Hi!
OK Chris, Why does religion have to be democractic? What are you trying to
get liberated from exactly? The false notion that man and woman were not
created equal heirs to a life a grace? Or is it that woman want Power just as
badly as men and now we really will be over-masculated with power hungry
individuals - instead of the woman of obedience who want nothing but to help
and humble themselves to the spirit - why should woman who are just as "title
hungry" as men be liberated to anything? Aren't they in reality just as bad
as the men in this case? Why would a power hungry, overzealous, disobedient
woman be any different from her male complement?
I know Sophia represents Wisdom - but remember that people define wisdom
differently. To me it is far wiser to be obedient to LIFE and the Spirit
(because it should be obvious by now that is what is needed Obedience) then to
try to assert my own understanding, control and idealogies through false
perceptions of wisdom!
Peace!
Angela
>From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sat Nov 7 05:50:00 1998
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1998 07:49:52 EST
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: Two Alternatives
Hi Joe,
Thanks for your explanation - You think I think God is a male God in the sky -
don't you? I never said that - in fact your explanation about evolution is
closer to my understanding - however, I am saying that GOD created the
Covenant with creation - the covenant does not appear out of thin air - the
covenant is between the Creator and Creation - Now you are saying Gaia is the
only Creator - female spirit? OK, I disagree - Gaia is a manifestation of
cultural beliefs in the feminine face of God - which I do believe in - God is
male/female/all - As far as I can see you only believe in half of the picture
-
I picked up a book at the Catholic bookstore title "Daily Meditations (with
Scripture) for Busy Moms - I would like to post this quote - because I agree
with her here:
"God has many faces. God is mother/God is father/God is creator of all the
world . . . God sustains us with the Spirit . . .God is one and yet found in
all creation . . .No single image could ever encompass the reality of God."
Now Gaia/The White Goddess/etc. are the images used to represent the feminine
face of God -
However, they are not separate and apart from the other images - together they
complete the picture - together - However, to say that if Gaia is true - then
God is not - is false - Gaia is the feminine representation of God -
The femme divine is Mary, Blessed Mother, who gave birth to the redeemer - The
Goddess are a part of God - a face of God - The mother is our mother (she is
also Gaia's mother - understand that?)
Peace!
Angela
>From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sat Nov 7 06:10:49 1998
From: "Brett and Kimberly " <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: A Poem
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1998 07:18:51 -0600
<<NO Do something - I agree - but just do something more then frown and
cry>>
Angela, I agree with you very much on this point. It is horrible what is
happening to our animals, but in expending the emotional energy
in composing poetry, imagine the energy that could be created by action!
kimberly
----------
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> To: STUDIES IN WOMEN AND ENVIRONMENT <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: Re: A Poem
> Date: Friday, November 06, 1998 4:58 AM
>
> In a message dated 98-11-06 05:10:43 EST, you write:
>
> << Remember this and shed a tear for the happless creatures who suffer so
at
> our human hands.
>
> END
> >>
>
> HI!
>
> SURE
> After we are done abusing them and torturing them and neglecting them -
CRY
> for them they can really use our tears!
>
> NO Do something - I agree - but just do something more then frown and cry
-
> Sure feal remorse, sadness for the animals - and the others who cry for
> freedom and have none- but if you get down on yourself and the world who
will
> be UP ENOUGH to help them!
>
> My message was one of keeping a positive thought stream so that we can be
> positive enough to help not just frown and cry - but help.
>
> Margueritte - you are a doomsayer - we are well aware of the animals
plights -
> I told you I distributed info about PETA - That is doing something
besides
> shedding your blightful tears! Helping others become vegan would serve a
> greater postive purpose then writing poems about their miserable plight
to
> help others shed tears!
>
> Do you want to hold peoples hands and encourage them to do the right
thing -
> or do you want to bring them down to their tears of remorse so that they
are
> so filled with grief that that are immobile to help? Ask yourself that!
GOD
> does not turn a blind eye - we do - We need encouragement and strength to
do
> the right thing - not just shed tears, but DO! And help with a smile -
so
> that others will know that helping brings smiles!
>
>
> Peace!
> Angela
>From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sat Nov 7 06:13:05 1998
From: "Brett and Kimberly " <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Fw: November 1998 EDF-Letter
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1998 07:20:03 -0600
----------
> From: News from Environmental Defense Fund <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: November 1998 EDF-Letter
> Date: Friday, November 06, 1998 4:02 PM
>
> Subject: November 1998 EDF LETTER--Electronic Edition
>
> EEEEEEE DDDDDD FFFFFFFF ||
> EEEEEEE DDDDDDD FFFFFFFF || || ||
> EE ::: DD FF || || ||
> EEEEEEE ::::: DD FFFFFF || ||| ||||||| ||| ||||
> EEEEEEE ::::: DD FFFFFF || || || || || || || || ||
> EE ::: DD FF || ||||| || || ||||| ||
> EEEEEEE DDDDDDD FF || || || || || ||
> EEEEEEE DDDDDD FF (R) ||||| |||| |||||| |||| ||
>
> EDF LETTER -- ELECTRONIC EDITION VOL. XXIX, NO. 5
> A Report to Members of the Environmental Defense Fund
> November 1998
> _____________________________________________________________
> (c) Copyright 1998 by Environmental Defense Fund, New York,
> New York.
> All rights reserved. Editor: Norma H. Watson
> ISSN 0163-2566
>
> The EDF LETTER -- ELECTRONIC EDITION is an experimental
> version of EDF LETTER whose continuation depends on reader
> support.
>
> ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND ---EDF MEMBERSHIP LINES---
> National Headquarters Phone: 202-387-3525
> 257 Park Avenue South Fax: 202-234-6049
> New York, NY 10010 Internet: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> 212-505-2100
>
> *************************************************************
> I N D E X T O F E A T U R E S
> *************************************************************
>
> *1* BP PROMISES TO CUT ITS GREENHOUSE GASES BY 10%
>
> *2* NEW $500 MILLION CHEMICAL TESTING PROGRAM ANNOUNCED
>
> *3* BIG APPLE PARK ALONG THE HUDSON RIVER GETS A GREEN LIGHT
>
> *4* CLEANER NYC WATER AHEAD
>
> *5* CHOOSING CLEAN ELECTRICITY IS NOW EASY IN PENNSYLVANIA
>
> *6* DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE: BP SENDS A SIGNAL ON GLOBAL WARMING
>
> *7* HOT SUMMERS MAY BE MORE COMMON
>
> *8* MORE FEATURES APPEAR ON EDF'S WEB PAGE
>
> *9* DRIVING GREEN: 11 TIPS TO LESSEN YOUR CAR'S IMPACT
>
> =============================================================
> BECOME AN EDF PARTNER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
> =============================================================
>
> *10* NEW LAW CAN BENEFIT COMMUTERS
>
> *11* 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF CHICO MENDES'S MURDER
>
> *12* EDF PEOPLE: MICHAEL CAMERON TACKLES GRIDLOCK AND AIR POLLUTION
>
> *13* PROTECTING ENDANGERED SPECIES ON PRIVATE LANDS
>
> *14* EDF SUPPORTS THE PRESENCE OF WOLVES IN YELLOWSTONE
>
> *15* CELEBRATE RECYCLING ON NOV. 15!
