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DEFENDING ENVIRONMENTAL AGENDA
December 11
"The old problems that existed on Sept. 10, before the attack, are still with us: the elimination of poverty, the fight against H.I.V. and AIDS, the question of the environment. We need to think of the future and the planet we are going to leave to our children and their children." -Kofi Annan, secretary general of the United Nations, accepting the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize last night in Oslo.
[1] EVERGLADES: Miami County Commission Drops Efforts to Build Airport in Everglades
[2] LEGACY HIGHWAY: Sierra Club & Rep. Hansen (R-UT) Debate on Utah's Editorial Pages
[3] WILDLANDS: Sierra Club Stands up Against Drilling in the Gulf of Mexico
[4] TAKE ACTION: Urge Your Senators to Stop Subsidies for CAFOs
[1] EVERGLADES: Miami County Commission Drops Efforts to Build Airport in Everglades
Last Thursday, in a "historic" vote, the Miami County Commission decided to drop their support for the construction of a commercial airport at the former Homestead Air Force Base in the Everglades. Concerned with the potential noise and pollution that the airport would generate in Florida's most famous natural areas, the Sierra Club has resolutely opposed the airport plan. According to the Sierra Club's Everglades Representative Jonathan Ullman, the Commission's decision to scrap its support for the faltering airport proposal "is a major victory for people all over the world who use" Florida's Biscayne and Everglades National Parks.
Nevertheless, the battle is not over yet. While the vote dealt the project a serious blow, developers have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars lobbying the Bush Administration to intervene in support of the airport. Unless the Bush Administration does so, the Base will likely be used for a new hotel, a new headquarters for the national park service, and a conference and ecological research center.
For an article on the vote in the Miami Herald, go to: https://www.miami.com/herald/content/news/local/dade/digdocs/107697.htm
For an overview of Everglades ecology and the obstacles we face in restoring the Everglades, go to: https://www.sierraclub.org/wildlands/report_1999/national/everglades.asp
[2] LEGACY HIGHWAY: Sierra Club & Rep. Hansen (R-UT) Debate on Utah's Editorial Pages
Since the Sierra Club successfully sued to stop the construction of Utah's sprawling Legacy Highway last month, proponents and opponents of the project have been duking it out on Utah's editorial pages. The Sierra Club's Utah Chapter has opposed the project since the beginning because it would destroy over 100 acres of wetlands, encourage suburban sprawl and do little to promote mass transit.
In an editorial last Sunday, Sierra Club's Senior Southwest Regional Representative Lawson LeGate exposed some of the less than coherent arguments that Legacy Highway proponents have made since the injunction. Perhaps the most amusing argument exposed is the one made by Rep. James Hansen (R-UT). Hansen claimed that the Sierra Club made the decision to oppose the Legacy Highway in our "plush Washington, D.C. boardroom." Utah members have pointed out that they decided to bring the suit, while some of our D.C. staff have a simpler response: "Plush? We wish."
For Lawson's editorial, go to: https://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,355010715,00.html
[3] WILDLANDS: Sierra Club Stands up Against Drilling in the Gulf of Mexico
Last week, in the first lease sale since 1988, oil companies spent more than $340 million for rights to drill in the Gulf of Mexico. Despite broad opposition in Florida, the sale went ahead as part of President Bush's plans to increase domestic energy production, even though this area of the Gulf holds less than 10 days of oil.
The sale has allied environmentalists and the tourism industry due to the threat oil drilling poses to beaches and coastal ecosystems. Frank Jackalone, a regional representative of the Sierra Club, is gearing up for the battle; "We will consider every option, including lawsuits and political action." The Sierra Club has already held opposition rallies in Tampa Bay and New Orleans.
For an article on the sale from the Baton Rouge Advocate, go to: https://www.theadvocate.com/business/story.asp?storyid=3970
To find out more about offshore drilling visit the Sierra Club's Miami Group website at: https://florida.sierraclub.org/miami/cons_offshore.htm
[4] TAKE ACTION: Urge Your Senators to Stop Subsidies for CAFOs
As early as Wednesday, Senators will start voting on amendments to Senator Tom Harkin's (D-IA) Farm Bill -- which has the potential to protect farms threatened by sprawl, provide funds for water quality programs, safeguard wildlife habitat for endangered species, and restore 250,000 acres of wetlands a year.
The Sierra Club supports an amendment sponsored by Senator Paul Wellstone (D-MN) to restrict subsidies that factory farms can spend on constructing animal waste structures. The proposed amendment institutes safeguards to ensure that taxpayer funds are not used for the expansion of CAFOs. Unless the amendment passes, factory farms will hog the subsidies and push family farms out of the picture.
