1/29/01
12:24:21 AM

I'm in control of my life. It belongs to me. I do not need to have any children. I have the right to be childfree. This world already has too many people in it. 180 more are born every minute. Too many people will turn the world into one gigantic city, with lots of pollution and huge crowds. That will NOT be pretty. To end the problems of crime and pollution, there is but one solution: For people to produce FEWER babies. Then for sure (not just maybe) the crime will lessen and pollution will lessen,too. And the world will be a better place for me and you.

1/27/01
11:55:22 AM

Public Citizen Report Regulations Violated at Nuclear Reactors Across Country

Public Citizen Study Finds Government's Failure to Enforce Regulations Undermines Safety

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Safety has been compromised at nuclear reactors throughout the United States, with more than 90 percent of the country's reactors run in violation of government safety regulations over the last three years, a Public Citizen study has found. Rather than holding nuclear utilities accountable for violating these regulations, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has established an amnesty program that will last until March 30, 2001. This amnesty means that the NRC only holds utilities accountable for the most egregious rule violations.

The study, Amnesty Irrational, found that between October 1996 and May 1999, 102 of the country's 111 reactors were operated outside the safety parameters established in their licenses. When a nuclear reactor is operated outside these safety parameters it is called operating "outside design basis." During the three years analyzed, utilities operated their nuclear reactors "outside design basis" more than 500 times, the study found.

Utilities have failed to follow rules pertaining to such key safety systems as the emergency core cooling system and the electrical cables that control the nuclear reactor, the records revealed. Additionally, in some instances, a single event could have prevented the functioning of safety systems needed to do such things as shut down the reactor, cool the radioactive fuel in the reactor's core and prevent the release of radiation into the environment.

"Safety has been compromised at nuclear reactors across the United States," said James Riccio, staff attorney for Public Citizen's Critical Mass Energy Project. "In some cases, safety margins were significantly reduced, if not eliminated."

When a nuclear utility operates its reactor "outside design basis," it is impossible for the NRC or the utility to determine whether the reactor poses an undue risk to public health and safety. The more often a nuclear reactor is operated "outside design basis," the less certain that the reactor and its safety systems will operate as designed.

The NRC has long known that design basis problems were undermining the safety of nuclear reactors it was supposed to regulate. However, due to the potential financial impact on the nuclear industry, the NRC has obfuscated the issue and delayed taking action, the report says.

"The NRC has ignored these important safety issues for decades," said Wenonah Hauter, director of Public Citizen's Critical Mass Energy Project. "If these nuclear reactors don't meet safety requirements, they should be shut down until they do."

Design basis issues already have contributed to the closure of three nuclear reactors: Haddam Neck, and Millstone Unit 1 in Connecticut, and Maine Yankee in Maine. However, the design basis issues that resulted in these shutdowns were not identified by the utilities. These problems came to light only because of events or whistleblower allegations that prompted NRC inspections. Futhermore, Public Citizen has found that the same design basis problems that resulted in these shutdowns exist at other reactors throughout the U.S.

"The NRC's amnesty program is an irrational move by an ineffective regulator and will not address the significant design basis issues that still exist at nuclear reactors across the United States," Riccio said.

Those reactors that have filed the most design basis event reports with the NRC are listed below.

REACTORS REPORTING "OUTSIDE DESIGN BASIS" 1996 -1999

Reactor Unit # Owner State Reports Number VERMONT YANKEE 1 VT Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. VT 42 PILGRIM 1 Boston Edison Co. MA 27 THREE MILE ISLAND 1 GPU Nuclear Corp. PA 26 COOK 2 Indiana/Michigan Power Co. MI 22 COOK 1 Indiana/Michigan Power Co. MI 18 POINT BEACH 1 Wisconsin Electric Power Co. WI 18 POINT BEACH 2 Wisconsin Electric Power Co. WI 18 MILLSTONE 1 Northeast Nuclear Energy Co. CT 16 OYSTER CREEK 1 GPU Nuclear Corp. NJ 16 MILLSTONE 3 Northeast Nuclear Energy Co. CT 16 PRAIRIE ISLAND 1 Northern States Power Co. MN 14 CATAWBA 2 Duke Power Co. SC 14 DIABLO CANYON 2 Pacific Gas & Electric Co. CA 14 NINE MILE POINT 2 Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. NY 14 HADDAM NECK 1 Northeast Nuclear Energy Co. CT 13 PRAIRIE ISLAND 2 Northern States Power Co. MN 13 OCONEE 3 Duke Power Co. SC 12 DIABLO CANYON 1 Pacific Gas & Electric Co. CA 11 OCONEE 2 Duke Power Co. SC 11 CATAWBA 1 Duke Power Co. SC 10 DAVIS-BESSE 1 Toledo Edison Co. OH 10 NINE MILE POINT 1 Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. NY 10 OCONEE 1 Duke Power Co. SC 10 PALISADES 1 Consumers Power Co. MI 10 INDIAN POINT 3 New York Power Authority NY 10 INDIAN POINT 2 Consolidated Edison Co. NY 9

http://www.geocities.com/mothersalert/violations.html

Mothers Alert Home Page With Great Links: http://www.geocities.com/mothersalert

Dr John Gofman on NO SAFE LEVELS OF RADIATION: http://www.geocities.com/mothersalert/gofman.html

1/27/01
11:48:58 AM

NIRS: Nuclear Information and Resource Service

Michael Mariotte

Dear Friend,

This April, the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) will be meeting in New York to discuss the definition of sustainable energy technologies. A pre-meeting will be held in late February in NY. The nuclear power industry is, of course, attempting to get nuclear included in the list of "sustainable" energy technologies--although it may be the least sustainable technology available. Should the industry succeed, it will have a new marketing tool (official sanction by the U.N. as a sustainable source of energy) and may become eligible for different types of international credits. At the COP6 global warming conference in the Hague in November 2000, nearly all the world's nations rejected nuclear power as eligible for "clean development" credits. If the atomic industry is successful at CSD9, that victory would be placed in jeopardy.

The following sign-on letter to Secretary of State Colin Powell provides more background on the issues. We encourage all U.S. groups and individuals to sign this letter. A separate petition, for both U.S. and international groups and individuals will be distributed soon for delivery to the CSD9 conference on Earth Day, April 22, at the UN.

Sign-ons for the following letter must be received by 9 am, February 15. To sign on, simply e-mail us your name, organization (if one), city and state. Please include this information and please don't assume we know who you are from your e-mail address. You may also fax this information to 202-462-2183.

Please distribute this letter widely.

Thanks!

Michael Mariotte Nuclear Information and Resource Service nirsnet@nirs.org

Hon. Colin Powell Secretary of State United States Department of State

We are writing to encourage the Department of State to take a leading role in ensuring that nuclear power is rejected as a "sustainable technology" in the upcoming talks of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD 9) in February and April. While CSD handles many sustainability issues, this year's talks will focus on sustainable energy technologies. Since the mandate of CSD is sustainable development, we feel that the Commission should discuss only truly sustainable energy technologies, and that the final recommendations of CSD 9 should reflect the fact that nuclear energy is non-sustainable.

The Brundtland Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development defines sustainable development as follows: "Humanity has the ability to make development sustainable - to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs." (WCED 1987) While every energy technology has some environmental ramification, nuclear power is particularly non-sustainable, even by this very broad and non-specific definition. Rather than use sustainability principles to promote technology and capital intensive, exclusive projects through the United Nations, CSD should ensure that they support economic development which benefits a broad base, especially small business. Nuclear technology compromises the ability of future generations to meet their needs for numerous reasons, among them:

Cost and scarcity of uranium Nuclear power's fuel-uranium-is not sustainable. The more reactors that are in operation, the more uranium used. As is the case with other polluting fuels, such as oil and coal, the more uranium used, the less remains and the more expensive it becomes to obtain; eventually it runs out. The large amount of money invested in nuclear energy technology would be wasted because of the inevitable and not-so-distant exhaustion of its uranium fuel source. Reprocessing of atomic fuel has been rejected by the U.S. on both economic and proliferation grounds. Solar, wind and energy-efficiency investments would not waste money on fuel that will inevitably disappear. Instead, the more money invested in these technologies, the cheaper they become.

Proliferation concerns Each year every 1000-megawatt reactor produces 40 bombs worth of plutonium, adding to the threat of nuclear proliferation. This is a critical concern given many countries' close links between the military and civil nuclear fuel cycle. We do not understand how a technology whose radioactive waste could be used to build a weapon of unthinkable destruction could be considered sustainable under any definition. Nuclear proliferation is destabilizing and threatens our national security.

Cross-boundary issues and radiation contamination When one country chooses a nuclear reactor, it chooses it for the countries around it as well. Radioactive contamination from the Chernobyl nuclear power reactor explosion reached as far as California. Contamination also traveled over most of Europe, resulting in food restrictions and the wasteful slaughter of animals. In Belarus currently only 10% of the children are born healthy. The Chernobyl reactor was in neighboring Ukraine, but Belarus received most of the radioactive fallout.

It doesn't take an accident to spread radioactive pollution. As a matter of normal operation, reactors release radioactive substances to the air and water. Many human population studies demonstrate that additional, low, constant levels of radiation can cause cancer and genetic mutations in this and future generations. Subjects of these studies, often nuclear facility workers and communities, suffer higher rates of diseases than non-nuclear communities, even with apparent normal operation of these facilities.

The operation of nuclear power reactors currently is causing civil and national unrest between non-nuclear Austria and its nuclear neighbors, such as Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Austrian government and NGOs are rightly concerned that a nuclear accident outside Austria could pollute their country. A push for nuclear power in other countries in Africa or Asia for instance, may provoke hostilities in fragile political and economic systems already fraught with tension. This situation could draw the world into unnecessary conflict.

The nuclear industry argues that defining sustainability is a sovereign issue. But with nuclear power, everyone's sovereignty is at risk and the potential for national conflict increases.

Waste isolation Nuclear power creates atomic waste. This radioactive waste cannot be isolated from the environment for its entire hazardous life (from thousands to millions of years). Consequently, and rightly so, no community (domestic or international) is willing to sacrifice itself for a waste dump-nor should they have to. Hence we are left with an intractable radioactive waste problem that gets larger the longer reactors operate.

Nuclear power not only compromises the ability of future generations to meet their needs, it does not even "meet the needs of the present" for the following reasons:

Enforcement of nuclear regulations Effectively and responsibly enforcing regulation of nuclear power is costly and meets with limited success even in countries able to pay for it. Atomic power regulation and enforcement continues to be a controversial issue in terms of public safety margins versus corporate profit margins in a deregulating electricity market. The fact is, nuclear power cannot exist without heavy and continued subsidies from tax and ratepayers. It cannot survive on its own in a free market economy and must rely on subsidy to guarantee its existence. Meanwhile, the money invested in sustaining a profit for nuclear power generators could be invested in other societal needs; yet another reason why nuclear power could compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs while not giving the current generation what it needs: clean power that can eventually support itself without constant, exorbitant subsidies.