>
> *16* GREATER AUSTIN AREA ADOPTS EDF CLEAN AIR PLAN
>
> *17* CROSS-BORDER SUCCESS ON AIR QUALITY FOR U.S. AND MEXICO
>
> *18* EDF INTERN CONTINUES TO SERVE MEXICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY
>
> *19* BARGES MAKE MORE SENSE ON THE MISSISSIPPI THAN THE MISSOURI
>
> *20* ATTORNEY KEVIN MILLS HEADS GREAT LAKES REGION ALLIANCE
>
> *21* SUSTAINABLE CLEVELAND PARTNERSHIP WILL EMPOWER COMMUNITIES
>
> *22* EDF SEEKS TO REVISE ATLANTA'S NEW HIGHWAY PLAN
>
> *23* ALASKA INSPIRED DAN WHITTLE, NEW NORTH CAROLINA ATTORNEY, TO
PROTECT THE
> ENVIRONMENT
>
> *24* PLAN WILL SHIELD NORTH CAROLINA WATERWAYS FROM FARM RUNOFF
>
> *25* A SWITCH TO GREEN ELECTRICITY IN CA CAN HELP THE ENVIRONMENT
>
> *26* HOT IDEA TO EASE GRIDLOCK IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA
>
> *************************************************************
>
> *1* BP PROMISES TO CUT ITS GREENHOUSE GASES BY 10%
>
> British Petroleum, one of the world's largest oil companies, has pledged
to
> reduce its global greenhouse gas emissions 10% below 1990 levels by the
> year 2010. BP's plan, which EDF helped develop, is not contingent on
> whether the Kyoto Protocol goes into effect, and it promises larger
> reductions than the 5% to 7% that would be required under Kyoto.
> CEO John Browne said BP will make the reductions through a series of
> changes involving new technology, energy efficiency, and renewable
energy,
> combined with an internal program for trading emissions among BP's
business
> units. He cited, for example, achieving less wasteful pipeline
> transmission, curbing the "flaring" or burning off of waste gas, and
> capturing vapors that escape when tankers are being loaded from
pipelines.
> BP's internal trading program will be a microcosm of the global system
> envisioned by the Kyoto Protocol, empowering BP employees to innovate and
> to channel resources to the most productive opportunities to reduce
> greenhouse gases. This approach was developed as part of the EDF-BP joint
> partnership established in May 1997.
> "BP is forging the critical link between climate change solutions and
> sound economics," said EDF economist Dr. Daniel J. Dudek, who initiated
the
> project with BP. "Its ambitious reduction plan underscores the power of
> applying economic solutions to the most daunting environmental problems."
> Said EDF executive director Fred Krupp, "BP is tackling global warming
with
> the actions that matter most--making real cuts in greenhouse gas
emissions.
> The company's strong commitment sets a new standard for corporate
> responsibility. Its willingness to invest in projects essential to
solving
> the problem of climate change demonstrates what governments and
businesses
> in every part of the world must do to meet this challenge."
> Krupp noted that, although the motoring public will still continue to
> release the bulk of the greenhouse gas generated by the company's
products,
> such as gasoline, BP's commitment to reduce its own emissions is a
concrete
> step toward improving the environment. "While other big oil companies are
> still fighting measures to reduce greenhouse gases, BP has pledged cuts
> even deeper than those agreed at the international environmental summit
in
> Kyoto, Japan," he said.
> Dudek added, "International negotiators meet in November in Buenos
Aires to
> continue to work out the details of the Kyoto climate agreement.
Meanwhile,
> BP is moving ahead to meet its commitments using the flexible mechanisms
> promised by that agreement. Its actions show that the climate change
> challenge and business opportunity can be successfully integrated."
>
> [Caption: One of the steps BP will take to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions is
> to curb the "flaring" or burning off of waste gas, as seen above from
this
> platform in the North Sea.]
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *2* NEW $500 MILLION CHEMICAL TESTING PROGRAM ANNOUNCED
>
> Each year manufacturers sell billions of pounds of chemicals for which
the
> public lacks basic data on health effects. Now Vice President Gore, the
> Chemical Manufacturers Association (CMA), and the Environmental Defense
> Fund have announced an unprecedented cooperative program to test nearly
> 3,000 major industrial chemicals for their effects on health and the
> environment.
> Last year, EDF executive director Fred Krupp invited CEO's of the
country's
> top 100 chemical manufacturing firms to perform those screening tests on
> their own high-production chemicals. Vice President Gore, on April 21,
> 1998, then declared his support for EDF's position and called on the U.S.
> chemical industry, environmentalists, and EPA to design a plan to get all
> 3,000 high-production chemicals tested.
> The testing program was prompted in part by a 1997 EDF study, "Toxic
> Ignorance," which documented that most U.S. high-production-volume
> industrial chemicals did not have even basic screening tests for their
> potential effects on human health anywhere in the public record--a fact
> later confirmed by U.S. EPA and by CMA in separate follow-up studies.
Tests
> on the thousands of chemicals involved are now to be completed by the
year
> 2004, with percentage completion goals for each year in between.
> "We've been operating on assumptions instead of facts when it comes to
> chemical safety," said Krupp. "This testing program will give the public
> needed information about the most widely used chemicals and will let
> efforts to curb risks, by both companies and government, focus on the
> chemicals that testing shows to be hazardous."
> Under the new program, chemical manufacturers will volunteer specific
> chemicals for testing, using agreed-upon tests. Testing will be ordered
for
> high-production chemicals that are not volunteered within 13 months,
under
> a mandatory test rule that EPA will issue in December 1999.
> EDF, which has emphasized the importance of continuous public access to
the
> program at every stage, will monitor testing progress and will provide
free
> information to the public on-line at www.scorecard.org, on a
> chemical-by-chemical and company-by-company basis.
> "More tests in less time is to everyone's benefit," said EDF attorney
David
> Roe, "and will bring us closer to the public health protection that
> Congress promised a quarter-century ago. This is cheaper and more
efficient
> from industry's perspective, and faster and more comprehensive from the
> public's perspective, than anyone could have forced in a hearing room or
in
> court."
> Added EDF attorney Karen Florini, "For far too long, our legal and
> regulatory system has failed to distinguish between chemicals that are
> known to be safe and those that simply haven't been tested. That approach
> is neither scientifically supportable nor protective public health
policy.
> This program marks the end of the 'ignorance-is-bliss' era, and instead
> makes clear that part of being a responsible chemical maker is having
basic
> data on your products' health and environmental effects."
>
> [Caption: EDF attorneys David Roe (l.) and Karen Florini and EDF
toxicologist
> Dr. William Pease have advocated the chemical testing program.]
>
> [Caption: Most of the major industrial chemicals manufactured in the U.S.
have
> never had basic screening tests for their potential effect on human
health.]
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *3* BIG APPLE PARK ALONG THE HUDSON RIVER GETS A GREEN LIGHT
>
> Hudson River Park, a five-mile-long waterfront park planned for
Manhattan's
> western shore, won key support this summer. The NY state legislature
passed
> and Governor George Pataki signed legislation to dedicate the park,
protect
> river habitat, limit commercial development, capture existing revenue for
> park use, and create a new joint city-state entity to run the park. The
> park's bikeway is already being built and the rest of the park
development
> could begin soon. EDF, a founding member of the 35-organization Hudson
> River Park Alliance, played a lead role in preparing the legislation and
> building support for the park.
> Although still not fully financed, facing some opposition, and subject
to a
> final public review process on park design, Hudson River Park should soon
> become a reality. "Creating Hudson River Park is as important to the
future
> of this city as creation of Central Park was a century ago," said Andrew
> Darrell, executive director of the Hudson River Park Alliance. "It will
> finally reconnect New Yorkers to the Hudson River, with public access for
> all."
>
> [Caption: The green area shows how the park will skirt Manhattan's West
Side
> and border the Hudson River.]
