were energetically competing for industry's favours in espousing the private sector role in food security.  At one stage, the brief declaration drafted for the Summit contained more references to companies than to farmers, and invoked the "sanctity of contracts" rather than the "sanctity of life".  (In the end, this was too much even for the U.S. and Britain and the "sanctity" line was dropped.)  Short weeks before the Summit, however, rumours spread that the higher echelons of FAO had concocted a scheme to invite corporate CEO's to the Summit as special guests of the Director-General.  In return for million dollar contributions to defray the costs of the Summit, FAO was considering not only having CEO's at the same table as Prime Ministers and Presidents, but also assuring them of direct influen!
ce over any policies and programmes related to their businesses that came out of the Summit.  The plan was only abandoned when news of it leaked to CSOs.  Wiser heads inside the administration were able to counsel against the initiative on the grounds - quite correct - that it would scuttle the Summit.

Now, a new UN Secretary-General has been counseled to make a totally amorphous deal with the companies whose only outcome is to enhance corporate status at the UN and assure corporations of an "in" within the Secretariat.  As negative media reactions and complaints from Civil Society mount, the Secretary-General's Office is struggling to downplay the Global Compact and suggest that the tempest they have stirred is only in a teapot.  Not so.

A Place at the Table?     

All this is not to suggest that global enterprises could not in some way, be "at the table".  The Global Compact, unfortunately, places them "under the table" where their antics and influence would be difficult to observe.  We want them where we can see them.  We also need to hear what they have to say.  Not because global companies will ever be good global citizens - that's naïve and impossible - but because their power is real and to ignore and not address it is to encourage its growth and increase its threat to the world's poor and powerless.  "At the table", some corporate tendencies can be controlled.  The public spotlight will have a focal point and will force companies to behave better and act more cautiously.  Senior company managers have conceded - sometimes with genuine misgivings - that business controls policy in Clinton's Washington, Blair's London, as well as in Canada, Australia, and Japan.  This is no surprise.  By giving corporate power exposure and shape, we !
are not offering them more power, we are creating a social momentum needed to constrain that power - to re-create a better UNCTC, to establish global mechanisms to curtail market and patent monopolies, and the mega-mergers that make headlines today.  Environmental, employment, and equity practices of the companies will inevitably be debated and companies "at the table" will have to respond.  "At the table" they can no longer hide behind public relations propaganda.  There will be a place where they don't control the message.  Where they are in the open.



Why a Forum for Global Confrontation?
The reasons why a Global Compact is the wrong approach

The sometimes courageous struggle within the UN to control corporate power was waged 20-25 years ago.  Now, with the Global Compact, the campaign to control has become a lemming's rush to capitulation.  Here's what's changed over the decades.

* One-third of the U.S. Fortune 500 companies listed twenty years ago were bought out by 1990 and another 40% were merged by 1995.  In the past five years the pace of corporate extinctions has surpassed the loss of livestock breeds.
* In 1980, the UN Centre for Transnational Corporations published a study of the world food and beverage industries identifying 180 companies that dominated highly segmented markets at that time.  Today, at least half of these companies occupy roughly the same market power - and UNCTC is extinct.
* Twenty years ago, not one of the world's 7,000 major sources of planting seed held an identifiable share of the commercial seed market.  Today, the top ten seed companies have a third of the world's market.
* Twenty years ago, the top 20 pharmaceutical companies held about 5% of the world prescription drug trade.  Today, the top ten companies control well over 40% of the market.
* Twenty years ago, 65 agricultural chemical companies were competitors in the world market.  Today, nine companies have approximately 90% of global pesticide sales.
* Twenty years ago, RAFI was not monitoring the world veterinary medicine market.  Today, however, ten companies have more than two-thirds of world sales.
* Twenty-five years ago, the total value of mergers in the U.S., in a single year, soared to $11.4 billion.  In 1999, the total value of U.S. mergers was more than $1.7 trillion.
* In 1999, the total value of global mergers and acquisitions approximated 10% of the combined GDP of the entire world, more than $3.4 trillion.
* Twenty years ago, intellectual property was largely a rich mans sport confined to non-living material.  Today, intellectual property monopolies play a role in more than half of all goods and services (living and non) traded across national borders.
* At least 70% of all international patent royalty payments are made between parent and subsidiary companies.
* The number of annual patents applied for in Europe has risen from barely 3,000 per year in the early 70' to over 76,000 in 1999.
* Ninety percent of new technologies and product patents are controlled by global corporations.
As the new millennium begins, the world's top 200 corporations account for 28% of global economic activity; the top 500 account for 70% of world trade and the top 1000 companies control more than 80% of the world's industrial output.

Further, global companies can't be given seats at the table unless civil society organizations are also invited.  It would be just too embarrassing.  Sharing a common UN identity as "nongovernmental organizations", we would all pile into the room together.  This explains the inclusion of a handful of CSOs in the Global Compact.  (It also explains the importance of IQ tests to screen out idiot CSOs who don't know when they are being used.)

Nevertheless, there are a very significant number of CSOs with extensive corporate monitoring and intergovernmental savvy that when working together could exercise considerable influence at any table.   In the final analysis, CSOs could - if they can overcome the mystic of corporate strategic thinking that is rarely real and even more-rarely effective  - gain more from such fora than CEO's.

Table Manners:  

What sort of table?  What kind of rules?  A place at the table doesn't mean a place at every table nor does it imply equal status.  In fact, it demands sharply defined rules and roles.  The place of governments must be at the head of the table.  They ultimately (and with unavoidably greater transparency) must bear the burden of decision-making.  Although companies are - by definition - striving for their own profits, CSOs are supposed to be defending the public interest. CEO's and CSOs should have a voice, in return for which, each should accept the same transparency and scrutiny we demand of governments.  The distinction between for-profit "NGO's" (including corporate associations and consortia that may not make traditional "profits") and not-for-profit CSOs should also be made clear.  Trade unions (including farmers and farm workers) and Indigenous Peoples should have their own unique and distinct presence at the table.  

One interesting model for this could be the newly constructed Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR) that first met in Dresden this past May.  The Forum was created by the Consultative Group on Agricultural Research (CGIAR). GFAR is a thinly-disguised attempt to provide some kind of global governance over the CG's 16 Green Revolution" institutes.  Collectively the institutes have no legal identity, but exercise considerable policy influence on agricultural issues.  The Global Forum brings together CSOs, CEO's, governments, intergovernmental agencies, and scientific institutes in a dialogue whose conclusions the CG would be foolish to ignore.  If anything, farmers and CSOs exercised significantly more influence over the Dresden gathering than did agribusiness.  Governments present - who provide 98% of the funding - took heed.  Because the CGIAR is not an intergovernmental body, the GFAR is a step in the right direction along a path that should finally see real intergovern!
mental policy oversight over its scientific works.  In a sense, business involvement in this case is levering greater governmental control.

While the informality of similar "global fora" for UN agencies would also be attractive, they begin as intergovernmental bodies and have different problems of governance. More formal structures are possible that would not undermine governments.  There would seem to be space available in the forlorn Trusteeship Council for all of these factions - and space at the back should be available in the UN General Assembly and in similar halls at FAO, WHO, Unesco, and all the other UN bodies.  

Back in the early Seventies as he was working with Maurice Strong to fashion the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment, Marc Nerfin formulated his analysis of the Three Systems - the Princes, the Merchants, and the People.  The People are the critical Third System. Since then, Maurice Strong and others have been advising Kofi Annan on how to bond with the Second System, - the Merchants.  Marc Nerfin has gone on to champion the Third System.   The ill-fated Global Compact - once formally pronounced dead and buried, could still set the stage for the public establishment of the Three Systems within the United Nations.  And that would be a good thing.



For further information:

RAFI recommends the following websites and expresses its gratitude and solidarity with the CSOs taking leadership on this issue:
Corporate Watch: corpwatch@corpwatch.org
CEO (Corporate Europe Observatory): http://www.xs4all.nl/~ceo/index.html
UN Global Compact Website: www.unglobalcompact.org

Cartoon Series:  

In support of the excellent work of other CSOs closer to the UN in New York, RAFI has prepared a series of political cartoons critical of the Global Compact.  One cartoon will be published each day for the first week of the Millennium Assembly and Summit beginning today.  The cartoons can be found at www.rafi.org    The Global Compact series begins a new RAFI initiative to identify and clarify political issues.  Media and CSOs are invited to download the cartoons and reprint them as they wish.  RAFI does ask that the cartoon logo and the name of the artist, Reymond Page, be included in all reprints.

from Environment News Service September 5, 2000

ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS)         http://ens-news.com

                     "We Cover the Earth For You"
************************************************************

LOGGING DOES NOT REDUCE FIRE RISK, TWO STUDIES CONCLUDE

WASHINGTON, DC, September 5, 2000 (ENS) - Two new studies - one by an
environmental group, one by a Congressional research group - have concluded
that logging in U.S. national forests does not protect them against
devastating forest fires. In fact, logging activities often increase a
forest's fire risk, the studies show.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-05-06.html

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ANTI-NUCLEAR ACTIVISTS SLAM U.S. PLUTONIUM DISPOSAL PACT WITH RUSSIA

WASHINGTON, DC, September 5, 2000 (ENS) - The United States and Russia have
signed an agreement to turn tons of weapons grade plutonium into fuel for
nuclear reactors. Critics at the independent Nuclear Control Institute say
the pact is "premature and dangerous," and could lead to increased risk of
nuclear proliferation or terrorist capture of bomb materials.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-05-07.html

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500 BEARS TO BE RESCUED FROM CHINESE BILE FARMS

HONG KONG, China, September 5, 2000 (ENS) - Hundreds of Chinese bears
confined in cages no larger than their own bodies and milked for their bile
for use in traditional Asian medicine will themselves find relief through
the efforts of a small Hong Kong organization.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-05-02.html

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SOLVING AUSTRALIA'S SALTY PROBLEM

CANBERRA, Australia, September 5, 2000 (ENS) - Salt has been rising to the
surface of the land surrounding Australia's largest river system - the
Murray-Darling Basin - destroying the land for agriculture and wildlife.
Part of the solution may lie in creating a new landscape which is a mosaic
of commercial tree crops, mixed perennial-annual planting systems and areas
of native vegetation.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-05-01.html

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BURNING ISSUE CONSUMES ARCTIC TOWN

IQALUIT, Nunavut, Canada, September 5, 2000 (ENS) - The growing town of
Iqaluit, home to 3,600 people and the capital of Canada's newest territory
Nunavut, is struggling to deal with a mounting waste problem.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-05-12.html

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FEWER THAN 30 LEOPARDS LEFT IN RUSSIA'S FAR EAST

WASHINGTON, DC, September 5, 2000 (ENS) - Only immediate action will save
the Far Eastern leopard from extinction, warns a study conducted by the World
Wildlife Fund (WWF).

