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DEFENDING ENVIRONMENTAL AGENDA
January 24, 2001
"Last week, this Committee held four days of hearings into the nomination of Senator Ashcroft. During that time, we witnessed a man who had undergone a major transformation on many key issues of importance to the people of my State and the nation. The question that each Senator must now ask, is whether that transformation is plausible after more than 25 years of advocating the other side." ---Senator Feinstein (D-California), 1/24/01
UPDATES FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY
I. CASCADE CHAPTER & NORTHWEST ENVIRO'S TEARS INTO GALE NORTON
II. MONTANA RADIO INTERVIEW: SIERRA CLUB SAYS NORTON IS THE WRONG CHOICE
III. FLORIDA VOLUNTEERS GAIN GROUND IN BATTLE OVER AIRPORT
I. KIRO TV IN SEATTLE REPORTS: Norton Faces Opposition From Environmentalists
January 19, 2001
By Theron Zahn
"WASHINGTON, D.C. - The woman George W. Bush wants to put in charge of public lands has become the target of Northwest environmentalists.
"Gail Norton is an environmental train wreck waiting to happen," said Todd True of Earthjustice.
Groups such as the Sierra Club and Friends of the Earth say Norton's support of private property rights and development of public lands would be fatal for Northwest salmon.
"The people of the Northwest want the salmon back," True said. "Norton would be a big roadblock to that."
Norton is defending her political views and her public record.
"I will be candid in telling you that I'm both conservative and a conservationist," she said during her confirmation hearings. "I see no conflict there."
Conservationists are also worried that Norton might undo a plan President Clinton just put in place to protect 2 million acres of Northwest forests.
"Again, it will be up to Ms. Norton and her agencies at Interior to be sure that plan works," True said. "Her record indicates that it is a task she is not up to."
But at her confirmation hearings, Norton stressed protection of public lands.
"I intend to make the conservation of America's national resources my top priority," she said.
II. MONTANANS HIT RADIO WAVES TO FIGHT NORTON
From a January 22, 2001 Montana News Service Radio report:
Conservationists Weigh In On Upcoming Secretary of Interior Senate Vote
"Bozeman, MT - The U.S. Senate is voting this week whether to approve Gale Norton, President George W. Bush's nominee for Secretary of the Interior. Norton is a fellow at the Political Economy Research Center of Bozeman. Louisa Willcox of the Sierra Club comments.
Gale Norton, President Bush's nominee for Secretary of the Interior, is scrambling today to provide written answers to numerous questions posed by the U-S Senate's Energy and Natural Resources Committee. If her answers satisfy committee members, Norton could undergo a committee vote tomorrow (Tuesday), with full Senate action possible later this week. Most Montana conservationists are against the nomination, citing Norton's prior arguments before the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the Endangered Species Act . Louisa Willcox of the Sierra Club expresses her concern.
"We in Montana are blessed with species that exist no longer in much of the country, including species like grizzly bears and wolves. So there is a lot at stake up here and a lot of room for mischief if we get a leader of Interior such as Gale Norton, who just doesn't believe in the importance of the protection of endangered species."
"Norton is a fellow at the Political Economy Research Center of Bozeman, which promotes unregulated market solutions to environmental problems. Funders for the Center include timber, oil, pharmaceuticals, and other resource-extractive and chemical industries. The Center favors auctioning off public lands, including national parks and monuments, wildlife refuges, and Bureau of Land Management holdings. "
III. FLORIDA VOLUNTEERS GAIN GROUND IN BATTLE OVER AIRPORT
Miami-Dade delays decision on uses for Homestead base
By ELLIS BERGER Sun-Sentinel
Jan. 23, 2001
MIAMI -- Saying they wanted more time to make up their minds, Miami-Dade County commissioners deferred a decision Tuesday on what to do about the former Homestead Air Force Base, keeping alive the possibility that it still could be used as a commercial airport.
