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DEFENDING ENVIRONMENTAL AGENDA
January 24
"Earlier this month Mr Cheney told Mr Waxman he had met Mr Lay six times last spring, but declined to give more details." Financial Times (London) January 21, 2002 Cheney under pressure over contacts with Enron
"The final energy plan contained 17 provisions that Enron wanted." Washington Post, January 24, 2002
All Enron Cards on the Table, by Rep. Henry A. Waxman
(1) ENERGY: What is Dick Cheney Hiding?
(2) GLOBAL WARMING: Senate Committee to Debate SUV Loophole
(3) ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION: Florida Cops are Unlikely Leaders on Hybrid Cars (4) TAKE ACTION: Tell the White House not to Hold Up Funding for International Family Planning
1. What is Dick Cheney hiding? Who helped the White House draft an unbalanced energy plan based largely on fossil fuels?
Vice President Dick Cheney's office again refused Wednesday to make public details of how the White House formulated its energy policy, despite increased pressure from Congress, which wants more information about contacts between private energy companies like Enron and the Administration's energy task force, headed by Cheney.
Since its unveiling in May of last year, the Bush-Cheney energy plan has drawn widespread criticism from environmentalists for its reliance on outdated polluting forms of power, at the expense of conservation measures and alternative fuel sources. The controversy over who had access in drafting the plan was given added life this week when White House spokesman Ari Fleischer implied that the Sierra Club had had as much input as Enron:
"The President thinks that access should be across the board, and that's why the Sierra Club...met repeatedly with the energy task force."
What Fleischer failed to mention is that Administration officials met with Sierra Club representatives only **AFTER** crafting and releasing their energy plan in May.
To learn more about the unbalanced Bush-Cheney energy plan, go to: https://www.sierraclub.org/energy/bush_plan/
https://enn.com/news/wire-stories/2002/01/01242002/reu_46225.asp
2. Progress on global warming? Senate committee to debate "closing the SUV loopohole"
The Wall Street Journal reports that the Senate Commerce Committee is poised to recommend clamping down on gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles and pick-up trucks. The committee will meet today to discuss raising auto-mileage standards from an average of 24 mpg to between 30 and 39 mpg, starting around 2015. A recommendation from the committee would increase the pressure on the Bush Administration to significantly raise Corporate Fuel Economy Standards in an effort to stop global warming. Stay tuned for what could be a big showdown in the Senate! The planet will need your help to curb global warming...and you'll save a bundle at the gas pump too!
To learn more about CAFE standards and global warmimg, go to: https://www.sierraclub.org/globalwarming/cleancars/
3. Florida Cops are Unlikely Leaders on Hybrid Cars
The Sierra Club teamed up with the Florida Sheriffs Association at a recent press conference to launch the Green Fleets campaign - a bid to add hybrid cars to their police fleets as a way to save money and cut greenhouse gas emissions. The event was covered by ABC, NBC, NPR, and the Jacksonsville-Times Union. Sheriffs from Alachua, Hillsborough, Union, Lee, Pinellas, Flagner, all took test drives and expressed strong interest in Green Fleets. Martin County Sheriff Robert Crowder has already purchased 11 for himself and his deputies! The next time you see blue lights flashing in your rearview mirror, you could flash your Sierra Club membership card and compliment the officer on her hybrid -- but it probably won't get you out of a ticket!
For more information about what's powering that siren, see: https://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/011902/nec_8368353.shtml
4. Take Action: Tell the White House to release funds for international family planning!
Though Congress some time ago approved U.S. contributions to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the fight to ensure that the funds go through is far from over. In deference to conservative lawmakers and anti-family planning groups, who falsely claim that the UNFPA supports China's one-child policy, President Bush continues to withhold the money. In reality, the UNFPA does not support China's one-child policy, or any other coercive program. It works in developing countries to save women's lives and promote human rights through better reproductive health care.
We need your help today to ensure that the UNFPA continues to receive financial support from the U.S. Call the White House at 202-456-1414 and Press 1 for the White House Office of Comment. Tell the President that now - when America's global reputation matters more than ever - is not the time for the Administration to retract a $34 million contribution to a key international organization. Just a few minutes out of your day could save lives around the world!
To take action on all your favorite Sierra Club issues, please visit: https://whistler.sierraclub.org/action/actionindex.jsp
"If we enact the entire Bush energy plan, we will find ourselves 20 years from now more dependent on foreign oil than we are today." -Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), in a speech today offering an alternative to the Enron-influenced Bush Energy Plan.
[1] ENERGY: Clean, Secure Energy Framework Proposed
[2] GLOBAL WARMING: "Freedom Car" Looks A Lot Like A Silver Bullet
[3] AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL: Sierra Club Rolls Out Ads with the National Council of Churches [4] TAKE ACTION: Send a Letter to the Editor on Kerry's Energy Plan
[1] ENERGY: Clean, Secure Energy Framework Proposed
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) offered a clean and secure alternative to the Enron-influenced Bush energy plan today. In Sen. Kerry's remarks, he suggested that by increasing the fuel economy of our cars, SUVs and other light trucks, we can curb global warming and reduce our dependence on oil without having to tear up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. And by increasing our use of renewable energy technologies like wind and solar power, we can create the power and jobs we need without harming the environment.
