----------
> From: News from Environmental Defense Fund <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: April 1999 EDF-Letter--Electronic Edition
> Date: Friday, April 02, 1999 4:48 PM
>
> EDF LETTER -- ELECTRONIC EDITION VOL. XXX, NO. 2
> A Report to Members of the Environmental Defense Fund
> April 1999
> _____________________________________________________________
>
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> _____________________________________________________________
>
> (c) Copyright 1999 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. Your tax-deductible contribution in any amount can
> be made by mail (Environmental Defense Fund, P.O. Box 96969,
> Washington, DC 20090), phone(1-800-684-3322), or on the web
> (go to www.edf.org and click on "Donate").
> Captions in this text version of EDF LETTER refer to
> photos available on the web at www.edf.org/pubs/EDF-
> Letter/1999/Apr or in the printed newsletter, which may be
> requested from the Environmental Defense Fund membership
> office at 1-800-684-3322.
>
> ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND ---EDF MEMBERSHIP LINES--
> National Headquarters Phone: 800-684-3322
> 257 Park Avenue South Fax: (202) 234-6049
> New York, NY 10010 Internet: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> (212) 505-2100 World Wide Web: www.edf.org
>
> *************************************************************
> I N D E X T O F E A T U R E S
> *************************************************************
>
> *1* SCIENTIFIC PANEL BACKS INDIVIDUAL FISHING QUOTAS
>
> *2* CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUE ADVANCES IN WASHINGTON
>
> *3* NJ RESIDENTS SOON CAN CHOOSE CLEANER ELECTRICITY
>
> *4* NYC PLAN FOR TRACKING TRASH COULD HURT NEIGHBORHOODS
>
> *5* COD COMPROMISE: A FISHERY'S UNCERTAIN FUTURE
>
> *6* DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE: TIME FOR BIPARTISANSHIP
>
> *7* DELL AND EDF-PEW ALLIANCE TO SEEK "GREENER" COMPUTING
> SOLUTIONS
>
> *8* EDF COLUMN: AMERICA'S WILDLIFE TODAY FACES A NEW SET OF
> THREATS
>
> *9* SEEKING SMARTER, CHEAPER, MORE HUMANE CHEMICAL TESTS
>
> =============================================================
> LOOKING FOR WAYS TO INCREASE YOUR RETIREMENT SAVINGS?
> =============================================================
>
> *10* EDF PEOPLE: FOR DAVID YARDAS, IT'S THE WATER, AND A
> WHOLE LOT MORE
>
> =============================================================
> SPECIAL RACHEL CARSON BOOK OFFER
> =============================================================
>
> *11* HELPING ENDANGERED SALMON IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
>
> =============================================================
> PLEASE SEND US YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
> =============================================================
>
> *12* TEXANS FAVOR CLEAN ENERGY
>
> *13* EDF SUPPORTS REDUCED-SULFUR GASOLINE ACROSS THE WEST
>
> *14* A NEW STRATEGY TO FIGHT DENVER'S "BROWN CLOUD"
>
> *15* CLEAN PRODUCTION, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ARE TOPICS FOR
> DETROIT MEETING ON SUSTAINABILITY
>
> *16* RARE WILDLIFE SPECIES RETURN TO SOUTH DAKOTA AND
> WISCONSIN
>
> *17* OHIO AND MICHIGAN LAUNCH E-MAIL ACTION NETWORKS
>
> *18* VITAL SARGASSUM HABITAT IS PROTECTED IN SOUTHERN WATERS
>
> *19* DECISION NOT TO WIDEN U.S. 1 WILL PROTECT FLORIDA KEYS
>
> *20* ATLANTA TRANSPORTATION BECOMES A CROSSROADS OF CLEAN
> AIR AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
>
> *21* EDF FIGHTS TO CHANGE DAM-HAPPY CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN
>
> *22* EDF CALIFORNIA OFFICE CHOOSES GREEN ELECTRICITY
>
> *23* PACIFIC FISHERIES PLAN COULD DECIMATE KEY SPECIES
>
> *************************************************************
>
> *1* SCIENTIFIC PANEL BACKS INDIVIDUAL FISHING QUOTAS
>
> In a move that will help America's troubled fishing industry,
> a National Academy of Sciences panel has endorsed the idea of
> individual ("per fisherman") fishing quotas to limit the
> catch of vulnerable species. The panel urged Congress to
> lift a moratorium on the use of such quotas, which it had
> passed in 1996 amid questions about their potential social
> and economic effects. The panel backed several approaches,
> strongly endorsed by EDF, to insure that fishing quota plans
> are equitable and fair.
> With individual fishing quotas, the annual "total
> allowable catch" is divided up into shares and allocated to
> individual fishermen, who may buy or sell quotas to adjust
> their fishing or to enter or leave a fishery. The value of
> their exclusive share increases as fish stocks are rebuilt,
> giving fishermen a direct economic stake in the long-term
> sustainability of a fishery.
> By contrast, traditional methods of limiting catch--such
> as shortening the fishing season--are often counterproductive
> and even dangerous. Fishermen buy bigger boats, use more
> gear, and fish longer hours in frenzied fishing "derbies,"
> striving to catch the most fish before the season expires. In
> the wild race for fish, non-target species are killed and
> gear is lost that continues to snag and kill fish long
> afterwards in so-called "ghost fishing."
> Introducing quotas in fisheries that have become frenzied
> derbies allows fishermen to spread their fishing over a
> longer season, matching vessel size and gear to their quotas.
> Slowing the pace of fishing enables fishermen to fish more
> safely and can prevent the destruction of ocean habitat and
> reduce the high rates of wasteful killing of unwanted species
> that typically occur when there is no time to change gear or
> handle it more carefully or to move to areas with fewer
> unwanted species.
> "EDF joins the Academy in calling on Congress to lift the
> moratorium on individual fishing quotas," said Douglas
> Hopkins, who heads EDF's Oceans program. "Fishery management
> councils urgently need this new tool to solve the problems of
> overfishing, overinvestment in boats, and depletion of fish
> stocks."
> EDF staff have been working nationwide to advocate the use
> of individual fishing quotas to rebuild fisheries to
> sustainable levels. The EDF team includes scientists Dr. Rod
> Fujita in the Pacific region, scientist Pamela Baker and
> economist Dr. Peter Emerson in the Gulf region, scientists
> Dr. Michelle Duval and Dr. Douglas Rader and attorney Dan
> Whittle in the mid- and south-Atlantic regions, and attorney
> Hopkins in the Northeast region.
