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December 8, 1999
"The trade ministers are gone, the dust (pepper spray and tear gas) has cleared, and the new coalition that worked together to thwart the WTO came out a clear winner." -- Kathleen Casey, Sierra Club's WTO Organizer
(1) ALERT: PROTECT 60 MILLION ACRES OF WILD FORESTS: POSTCARDS AVAILABLE NEWS FROM THE FIELD:
(2) The WTO Wraps Up
(3) Lewis and Clark Campaign Begins
(4) Roadless Hearing in Oregon
(5) Tour D'Sprawl in Tracy CA
(1) ALERT: PROTECT 60 MILLION ACRES OF WILD FORESTS: POSTCARDS AVAILABLE
By now you have heard about President Clinton's Wild Forest Protection Plan that may lead to the protection of 60 million acres of America's last wild forests in 38 states. There are only a few days left for you to be counted in support of this bold plan! The U.S. Forest Service wants the public to weigh in with comments on this historic initiative to save our wild forests. Over half of our National Forests have already been hammered by logging, mining, and other destructive activities. The Wild Forest Protection plan is our last, best chance to protect our remaining wildlands.
We are now in the final stretch of the first official comment period which ends on December 20th. The Sierra Club has a goal of producing 250,000 comments by the end of the comment period and we are well on our way. Public comment is essential for the plan to be implemented and to ward off attacks from the logging industry and motorized off-road vehicle users.
So far, the Sierra Club has turned out thousands of people and dominated at the public hearings and collected tens of thousands of signed postcards. The postcards were so popular that we had to order a second printing! Now that we are in the final two weeks of the comment period, we want to ask your help again.
Please help us get the last of the postcards signed and mailed to the Forest Service before the end of the comment period on December 20th! You could help with the postcard campaign by collecting signed cards in your community and returning them to the Forest Service by Decmber 20th. You could take them to your office, leave some in your local library or outdoor stores or take them to a Sierra Club event and share them with friends. To get your stack of cards,please contact Daniel Lavery at 202/547-1141 or daniel.lavery@sierraclub.org Thank you for your help.
(2) THE WTO WRAPS UP
From: Dan Seligman, Bill Arthur, Kathleen Casey
The trade ministers are gone, the dust (pepper spray and tear gas) has cleared, and the new coalition that worked together to thwart the WTO came out a clear winner. The Sierra Club achieved many of our goals, despite the chaos and the unfortunate violence that occurred in some of the actions. News coverage aside the overwhelming majority of protest was peaceful and legal. Some small factions engaged in vandalism and provocation, and the police sometimes overreacted in kind. But at the end of the week, the WTO had failed to do their job, the incredible coalition of groups demanding reform still stood peacefully in the streets, and the WTO will never be the same again.
Most significantly, we cemented a coalition with labor, religious groups and students that will form a powerful voice in our future efforts. And, the WTO will never be the same again. The power of the 50,000 people on the streets, the incredible media coverage, the pressure from labor, environmental, and human rights groups have forced a dialogue and attention that they can not walk away from. The WTO will have to democratize, reform, or become extinct. President Clinton had to respond to the message and political power of the coalition effort when he spoke in Seattle on Wednesday. He told the WTO that they must become open to the public, and incorporate labor and environmental issues. He was compelled to legitimize the peaceful "voices in the streets".
The successes we achieved will prevent "business as usual" with the WTO, now a household word, with a negative connotation. The Club's leadership role as a strategic player both in the peaceful demonstrations and the policy arena is clear. From the media department, Dave Willet reports that more than 106 newspaper articles quote the Sierra Club and it's substantive contributions to the issue. Tallies on TV and radio are forthcoming.
All the Sierra Club events were peaceful and legal. Here's a rundown of the week:
Monday, Nov. 29
"Human Face of Trade Tribunal" More than 1300 participants packed the First United Methodist Church to listen to testimony of people from all over the world about the negative affects of the WTO. (tribunalists included Rep's George Miller, Maxine Waters and Peter DeFazio)
"No Globalization Without Representation Boston WTeaO Party"
From the Church, 2,000 people marched to the Washington Trade and Convention Center for a Boston WTeaO Party. Emcee'd by Rep. George Miller, speakers included Carl Pope; Sen. Paul Wellstone; Patti Forkan, Human Society; Vandana Shiva; Tom Goldtooth, Indigenous Environmental Network; Brent Blackwelder, president, Friends of the Earth. Stuff we "dumped overboard" included representations of: dirty gasoline, turtle-deadly shrimp, asian long-horned beetle, bio-piracy rice, hormone-treated beef, SUV's, toxic computer, fur in a steel-jawed leg trap, and 'frankenfoods.'
