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DEFENDING ENVIRONMENTAL AGENDA
July 24, 2001
"Yeah, the Forest Service has had to change. There has definitely been an iceberg in the Forest Service's path that we've had to turn to avoid...[That iceberg is] the Sierra Club." - former Forest Service official's conversation with a Sierra Club volunteer
[1] REVIVAL: Kyoto Protocol Is Back
Despite United States opposition to the Kyoto Protocol, which was created in 1997 to help curb global warming, European nations and Japan decided to ratify the agreement this weekend. The United States has rejected the Protocol, saying that the agreement does not address emissions from developing nations and will hurt the U.S. economy. However, President Bush has recently proposed reducing climate change assistance to developing countries by $41 million from last year's $165 million, while the U.S. produces 25% of the world's global warming pollution. Interestingly, a poll released last week revealed that a majority of Americans believe that increased environmental protections will actually strengthen the economy by providing new goods, services and jobs.
Find out more about it at https://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2001/07/24/MN142965.DTL
[2] UTAH LEGACY: Going to Court
This Thursday, several environmental groups will deliver oral arguments in Utah District Court against the Utah Department of Transportation in order to stop construction of Legacy Highway, which would run from Salt Lake City to Farmington. Environmentalists charge that federal agencies violated the National Environmental Protection Act, the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act when approving plans for the highway, which would encourage suburban sprawl and harm wetlands.
Read the story at https://www.standard.net/standard/news/news_story.html?sid=00010720230515288115+cat=news+template=news1.html
[3] ENVIRONMENTALISTS IMPERILED: Mexico Ruling Dampens Hopes
In spite Mexican President Vicente Fox's public support for two incarcerated environmentalists, their convictions were upheld in Mexican court last week. This is a blow to all environmentalists in Mexico, indicating that human rights are still not protected in Mexico. The two men, Rodolfo Montiel and Teodoro Cabrera, were tortured into confessing to crimes they didn't commit, after protesting logging and deforestation in their home province of Guerrero, Mexico.
For more information, go to https://www.sierraclub.org/human-rights/Mexico/
[4] CALL IN: Support Critical Amendments to EPA Spending Bill!
Help restore needed funding for the Environmental Protection Agency and reduce cancer-causing arsenic in our drinking water by urging your representative to support the Menendez and Bonior/Waxman amendments to the EPA spending bill (FY 2002 VA-HUD and Independent Agencies Appropriations bill).
The Menendez amendment would restore funds to the EPA for enforcement and monitoring to make sure companies don't break environmental laws. Without this amendment, the Bush administration's budget would slash 270 EPA staff positions, resulting in 2,000 fewer inspections, 50 fewer criminal investigations, and 50 fewer civil investigations.
The Bonior/Waxman amendment would prevent the EPA from spending funds to weaken the arsenic standard set by the Clinton Administration. On March 20, President Bush suspended the new arsenic standard, which would have protected more than 12 million Americans from drinking water that contains unsafe levels of arsenic.
Please call your representatives today, as these amendments may be considered as soon as Thursday. Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Thanks for your help!
[5] FIELD NOTES: Baton Rouge Advance, Lone Star Retreat, and New Hampshire Special Delivery
LOUISIANA: Outnumbering energy industry officials by 15 to one, members of the Sierra Club and other environmental groups gathered in Baton Rouge at a hearing on clean air hosted by the Environmental Protection Agency on Friday. Clean air advocates came from Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Texas to testify at the hearing, letting the Bush administration know that we want enforcement of clean air regulations, not weaker rules that bow to industry pressure.
TEXAS: The Lone Star Chapter met on Saturday for its fifth annual Conservation Retreat, where the discussion focused on the chapter's new campaign "Wide Open Spaces." Between 1982 and 1997, Texas lost 2.6 million acres of rural farmland to development. While Texas has the second highest population in the country, the amount of public-access open space per person ranks close to the last in the country. The new campaign will take on preserving wildlife habitat and open spaces and educating the public about the impacts of sprawl.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: Club volunteers delivered over 1600 postcards to New Hampshire's Gov. Jeanne Shaheen (D) asking her to protect communities from sprawl and to work to stop logging in the White Mountain National Forest. The White Mountain National Forest has over 7 million visitors every year - and they don't want to see clearcuts!