Generation costs and deregulation bail-outs Nuclear power is the most expensive of all conventional energy sources and more expensive than almost all renewable energy. As proof of nuclear power's economic failure, no successful nuclear power reactor order has been placed in the U.S. since 1973. Ratepayers in the United States are bailing out nuclear reactors to the approximate tune of $200 billion dollars in the face of a deregulated market. Nuclear energy costs an average of 12 cents/kWh compared with 7.6-9.1 cents/kWh for solar thermal and 4-6 cents/kWh for wind. According to the Renewable Energy Policy Project, U.S. government subsidies have been highest for the nuclear power industry. It has received the majority (96.3%) of $150 billion in investments since 1947 when compared with wind and solar; that's $145 billion for nuclear reactors and $5 billion for wind and solar combined. Nuclear subsidies have cost the average household a total amount of $1,411 [1998 dollars] compared to $11 for wind.

Nuclear power is implicated in the deregulation boondoggle and rolling blackouts in California. Two California utilities on the verge of bankruptcy operate four large reactors in the state. Additionally, they are part-owners of three units outside the state. Under the 1996 deregulation agreement, these utilities can receive 28.5 billion dollars in stranded cost recovery. The largest part of this will most likely support their nuclear reactors which they felt could not survive in a deregulated market. The money that has been paid to the utilities so far was invested in a questionable fashion. Recently FERC ruled that this money is untouchable by the utilities' creditors.

Nuclear power, because of its failed and dangerous track record also faces deserved public and government opposition. Countries including Greece, Sweden, Austria, Nauru, and Ireland, conclude that nuclear power is not sustainable. Some nuclear countries, such as Germany, have begun nuclear phase-out programs, while some non-nuclear countries, such as Turkey, recently have decided they are better off not joining the nuclear club.

Nuclear Power and Kyoto Other countries have also expressed dislike of nuclear power in international fora. Both the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) and 12 Central and South American countries opposed giving nuclear power clean air credits under the Kyoto Protocol saying " it is simple colonialism to push nuclear power onto developing countries, leaving them with all the burdens that come with it " and " nuclear power" does not match "the environmental integrity principles that guide this group "

Additionally, Klaus Toepfer, the director of the United Nations Environment Programme is "utterly convinced that [nuclear energy] should not be included in any type of [global warming agreement]."

Finally, international banking institutions such as the World Bank and IMF do not officially subsidize nuclear projects.

Even though the Kyoto COP 6 talks concluded without a written and signed agreement, all countries-including the United States--with the exception of India, China and Japan agreed to language that would exclude nuclear power from receiving credit for reducing greenhouse gases through the Protocol.

CSD 9 should emphasize truly sustainable energy Nuclear power does not contribute to the economic development of industrializing nations-indeed it is a drain on their resources while posing a risk of spillover from civilian to military use. In common with many heads of Government, citizens, and national delegations, we want to emphasize the reasons (radioactive pollution, lack of radioactive waste storage and nuclear weapons proliferation, among others) why nuclear power should never be considered sustainable. We expect any documents from the CSD 9 meetings to reflect this reality.

Sincerely,

1/27/01
11:36:37 AM

ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE

(ENS) http://ens-news.com

"We Cover the Earth For You"

QUAKE TURNS INDIA'S REPUBLIC DAY INTO DAY OF MOURNING

By Tara Chand Malhotra

AHMEDABAD, India, January 26, 2001 (ENS) - India's Republic Day celebrations turned into a day of national mourning as a the worst earthquake in 50 years rocked the western and northern parts of the sub-continent early this morning. The 30 second quake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale has claimed the lives of more than 1,000 people and left thousands of others seriously injured.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens-news.com/ens/jan2001/2001L-01-26-01.html

SEA TURTLE STRANDINGS COME BACK TO HAUNT BUSH

By Cat Lazaroff

WASHINGTON, DC, January 25, 2001 (ENS) - Newly inaugurated President George W. Bush may think he is back in his home state of Texas when officials of the National Marine Fisheries Service tell him about their latest initiative. The agency is planning a comprehensive approach to reducing sea turtle deaths - an issue that confronted Bush repeatedly during his tenure as governor of Texas.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens-news.com/ens/jan2001/2001L-01-26-07.html

NEW PRIMATES DISCOVERED IN MADAGASCAR AND BRAZIL

WASHINGTON, DC, January 26, 2001 (ENS) - Nine new lemur and two marmoset species have been discovered in the forests of Madagascar and Brazil, scientists announced earlier this month. But the news is not all good - some of the newly named species may already be endangered, joining the dozens of other primate species that may face extinction this century.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jan2001/2001L-01-26-06.html

ELAHO PROTESTER FREED FROM UNFIT JAIL SENTENCE

By Neville Judd

VANCOUVER, Canada, January 26, 2001 (ENS) - A 73 year old great-grandmother sentenced to a year in jail after peacefully protesting logging in the Elaho Valley has been released early on appeal.

For full text and graphics, visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jan2001/2001L-01-26-10.html

ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: JANUARY 26, 2001

Climate Change Hastened Collapse of Ancient Societies

Current El Niños the Most Intense Ever

Florida Buys, Protects 68,000+ Acres

Conservationists Oppose Lawsuit to Build Road

Rebuilding Evident in Three Northeastern Fish Species

New York Increases Support for Wind Energy

Government Recoups Money from Superfund Cleanup

Youth Rally Highlights Impacts of Globalization

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jan2001/2001L-01-26-09.html

HEALING OUR WORLD: WEEKLY COMMENT By Jackie Alan Giuliano, Ph.D.

Space Seeds in China - A Miracle or Ecological Disaster?

Concern has been expressed by ecologists for some time that using genetically altered seeds in agriculture could yield unpredictable - and possibly catastrophic - results in the ecosystems of the Earth. No one really knows what the long term effect on our environment will be of mixing these mutated seeds with wild strains. New, unexpected plants could result and damage could be done to the original seed stock. The long term effects on humans and animals of eating these crops is unknown.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens-news.com/ens/jan2001/2001L-01-26g.html

SEND NEWS STORY TIPS TO news@ens-news.com

TO ENVIRONMENTAL EDITOR:

Galapagos Wreck Operation Gets Under Way - Good News For Wildlife

SANTA FE ISLAND, Galapagos, Jan. 26 -/E-Wire/-- An attempt began today to remove the wreck of the bulk carrier Jessica, which sank off the Galapagos Islands a week ago causing an oil spill that has threatened the unique eco- system made famous by Darwin, announced the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

/CONTACT: Simon Pope of IFAW UK, +44 (207) 587-6714 or +44 (207) 703-3655 or +44 (7801) 613-527 or Christopher Bailey of IFAW U.S., 508-744-2069 or 508-737-6677/

/Web site: http://www.ifaw.org/

For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Jan01/26Jan0103.html

TO MEDICAL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND POLITICAL EDITORS:

Health Care Without Harm Praises Senator for Pioneering Proposal to Ban The Retail Sale of Mercury Thermometers

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 -/E-Wire/-- Today, Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) announced her intention to introduce legislation that would end the retail sale of mercury fever thermometers and provide the opportunity for consumers to exchange their home thermometers for non-mercury replacements.

/CONTACT: Jamie Harvie of Health Care Without Harm, 218-525-7806, Jackie Hunt Christensen of HCWH, 612-870-3424 or 612-387-3424, or Michael Bender of Mercury Policy Project, 802-223-9000/

/Web site: http://www.noharm.org /

For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Jan01/26Jan0106.html

TO BUSINESS, ENVIRONMENTAL AND TECHNOLOGY EDITORS:

Diesel Technology Forum Lauds EPA's Voluntary Retrofit Program Success

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 -/E-Wire/-- An "unqualified success" -- that is the term being used by Diesel Technology Forum executive director Allen Schaeffer to describe the commitments toward EPA's Volunteer Diesel Retrofit Program that has surpassed the 10,000 engine mark. The program helps identify owners and operators of diesel construction equipment and heavy-duty vehicles for application of exhaust retrofit equipment that reduces diesel engine emissions.

/CONTACT: Diesel Technology Forum, 703-234-4411, www.dieselforum.org; or Ken Cynar of Rowan & Blewitt Incorporated, 516-741-8877 ext. 26, for Diesel Technology Forum/

/Web site: http://www.rbcommunications.com http://www.dieselforum.org/

For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Jan01/26Jan0105.html

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Honors Loureiro Engineering Associates, Inc. (LEA) with the GreenCircle Award

CROMWELL, CONN, January 26, -/E-Wire/-- LEA was recently honored by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CTDEP) for the company's cleanup efforts last May along the Connecticut River.

/CONTACT: Troy Charlton, of Loureiro Engineering Associates, Inc. email: tjcharlton@loureiro.com

/Web site: http://www.loureiro.com

For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Jan01/26Jan0104.html

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TO AUTO AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDITORS:

Westport Announces Truck Emissions Results

VANCOUVER, B.C., Canada, Jan. 26, -/E-Wire/-- Westport Innovations Inc., (WPT:TSE) announced today that it has obtained independent test results for a heavy-duty truck engine operating with Westport's natural gas fuel system. The test confirmed that Westport can meet 2002 emissions standards established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency while maintaining the full torque of the same engine operating on diesel fuel.

/CONTACT: Alan Bayless, Manager, Media and Investor Relations phone (604) 718-2016, fax (604)718-2001, e-mail abayless@westport.com

/Web site: http://www.westport.com/

For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Jan01/26Jan0102.html

TO ENVIRONMENTAL EDITORS:

Enviros Move to Undermine Norton at Interior Department

BATTLE GROUND, WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, -/E-Wire/-- Having failed at their lavishly financed public relations effort to derail Interior Secretary nominee Gale Norton, the national environmental community has switched to "Plan B," undermining Norton from within. Central to their plans are efforts to place liberal Republican John Turner in a high-ranking position at Interior, or as Chairman of the President's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ).

/CONTACT: michael hardiman, lobbyist, american land rights association, 202-251-3473, mike@hardimanconsulting.com/

/Web site: http://www.landrights.org/

For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Jan01/26Jan0101.html

SEND YOUR PRESS RELEASE ON E-WIRE -- 1-888-764-NEWS

1/26/01
7:14:16 PM

AP Newswire: Science Alert 18 January 2001

Cambridge, England (UK) Investigators at a major research institution have recently discovered the heaviest element known to science. This startling new discovery has been tentatively named Administratium (Ad). This new element has no protons or electrons, thus having an atomic number of 0. It does, however, have 1 neutron, 125 assistant neutrons, 75 vice neutrons, and 111 assistant vice neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.

These 312 particles are held together by a force called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peeons. Because it has no electrons, Administratium is inert. However, it can be detected as it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. According to the discoverers, a minute amount of Administratium causes one reaction to take over four days to complete when it would normally take less than a second.