>
> [Caption: Shortening fishing seasons to reduce catch can lead
> to highly competitive, unsafe fishing "derbies" with too many
> boats fishing long hours to maximize their catch.]
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *2* CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUE ADVANCES IN WASHINGTON
>
> Efforts to address the threat of global warming are moving
> ahead in both the Administration and Congress. President
> Clinton's budget for the year 2000 proposes a $4 billion
> package of climate change investments and tax breaks. In the
> Senate, bipartisan legislation that would give credit to
> businesses that take early action to cut greenhouse gas
> emissions has been introduced (S.547). EDF is supporting
> these efforts and is working with the sponsors to craft
> improvements to the bill.
> The President's budget includes $200 million for a "clean
> air partnership fund" to help states and localities reduce
> emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants from
> automobiles and coal-fired power plants. It provides $1.4
> billion for research and development of energy-efficient
> technologies and renewable energy programs, and another $1.4
> billion in tax incentives to spur the introduction of clean-
> energy technologies that will reduce U.S. reliance on fossil
> fuels.
> The Senate bill was introduced last year by Senators John
> Chafee (R-RI), Joe Lieberman (D-CT), and Connie Mack (R-FL),
> with additional co-sponsors this year. It provides credit for
> companies that take early steps to reduce their domestic
> emissions of greenhouse gases, prior to the introduction of
> any mandatory U.S. greenhouse-gas reduction requirements.
> These credits could be saved for use in meeting future
> emissions-reduction requirements or sold to other companies
> that might need them to help manage their own reduction
> schedule. EDF has advocated incentives for early reductions
> for more than a year, and several key elements of EDF's
> proposal are reflected in the bill.
> "The Administration's package of tax incentives and
> technology investments combined with efforts to reward early
> action by businesses are important steps toward a healthy
> environment and economy," said EDF legislative director Steve
> Cochran. "These Senators and the Administration are
> demonstrating a willingness to work together for meaningful,
> practical, bipartisan solutions to the climate challenge."
> EDF atmospheric physicist Dr. Michael Oppenheimer added,
> "Every ton of greenhouse gas pollution that is emitted into
> the atmosphere today will warm the Earth for decades. Early
> reductions of greenhouse gases are critically needed to
> reduce the likelihood of disruptive global warming in the
> future. Action now to limit warming is the prudent thing to
> do."
>
> [Caption: Children cool off in a fountain in New York City,
> where about 13 days a year are above 90. By the year 2100,
> 32 days a year could be that hot.]
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *3* NJ RESIDENTS SOON CAN CHOOSE CLEANER ELECTRICITY
>
> New York City's giant Fresh Kills landfill, now taking in
> 12,000 tons of residential trash per day, lacks modern
> environmental protections and must close by 2002. The city's
> current post-closure plans for residential trash could harm
> the low-income communities that host commercial transfer
> stations, which now receive another 12,000 tons of trash
> daily from the city's businesses. Most of it is shipped in
> and out in big trucks that bring fumes, noise, odors, and
> danger. Instead of using barges to ship the residential
> trash, as it does now, the city may permanently resort to
> using the truck-based transfer stations; its short-term plans
> already call for this.
> Community groups and EDF are pressing the city to reassess
> its commercial and residential systems together, and the city
> is beginning to listen. The groups have called on the city to
> assess the effects of the existing commercial transfer
> stations and to explore using trains and barges to move all
> of the garbage. The city must also aggressively reduce waste
> and recycle; the volume of New York's waste has become a
> political issue in recipient states.
> "By thinking outside the box a little, we can improve
> conditions in communities that already have too many
> environmentally destructive activities," said EDF General
> Counsel James T.B. Tripp. "As we prepare to close Fresh
> Kills, we must also get these garbage-hauling trucks off our
> interstate highways and reduce the amount of trash produced.
> "
> [Caption: Cogeneration--reusing energy generated in industry-
> -is a clean renewable electricity source.]
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *4* NYC PLAN FOR TRACKING TRASH COULD HURT NEIGHBORHOODS
>
> New York City's giant Fresh Kills landfill, now taking in
> 12,000 tons of residential trash per day, lacks modern
> environmental protections and must close by 2002. The city's
> current post-closure plans for residential trash could harm
> the low-income communities that host commercial transfer
> stations, which now receive another 12,000 tons of trash
> daily from the city's businesses. Most of it is shipped in
> and out in big trucks that bring fumes, noise, odors, and
> danger. Instead of using barges to ship the residential
> trash, as it does now, the city may permanently resort to
> using the truck-based transfer stations; its short-term plans
> already call for this.
> Community groups and EDF are pressing the city to reassess
> its commercial and residential systems together, and the city
> is beginning to listen. The groups have called on the city to
> assess the effects of the existing commercial transfer
> stations and to explore using trains and barges to move all
> of the garbage. The city must also aggressively reduce waste
> and recycle; the volume of New York's waste has become a
> political issue in recipient states.
> "By thinking outside the box a little, we can improve
> conditions in communities that already have too many
> environmentally destructive activities," said EDF General
> Counsel James T.B. Tripp. "As we prepare to close Fresh
> Kills, we must also get these garbage-hauling trucks off our
> interstate highways and reduce the amount of trash produced."
>
> [Caption: Serving New York City residents, Fresh Kills
> landfill on Staten Island is the world's largest. By law it
> must close by 2002.]
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *5* COD COMPROMISE: A FISHERY'S UNCERTAIN FUTURE
>
> In February, the New England Fishery Management Council voted
> to adopt an expanded series of rolling fishery closures for
> the Gulf of Maine, which extends from waters off Cape Cod
> north to Canada. The plan aims to rebuild the area's
> beleaguered cod stocks by reducing fishing by 80%, as Federal
> scientists had recently recommended.
> The closures, timed from March to November, will move
> through the Gulf of Maine, coinciding with the densest fish
> concentrations. The Council also voted to cut daily cod catch
> from 400 to 200 pounds per boat. If these and existing
> measures fail to cut the total cod catch sufficiently, a
> fallback measure will be triggered, allowing the National
> Marine Fisheries Service to reduce the daily cod limit to as
> little as five pounds per boat.
> "The most bitter medicine is called for now," said EDF
> attorney Doug Hopkins, who sits on the New England Council.
> "These new measures, although considerably more restrictive
> than those currently in place, may again be insufficient."
> The Commerce Department must still approve the Council's
> plan, which would take effect May 1. Next fall, the Council
> will reexamine closing the fishery if this year's cuts prove
> insufficient.