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *4* CLEANER NYC WATER AHEAD
>
> The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved a program proposed by New
> York City, with EDF help, to protect the quality of drinking water supply
> reservoirs. The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program will combine an
> estimated $7.7 million in Federal funds with $2.7 million in city funds
to
> pay Catskills-area farmers to fence cattle out of streams and recreate
> 5,000 acres of forest and grass buffer areas around streams that flow
into
> city reservoirs. The buffers will help filter excess phosphorus and
> possible disease-bearing organisms from farm runoff before it reaches the
> reservoirs. City officials hope these measures will help make it
> unnecessary to spend billions of dollars on a water filtration plant.
> The New York program joins larger programs approved for the Chesapeake
Bay
> and the Illinois and Minnesota Rivers that will together enroll roughly
> 500,000 acres. Programs in Oregon and North Carolina are near approval.
> "This program shows how Federal farm funds can help solve even the most
> critical water quality problems in the Northeast," said EDF attorney
> Timothy Searchinger, who proposed the idea to city officials in 1996.
"New
> York Representatives Jim Walsh and Sherwood Boehlert deserve credit for
> persuading Federal officials to double the payment levels to farmers to
> reflect the realistic market conditions in New York," added Searchinger.
>
> [Caption: The Ashokan is one of the upstate New York reservoirs that
contributes
> drinking water to New York City.]
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *5* CHOOSING CLEAN ELECTRICITY IS NOW EASY IN PENNSYLVANIA
>
> People often ask what they can do in their daily life to help the
> environment. One simple step that Pennsylvania residents can take is
> switching to cleaner electricity. Most people don't realize that electric
> power plants are the single largest stationary source of air pollution in
> the United States and one of the largest sources of the greenhouse gases
> that lead to global warming.
> When you switch to clean power, your wiring won't change and your
electric
> service will continue uninterrupted. The only difference is that your
> monthly payment will go toward environmentally preferable sources of
> electricity.
> Choosing cleaner energy is easy in Pennsylvania. Just enroll for the
right
> to choose, then select a supplier. Residents who have not already
enrolled
> can simultaneously do so and choose a supplier by phone. Or call the
Public
> Utility Commission at 1-888-782-3228.
> EDF is working with the Clean Air Council to promote clean energy
options.
> Call the Council at 215-567-4004 to get the latest information on clean
> energy suppliers in Pennsylvania, or visit www.edf.org/Energy. At press
> time there were at least three companies offering cleaner power with
> varying amounts of renewable energy: The Energy Cooperative Association
of
> Pennsylvania (215-972-1537), Green Mountain Energy Resources
> (1-800-799-6876), and Connectiv (1-800-727-3200).
> Pennsylvanians, the choice is yours!
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *6* DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE: BP SENDS A SIGNAL ON GLOBAL WARMING By Fred
> Krupp, Executive Director
>
> British Petroleum's pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 10% below
> 1990 levels by the year 2010 (see story, p. 1) is a magnificent example
of
> a corporation acting responsibly. Although BP's emissions represent a
small
> percentage of total global emissions, its action is significant in
sending
> a signal to other companies. I believe it changes the whole ball game.
> BP broke ranks with the oil industry a year ago, when CEO John Browne
> acknowledged that climate change is a matter for public concern and
> promised to help address it. Now BP is the first company in the world
that
> has committed to making a voluntary reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
> to a specified level by a given date, irrespective of whether the Kyoto
> Protocol goes into effect.
>
> Raising the Bar
> By committing itself to do more than the Kyoto protocol would require, BP
> has created a new level of expectations for other oil and gas companies.
If
> other companies follow BP's lead and make the same commitments, it will
be
> a major step forward in creating the conditions for effective climate
> protection.
> It's important to acknowledge that the use of BP's products, such as
> gasoline, releases far more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere than are
> released in BP's own operations. Nevertheless, BP is setting an example
by
> starting with its own emissions and by making new investments in solar
and
> other technologies that will reduce fossil fuel use. These
investments--and
> BP's plan to use emissions trading to cut emissions--will prove to be
good
> business strategy.
> I urge other companies to pledge to cut their own greenhouse gas
emissions.
> EDF members who work for or own stock in companies should encourage them
to
> follow the BP path. It's good business and it's the responsible thing to
do
> for the world.
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *7* HOT SUMMERS MAY BE MORE COMMON
>
> Cities across the U.S. may experience many more days with temperatures
> above 90, 95, and 100 degrees in the future unless swift action is taken
to
> bring global warming under control, according to a new EDF report. For
> example, Miami, which now averages 23 days a year over 90 degrees F,
could
> average 121 such days a year by 2100.
> "This year's devastating heat waves and tragic heat-related deaths may
> offer a picture of a typical summer of the future unless emissions of
> greenhouse gases are significantly reduced," said EDF scientist Dr.
Janine
> Bloomfield. "Children, the elderly, and those already weakened by illness
> are especially vulnerable to heat-related illness and even death during
> prolonged periods of hot weather."
> Since projecting temperatures for specific locations in future years
> involves considerable uncertainty, the report is intended to illustrate
the
> impacts that global average temperature increases could have on certain
> cities, not to predict their actual weather in any specific year.
> The report is based on data prepared by the NASA/Goddard Institute of
Space
> Studies and Columbia University Center for Climate Systems Research. It
> used climate change scenarios based on those of the UN Intergovernmental
> Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an international group of thousands of
> scientists.
> The National Center for Atmospheric Research's historical weather data
were
> used to set baselines for the current average number of very hot days for
> 34 selected cities (some of which are shown in the chart above). Three
> scenarios that span the IPCC's projections were used to generate future
> estimates: a global average temperature increase of 1.8 degrees F by 2100
> (low), an increase of 3.6 degrees F ("best estimate"), and an increase of
> 5.4 degrees F (high).
>
> ======= TO LEARN MORE =======
> To find out what global warming could mean for your city, go to
> www.edf.org/90plus.
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *8* MORE FEATURES APPEAR ON EDF'S WEB PAGE
>
> There's something new every day on EDF's web site, www.edf.org. Visitors
> will find the latest environmental news, the full text of many EDF
> publications, new job listings, the latest stories from "EDF Letter" (as
well
> as an archive of every story since 1970), and much more.
> A new web feature offers books recommended by EDF staff--and a chance
to
> help the environment at the same time. Choices at
> www.edf.org/EarthMall/Bookstore range from novels and memoirs to
children's
> books to advanced texts. EDF's Bookstore partner, Barnes and Noble, will
> donate to EDF a percentage of the purchase price of any book--including
> those not listed on EDF's page--as long as your order originates at the
"EDF
> Bookstore."
> Find books by EDF staff, such as Michael Bean's "The Evolution of
National
> Wildlife Law," and Bruce Rich's "Mortgaging the Earth," as well as books
that
> have informed or inspired EDF staff members' work. For example, EDF
> ecologist Dr. David Wilcove recommends E.O. Wilson's "The Diversity of
Life"
> as "the definitive text on biodiversity." Attorney Kevin Mills suggests
"The
> Lorax," by Dr. Seuss, a lesson in deforestation, sustainability, and
> biodiversity that will delight both children and adults.
> We hope you will bookmark www.edf.org and visit often. If you regularly
use
> the web and would prefer to read this newsletter online rather than
> receiving it by mail, please notify our Membership office at 800-684-3322
> or by e-mail at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *9* DRIVING GREEN: 11 TIPS TO LESSEN YOUR CAR'S IMPACT
>
> Driving a car is probably a typical person's most polluting daily
activity,
> according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It's true
that
> cars are far cleaner than they once were: a 1960's car produced five
times
> as much pollution as the typical car of today. But there are more cars on
> the road--195 million, including commercial vehicles--and people are
> driving them more. All told, Americans drive more than six billion miles
> each day, up from 2.4 billion in 1965. Emissions from driving all those
> billions of miles add up.
> Pollution from cars causes health problems ranging from asthma to lung
> cancer and threatens the environment. Cars also generate wastes such as
> discarded oil, antifreeze, lead-acid batteries, and even old cars
> themselves, all posing potentially major waste disposal problems.