In a long-awaited decision last week, the outgoing Clinton Administration reversed a decision made six years ago and declared the base off limits to commercial aviation because of the danger that would pose for nearby Biscayne and Everglades national parks.
"I think it's time we moved on," said Commissioner Katy Sorenson, siding with the Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, a consortium of dozens of homeowner associations, and all major environmental organizations that lobbied heavily against an airport.
Instead of continuing to talk about an airport, said Jonathan Ullman of the Sierra Club, commissioners "should be celebrating the opportunity to develop the property in an acceptable format that protects the Everglades." The Air Force, which owns the base, says it is willing to convey 717 acres to the county for mixed development, while retaining the runways and taxiways for its own uses. That decision is being contested in federal court in Washington, D.C., by a group of influential developers who have a lease with the county to build an airport.
"In our opinion, that lease is still in effect," said attorney Ramon Rasco, who represents Homestead Air Base Development Inc. Rasco successfully argued that it would be premature for commissioners to close off their options, including joining HABDI in its legal action.
The county has three months to decide whether it wants the land, and up to an additional eight months to design an economic-development plan for its use. On the recommendation of County Manager Merrett Stierheim, commissioners voted unanimously to study the issue further, including holding a public hearing on Feb. 8 before making a decision.
Stierheim and aviation officials say Homestead could meet the county's critical need to relieve congestion at Miami International Airport, which is expected to reach full capacity in the next 10 or 15 years.
``If somebody's got a better idea, I hope they bring it forward.'' -George W. Bush at the unveiling of his education plan, 1/23/01
I. SPECIAL EDITION TAKE ACTION: President Bush Damages International Family Planning Programs
Special Edition of the Sierra Club Action Daily
President Bush Damages International Family Planning Programs
Only two days after pledging in his inaugural address to be compassionate and to promote the virtues of unity and bipartisanship, President George W. Bush started his first day in office with a divisive and uncompassionate act -- reinstating the global gag rule on family planning. The global gag rule bars international family planning organizations that receive a single dollar of U.S. funds from using their own money to talk about abortion with their patients, provide abortion services, or lobby to change abortion laws in their countries. Under this rule, overseas organizations cannot use their own revenue for these purposes. If they do, they may be barred from receiving U.S. humanitarian aid that goes to help maternal mortality and child survival programs. In reality, U.S. law has prevented U.S. taxpayer dollars from paying for abortions overseas since 1973.
Reinstating the global gag rule will hurt women and the environment. This policy will ultimately impact all efforts to protect the environment. Because rapid population growth exacerbates every environmental problem, it is intimately linked to all our efforts to protect the environment. The rate at which we are consuming natural resources is jeopardizing our planet's health and threatening the availability of water, fisheries, and forests for our children and future generations. For example, today more than 500 million people face water scarcity; the world's forests have shrunk from one third to one fifth of their original size; and we are increasing the level of green house gases in our atmosphere every day.
By limiting access to information and services that help families to decide the timing and spacing of their children, President Bush is making it more difficult to protect the natural resources that are under pressure from the demands of rapidly increasing population. Population and consumption pressures are critical environmental issues. To address the core causes of these problems effectively, we must adopt the strategy agreed to at the 1994 UN Conference on Population and Development -- to prioritize family planning, girls education and women's empowerment programs that encourage smaller and healthier families.
TAKE ACTION: Let President Bush know that you disagree with the reinstatement of the global gag rule and that you disapprove of this blatant attack on women and the environment. This should not be one of Bush's first acts as President.
Contact the White House, the Secretary of State, the National Security Advisor, your Senators and Representative to state your disapproval of this action.
President George W. Bush 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW Washington, DC 20500 202-456-1414 comment line 202-456-2461 fax president@whitehouse.gov
Secretary of State Colin Powell 202-647-4000 202-261-8577 fax
National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice 202-456-9481
U.S. Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121
Send a letter to the editor of your local newspaper to set the record straight about the use of taxpayer money to "promote" abortion. (Under current U.S. law not one taxpayer dollar is spent to perform or "promote" abortions overseas. Since 1973, the Helms amendment explicitly forbids such activities. In addition, family planning prevents abortion, it does not promote it. Abortions increase when there is no access to family planning services.)