Tuesday, Nov. 30
"Environment Rally" About 2,000 people gathered in the drizzle. Participants represented the Sierra Club, Audubon Society, Friends of the Earth, and a host of other organizations. Speakers included: Sierra Club Board of Directors David Brower and Michael Dorsey, Rep. Tom Hayden, Tom Goldtooth, and Seattle City Councilman Richard Conlin. Elders from the Indigenous Environmental Network led our march to Memorial Stadium to join the big People's March for Fair Trade.
"People's March and Rally"
An amazing array of demonstrators filled Memorial Stadium and overflowed into Seattle Center. Estimates range from 40,000 - 60,000 people overall. The environmental community, anchored by a 30-foot inflatable turtle, marched under the banners "Make Trade Clean, Green and Fair," "No Globalization Without Representation," and the everpopular, "Defend our Forests, Clearcut the WTO."
The two-hour program featured speakers Carl Pope, Vandana Shiva, AFL-CIO Pres. John Sweeney, Teamsters Pres. James Hoffa, Jr, and the Steelworkers Pres. George Becker. Individual workers told their stories of poor working conditions, child labor and polluted environments. Sweet Honey in the Rock entertained.
The March proceeded downtown, where non-violent demonstrators caused the postponement of the WTO opening session.
Wednesday, Dec. 1
Political: Carl Pope and several other representatives from the environmental community had a private meeting with Pres. Clinton and the Chief of Staff. Media: Carl and Dan Seligman handled media requests ranging from CNBC and The New York Times to Heraldo. Rallies: Carl spoke at the Steelworkers "WTeaO Party" on the docks. On this day, ports up and down the west coast were shut down.
Thursday, Dec. 2
Enviro and labor news conference to report on the President's meeting and the progress of the WTO ministerial. In Dan's words, the fate of the WTO hangs in the balance. In the President's words, the people on the street are making a difference.
Friday, Dec. 3 To end the week on a positive note, we organized one more rally to refocus on the WTO and to demonstrate our right to peaceful assembly. Several thousand people showed up, marched through the no-protest zone (a route negotiated with the Mayor and Chief of Police) and back to the Labor Temple. There, hundreds of people spelled out "democracy" in the street.
The Sierra Club held a press briefing at the Convention Center around 7:30 to react to the draft document produced by the WTO. By 10 p.m., we got the news that the talks had broken down. "Ding Dong the Round is Dead." The WTO's Michael Moore said this was not unusual, that talks would continue while they found strategies to overcome their differences. This was just a creative time out, they said. Their version of "spin control". The truth was in the street, and in the papers. Don Bonker, former member of Congress from Washington and now part of a trade consulting group summed up the week well when he told the media, "What was happening on the street had a powerful influence on what was going on inside. The WTO has been politicized as never before." The WTO didn't get the job done, the people did!
(3) Lewis and Clark Campaign Begins FROM EPEC ORGANIZER, WAYDE SCHAFER
The Lewis and Clark Campaign in North Dakota started out with a breakfast meeting at which Jan Swenson, Teddy Roosevelt Group chair, and Wayde Schafer, North Dakota EPEC organizer, brought Chuck McGrady up to speed on the three local areas featured in the report. The day began in earnest with a 10:00 AM press conference. Chuck did an excellent job of presenting the national perspective of the Lewis and Clark Campaign and how the North Dakota areas, Little Missouri Badlands, Sheyenne Grasslands and The Garrison Reach of the Missouri River, fit into the campaign. After introducing Chuck, Jan explained the threats to and the importance of protecting the local areas "for our families, for our future". In addition to the press, local Sierra Club members attended the press conference and were delighted at the opportunity to talk to Chuck and even get his autograph.
After the press conference it was on to two local TV talk show interviews and a half hour public radio interview for Chuck and Wayde. In between interviews Chuck was able to tour a bit of the Missouri River that remains much the same as when Lewis and Clark traveled through North Dakota. Ironically, he was also able to see the urban sprawl that threatens this last stretch of free-flowing Missouri River in North Dakota, giving him some insight into the local conflict. The eventful day concluded with a meeting with Grasslands Supervisor, Larry Dawson. Chuck emphasized the national significance of the National Grasslands and assured Mr. Dawson of the Sierra Club's long-term interest in the management of the Grassalands.
Both TV stations featured the Lewis and Clark Campaign and Chuck on their evening news progams, and the taped interviews aired over the next couple of days. All and all an enjoyable and successful kick-off for the Lewis and Clark Canpaign in North Dakota
(4) Roadless Hearing in Oregon FROM OR EPEC ORGANIZER, ANDREA BAUCH
Tonight was the roadless hearing in Portland. We had a great turn-out of approximately 250 people at each hearing for a total of 500. I rented a room near the hearing room and all of the environmental groups set up tables with literature, postcards, etc. Each of us had copies of the local roadless open house meetings to distribute on the reverse side of a talking points sheet.