> If you can't stop driving, but want to minimize your car's impact on
the
> environment, you can rely on two familiar "R's" and an "M" for
> guidance--reduce, recycle, and maintain. You've probably heard some
obvious
> things you can do: walk or bike when you can, car-pool, and don't drive a
> gas-guzzler. But here are some other ideas.
>
> REDUCE
>
> Reduce the time your engine runs. Simply turn it off if you find
yourself
> idling in traffic for more than 30 seconds. Don't "warm up" your car in
> cold weather for more than a few seconds; today's cars can operate
> effectively soon after start-up.
>
> Plan your trips. Park where you can run several errands at once. Try to
> avoid driving during stop-and-go rush-hour traffic. Let your fingers do
the
> driving--a phone call can confirm if an item you need is in stock, and
> catalogs and Internet sites can offer car-free shopping. Before driving
to
> a distant discount store for a bargain, consider that sometimes the
savings
> aren't worth the extra cost of fuel and wear and tear on your car.
>
> Reduce the load on your engine. Anything that improves your mileage
reduces
> pollution. Try to avoid piling anything on top of your car, which
increases
> drag and reduces efficiency. Turn off your air conditioner when possible
> and open a window instead. If you're driving a standard-shift car, stay
in
> the highest gear reasonable for your speed and, standard or automatic,
use
> overdrive if you've got it.
>
> Reduce your speed. Remember that only a few years ago Americans reached
> their destinations comfortably driving 55 miles per hour, adding only
> minutes to short trips and improving their fuel economy by 15% over a
> 65-mph speed. Reducing your speed by only five mph would still bring
> benefits today.
>
> Consider driving one car. If your family owns more than one car,
consider
> selling one. Car-scarcity is a built-in incentive for both children and
> adults to bike or walk. When you do need extra motorized wheels, the
> mountain of money you save on car payments, fuel, and insurance could
more
> than pay for an occasional cab or car rental.
>
> RECYCLE
>
> Recycle used parts. Worn-out parts and discarded fluids, from batteries
to
> oil to antifreeze to (sometimes) tires, can often be recycled. Ask your
> mechanic or call your local recycling center for information.
>
> Buy recycled. Always buy re-refined motor oil (such as "America's
Choice"
> motor oil available at many Wal-Mart stores). When you need to replace
> something like a starter or alternator, ask for a remanufactured part.
>
> Recycle your car. When an old car "dies," it's not a bad idea to send
it to
> an auto recycler (a.k.a. junkyard), where usable parts can be resold and
> the remaining metal crushed and recycled. But better yet, see if you can
> donate it to a vocational school that will put life back into the old
> rust-bucket for someone and perhaps give you a tax deduction to boot.
(But
> insist that emissions systems be restored to current standards before it
> goes back on the road.)
>
> MAINTAIN
>
> Maintain your engine. Cars with poorly maintained engines and emissions
> systems are some of the most polluting on the road. Make sure a skilled
> mechanic runs an emissions system check.
>
> Check wheels and tires. Have your wheels aligned (this reduces rolling
> inefficiencies as well as tire wear) and keep your tires inflated
properly.
> Low tire pressure wastes more than two million gallons of gasoline in the
> United States every day.
>
> Prevent A/C leaks. If you're having an older air conditioning system
> serviced, make sure your garage uses a "vampire," a device (now required
by
> law) that safely captures CFC coolants. Their release into the atmosphere
> damages the Earth's protective ozone layer.
>
> ***
>
> Finally, if you're shopping for a car, do some research at a library or
> on-line to find one with the best mileage in its class. A standard-shift
> car usually gets higher mileage and produces lower overall pollution.
> Consider seriously whether you really need heavy options such as
four-wheel
> drive, which are unnecessary for most people.
> And if you're moving or changing jobs, think about telecommuting (if
your
> company allows it) or living closer to your workplace. It's better than
> driving yourself to distraction!
>
> By Jon Luoma
>
> [Caption: Increased recyclability is just one direction in which new cars
are going.
> There are many other ways you can keep the environment in mind when you
> drive.]
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *10* NEW LAW CAN BENEFIT COMMUTERS
>
> Thanks to changes in Federal tax law that take effect in January,
employees
> across America will be eligible to receive tax-free transit passes,
> ride-sharing expenses, and other commuter benefits in lieu of
compensation
> and to receive cash in place of free employer-provided parking. For
years,
> employees were able to get tax-free commuter benefits only if they took
> advantage of free or subsidized parking at work, but not if they commuted
> by transit, car pool, bicycle, or on foot. A 1992 law change let
employers
> provide limited tax-free transit passes, but was costly for employers.
> Now, more widely available benefits which EDF helped secure can cut
most
> employees' costs of transit passes and other commuting expenses by 25% to
> 35%, while trimming employers' costs. (The difference is that the
benefits
> are paid from employees' pre-tax income.) By helping to level the playing
> field between driving and other means of travel, this new voluntary
program
> can help reduce traffic congestion and pollution and give employees more
> choice and more net pay--but only if employers take advantage of it.
> EDF will offer its own employees the opportunity to buy transit passes
and
> other commuter benefits through a payroll deduction program. (EDF doesn't
> offer free parking to any employees, so it cannot offer cash in lieu of
> parking benefits.)
> You can ask your employer to take advantage of this important new law
> (Section 910 of the Surface Transportation Revenue Act of 1998), which
> could affect your commuting costs, taxes, and employee benefits. For
> further information, go to www.edf.org/more/10505.
>
> [Caption: Under the new Federal tax law, employees will be able to cut
the
> cost of transit passes and other commuting expenses by 25% to 35%, if
> employers give the nod.]
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *11* 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF CHICO MENDES'S MURDER
>
> The murder of Amazon rubber-tapper leader Chico Mendes in December 1988
set
> off a worldwide outcry against the destruction of the Amazon rainforest
and
> persecution of forest peoples. EDF anthropologist Dr. Stephan Schwartzman
> had worked closely with Chico Mendes researching and advocating his
> proposal for "extractive reserves"--protected rainforest areas managed by
> forest peoples. There are now more than seven million acres of the
> reserves.
> In memory of Chico Mendes on the tenth anniversary of his
assassination,
> EDF is launching an international campaign for the creation of new
> extractive reserves, in conjunction with Brazil's National Council of
> Rubber Tappers and the Amazon Working Group.
>
> [Caption: EDF anthropologist Stephen Schwartzman (r.) worked with Chico
Mendes
> in the Amazon rainforest.]
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *12* MICHAEL CAMERON TACKLES GRIDLOCK AND AIR POLLUTION
>
> "The San Francisco Chronicle's" front-page article on transportation
began:
> "Michael Cameron's wife is pregnant and due any day, and he's fretting
> about traffic patterns--worried that Interstate 80 will be snarled and
she
> won't get to their Berkeley hospital on time."
> Cameron, who heads EDF's Transportation Program out of the Oakland, CA,
> office, chuckles every time he reads that opening line. It is funny, but
> it's also revealing of Cameron's intensity: The two most important things
> in his life are family and the transportation issues he has worked on at
> EDF for nine years.
> As a young boy growing up in rural Wisconsin, Cameron spent as much
time
> outdoors as he could. He hiked the countryside in summer and skied it in
> winter. At age 12, he was certain he'd grow up to be an oceanographer. So
> what led him to become a transportation economist instead?
> It was Cameron's decision to attend Grinnell College in Iowa that
changed
> his deep-blue dreams. "I realized being an Iowa-based oceanographer
wasn't
> very practical," says the tall and lean Cameron. His interests in science
> and natural history were soon diverted to the study of economics. After
> graduation, Cameron took a job with Arthur Andersen & Company and moved
to
> Seattle. Eventually, he landed in Olympia, WA, working for the state
Office
> of Financial Management. "That's where I learned my ABC's of how
government
> works," admits the self-proclaimed former policy wonk.
