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April 26, 1999
"In his State of the Union Address, the President asked Americans to join in a search for common ground on trade. We are offering common ground with a bright green lawn." Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director April 26, 1999
Contents:
TAKE ACTION: Protect America's Wildlands
EGG ON FACE: Sleazy WTO Summitry Exposed
SIERRA CLUB ROCKS: Earthday USA
PLEASE TAKE ACTION
PROTECT AMERICA'S WILDLANDS IN UTAH AND THE ARCTIC REFUGE
As we celebrated Earthday last week, two important pieces of wildlands legislation were introduced in the US Senate. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Wilderness Bill was introduced as S. 862 with 22 original cosponsors by Senator William Roth (R-DE). Earlier on Earthday morning, Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) introduced America's Redrock Wilderness Act as S. 861 with 11 original cosponsors. Both of these historic bills would permanently protect some of America's most historic and pristine wilderness.
The Arctic Wildlife Refuge is under constant threat from oil companies like BP and Arco. The refuge is home to a vast array of wildlife including polar bears and a 129,000-member caribou herd. S. 862 would permanently protect the biological heart of the region, the 1.5 million acre coastal plain of the refuge.
America's Redrock Wilderness Act, S. 861, would permanently protect 9.1 million acres of southern Utah. Like the Arctic, the beauty and diversity of southern Utah is threatend by oil and gas development, as well as by irresponsible livestock grazing and off-road vehicle use. Listed below are the cosponsors for both of these historic bills.
Please take a moment to give a call, jot a note, or send an e-mail thanking the senators listed below for their leadership in protecting some of America's most special places. If your senators are not on the list, please get in touch with them and urge them to cosponsor S. 861 and S. 862.
ARCTIC (22) William Roth (R-DE) Richard Durbin (D-IL) Barbara Boxer (D-CA) John Kerry (D-MA) Edward Kennedy (D-MA) Frank Lautenburg (D-NJ) Jim Jeffords (R-VT) Robert Toricelli (D-NJ) Max Baucus (D-MT) Patty Murray (D-WA) Diane Feinstein (D-CA) Russ Feingold (D-WI) Herbert Kohl (D-WI) Joesph Biden (D-DE) Christopher Dodd (D-CT) John Chafee (R-RI) Patrick Leahy (D-VT) Charles Schumer (D-NY) Ron Wyden (D-OR) Joe Lieberman (D-CT) Richard Durbin (D-IL) John Edwards (D-NC)UTAH (11) Russ Feingold (D-WI) Patty Murray (D-WA) Robert Toricelli (D-NJ) Jack Reed (D-RI) Tom Harkin (D-IA) Paul Wellstone (D-MN) Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) Edward Kennedy (D-MA) John Kerry (D-MA) Barbra Boxer (D-CA) Charles Schumer (D-NY)
THANK YOU
SLEAZY WTO SUMMITRY
"In Seattle, `public private partnerships' have been raised to an art form. But this time the artistes may have gone too far," writes Mark Fefer in last week's Seattle Weekly.
A week before, the venerable Financial Times (April 7) had run a story exposing a fundraising letter by corporate sponsors of the WTO Summit, scheduled for Seattle later this year. The letter from the Seattle Host Organization (SHO), co-chaired by Boeing's Phil Condit and Microsoft's Bill Gates, explicitly promised face time with high-level government officials in exchange for sponsoring the most important international economic summit in America in more than 50 years.
As the Sierra Club's Daniel Seligman told the FT, "This is about buying access to government without provision for equal treatment of other interest[ed] parties."
As if to confirm the Club's concerns, Pat Davis of the Host Organization responded, "We're going to have to get 400 contributors. No individual company will be able to say they bought this meeting."
Great! They all bought it.
Egg on face, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) quickly disavowed the SHO's fundraising tactics. SHO's solicitation letter "could be read to suggest that by virtue of their contributions certain firms or individuals will gain privileged access to US Government policymakers...," a USTR official wrote in a stern rebuke.
Its fundraising strategy hobbled, SHO must still come up with $9 million to pay for a Summit that will feature more than 100 heads of state and more than 5,000 trade officials. Only $2 million of the total Summit budget will be paid by the US Government.
As the Seattle Weekly reports, "Dan Seligman...worries about our government's dependence on the Fortune 500 to pay for events "where major policy issues, affecting health and the environment... will be decided. `If the whole enterprise is being funded by corporations, you've got to raise fundamental questions about how neutral, how legitimate it is.'"