"Americans see environmental protection and economic growth as two sides of the same coin." - Debbie Sease, the Sierra Club's legislative director, regarding new poll results
[1] SENATE VICTORIES! From Endangered Species to National Monuments
The Senate has been busy of late, helping to protect the environment. Earlier this month, the Senate voted to protect our national monuments from energy development and coal mining. The next day it rejected a plan introduced by Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) that would have eliminated protection for endangered fisheries in Oregon and California. Find out how your senators voted on these important issues, and then write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper thanking (or scolding) them for their votes. We've put together some talking points to help.
Check out our victory page and talking points at https://www.sierraclub.org/victory/senate_vote.asp
To see how your senators voted, go to our votewatch site at https://www.sierraclub.org/votewatch/
[2] WIN-WIN-WIN SITUATION: What to Do With Your Tax Refund
Over the next few weeks, millions of "advance payment" tax rebate checks will be sent to many American taxpayers. Meanwhile, the Bush administration is abandoning a long list of projects that would help protect the planet.
You can do something that would be a "win" for your wallet, a "win" for the planet and a "win" for your spirit. You could invest in energy-efficient upgrades for your home or business or support the work of Earthjustice to defend poor communities from toxic air pollutants. You could help Trust for Public Land preserve wildlands or assist Planned Parenthood's global family planning programs.
Or you could support the Sierra Club's work to shed light on the environmental record of the Bush administration. Our pledge Web page will take you to all these options! Take the tax-rebate pledge today!
https://www.sierraclub.org/brighteridea/
[3] FIELD UPDATE: Clean Air Supporters Rally in Chicago and Boston
CHICAGO: Environmental, health and consumer groups rallied Tuesday to protest the Bush energy plan. Sporting an inflatable White House with smokestacks, the groups turned out to decry the plan's attack on clean air. "President Bush is concerned that clean air rules are burdensome on industries, when weakening these protections is beyond burdensome to asthmatic children and others injured by smog," said Jennifer Johnson, the Club's global warming organizer.
BOSTON: Locals far outnumbered power industry officials at the third of four Environmental Protection Agency hearings on clean air. At stake are clean air regulations that require new power facilities to implement the best-available pollution controls, and to upgrade pollution devices when making modifications to existing facilities. Industry groups complain the rule is keeping new power plants from coming on line. Environmentalists say that without these protections, more pollution will spew from our power plants, and 30 years of progress will be rolled back.
BATON ROUGE: On Friday, July 20, the EPA will hold its fourth and last hearing on clean air in Baton Rouge. To get more information, call (225) 755-6852.
[4] IN THE POLLS: Environment and Economy Go Hand-In-Hand
According to a new poll released by the Sierra Club yesterday, and conducted by Lake, Snell, Perry and Associates, Inc., 56 percent of voters believe that stronger environmental protections will lead to a stronger economy, compared to just 17 percent who don't. The majority of voters believe that environmental protection will create new jobs and new products that will bolster the economy, rather than slow down job creation and economic growth.
Check out our press release, and an excerpt of the poll results at https://lists.sierraclub.org/SCRIPTS/WA.EXE?A2=ind0107&L=ce-scnews-releases&D=1&T=0&H=1&O=D&F &S=&P=1580
[5] TRAVEL BROWER'S LEGACY: The Grand Canyon!
Sierra Club Outings can take you to the depths of the Grand Canyon and back, where you'll explore the wildlands of David Brower's legacy. The legendary David Brower was the first Executive Director of the Sierra Club, and his best-known accomplishment was a 1960s Sierra Club campaign to block two hydroelectric dams proposed for the Grand Canyon. Thanks to him, you can enjoy this Sistine Chapel of the desert.