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-05-11.html

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TOXIC SHIP PAINT POLLUTES MEDITERRANEAN SEA

ATHENS, Greece, September 5, 2000 (ENS) - Paint used to protect ships from
algae and barnacle growth is polluting the Mediterranean Sea off the coast
of Greece, according to research commissioned by the environmental group
Greenpeace.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-05-10.html

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ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: SEPTEMBER 5, 2000

Chevron Fined $2.25 M for California Fuel Leak

CALFED Water Plan Criticized by Farmers, Environmentalists

Gore Accepts Friends of the Earth Endorsement

George W. Bush Accepts Trophy Hunting Award

Eighth West Nile Virus Victim in New York

Anthrax Antibiotic Approved to Counter Biological Warfare

Deputy Agriculture Secretary Calls for New Crop Uses

Permits Required for Demonstrations at Grand Staircase-Escalante

Construction Dumping in Florida Bays Nets $1 M Fine

Florida Wins Approval for Certification Program

Recycling Hits the Ceiling

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-05-09.html

Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2000 All Rights Reserved.

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           SEND NEWS STORY TIPS TO news@ens-news.com

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    E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE
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TO BUSINESS AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDITORS:

              New Program From Armstrong Allows Building Owners
            To Recycle Old Ceiling Tiles Rather Than Dumping Them

            Company Even Pays for Shipment to Manufacturing Plant

    LANCASTER, Pa., Sept. 5 -/E-Wire/--  Armstrong World Industries
(NYSE: ACK), the world's largest manufacturer of acoustical ceilings, has
announced a program that allows building owners to recycle their old ceiling
tiles rather than dumping them in landfills.
    /CONTACT:  Dave Lewandowski of Al Paul Lefton, 215-351-4219, for Armstrong
World Industries/    (ACK)
For Full Text Visit:  http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Sept00/05Sept0001.html

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    E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE
***********************************************************************

TO BUSINESS EDITOR:

              Blue292 Announces New Management Team Appointments

Fernandez, Barbati Tapped to Bolster Supply Side Logistics and Relationships
                   For Leading Environmental e-Marketplace

    DURHAM, N.C., Sept. 5 -/E-Wire/--  Blue292, the world's leading
business-to-business e-marketplace for environmental, health and safety (EHS)
applications, products and services, today announced that Scott Fernandez has
joined the company as Vice President of Supply Chain Management.  Blue292 also
announced that John Barbati has been promoted to Vice President of Supplier
Relations from his previous role as Director of Operations.
    /CONTACT:  Anita Bose of Robinson Lerer & Montgomery, 212-484-7699, or
abose@rlmnet.com, for Blue292/
     /Web site:  http://www.blue292.com
For Full Text Visit:  http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Sept00/05Sept0002.html

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    E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE
***********************************************************************

TO BUSINESS EDITOR:

    Suncor Plans to Resolve Operating Issues at Oil Shale Project Decides to
    Write Down Asset and Put Next Stage of Development on Hold

    CALGARY, Sept. 5 -/E-Wire/--  Suncor Energy Inc. today announced plans
to resolve operational issues at its Stuart joint venture oil shale demonstration
project in Australia, which will require an expenditure on the part of Suncor
of $13 million to $22 million(1) (AU$15 million to AU$25 million) to improve
plant performance. The next stage of development will be put on hold until
operational issues and concerns about environmental and social impacts are
addressed.
    /CONTACT: Media inquiries should be directed to: Ms. Patti Lewis,
Calgary, Canada, 403-205-6796 or Ms. Kerry Clow, Gladstone, Australia
07-4971-1247; Investor inquiries should be directed to: Mr. John Rogers,
Calgary, Canada, 403-269 8670, Or we can be reached at our website:
www.suncor.com/    (SU. SU)
     /Web site: http:// www.suncor.com/
For Full Text Visit:  http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Sept00/05Sept0003.html

************************************************************
  SEND YOUR PRESS RELEASE ON E-WIRE -- 1-888-764-NEWS
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from Global Response September 6, 2000

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

Here's  an article from the San Francisco Chronicle (Sept. 4, 2000) about
Tiomin Resources' strip-mining project on Kenya's coast.

If you haven't yet written a letter about this to the Environmental
Minister in Kenya, please see our Action Alert at
http://www.globalresponse.org/gra/current.html     Kenyans who are working
to prevent the stripmine project are asking the international community for
our support.  Please take a moment to write a letter.

Dongo Kundu (Red Earth) is an excellent video about Kenyans' objections to
the Tiomin Resources project.  See:  www.montana.com/wwfe/dongkun.htm.



                 AFRICA
                 Kenyan Farmers Battle Mining

                 David Gough 

                Monday, September 4, 2000



                 Kwale, Kenya -- Frank Mutua fiddled nervously
                 as he ran his fingers along the length of a bright pair
                 of red suspenders.

                 ``That's my farm,'' he said, pointing across a green
                 valley toward a tidy clutch of coconut trees. ``But
                 soon, it will all be gone.''

                 Like thousands of other Kenyans who have farmed
                 here for generations, Mutua expects to be moved
                 off his land to pave the way for the nation's largest
                 mining project. A Canadian mining company has
                 discovered the world's largest unmined deposit of
                 titanium in the area. A metallic element that is
                 resistant to corrosion and heat, titanium is used in
                 aircraft, rockets, eyeglass frames, golf clubs and
                 bicycles and in the production of pigments in paints,
                 papers and plastics.

                 If all goes well, Tiomin Resources Inc. of Toronto is
                 expected to begin construction as early as next year
                 on a $150 million strip mine and processing plant.
                 When production begins in 2002, it will mine 10
                 percent of the world's known titanium reserves for
                 the next 20 years.

                 Critics say the project will not only jeopardize the
                 way of life for almost 5,000 small farmers, but will
                 also damage the fragile ecosystem of a coastline
                 famed for its palm-fringed beaches, blue lagoons
                 and coral reefs.

                 ``The consequences of this project for the
                 environment could be catastrophic,'' said Elphas
                 Ojiambo, policy research coordinator for the British
                 charity Action Aid.

                 For now, farmers with deeds will be compensated,
                 but those without title -- so-called squatters -- will
                 receive nothing. Most squatters are subsistence
                 farmers who grow cashew nuts, citrus fruits and
                 coconuts. Their way of life is traditional, and a deed
                 means little to many of them.

                 ``We have lived here all our lives,'' said 60-year-old
                 Juma Suleiman ``I will not leave here. They will
                 have to kill me first.''

                 Although Tiomin Resources officials say they have
                 been negotiating with area residents since 1998,
                 they have agreed to compensate only 85 families, or
                 about 20 percent of the residents now living on the
                 proposed 6,000-acre mine site at Kwale, 39 miles
                 south of the port city of Mombasa.

                 ``We cannot sign agreements with people who have
                 no documents confirming their ownership of the
                 land,'' said Francoise Goutier, Tiomin's resident
                 manager.

                 However, Mutua says, ``They are simply taking
                 advantage of people's ignorance. That makes me
                 very angry.''

                 Mutua is also irate that compensation is based on
                 land value and not the mineral wealth beneath it.
                 Tiomin is offering $115 an acre and $25 a year for
                 the use of that same acre. The average annual per
                 capita income in Kenya is $270. The company says
                 it will also pick up the tab for the farmers'
                 relocation.

                 Goutier said that once mining operations are
                 concluded, her company will rehabilitate the land
                 and hand it back to the title holders.

                 But Dr. Wellington Wamicha, a soil scientist at
                 Nairobi's Kenyatta University, doubts the land
                 would still be suitable for farming. He says the soil
                 to be mined contains large deposits of radioactive
                 elements, which could endanger residents if
                 unearthed by huge excavators.

                 And while the issue of compensation might be the
                 most sensitive issue in the short run, the long-term
                 effects will be the most severe, environmentalist say.

                 They argue that the mining operation will tax a
                 scarce regional water supply, destroy marine life to
                 make way for a new port to export the titanium and
                 threaten Kenya's tourism industry -- once the
                 nation's leading source of income.

                 Under Kenyan law, Tiomin has carried out an
                 environmental impact report, which the
                 Swiss-based World Conservation Union, known as
                 IUCN, has called incomplete and biased.

                 Tiomin is reluctant to use Mombasa as the port
                 from which it exports the metal, citing that busy
                 port's chronic congestion. Instead, it proposes to
                 build a new port in a quiet fishing bay called
                 Shimoni, host to some of Kenya's finest coral and
                 marine life, whale and dolphin watching expeditions
                 and one of the nation's few marine parks.

                 Tiomin's environmental impact study says the risk of
                 a shipping accident at Shimoni is ``very unlikely.''
                 But an IUCN report disagrees. ``In fact, the reverse
                 is probably the case. A shipping accident in the
                 form of a ship grounding or an accidental spill is
                 highly likely,'' said the IUCN report.

                 However, Edward Juma Mutakha, the government
                 environmental officer for Kwale district, says the
                 mining operation will not be approved if there are to
                 be negative consequences on the local environment.

                 Critics also say the mining venture provides few
                 benefits for the country, since it will only create 250
                 long-term jobs, and the vast majority of investment
                 money will be spent abroad. The only two Kenyans
                 listed as company directors are white lawyers, and
                 most profits are also expected to leave the country.

                 ``When I consider the potential risks of
                 environmental destruction, the number of people
                 who will lose their land and their income for the
                 sake of a few jobs, I just cannot see how this
                 represents a good deal for Kenya,'' said Mutua.