SIERRA CLUB ROCKS AROUND AMERICA
California State Senate Committee Blocks Tollroad through State Park
Setting the stage for a battle between environmentalists and Orange County toll-road backers, a state Senate committee Tuesday approved a bill sponsored by State Senator Tom Hayden that would ban new construction or widening of roads in state parks.
The bill would block the route preferred by Orange County Officials to complete a long-planned 67-mile toll-road system. The proposed road would cut through San Onofre State Beach, which draws more than 1.2 million visitors a year.
The LA Times reports that "opponents of the measure were "plentiful and vociferous." "We don't plan on going away," said Jim Blomquist, the Southern California representative for the Sierra Club.
CINCINNATI, OHIO Earth Day
Glen Brand reports a smashing success for the Sierra Club's Anti-Sprawl Earth Day event in Cincinnati, setting the stage for Saturday's Earth Day outreach scheduled for Saturday, at Sawyer Point on the Riverfront in downtown Cincinnati.
A beautiful day and a country setting helped draw reporters and cameras from the local CBS affiliate, Cincinnati Post, Cincinnati Enquirer, WLW radio, and the Western Hills Press. The visuals included a horse, a weathered barn and fence, rolling hillsides, and a cute 5 year-old girl being pushed on a swing by her grandfather. Glen lead off, talking about how suburban sprawl threatens the local neighborhood treasure featured in the Earth Day report (Western Hamilton County) and was followed by concerned citizens and residents of the area who spoke passionately about protecting their communities.
All the hard work paid off with a Cincinnati Post story entitled "Sierra Club Targets West County." An accompanying box labeled "Fighting Sprawl" mentioned the Sierra Club Sprawl report and SPARE solutions advocated in the Earth Day report. On television, the CBS affiliate ran their story starting at their 4 p.m. news cycle with good rural visuals. The 10 o'clock news on the FOX affiliate ran a more general Earth Day story, mentioning the Sierra Club (me but unnamed) as a source for their summary of environmental problems in Cincinnati. They didn't mention sprawl but they did use a few of the air and water pollution facts that I highlighted.
Meanwhile, sixty volunteers hit the pavement to collect thousands of Earth Day postcards in Western Hamilton County.
KENTUCKY SIERRANS: KEEPING AMERICA "BEAUTIFUL"
On Friday, April 23, the Sierra Club's Cumberland Chapter launched the Kentucky EPEC campaign with a Rally/Press Conference in Doe Valley, a community impacted by industrial poultry production. Overlooking two huge chicken houses, Sierra Club President Chuck McGrady, community farmers, and about 40 concerned citizens, expressed their outrage and solutions to the problems facing Kentucky's rural communities and water quality.
The rain brought everyone inside...but being out in the countryside, we ventured into the closest structure - a BEAUTY SALON. The owner graciously let us continue our press conference amidst hair dryers and bottles of beauty supplies! Is this a first Sierra Club event inside a beauty salon?!?!? In total, we got some local coverage from two community papers and were on the Kentucky News Network which feeds to about 100 radio stations. Following this event, Chuck did two radio shows - WUKY and WVOK - and one interview with LEO, Louisville's progressive weekly.
MINNESOTA Sierrans call for End to Commercial Logging in the Superior National Forest
The Sierra Club campaign to end logging on national forest land hit high gear this week in Minnesota, with the statewide release of a new analysis of timber harvesting in the state along with a new radio ad targeted at Superior National Forest.
The timber analysis, released Wednesday at press conferences in Duluth and St. Paul, finds that current levels of logging in the state are unsustainable, especially in St. Louis, Koochiching, and other Northeastern Minnesota counties, where some forests are being cut far faster than they can be replaced. According to the report, the cutting threatens the diversity of plant and animal life in the northern forests as well as the long term health of the region's timber economy.
The radio ad campaign also began airing this week in Minnesota. The ad claims that intensive logging is harming fish and wildlife in the Superior National Forest and calls for an end to commercial logging there.
The St Clouds Times reported that, "within the next decade, Minnesota's northern forests will have been logged so heavily they no longer will be able to support the pulp and paper industry, according to a report released this morning by an environmental group."
It also could cause economic and environmental problems, according to the report by the Sierra Club.
"It's a major concern," said Ginny Yingling, the organization's state director.
The study used satellite maps to show that the cutting in the state's forests tripled from 1975-1996.
FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA SIERRANS SAY "SAVE OUR PEAKS"
Despite yet another stormy day, the Flagstaff Earth Day went on with bands and the "Save the Peaks" joining over 30 other environmental and community organizations to fight the White Vulcan Mine. The Club managed to get TV and newspaper coverage for the SPARE campaign. TV station KNAZ, Channel 2, covered the SPARE campaign and our organizer was interviewed on the 4:30 news.