>
> ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *6* DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE: TIME FOR BIPARTISANSHIP
> By Fred Krupp
>
> As the parties begin considering candidates for Congress and
> the Presidency, I find myself asking how we can speed the
> slow pace of environmental progress. As environmentalists, we
> should press both Democrats and Republicans for commitments,
> ideally setting up an "auction" for the support of people who
> care about the environment.
> For many reasons, the environmental community has recently
> been associated mostly with Democrats. But the environment
> need not be a partisan issue. Teddy Roosevelt was a
> Republican deeply committed to protecting natural resources,
> and Richard Nixon created the Environmental Protection Agency
> and signed into law the Endangered Species Act. Many current
> Republicans in Congress care about the environment. But when
> one party is perceived to have a lock on the environmental
> constituency, incentives to form the bipartisan coalitions
> needed to pass legislation are reduced, slowing or even
> blocking progress.
> Although environmental policymaking often has been a
> pitched battle, there are a few "win-win" ideas that offer
> more environmental protection at lower cost. One such win-win
> idea is the legislation we helped develop to reward
> businesses for early reductions of greenhouse gas emissions,
> now gathering bipartisan support. Others are "Safe Harbor,"
> which offers private landowners incentives to restore
> valuable habitats on their property, and Individual Fishing
> Quotas, which give fishermen a direct economic stake in
> restoring dwindling fisheries.
> Economic incentives work. Aligning economic signals with
> society's needs will unleash people's energy to craft new
> solutions. The challenge is to direct these powerful forces
> to help restore ecosystems and safeguard the environment. Why
> not have economic signals that support the environmental
> ethic, instead of asking the ethic to overcome the misaligned
> incentives that exist all too often today?
> EDF is dedicated to getting results. We are committed to
> working in a cooperative, bipartisan spirit with all who
> share our vision of environmental solutions that are lasting,
> efficient, and fair.
>
> [Caption: Fred Krupp]
>
> ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *7* DELL AND EDF-PEW ALLIANCE TO SEEK "GREENER" COMPUTING
> SOLUTIONS
>
> The Alliance for Environmental Innovation and Dell Computer
> Corporation are partnering to address issues that are
> important to the personal computer industry. The Alliance, a
> joint project of EDF and The Pew Charitable Trusts, works
> with industry leaders to find environmentally preferable ways
> of doing business.
> Dell, the No. 2 PC manufacturer in the United States,
> considers environmental protection a high priority in its
> design and manufacturing. The Alliance's partnership with
> Dell will focus on finding new and innovative ways to provide
> eco-efficient products and packaging that are economically
> viable and meet Dell's performance and safety specifications.
> The Alliance and Dell will also establish environmentally
> preferable criteria for Dell's suppliers to ensure product
> components meet high environmental standards. Finally, the
> Alliance will conduct market research for Dell to explore
> ways to expand markets for environmentally preferable
> computer systems. This project is an integral part of Dell's
> ongoing program to expand its environmental stewardship.
>
> EDF-McDonald's Partnership Began
> the Alliance Approach
> EDF's groundbreaking work with industry began in 1990, when
> it approached McDonald's with the idea of a joint task force
> to find ways to reduce pollution and waste in the company's
> operations. That effort led to the elimination of the bulky
> foam-plastic hamburger box and later to a 42-point action
> plan to reduce, reuse, recycle, and compost McDonald's solid
> waste.
> The EDF-Pew Alliance was formed as an outgrowth of the
> McDonald's project, with the goal of continuing to combine
> the expertise of environmental scientists and economists with
> the business skills of major corporations to create solutions
> that make both environmental and business sense. Alliance
> partners include industry leaders such as SC Johnson,
> Starbucks Coffee Company, and United Parcel Service.
> "Environmental groups and business are working together
> increasingly," said Alliance director Jackie Roberts, "and
> the result is a greener world for everyone. Environmental
> groups have secured real benefits for the Earth, and
> companies have found that eco-friendly business practices can
> save them money."
>
> Guide to Working With Businesses
> Seeking to encourage the trend of environmental group-
> business partnerships, the Alliance recently issued
> guidelines for environmental advocacy groups seeking to work
> with business. The report, Catalyzing Environmental Results:
> Lessons in Advocacy Organization-Business Partnerships,
> provides strategies based on the Alliance's experiences and
> is a guide for advocacy groups seeking to achieve powerful
> results by working with companies. It is available free on
> request from EDF Publications, c/o the Washington office, or
> online at www.edf.org/more/10507.
>
> [caption: EDF biochemist Dr. Richard Denison and Alliance
> director Jackie Roberts tried their hands at flipping
> hamburgers during the EDF-McDonald's partnership in 1990.]
>
> ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *8* EDF COLUMN: AMERICA'S WILDLIFE TODAY FACES A NEW SET OF
> THREATS--By Dr. David S. Wilcove, an ecologist in EDF's
> Washington, DC office.
>
> The late 19th century and early 20th have been called the
> most destructive period in the history of American wildlife.
> The demise of the passenger pigeon and Carolina parakeet, the
> near-extinction of the sea otter and northern elephant seal,
> the slaughter of the bison, the rampant overgrazing in the
> Southwest, the clearing of the longleaf pine forests, the
> ruthless campaigns to eliminate wolves, grizzlies, and other
> predators, and the commercial exploitation of shorebirds and
> waterfowl all reached a crescendo then.
> The modern environmental movement began partly as a
> backlash to this destruction, and, thankfully, it stopped the
> worst of the abuses. In subsequent decades, some of the most
> heavily persecuted species staged remarkable comebacks,
> showing a degree of resilience that few people would have
> anticipated.
> The growth of America's human population and economy over
> the past 50 years has brought us once again to a similarly
> momentous juncture. At stake now is a far greater number of
> species facing a more diverse and powerful set of threats.
> Overhunting, the bane of conservationists at the start of
> this century, is no longer a major threat to most terrestrial
> animals, having long been supplanted by three more ruthless
> and indiscriminate killers: habitat destruction, alien
> species, and pollution. Together, these three have ensured
> that a larger proportion of the American fauna is in danger
> of extinction today than at any time since the Ice Age.
>
> Four Factors Thwart Species' Recovery
> The Fish and Wildlife Service has placed nearly 1,200 U.S.
> plants and animals on the endangered list, thereby granting
> them protection. But according to the Service's most recent
> assessment, fewer than 10% of these species are actually
> recovering. Four factors in particular are responsible for
> this low rate of success.