Administratium has a normal half-life of approximately three years; it does not decay but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons, vice neutrons, and assistant vice neutrons exchange places.

In fact, an Administratium sample's mass will actually increase over time, because with each reorganization some of the morons inevitably become neutrons, forming new isodopes. This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to speculate that Administratium is formed whenever morons reach a certain quantity in concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as the "Critical Morass".

1/26/01
7:13:11 PM

USA Anti-FTAA Caravan: Quebec comes to you!

From: "la C.L.A.C." <clac@tao.ca>

USA Anti-FTAA Caravan: Quebec Comes to You!

Between February 10 to March 3, members of the Anti-Capitalist Convergence (CLAC) and the Summit of the Americas Welcoming Committee (CASA) in Quebec will be undertaking an anti-FTAA, anti-capitalist caravan to the Northeastern United States. This tour follows on similar caravans to Ontario last October, as well as the Eastern provinces of Canada. Both groups are actively involved in grassroots mobilizations against the upcoming Summit of the Americas in Quebec City, and are organizing for a Day of Action on April 20.

The following is a second call-out for the Northeast USA tour. Plans are coming together for the caravan, but we need local groups to get in touch in order to confirm dates and times if they feel a caravan stop by Quebec-based activists would be useful to their own efforts.

The caravan aims to help and to participate in local mobilization and awareness-raising efforts, ranging from workshops, talks and panels. Topics covered on the Caravan include the FTAA and the Summit of the Americas; resistance in Quebec, Canada and Latin America: the context of capitalist globalization; tactics and strategies in the anti-globalization movement; the "Color of Resistance" (race, racism and representation in the "anti-globalization" movement); the People's Global Action (PGA) network; Plan Colombia; solidarity between resistance struggles; as well as specific information about actions in Quebec City in April. One overarching theme of our caravans is: "It didn't start in Seattle, and it isn't going to stop with Quebec City." While are focussed on organizing and mobilizing for the Quebec City Summit, we are just as focussed on local awareness-raising efforts and actions.

CLIP

We have already had several confirmations for our caravan. Below is a tentative schedule of our stops. Contact clac@tao.ca or phone 514-526-8946 to confirm a stop in your area.

NOTE: The caravan will be from February 12 to March 2 and will visit a number of US cities including Boston, Buffalo, New York, Philadelphia and Washington. Contact them for the exact schedule if you are interested to meet with them.

CHECK ALSO THE NEWS ABOUT THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM IN DAVOS

FULL COVERAGE AT http://dailynews.yahoo.com/fc/Business/World_Economic_Forum/

Police Seal Off Davos As Business Summit Starts http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010125/wl/forum_leadall_dc.html

The Daily Davos http://207.46.150.254/news/nw-davos_front.asp

The Public Eye on Davos (An anti-globalization parallel Conference) http://www.davos2001.ch/

1/26/01
7:08:32 PM

Orders of Seizure

Some Executive Orders (EO) recorded in the Federal Register and accepted by Congress as the law of the land. These can be mobilized by President Bush with nothing but his signature.

EO#10955: by President Kennedy. Empowers the federal government to seize all communications media including radio and television stations, newspapers, magazines, CB, Ham short wave, telephones, satellite systems, and the Internet. The first amendment would be suspended. Freedom of speech and religion would not be permitted.

EO#10997: Seizure of all electrical power, fuels, including gasoline and materials.

EO#10998: Seizure of all food resources, farms and farm equipment. Anti-food hoarding regulations go into effect, all food resources to be under control of Secretary of Agriculture who could ration food.

EO#10999: Seizure of all kinds of transportation, including your personal car and control of all highways, seaports, waterways, railways, airports, and public storage facilities, empowering the Secretary of Commerce with full jurisdiction.

EO#11000: Seizure of all civilians for work under Federal supervision of the secretary of Labor, including involuntary location of workers without regard to payment or reimbursement. ( The Defense Production Act of 1950, Section 2153 of War and National Defense.)

EO#11001: Federal takeover of all health, education and welfare, including Catholic hospitals and schools and pharmaceuticals.

EO#11002: Postmaster General empowered to register every man, woman and child in the U.S.A.

EO#11003: Seizure of all aircraft and airports by the Federal Government.

EO#11004: Housing and finance authority may shift population from one locality to another. Housing could be seized.

EO#11005: Seizure of railroads, inland waterways, and storage facilities.

EO#11051: The Director of the office of Emergency Planning authorized to put Executive Orders into effect in times of increased international tension or financial crisis. He is also to perform additional functions as the President may direct.

EO#11490: Presidential control over all U.S. citizens and businesses including churches in times of emergency.

EO#11921: The Government would seize control over education, welfare, mechanisms of production and distribution, energy sources, wages, salaries, credit and the flow of money in the U.S. financial institutions and impose total censorship.

EO#13010: Directs FEMA to take control over all government agencies in time of emergency.

An Executive Order is issued by the President and appears in the Federal Register for 30 days. If there is no challenge by Congress, the order then becomes law.

Sister Lucy (Fatima Prophecy) was asked in 1946 if communism would one day rule in America. She said: "Yes". That day may be at hand as Bush who has many communist links has prepared the scene for a complete communist takeover by issuing many executive orders and combining the old orders into one big order EO#12919.

Howard J. Ruff, economist and publisher of The Ruff Times stated: " since the enactment of EO#12919, the only thing standing between us and dictatorship is the good character of the President, and the lack of a crisis severe enough that the world would stand still for it."

1/26/01
6:56:13 PM

Oppose Gale Norton and the Wise Use Agenda Date: Fri, 12 Jan 2001 From: CLEAR_View@afore.org

A special report of CLEAR, the anti-environmentalism watchdog.

** Please distribute ** ** Please distribute ** ** Please distribute **

More than 200 national, state and local groups, along with labor and civil rights leaders, have united to oppose the nomination of Colorado attorney Gale Norton for Secretary of the Interior (www.SayNoToNorton.org).

There are many reasons that Gale Norton should not serve in Interior. Most of these reasons are related to Norton's connections with and work on behalf of the anti-environmentalism movement.

CLEAR has been conducting research in Norton's wise use affiliations.

Citizens, activists, and members of the US Senate need to ask: "Will Gale Norton pursue the "Wise Use Agenda" if she is confirmed as Secretary of Interior?"

Visit -- www.presidentbushwatch.org

Gale Norton's Associations with Anti-Environmental and Wise Use Groups

Gale Norton has a long history of involvement with anti-environmental groups and the Wise Use movement. Below are descriptions of some of the groups in question, and details of her involvement with them. CLEAR is currently looking into other groups with which Norton has worked, so this list should not be considered exhaustive.

Coalition of Republican Environmental Advocates

Gale Norton was a founder and the National Chair of CREA, an "environmental" group with a highly questionable green pedigree. Republicans for Environmental Protection (REP), a group of Republicans with demonstrably good environmental records, has described CREA as "a transparent attempt to fool voters who care about environmental protection." REP's newsletter went on to say that "CREA shows no signs of being either grassroots or pro-environment. The word greenscam comes first to mind. Their enthusiasm for taxpayer- soaking corporate subsidies betrays a lack of sincerity in their alleged support for the free market." CREA positioned itself as a grassroots organization, but all evidence pointed to the contrary. CREA was, in fact, a political action committee. This was not mentioned on the CREA web site (www.gop4environment.org, now out of commission). The group has been inactive since 1998.

When the Atlanta Journal and Constitution asked Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), whom REP named "Environmental Legislator of the Year" in 1998, if he was a member of CREA, he replied, "Oh gosh, no. I belong to a respectable environmental organization." In fact, no Republicans with good environmental voting records are involved with CREA. Instead, the group's "Honorary Board Members" included Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-GA), Rep. Don Young (R-AK), Richard Pombo (R-CA), Rep. Helen Chenoweth (R-ID), Sen. Dirk Kempthorne (R-ID), Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID). These six members of Congress had a 1997 combined average League of Conservation Voters score of only 5 percent.

Also an honorary board member was Americans for Tax Reform's Grover Norquist, who was at the time a registered lobbyist for British Petroleum. According to the Christian Science Monitor, CREA's steering committee included "registered lobbyists for the petroleum, mining, auto-making, firearms and alcoholic beverage industries." CREA was funded by Coors Brewing Co., American Forest and Paper Association, the Chemical Manufacturers Association, Amoco, ARCO, Ford Motors, and similar corporations, all of which fund other anti-environmental organizations.

Defenders of Property Rights

Norton sits on the Board of Advisors of Defenders of Property Rights (DPR), a Washington-based legal foundation dedicated entirely to property rights matters, which was founded in 1991 by former Mountain States Legal Foundation staffers Roger and Nancie Marzulla. DPR is clearly excited about the prospect of Norton's confirmationÐsoon after her nomination, the group optimistically changed Norton's affiliation on its web site to "Secretary of the Interior."

DPR's primary goal has been to promote "takings" laws, which threaten to make environmental laws and regulations prohibitively expensive by requiring payments to private landowners and others who might be affected by regulations. The group litigates takings-related cases, and also lobbies for the passage of such laws at both the state and the national level. Defenders of Property Rights staffers reportedly worked, behind the scene, on the 1995 Omnibus Property Rights Bill, sponsored by Larry Craig.

Unlike most D.C.-based conservative policy organizations, DPR is also active in the more state-based Wise Use movement. The organization is a regular participant in the Alliance for America's Fly-In for Freedom. Defenders has supported Chuck "Rent-a-Riot" Cushman's private-property voter scorecard, and is involved in several other anti-environmental coalition groups, including one with the goal of dismantling the Endangered Species Act.

Since its inception, DPR has been a bridge between the activities of the sagebrush Wise Users and the Washington political set. For example, at the group's 1998 national conference, panelists included distinguished members of the conservative elite. The keynote speaker was then-Senator John Ashcroft (R-MO), who has been nominated as Attorney General by George W. Bush. Oliver North spoke on "International Issues and Property Rights," and former vice-president Dan Quayle presented DPR's "Ronald Reagan Public Service Award" to former Virginia Governor George Allen. Other speakers included Congressmen David McIntosh (R-IN) and Charles Canady (R-FL) and Bob Cole, Vice President of Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corporation.

Hoover Institution

Norton was identified as a National Fellow of the Hoover Institution in 1994. It is not clear how long before or after she held the position. The conservative think-tank, which is affiliated with Stanford University, is best known for its advocacy of the "star wars" missile defense system during the Reagan Administration, and for its anti-Communist zeal in the late 1950's. It is also involved in the anti-environmental movement, and in recent years, has been particularly aggressive in promoting the opinion that global warming does not represent an environmental problem.