                 In fact, there have been allegations that several
                 officials of the government of President Daniel arap
                 Moi have accepted bribes to allow the project to
                 proceed. Tiomin executives deny the allegations.

                 To be sure, the government says it will benefit by
                 receiving royalties, which have yet to be negotiated.
                 ``We want this project to continue,'' Minister of
                 Mines Jackson Kalweo has said.

                 But what irks the coastal people more than anything
                 is the way Tiomin executives have conducted
                 themselves. ``I would certainly expect Tiomin to
                 proceed with the same caution that they would for a
                 similar project in Canada,'' said Mutua.``Their
                 arrogance is what upsets me most.''

                 Chronicle Foreign Service

from Natural Resources Defense Council September 6, 2000

The Bulletin for Environmental Activists

September 6, 2000

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

Contents

1) alerts

a) CLEAN WATER: Tell the Clinton administration to get raw sewage out of our waters

b) MORE CLEAN WATER: Tell your representative to clean up our waters and protect the Clean Water Act

c) CALIFORNIANS:
i) Tell officials to protect kids from harmful diesel school buses
ii) Urge Governor Davis to sign clean, affordable, reliable energy into law now

2) About Our Bulletins

3) About NRDC

You will also find these alerts in NRDC'S Earth Action Center (http://www.nrdc.org/action), which includes tools for taking action easily online.

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

1) alerts

CLEAN WATER
Tell the Clinton administration to get raw sewage out of our waters

Sanitary sewers are designed to carry wastes from buildings to sewage treatment plants. When these sewers are overloaded, inadequately maintained or obstructed, however, the overflows dump raw and inadequately treated sewage into basements, streets, and waterways, instead of delivering the waste to the treatment plant. Sewer overflows contain bacteria and viruses, fecal matter, untreated industrial wastes, toilet paper, tampon applicators, excessive oxygen-depleting phosphorous and nitrogen, and a host of other wastes. These overflows cause beach closings, fish kills, and shellfish bed closures, and pathogens in sewage-contaminated waters can cause gastrointestinal and respiratory illnesses, dysentery, and hepatitis. The consequences of contact with sewage-infested waters are even greater for children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems.

In May 1999, President Clinton directed the Environmental Protection Agency to develop, within one year, a strong national regulation to prevent the over 40,000 annual sanitary sewer overflows that contaminate beaches and jeopardize health. The EPA met the deadline and drafted regulations that would require raw sewage to be treated before it is discharged, but so far the Office of Management and Budget has refused to release those regulations.

== What to do ==
Send a message to John Spotila, the administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at OMB and the person who is holding up these rules.

== Contact information ==
You can email John Spotila directly from NRDC's Earth Action Center at http://www.nrdc.org/action, where we'll send a copy of your message to Wes Warren, the associate director of OMB's Natural Resources, Energy and Science office. Or use the contact information and sample letter below to send your own message.

John T. Spotila, Administrator
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
Office of Management and Budget
Old Executive Office Building
17th & Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20503
Email: jspotila@omb.eop.gov

Wesley Warren, Associate Director
Natural Resources, Energy and Science
Office of Management and Budget
Old Executive Office Building
17th & Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20503
Email: wwarren@omb.eop.gov

== Sample letter ==

[Date]

Dear Mr. Spotila:

I am writing to urge you to release the proposed regulations for controlling sewer overflows that President Clinton promised last year. There is no reason to further delay these proposed regulations, which would protect public health and safety by keeping bacteria-laden raw sewage discharges out of our streets, waterways, and basements. These rules would require sewage systems to have adequate capacity and be maintained so that they do the job for which they were designed -- making sure raw sewage is treated before it is discharged into our waters.

Once again, please release these regulations so the Clinton administration can live up to its commitment to get raw sewage out of our waters.

Sincerely,

[Your name and address]

cc: Wesley Warren

..

CLEAN WATER
Tell your representative to clean up our waters and protect the Clean Water Act

In 1972, as part of passing the Clean Water Act, Congress created the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) program, which requires that states and the EPA identify polluted rivers, lakes and coastal waters, rank them for priority attention, and then develop pollution limits for each waterbody. The TMDL program was largely ignored for the next 20 years, however, and over 20,000 individual river segments, lakes, and estuaries across America are still polluted -- mostly by sedimentation, nutrients, and pathogens. These waters may not be safe as drinking water sources or for fishing, swimming, boating, or other basic uses.

Now, more than 30 citizen lawsuits later, the EPA and the states are finally taking steps to begin implementing this cornerstone program, and in July the EPA finalized new regulations to clarify and strengthen the existing TMDL program. But numerous pieces of legislation supported by the timber, agriculture and electric utility industries were immediately introduced to overturn the new rule, create special exemptions from Clean Water Act requirements for particular industries, and divert EPA resources by requiring the agency to conduct repetitive studies and meet other "regulatory reform" requirements. In the final weeks of the legislative session, Congress will receive considerable pressure from industry to enact one or more of these bills.

== What to do ==
Send a message to your representative and urge him or her to oppose any legislation that would overturn or delay the new EPA rule and any legislation that would weaken the Clean Water Act.

== Contact information ==
You can email or fax your representative directly from NRDC's Earth Action Center at http://www.nrdc.org/action. If you prefer to call your representative, the Capitol Switchboard number is (202) 224-3121.

..

CALIFORNIANS:
Tell officials to protect kids from harmful diesel school buses

Diesel exhaust has been listed as a known carcinogen under California's Proposition 65 since 1990 and has been identified by the California Air Resources Board as a toxic air contaminant. Earlier this year the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) concluded that over 70 percent of the cancer risk from the air in the South Coast Air Basin comes from diesel exhaust. In recognition of this health threat and responding to public pressure from activists like you, in June the SCAQMD adopted a rule requiring all transit agencies in the region to buy only new alternative fuel transit buses. But now, the SCAQMD is waffling on whether to apply this same health-protective standard to school buses.

In fact, children are among those *most* susceptible to the health effects of diesel exhaust -- which include increased risk of asthma attacks, lung cancer and premature death. Children breathe at a faster rate than adults, therefore retaining more pollution in their lungs, and their developing bodies are less capable of defending against the harmful emissions of diesel exhaust. Despite this, school bus fleets in California include some of the oldest and most polluting buses on the road today.

Oil companies and engine manufacturers are lobbying intensively against stringent emissions standards for school buses, arguing that newer "green diesel" vehicles are good enough. But while the newer diesel vehicles may be cleaner than old dirty diesels, they still have not been proven to reduce toxic and other harmful emissions to the same low levels achieved by alternative fuel school buses. Opponents also claim that school districts cannot afford to purchase only clean alternative fuel buses, and that stricter standards will lead to a choice between "books and buses." But in truth significant funding is available to subsidize the purchase of clean school buses that is separate and apart from educational funding: the governor has set aside $50 million in his 2000-01 budget solely to fund the purchase of cleaner school buses throughout the state. Now we must make sure this money is spent on the cleanest school buses available today -- alternative fuel buses.

== What to do ==
Contact the members of the SCAQMD and urge them to develop and adopt an "alternative fuel only" school bus rule similar to the transit bus rule and to resist oil company pleas for a weaker rule. Please also contact Governor Gray Davis and urge him to support using the $50 million in school bus funds to purchase only alternative fuel buses.

== Contact information ==
You can send an email to the SCAQMD chairman directly from NRDC's Earth Action Center at http://www.nrdc.org/action; we'll send a copy to Governor Davis. Or, you can use the contact information and sample letters below, and feel free to include your own reasons for wanting to protect children from the harmful effects of diesel exhaust.

Chairman William A. Burke, Ed.D
Dr. Barry Wallerstein, D. Env., Executive Officer
South Coast Air Quality Management District
21865 E. Copley Drive
Diamond Bar, CA 91765
Fax: 909-396-3340
Email: bwallerstein@aqmd.gov

Governor Gray Davis:
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-445-4633
Email: graydavis@governor.ca.gov

== Sample letter to SCAQMD ==

[Date]

Dear Chairman Burke, Dr. Wallerstein and Members of the SCAQMD Board:

I am writing to urge you to develop and adopt a school bus rule that requires the purchase of only clean alternative fuel powered buses. Only a strong Proposed Rule 1195 -- which prohibits the purchase of dirtier diesel buses -- will significantly reduce the level of toxic air contaminants and other harmful pollutants that our children are exposed to each day on their way to and from school and while buses idle outside classrooms for long periods of time.

As you know, diesel exhaust has been listed as a known carcinogen under Proposition 65 since 1990 and has been identified by the California Air Resources Board as a toxic air contaminant. Moreover, your agency concluded earlier this year that over 70 percent of the cancer risk from the air in the South Coast Air Basin comes from diesel exhaust. While children are among those most at risk from the hazards of diesel exhaust, school bus fleets include some of the oldest and most polluting buses on California's roads today.

Why should a lesser health standard apply to our kids? Please adopt a rule like your transit bus rule -- which limits new purchases to alternative fuels -- to protect our children. Proposed Rule 1195 should not allow cancer-causing diesel vehicles -- even so-called "green diesel" - to qualify for purchase.

Once again, please stand up for the children in the South Coast Air Basin and support a rule which mandates the purchase of *only* clean alternative fuel school buses.

Sincerely,

[Your name and address]

== Sample letter to Governor Davis ==

[Date]

Dear Governor Davis:

I am writing to urge you to support using the $50 million appropriation for clean school buses in your 2000-01 budget for the purchase of alternative fuel powered buses only.

Diesel exhaust has been listed as a known carcinogen under Proposition 65 since 1990 and has been identified by the California Air Resources Board as a Toxic Air Contaminant. The South Coast Air Quality Management District has determined that more than 70 percent of the cancer risk from air pollution in the South Coast Air Basin comes from diesel particulate pollution, and a proposed Air Resources Board report makes similar findings statewide. Diesel particulates contribute to premature deaths, increase respiratory illnesses, and exacerbate asthmatic conditions. Children are among those most at risk from the hazards of diesel exhaust, yet school bus fleets include some of the oldest and most polluting buses on California's roads today.