> First, efforts to monitor wildlife populations are
> woefully inadequate. It is largely a self-imposed ignorance:
> Proposals to expand the monitoring capabilities of wildlife
> agencies inevitably draw fire from anti-environmental
> ideologues and their allies in Congress, who would rather not
> know about a problem affecting wildlife, lest it necessitate
> a costly or controversial solution.
> Second, by the time a trend becomes too obvious to ignore,
> it is often too late to take effective action. The plants and
> animals that end up on the endangered species list typically
> are added only after their populations have dropped to
> critically low levels.
> Third, when the relevant agencies finally step forward to
> protect vanishing species, they usually do so with inadequate
> resources. The amount of money available for endangered-
> species recovery programs (which was never enough to begin
> with) has not kept pace with the growing number of species
> recognized as imperiled.
> Finally, until recently, we have failed to give landowners
> any incentive to encourage them to help endangered species.
> The Endangered Species Act relies on the threat of fines and
> jail sentences to discourage people from engaging in conduct
> harmful to vanishing wildlife. This approach is important and
> necessary, but it does little to motivate people to go beyond
> the basic requirements of the law and to actively assist
> endangered wildlife.
>
> Hope for the Future
> Stories of landowners' deliberate actions to keep endangered
> species off their land prompted the Fish and Wildlife
> Service to initiate a "safe harbor" policy in 1995. Under
> this policy, which EDF helped to develop, landowners who
> agree to restore or enhance the habitats of endangered
> species on their property--something they are not required to
> do by law--can receive permission to develop that land at a
> later date, even if it becomes inhabited by an endangered
> species. One hopes, of course, that landowners will choose
> not to exercise that right, but without such an assurance,
> they will not agree to undertake the improvements. Moreover,
> even a temporary increase in the amount of habitat available
> to an endangered species may enable it to survive a drought,
> fire, or other natural disturbance or to disperse to a safer
> area.
> The safe harbor policy has proved to be immensely popular
> in those states where it has been tried, with well over one
> million acres of land currently enrolled in the program. The
> next obvious step is to provide landowners with some sort of
> financial incentive to undertake the desired habitat
> restoration. Tax credits to landowners who restore habitats,
> along with cost-share programs and technical assistance,
> should become a cornerstone of wildlife conservation in the
> 21st century.
>
> Adapted from "The Condor's Shadow: The Loss and Recovery of
> Wildlife in America". Copyright �1999 by D. Wilcove.
> Reprinted by permission of W.H. Freeman and Company
> Publishers.
>
> Read the Rest of the Story
>
> "...an exceptionally useful book...."
> --Peter Matthiessen, author of Wildlife in America
>
> To order David Wilcove's "The Condor's Shadow," send $30
> (includes postage and handling) with your name and address
> to: Environmental Defense Fund, Publications, 1875
> Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20009
> Or call toll-free 1-800-684-3322
> (Hardcover; 339 pages 5 3/4" x 9", with 10 beautiful
> photographs.) $30 per copy postpaid.
>
> [Caption: David Wilcove]
>
> [Caption: Unconstrained hunting effectively wiped out once-
> plentiful buffalo herds in the wild, although a few thousand
> animals remain in protected areas.]
>
> ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *9* SEEKING SMARTER, CHEAPER, MORE HUMANE CHEMICAL TESTS
>
> Scientists at three major universities and EDF have announced
> a new research project called "TestSmart" to investigate
> alternatives to traditional tests for chemical toxicity,
> particularly alternatives that reduce or eliminate testing on
> laboratory animals. Funded by a grant from the Vira I. Heinz
> Endowment, TestSmart participants include Johns Hopkins
> University, Carnegie-Mellon University, and the University of
> Pittsburgh, as well as EDF.
> EDF launched a campaign to generate better information
> about the safety of the nation's top-selling chemicals with
> its publication of Toxic Ignorance in 1997. Negotiations with
> the Environmental Protection Agency and the Chemical
> Manufacturers Association followed and resulted in an
> agreement to test the 2,800 top-selling chemicals for their
> potential impact on people and ecosystems.
> While those negotiations were underway, EDF also initiated
> a partnership with university researchers to see if new
> approaches could produce the needed scientific data with less
> time and expense, and in a more humane manner. EDF strongly
> believes in the need for health screening of major industrial
> chemicals. EDF also seeks to eliminate unnecessary testing on
> animals.
> "Through TestSmart, we seek to assure that the vital work
> of screening widely used chemicals is conducted as humanely,
> swiftly, and cheaply as possible," said EDF toxicologist Dr.
> Ellen Silbergeld. "The use of laboratory animals for toxicity
> testing has long played a fundamental role in the science of
> toxicology and pharmacology. Emerging techniques, however,
> appear to offer opportunities to reduce animal use
> significantly while obtaining data that are of at least equal
> scientific value, and are cheaper and faster as well."
> EDF attorney Karen Florini outlined three objectives of
> the TestSmart project: (1) to expand the use of alternative
> techniques already known to be reliable; (2) to evaluate the
> reliability of emerging techniques; and (3) to identify areas
> where further research is needed to develop new approaches.
> "The overall goal is to get new alternatives into practical
> use as soon as possible," said Florini.
> Added EDF attorney David Roe, "Both industry and
> government experts have told us that EDF's focusing attention
> on the issue of toxic ignorance will act as a major stimulant
> in accelerating the development and use of alternative
> approaches to chemical testing."
>
> [Caption: To assess the potential impact of major industrial
> chemicals on people and ecosystems, the TestSmart project is
> looking for ways to test chemicals more humanely, swiftly,
> and cheaply than traditional methods.]
>
> =============================================================
> LOOKING FOR WAYS TO INCREASE YOUR RETIREMENT SAVINGS?
>
> With a gift to EDF of cash, stocks, or real estate, you can
> enjoy substantial tax savings AND receive income throughout
> your lifetime.
> For information about how you can help protect the Earth
> for all generations while enhancing your retirement income,
> check the box on the reply form facing this page.
> Or write or call Anne B. Doyle, Director of Planned
> Giving EDF, Dept. 29, 257 Park Avenue South, New York, NY
> 10010 212-505-2100 (Or send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED])
> =============================================================
>
> *10* EDF PEOPLE: FOR DAVID YARDAS, IT'S THE WATER, AND A
> WHOLE LOT MORE
>
> When David Yardas was growing up just north of the Golden
> Gate Bridge, his mother once remarked to him that German was
> hard to learn. Yardas took the innocent comment as a
> challenge, and soon mastered the language. Anyone who knows
> Yardas today won't be surprised at this anecdote. It was
> simply a sign of things to come.