We had a press conference before the first hearing. The room was set up with a 12 foot tall inflatable Smokey Bear and collages of crayon-colored trees. Four newspapers showed up - AP (Grants Pass), Oregonian, Columbian, Statesman Journal. Attending the press conference was ONRC (ERIN), PIRG (TIERNAN), Audubon (PAUL) and Sierra Club (ANDREA). We each talked about a different aspect of the initiative. Tiernan talked about general need for protection and public support that this proposal and previous roadless protection has received. Erin commented on the proposal relative to Northwest forests and watershed protection. I talked about general support for the proposal and need to include Tongass. Paul did a great job wrapping things up and summarizing the primary points the environmental community wants the initiative to include. The press asked a few questions - overall it went very well. It was disappointment that no TV media showed up.
The public comments were well presented and very consistently included the main points - including the Tongass; banning all destructive activities (logging, ORV, roads), and protecting roadless areas NOW.
A lot of written comments were submitted as well.
All in all - it was very good night - great collaboration efforts by all enviro groups.
(5) Tour D'Sprawl in Tracy CA FROM CA/NV/HI FIELD STAFFER, MIKE PAPARIAN
On November 20th, Sierra Club held a tour d'sprawl in Tracy, California, and it was wonderfully successful. There were about 3 dozen bicyclists and a van filled with journalists who participated in the 40 mile event, and over 100 people were in attendance.
As we started the tour, the press complimented the fact that so many people turned out to show their support. And, they were extremely enthusiastic about the complementary shuttle van designated specifically for the press (Tracy Press, Stockton Record, Tri-Valley Herald, and KCRA - NBC). Eric Parfey, a Mother Lode Chapter activist, was very influential during his talks on the tour at various targeted development sites in Tracy. In fact, they found out a lot more than they originally knew about the impacts of Sprawl in the community.
It seems as though much of the information that the media has been given has been provided by developers, and during the tour d'sprawl, a more hands on experience began to be recognized. The detriments of sprawl began to take a deeper effect on their stories.
As we began the tour from the Delta Cyclery, the General Manager who completed the 40-mile tour, was extremely excited by the business generated by the event. He quickly asked Tracy organizer, Fi Brewer, about what he could do to become more active in the Sierra Club. Of course, his next question was..."When is the next event that myself and other bicyclists can get involved in?" Delta Cyclery passed out numerous freebies to all who attended from water bottles to coupons. Sierra Club did our part by providing the water and granola bars.
Kelly Henneman, the first speaker, started off at a school where her children attend, Villalovez School. She spoke about the year-round scheduling proposed due to overcrowding. This prompted many concerned parents to speak out against the concept of year-round schooling. One mother stated that many of the parents are upset about the change, and are even more upset that the parents did not have a say in the matter. Of course, we reminded her that this was due to Tracy's rapid and uncontrolled growth pattern.
The tour then went by the Presidio Development, and then to Tracy Hills (a development that Sierra Club's Mother Lode Chapter has filed suit against). And then it was off to Koster Farm to meet up with the bicyclists. The Koster's were extremely accomodating, providing fresh coffee and fresh-cracked walnuts from their orchard (of which we all got to take a bag home). They also provided a grand tour of their museum-like preserved agricultural land.
The day had perfect weather and provided great education to the media and other community members involved. Participants were incredibly impressed and are excited to do this again as soon as possible.
"I glimpse in the distance certain roads, clearings silent in the morning after the night's demons have fled: the future, the ageless future, where there is always time to create." -Maurice Sachs
ACTION ITEMS
1) Ask the Department of State to Defend Environmentalists
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL USA & THE SIERRA CLUB TO LAUNCH HISTORIC NEW CAMPAIGN TO DEFEND ENVIRONMENTALISTS WHO ARE FACING HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES
When oil spills contaminate rivers and drinking water in Nigeria, when loggers clear-cut Mexico's old-growth forests, when nuclear submarines leak radioactive waste in Russia, and when damming of the Narmada River destroys some of India's most fertile land, the earth does not scream, or get angry, or fight back.
But there are people who are brave enough to speak out, to defy governments and to confront corporations. They risk arrest, imprisonment, and even death to protect their homeland - to give the earth a voice.
Today in too many countries, it is dangerous business to be an environmentalist. In democracies and dictatorships, in developed and developing economies, the basic human rights of environmental activist are being abused.
This Thursday, December 9th the Sierra Club and Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) will hold a news conference to launch a ground-breaking new campaign to defend environmental activists who are being harassed, imprisoned, tortured and even executed by governments that are defending corporate interests. We will be releasing a major new report, Environmentalists Under Fire: 10 Urgent Cases of Human Rights Abuses, which highlights current cases in Burma, Cambodia, Chad and Cameroon, China, Ecuador, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, and Russia. December 10 is International Human Rights Day.