One example of Hoover's anti-environmental activities was a conference on "the greening of American foreign policy," which was held at the institution in October 1998. According to Hoover, the symposium was needed because "American armed forces have become increasingly distracted by inappropriate environmental issues, including global warming and sustainable development," and "U.S. tax dollars have gone to environmental groups waging spurious economic campaigns against American companies." The conference was organized by, among others, Hoover fellow Terry Anderson, who is also executive director of the free market Political Economy Research Center in Bozeman, MT, where Gale Norton is also a fellow.

Independence Institute

Norton was a fellow of the Independence Institute until 1990, and now sits on its board of directors. Publications by the free-market Colorado think-tank have called smart growth "an elitist assault on the American Dream." Not surprisingly, the Institute supports polluter privilegeÐor "environmental self-audit"Ðlaws, which Norton has promoted, and opposes centralized planning of any kind, even for natural resources such as water.

Mountain States Legal Foundation

Norton worked in a staff position at the conservative Mountain States Legal Foundation (MSLF) between 1979 and 1983. Movement godfather, Ron Arnold, once called MSLF the "litigating arm of the Wise Use movement." MSLF was founded in 1976 and originally bankrolled by Joseph Coors, who was once called "one of the country's leading anti-environmentalists" by Reader's Digest. James Watt served as founding president before he became Reagan's controversial Secretary of the Interior. Anne Gorsuch Burford, Reagan's equally controversial Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, also worked at MSLF. Active in "Wise Use" circles from the beginning, MSLF was a sponsor of the first Wise Use leadership conference in Reno, NV in 1998 and has participated in many other Wise Use meetings over the years.

MSLF started the careers of some of the most anti-environmental attorneys in the country, including Karen Budd-Falen, who largely thought up the county supremacy argument, and Roger and Nancie Marzulla, founders of Defenders of Property Rights (where Gale Norton serves as an advisorÐsee above). The bulk of MSLF's activities have been focussed on public land litigation and on "takings" issues. In recent years, MSLF has attempted to block wildlife management plans, defended the American Farm Bureau Federation against the Department of Interior over wolf re-introduction, and defended oil and gas companies that violated EPA pollution regulations. The group also opposed President Clinton's national monument designations, represented Rep. Helen Chenoweth (R-ID) in a suit against Clinton's American Heritage Rivers Initiative, backed a suit claiming the ESA violates the Commerce Clause, and unsuccessfully challenged a voluntary climbing ban on Devil's Tower designed to protect Native American religious rites.

(CLEAR is conducting additional research on MSLF and its cases with which Norton was involved, and will release that information soon.)

Political Economy Research Center

Norton is currently a fellow at the Political Economy Research Center (PERC), which is based in Bozeman, MT. PERC bills itself as a "free market environmental think tank," which means, in practice, that it opposes most environmental regulations in favor of "market solutions." PERC has recommended weakening the Endangered Species Act and promotes "takings" legislation, among other anti-regulatory schemes.

PERC has received funding from Amoco, ARCO, the Chemical Manufacturers Association, Conoco, Eli Lilly and Co., Pfizer, and Coors. It is also supported by a long list of conservative foundations, including the JM Foundation, the Olin Foundation, the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, the Sarah Scaife Foundation, the Scaife-run Carthage Foundation, and the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation. PERC is listed as a "networking participant" in the Wise Use movement's umbrella organization, the Alliance for America. Terry Anderson of PERC was a member of George W. Bush's presidential campaign environmental advisory staff, as was Gale Norton

The Advancement of Sound Science Coalition

Norton was an Advisor to the The Advancement of Sound Science Coalition (TASSC), which was launched in 1993. Initially, TASSC's principal backer was Philip Morris, and the group presented an industry-oriented view of science-based regulations. Among its first targets were health risks from secondhand smoke (which it questioned) and other tort issues. Over time, the industry-funded group dismissed most major government environmental programs as based on "junk science."

Led by Steven Milloy, a lobbyist whose primary client was Monsanto, TASSC was little more than a corporate front group. In the five years of its existence, TASSC was run by a bare-bones staff out of the Washington, DC, offices of the public relations firm APCO and Associates. Though initially conceived as a pro-tobacco public relations vehicle, the "sound science" coalition was supported by dozens of corporations, including Exxon, Procter and Gamble, Dow, and 3M. TASSC's goal was to raise doubt in public forums about the scientific legitimacy of environmental protection. Their standard practice was issue calls for "sound science," and to decry alleged alliances between environmentalists and biased journalists.

TASSC criticized studies ranging from the quality of drinking water to pesticides in baby food, claiming that the reports were based on unscientific findings, and were merely scare tactics used by interest groups to drum up financial support. TASSC also considered global warming a farce, and opposed stricter air quality standards. In the spring of 1998, the New York Times revealed that TASSC was part of a corporate plan to pump millions of dollars into a campaign to cast doubt on global warming. TASSC faded into oblivion after September 1998, soon after the story appeared.

Washington Legal Foundation

Norton is currently on the Advisory Board of the Washington Legal Foundation (WLF). WLF is yet another pro-business, anti-regulatory legal foundation. WLF works more on business cases than those involving environmental issues, but is still a proponent of "takings" laws and other anti-regulatory schemes that favor industry profits over environmental protection.

Wise Use Leaders consider Gale Norton sympathetic to their cause

"She's been a friend to everyone (in wise-use groups) for a long, long time." ÐRon Arnold, Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise (USA Today, January 2, 2001, parentheses in original article)

"Gale Norton cares about private property, access to federal lands and multiple use of those lands for the benefit of all Americans," ÐChuck Cushman, American Land Rights Association (Sacramento Bee, January 7, 2001)

"The 'wise use' movement - industry groups and rural Americans, mostly in the West - sees a new Republican administration as presenting their best chance in eight years to open up public lands to more logging, ranching, and mining, while providing greater protections for private property." ÐChristian Science Monitor, January 8, 2001

Background on the Wise Use Movement's 25 Point Agenda

The "wise use" movement held its first national gathering in Reno, Nevada, in August 1988. The conference was organized by Ron Arnold and the Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise and was attended by almost 300 individuals and organizations. The aim of the event was to develop a strategy for promoting the unregulated use of the nation's natural resources, including public lands.

Conferees contributed suggestions that were forged into a list of the twenty-five top goals of the "wise use" movement and published in the book The Wise Use Agenda. The goals include opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil development, passing a global warming prevention bill which would allow logging of "oxygen-using" trees in established forests, property rights protection, and weakening the Endangered Species Act.

1/26/01
6:55:10 PM

The Wise Use 25 Point Agenda

Which elements of the Wise Use Agenda does Gale Norton Support?

The Wise Use Agenda, published after the 1988 wise use leadership conference delineates the following twenty-five goals of the movement:

1 Wise Use Public Education Project - Initiate a public education project to demonstrate how Wise Use of the national forests and federal lands can reduce the federal deficit.

2 Development of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge - Open ANWR for oil exploration and extraction.

3 Inholders Protection Act - Give broader property rights to inholders (persons who own land within the borders or tangent to federal or state lands).

4 Global Warming Protection Act - Increase young stands of "oxygen producing" trees by removing "oxygen-using" old growth timber in National Forests.

5 Tongass National Forest Timber Harvest Area - Increase harvesting of timber in the Tongass National Forest in Alaska.

6 National Mining System - Open all public lands, including wilderness areas and national parks, to mining and energy production.

7 Beneficial Use Water Rights Act - Assert states' sovereign rights in matters pertaining to water distribution and regulation.

8 Forest Reserves Commemoration - Commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of the Forest Reserves by calling attention to the commodity use of forests and the homestead settlement of these areas in the early years of the Service.

9 Rural Community Stability Act - Increase harvesting of trees in national forests to promote "rural, timber-dependent community stability."

10 National Timber Harvest System - Create a national timber harvesting system that allows for greater harvesting of timber on public lands.

11 National Parks Reform Act - Reorganize the National Park Service. This includes the implementation of Mission 2010, a 20-year construction program that would maximize concession stands and accommodations in national parks, remove entry limits and bring in private firms experienced in people moving, such as Walt Disney, to manage the parks.

12 Pre-Patent Protection of Pest Controls - Expand the window of time that a patent protects companies and individuals that develop new pest-control products by excluding the time spent testing the product.

13 National Rangeland Grazing System - Open all federal lands for grazing.

14 Compassionate Wilderness Policy - Open all wilderness areas to motorized wheelchair access.

15 National Industrial Policy Act - Support the enactment of an act requiring all Federal actions -- legislative and regulatory -- to include an economic impact statement.

16 Truth in Regulation Act - Require greater specificity in all costs associated with compliance with environmental regulations.

17 Property Rights Protection - Allow property owners to recover easements on property taken for railroad construction once the railroads have been abandoned.

18 Endangered Species Act Amendments - Amend and weaken the ESA to exclude "non-adaptive" and "relic species in decline before the appearance of man," such as the California Condor, and requiring cost-benefit analysis.

19 Obstructionism Liability - Require parties that challenge any development or economic action in court to post a bond equivalent to the economic benefits of the action (plus cost overruns for delay), and pay damages to the developer in the event the challenge is unsuccessful.

20 Private Rights in Federal Lands Act - Strengthen the claims to private rights on federal lands for mining, grazing, harvesting timber, etc.

21 Global Resources Wise Use Act - Calls for the adoption of a pro-industry consideration in natural resource-use decisions and for free trade measures.

22 Perfect the Wilderness Act - Change the National Wilderness Preservation System to allow for commercial uses. Reorganize areas so that some are designated for partial development while others are allowed more extensive development.

23 Standing to Sue in Defense of Industry - Allow Wise Use groups standing to sue on behalf of industries that are threatened or harmed by environmentalists.

24 National Recreation Trails Trust Act - Use monies from the federal gasoline tax to create trails for off-road motorized vehicles.

25 End the "Let It Burn" Policy - Discontinue the Forest Service's policy of allowing some naturally occurring fires to burn, and introduce an active prevention system.

**Corporations and Organizations that supported the 1988 Reno Wise Use Leadership Conference (partial listing) **

American Land Rights Association, National Inholders Association, Associated Logging Contractors of Idaho BlueRibbon Coalition California Cattlemen's Association California Chamber of Commerce California Farm Bureau California Women In Timber Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise Citizens Equal Rights Alliance; Montana Chapter Citizens for Multiple Use Columbia Gorge United Committee to Preserve Property Rights Competitive Enterprise Institute Consumer Alert; California office Council of Forest Industries Du Pont Company; Agricultural Products Dept Elko County Farm Bureau Exxon Company, U.S.A. Georgia Pacific Corp Idaho Cattle Association Louisiana Pacific Corporation Motorcycle Industry Council Mountain States Legal Foundation Multiple Use Association National Association of Mining Districts National Rifle Association North West Timber Association Northwest ATV Association Northwest Forestry Association Northwest Legal Foundation Oregon Farm Bureau Pacific Lumber Company Washington Contract Loggers Association Washington County Commission Western Forest Industries Association Willamette Forestry Council Yakima Valley Dust Dodgers Motorcycle Club

Research provided by CLEAR. Contact CLEAR: Daniel Barry, daniel.barry@mindspring.com, 202-291-7515 Emily Headen, eheaden@earthlink.net, 503-236-8788

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< Alert: Bush Plans Roll-Back of Clinton Initiatives | Alert: Clinton Won't Designate ANWR Monument >

1/26/01
6:00:50 PM

More Eco News Stories:

USE 40% LESS FUEL BY PURCHASING ON THE INTERNET!