For further information: Contact Laurie Mignone, Global Population & Environment Program, laurie.mignone@sierraclub.org
"Gale Norton, President Bush's controversial nominee for Secretary of the Interior told the Senate this week, 'I intend to make the conservation of America's treasured treasures my highest priority.' At the top of her list is the American Bald Oil Magnate" Saturday Night Live on NBC, 1/20/01.
I. TAKE ACTION: FIGHT ANTI-ENVIRONMENTAL NOMINEES
II. UTAH: LAW SUIT FILED TO CHALLENGE LEGACY HIGHWAY
III. TAKE ACTION ON GLOBAL WARMING ACTION: MEET WITH YOUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE
I. TAKE ACTION: OPPOSE GALE NORTON AND JOHN ASHCROFT
Want to do more? The U.S. Senate will vote on these nominees this week... action is needed.
1. Keep the pressure on at https://getactivehub.com/campaign/gale_norton
2. Visit the following sites to stop Ashcroft: https://www.naral.org/actnow/ash_alert.html & https://www.opposeashcroft.com
The Sierra Club opposes Bush's selection of Gale Norton as Interior Secretary. During the Reagan presidency, Norton served as associate solicitor at the Interior Department under Interior Secretary James Watt. In that capacity she authored and signed legal opinions in support of drilling the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and provided legal advice on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's controversial approval of Two Forks Dam.
Watt later hired Norton as a lawyer for the arch-conservative Mountain States Legal Foundation, which often represents loggers, miners, ranchers and water developers in fights against environmental groups. Norton is also the founder and serves on advisory committee of the Coalition of Republican Environmental Advocates (CREA), which is considered by the Republicans for Environmental Protection (a legitimate GOP environmental group) to be "a transparent attempt to fool voters who care about environmental protection."
The Sierra Club also opposes the appointment of John Ashcroft as Attorney General. Ashcroft has an exceedingly poor environmental voting record and is openly hostile to most environmental laws. Ashcroft voted against additional funding for environmental programs including the Clean Water Action Plan and toxic waste cleanups at Superfund sites. He also voted for a bill to roll back clean water protections, to prevent the EPA from enforcing arsenic standards for drinking water, and to allow mining companies to dump cyanide and other mining waste on large areas of public lands next to mining sites.
II. UTAH: LAW SUIT FILED TO CHALLENGE LEGACY HIGHWAY
The Sierra Club and Utahns for Better Transportation, joined by Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson, filed a lawsuit last week to halt construction of the Legacy Parkway, a 13 mile freeway on the edge of the Great Salt. The Legacy Parkway is the first phase of the proposed 130-mile Legacy Highway.
The groups filed a law suit against the two federal agencies which approved the Legacy Parkway project, the Federal Highway Administration and Army Corps of Engineers, asserting that the approvals violated the National Environmental Policy Act and the Clean Water Act. Craig Galli, attorney for Utahns for Better Transportation (UBT), explained that the "Wasatch Front Regional Council and the Utah Department of Transportation grossly underestimated the potential contribution mass transit can make towards meeting future travel demand."
According to Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson, "The legacy of Legacy Highway will be more pollution, more respiratory disease, possibly more cancer, greater dependence upon the automobile, the consumption of more fossil fuels, more greenhouse gases, more road rage, the undermining of wise regional planning and mass transit and a move away from smart-growth development."
The Sierra Club is also busy preparing a Clean Air Act lawsuit which will challenge the Wasatch Front region's massive highway construction plans, including the proposed Legacy Highway. Nina Dougherty, Sierra Club Utah Chapter Chair stated that: "We can no longer afford to ignore the air quality impacts associated with UDOT's policies to put more cars on more roads. This law suit will help focus the attention of our government leaders and the public on this important issue." She expects the Sierra Club to file their suit very soon, as early as next week.