> After Olympia came two years at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of
> Government and an M.P.P. in public policy. One of Cameron's professors,
Rob
> Stavins, had worked for attorney Tom Graff in EDF's California office.
> Cameron admits, "At that point in my life I really didn't know one
> environmental group from another, but I introduced myself to Rob and I
> quickly learned about EDF and its excellent reputation for policy
analysis.
> Rob soon introduced me to some people at EDF."
> After Harvard, Cameron applied for a fisheries-related job at EDF's
> California office. He didn't get it, but when Tom Graff called to tell
him
> so, Graff offered instead a nine-month consulting assignment on Los
Angeles
> transportation and air quality issues. "That was so far from my
interests,"
> recalls Cameron, "I was amazed to hear myself say, 'Sure! I'd love to.'
> That was in 1989, and I've never left."
> In his first year at EDF, Cameron envied colleagues who worked on
> wilderness and wildlife issues. Instead of redwoods or salmon, he was
> studying a topic that didn't seem to excite many people: driving. But
> Cameron soon realized that transportation affects the environment in many
> ways--air pollution, sprawl, global warming, even water quality. He also
> saw that his extensive training in economics and public policy prepared
him
> perfectly for understanding the failures of U.S. transportation
policy--and
> the potential for reform.
> "Transportation is such a complex issue that I realized I would always
have
> a challenging job. It's at the nexus of three vital issues in society:
the
> environment, social justice, and the economy." After several years at
EDF,
> Cameron authored "Efficiency and Fairness on the Road," a report that
still
> serves as the foundation of EDF's policy on transportation.
>
> The Importance of Being Earnest
> Some people have labeled Cameron "earnest." It's a label he accepts.
Having
> a compelling problem at the heart of his work is critical to him. "For
me,
> working for the environment is not about satisfying your own aesthetics.
> Its about preserving the Earth for all living things, especially people."
> As an economist, Cameron is especially opposed to transportation sales
> taxes and other subsidies that encourage driving by hiding road costs
from
> motorists. He led a recent successful campaign in California to defeat a
> transportation sales tax that would have paid for expanding highways
> instead of better transit options to reduce congestion.
> Cameron's dedication and effectiveness are apparent to colleagues in
the
> transportation field as well as fellow staff at EDF. Steve Heminger,
> manager of legislation for the Oakland-based Metropolitan Transportation
> Commission, enjoys working with Cameron. "Michael really pours his heart
> and soul into transportation advocacy," said Heminger, adding with a
laugh,
> "He even named his baby boy Miles."
> It's true. Last summer Cameron and his wife, Christine Stitser, made it
to
> the hospital on time, despite the gridlock, and Miles Scott Cameron was
> born. The couple actually named their newborn after the famous jazz
> musician, Miles Davis. "To show you that I am at least a reasonably
> balanced human being," Cameron says, grinning, "it never occurred to me
> that Miles was actually a transportation concept. That had no relation to
> how or why we named him Miles, but when I came back to the office and
told
> people his name, everyone laughed at the irony."
> Another reason to believe Cameron is "reasonably balanced" stems from
his
> devotion to a variety of personal pursuits. "Besides family and work," he
> says, "I can tell you without hesitation there are three things I hold
> dearest: yoga, guitar, and backcountry skiing. I've made a promise to
> myself that these interests will remain regular parts of my life,
forever."
>
> By Jerry Emory
>
> [Caption: Working with Los Angeles community leaders, Cameron helped set
up a
> van program to encourage better access to transportation options for the
urban
> poor.]
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *13* PROTECTING ENDANGERED SPECIES ON PRIVATE LANDS--By Robert Bonnie, an
EDF
> economist in the Ecosystem Restoration program.
>
> Once again Congress has failed to reauthorize the Endangered Species Act.
> The Act was supposed to be rewritten in 1992, but, in that Congress and
> every succeeding Congress, lawmakers have been unable to forge the
> necessary consensus to do so.
> Why the stalemate? A major difficulty is that lawmakers cannot agree on
how
> the Act should protect species living on private lands. Since the bulk of
> the habitat for most endangered species is on private lands, this
> controversy is central to the future success of the ESA.
> But while Congress has been stalemated on the issue, the Interior
> Department, which administers the Act, is already changing the way the
law
> applies to private lands. For example, Interior will soon adopt a
national
> "Safe Harbor" policy to advance an EDF-designed approach that gives
> property owners incentives to restore habitat on their lands.
> The Safe Harbor program, which ensures improved habitat for endangered
> species, has broad support. But other Administration efforts to improve
the
> Endangered Species Act's performance have been far more controversial.
This
> is especially true with respect to so-called "habitat conservation
plans."
>
> Many Plans May Be Flawed
> Habitat conservation plans, or HCP's, allow landowners to destroy some
> endangered species habitat in exchange for agreeing to undertake
activities
> to "minimize and mitigate" the losses to the "maximum extent
practicable."
> Some 200 such plans have been approved to date, and a similar number are
> being developed. HCP's have the potential to advance species conservation
> by underwriting the costs of habitat acquisition, restoration, and
> management.
> HCP's have provoked the ire of environmentalists, however, because they
> have often allowed too much habitat loss in exchange for too little
> conservation. For example, EDF recently denounced a proposed HCP for the
> threatened Utah prairie dog that could result in the loss of at least 10%
> of the species' already dwindling habitat. The ill-conceived plan
requires
> only that prairie dogs be moved to government lands before their
privately
> owned habitat is destroyed. But the prairie dogs have nothing to gain by
> this deal. Not only is the government already required to manage Federal
> land for the benefit of this species, but prairie dogs rarely survive
such
> relocation.
>
> EDF's Role
> A primary focus of EDF's Wildlife program is to improve conservation of
> endangered species on private lands. Given the increased use of habitat
> conservation plans for species on those lands, EDF has sought to monitor
> the plans to ensure their integrity and to oppose poorly conceived plans,
> such as the one for the Utah prairie dog.
> In the Southeast, for example, EDF has led a fight against several
HCP's
> that would allow the destruction of habitat for nearly 30 groups of
> endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers. Typically, these HCP's would allow
the
> destruction of woodpecker habitat on private lands in exchange for
> mitigation activities on Federal lands where--as with the prairie
> dog--management for the benefit of the woodpecker is already required.
> Morever, these plans do not even require that the mitigation activities
> succeed, only that they be attempted. EDF also led an effort to defeat an
> HCP in Texas that had no scientific underpinning and that could have
> allowed the destruction of significant woodpecker habitat there.
>
> A Better Way
> Properly designed, HCP's can be good for both landowners and endangered
> species, and EDF is helping establish successful models. For example, EDF
> helped International Paper, a large forest products company, to design a
> red-cockaded woodpecker conservation plan for its Southern forests. The
> company's privately owned forests currently support 18 breeding groups of
> woodpeckers spread out across five states.
> Under the plan, International Paper will restore currently unoccupied
> woodpecker habitat on a large, unique tract of mature longleaf pine in
its
> Southlands Experiment Forest in southern Georgia. The plan's objective is
> to create habitat for 25 to 30 breeding pairs of woodpeckers. In
addition,
> the Company will substantially boost its commitment to preserving the
> woodpecker by creating artificial nesting cavities, restoring longleaf
> pine, and providing twice the amount of habitat required for individual
> woodpecker groups under government guidelines. In return, after
woodpeckers
> actually take up residence in the restored habitat at Southlands,
> International Paper will be permitted to harvest trees in less desirable
> habitat elsewhere.
