a whole cornucopia of things

[Guest guest]

ENERGY DEBATE: How much influence did Enron have?

NORTON WATCH: There she goes again

RISING DEATH TOLL: More manatees dying in Florida waters

OILY OTTERS? California vowing to fight off-shore oil development

SAFEGUARDING THE ENVIRONMENT: New group offers help to states

SAVING HABITAT: Defenders employs innovative strategy

JAVA FOREST: A new wildlife-friendly coffee

 

 

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1. ENERGY DEBATE: How much influence did Enron have?

Congress returns to session this week to renew the national energy policy debate

with many members raising serious questions about the influence of the disgraced

Enron Corp. over the Bush administration's plan. According to financial records,

35 administration officials have held stock in Enron. Enron executives met six

times with the White House energy task force, which produced a plan that

contains 17 provisions benefiting the once-giant energy company now in

bankruptcy proceedings. The White House denies it was unduly influenced by

Enron, but the administration is refusing to release documents to the public.

 

The administration's plan, already approved by the House, allows oil drilling in

the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, weakens environmental protections on public

land across the country and all but ignores energy efficiency and new

technologies. Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts has unveiled his own plan calling

for higher fuel efficiency standards, tax incentives for new energy sources and

a target of 20 percent reliance on alternative and renewable fuels by the year

2020. The Senate, which is expected to vote next month, appears to be nearly

evenly divided. That's why it's so important for all Americans to make their

voices heard.

 

At least one American " president " is urging you to contact your senators to urge

them to adopt an energy plan that emphasizes new technologies and improved

efficiency over drilling in the Arctic refuge. Click here to read the message

from Martin Sheen, star of NBC-TV's " The West Wing, " and help spread the word by

forwarding it to friends: http://www.savearcticrefuge.org

 

2. NORTON WATCH: There she goes again

 

Interior Secretary Gale Norton is making a habit of quashing scientific evidence

in an attempt to curry favor with Big Oil and other special interests. Last year

in a report to Congress, she discarded the findings of Fish and Wildlife Service

biologists that oil drilling would harm caribou on the coastal plain of the

Arctic refuge. Last week, she was at it again. First, it was disclosed that she

never submitted scathing criticism from her own agency of plans to relax

wetlands protection rules. Then, ignoring years of scientific reports, she

decided that drilling in the refuge won't harm polar bears or violate U.S.

treaty obligations to protect them. " It's become a dismal pattern when the

science doesn't agree with her position, Secretary Norton simply ignores or

silences the science, " Defenders of Wildlife President Rodger Schlickeisen said.

 

3. RISING DEATH TOLL: More manatees dying in Florida waters

 

More manatees died in Florida's waterways last year than any year since 1996,

according to the Florida Marine Research Institute, and deaths from boat

collisions were just one short of the all-time record. The death toll was 325,

with careless boaters killing 81 of those manatees. The alarming number shows

state and federal officials are failing to meet their obligation to protect the

gentle sea cows. Even so, efforts are under way to strip the manatee of its

status as endangered at the state and federal levels. To learn more about

manatees and what you can do to help, visit

www.defenders.org/wildlife/new/manatees.html. And click here to see the DENlines

cartoon: http://www.defenders.org/den/issues/norton.jpg

 

4. OILY OTTERS? California vowing to fight off-shore oil development

 

One-tenth of the surviving population of southern sea otters lives where the

Bush administration wants to allow oil drilling off the California coast.

California Gov. Gray Davis is vowing to stop the development of the 36 drilling

leases granted by the federal government, and Defenders of Wildlife intends to

go to court to support the state. California Resources Secretary Mary Nichols

said the poor-quality oil in the 36 leases is " closer to asphalt than something

that you'd put in your car " and deadly to ocean life. To learn more about

threats to sea otters and what you can do to help, go to www.saveseaotters.org.

 

5. SAFEGUARDING THE ENVIRONMENT: New group offers help to states

 

Lawmakers now can find help from a new Internet-based information clearinghouse

for environmental legislation. The State Environmental Resource Center -– a

collaborative project of Defenders of Wildlife and the Natural Resources Defense

Council -– will work state-by-state to help legislators promote pro-environment

legislation to safeguard our health, air and water, wildlife and wild lands.

" Americans have long looked to Congress to protect the environment, " SERC

National Director Andy Gussert said. " But concerned citizens are now appealing

to public officials closer to home and, increasingly, state legislators are

doing the really important work. That's why we started SERC, the first project

of its kind to help these progressive state lawmakers working to protect our

health and our environment in cities and neighborhoods all across the country. "

To learn more, visit SERC's Web site, www.serconline.org.

 

6. SAVING HABITAT: Defenders employs innovative strategy

 

Defenders of Wildlife has secured vital habitat for grizzly bears in Idaho by

paying to retire 16,370 acres of national forest land from sheep grazing.

Defenders initiated this agreement using a new program, The Bailey Wildlife

Foundation Proactive Carnivore Conservation Fund. This program provides money

for collaborative on-the-ground efforts to reduce potential conflict between

large predators and livestock. " This is a win-win solution for everyone involved

-- the sheep growers, the forest and particularly for the grizzly bears. " said

Minette Johnson, Northern Rockies field representative for Defenders. " The

retirement of the lease will provide important habitat where grizzly bears can

roam freely without coming into conflict with domestic sheep. "

 

7. JAVA FOREST: A new wildlife-friendly coffee

 

An easy way to help save wildlife is to drink shade-grown coffee. Threatened by

shrinking habitat, migratory birds and small wildlife have found a sanctuary in

the forest-like environment of shade coffee farms. Farms where the forest canopy

is preserved support nearly as many species of migratory birds as mature

undisturbed forests. That's why Defenders of Wildlife has teamed with the

Thanksgiving Coffee Co. and Grounds for Sharing to develop Java Forest

shade-grown organic coffees.

 

Java Forest is slowly grown at high elevations under the natural forest canopy,

without the use of chemicals or pesticides. Traditional growing methods give

this coffee a naturally rich flavor. At least 25 percent of each purchase funds

our continued efforts to protect and conserve North American wildlife.

 

To learn more about Java Forest, or place an order, visit

http://www.defenders.org/shop/coffee/coffee.html or call 1-866-766-6328.