Consumers will save a significant amount of energy if they do their holiday shopping on-line, according to an analysis from Purchasing a present online uses 40 percent less fuel than driving to the mall, and an average book on a retail shelf uses 16 times more energy for heating, cooling and lighting than one waiting in a warehouse. Maximize benefits are possible if consumers order before the last minute, since slower delivery means bigger energy savings.

ENERGY CRISIS AFFECTS SNAKE RIVER DAM PROPOSAL

Nevertheless, conservation groups maintain that the energy crisis does not dim their current proposal to remove the four Lower Snake River dams in order to recover endangered salmon populations. For more information click here.

ECO-WARRIORS WAGE STEALTH CAMPAIGN; MONKEY WRENCHING ALIVE & WELL!

They work by night, with stealth, burning construction sites, dumping sand in bulldozers' gasoline tanks, freeing mink from cages and wild horses from corrals, all - as one of their manifestoes puts it - "to inflict economic sabotage on Earth-rapers." For more information click here.

REAL GOODS DEMO HOME FOR SALE

We must sell our beautiful rammed earth contractor built "Real Goods" demo home. Rammed earth contractor built "Real Goods" demo home on 40 fenced acres, 10 minutes from downtown Bisbee, Arizona. 2043 sq. ft, 3 bedroom, 2 bath home with incredible kitchen, features active and passive Real Goods solar system, well, septic, no power lines. Two phone lines and satellite system, woodstove, claw foot buts, Mexican tile floors, portico with fountain, Sunfrost refrigerator, Staber wash machine, propane store, Honda 6500 Generator included. Basketball court and bocci court, fenced garden with raised beds, fruit trees. Great for kids, horses or retirement. Million dollar views. Great investment. To see virtual tour click here. Appraised at $188,000 and motivated to sell.

Sloane Bouchever Email: sbouchever@authorize.net Office Number: 801.437.0495

OPPOSE BUSH'S ANTI-ENVIRONMENTAL APPOINTEE FOR SEC. OF INTERIOR, GALE NORTON

President George W. Bush has announced his nomination of Gale Norton to head the Department of the Interior, the federal agency that directs the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Indian Affairs. Unfortunately, Gale Norton's history illustrates a sore lack of commitment to the protection of natural resources. Instead, her record seems to privilege resource exploitation for business gain.

Join the thousands upon thousands of Americans who are speaking out against this worrisome nomination! To send an instant letter to the key Senate committee click here.

HONOR DAVID BROWER'S WORK TO PROTECT GRAND CANYON AND THE COLORADO RIVER

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WORLDWATCH INSTITUTE: POLITICAL WILL TO SAVE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL FALTERING...

Signs of "accelerated ecological decline" and a loss of political momentum on environmental issues are emerging simultaneously, according to State of the World 2001, issued by the Worldwatch Institute, a Washington based research organization. For full text and graphics click here.

1/26/01
5:59:37 PM

Eco News Stories:

CLINTON'S OUTGOING BUDGET EARMARKS BILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR RENEWABLES

Outgoing U.S. President Bill Clinton is pleased with last week's agreement on the federal budget that includes $1.2 billion to support renewable energy technology and energy efficient products. The budget provides an increase of $6.5 billion for Education and $9 billion more to Health. An increase of 13 percent was provided for climate change activities to supports research, development, and deployment of solar and renewable energy technology and energy efficient products.

PHOTOVOLTAICS TO BE FASTEST GROWING SOURCE OF ELECTRICITY

Solar photovoltaic will be the fastest growing source of electricity generation in the U.S. for the next 20 years, according to government data. The use of solar PV to generate power will grow by more than 19 percent per year until 2020, while wind will grow at an annual pace of 3.9 percent, and grid-connected solar thermal will grow at 1.7 percent a year. Conventional hydroelectric dams will remain static for the next 20 years, while geothermal will grow at 2.1 percent each year. MSW will expand at 2.9 percent and biomass will grow at 2.2 percent.

CAN A METEORITE HEAT STOCKHOLM?

Sweden will spend $775,000 to see if a meteorite crater can heat the city of Stockholm. The meteorite hit near Lake Mälaren, creating a 10-km crater and 250 km3 of crushed rock. The fragmented bedrock has a porosity that is ten times greater than normal and the temperature rises 15ºC for every kilometer of depth. The area could contain sufficient heat to provide 70 percent of the energy in Stockholm on a sustainable basis. STEM will fund 7 million kronor to study the crater and the potential for geothermal recovery, and the structure's suitability as a heat exchanger.

HOW DANGEROUS ARE WIND GENERATORS TO THE BIRD POPULATION?

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I WANT MY ZEV

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1/26/01
5:59:01 PM

How Much Does It Cost to Run Your Home Appliances?

Based upon a $0.10 per kWh charge for electricity, here is what some of your home appliances cost to run:

Hair dryer - 1 cent per 5-minute use Portable Heater - 9 to 18 cents per hour Incandescent light bulb, 100 watts - 1 cent per hour Equivalent compact fluorescent bulb (27W) - 1 cent for four hours Window Air Conditioner - 9 to 28 cents per hour Color TV - 1 to 5 cents per hour Personal computer - 1 to 2 cents per hour Vacuum cleaner - 5 to 9 cents per hour Microwave oven - 1 to 3 cents per 10 minutes Electric oven - 30 to 60 cents per hour Electric Rangetop Burner - 7 to 30 cents per hour Gas oven - 5 to 11 cents per hour Gas rangetop burner - 4 to 8 cents per hour Dishwasher - 8 to 9 cents per load Electricity for washing machine water - 37 cents per load Gas for washing machine water - 10 cents per load Refrigerator (frost free): 16 cu. Ft: $10 - $18 per month 20 cu. Ft: $12 - $22 per month Freezer - $15 to $30 per month Gas furnace for 2,000 sq. ft home - $41 to $200 or more per month Electric Water heater - $20 to $70 per month Gas water heater - $7 to $19 per month

1/26/01
5:57:59 PM

Environmental news from GRIST MAGAZINE

<http://www.gristmagazine.com>

DID YOU EVER KNOW THAT WE'RE YOUR HERO? -- only two more days to vote for Grist (please) in this contest for "new media hero" <http://www.alternet.org/heroes/>

1. STIFF AS A BOARD Withstanding pressure from automakers, air quality officials in California voted 9-0 yesterday to move forward with a mandate requiring that 3 million electric and low-polluting vehicles be sold in the state over the next decade. The vote by the California Air Resources Board automatically triggers similar mandates in Vermont, Massachusetts, and New York, and affects six of the largest auto manufacturers -- DaimlerChrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Nissan, and Toyoto. The mandate is far less progressive than what was originally proposed 10 years ago, requiring more low-polluting vehicles on balance and fewer zero-emissions vehicles. Still, enviros were pretty dang pleased with yesterday's outcome.

straight to the source: Los Angeles Times, Gary Polakovic, 26 Jan 2001 <http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environ/20010126/t000007610.html>

straight to the source: San Francisco Chronicle, Robert Salladay, 26 Jan 2001 <http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/200 1/01/26/MN184838.DTL>

do good: Take action and tell Detroit you want eco-friendly cars <http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/dogood/autos.stm>

2. EL NINO -- AND EL OTHER NINO In its first move on global warming, the Bush administration has asked that the next international summit on climate change be delayed two months. When talks to hammer out the details of the Kyoto treaty collapsed last November at The Hague, Netherlands, the chair of the talks, Jan Pronk, scheduled another session for this May. But U.S. State Department spokesperson Richard Boucher said this week that the Bush administration needs more time to undertake a "thorough look at the U.S. policy on climate change." As a candidate, President Bush made clear that he didn't support Kyoto, although he wouldn't fully discount the possibility that global warming was occurring. Meanwhile, a study published today in the journal Science suggests that rising greenhouse gas levels might bring about more destructive weather patterns by intensifying the effects of El Nino and La Nina.

straight to the source: MSNBC, 25 Jan 2001 <http://www.msnbc.com/news/481170.asp>

straight to the source: New York Times, Andrew C. Revkin, 26 Jan 2001 <http://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/26/science/26CLIM.html>

read it only in Grist Magazine: Bill McKibben's five-part series live from The Hague on the failed climate change talks <http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/maindish/mckibben111700.stm>

3. RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE Betty Krawczyk, a 73-year-old great-grandmother, romance writer, and hero to many Canadian environmentalists, was released from jail yesterday, after a judge ruled that she had served enough of her year-long sentence for protesting old-growth logging in the Elaho Valley in British Columbia. Krawczyk began serving her jail term four months ago just as five loggers were given only suspended sentences for assaulting a protest camp in the valley. Krawczyk, who is a member of the group Raging Grannies, said yesterday that when she blockaded logging roads to protect trees, "it affirmed human values over the profit motive and that's considered far more dangerous by corporations and governments." On a related note, check out the diary entries this week on the Grist Magazine website by Susan Tixier of the enviro group Great Old Broads.

straight to the source: Ottawa Citizen, Greg Joyce, 26 Jan 2001 <http://www.southam.com/ottawacitizen/newsnow/cpfs/national/010125/n01 25102.htm>

straight to the source: Toronto Globe and Mail, Caroline Alphonso, 26 Jan 2001 <http://www.globeandmail.com/gam/Environment/20010126/UGRANN.html>

read it only in Grist Magazine: A week in the life of Susan Tixier of Great Old Broads for Wilderness <http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/week/tixier012201.stm>

4. TRENT WARFARE U.S. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) has promised Alaska Sen. Frank Murkowski (R) that his energy bill, which is backed by oil interests, will be one of the first five bills introduced in the Senate this year. A draft of the bill proposes more drilling for oil and gas on federal lands, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, as well as millions of dollars to revive nuclear power as a major energy source. Murkowski said, "Consumers want power. New power plants have to be built." The draft also includes some incentives for conservation and renewable energy. In times like these, where won't oil drilling occur? Maybe, Florida? Jeb Bush (R), the state's governor and baby brother to the president, sent a letter this week to the Interior Department opposing oil drilling off Florida's coast.