The so-called "green diesel" school buses are not the answer because they fail to meet the cleanest emissions standards achievable by alternative fuel technology. Even with low-sulfur diesel fuel and particulate traps, these diesel engines still emit more smog-forming nitrogen oxide, and have not been shown to adequately address the cancer-causing risks associated with diesel emissions.

Please stand up for the children of California and support using the 2000-01 clean school bus funds to purchase *only* clean alternative fuel school buses. Our children are worth the investment.

Sincerely,

[Your name and address]

..

Urge Governor Davis to sign clean, affordable, reliable energy into law now

Recently we asked Californians to urge your state legislators to vote for AB 995 and SB 1194 -- legislation extending the Public Benefits Charge, which would ensure continued investment in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and research and development of clean energy technologies. Your response really made a difference (thank you!) -- the legislation passed with overwhelming support by over three-quarters of both houses.

But victory is not yet assured. Despite strong support from dozens of businesses, associations, unions, and environmental and consumer groups, plus overwhelming bipartisan support in the state legislature, Governor Davis has not yet indicated whether he intends to sign the bills into law.

== What to do ==
Send a message to Governor Davis urging him to sign AB 995 and SB 1194 into law now.

== Contact information ==
You can email Governor Davis directly from NRDC's Earth Action Center at http://www.nrdc.org/action. Or you can use the contact information and sample letter below to send your own message.

Governor Gray Davis
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-445-4633
Email: graydavis@governor.ca.gov

== Sample letter ==

[Date]

Dear Governor Davis:

I am writing to urge you to sign AB 995 and SB 1194 -- the Reliable Electric Service and System Benefits Program bills. As you know, these bills were just passed in the Assembly and Senate with broad bipartisan support. They are the product of extensive multi-party negotiations and, as a result, enjoy near universal support -- from consumers to utilities, from business to environmental and agricultural interests, all of whom agree that we must continue to invest in sound energy solutions.

Conservation and renewable energy investments must play a significant role in California's long-term energy security. While California struggles to keep the lights on during this long, hot summer, we must prevent even more frequent supply shortages and pay attention to long-term infrastructure planning. These bills will help meet our state's growing energy needs by providing for continued investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy resources. Savings from energy-efficiency investments are particularly valuable at summertime peak periods, when system reliability is threatened by surging loads.

These bills cannot and will not increase electricity rates for any California resident or business. They simply continue, at current levels, a long-standing charge on electricity bills with no increase -- a charge that small and large consumers support.

The Reliable Electric Service and System Benefits Program is a long-term investment in California's future. Once again, I urge you to sign AB 995 and SB 1194 now.

Sincerely,

[Your name and address]

..........

2) About Our Bulletins

The Natural Resources Defense Council distributes four bulletins by mailing list:

EARTH ACTION is sent biweekly and calls out urgent environmental issues requiring individual action. To subscribe, visit the Earth Action Center at http://www.nrdc.org/action or send a message to nrdcaction@nrdc.org with SUBSCRIBE EARTH ACTION BULLETIN in the subject line. To unsubscribe from the EARTH ACTION BULLETIN, send an email message to nrdcaction@nrdc.org with UNSUBSCRIBE EARTH ACTION BULLETIN in the subject line.

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

The CALIFORNIA ACTIVIST NETWORK ACTION ALERT is distributed bimonthly 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 join the network, visit NRDC's Save Wild California website at http://www.nrdc.org/wildcalifornia or send an email message to wildcalifornia@nrdc.org with SUBSCRIBE CALIFORNIA ACTIVIST NETWORK in the subject line. To unsubscribe, send an email message to wildcalifornia@nrdc.org with UNSUBSCRIBE CALIFORNIA ACTIVIST NETWORK in the subject line.

The EARTHSMARTCARS BULLETIN is distributed bimonthly by request to people who have joined NRDC's earthsmartcars campaign by signing our petition urging automakers to manufacture hybrid gasoline-electric cars. To sign the petition and receive the bulletin, visit our website at http://www.nrdc.org/earthsmartcars. To unsubscribe from the EARTHSMARTCARS BULLETIN, send a blank email message to leave-earthsmartcars@earth.lyris.net.

..........

3) About NRDC

The Natural Resources Defense Council is a nonprofit environmental organization with 400,000 members nationwide and a staff of scientists, lawyers and environmental experts. Our mission is to protect the world's natural resources and improve the quality of the human environment.

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
New York, NY 10011
212-727-4511 (voice) / 212-727-1773 (fax)
General email: nrdcinfo@nrdc.org
Earth Action Network email: nrdcaction@nrdc.org

from Rainforest Action Network September 6, 2000

**Quick Internet Action for the U'wa People**

This Monday, September 11th, Vice President Al Gore will be
on the season premiere of the Oprah Winfrey show.  On the
Oprah website there is a page where viewers of the show can
suggest interview questions for Gore.  We can use this
opportunity to challenge Gore on his silence around the U'wa
struggle to stop Occidental's oil project on their ancestral
territory.  If Oprah gets a substantial number of messages,
there is a good chance that she will question Gore about
the U'wa.  The Oprah show will most likely be taped in the
coming days, so questions should be into the website ASAP.

- Go to http://www.oprah.com
- Click on  the flag that says "Al Gore Season Premiere Sept. 11."
- At the bottom of the personal information form there is a space
to enter your question.

Take this quick and easy action and ask Gore what he plans to
do for the U'wa!!


*******
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To subscribe to this list, send a blank message to: ran-updates-subscribe@igc.topica.com

To unsubscribe, send a blank message to: ran-updates-unsubscribe@igc.topica.com

To read archived messages, go to http://igc.topica.com/lists/ran-updates

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rainforest Action Network
221 Pine Street, Suite 500
San Francisco, CA  94104
tel: 415-398-4404
fax: 415-398-2732
URL: http://www.ran.org/

from the Green Party September 6, 2000

LOYAL OPPOSITION: Liberals Attack Nader
David Corn, AlterNet, September 1, 2000
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=9720

Liberals are out to stop Ralph Nader.

The day before the Democrats opened their convention in Los Angeles, The
Nation magazine staged a panel discussion in a Los Angeles temple, where
prominent progressives, including Representative Jesse Jackson Jr.,
Senator Paul Wellstone, California legislator Tom Hayden, and author
Barbara Ehrenreich pondered the future of the Democratic Party before an
audience of 800. What was most interesting was that the discussion
turned into a debate on the presidential campaign of Ralph Nader, the
famous consumer advocate, who is running on the Green Party line.

The back-and-forth in Los Angeles was passionate, as Wellstone and
Jackson argued for sticking with the Democratic Party rather than
backing Nader because their party (a) is better than the Republican
Party on significant policy matters, particularly those that affect low-
and middle-income Americans, such as the minimum wage, the earned-income
tax credit, and college tuition tax breaks, (b) stands as the only real
bulwark against the Republicans, who would wage war on programs for the
poor, labor unions, abortion rights, and environmental standards, and
(c) can be improved if good-hearted people organize within its ranks.
Ehrenreich argued that when a serious and trustworthy progressive
candidate champions the right stands -- as does Nader -- he ought to be
supported, especially when he provides an escape route from the
institutional corruption of the corporate-finance Democratic-Republican
duopoly.

As Ehrenreich spoke, I must have, for a moment, nodded approvingly, for
a prominent progressive organizer in the audience, a person who has
spent many years in the labor movement, grabbed my arm, yanked me out of
the auditorium, and demanded to know if I was endorsing Nader. My
interrogator informed me that all sophisticated lefties had no choice
but to fall into line behind Prince Albert, for were George W. to be
elected, the unions would be under seige, particularly if the
Republicans retained control of Congress.

Sure, this person said, Gore's deficits were serious. He's been a
supporter of corporate free trade, a practitioner of sleazy campaign
finances, a friend of welfare deform, an advocate of more military
spending and the dubious national missile defense program, and a
disappointment on his signature issue of environmentalism. But a Gore
Administration would provide labor -- the key component of the
progressive community -- the space in which it could continue to
organize and boost its political clout. Put Bush in the White House, and
labor would have to expend energy and resources to thwart the inevitable
Republican assaults. And a vote for Nader is not a block-Bush vote.
"Don't you see?" this well-intentioned progressive asked. "Don't you?"
It was almost a plea.

There's some merit to this go-with-Gore/anti-Nader argument -- which
many nervous progressives are pushing. Give the Republicans the power of
the White House and Congress, and the odds are good the poor will be
screwed, labor will have to play defense, and the rich will be showered
with tax cuts. There's also, of course, the Supreme Court, which is
delicately balanced between the so-called liberal-and-moderate bloc and
the conservative wing. Months ago, People for the American Way, the
liberal outfit founded by television producer Norman Lear, held its
annual luncheon in Washington and honored Ann Lewis, a longtime liberal
who became a top spinner for the Clinton White House, and her brother,
Representative Barney Frank. Many a speaker at the event reminded the
Washington Hilton audience that with the Court in possible play, it was
crucial that the Republicans not take the White House and gain the
chance to steer the Court to the right.

The thinly-veiled message of the PFAW luncheon was, we must elect the
good-enough Al Gore to stop the Right from remaking the Court. The
implicit message was, Nader is the enemy, for he distracts people and
muddies the picture. In fact, award recipient Barney Frank has been the
most persistent critic of the Nader candidacy, dismissing Nader's
commitment to civil rights and abortion rights and claiming he has
doesn't give a whit about poor people. And during a PFAW party at the LA
convention, I encountered several top-tier liberals who, unprompted,
expressed anger at Nader for possibly enabling a Bush victory.

The case against Nader has its logic, a depressing logic. Even though
the Democrats and the Republicans share many ugly values of the tainted
political system they co-manage, there are differences between the two,
differences that might matter to a low-income family that needs help
paying for college tuition for its kids or prescription drugs for the
grandparents. Many Democrats are as eager to bag corporate soft money
and as reluctant to challenge the excesses of globalization as are
Republicans. But most of them, unlike the Republicans, are not scheming
to hand over Social Security to Wall Street. Viva la difference, I
suppose. So there are tactical reasons for progressives to ignore the
stench and vote Gore.