Flagstaff's only paper, the Daily Sun reported, that the Sierra Club turned out to save the San Francisco Peaks from mining. The Peaks were listed as Arizona's posterchild in a report called "America's Wild National Treasures."
"This reflects the national importance of the San Francisco Peaks and it reflects the immediate threat to this national treasure by the White Vulcan Mine," said Andy Bessler, the Sierra Club's Flagstaff-based conservation organizer for the group's Save the Peaks Campaign. "There's a coalition of environmental groups interested in shutting down this mine and we're going to do our best to do that."
VIRGINIA SIERRANS FIGHT TO SAVE MATTAPONI RIVER
The Washington Post reports that the "Sierra Club featured Virginia's Mattaponi River in a national report issued yesterday about what the environmental group said are growing threats to wildlands."
Chuck McGrady was on hand in Newport News to celebrate the river's pristine waters, healthy shad population and nesting bald eagles and to release the report. But McGrady says "the river and the Mattaponi Indians, whose reservation dates from 1658, are threatened by a reservoir the City of Newport News wants to build in King William County."
"I Don't Like Green Eggs and Ham! Industrial farming isn't just bad for hogs, chickens and the environment. It produces tasteless food." Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in Newsweek
Contents:
Take Action: PRIZE WINNERS FIGHT URANIUM MINE IN NATIONAL PARK
I. SIERRA CLUB, CAFOS AND NEWSWEEK
II. EARTHDAY FROM THE FIELD: CA, OH, MN, VA, UT
TAKE ACTION:
PRIZE WINNERS FIGHT URANIUM MINE IN NATIONAL PARK
The U.S. could soon endorse uranium mining within one of Australia's most extraordinary national parks. The United States government would never allow such an activity inside one of our national parks, nor should they endorse such a misguided concept abroad.
Aboriginal leaders Jacqui Katona and Yvonne Margarula, two of the winners of this year's Goldman Environmental Prize, are leading a massive national campaign in Australia in opposition to the Jabiluka uranium mine. Located on land that the indigenous Mirrar people traditionally own, Jabiluka is within the country's largest national park Kakadu -- a World Heritage site known for its cultural significance and rich biodiversity. It's one of only 20 World Hertiage sites in the world based on both cultural and natural significance. The park contains 196 aboriginal arts sites reflecting the age-old cultural history of the area.
Approval for the Jabiluka mine was granted by the Australian government despite the fact that its activities are prohibited inside Kakadu and over the opposition of the traditional owner. As well as destroying lands of great spiritual significance to the Mirrar and damaging the fragile ecosystem, the mining will unavoidably release waste and tailings into the park that would remain radioactive for some 300,000 years.
"It is a very large number of people who see the mine as a bad thing," says Margarula. "The agreement was arranged by pushing people and does not accurately reflect the wishes of the Aboriginal people who own the country. We all stand together on that. Stop Jabiluka!"
Katona and Margarula have initiated a process that may lead to the park's designation as a World Heritage site "in Danger." Such a listing by the United Nations World Heritage Committee would be extremely embarrassing for the Australian Government. Failure to remedy the situation would place Australia in defiance of the World Heritage Convention. The final decision to designate Kakadu as endangered will be made in July, during a meeting of the World Heritage Committee in Paris
The US delegation will play a critical role. The position the United States takes on this issue will strongly influence the Committee and its final decision. Your help is needed to protect Kakadu National Park and, in turn, the Mirrar community.
Your letters endorsing the World Heritage "in Danger" listing are urgently needed. Please write to Karen Kovacs, who will be heading the U.S. delegation to the World Heritage Committee meeting, in July. Address you letters to: Karen Kovacs, Counselor to the Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, United States Department of Interior, Office of Secretary, Washington, D.C. 20240, or e-mail karen_kovacs@ios.doi.gov
For more information of Kakadu National Park please visit our website: www.sierraclub.org/human-rights or e-mail, Ira Hersh at ira.hersh@sierraclub.org. For more information on the other Goldman Environmental Prize winners visit: https://www.goldmanprize.org
SIERRA CLUB, CAFOS AND NEWSWEEK
Robert F. Kennedy explains in this week's Newsweek, "why corporate farming isn't just bad for chickens and hogs, and the environment. It is destroying family farms." He goes on to reference Sierra magazine, "According to Sierra magazine, billionaire chicken barons and billionaire hog tycoons have used their market power to drive a million family farmers out of business, including virtually every independent egg-and-broiler farmer in America."