For more information on Sierra Club's Stop the Legacy Highway Campaign and the ecological impacts of the proposed Legacy Highway, please visit www.sierraclub.org/chapters/ut.
III. DISTRICT WORK WEEK STARTS ON FEB. 19TH: TELL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE TO CURB GLOBAL WARMING
District Work Week for members of Congress is taking place the week of February 19. This is a good opportunity to meet with your representatives to discuss Global Warming and Energy issues.
Representatives should be aware that:
-It is more effective to drill under Detroit than under the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
-Making cars and light trucks go further on a gallon of gas is the biggest single step to curb global warming. -Representatives can sign the Sierra Club's Clean Car Letter to express their support for raising CAFE
-The federal government should look to increase funding for clean energy alternatives, and cut funding into fossil-fuel research
-Raising awareness of Global Warming as a serious threat to the environment, both locally and globally.
If you are interested in arranging a district office visit, or if you would like more information, please contact Alex Veitch at alex.veitch@sierraclub.org or at 202-547-1141.
DC staff are available to provide assistance with arranging visits, and will provide talking points and information on the issues. We would like to keep track of which offices are visited, and how the meeting went.
Find out more about steps you can take to help curb global warming at our website: https://www.sierraclub.org/globalwarming.
"We have to remain constantly vigilant to prevent raids by those who would selfishly exploit our common heritage for their private gain. Such raids on our natural resources are not examples of enterprise and initiative. They are attempts to take from all the people for the benefit of a few." President Harry S. Truman, December 1948, at the inauguration of Everglades National Park.
I. Global Population and the Environment Program: Policy Change Threatened
II. Quick Quiz on Global Warming Pollution
I. When George W. Bush is inaugurated as the 43rd President of the United States on Saturday, January 20, one of the first decisions he will make is whether to uphold the Congressional commitment to support one of our most successful foreign assistance programs.
On Sunday, January 14, The New York Times reported that President-elect George W. Bush plans to "review and possibly roll back" a wide range of policies enacted by President Clinton, including "federal aid for family planning groups that promote or perform abortions abroad." An announcement of a policy change is possible as early as Monday, January 22, the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision.
Last year, a bipartisan coalition in Congress tirelessly worked to pass increased and unrestricted funding for international family planning programs. At that time, the "global gag rule" was removed. The global gag rule disqualifies overseas family planning organizations from receiving U.S. funds if they, with their own money, lobby to change abortion laws or provide abortion services in their own countries even if it is allowed by law. However, as part of a compromise that secured the bill's passage, the fiscal year 2001 funds could not be dispensed until February 15, 2001, thus allowing the next president to make further policy decisions.
TAKE ACTION: Let your Senators, Representative and George W. Bush know that you are concerned about this restrictive policy's threatened return. Also contact Secretary of State-designate Gen. Colin L. Powell and National Security Adviser-designate Condoleezza Rice
Tell them: By providing families with the tools necessary to decide when, whether, and how many children to have, voluntary family planning helps to stabilize world population. With natural resources stretched thin by industrial air and water pollution, urban sprawl, and gross economic inequities, rapid population growth can compound problems faced by the world's poorest and complicate efforts to address root causes.
Bush/Cheney Transition office 202-513-7442 tel 202-513-7533 fax president-elect@BushCheney.gov Secretary of State-designate Gen. Colin L. Powell at the US State Dept. Swithchboard (202) 647-4000 National Security Adviser-designate Condoleezza Rice at the White House Switchboard (202) 456-1414. Capitol Switchboard 202-224-3121
For further information, contact Laurie Mignone, Sierra Club Global Population & Environment Program, laurie.mignone@sierraclub.org.
II. Wondering Where Global Warming Pollution Comes From? Take this Quick Quiz.
Would switching from driving an average new car to a 13 mile per gallon SUV for one year waste more energy than if you:
A. Left your refrigerator door open for 6 years,
B. Left the bathroom light on for a week, or
C. Left your color TV turned on for 28 years?
The answer: Trick question. It's D, all of the above.