> The EDF-International Paper plan represents a significant departure
from
> past woodpecker HCP's for two important reasons: (1) It will increase,
not
> just maintain, the number of woodpeckers; and (2) it requires that the
new
> mitigation efforts actually be successful before the old habitat can be
> removed. These safeguards substantially exceed what had been required in
> previous woodpecker HCP's.
> Through plans such as this, EDF hopes to demonstrate that habitat
> conservation plans can be designed to provide greater flexibility for
> landowners while advancing the recovery of endangered species.
>
> [Caption: Robert Bonnie]
>
> [Caption: An ill-conceived plan for the endangered Utah prairie dog could
lead
> to the destruction of at least 10% of this species' already dwindling
habitat.]
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *14* EDF SUPPORTS THE PRESENCE OF WOLVES IN YELLOWSTONE
>
> Gray wolves in Yellowstone National Park and Idaho received strong
support
> from EDF and seven other conservation organizations in a friend of the
> court brief filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals in Denver. In 1995, the
> Interior Department reintroduced these "experimental populations" of gray
> wolves to historic habitat from which wolves had been eradicated by
humans.
> In a suit brought by several state farm bureau organizations, a Federal
> district court judge in Wyoming ordered the wolves removed, ruling that
> their reintroduction was illegal under his interpretation of the
Endangered
> Species Act. It is this decision that is now being appealed in Denver.
> At issue is the Act's requirement that experimental and natural
populations
> of endangered species be wholly separate geographically. Experimental
> populations receive somewhat less protection under the Act, but the
wolves
> in Yellowstone and Idaho have flourished. The Wyoming district judge
agreed
> that Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt correctly concluded that no natural
> population of wolves existed in either area before the reintroduction,
but
> he ruled that the experimental release was illegal because it altered
> protection for individual wolves that might pass through the areas.
> The judge erred in giving pivotal importance to this fact, according to
> EDF's brief. He "improperly subordinated the law's overriding concern
with
> the well-being of a species to its clearly lesser concern for the extent
of
> legal protection afforded individual animals of that species," the brief
> states. The National Audubon Society, which originally had challenged
> Babbitt's action, changed its stance on appeal and embraced the position
of
> Interior and EDF.
>
> Wolves Are Benefiting Yellowstone
> The wolf was deliberately exterminated from Yellowstone by 1930, starting
a
> chain of events that transformed the park's entire ecosystem. In the
> absence of wolves, coyotes soared in number, reducing the rodent
> populations important to predators such as foxes, badgers, hawks, and
> eagles. Elk and other hoofed animals multiplied, taking vegetation needed
> by beavers and other plant eaters.
> The wolf's return to Yellowstone, in 1995, began a dramatic reversal.
> Wolves reportedly have killed half the coyotes in the area, allowing
> rodents to increase and providing a bounty for other predators. According
> to a park scientist, a wolf pack typically kills an elk every few days,
> culling their excessive numbers. A wide diversity of park species feed on
> the remains the wolves abandon. For threatened Yellowstone grizzly bears,
> wolf-killed elk is a valuable source of protein before beginning
> hibernation. Even coyotes pushed to the margins of wolf country are
eating
> leftovers the wolves leave behind.
> The court is expected to decide the case by the end of the year,
according
> to Michael J. Bean, director of EDF's Wildlife program and author of the
> brief. The return of the wolf to Yellowstone was the result of years of
> effort by groups including Defenders of Wildlife, EDF, the Greater
> Yellowstone Coalition, the National Wildlife Federation, and the Wolf
Fund.
>
> [Caption: Gray wolves in Yellowstone Park and Idaho are helping to
restore the
> local ecosystem to a more balanced state, but their future is at risk.]
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *15* CELEBRATE RECYCLING ON NOV. 15!
>
> The second annual America Recycles Day is Sunday, November 15. More than
> 5,000 events are planned in 45 states to emphasize the message, "If
You're
> Not Buying Recycled, You're Not Really Recycling." EDF is one of the
> founding organizations for the annual celebration.
> To draw attention to the growing practicality of using recycled
materials,
> a new $200,000 3-bedroom home built primarily of recycled-content
materials
> will be given away in the American Green Dream House contest. To enter,
> print your pledge to recycle and buy recycled along with your complete
name
> and address on a 3" x 5" piece of scrap paper and mail it before November
> 15 to America Recycles Day Contest, c/o Remanufactured Industries Council
> International, P.O. Box 10807, Chantilly, VA 20153. For more information
on
> America Recycles Day, go to www.edf.org/more/10502.
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *16* GREATER AUSTIN AREA ADOPTS EDF CLEAN AIR PLAN
>
> The EDF "Early Action Plan," a voluntary program to reduce ozone
pollution,
> has won overwhelming support in Central Texas. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson
> enlisted the help of EDF scientists last year when it became clear that
the
> area would likely fail to meet new Federal air-quality standards by the
> year 2000. EDF produced an incentive-based plan to reduce emissions of
> smog-causing substances such as nitrogen oxides and volatile organic
> compounds. The plan has already been adopted by the five counties and
most
> major cities in the region, and endorsed by the Greater Austin Chamber of
> Commerce.
> The Early Action Plan targets key ozone-forming activities, including
power
> generation, fuel vapor emissions, and commercial landscaping services.
> Under the Plan, government agencies will pursue specific measures to
reduce
> emissions, such as improving management of vehicle fleets and controlling
> emissions from power plants. Gasoline companies will explore options for
> cleaner-burning fuels, better fuel-vapor recovery, and special
> fuel-delivery training. Local citizens will take part through a consumer
> reward program for buying low-emissions equipment or taking other
> "air-friendly" steps. Ultimately, the plan envisions allowing
participants
> to trade emissions reduction responsibilities, thus offering flexibility,
> spurring innovation, and reducing cost.
> "With government, business, and consumer cooperation, we expect to
begin
> improving air quality by next summer and to avert costly regulatory
> burdens," said EDF scientist Ramn Alvarez. "EDF proved it could be done
> with sulfur dioxide pollution in Colorado. We hope to see the same
success
> in Central Texas."
>
> [Caption: EDF scientist Ramon Alvarez (l.), Austin Major Kirk Watson, and
EDF
> attorney Jim Marston worked together to bring cleaner air to the Austin
> metropolitan area.]
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *17* CROSS-BORDER SUCCESS ON AIR QUALITY FOR U.S. AND MEXICO
>
> Working with the grassroots Paso del Norte Air Quality Task Force and the
> Joint Advisory Committee for the Improvement of Air Quality, EDF helped
to
> create the first cross-border air quality district in U.S.-Mexico
history.
> This summer, Mexico's President Ernesto Zedillo and environment minister
> Julia Carabias announced the adoption of the Ciudad Juarez Air Quality
> Management Program, which addresses pollution in the shared airshed of
> greater El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua. Now, after five
years
> of work on cross-border pollution problems, EDF is passing most of the
> program implementation to the grassroots groups it helped found.
> Dr. Carlos Rincn, EDF scientist and one of the program's chief
architects,
> will help lead the Task Force and the Joint Advisory Committee in meeting
> program goals, including 41 specific measures to reduce emissions of
carbon
> monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter.
> "The success of this program depends on the people who live and work in
the
> Paso del Norte region and the consistent enforcement of the measures by
> government authorities," Rincn stressed. "It took the joint efforts of
the
> local community, the private sector, and the three levels of government
to
> design and approve these measures. It will take no less to implement them
> successfully."
>
> [Caption: EDF scientist Dr. Carlos Rincn (r), with engineer Daniel Chacn,
> the new chair of the Paso del Norte Air Quality Task Force.]