But -- you knew a "but" was coming, I hope -- when it comes to selecting
the nation's paramount leader, an American should have the option of
voting for principles, rather than tactics.

Twenty years ago, I spent a year working for Nader. That stint provided
an unromanticized view of Citizen Nader. He was constantly hatching new
ideas for advancing consumer rights, good government, and
environmentalism. But like many visionaries who triumphed over
entrenched power after being told they had no chance (in his case, he
bested GM and the auto industry, which resisted his attempts to force
them to manufacture safer cars), Nader had an alarming stubborn streak.
He did, though, know how to inspire. One night a law school student who
was working on a project involving energy companies and federal lands
fell asleep at his desk at 2:00 am. Nader, who maintained erratic hours,
was passing through the office. He saw the student, shook him awake, and
asked, in all earnestness, "Do you think Mobil Oil ever goes to sleep?"

It is hard to envision Al Gore waking up an aide in the wee hours to
remind him that protecting the public interest requires constant
vigilance and determination. Nader has stirred hundreds of people to
pursue public-interest careers. His shop has been a breeding ground for
do-gooders, who have gone on to populate the occupational safety and
consumer protection infrastructures of state and federal governments.
Notable journalists such as Michael Kinsley, James Fallows, and Ray
Bonner passed through his offices.

What has Al Gore bequeathed the world? The most noteworthy Gore alums
are corporate lobbyists.

Nader's work has led to laws that address unsanitary conditions in the
meatpacking and poultry industries, unsafe automobiles, the dangers of
natural gas pipelines, radiation emitted from televisions, cronyism at
the Federal Trade Commission, and the dangers of working in coal mines.
He has created numerous citizen-action groups and promoted consumer
co-ops. He has been one of the clearest and loudest voices against
monopolies and the corporatization of the political process. He pushed
Congress to adopt procedural reforms that opened up committee activity
to the public, and he helped put teeth into the Freedom of Information
Act. He has achieved more than most governors and members of Congress --
including his competitors in the presidential race. It is disheartening
that most politicos and media chatterers do not consider someone with
this resume a natural contender for the presidency.

Nader's candidacy has been widely defined by its impact (real or
imagined) on the Gore campaign, and much of the commentary regarding
Nader has fixed on whether he will "steal" votes from Gore and hand Bush
the keys to 1600 Pennsylvania. Theoretically, Nader could attract enough
Gore-leaners to cost the Vice-President the election. But that is not
the only theory to consider.

Ross Perot, the billionaire weirdo who advocated campaign finance reform
and opposed the NAFTA trade accord (as has Nader), won 20 million votes
in 1992 and 8 million in 1996. This voting pool is not a good swimming
hole for Gore. If these folks didn't vote for Clinton, they are unlikely
to demand his understudy. If Nader could win half of the Perot vote of
1996 and reclaim the 700,000 votes he snagged during his joke of a
presidential run that year, he would be damn close to his stated goal of
winning 5 percent of the total -- which would qualify the Green Party
for federal funds in the next presidential contest. And he would do so
without swiping Gore supporters.

No one can say for certain what Nader does to the Gore vote, if
anything. Perhaps Nader's presence in the race moved Gore to adopt his
populist-lite stance, which seems to be faring well (as far as polls can
tell). Had Nader heeded the calls of Barney Frank and others and
abandoned his quixotic mission months ago, maybe Gore would not have
been pushed to address the Nader threat and would have continued to
mount a lackluster campaign. Does Gore already owe Nader a thank-you?

Cause-and-effect in politics is often not discernible. Consequently, how
can progressives-for-Gore in good faith assert that people must vote for
a man whose commitment to their values is questionable, a man who has
readily participated in the political sleaze they decry?

Consider Nader. Here's a man who believes in what he believes. One does
not have to ask, is he saying whatever he's saying merely to get
elected? One does not have to look at his present positions and try to
reconcile them with previous positions. One does not have to worry that
he will shift his policies once he assumes office. One does not have to
wonder about his integrity. (He has given away about $10 million of his
earnings since 1967 to his various projects and organizations. In 1997,
Gore made nearly $200,000 and slipped $353 to charity.)

If there are Americans who feel that Nader represents their frustrations
and their hopes, who appreciate his decades of public service, who are
enthused by his no-BS, anti-slick style, who agree with his challenge to
politics-as-usual, who yearn for a third-party challenge to the
Republicans, and who believe they have finally found a truth-telling
candidate -- and this is a rare occurence in politics -- it is damn
presumptuous to guilt-trip them out of voting for Nader and into
supporting a fellow who does not stand for their views. As I replied to
my friend at the LA temple, regardless of the tactical reasons, I cannot
tell people they have to vote for a lout (okay, maybe Gore's only a
semi-lout) over an honorable man.

Bush is right: it would be nice to see honor and integrity in the Oval
Office. Nader has jazzed up not millions, but thousands. In Portland,
Oregon, 10,000 Naders fans packed the Memorial Coliseum to see him.
The California Nurses Association and the United Electrical, Radio and
Machine Workers of America, two small unions, have endorsed him. Nader
is registering with those who want more choice than the current
political system offers. That deserves a cheer or two. Unfortunately,
there are signs the anti-Nader progressives will become increasingly
hostile and vocal as election day approaches.

A progressive is not compelled to vote for Nader. If he or she has
nightmares about a Bush Supreme Court validating abortion restrictions
or a Bush Administration rubber-stamping social spending cuts and
environmental standard rollbacks, then it's not wrong to vote for Gore
to stop Bush. But the bash-Nader libs are playing a dangerous game --
dangerous, in terms of preserving their own credibility. Those who
advocate honesty in politics should not undermine the opportunity
citizens have to vote for authenticity and integrity. Given what may
happen should Bush win, a vote for Gore is understandable, but it is not
an imperative.

--------------------------
"Nothing can stop
the power of
an informed citizenry
when it is
empowered, organized, and
motivated." (Ralph Nader)
--------------------------

from Environment News Service September 6, 2000

ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS)    http://ens-news.com

                 "We Cover the Earth For You"
************************************************************

WORLD LEADERS ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AT MILLENNIUM SUMMIT

NEW YORK, New York, September 6, 2000 (ENS) - The United Nations Millennium
Summit - the largest gathering of world leaders ever held - opened today at
UN Headquarters in New York. Leaders - and protesters - from around the
globe are seizing the occasion to call for a renewed purpose for the UN,
and to advance their own agendas as well.

For full text and graphics visit:
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-06-06.html

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U.S. AND JAPAN DUEL OVER LETHAL WHALE RESEARCH

NEW YORK, New York, September 6, 2000 (ENS) - U.S. Commerce Secretary
Norman Mineta has given unofficial notice to Japan that he is considering
economic sanctions against Japan to exert pressure for a halt to Japan's
lethal whale research program.

For full text and graphics visit:
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-06-01.html

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PACIFIC NATIONS AGREE TO REGULATE TUNA CATCH

HONOLULU, Hawaii, September 6, 2000 (ENS) - The United States and 18 other
nations signed a pact Tuesday to create an international commission to
protect tuna in the Pacific Ocean. Japan and Korea voted against the
agreement, and Japan vowed to ignore its rules unless member nations agreed
to consider Japan. s concerns.

For full text and graphics visit:
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-06-07.html

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CHEMICAL GIANT TAKEN TO ARGENTINE COURT OVER CHLORINE LEAK

BAHIA BLANCA, Argentina, September 6, 2000 (ENS) - The environmental group
Greenpeace is taking Belgian chemical giant Solvay to court in an attempt
to force the company to close its Indupa plant in Bahia Blanca, 550
kilometers (300 miles) southwest of Buenos Aires.

For full text and graphics visit:
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-06-11.html

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CANADA'S GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS PROVE TOUGH TO CONTROL

By Neville Judd

OTTAWA, Ontario, Canada, September 6, 2000 (ENS) - Greenhouse gas emissions
from Canada's electricity and transportation sectors have soared in the
last decade, placing the country's Kyoto Protocol targets in doubt.

For full text and graphics visit:
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-06-10.html

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AFTER 10 YEARS OF WORK, BOSTON HARBOR TUNNEL OPENS

BOSTON, Massachusetts, September 6, 2000 (ENS) - The water quality in
Boston Harbor is expected to improve rapidly after today's opening of the
world longest offshore tunnel. The $390 million tunnel will carry all of
the treated wastewater discharges from the Deer Island Treatment Plant to a
new location nine miles offshore in Massachusetts Bay where deeper water
and stronger currents will dilute and disperse Boston's sewage.

For full text and graphics visit:
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-06-02.html

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SPAIN'S REGIONS BATTLE OVER NATIONAL WATER PLAN

MADRID, Spain, September 6, 2000 (ENS) - Publication by the Spanish
Environment Ministry of its long awaited national hydrological plan Tuesday
has ignited a simmering political battle between different regions over
access to scarce water resources.

For full text and graphics visit:
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-06-01.html

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ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: SEPTEMBER 6, 2000

Mercury Contamination Found in Dozens of Illinois Homes

Sierra Club Endorses Hillary Clinton for Senate

Alaska Salmon Wins Sustainable Fishery Label

Wilderness 2000 Looks at Problems, Solutions

Suit Filed to End Logging, Protect Northern Goshawk

Doctors Urge Congress, Vote No on Pesticide Bill

Salmon Homecoming Brings Indians, Regulators and Fishers Together

Jet Fuel Spill Brings $200,000 Fine

Washington State Grants $94 M for Water Quality

Wildfires Send Smoke Billowing Over Houston

For full text and graphics visit:
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-06-09.html

Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2000 All Rights Reserved.

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          SEND NEWS STORY TIPS TO news@ens-news.com

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TO BUSINESS, ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDITORS:

New Study Shows Siemens Solar Panels Energy Payback Time Is One to Three Years

    CAMARILLO, Calif., Sept. 6 -/E-Wire/--  Siemens Solar,
one of the world's leading manufacturers of solar panels,
presented research findings on the energy payback time for
photovoltaic modules.