> Yardas not only excelled in high school German, but also
> became an accomplished trumpet player, an Eagle Scout, and a
> member of the track team. In college, he learned French and
> Russian, improved on his Spanish, and began playing other
> instruments--all while actually majoring in economics.
> "I studied economics because I found it relatively easy and I
> knew it would be marketable after graduation," he explains.
> "That allowed me to pursue my true interests--languages,
> political science, and history. I didn't think I was going to
> be an environmentalist. I was mainly interested in
> international diplomacy."
> After graduating from the University of California at
> Davis, Yardas landed a job at the Department of Health,
> Education and Welfare, working on Social Security finance
> reform. He then stayed in Washington to work for Resources
> for the Future, a natural resources think tank.
> In 1982, Yardas returned to the West Coast to earn his
> M.S. in Energy and Resources at the University of California
> at Berkeley. Before he knew it, he had become an
> environmentalist. In 1986, he was offered a job at EDF's
> Oakland office, quickly got to work, and never looked back.
> When asked to describe his job at EDF, Yardas laughs, then
> modestly says, "I work on water issues and finance related to
> water issues." That's it? Not by a long shot. For if there is
> anything that informs his work, it is his deep concern for
> future generations and the future of the land. "What is
> California going to look like a generation from now, based on
> the decisions we make today?" he asks. "How we manage growth
> is vital. How does California play into the international
> economy and food supply system? And how do water decisions,
> however arcane, fit into that equation?"
> To this end, Yardas analyzes the social, economic, and
> environmental impacts of California's massive networks of
> dams, irrigation projects, and hydropower facilities. He has
> long believed in the use of markets and pricing as critical
> tools for sustained environmental improvement. Yardas applies
> his background in economics and hydrology to a diverse array
> of efforts that range from basic research to computer
> modeling to collaboration, negotiation, and legislative
> involvement. His work has been central to no less than three
> Acts of Congress, enactment of the largest environmental
> water bond in California history, and the establishment of a
> variety of stakeholder-based collaborative projects.
>
> Forging an EDF Alliance with
> The Nature Conservancy
> Nor does Yardas confine his work to the Golden State. In
> Nevada, for example, he helped design and implement a
> voluntary water-rights acquisition program in partnership
> with The Nature Conservancy, helping to protect Pyramid Lake
> and surrounding wetlands habitats for waterfowl, shorebirds,
> and other species.
> According to Graham Chisolm, Nevada state director of The
> Nature Conservancy, "David got the Conservancy involved to
> see if we could help develop a water market and find
> solutions. Our work has led to a strong and productive
> relationship between EDF and the Conservancy." He describes
> Yardas as "a guy who is extraordinarily smart and unusually
> gifted in his ability to focus, both on details and on the
> big picture. But David is not just analytic, he is also
> compassionate, and interested in how his ideas work on the
> farm."
> Leslie Johnson, The Nature Conservancy's senior government
> relations advisor in California, has worked with Yardas for a
> decade. "The first thing I remember about David," she says
> with a smile, "is that he's a very accomplished juggler.
> "But what impresses me most about him, something most
> people aren't aware of, is that he is personally responsible
> for generating more Federal, state, and use-based funds for
> environmental conservation in California than any other
> person I know. Groups like The Nature Conservancy wouldn't be
> able to do what we do without the more than a billion dollars
> in funding that David has helped to create."
>
> The Years of Being Single
> Clearly, though, it's not just about water and finance.
> Yardas recalls that his first years at EDF were dominated by
> being single. "By which I mean," he hastens to add, "that I
> was able to put a ton of time, energy, and effort into my
> work, almost without limit. I'm still doing that intense work
> today, but my personal priorities have shifted." Yardas
> married his wife, Zanna, "a Delta farmer's daughter," in
> 1995, and they now have "two great boys"--Nico, three, and
> Olek, seven months. He enjoys spending time with his family
> in Zanna's family's cabin in California's Lake Tahoe region,
> hiking the high Sierra in the spring, summer, and fall and
> cross-country skiing in the winter.
> "What really motivates and challenges me now," says Yardas
> with a smile, "isn't proving my mom wrong about how hard it
> is to learn German. Instead, it's doing what I can, through
> my work at EDF and otherwise, to leave the planet a better
> place for my kids--and to enjoy every minute that I'm with
> them today, since I know it's gonna go by real fast."
>
> By Jerry Emory
>
> [Caption: Economist David Yardas wants to leave the Earth a
> better place for his two sons - and for all future
> generations.]
>
> =============================================================
> SPECIAL RACHEL CARSON BOOK OFFER
> In her last book, The Sense of Wonder, Rachel Carson offers
> parents and grandparents a guide for helping children
> discover the wonders of nature. The best-selling author of
> the landmark book Silent Spring writes, "Exploring nature
> with your child is largely a matter of becoming receptive to
> what lies all around you."
> "The Sense of Wonder is Rachel Carson's gift to the
> remembered child in all of us. In these brief pages she
> captures the essence of the wonder-filled world of children
> and stirs in us that ancient longing for unity with the
> living world. The delight she brought to the process of
> discovery distinguishes all her writing and places her in the
> pantheon of the greatest nature writers in the English
> language." --from the Introduction, by Linda Lear.
> First published in 1965, The Sense of Wonder has been
> reissued by HarperCollins Publishers in a beautiful new
> edition, with stunning color photographs by Nick Kelsh and a
> new introduction by environmental historian Linda Lear,
> author of the widely acclaimed biography, Rachel Carson:
> Witness for Nature.
> To order a copy of The Sense of Wonder, send $25 (includes
> postage and handling) with your name and address to:
> Environmental Defense Fund, Publications, 1875 Connecticut
> Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20009, Or call toll-free 1-800-
> 684-3322
> This beautiful hardcover volume is 112 pages, 8 3/4" x 11
> 1/4", with full-cover photographs throughout.
> =============================================================
>
> *11* HELPING ENDANGERED SALMON IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
>
> The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved a $500
> million program to restore forested areas along rivers in
> Oregon and Washington in an effort to rebuild dwindling
> salmon runs. A total of 200,000 acres of forest will be
> restored, with 80% of the cost paid by the Federal government
> and the remainder by the states.
> EDF attorney Tim Searchinger conceived these joint
> Federal-state projects, called Conservation Reserve
> Enhancement Programs, as a way to benefit water quality and
> wildlife. They combine state funds with the massive Federal
> Conservation Reserve Program to plant trees, grasses, and
> wetland vegetation on surplus cropland around rivers and
> estuaries.