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *18* EDF INTERN CONTINUES TO SERVE MEXICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY
>
> Thanks in large part to EDF's Diversity Scholarship Fund, Laura Uribarri,
> an Hispanic American from El Paso, helped catalyze grassroots action on
> U.S.-Mexico border pollution and continues to serve local communities. As
a
> Diversity Fund Scholar, Uribarri interned in the Texas office, working
with
> EDF staff to improve cross-border air quality. Her undergraduate honor's
> thesis at Stanford University, on this work, won the Arturo Islas Award
for
> its contribution to the Chicano community.
> "Laura's expertise, sensitivity, and diplomacy helped to integrate
> grassroots concerns into Federal environmental policy," reports Dr.
Elaine
> Baron, founding chair of the regional Air Quality Task Force. "Her work
in
> and out of EDF will be a boon to the communities of the Paso del Norte
> region."
> Uribarri recently completed her Master's degree in Public Affairs at
the
> University of Texas and has returned to El Paso to help workers displaced
> by NAFTA, 90% of whom are Hispanic American, through the Greater El Paso
> Chamber of Commerce.
>
> [Caption: Laura Uribarri]
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *19* BARGES MAKE MORE SENSE ON THE MISSISSIPPI THAN THE MISSOURI
>
> An economic analysis released by EDF finds that the tiny Missouri River
> barging industry has little economic value for the region's farmers, and
> concludes that farmers and the environment would benefit more if the
river
> were used for other purposes, including recreation. Recreational and
other
> non-barge uses of the Missouri account for $1.3 billion in revenue per
> year, while barging generates less than $10 million.
> The analysis, by Dr. Phillip Baumel, agriculture professor at Iowa
State
> University, contradicts a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers claim that
railroads
> lower their rates greatly to compete with barges on the Missouri River.
He
> cited fundamental flaws in the Corps' research and revealed earlier Corps
> findings that rail rates were not largely dependent on competition with
> Missouri River barges.
> By contrast, farmers benefit significantly from the Mississippi River
> barging industry, which moves many times more grain than Missouri River
> barges. It would help farmers if the Missouri's waters were saved and
> diverted to the Mississippi to float barges during droughts. Low water
> south of St. Louis can stop three times more commerce in a month than
flows
> down the Missouri in a year.
>
> [Caption: A barge on the Mississippi River.]
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *20* ATTORNEY KEVIN MILLS HEADS GREAT LAKES REGION ALLIANCE
>
> In Detroit, Michigan, Kevin Mills practically grew up on a bicycle, a
> passion that continued through Oberlin College, University of Michigan
Law
> School, and years as an environmental advocate. Since 1990, he has biked
to
> EDF's Washington, DC, office, where he serves as director of the
Pollution
> Prevention Alliance (PPA), a coalition of grassroots and state groups
> promoting sustainable businesses and communities in the Great Lakes
region.
> Under his leadership, PPA helped make pollution prevention a standard
> business practice among hundreds of Midwestern printing companies;
prompted
> automobile manufacturers to reduce creation of toxic pollution; and
> empowered communities with environmental information.
> Mills focuses on improving the urban environment, but he also enjoys
> backpacking around Lake Superior where he can renew his awe of nature and
> his resolve to protect the Great Lakes, the "world's greatest freshwater
> ecosystem."
> PPA is a natural evolution from Mills's leadership of environmental
groups
> in college and law school and his early legal work with the East Michigan
> Environmental Action Council. Now, whether negotiating cleaner automobile
> designs or fighting for environmental justice, Mills still feels close to
> his roots. "We're improving the very industries that were the backbone of
> my region," he says. "Through PPA, Great Lakes communities are helping to
> create their own economic and environmental future."
>
> [Caption: Attorney Kevin Mills joined EDF in 1990.]
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *21* SUSTAINABLE CLEVELAND PARTNERSHIP WILL EMPOWER COMMUNITIES
>
> EDF and the Earth Day Coalition formed the Sustainable Cleveland
> Partnership to develop the Sustainable Cleveland Environmental Health
> Information Guide, a tool to empower local communities and low-income
> residents in their struggle for environmental justice. The guide will
> provide local statistics, resources, and courses of action to help
> neighborhoods address issues such as childhood lead poisoning, asthma,
air
> pollution, toxic waste, safe drinking water, brownfields, illegal
dumping,
> recycling, and better nutrition.
> "Local communities, especially minority and low-income neighborhoods,
have
> a vital need for access to understandable environmental data and for
> practical ways to address environmental problems," says Benjamin Smith of
> EDF's Pollution Prevention Alliance. "Ohio ranks third in the nation for
> toxic emissions. Cuyahoga County has 25,000 children suffering from
asthma.
> And in some Cleveland neighborhoods, one in three children is poisoned by
> lead."
> Smith stressed that minorities usually suffer disproportionately. For
> example, across the nation, 65% of African Americans and 80% of Hispanics
> live in areas that violate air pollution standards. "This effort is about
> democratizing environmental information and solutions," says Smith. "A
lot
> of industrial cities in the Northeast and Midwest could benefit from this
> sort of tool."
> For information on the Partnership or to obtain the new guide, call
Anjali
> Mathur at the Earth Day Coalition at 216-281-6468 or go to
> www.edf.org/links/scp.
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *22* EDF SEEKS TO REVISE ATLANTA'S NEW HIGHWAY PLAN
>
> EDF is urging the Atlanta Regional Commission and Georgia Department of
> Transportation to revise Atlanta's recently adopted regional
transportation
> plan to protect public health and reduce inequity in transportation
access.
> The ill-advised plan authorizes more than $750 million in new or wider
> roads that will boost car dependence and job growth in areas that lack
even
> basic public transportation. EDF says the Commission approved the plan
even
> though it clearly violates the state's air pollution control plan.
> "With these highway projects, Georgia transportation agencies will
> discourage investment in urban and inner suburban areas and exacerbate
air
> pollution and sprawl at the outer edges of the Atlanta region," said EDF
> Federal transportation director Michael Replogle.
> In recent months, dozens of the Atlanta plan's major new highway
projects
> were granted exemptions, or "grandfathered," from Federal air pollution
> requirements without adequate environmental review. "EDF is alarmed at
the
> massive abuse of grandfathering under the Clean Air Act in Atlanta and
sees
> this as an important national test case," said Replogle. "The Clean Air
Act
> and Federal transportation law hold transportation agencies accountable
for
> the effects of their decisions on communities and the environment. We
want
> these laws enforced," he said.
>
> [Caption: Atlanta's proposed regional transportation plan would encourage
urban
> sprawl and exacerbate air pollution. EDF is urging it be revised.]
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *23* ALASKA INSPIRED DAN WHITTLE, NEW NORTH CAROLINA ATTORNEY, TO PROTECT
THE
> ENVIRONMENT
>
> No single event inspired EDF attorney Dan Whittle to dedicate his career
to
> protecting the environment, but his adventures in Alaska definitely
> contributed. After the Kentucky native received his degree in economics
and
> German from Vanderbilt University, he worked in Alaska as a wilderness
> guide, leading European tourists to remote areas on hiking, fishing, and
> rafting expeditions. "Just being out there made me think hard about the
> work I wanted to do," Whittle said. After two years in Alaska, he
returned
> to the Lower 48 to study law at the University of Colorado.
> After receiving his law degree, Whittle practiced environmental law in
> Washington, DC, then in North Carolina. He later served as senior policy
> advisor for the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural
> Resources, focusing on natural resources and water quality, including
> issues related to marine fisheries conservation and factory hog farming.
> Since joining EDF's North Carolina office in November 1997, Whittle has
> continued to work on these issues. When not in the office, he enjoys
> exploring the wild parts of North Carolina, hiking and camping on
mountains
> and coastal islands.
>
> [Caption: Attorney Dan Whittle joined EDF in 1997.]