PLEASE TAKE ACTION:
Write Madeleine Albright at the Department of State (2201 C St., NW, Washington, DC 20520) and ask her to do the following three things:
· Expand coverage of individual environmental defender cases in the annual State Department Country Reports on Human Rights.
· Require US embassy staff to monitor human rights violations against activists and communities seeking to protect the environment. Request that State Department officials are instructed to intervene on behalf of individual cases, possibly through the mechanism of an "environmentalists at risk" bulletin in which the cases of individual activists are brought to light.
· Create a new section in the annual State Department Country Reports on Human Rights on the impact of foreign investments of private corporations on human rights. At the cusp of the 21st century, the annual reports need to reflect the shifting power of economic actors and monitor the direct impact that they have on human rights and environmental conditions around the world. This section should cover four vital areas of monitoring: the consultation process that corporations undertake with local affected communities while considering, establishing, and operating a project; environmental impact assessments; the terms under which they hire private security forces to police their facilities; and the circumstances under which they call in state police or military forces to protect their facilities.
Visit https://www.sierraclub.org/human-rights for more information. For a copy of the report contact Alejandro Queral at 202.675.6279 or at alejandro.queral@sierraclub.org.
SF Moderator wrote:
On Sunday, November 21, the editors of the New York Times offered their assessment of the end-of-session battle over anti-environmental riders attached to the various funding bills. In their editorial, "Mr. Clinton Wins on Riders" they assert: "A heartening feature of this year's budget struggle was the collapse of the Western Republicans' annual effort to load up the appropriations bills with last-minute riders designed to aid commercial interests at the expense of the environment. A few key Democrats, an energetic conservation lobby, a stubborn band of moderate Republicans-- all deserve praise for holding fast. But most of the credit belongs to President Clinton and his associates, who showed unusual consistency in sticking to earlier threats to veto any bill containing these measures."
Now that the dust has settled on last week's negotiations and votes, we wanted to provide an overview of how the environment fared in the final appropriations process, particularly the Interior Appropriations bill that was so laden with riders. The community is in the process of pouring over the legislative language and sorting out the details on many of the provisions and we will provide that analysis after it is completed sometime next week. In the meantime, let us report on the state of play as we know it.
There were some real victories in the Interior Appropriations Bill most notably in the form of increased funding levels for Clinton's Land Legacy Agenda. The White House won approximately $450 million for acquisition of sensitive lands within the California desert, Everglades National Park, Baca Ranch as well as other parks and refuges across the nation.
In addition, many of riders were dispensed with altogether or substantially neutralized. Riders to undermine science-based management of our National Forests, derail grizzly bear recovery programs, and weaken new environmental regulations on mining reclamation were eliminated altogether.
With other riders, the best we could eek out was mitigating the worst of the damage. An effort by Sen. Hutchison to delay for another year new oil royalty rules to ensure a fair return to the treasury from oil extracted from our public lands was resolved ultimately by allowing the new valuation rules to take effect March 15. On grazing, permits set to expire will be automatically renewed without first conducting environmental review, however, the rider was amended to require a schedule be established for review and $2.5 million set aside to address the backlog. Lastly, a rider to allow mining operation to dump an unlimited amount of waste on public lands has been confined to only those mines that had submitted plans of operation before November 1997.
There are other more locally-targeted black-eyes contained in the bill dealing with waivers of environmental review for the National Harbor Project in MD, waiving Clean Air Act provisions on the construction of the Wilson Bridge in Virginia, and a rider to prohibit the Secretary of Interior from withdrawing lands in a Missouri National Forest from environmentally harmful lead mining proposals.
Perhaps the hardest fought victories were won fending off last minute attempts to add anti-environmental riders not even contained in the legislation. The Administration stood tall against an effort to derail its historic wild forest roadless protection initiative and rejected outright a rider that would have blocked a federal lawsuit aimed at levying fines from dirty coal-fired utility plants in the Midwest that have failed to install pollution controls as required by the Clean Air Act. Finally, despite a largely symbolic vote won by the powerful Democratic Sen. Byrd to overturn a recent court decision prohibiting mining companies from dumping mountaintop mining waste into valleys and streams, Byrd was ultimately stymied in his effort to attach the rider to the omnibus spending bill.
The victories in these hard fought battles have been attributed in the press to the Adminstration, some vocal Democrats, and a healthy group of moderate Republicans. What the press has failed to recognize, is that those decision-makers were in fact responding to millions of people across the nation who kept their legislators' feet to the fire and demanded that the environment not be compromised. Thank you for all your good work. You made it happen.
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