Find out more about the trip at https://www.sierraclub.org/outings/national/brochure/01040b.asp
"We don't want any more Three Mile Islands in Pennsylvania." - Judith Johnsrud, vice chair of Sierra Club's Pennsylvania Chapter at a town hall meeting in Monroeville, Pa.
See the story at https://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/pit/news/stories/news-87302920010715-140759.html
[1] ROCK THE HOUSE: Call and Write Your Representative Today!
On Wednesday, a House Energy and Commerce committee will vote on Rep. Markey's (D-Mass.) amendment to the Energy Advancement and Conservation Act of 2001. This amendment would raise fuel economy standards to 40 miles per gallon, saving 3 million barrels of oil every day, and saving consumers money at the gas pump. Please call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and tell your representative to support the Markey Amendment!
To send a message to your representative through our Take Action Web site, go to https://whistler.sierraclub.org:8080/takeaction/globalwarming/index2.jsp
[2] BUSH-DOGGING: Day of Action
Bush administration officials travelled across the country Monday to stump for the president's energy plan, as Sierra Club volunteers turned out to inform the public that the plan relies too heavily on fossil fuels and nuclear power.
In Houston, a crowd of environmentalists stole the show from Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas), with chants like "Stop the Bush/Cheney toxic two-step!" At least 100 volunteers showed up in Pittsburg at Vice President Cheney's town meeting on energy, to denounce the administration's plan. Illinois protestors bearing signs and placards lined the street at Argonne National Laboratory, as Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham plugged the plan. Meanwhile, in Sioux Falls, S.D., Club members questioned Interior Secretary Gale Norton on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. And in North Carolina, local Sierra Club representatives met with Commerce Secretary Don Evans after he hosted a town hall meeting in Monroe.
Despite this attempt by President Bush to gain more support for his floundering energy plan, the public is more persuaded by the Sierra Club's message: We can have clean energy and a healthy environment, but we need a balanced energy plan with quicker, cleaner, cheaper and safer solutions than Bush's plan to drill, dig and destroy can provide.
Read related articles at the following links: https://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/politics/local/969140 https://www.post-gazette.com/headlines/20010717cheney0717p2.asp
[3] MORE HOT AIR: Bush to Sponsor More Study on Global Warming
Instead of taking action to curb global warming, President Bush is calling for - you guessed it - more studies! Saying that it is as important to understand the science behind climate change, Bush is investing $120 million in new studies. The announcement came in advance of Bush's second trip to Europe, where officials and citizens alike are becoming increasingly frustrated by the Bush administration's dilly dallying.
Find out more at https://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/16/science/16CLIM.html?todaysheadlines https://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/14/politics/14WARM.html?todaysheadlines
[4] EPA UNDER FIRE: General Accounting Office Points Out Sloppy Science
According to a new report by the General Accounting Office, it appears that the Environmental Protection Agency's Science Advisory Board suffers from serious conflicts of interest. The Board, created by Congress in 1978 to provide engineering and scientific advice to EPA regulators, convenes review panels that are often composed of members who have an outright conflict of interest. In some cases, more than half the members have worked for or been paid by companies that produced the very toxic chemicals under review!
Check out the article at https://www.charlotte.com/observer/natwor/docs/conflictedit0717.htm
[5] BOO HOO: Electricity Bill Woes
Just when you thought your electricity bill was high, the Vice President's bill trumps them all at a whopping $186,000! Now he wants to transfer the bill to the United States Navy, which owns his 33-room mansion. Perhaps Mr. Cheney should take a look at the Sierra Club's tips on saving energy.