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *24* PLAN WILL SHIELD NORTH CAROLINA WATERWAYS FROM FARM RUNOFF
>
> North Carolina's beleaguered fisheries and waterways will greatly benefit
> from a soon-to-be-finalized Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program
> (CREP). Drawn up by the State of North Carolina with EDF guidance, this
> initiative will combine state and Federal funds to compensate farmers for
> retiring up to 100,000 acres of waterside cropland and pastureland. The
> land will be converted to buffer strips to control runoff and erosion,
> restoring critical wetlands.
> The North Carolina plan targets four sensitive areas: the Chowan,
Neuse,
> and Tar-Pamlico river basins and the Jordan Lake watershed. Runoff of
> sediment, nitrogen, and other agricultural nutrients threatens the
> ecological health of these waterways and has led to declining fisheries,
> outbreaks of pfiesteria bacteria, and habitat degradation.
> "This new incentive-based program is a monumental opportunity to reduce
> chronic nutrient pollution from agriculture in the key rivers of North
> Carolina," said EDF attorney Dan Whittle. In August, White House Chief of
> Staff Erskine Bowles promised that North Carolina will receive $221
million
> in Federal aid for the program; the state will provide another $50
million.
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *25* A SWITCH TO GREEN ELECTRICITY IN CA CAN HELP THE ENVIRONMENT
>
> People often ask what they can do in their daily life to help the
> environment. One simple step that will make a difference is switching to
> cleaner electricity.
> Thanks to new competition among electric companies, most Californians
are
> now free to choose who they buy their electricity from and how it is
> generated. You are eligible for free choice unless your electricity comes
> from a government-owned utility such as Los Angeles Department of Water
and
> Power or Sacramento Municipal Utility District. All customers of
> investor-owned utilities (PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E) are now eligible to
choose
> their electric supplier.
> Instead of buying "ordinary" electricity produced primarily at
fossil-fuel
> and nuclear plants, you can choose to buy cleaner electricity from
> renewable sources such as small hydroelectric, geothermal, wind, solar,
and
> biomass generation. Some companies specifically promise to add new
sources
> of renewable power ( symbol in chart).
> "These cleaner sources are a welcome alternative to conventional
electric
> power plants, which are the single largest source of air pollution in the
> U.S. and a leading contributor to global warming," said EDF energy
analyst
> Christo Artusio. "In fact, companies are now competing to provide the
> greenest electricity at the least cost to the most customers. It's up to
> each Californian to cast his or her vote for a healthier environment by
> choosing cleaner electricity." Artusio noted that green electricity is
> likely to cost a bit more, but consumers can easily offset the small
"green
> premium" by improving energy efficiency at home.
> EDF urges California members to take a simple step to help the
environment
> today! Just call one of the toll-free numbers in the chart to switch to
> cleaner electricity.
>
> *** CLEANER ELECTRICITY FOR CA RESIDENCES ***
>
> Call any of the following companies today and make the switch to cleaner
> electricity.
>
> Clean Choices: Call 888-743-1700
>
> ** "Clean Choice 100"--100% renewables (25% new, 75% existing wind, small
> hydro, biomass, and geothermal)
>
> ** "Clean Choice 50"--50% renewables (13% new, 37% existing wind, small
hydro,
> biomass, and geothermal), 50% large hydro
>
> ** "Clean Choice"--20% renewables (5% new, 15% existing wind, small
hydro,
> biomass, and geothermal), 80% large hydro
>
> Green Mountain Energy Resources: Call 888-Choose-0
>
> ** "Wind for the Future"--75% renewables (10% new, 65% existing small
hydro
> and biomass), 25% large hydro
>
> "75% Renewable"--75% renewables (small hydro, biomass), 25% large hydro
> "Water Power"--100% large hydro
>
> Keystone Energy Services: Call 877-We-R-Green
>
> ** "EarthChoice 100"-- 100% renewables (10% new, 90% existing geothermal,
> small hydro, and biomass)
>
> "EarthChoice 50"--50% renewables (geothermal, small hydro, and biomass),
> 35% large hydro, 15% system*
>
> Earth Source: Call 888-93-EARTH
>
> ** "EarthSource 2000"--100% renewables (10% new wind, 90% small hydro,
> biomass, geothermal)
>
> "EarthSource 100"--100% renewables (small hydro, biomass)
>
> "EarthSource 50"--50% renewables (small hydro, biomass), 50% system*
>
>
> ** Offerings that promise some new renewable sources.
>
> * CA "system" power is natural gas (35%), large hydro (24%), coal (17%),
> nuclear (14%), renewables (11%).
>
> Business customers can find green electricity from:
> Automated Power Exchange 408-517-2100
> Enron Energy Services 713-853-1425
> Environmental Resources Trust 510-524-0074
> Foresight Energy 415-464-3660
>
> For more information: www.edf.org/Energy
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *26* HOT IDEA TO EASE GRIDLOCK IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA
>
> EDF continues its efforts to improve efficiency and equity in Bay Area
> transportation. Its new report, "Escape from Gridlock," recommends
> High-Occupancy Toll (HOT) express lanes to benefit both motorists and the
> environment. Car-poolers would continue to have free use of express
lanes,
> but single motorists would also have limited use for a fee. This would
> reduce travel time for all motorists and provide added incentives for
ride
> sharing.
> EDF is opposed to transportation sales taxes and other measures that
would
> subsidize driving and unfairly distribute the costs of road construction
> and maintenance. "Such taxes encourage driving by hiding road costs from
> motorists and force taxpayers to pay for roads they may not use," asserts
> EDF economic analyst Michael Cameron. "It is more efficient and fair for
> motorists to pay for what they use, when they use it. HOT lanes give them
a
> chance to pay to use underutilized carpool lanes, reducing congestion for
> everyone." EDF helped block an Alameda County transportation sales-tax
> initiative in June, but Sonoma County has a similar measure on the
November
> ballot. "With a million more cars flooding the Bay Area over the next 20
> years--and road construction costs at $25 million per mile--the
> transportation solution will not be simply more taxes, but usage-based
> incentives," says Cameron. "The Metropolitan Transportation Commission
has
> promised to consider our recommendations, but ultimately it is the voters
> who must decide on rational taxation and more efficient transportation."
>
> [Caption: Bay Area traffic jams are becoming commonplace.]
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> The EDF LETTER--ELECTRONIC EDITION is an experimental
> version of EDF LETTER whose continuation depends on reader
> support. A subscription to the bimonthly hard-copy EDF
> LETTER (an 8-page newsletter with photographs and postage-
> free Member Response Form) is included with annual
> membership. (Regular membership is $24 per year; student,
> senior, and limited income rate: $10 per year. Outside USA:
> $35 per year. Contact EDF Membership at the address below.)
>
> ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND ---EDF MEMBERSHIP LINES--
> National Headquarters Phone: (202) 387-3525
> 257 Park Avenue South Fax: (202) 234-6049
> New York, NY 10010 Internet: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> (212) 505-2100
>From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sat Nov 7 06:22:32 1998
From: "Brett and Kimberly " <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Wildlife body says Japan defying world on whales
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1998 07:30:34 -0600
Wildlife body says Japan defying world on whales
GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) accused Japan
Friday of defying international opinion by boosting its catch of whales
from recognized sanctuary areas while claiming it was doing so for
scientific research. In a statement from its headquarters, the wildlife
protection body said the recent launch by the Japanese of a new
multi-million dollar whale catcher boat showed the country's "research
whaling" had become more aggressive. The boat is part of a fleet of five
just dispatched to the Southern Ocean for the 12th year in a row, despite
calls by the International Whaling Commission for Japan to stop its whaling
there. See full story
<http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2556968572-c3d>