EARTHDAY FROM THE FIELD: CA
Today Sierra Club and Friends of Ocean Beach (FOB), working with the California Coastal Commission, held a beach cleanup for Earth Day. Nearly 1,000 San Francisco grade school students attended the event, which included speeches from Willie Brown, Mayor of SF, Franchesca Veitro, SF Dir. of the Dept. of the Env., and Chris Desser, co-founder of Earth Day and a member of the California Coastal Commission.
The children cleaned up the beach, then used their bodies to spell "SOS" on the beach. A Coast Guard helicopter with AP news photographers circled over-head to capture the event, and the pictures are being circulated across the newswire now.
Notably, Willie Brown declared September 25, 1999 to be "Ocean Beach Day" and we are working with the County and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area Board of Directors to establish a task force to analyze and review upcoming beach Related development and improvement projects.
Mark Massara Sierra Club Coastal Program
EARTHDAY FROM THE FIELD: OH
The Cincinnati Post reported that "Sierra Club Targets West County." And the City Beat reported that "The Sierra Club is putting western Hamilton County at the center of Earth Day this year." The story went on to describe Sierra Club's "Spare America's Wildlands" report and detail Glen Brand, Ohio EPEC Organizer, explaining smart growth strategies. It also included the image of rural Cincy landscape used in the report/postcard.
EARTHDAY FROM THE FIELD: MN
Jill Walker, EPEC Organizer in Minnesota, released the "State of Minnesota's Forests" Report in Duluth and Twin Cities on Wednesday April 21.
Highlights: Duluth News Tribune ran a lead-in story about the ads. Duluth News Tribune ran a graphic of St. Louis Cty map (this was KEY) with their story. KDAL called our release a "shocking report." We got plenty of calls from advertisers who have noticed our campaign and want to sell us more space/time.
Industry Response: We certainly created a flurry of activity, with everyone under the sun requesting copies of this report.
Best quote comes from Wayne Brandt, spokesman for Minnesota Forest Industries and Minnesota Timber Producers Association: "The organization is morally bankrupt to put out this kind of information and have it masquerade as factual." Hello, Wayne? It's public data we used, not our own.
EARTHDAY FROM THE FIELD: VA
Chuck McGrady, national Sierra Club President, joined Sierra Club volunteers, representatives of the Mattaponi Indian Tribe and canvassers from Campaign Virginia outside the Newport News City Hall on Earth Day to release the the Club's SPARE America's Wildllands report.
Sierra Club has been working with the Mattaponi Tribe in their fight against the King William Reservoir, a project that would siphon off up to 75 million gallons of water per day from the Mattaponi River. The proposed reservoir would jeopardize the Tribe's shad fishery and inundate 1500 acres of forests where there are more 100 archelogical sites many of which are significant to the Tribe. The Mattaponi River is featured in the SPARE report.
The Mattaponi Tribe used the occasion to announce its Trail of Hope, an event on May 15 where the Mattaponi People, descendants of Chief Powhatan and his daughter, Pocahontas, will return to Jamestown to call attention to their efforts to halt the King William Reservoir.
The Earth Day event received good coverage on Channel 13 (ABC affiliate) and the Newport News' Daily Press. The story featuring the SPARE report also was picked up on the AP wire and appeared in the Washington Post. The event was also covered on radio.
Thanks to Chuck for coming to VA on Earth Day, to Megan Fowler for scheduling Chuck into VA and to everyone who had a hand in the SPARE America's Wildlands report. It looks great! On behalf of the Virginia Chapter, Thanks, Glen Besa
EARTHDAY FROM THE FIELD: UT
Lawson Legate got plenty of press coverage in Utah. The OGDEN STANDARD-EXAMINER covered the SPARE report. The Salt Lake Tribune reported that "Rep. Jim Hansen annoyed environmentalists on Earth Day by stealing the bill number used since 1989 on their big Utah wilderness proposal.
The bill backed by the Utah Wilderness Coalition has been known as HR1500 since it first was introduced by then-Rep. Wayne Owens. The number, which originally was assigned at random, has become synonymous with Utah wilderness.
But this year, the Utah Republican quietly reserved HR1500 for his own proposal that would force decisions to be made on wilderness designation within 10 years.
"This level of pettiness is really surprising from a person of his stature," said Tom Price, spokesman for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. "I wouldn't be surprised if Mother Nature rained down hard on his house today."
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