To send a letter to your Senators urging them to support the Wellstone Amendment, please visit: https://whistler.sierraclub.org/action/actionindex.jsp
"Anyone who doesn't understand the connection between the economy and the environment is on the wrong side of the future." - Nancy Pelosi 12/5/01 House floor during a speech opposing Fast Track
[1] FAST TRACK: House Surrenders Power to Fix Trade Deals
[2] NATIONAL ENERGY BILL: Senator Daschle Introduces Better National Energy Bill
[3] VICTORY ON THE HUDSON, AGAIN: The EPA orders GE to dredge the upper Hudson River
[4] FARM BILL DEBATE BEGINS: Voting on amendments will begin as early as tomorrow
[5] TAKE ACTION: Coastal city mayors to President Bush: We need responsible action on global warming
[1] FAST TRACK: By One-Vote Margin, House Surrenders Responsibility on Trade
By a vote of 215-214, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve "Fast Track" power for the President, surrendering its responsibility to make sure trade is clean, green and fair. Under fast track, Congress gives up the power to fix trade deals made by U.S. negotiators--even if those deals threaten the environment, or workers' rights.
As Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope said after the vote, "When our health, safety and clean environment are at stake, we should make sure that all sides are heard before we move ahead with these trade deals."
To read the Sierra Club's press release about the vote, please see: https://lists.sierraclub.org/SCRIPTS/WA.EXE?A2=ind0112&L=ce-scnews-releases&D=1&T=0&H=1&O=D&F &S=&P=340
To get involved with the Sierra Club's Responsible Trade campaign, please go to: https://www.sierraclub.org/trade/
[2] NATIONAL ENERGY BILL: Senator Daschle Introduces a Better Energy Bill
Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-South Dakota) introduced a national energy bill yesterday, one that is far better than that passed by the House of Representatives earlier this year. The Daschle bill recognizes that we can lessen our oil dependence and achieve energy security while protecting America's public lands. Unlike the House proposal, Sen. Daschle's plan does not allow oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and is based on the premise that the best way to assure our energy security is through higher fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks and greater use of renewable energy such as wind and solar power.
The bill could go further to promote more renewable energy by the year 2020, and it currently gives subsidies to nuclear energy and has potential to subsidize the oil and coal industry as well. And while the bill promises some kind of fuel economy increase, the level is not yet set.
See the Sierra Club News Release on Senator Daschle's energy bill at: https://lists.sierraclub.org/SCRIPTS/WA.EXE?A2=ind0112&L=ce-scnews-releases&D=1&T=0&H=1&O=D&F &S=&P=206
[3] VICTORY ON THE HUDSON, AGAIN: The EPA orders GE to pay nearly half a billion dollars to dredge the upper Hudson River
The Environmental Protection Agency yesterday ordered General Electric Co. to pay almost half a billion dollars to dredge toxic chemicals from the upper Hudson River. This comes after a long and hard-fought campaign by GE and its political allies to prevent the removal of cancer-causing PCBs from 40 miles of the river. The Administration's plan calls for two clean-up phases for the Hudson, removing 150,000 pounds of polychlorinated biphenyls leaked by GE over several decades.
Chris Ballantyne, director of the Sierra Club's Hudson River campaign was satisfied with the decision. "Overall, we're pleased Administrator Whitman recommitted to the cleanup and the restoration of the Hudson. We thought GE would seek to kill the cleanup before it began."
To read more about the Sierra Club's Hudson River campaign, please see: https://www.sierraclub.org/victory/hudson_cleanup.asp
For more details visit the Friends of a Clean Hudson website at: https://www.cleanhudson.org/
[4] FARM BILL DEBATE BEGINS: Stopping Subsidies for CAFOs
As early as tomorrow, Senators will start voting on amendments to Senator Tom Harkin's (D-IA) Farm Bill -- which has potential to protect farms threatened by sprawl, provide funds for water quality programs, safeguard wildlife habitat for endangered species, and restore 250,000 acres of wetlands a year.
The Sierra Club supports an amendment sponsored by Senator Paul Wellstone (D-MN) to restrict the subsidies confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) can spend on constructing animal waste structures. The proposed amendment institutes safeguards to ensure that taxpayer funds are not used for the expansion of CAFOs. Under this amendment, only existing CAFOs could get grants; to avoid creating an incentive to expand production, new CAFOs would not be eligible. If the safeguards are not enacted, it would make it difficult for family farmers to get funding since there would not be enough to meet demand.
For more information on this year's farm bills, go to: https://www.sierraclub.org/cleanwater/waterquality/farmbill.asp
For specifics on the Farm Bill visit Senator Tom Harkin's website at: https://www.senate.gov/~harkin/
[5] TAKE ACTION: Coastal city mayors to President Bush: We need responsible action on global warming
So far, 67 mayors of domestic and international coastal cities have signed a letter to President Bush, asking him to be a responsible leader in global warming policy, and reconsider his position on the Kyoto Protocol. Recognizing the need to prevent the flooding that may occur as a result of global warming, these mayors have committed to reducing their cities' contribution to global warming pollution. However, this threat can not be substantially mitigated without responsible action by the United States. The list of signatories includes the mayors of Seattle, New Orleans, Oakland, Santa Monica, West Palm Beach, Miami Beach, Berkeley and San Francisco. But we need more signatures, and the deadline for signature is fast approaching.
If you live in a coastal city, please contact your mayor and urge him or her to sign-on to the letter!
The letter and current list of signatories can be found at: https://www.ecobridge.org/content/g_wdo.htm#mayors.