    /CONTACT:  Tina Nickerson of Siemens Solar,
805-388-6519, or Tina.nickerson@solar.siemens.com/

    /Web site:  http://www.ethree.com/
    /Web site:  http://www.siemens.com/
    /Web site:  http://www.siemenssolar.com/

For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Sept00/06Sept0004.html

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TO FOREIGN, POLITICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDITORS:

World Humanity Action Trust Calls for Radical Overhaul of
Governance Systems To Manage Our Planet's Finite Resources

    NEW YORK, Sept. 6 -/E-Wire/--   Radical improvements to
the world governance systems are needed now to achieve
practical solutions towards managing our planet's finite
resources.

    /CONTACT:  Trish Berlin of Shandwick, 646-658-8062, for
World Humanity Action Trust/

For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Sept00/06Sept0001.html

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

American Chemistry Council Endorses National
Health Tracking Concept

Council Calls for Broad Definition of 'Environment' To Focus
on Greatest Health Risks

     ARLINGTON, VA, Sept 6, -/E-Wire/-- The American
Chemistry Council today expressed support for the concept of
a comprehensive national health tracking network that would
help public health authorities better understand trends in
chronic diseases in the U.S. population.

     /CONTACT:  Frank Rathbun (703) 741-5810 email:
Frank_Rathbun@AmericanChemistry.com

     /Web site:  http://www.americanchemistry.com/

For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Sept00/06Sept0002.html

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TO BUSINESS AND ENERGY EDITORS:

Blackfeet Indian Tribe to Build First Commercial
Utility-Scale Wind Power Project on Tribal Lands

    BROWNING, Mont., Sept. 6 -/E-Wire/--  The Blackfeet
Tribal Business Council and SeaWest WindPower, Inc.
announced today the signing of a development agreement for
the 22 megawatt Blackfeet I Wind Power Project. This project
will be the first utility-scale wind energy project built on
tribal lands.  The 22MW project will deliver affordable
clean renewable energy by capturing the extremely strong
winds that blow across the Blackfeet Reservation from the
Rocky Mountain Front onto the Great Plains.

    /CONTACT:  Dave Roberts of SeaWest WindPower, Inc., 619-908-3440/(MTP)

    /Web site:  http://www.seawestwindpower.com/

For Full Text Visit:
http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Sept00/06Sept0005.html

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TO ENVIRONMENTAL EDITOR:

E-Learning Brings Call of the Wild to Backyards

    MYERSVILLE, Md., Sept. 6 -/E-Wire/-- It's now possible
to hear the call of the wild from backyards throughout the
country thanks to the E- learning certification course
created by WindStar Wildlife Institute(TM).

    /CONTACT:  Tom Patrick of the WindStar Wildlife
Institute, 301-293-3351, or wildife@windstar.org/

    /Web site:  http://www.windstar.org/wildlife/

For Full Text Visit:
http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Sept00/06Sept0003.html

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  SEND YOUR PRESS RELEASE ON E-WIRE -- 1-800-632-9528
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from Environmental Defense September 6, 2000

Environmental Defense Newsletter -- ELECTRONIC EDITION         VOL.
XXXI, NO. 3
A Report to Members of Environmental Defense          
September 2000                                      
_____________________________________________________________

*************************************************************
F E A T U R E S
*************************************************************
   
*1*  A CLOUDY FUTURE FOR CLEAN AIR?

Despite vastly improved air quality in many cities across the
U.S. in the last 30 years, foul air still chokes many others.
Environmental Defense has mounted a campaign to close the
regulatory gaps that allow air pollution to remain a threat. But
future progress hinges on an important clean-air case now before
the Supreme Court that could restrict the EPA's authority to set
limits.

http://www.ProcessRequest.com/apps/redir.asp?link=6354,YccfifjhbDJ

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

*2*  DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE: MERCURY RISING
   
Director Fred Krupp urges Congress to pass proposed legislation
that would require electric power plants to cut emissions of four
pollutants, among them mercury, a highly toxic substance that can
cause neurological damage in children.

http://www.ProcessRequest.com/apps/redir.asp?link=6355,YccfifjhbDJ

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

*3*  EPA CRACKS DOWN ON DIESEL TRUCKS

Thanks to pressure from Environmental Defense and others, the
free ride for large diesel trucks and buses may be over. New EPA
rules would drastically tighten emission standards and require
oil companies to remove 97% of the sulfur in diesel oil.

http://www.ProcessRequest.com/apps/redir.asp?link=6356,YccfifjhbDJ

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

*4*  PRESENTING A "KID'S EYE" VIEW OF NATURE

Young eco-conscious poets from 25 states and five foreign
countries have won wide acclaim on our Web site for their
original verse on everything from rain to rocks.

http://www.ProcessRequest.com/apps/redir.asp?link=6357,YccfifjhbDJ

For more poems and future contest news visit  
http://www.ProcessRequest.com/apps/redir.asp?link=6358,YccfifjhbDJ.


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

*5*  LANDOWNERS JOIN FIGHT TO SAVE SONGBIRDS

In Texas, 98% of the land is privately owned and is a key habitat
for vanishing songbirds. In an effort to preserve their habitat,
Environmental Defense is working with landowners through its Safe
Harbor program, which offers incentives to landowners for
protecting endangered species without fear of land-use
restrictions.

http://www.ProcessRequest.com/apps/redir.asp?link=6359,YccfifjhbDJ

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

*6*  MARYLAND'S ANSWER TO GRIDLOCK

Drafted by Environmental Defense Director Michael Replogle, the
Commuter Benefits Act of 2000 recently adopted in Maryland is the
most far-reaching commuter choice law in the nation. It gives a
tax credit to employers who pay for employee transit costs or add
income in lieu of a parking space.

http://www.ProcessRequest.com/apps/redir.asp?link=6360,YccfifjhbDJ

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*7*  GOVERNMENT CHASTISED ON FISH

The U.S. Court of Appeals recently struck down a Federal fishing
quota for summer flounder, criticizing the overly high limit as
"unreasonable, plain and simple." Summer flounder, also known as
fluke, has been overfished for years, and the current population is
less than half of historically appropriate levels.

http://www.ProcessRequest.com/apps/redir.asp?link=6361,YccfifjhbDJ

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

*8*  UNDERSEA NATIONAL PARKS SEEN AS WAVE OF THE FUTURE:
    Environmental Defense Scientists Contribute to Historic
    Victory

Via an executive order President Clinton signed this summer, soon
dozens of fish species and other marine life can take refuge in
Marine Protected Areas that will be kept off limits to fishing,
much as species on land find sanctuary in national parks.

http://www.ProcessRequest.com/apps/redir.asp?link=6362,YccfifjhbDJ

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

*9*  TO BUILD A FIRE
    From the Editors of E Magazine

More and more Americans are buying wood stoves, 1.7 million in
1999 alone. But although wood stoves are cleaner than ever, they
are still not clean enough.

http://www.ProcessRequest.com/apps/redir.asp?link=6363,YccfifjhbDJ

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

*10*  CLEARING THE AIR IN CHINA'S POLLUTED CITIES

Fueled by soft coal, China's economic miracle of the past two
decades has been accompanied by unhealthy increases in air and
water pollution. Now two of the dirtiest cities, Benxi and
Nantong, are working with Environmental Defense to show how
market incentives can help achieve the government's
anti-pollution goals.    

http://www.ProcessRequest.com/apps/redir.asp?link=6364,YccfifjhbDJ

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

*11*  HOME DEPOT CANCELS MEGASTORE ALONGSIDE WILDLIFE REFUGE

Thanks to the heroic efforts of Dennis Puleston, the founding
chairman of Environmental Defense, and general counsel Jim Tripp,
Home Depot discarded its plans to build a megastore adjacent to
the Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge in Brookhaven, NY. Instead,
the 18-acre parcel is now slated to become part of the refuge.

http://www.ProcessRequest.com/apps/redir.asp?link=6365,YccfifjhbDJ

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

*12*  A VICTORY FOR THE RED WOLF

In June, Environmental Defense and other groups won an important
victory over a handful of North Carolina landowners, who had
sought permission to kill endangered red wolves that range on
their property.

http://www.ProcessRequest.com/apps/redir.asp?link=6366,YccfifjhbDJ

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

*13*  RESTORING A VITAL REST STOP

Saving a spring stopover spot on the Platte River for some 200
endangered whooping cranes and half a million sandhill cranes is
in the offing as the result of an agreement, brokered by
Environmental Defense between Nebraska, Colorado and Wyoming and
the Interior Department, to restore river habitat.

http://www.ProcessRequest.com/apps/redir.asp?link=6367,YccfifjhbDJ

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*14*  FEWER BAD-AIR DAYS FOR EL PASO

To help solve the problem of pollution wafting over from
neighboring Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Dr. Carlos Rincon of
Environmental Defense spearheaded a task force that came up with
a plan for U.S. firms to meet mandated air-quality standards by
investing in pollution reductions across the border.

http://www.ProcessRequest.com/apps/redir.asp?link=6368,YccfifjhbDJ

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*15* ON THE FARM, A NEW CROP RIPENS

Along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other partners,
Environmental Defense has released a new publication, Growing
Carbon, that shows how changes in farm practices, including
no-till cultivation, improved grazing techniques and manure
management, can reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

http://www.ProcessRequest.com/apps/redir.asp?link=6369,YccfifjhbDJ

     For copies of  Growing Carbon, see:  
http://www.ProcessRequest.com/apps/redir.asp?link=6370,YccfifjhbDJ.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

*16*  CITIZEN MONITORS WILL TEST CLEVELAND'S AIR

Thanks to hand-held pollution monitors provided by Environmental
Defense, Cleveland neighborhood organizations can now measure
ozone levels in their communities. Cleveland and Cuyahoga County
recently received a grade "D" for smog, barely meeting Federal
criteria for ozone, according to a report produced in partnership
with Cleveland's Clean Air Conservancy.

http://www.ProcessRequest.com/apps/redir.asp?link=6371,YccfifjhbDJ

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

*17*  IT'S HURRICANE SEASON: HAVE WE LEARNED OUR LESSONS?

