Guest guest Posted May 25, 2001 Report Share Posted May 25, 2001 NRDC EARTH ACTION: The Bulletin for Environmental Activists May 24, 2001 ======================================== In This Issue: --Action Alerts-- 1. NATIONAL ENERGY PLAN: Tell Congress to reject President Bush's " More Pollution Solution " 2. WHITE HOUSE NOMINATIONS: Urge your senators to reject Bush nominee John Graham 3. CHILDREN'S HEALTH: Tell your senators to ratify the treaty that will eliminate toxic chemicals that contaminate breast milk ====================================================== You will also find these alerts in NRDC'S Earth Action Center, which includes tools for taking action easily online, at http://www.nrdc.org/action (Please do not reply to this message; see the instructions below for how to or contact NRDC with questions or comments.) ============= Action Alerts ============= 1. NATIONAL ENERGY PLAN Tell Congress to reject President Bush's " More Pollution Solution " On May 17th, President Bush announced his proposed national energy plan -- an unbalanced approach that threatens public health, the environment and our public lands. Drafted behind closed doors with heavy input from industry representatives who donated substantial amounts to the president's campaign, the energy plan is dominated by new subsidies and incentives to increase oil and coal supplies while doing little to improve energy efficiency or help consumers. Among other things, the plan includes a proposal to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling, even though drilling would permanently damage this irreplaceable treasure and the oil supply from the refuge would provide only an estimated 180 days of American oil consumption (and wouldn't reach consumers for at least 10 years). The plan could also allow oil and gas drilling in national forests, monuments and other sensitive special places, and would increase air pollution by weakening Clean Air Act and other pollution requirements, increase subsidies to coal, oil, gas and nuclear industries, and increase global warming pollution. To make matters worse, while the plan pays modest attention to energy efficiency programs, the president's proposed budget drastically cuts funding for energy efficiency and renewable energy -- technologies that would provide the cheapest, fastest and cleanest energy. Congress will now consider the president's plan as it develops energy legislation and sets national budget priorities. == What to do == Send a message to your senators and representative, letting them know that we deserve better than a " More Pollution Solution " to meet our energy needs. == Contact information == You can email or fax your senators and representative directly from NRDC's Earth Action Center at http://www.nrdc.org/action. If you prefer to call your congresspersons, the Capitol Switchboard number is (202) 224-3121. == For background == A Critique of the Bush Energy Plan http://www.nrdc.org/media/pressReleases/010517a.asp 2. WHITE HOUSE NOMINATIONS Urge your senators to reject Bush nominee John Graham The Senate will soon vote to confirm or reject John D. Graham, President Bush's nominee to direct the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in the Office of Management and Budget. This position plays an extremely powerful role in establishing (or blocking) regulatory safeguards in every agency in our federal government. Graham is currently the director of the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, and is one of the most outspoken and controversial figures in the area of risk management and regulatory reform; he is also overwhelmingly viewed as a strong ally of large corporate interests. Graham's work at the center has been funded by a wide array of major industries, including the American Automobile Manufacturers Association, the American Petroleum Institute, the Chemical Manufacturers Association, the Chlorine Chemistry Council, ExxonMobil, and Monsanto. Not surprisingly, Graham's studies have routinely understated the dangers of products manufactured by these corporate sponsors by using questionable anti-consumer and anti-environment cost-benefit analyses. In just one example, he downplayed the EPA's warnings about cancer risks from dioxin exposure while being supported by 48 major dioxin producers, including chemical, incinerator, pulp and paper companies. == What to do == Urge your senators to say " No " to John Graham. == Contact information == You can email or fax your senators directly from NRDC's Earth Action Center at http://www.nrdc.org/action. If you prefer to call your senators, the Capitol Switchboard number is (202) 224-3121. 3. CHILDREN'S HEALTH Tell your senators to ratify the treaty that will eliminate toxic chemicals that contaminate breast milk Chemical pollutants are found in our homes and workplaces, in the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe. Some of these chemicals bind to and accumulate in human fatty tissues; when a new mother's body calls on fat supplies during breastfeeding, these chemicals are passed to her baby. While we've come a long way in reducing harmful pollutants in the environment, certain chemicals, called persistent organic pollutants, are still widely used and have been detected in breast milk at increasing levels. The good news, though, is that banning chemicals has proved to dramatically reduce pollution levels in the environment, and in breast milk in particular. On May 22nd, 120 countries came together to address this issue by signing a United Nations treaty to eliminate persistent organic pollutants. But before the treaty, called the Stockholm Convention, can take effect it must be ratified by at least 50 countries. == What to do == Urge your senators to ratify the Stockholm Convention to phase out toxic chemicals that contaminate mothers' milk. == Contact information == You can email or fax your senators directly from NRDC's Earth Action Center at http://www.nrdc.org/action. If you prefer to call your senators, the Capitol Switchboard number is (202) 224-3121. == Background information == Healthy Milk, Healthy Baby http://www.nrdc.org/breastmilk/ ================================================== About Our Bulletins/How to Subscribe & Un ================================================== NRDC distributes three bulletins by email. To to any or all of them or to join our activist networks, go to: http://www.join.nrdcaction.org/.asp. If you already and want to change your subscriptions or update your email address or other information, go to: http://www.join.nrdcaction.org/profileeditor (or see the information below). EARTH ACTION is sent biweekly and calls out urgent environmental issues requiring immediate action. To from Earth Action, send an email message to earthaction with REMOVE in the subject line. LEGISLATIVE WATCH is sent biweekly when Congress is in session and tracks environmental bills moving through the federal legislature. To from Legislative Watch, send an email message to legwatch with REMOVE in the subject line. The CALIFORNIA ACTIVIST NETWORK ACTION ALERT is distributed monthly to members of NRDC's California Activist Network and provides action tools to Californians and others concerned with protecting the state's natural resources and the health of its citizens. To , send an email message to wildcalifornia with REMOVE in the subject line. ========== About NRDC ========== The Natural Resources Defense Council is a nonprofit environmental organization with over 400,000 members nationwide and a staff of scientists, attorneys and environmental experts. Our mission is to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and ensure a safe and healthy environment for all living things. For more information about NRDC or how to become a member of NRDC, please contact us at: Natural Resources Defense Council 40 West 20th Street New York, NY 10011 212-727-4511 (voice) / 212-727-1773 (fax) General email: nrdcinfo Earth Action email: nrdcaction http://www.nrdc.org Also visit: BioGems -- Saving Endangered Wild Places A project of the Natural Resources Defense Council http://www.savebiogems.org Auctions - buy the things you want at great prices http://auctions./ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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