> The Northwest's chinook and coho salmon and steelhead
> trout runs once numbered in the millions but have dwindled to
> the thousands. In some once-teeming rivers, only a handful of
> salmon now return from the ocean to spawn. Salmon populations
> have been harmed not only by large dams and overfishing, but
> also by the cutting of forests directly alongside rivers.
> Restoring the forest buffers will cool the streams with
> shade, shield them from sediment that now smothers salmon
> eggs, and contribute woody debris that creates habitats for
> newly hatched salmon.
> The new plans in Oregon and Washington join previous plans
> approved for Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, and New York and
> bring the total approved acreage to more than 700,000 acres.
> This is the largest program in the nation restoring critical
> wetland habitats. Searchinger provided background materials
> and advice to officials in all six states.
> "Coastal coho salmon should benefit directly from these
> programs because they do not need to navigate huge Columbia
> River dams between the ocean and spawning streams," said
> Searchinger. "And when long-term solutions are reached for
> the big dams that now block runs of chinook salmon, these
> programs should help assure that stream habitats exist to
> reward salmon for their efforts."
>
> [Caption: The restoration of forests along riverbanks in
> Oregon and Washington should help to rebuild dwindling runs
> of once-plentiful salmon.]
>
> =============================================================
> PLEASE SEND US YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
> More than half our members now use e-mail. To save paper,
> postage, and waste, EDF will occasionally use e-mail instead
> of regular mail to notify you of upcoming events, legislative
> action, or information about your membership.
> To make sure we have your correct e-mail address, please
> send us an e-mail message today! Just follow these simple
> steps:
> 1.Address an e-mail message to "[EMAIL PROTECTED]"
> 2.In the "Subject" line, type your Member ID number as shown
> below.
> 3.In the body of the message, type your name and address as
> shown below.
> That's it! You'll help reduce waste and save EDF money to
> put toward our work.
> =============================================================
>
> *12* TEXANS FAVOR CLEAN ENERGY
>
> Texans are being offered the choice of how their future
> electricity will be generated, thanks to EDF-supported 1995
> legislation governing electric utilities. Cleaner energy
> sources, such as a wind-power plant recently built in the
> state, appear to have overwhelming public support.
> Last year, a "deliberative poll" of Texas energy customers
> discussed the benefits and costs of various energy
> alternatives, including coal, gas, wind, solar,
> hydroelectric, and biomass fuels. Utilities found
> overwhelming support for renewable energy and energy
> conservation: 96% of those polled favored renewable energy
> sources for Texas. Participants also expressed willingness to
> pay an average of $5 or more per month to support cleaner
> alternatives.
> "The planning process has shown that the public desires
> renewable energy such as wind power," said Mark MacLeod, EDF
> director of state energy programs, "and they are willing to
> pay for it. EDF, government, and industry have cooperated to
> secure on-the-ground capability to provide it."
> Although MacLeod is pleased with Texas's new wind-power
> project, he stresses that it represents less than one-half of
> one percent of state electric usage. "These relatively small
> projects may be threatened by electricity deregulation. We
> must not only strengthen our cleaner energy production, but
> also make sure that future competitive electricity markets
> will sustain the renewable energy alternatives that Texans
> clearly demand."
>
> [Caption: Wind power is popular with Texans.]
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *13* EDF SUPPORTS REDUCED-SULFUR GASOLINE ACROSS THE WEST
>
> The Environmental Protection Agency plans to require oil
> companies to reduce the amount of highly polluting sulfur in
> gasoline to one-tenth the current level, but the oil industry
> is lobbying to keep high-sulfur gas in Western states. EDF,
> automobile manufacturers, and a broad coalition of citizen
> and health groups are opposing the industry's efforts. EDF
> and the coalition it helped spearhead have called on the
> governors of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, North
> Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South
> Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming to support EPA's
> requirement for low-sulfur fuel.
> The Association of State and Local Air Pollution Control
> Officials estimates that, if oil companies were required to
> meet low-sulfur fuel standards, it would be comparable to
> eliminating hundreds of thousands of vehicles from Western
> roads. It would cost-effectively eliminate more than 115,000
> tons of smog-forming pollutants and more than 11,000 tons of
> fine particulate matter that threatens human health and
> scenic vistas.
> "Low-sulfur fuel and the new clean vehicle technology work
> hand-in-glove," said Vickie Patton, attorney with EDF's Rocky
> Mountain office. "The oil companies claim that the West does
> not need low-sulfur fuel and that EPA should not require it.
> However, low-sulfur fuel will help clean up the infamous
> brown clouds over cities in the West and Southwest and
> protect the spectacular vistas in our national parks."
>
> [Caption: Low-sulfur gas and new technology can mean cleaner
> Western air.]
>
> ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *14* A NEW STRATEGY TO FIGHT DENVER'S "BROWN CLOUD"
>
> In an effort to protect Colorado's air quality and avoid
> future costly cleanup, EDF and Public Service Company of
> Colorado (PSC) have agreed to a plan that would reduce sulfur
> dioxide emissions from PSC coal-fired plants by 70% and
> nitrogen oxide emissions by 40%. The plan has been approved
> by the Colorado General Assembly and the Air Quality Control
> Commission and endorsed by the Denver Post, the Colorado
> Association of Homebuilders, the Colorado Mining Association,
> and the Regional Air Quality Council. The final challenge is
> to convince the Public Utilities Commission to allow PSC to
> recoup the pollution-control costs over the next 20 years.
> "For the price of a candy bar a month, Coloradans can
> protect their health, improve their quality of life, and help
> eliminate the infamous 'Brown Cloud' that obscures scenic
> views and congests our cities," said attorney Jim Martin of
> EDF's Rocky Mountain office. "If this goes through, we all
> benefit. If not, we're likely to see far more costly, after-
> the-fact cleanup costs in the near future--and the Brown
> Cloud will grow unabated."
> Martin lauds Colorado for its current innovative and cost-
> effective pollution control, much of which was spearheaded by
> past EDF efforts. "It is precisely this forward-thinking
> attitude that has enabled Colorado to meet or exceed current
> Federal requirements. Let's hope we choose to stay ahead of
> the curve, saving both our environment and our pocketbooks."
>
> ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *15* CLEAN PRODUCTION, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ARE TOPICS FOR
> DETROIT MEETING ON SUSTAINABILITY
>
> Representatives of industry, government, and community and
> environmental organizations, including EDF, will discuss ways
> to build a sustainable future at a National Town Meeting, May
> 2 to 5 in Detroit. The President's Council on Sustainable
> Development, on which EDF executive director Fred Krupp sits,
> is sponsoring the meeting.