straight to the source: Portland Oregonian, Tom Detzel, 25 Jan 2001 <http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf?/news/oregonian/01/01/wr_51e nerg25.frame>

straight to the source: Las Vegas Review-Journal, Steve Tetreault, 25 Jan 2001 <http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/Jan-25-Thu-2001/news/15307680.html>

straight to the source: St. Petersburg Times, Julie Hauserman, 25 Jan 2001 <http://www.sptimes.com/News/012501/State/Don_t_drill_here__Gov.shtml>

5. BIG YAK ATTACK A ragtag group of about two dozen men fighting to stop poaching of the Tibetan antelope in China was forced to disband this month. Leaders of the China's Wild Yak Brigade were told to take county jobs, and other members were offered jobs with the government's less-experienced anti-poaching program. The antelope, whose fine wool is smuggled out of China to make expensive shahtoosh shawls sold in the West, live in the Kekexili wilderness. With very limited resources, the brigade over eight years uncovered nearly 100 poaching operations and confiscated more than 8,600 antelope pelts, winning an international following in the process. Two of the brigade's leaders were killed for the cause. Poachers seem to be winning the battle, however: Eight years ago, some 200,000 roamed the wilderness, but only 30,000 now remain.

straight to the source: Los Angeles Times, Chin-Ching Ni, 26 Jan 2001 <http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environ/20010126/t000007616.html>

Also in GRIST MAGAZINE today:

Electric slide -- deregulation in California didn't help consumers, or the environment -- by Donella Meadows <http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/citizen/citizen012201.stm>

Reality TV bites -- the latest in the comic adventures of Zed, the last of his species <http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/zed/zed011901.stm>

Finders, keepers -- this Georgia riverkeeper has a red neck and a green heart -- in our Out on a Limb column <http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/limb/limb072700.stm>

1/26/01
5:56:50 PM

World Wildlife Fund

Oil Spill Threatens Fragile Ecosystem

One of the worst man-made disasters ever to affect the Galapagosstruck last week, when the Ecuadorian tanker Jessica began spilling about 185,000 gallons of fuel off the island of San Cristobal. At risk are species such as sea lions, pelicans and blue-footed boobies. Some of these species are found no where else on earth.

World Wildlife Fund responded immediately with an emergency contribution of $100,000 and an on-site response team to help with clean-up efforts on the Islands in the wake of this disaster.

Click below to make a special contribution to help fund emergency clean-up efforts and preserve this ecological treasure:

http://Worldwildlife.bfi0.com/X0RT07DD7A4C3B21FE4A

WWF has funded conservation programs on the Galapagos Islands for four decades working closely with research and park service staff. We are committed to continuing our efforts to protect one of the most important and diverse ecosystems on earth. For press releases, background information, a special Galapagos slideshow, and other ways you can help save this unique place, please visit our special web site at:

http://Worldwildlife.bfi0.com/X0RT07DD7A4F3B21FE4A

or call 1-800-207-7346.

Thank you for your support.

1/26/01
5:56:01 PM

EcoNet News

This Week's Headlines and Alerts from EcoNet

EcoNet Alerts: January 26, 2001

Insist Bush Maintain Roadless Forest Protection

Please send a greeting to America's new President, and insist upon protection for America's last great natural landscapes. Read More... http://headlines.igc.apc.org:8080/enalerts/980465992/index_html

Wise Use Group Targets RAN with Attack Website

Though they are not honorable enough to list their own names, "The Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise," a Wise Use group out of Bellevue, WA has made a website that attacks Rainforest Action Network and our campaigns to protect forests, support the rights of indigenous people and confront corporate globalization. Read More... http://headlines.igc.apc.org:8080/enalerts/980466200/index_html

EcoNet Headlines: January 26, 2001

Bush Blocks Clinton's Eleventh-Hour Environmental Initiatives

President George W. Bush on Saturday moved quickly to block the implementation of a host of environmental protection initiatives that had been put in place during the waning days and weeks of the former Clinton/Gore administration. Read More... http://headlines.igc.apc.org:8080/enheadlines/980467041/index_html

Bush's Ties to Monsanto

One way conspiracy buffs can get a handle on the new Bush administration is by examining the many ties between the president's team and Monsanto, the big Missouri chemical company that promotes genetically engineered foods. Read More... http://headlines.igc.apc.org:8080/enheadlines/980467213/index_html

Native Groups Oppose Norton Nomination

American Indian and Alaska Native groups from Alaska, Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota, Washington and California announce their opposition to the nomination of Gale Norton as Secretary of Interior. Read More... http://headlines.igc.apc.org:8080/enheadlines/980467481/index_html

Brazil Will Not Let Amazon Become a "Sanctuary"

The government of Brazil is poised to unleash a surge of infrastructure development across the Amazon that will threaten this huge ecosystem's very existence, along with global planetary sustainability. Read More... http://headlines.igc.apc.org:8080/enheadlines/980467671/index_html

Plutonium Importer Admits MOX Plan Could Be Scrapped

The shipment of plutonium MOX fuel, enroute to Japan from France, should be abandoned, Greenpeace said today, following an announcement by the Japanese power company importing the fuel, that it would scrap the programme if a majority of residents living near the nuclear plant are against it. Read More... http://headlines.igc.apc.org:8080/enheadlines/980467846/index_html

Alaska's Spreading Oil Fields under New Scrutiny

Critics have long charged that government agencies allow new oil drilling without considering cumulative effects of past development on the land, water, wildlife and people of the Minnesota-sized North Slope Borough. Now a scientific committee has launched a study of just that. Read More... http://headlines.igc.apc.org:8080/enheadlines/980468018/index_html

Shell in Court over Pakistan Park Scandal

Environmentalists in Pakistan are taking Shell, the giant oil multinational, to court in Karachi today (Wednesday 24) over its plans to drill for oil in one of most beautiful and precious areas of Pakistan. Read More... http://headlines.igc.apc.org:8080/enheadlines/980468210/index_html

Colombia Abandons Research on Biological Agents for Drug Eradication

Colombia has abandoned a project to develop biological agents to eradicate coca and opium poppy plants, dealing another major defeat to the US-promoted idea to use biological weapons in the Drug War. Read More... http://headlines.igc.apc.org:8080/enheadlines/980468343/index_html

WTO Meeting: Will Protests Be Allowed?

The World Trade Organization has indicated that it will hold its next ministerial meeting at the beginning of November in Qatar. This has prompted objections from human rights groups and critics of the WTO concerned that Qatar will not allow protests. Read More... http://headlines.igc.apc.org:8080/enheadlines/980468512/index_html

NAFTA Panel Rules on Authority to Accept Amicus Briefs

The North American environmental community is celebrating following a 16 January preliminary ruling by a NAFTA tribunal on the Methanex-US case. Read More...

http://headlines.igc.apc.org:8080/enheadlines/980468908/index_html

1/26/01
4:51:28 PM

Bogus FDA Feed Ban

Sandra Blakeslee of the New York Times reported on Jan. 11 that the US Food and Drug Administration's supposed 1997 ban on feeding rendered animal protein to cows and other ruminant animals is full of loopholes, and moreover that the so-called ban is not being enforced among the thousands of companies involved in the $3.2 billion dollar rendering industry and the $20 billion dollar animal feed industry. As Blakeslee wrote: "Among 180 large companies that render cattle and another ruminant, sheep, nearly a quarter were not properly labeling their products and did not have a system to prevent commingling, the FDA said. And among 347 FDA-licensed feed mills that handle ruminant materials--these tend to be large operators that mix drugs into their products--20 percent were not using labels with the required caution statement, and 25 percent did not have a system to prevent commingling. Then there are some 6,000 to 8,000 feed mills so small they do not require FDA licenses. They are nonetheless subject to the regulations, and of 1,593 small feed producers that handle ruminant material and have been inspected, 40 percent were not using approved labels and 25 percent had no system in place to prevent commingling."

In other words millions of US cows, sheep, game farm deer and elk, and pigs (pigs and cow's blood were inexplicably exempted in the so-called FDA feed ban of 1997), not to mention household pets, are still being fed billions of pounds of animal feed or pet food containing meat and offal from ruminant animals--despite the obvious danger to human and animal health and despite the fact that the FDA and the USDA for the past three years have been reassuring the public that this was no longer happening. But the story gets scarier. In the Times on the front page of the Sunday Jan. 14 edition, (tucked under a misleading headline "Stringent Steps Taken by US on Cow Illness") Blakeslee drops the bombshell. Not only has the US Mad Cow feed ban been a joke, but apparently US feed companies, pet food companies, pharmaceutical firms, and nutritional supplement manufacturers have been carrying on with business as usual by importing large quantities of possibly contaminated bovine parts and rendered animal protein--no doubt at bargain basement prices--in 1989 and 1997. It appears that the same thing that has European consumers' blood boiling, that their government and industry stupidly or greedily imported tons of likely contaminated rendered animal protein from Britain since 1989 has also been happening in the United States, and likely other nations as well. After British authorities made it illegal to feed rendered animal protein to ruminant animals in their own country, the UK feed industry simply sold it overseas.

As Blakeslee states, quoting from export records, "British export statistics show that 20 tons of 'meals of meat or offal' that were 'unfit for human consumption' and probably intended for animals were sent to the United States in 1989. And 37 tons were exported to the US in 1997, well after the government banned imports of such risky meat." Blakeslee goes on to point out what BioDemocracy News and other critics of industrial agriculture have been saying for years, that even if the US hadn't been importing 57 thousand tons or more of suspect British offal in the 1990s, there is mounting evidence that US rendered animal protein and bovine, sheep, deer, and elk parts are themselves likely carriers of BSE and other Mad Cow-like diseases. As Blakeslee relates, scientists have generally agreed that BSE or BSE-like diseases "spontaneously" appear in "one out of every million humans, cows, sheep and many other mammals.

"Since 36 million cattle are slaughtered annually in the United States, about 36 cows spontaneously infected with mad cow disease could be entering the nation's food chain each year." Thirty-six domestic US Mad Cows a year being ground up and fed back to other animals may not sound that alarming until you consider the fact that an average cow, pig, chicken, game farm deer, elk, fish farm fish, or household cat and dog--because of the commingling of many different animals' body parts at the rendering plant and the feed mill--will be consuming the body parts of literally thousands of different animals in their feed over their lifetime.

Mad Sheep, Deer, & Elk

And in fact the story gets worse. Scrapie or Mad Sheep Disease has been endemic in US sheep herds since 1947, and the government has done little or nothing to eradicate it. Significant numbers of scrapie-infected sheep have undoubtedly been ground up every year and fed back to other animals. In addition the US currently has a raging epidemic of Mad Deer Disease and Mad Elk Disease (technically called Chronic Wasting Disease) in parts of Colorado and Wyoming. There are already several documented cases of young deer hunters in their 20s and 30s dying from CJD, the human equivalent of Mad Cow. Mad Elk Disease has recently spread into Saskatchewan, unnerving elk ranchers and the nutritional supplements industry, who sell three billion dollars worth of supplements each year (mainly to Asia) made from elk antlers.