Sen. Kerry also decried the amount of industry influence on the Enron/Bush Energy Plan. In his speech, Kerry remarked, "Exxon Mobil, Enron and Chevron enjoyed an access bonanza at the expense of consumers and state-of-the-art environmental technology manufacturers."
For a Washington Post article on Sen. Kerry's visionary plan, go to: https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15666-2002Jan21.html
For the Sierra Club's comments on the speech, go to: https://lists.sierraclub.org/SCRIPTS/WA.EXE?A2=ind0201&L=ce-scnews-releases&D=1&T=0&H=1&O=D&F &S=&P=438
[2] GLOBAL WARMING: "Freedom Car" Looks A Lot Like A Silver Bullet
The White House recently announced that they intend to scrap plans to build an affordable car that gets 80 miles to the gallon. In place of that program, the Administration plans to sponsor the "Freedom Car," an automobile that runs on fuel cells. The car will be entering showrooms near you in the fall. Of 2022.
That's right, the Administration has effectively scrapped a project to build a fuel efficient car in the near future for a car we won't see for 20 years. Which begs the questions--why not work on both?
Sierra Club Energy guru Dan Becker raised fears that this is another way to let auto makers off the hook. In the New York Times, he said ''There is no requirement...that the auto industry actually produce the vehicles for sale. If Congress is fooled into not raising CAFE (fuel efficiency) standards because of this new smoke screen, the pressure will be off Detroit again.''
The San Francisco Chronicle has a good article on the Freedom Car at: https://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/01/10/MN119463.DTL
For an AP article on fuel cells and automobiles, go to: https://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyKey=75121&category=B
For information on our Clean Car Campaign, go to: https://www.sierraclub.org/globalwarming/cleancars/
[3] AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL: Sierra Club Rolls Out Ads with the National Council of Churches
For the first time ever, the Sierra Club and National Council of Churches are teaming up to protect America's beautiful landscapes, launching TV and newspaper ads calling on Americans to "keep our promise to care for creation." The ads' main message is that Americans ought not ruin the land we've been entrusted to protect. Rather than destroying special landscapes for oil, we can find more energy through new technologies.
Commenting on the ad, the general secretary of the National Council of Churches, Rev. Dr. Robert W. Edgar, said, "People of faith take seriously the biblical mandate to be good stewards of creation, and that means finding smarter, cleaner, safer ways to satisfy our energy needs without damaging the irreplaceable gifts of nature with which our nation has been so blessed."
For more information and a copy of the script, go to the National Council of Churches website, at: https://www.ncccusa.org/news/02news1.html
The Indianapolis Star wrote up a little piece on the ads, available at: https://www.indystar.com/article.php?street19.html
[4] TAKE ACTION: Send a Letter to the Editor on Kerry's Energy Plan
Send a letter to the editor of your paper supporting Sen. Kerry's energy plan. Draft your own, or feel free to use the following suggested letter. If you don't know how to reach your local editor, you can find that information at: https://www.opedletters.com/
Enron v. Enlightened On Tuesday, Senator John F. Kerry (D-MA) offered a forward-looking vision to solve America's energy needs, but on the same day President Bush continued to push the Enron-drafted energy plan, which is mired in the fossil fuels of the past.
The Administration's plan, relying heavily on input from energy industries like Enron, focuses on increasing domestic production of oil and coal. But coal pollution leads to global warming, spews asthma-triggering air pollution and harms our families' health. His other suggestion -- plundering the tundra in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil -- could give us only a 6-month supply of oil, according to government geologists, and even the oil industry admits it will take a decade to produce the first drop for consumers.
Senator Kerry instead suggested that by increasing the fuel economy of our cars, SUVs and other light trucks, we can curb global warming and reduce our dependence on oil without having to tear up any unique wilderness. And by increasing our use of renewable energy technologies like wind and solar power, we can create the power and jobs we need without harming the environment. Senator Kerry presented a framework for a responsible and reliable energy future that boosts America's use of renewable energy and conservation that helps the economy and the environment at the same time. Bravo, Senator Kerry!