> EDF staff will offer specific ideas for promoting both
> clean production and environmental justice, based on long
> experience in improving environmental performance in the auto
> industry and other businesses that dominate the economy and
> environment in older Midwestern cities such as Detroit.
> Clean production involves improving both what is made and how
> it is made to eliminate pollution from products over their
> entire life cycle. For example, automobiles can be designed
> to be lighter, to require fewer materials and toxic
> substances in manufacturing, to use less energy and produce
> less pollution during use, and to yield reusable and
> recyclable parts at the end of their useful life.
> "Cities and businesses are routinely missing opportunities
> to apply this kind of thinking to improve the environment and
> economy," said attorney Kevin Mills, head of EDF's Pollution
> Prevention Alliance. "Faced with low-income and minority
> neighborhoods that bear a disproportionate environmental
> burden, government and business leaders too often have argued
> that protecting these communities will necessarily cost
> jobs."
> EDF, along with groups such as the Ecology Center of Ann
> Arbor and Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice, will
> bring to the meeting ideas for simultaneously promoting
> economic growth, equity, and the environment.
>
> [Caption: Detroit will host a National Town Meeting in May.]
>
> ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *16* RARE WILDLIFE SPECIES RETURN TO SOUTH DAKOTA AND
> WISCONSIN
>
> Overall most endangered species are not yet clearly
> improving--particularly on private lands. Yet, a recent EDF
> study reports that in every state some progress has been made
> in bringing wildlife back from the brink of extinction.
> In South Dakota, years after disappearing from the state,
> black-footed ferrets are once again doing well. Captive-bred
> ferrets were released there in 1994, and the population is
> now multigenerational, with the young of released ferrets
> giving rise to yet another generation. Bald eagles are also
> returning to South Dakota, where no pairs were found in 1990.
> In 1997, eight pairs occupied territories in the state.
> In Wisconsin, biologists have found evidence that the
> winged mapleleaf mussel is reproducing, for the first time
> since its 1991 listing as an endangered species. This species
> is found only in a small area of the St. Croix River in
> Wisconsin and Minnesota.
> Gray wolves are increasing in number and expanding their
> range in the western Great Lake States. At the end of the
> winter of 1997-98, an estimated 180 wolves inhabited
> Wisconsin. Bald eagles numbered 645 pairs in 1997, up from
> 358 pairs in 1990. Endangered peregrine falcons are also
> increasing in number; surveyors counted 12 pairs in Wisconsin
> in 1997.
>
> [Caption: Gray wolves are expanding their range in the
> Western Great Lakes states.]
>
> ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *17* OHIO AND MICHIGAN LAUNCH E-MAIL ACTION NETWORKS
>
> EDF and a coalition of national and local public-interest
> groups announce the expansion of electronic Action Networks
> in Michigan and Ohio. These rapid-response systems enable
> citizens to express opinions on critical environmental issues
> affecting their communities. Action Network members receive
> e-mail notices on key environmental issues in their state
> about ten times a year. Simply by replying to the e-mail
> notice, a member can trigger a free, personalized fax to
> legislators, agencies, or business leaders urging action to
> support a healthy environment.
> "Our efforts don't just guarantee the public's right to
> know about ecological and health threats," said EDF Action
> Network coordinator Benjamin Smith. "They also help unite the
> public behind policies and actions that will protect them
> from those threats."
> Michigan's Action Project (MAP) has already generated an
> estimated 20,000 e-mails and more than 1,000 faxes on six
> separate Action Alerts. MAP was co-developed by EDF, the
> League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, the Michigan
> Environmental Council, Michigan United Conservation Clubs,
> the National Wildlife Federation, and local chapters of the
> Sierra Club.
> In Ohio, EDF is working with several statewide
> environmental organizations to form the Sustainable Ohio
> Action Partnership. SOAP is currently recruiting Ohio
> activists into the Action Network and hopes to begin sending
> alerts soon.
> EDF members and others are encouraged to join EDF's
> nationwide Action Network to help influence vital
> legislation. Visit www.edf.org/more/10509 to sign up now.
>
> ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *18* VITAL SARGASSUM HABITAT IS PROTECTED IN SOUTHERN WATERS
>
> The South Atlantic Marine Fisheries Council has voted to
> phase out the harvest of pelagic sargassum seaweed in U.S.
> waters. Floating lines of sargassum provide critical habitat
> for a wide variety of sea life, including dolphin fish (also
> called mahi mahi), juvenile sea turtles, and seabirds. EDF
> and its environmental colleagues played a major role in
> convincing the Council to adopt the phase-out, which will
> allow low levels of harvest for two years, followed by a ban.
> "Sargassum seaweed is the single most important fish
> habitat in the blue waters off the Atlantic Coast," said
> marine ecologist Dr. Douglas Rader, who heads EDF's Oceans
> program efforts in the Southeast. "It is one of the few
> sources of energy in an otherwise nutrient-poor and energy-
> poor part of the ocean." Despite its importance, this plant
> is not protected by any treaty, and it is routinely harvested
> for use in such products as plant fertilizers and hog feed
> supplements. "The next step," said Rader, "will be to protect
> sargassum seaweed beyond U.S. waters, especially in the
> Sargasso Sea, where the plant originates."
>
> ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *19* DECISION NOT TO WIDEN U.S. 1 WILL PROTECT FLORIDA KEYS
>
> Recent local and Federal agency actions have effectively
> blocked a plan for massive expansion of the road connecting
> the Florida Keys to the mainland, removing a major threat to
> the ecology of the Keys. Florida has long sought to widen the
> 18-mile, two-lane stretch of U.S 1 between Florida City and
> Key Largo, which runs through wetlands adjacent to a popular
> coral reef that already suffers from pollution, bleaching,
> and disease.
> In 1990, the U.S. Department of Transportation approved a
> state plan to elevate and widen the road. The planned four-
> lane design would have tripled the road's footprint across
> wetlands. Local opponents blocked state wetland permits, and
> EDF marine ecologist Dr. Rod Fujita and transportation
> engineer Michael Replogle helped 1000 Friends of Florida and
> the South Florida Sport Fishing Association challenge the
> inadequacies of the environmental impact study. "The impact
> study failed to consider the effects of increased travel
> demand and land use," Replogle said.
> Late last year, Federal resource agencies decided the
> project could not proceed without a supplemental
> environmental impact study, and the Monroe County Commission-
> -the local Keys government--passed a resolution withdrawing
> its support from the widening plan. "These decisions are part
> of a trend toward smarter development in the Keys," said
> Fujita. "They effectively stop action and remove--for now--
> one of the many threats facing one of America's most
> treasured coral reefs."