In a new book, "Eye of the Storm," Environmental Defense attorney
Dan Whittle and scientist Dr. Douglas Rader urge policymakers to
learn lessons from last year's massive hurricanes, which laid
waste to more than half of North Carolina's factory hog farms.

http://www.ProcessRequest.com/apps/redir.asp?link=6372,YccfifjhbDJ

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

*18*  SOLUTIONS EYED FOR HOG WASTE

North Carolina's 2,400 hog farms produce more waste than all the
people in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston
combined. In an recently released report, Environmental Defense
recommends alternative technologies to deal with the public
health risks posed by open-air lagoons and sprayfields.

http://www.ProcessRequest.com/apps/redir.asp?link=6373,YccfifjhbDJ

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

*19*  A SOLUTION TO FARM RUNOFF

Environmental Defense's four-year-old incentive program to get
farmers in the San Joaquin Valley to reduce selenium-contaminated
farm drainage, which can be lethal to wildlife, is proving to be
a success: selenium discharges have already decreased 10% and are
projected to drop another 40% over the next decade.

http://www.ProcessRequest.com/apps/redir.asp?link=6374,YccfifjhbDJ

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

*20*  HUGE CALFED PLAN RELEASED: WILL IT LIVE UP TO ITS PROMISE?

Although CALFED, a consortium of state and Federal agencies, has
released a long-awaited $9 billion plan to manage water supply
while restoring the aquatic ecosystem in the San Francisco
Bay-Delta estuary and its watershed, environmentalists worry that
planned new dams and canals will offset any gains to the
ecosystem.

http://www.ProcessRequest.com/apps/redir.asp?link=6375,YccfifjhbDJ

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(c)  Copyright 2000 by Environmental Defense,  New York,
New York.
All rights reserved.      
ISSN 0163-2566

The Environmental Defense Newsletter -- ELECTRONIC EDITION depends
on reader support. Your tax-deductible contribution in any amount
can be made by mail (Environmental Defense, P.O. Box 96969,
Washington, DC 20090), phone(1-800-684-3322), or on the web (click
the link below

http://www.ProcessRequest.com/apps/redir.asp?link=6489,YccfifjhbDJ

and then click on "Donate").

ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE          ---EDF MEMBERSHIP LINES---
National Headquarters          Phone: 800-684-3322
257 Park Avenue South          Fax: 202-319-8590
New York, NY 10010             Email:
members@environmentaldefense.org
212-505-2100                   www.environmentaldefense.org

from Coaliton to Protect Predators September 6, 2000

Folks ... I've heard through the official pipeline that Service Director
Jamie Clark is receiving a number of
comment letters on  the Federal wolf reclassification proposal.  Apparently
these letters are mostly
commenting on the need to delay delisting in MN until MN DNR produces a
(stronger?) ** wolf management plan.   ** WE NEED A WOLF PLAN THAT PROTECTS
WOLVES & DOES  NOT JUST TURN THEM OVER TO A  KILLING PROGRAM.

I am not sure who is orchestrating this campaign.  But I have been
told the concern is these letters are NOT likely to be treated as official
comments, because they are NOT being sent to the correct addresses
established to receive official comments on the proposal.

Because  the Federal government expects to receive thousands, maybe
tens or hundreds of thousands, of comments, they have established a special
process to handle them.

Thus, comments that do not use the addresses advertised to get them
into this process may not be treated as official comments, and the
well-intentioned efforts of the authors may be wasted.

If you have any idea who, or what organization, might be
orchestrating such
a "MN campaign" would you be so kind as to advise them to use only the
mail, email, Web, or fax addresses/numbers identified in the proposal, on
the Federal  Web site, and in the Federal  informational documents?

Or let me know where they might be coming from and I'll pass along the same
advice.  We don't want letters voicing concern for the Minnesota wolf to be
lost!!!


URGENT UP-DATE ON MINNESOTA DELISTING STATUS

Also note : There are two wolf delisting petitions that are ACTIVE RIGHT NOW.
One is  from  a Wisconsin resident.  The second, and more recent, is
from the Minnesota Conservation Federation.  (Mn. Chapter of the N.W. Fed. )

The resident is calling for delisting in  WI, MI, and MN.

The MCF petition calls for delisting of the Great Lakes  DPS.

ALERT CONCURRENT TIMELINES for reclassification AND delisting the Minnesota
wolf  !!!!

At this time,  the Federal government is processing the the delisting
petitions concurrently with the reclassification proposal.
That is, since a "positive" 90-day petition finding (that is,
a"substantial" finding) would trigger a status review, and that is
essentially for what the proposal has done with its request for data and
comments,

Feds felt that a separate status review would be reduntant and a waste of
scarce staff resources.  So, when the Feds conduct their review of the new
data resulting from the proposal comment period they will be reviewing the
data for the petitioned actions, as well.

The requested information section in the proposal intentionally includes
the type of information that
will be useful for the petition findings; and the proposal actually
discusses delisting in MN, in an effort to stimulate discussion and
comments on that potential action.

It has been suggested the petition findings will shortly follow the final
decision on the reclassification proposal.



MAKE SURE YOU COMMENT AGAINST DELISTING AND YOUR LETTERS GO TO THE CORRECT
ADDRESS!!!
THANKS,

Karlyn  Berg
Wolf Consultant
Humane Society of the United States

from World Wildlife September 7, 2000

Stop Japanese Whaling

Dear WWF Conservation Action Network Activist:

In open defiance of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and
appeals from President Clinton and other world leaders, Japan has
launched an expanded whale hunt in the North Pacific for sperm and
Bryde's whales, both internationally protected species.

Since 1986, Japan has sought to evade the global whaling moratorium,
using a loophole that allows a limited take of whales for research
purposes, but selling the meat on the Japanese luxury food market.  
Although its so-called "scientific hunt" was rebuked by IWC scientists
in July, Japan has widened it to include two new species, threatening a
return to the large-scale commercial whaling of the past.

To take action, please visit http://takeaction.worldwildlife.org/ to send
a free message urging President Clinton to impose economic sanctions
against Japan.  Please act today!

from Rural Advancement Foundation International

News Release
Thursday, September 7, 2000

"Hippocrates, We Have a Problem!"
Patent Evils Threaten Public Goods

International agricultural research centres - struggling for survival, may find themselves brought up before the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights by the poor they are pledged to help, new RAFI report warns.   

An Occasional Paper published today by RAFI (Rural Advancement Foundation International) "In Search of Higher Ground" (the full text can be found at www.rafi.org) warns that the world's leading international public science institutions are in crisis and their inept patent policies and inexperience with multinational corporations could put them at odds with those their research is meant to serve.  According to the study, public science patent policies could undermine the very concept of "public goods" and the original premises which made it possible for agricultural centres to obtain more than 600,000 samples of farmers' seed varieties throughout the Third World.

"Trojan Trade Reps": Focusing on international agricultural research centres, the report argues that public science is the victim of declining financial support (often the result of the mistaken assumption that giant companies can do science better) and intense pressure from agribusiness to adopt patents on living materials and particularly, U.S.-style patent policies.  Such policies will compromise or distort "public goods" in favour of corporate interests.  Asserting that international scientific bodies are "genetically-incapable" of managing patent policies, the report warns that institutions are becoming "Trojan trade reps" for the U.S. Government when they fail to acknowledge the sovereign right of countries and the human rights of farmers especially in the Third World- to access the technologies they need for their well-being.  "International scientists seem to believe it is unethical to utilize patented technologies in countries where the patents are non-applicable with!
out the permission of the patent-holder.  If a company does not apply for patent protection in Ethiopia, Ethiopians have every right to avail themselves of the technology.  That's international law," Pat Mooney, RAFI's Executive Director, says.  "If public science fails to disseminate technologies that could be beneficial to Third World countries merely because they would offend patent-holders in other countries, they are siding with the multinationals against the poor.  If they acquire licenses to use patented technologies and then pass on licensing restrictions to countries where the patent is invalid, they are, again, siding with the multinationals," Mooney insists.   "Public science has to decide who they are serving.  They cannot become the Trojan trade reps of the multinationals."  

Human Rights Violations?  The RAFI report notes that both the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Human Rights Commission have recently warned that the World Trade Organization's TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property) agreement could be in conflict with more than one Human Rights covenant.  In June, the UNDP's Human Development Report specifically criticized the TRIPS accord as a threat to Human Rights.  On August 17th, the UN Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights unanimously challenged TRIPS as impacting negatively on the rights of poor people to benefit from new technologies.    

"International Agricultural Research Centres, by submitting to the national patent laws of some Northern countries, are denying countries in the South access to potentially useful technologies, and/or imposing unethical constraints on their use, and/or misusing public financial contributions to pay patent-holders for technologies that are actually freely-available," Hope Shand, RAFI's Research Director, states, "This is unacceptable and it must not be permitted.  The integrity of international public science is at stake."

"Hippocrates, we have a problem!"   Despite its conclusion that international public science should not be allowed to set patent policy, the RAFI report is sympathetic to the conundrum facing researchers.  "These are good and decent people trying their best for world agriculture," Pat Mooney acknowledges.  "They are caught between a rock and a hard place.  If they ignore corporate patents they could face reprisals not only from the companies but also from the Northern governments who fund international science.  If they acquiesce to corporate demands, farmers and consumers could - and should - protest their actions before the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.  Their predicament is not of their making," Mooney adds.  "But they have the predicament nonetheless," Hope Shand concurs, "and they have to get themselves out of it. Rather than being taken to the Human Rights Commissioner, they should join with those they wish to serve and ask Mary Robinson (the UN High Commissione!
r for Human Rights) to investigate the problem."  

RAFI's report identifies three major steps that science networks such as the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) should take.  "First, CGIAR should join with Civil Society Organizations in asking the Human Rights Commission to investigate and advise on this conflict," Shand says.  "Second, when the CGIAR holds its annual meeting in Washington this October, it should ask either UNDP or FAO to seek an advisory opinion from the World Court on the implications of patents on biological materials and the consequences for national sovereignty and Human Rights.  Third," Hope Shand concludes, "CGIAR should join with others in seeking political solutions to the problem through a Special Session of the UN General Assembly on science and innovation."