Consider the fact that at the height of the first Mad Cow crisis in Britain 1-2% of all cows were being diagnosed with BSE, while the Times reports that up to 18% of mule-tail deer in the Fort Collins area of Colorado are now carriers of Chronic Wasting Disease. Hunters that kill deer in Colorado are required to turn in the heads of these animals so that they can be tested for CWD or Mad Deer Disease. Officials tell hunters not to eat the meat of infected animals, (lab tests can take as long as six weeks) but have stubbornly refused to ban hunting or eating venison, despite calls from consumer groups such as the Center for Food Safety and the Organic Consumers Association to do so. Meanwhile several million people are eating venison and venison sausage every year in the US, while several million more in the US and overseas are taking "glandular supplements" or body-building hormones which contain concentrated brain and pituitary material from US, British, and European cows. For the full Jan. 14 Blakeslee article see http://www.purefood.org/meat/madcowexplosive.cfm

Another FDA Ban?

The FDA warned US drug companies, cosmetic companies, and nutritional supplements firms Dec. 6 to stop using European bovine parts in most of their products as of Jan. 1. It may already be too late. As Blakeslee points out, even this ban--assuming it actually gets enforced--still has loopholes. As she writes, nutritional supplements "must have labels listing ingredients like bovine pituitaries and adrenals, but manufacturers are not required to list the country of origin. Other beef byproducts that are still allowed in the country include milk, blood, fat, gelatin, tallow, bone mineral extracts, collagen, semen, amniotic fluid, serum albumin and other parts of European cattle that are widely used in vaccines and medicines."

For more information on Mad Cow and Mad Cow-like diseases see our website http://www.organicconsumers.org as well as the following sites http://www.prwatch.org http://www.mad-cow.org

The best book on the threat of Mad Cow in the US is the book by John Stauber and Sheldon Rampton called Mad Cow USA: Could the Nightmare Happen Here? You can order hardback copies of the book from the Organic Consumers Association for only $10 (this includes shipping). Or you can access the entire book for free on the internet by going to the excellent website of the Center for Media and Democracy http://www.prwatch.org

America and the world's 50-year experiment with chemical-intensive industrial agriculture and genetic engineering may soon be moving into its final, terminal stage. Mad Cow Disease and the growing global opposition to factory farming and genetic engineering may turn out to the harbingers of a new era of sustainable living and organic agriculture. One can only hope that we make the necessary transition to organic farming and ban the most dangerous practices of genetic engineering and industrial food production before it is too late. In the meantime, stay tuned to BioDemocracy News and the Organic Consumers Association website http://www.organicconsumers.org for the latest news and analysis.

By the way you can still get to the OCA website by going to http://www.purefood.org

We're now using http://www.organicconsumers.org as our primary internet address simply because our adversaries have set up a counterfeit internet site, filled with lies and industry propaganda, at http://www.purefoods.org

Take a look at this site if you want to see what we're up against. Keep in mind, however, that the "Bad Guys" wouldn't be doing this except for the fact that we're winning the battle.

1/26/01
4:47:30 PM

Hello everyone

For a long time I've suspected that the same greed and stupidity that led to the onset of the Mad Cow disease in Britain and Europe have been at play here as well in North America. Well, the evidence is now in that such was the case (see Bogus FDA Feed Ban below). If you are a meat-eater - especially of beef - the risks are great that you have already contracted this slow-developing, debilitating and deadly disease - if you are not also already having cardio-vascular problems because of the high-fat content of most kinds of meat anyway.

If tampering with the genetic code of food plants to make them resistant to higher doses of herbicides (73% of GE crops were modified solely for herbicide tolerance in 2000) so as to make more profits; systemically adding antibiotics to most animal feeds so as to make more profits; poisoning our land, air and water supply with a toxic brew of chemical herbicides and pesticides so as to make more profits, irradiating a growing number of foodstuff to make them last longer so as to make more profits; polluting our atmosphere with greenhouse gases while shipping hundreds or thousands of miles/kilometers away foodstuff grown in countries with low wages and lax environmental regulations so as to make more profits; disseminating ozone-depleting chemicals through fertilizers used to make plants grow bigger and faster so as to make more profits; adding neurotoxic chemicals such as aspartame and a loooong list of other carcinogenic food additives to most foodstuff sold in supermarkets so as to make more profits; processing food beyong recognition, packaging it in lots of chemically-leeching plastics and wasteful cardboard boxes and all kinds of bottles filling up dumps and spoiling beaches and nature all over the world so as to make more profits; overfishing and strip-mining all the oceans with huge trawler fleets and mile-long drifting nets so as to make more profits; using an enormous percentage of our dwingling world supply of grains (worldwide reserves of grain are now at an all-time low level) to feed livestock and wasting in the process 60 to 90% of the proteins that could be fed directly to humans, especially poor people dying of hunger by the millions so as to make more profits; ------ if all these insults to our bodies and our planet were not enough, and I'm certainly forgetting lots of other for-profit schemes in this list -- think for instance about the deaths caused by the E-Coli bacteria found in ground beef; think about the vast tracks of land in national parks damaged by the hoofs of grazing cattles; think about the tremendous polluting load of millions of tons of manure both solid and liquid from livestock around the world - and the *stench* in so many rural areas!!; think about the horrendous conditions in which so many industrial farm animal live and die; think about the millions of acres of rainforest burned and transformed into pastures to raise beef for fast-food restaurants; and the list goes on and on endlessly!!! -- now ON TOP OF ALL THAT we must contend with the knowledge that the multinational corporations, their governmental accomplices and the handful of individuals that want to run most of this world and profit from us have allowed contaminated bovine parts - euphemistically called "rendered animal protein" -- not to mention the body parts of cows, pigs, chickens, sheeps with the Mad Sheep Disease or even household cats and dogs, all "commingled" together at the rendering plants and the feed mills -- to make their way, directly or indirectly, for years into your plate and your stomach... if you are a North American beef-eater.

Personally, I prefer to organically grow most of my own vegetables, buy as much organic food as possible, avoid beef entirely and eat other kinds of meat and fish only very occasionally as I've done for the last 20 years. It is a small contribution to the health of the planet - and mine as well! - but at least I feel I contribute to the solution instead of compounding the problem.

How about you?

Jean Hudon Earth Rainbow Network Coordinator http://www.cybernaute.com/earthconcert2000

P.S. If you need more clear-cut reasons to quit eating beef and lower your meat intake in general, read the eye-opening facts (A MUST!!) from the book "Diet For A New America" at http://www.muzanji.com/jrobbins/

See the Far-Reaching Consequences of Meat and Dairy - another *MUST READ* and a book review of Diet For A New America at http://www.hacres.com/html/newamer.html

Visit the Vegan site at http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan/

1/26/01
4:37:43 PM

ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS) http://ens-news.com

"We Cover the Earth For You"

ONE MILLION SALVADOREANS TOUCHED BY QUAKE

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, January 25, 2001 (ENS) - More than one million people have been directly affected by the earthquake that rocked El Salvador on January 13, according to the latest assessment by the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens-news.com/ens/jan2001/2001L-01-25-04.html

NATO SAYS NO LINK BETWEEN DEPLETED URANIUM, CANCER

BRUSSELS, Belgium, January 25, 2001 (ENS) - There is no link between the depleted uranium munitions used in the NATO led Balkans wars and the rash of cancers that have been reported by soldiers who fought in the conflicts, according to the chairman of a multinational committee convened to study the matter.

For full text and graphics, visit: http://www.ens.lycos.com/ens/jan2001/2001L-01-25-15.html

LONDON TURNS RISING GROUNDWATER INTO LIQUID ASSET

LONDON, United Kingdom, January 25, 2001 (ENS) - Engineers are finding innovative uses for London's rising groundwaters, including filling lakes at Buckingham Palace.

For full text and graphics, visit: http://ens-news.com/ens/jan2001/2001L-01-25-10.html

U.S. REQUESTS FURTHER DELAY IN CLIMATE TALKS

WASHINGTON, DC, January 25, 2001 (ENS) - The United States has asked for a further delay before formal negotiations restart on the ground rules for implementing the United Nations Kyoto Protocol governing greenhouse gas emissions.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens-news.com/ens/jan2001/2001L-01-25-05.html

MEDICAL REPORT FINDS BIOTECH FOODS SAFE ... SO FAR

WASHINGTON, DC, January 25, 2001 (ENS) - No long term health effects have been detected from the use of transgenic crops and genetically modified foods, says a report by the scientific council of the American Medical Association. The report also concludes that bioengineered foods are "substantially equivalent" to their conventional counterparts.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jan2001/2001L-01-25-06.html

MOUNTAIN GORILLA GROUP GROWS DESPITE 10 YEARS OF WAR

NAIROBI, Kenya, January 25, 2001 (ENS) - Conservationists and park officials have managed to protect the Virunga population of highly endangered mountain gorillas despite the armed conflict in and around their habitat - the mountains where Congo-Kinshasa meets Rwanda and Uganda.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens-news.com/ens/jan2001/2001L-01-25-01.html

TURKEY'S GULF OF IZMIT AWASH WITH DEAD FISH

By Jon Gorvett

ISTANBUL, Turkey, January 25, 2001 (ENS) Turkey's Gulf of Izmit, just south of Istanbul, became the focus of environmental concern this week, as Greenpeace activists launched a protest while scientists argued over just why the Gulf has been filling up with dead fish.

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens-news.com/ens/jan2001/2001L-01-25-02.html

ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: JANUARY 25, 2001

Bush Cabinet Nominees Advance Through Senate

Mayors Urge America to Cut Energy Use

500th Chemical Safety Test Published

Golden Eaglets Trapping Wins Tentative Approval

Forest Activists Sentenced for Logging Protests

Los Alamos National Lab Cited For Safety Violations

New Wildlife Refuge Proposed in Northwestern Kentucky

Michigan Fisheries Trust Could Be National Model

Boy Scout Rings May Contain Deadly Metal

For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jan2001/2001L-01-25-09.html

SEND NEWS STORY TIPS TO news@ens-news.com

TO ENVIRONMENTAL EDITORS:

Audubon of Florida and Orlando Sentinel Launch "Eagle Watch 2001" Live online video view of an active Florida Bald Eagle's nest

MIAMI, FL, Jan. 25 -/E-Wire/-- Audubon of Florida and the Orlando Sentinel launched "Eagle Watch 2001" on (Monday, January 22) at 1:00 p.m., a live online video view into an active Florida Bald Eagle nest. Internet users can watch the phenomenal growth of two recently hatched eaglets, which are less than a week old. The site can be reached by linking from "EagleWatch" on the Orlando Sentinel home page www.orlandosentinel.com.