SUVs waste more energy and spew out more global warming pollution than other passenger vehicles. Now that a new Congress has been sworn in, it is vital to inform new senators, and remind old senators, about the best way to fight global warming and save money at the pump: raising the national standards for how far cars, SUVs and light trucks must go on a gallon of gas.
TAKE ACTION: The Sierra Club's Global Warming and Energy Program can provide you with postcards to send to your senators urging them to take action on global warming. Improved mile per gallon standards for our cars, SUVs and light trucks would cut carbon dioxide pollution by 600 million tons and save consumers at least $45 billion each year at the pump. Tell your senators to work for more fuel economical cars that reduce threat of global warming and save you money at the gas pump.
For more information, contact Alex Veitch at (202) 547-1141 or alex.veitch@sierraclub.org.
Find out more about steps you can take to help curb global warming at our website: https://www.sierraclub.org/globalwarming.
"President-elect Bush's nominee Gale Norton would be a natural disaster as Interior Secretary." Carl Pope, Sierra Club's Executive Director
Take Action
I. Hearings Begin on Interior Secretary-nominee Gale Norton and Attorney General-nominee John Ashcroft
II. Homestead Air Base Victory
I. Take Action: Oppose Secretary-designates Gale Norton and John Ashcroft
Interior Secretary -- former Colorado Attorney General Gale Norton. The Sierra Club opposes Bush's selection of Gale Norton as Interior Secretary. During the Reagan presidency, Norton served as associate solicitor at the Interior Department under Interior Secretary James Watt. In that capacity she authored and signed legal opinions in support of drilling the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and provided legal advice on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's controversial approval of Two Forks Dam. Norton has also called the government's handling of endangered species cases as an example of excessive regulation.
Watt later hired Norton as a lawyer for the arch-conservative Mountain States Legal Foundation, which often represents loggers, miners, ranchers and water developers in fights against environmental groups. Norton is also the founder and serves on advisory committee of the Coalition of Republican Environmental Advocates (CREA), which is considered by the Republicans for Environmental Protection (a legitimate GOP environmental group) to be "a transparent attempt to fool voters who care about environmental protection." Contributors to CREA include several energy companies and associations representing the mining, logging,chemical and coal industries.
Attorney General -- former Sen. John Ashcroft (R-Mo.) The Sierra Club opposes the appointment of John Ashcroft as Attorney General. Ashcroft has an exceedingly poor environmental voting record and is openly hostile to most environmental laws. Ashcroft voted against additional funding for environmental programs including the Clean Water Action Plan and toxic waste cleanups at Superfund sites. He also voted for a bill to roll back clean water protections, to prevent the EPA from enforcing arsenic standards for drinking water, and to allow mining companies to dump cyanide and other mining waste on large areas of public lands next to mining sites.
Ashcroft also opposes campaign finance reform. He voted against the McCain-Feingold bill for a complete ban on soft money contributions to political parties, which would have closed a loophole that allows mining, timber and other interests to gain influence by contributing huge unregulated sums of money to political parties.
II. Homestead Air Base Victory
For several years, politically-connected developers and Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas sought to turn a former Air Force Base at Homestead, FL into a giant international cargo and passenger airport on the edge of Everglades and Biscayne National Parks. Yesterday, the Clinton administration firmly rejected the commercial airport plan.
According to Carl Pope, "The Sierra Club applauds the Clinton Administration for making the right decision on the Homestead Air Base. For six years Sierra Club members in South Florida have worked to ensure that our national parks are protected from this commercial airport. By firmly rejecting a commercial airport plan next to Everglades and Biscayne National Parks, the Administration is standing up for all national parks and saying that developments that threaten our precious wildlands are unacceptable."
"Unfortunately, the fight is not yet over. Airport developers who hope to take private gain from the ruin of our national parks may sue. We hope that they accept and support this decision, and we will fight for as long as it takes to protect what belongs to the American people: our national parks."
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