28 Steps to Higher Ground: Although "In Search of Higher Ground" emphasizes the perils of patenting and the failures of public science to meet the policy challenge, it also offers 28 specific steps that institutes could take to defend their interests.  Among the 28 are several that would modify current patent regimes to safeguard public goods.  There are also "trade union" opportunities for public science to adopt collective bargaining strategies and make common cause with wider social movements.  "For scientists, a protest letter in Nature constitutes a primal scream.  They just have no sense of political strategy or of policy alternatives," Pat Mooney worries.  

Not all of RAFI's concerns are leveled at public scientists.  "As Civil Society Organizations, we have to decide whether we want to safeguard public goods and public research, or let these institutions be absorbed into corporate globalization," Mooney continues, "Most of us, quite rightly, disagree with the biotech strategy being pursued by many of these institutions and it is hard to sympathize with their problems.  Nevertheless, international science has shown itself to be much more responsive to farmers' concerns in recent years."  

"I think we have to fight first for the public's right to access the technologies they want," says Shand, "and to develop new technologies in the public domain - high-tech or wide-tech (farmer-led research).  Then we have to confront the institutions with our dissatisfaction over their research methods and priorities.  If they will join us before the Human Rights Commission - be 'doers' rather than be 'done to' - this could be the beginning of resurgence in public support for public science."



RAFI (The Rural Advancement Foundation International) is an international civil society organization based in Canada.  RAFI is dedicated to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and to the socially responsible development of technologies useful to rural societies.  RAFI is concerned about the loss of agricultural biodiversity, and the impact of intellectual property on farmers and food security.

For more information, contact:

Pat Mooney, Executive Director, RAFI  mooney@rafi.org

Hope Shand, Director of Research, RAFI  hope@rafi.org

from Environment News Service September 7, 2000

ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS)        http://ens-news.com

               "We Cover the Earth For You"
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TOXIC CHEMICALS LINKED TO HEALTH PROBLEMS IN CHILDREN

WASHINGTON, DC, September 7, 2000 (ENS) - The 24 billion pounds of
developmental and neurological toxins released into the environment of the
United States each year are linked to millions of cases of developmental
disabilities in children, charges a new report released today.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-07-06.html

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KICKED AROUND THE PACIFIC, U.S. MILITARY TOXICS MAY END IN CANADA

By Neville Judd
OTTAWA, Ontario, Canada, September 7, 2000 (ENS) - A United States shipment
of polychlorinated biphenyl waste (PCB) denied entry by Japan, the U.S. and
Canada may yet come back to Canada after a meeting in Ottawa last month.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-07-10.html

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MORE FEDERAL DOLLARS NEEDED TO UPGRADE U.S. COASTAL WATER QUALITY

WASHINGTON, DC, September 7, 2000 (ENS) - Polluted runoff, the leading
threat to  coastal water quality, could be considerably reduced if the
federal government provided targeted funding to help the states address the
problem, argues a report released today by a coalition of environmental
groups.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-07-07.html

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TURKISH DAM CRITICISM FUELED BY LEAKED REPORT

LONDON, UK, September 7, 2000 (ENS) - A planned hydroelectric dam project in
southeastern Turkey will displace up to 78,000 people if international
lending agencies and the British government provide financial support,
according to a report leaked to British media.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-07-02.html

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AUSTRALIA FUNDS PROTECTION ON NATIONAL THREATENED SPECIES DAY

SYDNEY, Australia, September 7, 2000 (ENS) - With over 1,400 of Australia's
species now at risk of extinction, National Threatened Species Day is held
on the 7th of September every year to highlight the plight of Australia's
threatened species and ecological communities.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-07-01.html

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ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: SEPTEMBER 7, 2000

Bipartisan Compromise Boosts Everglades Restoration Bill

Vieques Children Poisoned by Heavy Metals

Texas Needs Fire Emergency Declaration, Governor Says

Washington DC May Buy Natural Gas Buses

Zebra Mussels Found in Lower St. Croix River

Senate Rider Blocks Missouri River Dam Reforms

Texas City Site Proposed for Superfund List

Tribe to Build First Commercial Wind Energy Project

Laser Helps Detect Tiny Amounts of Air Pollution

Earthworms Invade Minnesota Forests

14,000 Mink Released from Iowa Fur Farm

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep2000/2000L-09-07-09.html

Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2000 All Rights Reserved.

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      SEND NEWS STORY TIPS TO news@ens-news.com

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TO NATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDITORS:

Senate Environment & Public Works Committee to Markup MTBE Legislation

    WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 -/E-Wire/--   EPA applauds the Senate Environment and
Public Works Committee for taking action to phase out the use of the fuel additive MTBE,
or methyl tertiary-butyl ether, from cleaner-burning gasoline.  In June 1999, EPA's Blue
Ribbon Panel concluded that MTBE posed risks to drinking water.  At that time we first
called on Congress to take immediate action to phase out MTBE, while preserving important
renewable fuel additives, such as ethanol.  Since then, EPA has also begun regulatory action
to eliminate MTBE from gasoline.  But action by Congress clearly is the best and fastest way
to address this threat.

    /CONTACT:  Cathy Milbourn of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
202-564-7824/

    /Web site:  http://www.epa.gov/

For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Sept00/07Sept0007.html

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Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. Completes the Acquisition of a Mixed
Waste Treatment Facility From a Subsidiary of Waste Management, Inc.

     ATLANTA, GA Sept. 7, -/E-Wire/--  PERMA-FIX ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES,
INC. (Nasdaq:PESI - news; GERMANY:PES.BE) announced today that it has
completed the acquisition of Diversified Scientific Services, Inc. (``DSSI''), a mixed waste
facility that is permitted to treat radioactive and hazardous (``mixed'') and low-level
radioactive waste from a subsidiary of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WMI - news).
The purchase price of this acquisition totaled approximately $8.5 million, consisting of
$2.5 million in cash and the balance in notes.

     /CONTACT: Dr. Louis F. Centofanti, President, Perma-Fix Environmental
Services, Inc., Atlanta, 404/847-9990 or Stan Altschuler / Steve Kessler of
Strategic Growth International, Inc. 516/829-7111 email: sgi@netmonger.net

    /Web site:http://www.perma-fix.com

For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Sept00/07Sept0006.html

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-- NEWS ADVISORY -- TO NATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDITORS:

                             EPA's Latest Developments

REVISED POLICY ISSUED ON USE OF CHOLINESTERASE INHIBITION DATA
IN PESTICIDE RISK ASSESSMENTS

INNOVATIVE PROJECT UNDERWAY IN CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO

ADDITIONAL CHEMICAL CATEGORY PROPOSED FOR TRI LIST

IMPROVED ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE EXPECTED IN LABORATORIES

FOUR IN MISSOURI CHARGED WITH ILLEGAL DISPOSAL OF LAB WASTE

    /CONTACT:  Lauren M. Mical, 202-564-7831, Luke C. Hester, 202-564-7818,
or Tanya Meekins, 202-564-7819, all of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

     /Web site:  http://www.epa.gov/

For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Sept00/07Sept0005.html

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TO BUSINESS, ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY EDITORS:

AirLogics, LLC Receives Air Monitoring Patent

      FOLSOM, N.J., Sept. 7 -/E-Wire/--  AirLogics, LLC announced the U.S.
Patent and Trademark Office issued a patent (U.S. Patent No. 6,114,964) for
its real-time air monitoring technology.  The system, jointly developed by
Folsom, N.J.-based South Jersey Industries and GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. of
Newton, Mass., records and stores air quality measurements during
environmental site cleanup activities.

     /CONTACT:  Albert V. Ruggiero of SJI, 609-561-9000, x4466, or Liz
Connolly of GZA, 617-630-6152/          (SJI GZEA)

     /Web site:  http://www.air-monitoring.com /

For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Sept00/07Sept0004.html

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TO BUSINESS EDITOR:

Blue292 Announces E-Commerce Relationship With Major Laboratory Network

Sequoia Analytical to Enhance Environmental E-Marketplace's
Laboratory Services

    DURHAM, N.C., Sept. 7 -/E-Wire/--  Blue292, the world's leading
business-to-business e-marketplace for environmental, health and safety (EHS)
applications, products and services, today announced that it has entered into
a major e-commerce agreement with Sequoia Analytical, the second largest
laboratory network in the United States.

    /CONTACT:  Anita Bose, 212-484-7699, or abose@rlmnet.com, for Blue292/

    /Web site:  http://www.blue292.com/

For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Sept00/07Sept0003.html

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TO BUSINESS, ENVIRONMENTAL AND SCIENCE EDITORS:

EarthFirst Technologies Alternative Fuel Beats
EPA Automotive Emission Standards in Key Areas

       LARGO, Fla., Sept. 7 -/E-Wire/--  EarthFirst Technologies, Inc. (OTC
Bulletin Board: EFTI) announced today that Santilli MagneGas(TM), an
alternative fuel under development by its subsidiary, USMagneGas, Inc., beat
EPA standard automotive emissions allowances in two key areas:  hydrocarbons
at 93.6 percent below allowances and carbon monoxide at 92.6 percent below.

      /CONTACT:  Russell Garabelis of Hill and Knowlton, 813-221-0030; or
James Doulgeris of EarthFirst Technologies, Inc., 727-548-0918/     (EFTI)

      /Web site:   http://www.earthfirsttech.com
      /Web site:  http://www.usmagnegas.com/

For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Sept00/07Sept0002.html

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-- NEWS ADVISORY -- TO NATIONAL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND SCIENCE EDITORS:

Lyonnaise des Eaux and United Water Introduce the Virtual Plant to the U.S. Water Treatment Industry

Teleconference combined with a visual briefing simultaneously available
on the United Water web site.

     Revolutionary technology is being applied for the first time to model
and simulate the entire water cycle in a virtual water treatment plant. The
Virtual Plant provides faster, more accurate facility designs that result in
cost saving solutions for U.S. water utilities.

    /CONTACT: Rich Henning, 201-767-2869, Kevin Doell, 201-767-2868, or
Charley
Powers, 202-973-5807, all for United Water.

    /Web site:  http://www.unitedwater.com/

For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Sept00/07Sept0001.html

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