"Nothing great has been and nothing great can be accomplished without passion." -Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
[1] POLITICS: Portland Firefighter Ed Hall and How he Used his 5 Seconds with the President
[2] TAKE ACTION: Funding for International Family Planning Programs Threatened
[3] ENERGY: NAS Reaffirms Finding that Automakers can Improve Fuel Efficiency
[4] WETLANDS: Secretary Norton Greeted in Florida by Club Activists
[5] WETLANDS ACTION: Defend the Clean Water Act -----
[1] POLITICS: Portland Firefighter Ed Hall and How he Used his 5 Seconds with the President
On January 5th, President Bush visited Portland, Oregon to give a speech on the U.S. economy. Upon arrival, President Bush was greeted by four local firemen, invited to the event by Oregon Republican Senator Gordon Smith. One of the four was Ed Hall, a Portland firefighter who was at Ground Zero three days after the attack to assist in the clean-up. Hall shook the president's hand and used his one chance to greet a President to say, "Mr. President, we don't need to drill for oil" in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
After the Sierra Club read about this interaction in Portland's newspaper, we called Ed up at his firehouse to find out more about Ed's history and inspiration. Ed's first thought was that someone was playing a joke on him. His second thought was that he'd forgotten to pay his membership. We highly recommend that you check out our short interview with this bright and inspiring man.
Our interview with Ed Hall is available at: https://www.sierraclub.org/currents/facetime/firefighter.asp
Share what you would say to the President with your five seconds: https://www.sierraclub.org/currents/facetime/
[2] TAKE ACTION: Funding for International Family Planning Programs Threatened
In response to false allegations by anti-family planning groups and lawmakers that the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) supports China's one child policy, President Bush has put a temporary hold on the Congressionally approved U.S. contributions to UNFPA. Simply put, UNFPA does not support the Chinese Government's one-child policy, or any another coercive program. UNFPA works in developing countries to save women's lives and promote human rights through better reproductive health care, supporting only voluntary family planning programs.
Call the White House at 202-456-1414 and Press 1 for the White House Office of Comment. Tell President Bush that now is not the time for the Administration to turn its back on the United Nations and the international community by threatening to retract a $34 million contribution to a key international organization. UNFPA does not support China's one-child policy. UNFPA works to provide China and other countries with VOLUNTARY family planning models to improve the lives of women and families and to protect the environment.
[3] ENERGY: NAS Reaffirms Finding that Automakers can Improve Fuel Efficiency
The Wall Street Journal reports today that the National Academy of Sciences has reaffirmed their July finding that automakers can significantly improve the fuel economy of cars and trucks over the next 10 to 15 years without compromising safety or hurting consumers.
According to the announcement, "The committee still finds that 'technologies exist that, if applied to passenger cars and light-duty trucks, would significantly reduce fuel consumption within 15 years' and that its study of currently available technologies 'suggests that light-duty trucks, including SUVs, pickups and minivans, offer the greatest potential to reduce fuel consumption, on a total-gallons-saved basis.'"
According to our translators, that means roughly "For the love of Pete, why are we spending so much at the gas pump when we don't have to?"
To read the full NAS report, entitled "Effectiveness and Impact of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards," go to: https://www.nap.edu/books/0309076013/html/
To learn more about the Sierra Club Clean Car Campaign, go to: https://www.sierraclub.org/globalwarming/cleancars/
[4] WETLANDS: Secretary Norton Greeted in Florida by Club Activists
In her first official visit to the Everglades, Interior Secretary Norton was greeted by Sierra Club activists urging her to stop a proposal to expand drilling in the Big Cypress National Preserve. Secretary Norton took on the seemingly difficult task of portraying herself as a protector of wetlands during a week when her Department approved an exploratory well, an access road and 14,700 small underground explosions over 41 square miles in the Cypress Preserve. In addition, Secretary Norton remained silent this week when the Army Corps of Engineers announced plans to weaken protections for wetlands across the country.
According to an article in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Sierra Club activists were holding signs that read "Big Cypress is for Black Bears, not Black Crude," "Rigs & Panther don't mix," and "Don't be Crude -- Say No to Oil."
For the full article on Secretary Norton's visit, go to: https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-norton0117.story?coll=sfla%2Dnews%2Dsfla
For more information about our campaign to protect the Everglades, visit: https://www.sierraclub.org/wildlands/report_1999/national/everglades.asp
[5] WETLANDS ACTION: Defend the Clean Water Act
Last January, the Supreme Court dealt wetlands protection a blow when it decided the "SWANCC" (Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County vs. Army Corps of Engineers) case, punching a hole in the Clean Water Act's protection of isolated wetlands.
Luckily, the battle is not yet lost. The Environmental Protection Agency has to adopt a "guidance" document to implement the Court's decision. Because the Court's ruling was so narrow, we can still protect many of America's precious places by urging EPA to create a standard that holds closely to the Supreme Court's decision.
You can help by calling your Senators and ask them to sign on to a letter that urges EPA to continue to protect our nation's wetlands. You must make the call this week. Here's how:
1. Call the Capital Switchboard at 202-224-3121.
2. When you get your Senator's office, ask to speak to the environmental legislative assistant.
3. Let them know that you urge the Senator to protect our nation's wetlands, and to sign onto the letter Senator Reed is circulating regarding wetlands and the SWANCC decision.
The following Senators have already signed on to the letter, and should not be contacted: Lieberman, Levin, Graham (FL), Jeffords, Shumer, Toricelli, Stabenow, Reed (RI), Durbin, Boxer, Feingold.
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