>
> [Caption: Widening U.S. Route 1 between the Florida Keys and
> the mainland would have harmed wetlands and an adjacent coral
> reef.]
>
> ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *20* ATLANTA TRANSPORTATION BECOMES A CROSSROADS OF CLEAN
> AIR AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
>
> In December, EDF and nine Georgia-based environmental
> justice, civil rights, and community groups gave notice of
> their intent to sue Federal, state, and Atlanta regional
> transportation agencies concerning their approval of $700
> million in sprawl-inducing highways. The groups claim that
> these road-building projects--which were "grandfathered" and
> exempted from Federal air-pollution requirements without
> adequate environmental review--will increase pollution,
> hurting Atlanta residents' health.
> "Atlanta is a front line in the national struggle for
> clean air and transportation civil rights," said EDF Federal
> transportation director Michael Replogle. "These agencies
> cannot continue expanding highways without considering the
> effects of these projects on air quality and on access to
> jobs for low-income and minority residents. Transportation
> funds must be reallocated to projects that cut air pollution,
> remedy the harm to communities from growing traffic, and
> improve transportation equity."
> EDF and its partners seek a change in Clean Air Act
> regulations so that problems such as those in Atlanta don't
> happen again. The groups also want Federal standards
> detailing how transportation plans must comply with the Civil
> Rights Act. "Cities and states must be held accountable for
> meeting the requirements of the law," said Replogle.
>
> [Caption: Proposed Atlanta highway projects would increase
> pollution and congestion, and harm low-income communities.]
>
> ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *21* EDF FIGHTS TO CHANGE DAM-HAPPY CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN
>
> EDF and a broad coalition of conservation, fishing, and urban
> groups successfully blocked a last-minute agreement between
> the U.S. Department of the Interior and outgoing California
> Governor Pete Wilson that would have continued the legacy of
> publicly subsidized dam-building, damage to fisheries and
> habitat, and inefficient use of state water resources. The
> ill-formed plan instead was issued for public comment as a
> "work in progress" by CalFed, the state-Federal body
> responsible for developing practical water policy. EDF has
> charged that, among other problems, the plan overestimates
> water demand, continues inequitable tax burdens, poorly
> addresses environmental impacts, and ignores cheaper
> alternatives such as water transfers, conservation, and
> better groundwater management.
> "For years, we have been developing cost-effective,
> environmentally beneficial alternatives to address
> California's water woes," said EDF analyst David Yardas, one
> of a half-dozen EDF staff involved in the complex CalFed
> process. "Despite the fact that similar market-based
> strategies have proven effective elsewhere, CalFed appears to
> be favoring traditional water development and old-style water
> management under the guise of ecosystem restoration--and then
> asking taxpayers to foot the bill. That's a long way from the
> durable solution that CalFed was chartered to develop."
> While encouraged by some of CalFed's early implementation
> efforts, such as a science-based process to ensure that
> ecosystem restoration funds are spent wisely, Yardas stressed
> that, without appropriate economic incentives for water
> management, both taxpayers and the environment will continue
> to suffer. "We hope that the incoming Davis administration
> will consider the workable solutions we have proposed as key
> elements in a revised and durable CalFed plan."
>
> [Caption: Wetland habitats like this one in the San Francisco
> Bay Delta would be harmed by the current plan.]
>
> ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *22* EDF CALIFORNIA OFFICE CHOOSES GREEN ELECTRICITY
>
> Taking part in a trend it helped to initiate, EDF's
> California office (above) has opted for "green" electricity.
> The Oakland office chose Green Mountain Energy Resources'
> "Wind for the Future" service, which generates 75% of its
> electricity from renewable sources, including 10% from newly
> constructed wind-power projects and 65% from small
> hydroelectric and biomass sources. Green Mountain is one of
> several environmentally preferable services available under
> recent California laws deregulating the electricity industry.
> In most parts of the state, customers can now choose their
> electricity supplier, either staying with electricity from
> polluting fossil-fuel and nuclear plants or selecting power
> from cleaner, environmentally preferable sources.
> In Oakland, EDF energy program analyst Daniel Kirshner is
> pleased. "We've sent letters to our California members urging
> them to switch to cleaner electricity. We're practicing what
> we preach and making the switch, too. EDF encourages other
> concerned individuals and organizations to take this
> opportunity to do a simple thing to improve the environment."
>
> [Caption: For detailed information on how you can switch to a
> "green" electricity provider, go to www.edf.org/more/10508.]
>
> ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> *23* PACIFIC FISHERIES PLAN COULD DECIMATE KEY SPECIES
>
> EDF and its colleagues in the Pacific Ocean Conservation
> Network are calling on the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to
> reject a misguided fishery management plan proposed by the
> Pacific Fisheries Management Council. The plan spells doom
> for some fish species and violates the 1996 Magnuson-Stevens
> Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
> The Magnuson Act requires fishery management plans to
> avoid overfishing, help rebuild overfished populations,
> protect essential fish habitat, and minimize bycatch (the
> accidental catch of unwanted fish). The Pacific Council's
> plan appears to address overfishing by curbing fishing of any
> species whose population falls below 40% of its unfished,
> natural level, and halting fishing altogether at levels of
> 10% or less. A loophole in the plan, however, allows
> continued fishing of ling cod, already below 10% of natural
> levels, and bocaccio, now below 4%. The long life spans--up
> to 140 years--and low reproductive rates of these fish make
> them prime candidates for extinction if such overfishing
> continues.
> "By ignoring EDF recommendations such as marine reserves
> and observer programs, this plan allows continued 'slash-and-
> burn' fishing, which has nearly decimated species like the
> Pacific ocean perch," said EDF scientist Dr. Rod Fujita. "We
> hope to overturn this flawed plan in favor of one that
> seriously addresses the sustainability of this critically
> important fishery."
>
> ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
> The EDF LETTER -- ELECTRONIC EDITION depends on reader
> support. Your tax-deductible contribution in any amount can
> be made by mail (Environmental Defense Fund, P.O. Box 96969,
> Washington, DC 20090), phone(1-800-684-3322), or on the web
> (go to www.edf.org and click on "Donate").
> Captions in this text version of EDF LETTER refer to
> photos available on the web at www.edf.org/pubs/EDF-
> Letter/1999/Apr or in the printed newsletter, which may be
> requested from the Environmental Defense Fund membership
> office at 1-800-684-3322.
>
> ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND ---EDF MEMBERSHIP LINES--
> National Headquarters Phone: 800-684-3322
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>
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