/CONTACT: Resee Collins (407) 644-0190, Irela M. Bague (305) 371-6399/

/Web site: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/

For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Jan01/25Jan0103.html

TO FOREIGN, BUSINESS AND ENVIRONMENT EDITORS:

William McDonough, Internationally Recognized Expert on Sustainable Design Charts Earth-Friendly Path for Business Productivity and Profit at The World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland

WASHINGTON, DC, Jan. 25, -/E-Wire/-- William McDonough, internationally acclaimed architect and designer, was named "Hero of the Planet" by TIME and "Designer of the Year" by Interiors magazine. President Clinton awarded McDonough the Presidential Award for Sustainable Development, the nation's highest environmental honor, and his architectural firm twice won Business Week/Architectural Record awards for corporate design profitability and effectiveness.

/CONTACT: Katherine Christie/Global Communicators - 202-371-9600 - e-mail: kc@globalcommunicators.com/

For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Jan01/25Jan0106.html

TO BUSINESS AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDITORS:

IBR Appoints New VP Operations & Engineering

VANCOUVER, BC, Jan 25 -/E-Wire/-- International Bio-Recovery Corporation (IBR) is pleased to announce that Scott Curry, P.Eng. has joined the management team of the Company as Vice President, Operations and Engineering.

/CONTACT: Ross MacLachlan, ross@ibrcorp.com Daniela Louie, dlouie@ibrcorp.com Director of Corporate Communications Communications & Investor Relations International Bio Recovery Corporation Tel: (604) 924-1023, Fax: (604) 924-1043, 52 Riverside Drive, North Vancouver BC, Canada V7H 1T4/

/Web site: http://www.ibrcorp.com/

For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Jan01/25Jan0105.html

TO BUSINESS, ENVIRONMENTAL AND SCIENCE EDITORS:

Garden State Labs Earns NELAP Accreditation

HILLSIDE, N.J., Jan. 25 -/E-Wire/-- Garden State Laboratories, Inc. of Hillside, NJ is proud to announce that it is in the first class of laboratories accredited under the new National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (NELAP) sponsored by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

/CONTACT: Harvey Klein, M.S. Laboratory Director, 800-273-8901, hklein@gslabs.com, for Garden State Laboratories, Inc./

/Web site: http://www.gslabs.com/

For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Jan01/25Jan0104.html

TO AUTO, BUSINESS AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDITORS:

Environmental Issues Take Center Stage with CarTrackers.com Redesign

FREMONT, Calif., Jan. 25 -/E-Wire/-- CarTrackers.com, (http://www.cartrackers.com), one of the largest and most influential automotive content destinations on the Internet, has introduced the first comprehensive automotive environmental sector available to consumers online. "Think Green is an engaging, organized approach to the environmental issues affecting consumers and the automotive industry, forming an integral part of the redesigned CarTrackers.com," says Jeff Voth, President. "With its dynamic information, extensive library of terms, images and reviews, consumers will appreciate the usefulness and visual appeal of Think Green."

/CONTACT: Jeff Voth, president of CarTrackers.com, 905-704-1140, ext. 34, fax, 905-704-0230, or e-mail, jeff@cartrackers.com/

/Web site: http://www.cartrackers.com/

For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Jan01/25Jan0102.html

TO ENVIRONMENTAL EDITOR:

More Galapagos Islands Under Threat From Oil Slick - IFAW Team Sets Up Centres To Help At Risk Wildlife

SANTA CRUZ ISLAND, Galapagos, Jan. 25 -/E-Wire/-- The oil slick from the sunken oil carrier Jessica is reported today (January 25) to be spreading north and putting wildlife on more of the Galapagos Islands under threat.

/CONTACT: Simon Pope of IFAW UK, +44 (207) 587-6714 or +44 (207) 703-3655 or +44 (7801) 613-527 or Christopher Bailey of IFAW U.S., 508-744-2069 or 508-737-6677/

/Web site: http://www.ifaw.org/

For Full Text Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Jan01/25Jan0101.html

SEND YOUR PRESS RELEASE ON E-WIRE -- 1-888-764-NEWS

1/26/01
4:32:36 PM

NATO Says No Link Between Depleted Uranium, Cancer

BRUSSELS, Belgium, January 25, 2001 (ENS) - There is no link between the depleted uranium munitions used in the NATO led Balkans wars and the rash of cancers that have been reported by soldiers who fought in the conflicts, according to the chairman of a multinational committee convened to study the matter.

Daniel Speckhard, the U.S. Ambassador to Belarus and the chairman of NATO's ad hoc committee on depleted uranium (DU), said Wednesday that "based on the data today, no link has been established between depleted uranium and any forms of cancer."

"To date, no nation has found evidence of an increase in incidence of illness among peacekeepers [who served] in the Balkans compared with the incidence of illness among armed forces not serving in the Balkans," Speckhard said at a news conference. "None of the nations reported finding a link between health complaints of personnel employed in the Balkans and depleted uranium munitions."

NATO Spokesman Mark Laity, third from left, discusses the possible health effects of depleted uranium with several military experts at a recent news conference in Brussels, Belgium (Photo courtesy NATO) Speckhard's committee, which represents about 50 nations, was formed earlier this month to investigate the alleged link between the adverse health effects that have been reported by NATO soldiers and the DU munitions that were used in the wars waged in Bosnia, Herzegovina and Kosovo. Speckhard said on Wednesday that the committee intends to bring "maximum transparency" to the inquiry, which he said was undertaken to ensure that there is "no health risk to our troops or civilians in the Balkans" as a result of the DU munitions used there.

The United States and a host of other allied nations have for years supplied their armed forces with machine gun rounds and rocket like projectiles tipped with depleted uranium, which by definition contains statistically insignificant amounts of radioactivity. The Pentagon and NATO both maintain that DU munitions are essential war fighting tools, because of their ability to pierce through armor plated tanks and other heavily defended targets.

Depleted uranium munitions are effective at piercing heavily armored vehicles, such as this tank (Photo courtesy NATO) The Pentagon acquires much of its DU at no cost from nuclear weapons plants, which are generally eager to get rid of the tens of thousands of tons of wastes that are piling up at their facilities. Both the Pentagon and NATO have long denied that DU munitions pose any health risks from residual radioactivity.

DU munitions were used widely in the Persian Gulf War as well as the more recent conflicts in the Balkans, and thousands of veterans who fought in those campaigns disagree with NATO's conclusions. Many of these veterans have been plagued by a rash of unexplained health effects, including chronic fatigue, paralysis and death.

Gulf War veterans gathered in Washington, DC, last year to demand recognition and treatment for their illness (Photo courtesy American Gulf War Veterans Association) DU, which is regulated in the United States by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, is supposed to contain no other radionuclides other than uranium. But critics charge that the substance often contains other dangerous elements associated with nuclear power plants, such as plutonium, radium and americium.

That fear was at least partially borne out earlier this week, when a Pentagon spokesman acknowledged that traces of plutonium were inadvertently incorporated into DU munitions that were made some 30 years ago. The mistake came about because of contaminated equipment at a domestic power plant, the spokesman said.

NATO spokesman Mark Laity, appearing at the Brussels news conference on Wednesday along with Speckhard, was quick to downplay the significance of the Pentagon's revelation. Laity said that it was "quite possible" that traces of plutonium or other radionuclides will turn up in soil samples now being taken in the Balkans. But such findings, he said, would not constitute a threat to public health or the environment.

"These contaminants are known about and are in minute amounts," Laity said. "Those trace elements have been found to be too small to add to the existing low level health risk that there is."

"If they find [traces of plutonium or other radionuclides], we will not be surprised, and I will not be worried," added Laity, who delivered his remarks with a DU round sitting nearby.

That point was echoed by NATO's Supreme Commander in Europe, U.S. Air Force General Joseph Ralston. Ralston, speaking in Athens, Greece, told reporters that he would not hesitate authorizing the firing of DU rounds "tonight," should such action be called for.

U.S. Air Force General Joseph Ralston, NATO's Supreme Commander in Europe (Photo courtesy NATO) But a team of scientists at the Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Wednesday unveiled a study that found that DU of the type used by the U.S. military can cause cancer in laboratory animals.

Fletcher Hahn, a senior scientist on the project, told the Reuters news organization that the study represents a "warning flag that we shouldn't ignore."

Still, Hahn emphasized that the study "doesn't mean that [DU] is carcinogenic to humans."

Meanwhile, two international organizations today announced that they may take action to assist the World Health Organization (WHO) team of researchers, which is currently studying the matter of DU use in the Persian Gulf. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) may launch "fact finding missions" to the Balkan region, their respective officials said.

UNEP officials will decide soon whether to dispatch a team of researchers to Bosnia Herzegovina for the purpose of studying the public health and environmental implications of the DU munitions used there, officials said.

The IAEA is considering holding a training course to help researchers in the Balkan region to better understand the complex measurement and assessment methods associated with conducting analysis on depleted uranium, officials from the group said.

That is of little comfort to Francis Boyle, a professor of international law at the University of Illinois at Urbanna/Champaign. Boyle, who consulted on a 1994 documentary film that linked a host of health effects to DU, said that the IAEA was only getting involved in the project to do "damage control."

"The IAEA is a front organization for the nuclear power industry, so you can't believe anything they say," Boyle said. "It is an unfortunate sign, in my opinion, that the WHO and UNEP would be coordinating anything with the IAEA. They're going to try and cover this whole thing up."

Boyle, like many critics, maintains that DU poses far greater risks to public health and the environment than the Pentagon and NATO are letting on. He said that DU munitions are teeming with plutonium and other radionuclides that should not be exempted from regulatory oversight.

When DU munitions hit their targets, Boyle noted, they typically release particles which can contaminate air and nearby water.

"Even a speck of plutonium can kill you," Boyle noted. "But there's a lot more in DU munitions than just depleted uranium, and in any event, once it vaporizes . and people are breathing it and eating it, it kills people."

Boyle, like many others, believes that DU played a causal role in mysterious "Gulf War Syndrome" that affected tens of thousands of veterans who fought in that war.

The Pentagon flatly denies such charges.

Boyle and other legal experts have also long maintained that DU munitions are illegal under a host of international laws, such as the Hague Convention of 1907. The U.S. government is party to the convention, which prohibits weapons that are "unnecessary," as well as those that cause cruel, long lasting or uncontrollable effects.

Boyle argues that DU munitions are "unnecessary" because weapons made with another metal - tungsten - are equally as effective. The Pentagon does not use tungsten, Boyle said, because it would have to pay for it.

"They get the DU for free, and this is basically a question of money," Boyle said. "DU is an unnecessary weapon."

The Geneva protocol of 1925, to which the U.S. is also a signatory, prohibits the use of radiation as a weapon, Boyle noted. And a protocol to the 1977 Geneva Convention contains a provision that bans weapons and techniques of warfare that cause severe, long term environmental impacts, he noted.

The U.S. is not a signatory to that agreement.

NATO has posted a detailed map on its website showing where DU munitions were targeted in Bosnia and Kosovo. The ma