Check out the story at https://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/17/politics/17MANS.html?todaysheadlines See our energy saving tips at https://www.sierraclub.org/energy/conservation/index.asp
"I'll be on my death bed or I'll have a grand-nephew ask me, "What did you do to stop global warming?" and I can smile.... I was a Sierra [Club] supporter.... Keep up the good work." - from Sierra Club member Steve McCrea, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in a June 19 letter
[1] HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: Act on Behalf of Mexican Environmentalists
Mexico's Attorney General Rafael Macedo de la Concha continues to aggressively prosecute Rodolfo Montiel and Teodoro Cabrera despite evidence that the two environmentalists were framed and tortured for crimes they didn't commit. This decision runs contrary to the position of reform supporters within the administration of President Vicente Fox, officials like the Minister of the Environment Victor Lichtinger, who has publicly supported the release of Montiel and Cabrera.
As the case is being reviewed by the Lower Court of Appeals with a decision expected no later than July 20, members of the U.S. Congress are expressing concern about this case. Rep. Hilda Solis (D-Calif.) is taking the lead in supporting the reformers in the Fox administration and promoting Montiel and Cabrera's release. Call your member of Congress today and urge him or her to support the efforts of Rep. Solis to help promote human rights and the environment in Mexico.
Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. The operator will help direct you to your representative.
For more information on this case, go to https://www.sierraclub.org/human-rights/
[2] BOMBS AWAY? Not In Texas!
The United States Navy decided to revoke a proposal to site a bombing range in Kenedy County, Texas, one of several potential replacements for Vieques, Puerto Rico. The Navy said that they wouldn't have enough time to prepare the site by 2003, when the they must shift operations from Vieques. But perhaps the public outcry against the proposal also weighed in. Grassroots organizers in the Lone Star Chapter had planned a three-day protest in Corpus Cristi, and people from all over the United States have stepped up in opposition to bombing in this fragile coastal ecosystem. The proposed target area would have bordered the Laguna Madre, home to 15 threatened or endangered species
For more, go to https://www.caller.com/2001/july/12/today/localnew/5042.html
[3] SENATE FOLLOWS SUIT: Senate Votes to Protect National Monuments
The Senate voted to protect our National Monuments from coal mining and oil and gas drilling. Despite an attempt to table the amendment, Senators voted to follow a similar prohibition that the House of Representatives passed last month. This measure follows several others passed in the House and Senate to stop drilling and mining in ecologically sensitive areas for at least one year.
See the story at https://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/12/politics/12DRIL.html
Check out our press release at https://lists.sierraclub.org/SCRIPTS/WA.EXE?A2=ind0107&L=ce-scnews-releases&D=1&T=0&H=1&O=D&F &S=&P=371
[4] INDUSTRY BLOWING SMOKE: Cincinnati Clean Air Hearing
Sierra Club volunteers turned out in force to Tuesday's Environmental Protection Agency hearing in Cincinnati on clean air. According to the Akron Beacon Journal, four out of every five people attending were against easing clean air protections in order to allow quicker construction of new plants and expansion of existing power. While power industry officials claimed that regulations increase maintenance time and costs, environmentalists testified that this is a question of public health. One activist submitted a posterboard with her children's monthly asthma bills - over $300/month. There's just no arguing with that.
[5] OUR ALLIES: Building Movements
Washington, D.C.: The Sierra Club, along with the United Steelworkers of America, the Service Employees International Union and the Union of Concerned Scientists will join forces to help stop global warming and create secure jobs. On July 17, the groups will jointly announce their support for a study by the Economic Policy Institute and the Center for Sustainable Economy that includes a worker-friendly, clean energy policy that will help curb global warming.
Oregon: Organizers are building a coalition to stop "fast-track" trade negotiations that allow President Bush to speed trade agreements through Congress. Fast track would make it easier to expand NAFTA into a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). Along with several environmental groups, Oregon's AFL-CIO, Northwest Treeplanters and Farmworkers United, and a coalition of religious groups joined together to urge a congressional delegation to oppose fast-track.
See our press release on our energy allies at https://lists.sierraclub.org/SCRIPTS/WA.EXE?A2=ind0107&L=ce-scnews-releases&D=1&T=0&H=1&O=D&F &S=&P=749
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