Contact information for mayors whose signatures are still needed can be found at: https://www.ecobridge.org/content/g_wdo.htm#coastal
For more information on global warming prevention, please check out: https://www.sierraclub.org/globalwarming
The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported on the following interchange between a reporter and Sen. Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska), after Sen. Murkowski's attempt to attach legislation opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling was defeated 94-1.
Reporter: "What changed between Thursday and today?"
Murkowski: "We didn't have the 60 votes."
Reporter: "Didn't you know that going into it?"
Murkowski: "Well, I don't know. Did you know?"
Reporter: "Yeah, I've got a pretty good guess."
[1] ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE: Senate Votes Down Drilling, Democratic Energy Bill to be Introduced Today
[2] ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: Zuni Tribe Joins Sierra Club in Coalition to Stop Arizona Coal Mine
[3] BEHIND THE SCENES: Bush Administration Using "Paperwork" Laws to Attack Environmental Regulations
[4] TAKE ACTION: Stop Fast Track-Vote This Thursday!
[1] ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE: Senate Votes Down Drilling, Democratic Energy Bill to be Introduced Today
The Senate again beat back an inappropriate amendment on Monday when they voted 94-1 to keep an amendment out of the Railroad Retirement Bill that would have opened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling. Last Thursday, Sen. Murkowski (R-Alaska), a long-time supporter of the fossil fuel industry, teamed up with Senate Minority Trent Lott (R-Mississippi) in an attempt to attach the entire House Energy Bill to the unrelated railroad legislation.
This is the third attempt since September 11 made by Senate Republicans to attach a dirty energy bill to unrelated legislation. In a response to the vote, Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope issued the following statement: "We hope that the Senate will continue to support protecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and oppose those who would try to take advantage of our national crisis to push these controversial and irresponsible policies."
In related news, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-South Dakota) is expected to offer his own energy legislation today. The bill is expected to exclude drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, increase conservation and investment in renewable energy, and support an undetermined raise in auto fuel efficiency. While the language is not yet public, it will surely be a better energy plan than was passed in the House this fall.
For a comprehensive article on the Senate Vote, you can find an article in Britain's The Guardian at: https://www.guardian.co.uk/petrol/story/0,7369,611746,00.html
If Sen. Daschle releases his energy bill today, expect to find a Sierra Club News Release at: https://www.sierraclub.org/pressroom/
[2] ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: Zuni Tribe Joins Sierra Club in Coalition to Stop Arizona Coal Mine
On Friday, the Sierra Club teamed up with Zuni Pueblo Indians at a press conference to announce a new coalition to stop a proposed coal strip mine. The proposed mine would cover 18,000 acres of state, federal and private land and would draw water from the Zuni Salt Lake, a salty high desert basin that has provided salt used for religious uses by Zunis for hundreds of years.
Zuni Gov. Malcolm Bowekaty explained, "This area is a sanctuary and is important to all Southwestern tribes. We want to stop this project. We will do everything we possibility can to protect the Zuni Salt Lake."
At this point, the state Department of Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources has approved a mining permit for the site, but the decision has been appealed. The federal government has not yet taken action. According to the Sierra Club's Andy Bessler, "It's still just an idea right now and we hope it remains just that."
For an article on the press conference in the Albuquerque Journal ($1.95 an article), go to: https://www.abqjournal.com/
For a brief in the New York Times, go to: https://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/01/national/01BRFS.html
[3] BEHIND THE SCENES: Bush Administration Using "Paperwork" Laws to Attack Environmental Regulations
In a story today, the Washington Post reports that they have seen a confidential email sent out by a Congressional staffer to a dozen business lobbyists. According to the staffer, John Graham, President Bush's new regulatory czar, asked her "to convene key lobbyists to identify and rank" regulations that business groups found overly burdensome. In other words, Graham wanted to hear from business lobbyists what regulations he should get rid of.
The confidential email listed 57 regulations to target including ones which deal with health, safety and the environment. They govern everything from pesticide use to coal-mine ventilation, air and water quality, food labeling, lead-paint disclosure, and toxic-release reporting.
The Washington Post obtained the email from a lobbyist who said he was disturbed by what he perceived as an "underhanded" campaign to use obscure paperwork guidelines as a back-door mechanism to gut long-established regulations. When John Graham was nominated for his position, the Sierra Club joined other environmental organizations in highlighting Graham's history of opposition to environmental regulations.
For today's Post article, go to: https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52194-2001Dec3.html
[4] TAKE ACTION: Stop Fast Track-Vote This Thursday!
The House of Representatives will vote this Thursday, Dec. 6 on divisive, environmentally destructive fast-track trade legislation (HR 3005). Fast-track will be used to expand trade rules that can undercut our environmental laws.
If passed, the bill would prevent Congress from fixing trade deals negotiated by President Bush, even if those trade deals hurt our environment or labor rights.
The vote count in the House is very close. A handful of undecided Representatives can decide whether we win or lose this vote.
Please call your US Representative today -- dial 1-800-393-1082 courtesy of the AFL-CIO -- and urge him or her to oppose fast-track legislation because it is bad for our environment.
For further information, see https://www.sierraclub.org/trade/fasttrack/
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