Defenders of Wildlife's March 6 Issue of DENlines 3/6/2002
From: Brad DeVries of Defenders of Wildlife, 202-772-0237; e-mail: bdevries@defenders.org WASHINGTON, March 6 -- The following was released today by Defenders of Wildlife: Every other Wednesday, DENlines goes to more than 490,000 electronic environmental activists around the country -- the largest Internet environmental alert network in the world -- with stories on this week's debate on energy policy and Arctic Refuge drilling in the Senate, Japan's plans to increase hunting of whales, and more. Defenders of Wildlife thought media might find it useful not only for the latest in environmental story ideas, but also for an example of the "state of the art" in online environmental activism. For more information about DEN or Defenders of Wildlife, be sure to visit http://www.defenders.org/den/ or call Brad DeVries at 202-772-0237. --- DENlines Defend Environment Network (DEN) Wednesday, March 6, 2002 1. THREAT TO ARCTIC REFUGE: Jimmy Carter, religious leaders urge Senate not to drill 2. TOXIC TUNDRA: Lessons to be learned from drilling in Alaska 3. ENERGY SECURITY: Congress should raise fuel economy standards 4. STOP THE SLAUGHTER: Japan plans to double whale kill 5. STATE SECRETS: Report shines light on corporate Trojan Horse in the states 6. PLEASING POLLUTERS: EPA official resigns to protest rollbacks 7. KIDS ESSAY CONTEST: Students writing about black bears, sea otters 8. SPECIAL BENEFITS FOR OUR SUPPORTERS --- 1. THREAT TO ARCTIC REFUGE: Jimmy Carter, religious leaders urge Senate not to drill Former President Jimmy Carter has joined the chorus of those speaking out against drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as the Senate debates national energy policy. Carter urged senators to adopt a balanced plan that protects our greatest wildlife sanctuary. And 1,200 leaders of major U.S. religious groups announced their opposition to drilling and called for more conservation and renewable energy. As the Los Angeles Times pointed out in an editorial: "The nation doesn't need a muscle-bound energy policy, it needs a smart one -- one that does not rely so heavily on fossil fuels and fossil thinking." Interior Secretary Gale Norton, meanwhile, repeated her false claim that drilling would impact only 2,000 acres of the refuge. For more about her 2,000-acre hoax, read the column by Defenders of Wildlife President Rodger Schlickeisen at http://www.defenders.org/wildlife/arctic/hoaxa.html WHAT YOU CAN DO: Our efforts are succeeding. Even Big Oil's congressional allies acknowledge they don't yet have enough votes to open the refuge to drilling. Go to http://www.SaveArcticRefuge.org to send a free e-mail urging your senators to save the Arctic refuge for future generations. And to spread the word about the danger to America's last great wilderness, send this issue of DENlines to your e-mail address book. 2. TOXIC TUNDRA: Lessons to be learned from drilling in Alaska While Big Oil claims it can drill in the Arctic refuge in an environmentally friendly manner, a new report by Defenders of Wildlife and the Audubon Society catalogs the disastrous impact of drilling in Alaska's Kenai National Wildlife Refuge south of Anchorage. There have been more than 350 spills, fires and explosions, contaminating more than 100,000 tons of soil with toxic chemicals. Scientists have found frogs with crippling deformities. Frogs are considered a "canary in the mine," providing early-warning signals of danger to other wildlife because their porous skin makes them sensitive to environmental changes. To read the report, visit http://www.defenders.org/habitat/toxictundra.pdf 3. ENERGY SECURITY: Congress should raise fuel economy standards Raising the fuel efficiency of new cars and SUVs is the single biggest step we can take to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and to combat global warming. It would also save many times over the amount of oil ever expected from the Arctic refuge. Energy legislation now being considered by the Senate would raise the current miles-per-gallon standards. But we have learned that some senators from auto-producing states are trying to kill that provision. To learn more, visit http://www.defenders.org/wildlife/arctic/images/energyfacts.pdf. 4. STOP THE SLAUGHTER: Japan plans to double whale kill Japan plans to double the number of whales it kills in the North Pacific each year. Its government has notified the International Whaling Commission that it will kill 50 minke whales and 50 endangered sei whales on top of the 100 minkes it already has been hunting annually. Japan kills whales under the guise of "scientific research," but the whale meat winds up in gourmet markets and expensive restaurants. To sign our petition urging President Bush to impose economic sanctions against Japan until they stop slaughtering whales, go to http://www.saveourwhales.org. 5. STATE SECRETS: Corporate Trojan Horse pushes anti-environmental legislation If you ever wondered who dreams up some of our laws, there's a new report that helps answer that question. It turns out that major corporations are operating behind-the-scenes in state capitals across the country through a purported "good government" group that pushes industry-friendly legislation. In addition, concludes a just-released report by Defenders of Wildlife and the Natural Resources Defense Council, this group, the American Legislative Exchange Council, provides gifts and free trips for elected officials and acts as a conduit to get special-interest legislation from corporations, including Enron, to key state legislators. Ask your state legislators whether they belong to ALEC, and read the report at http://www.alecwatch.org. Click here http://www.defenders.org/den/cartoons/alec.jpg to see the DENLines cartoon. 6. PLEASING POLLUTERS: EPA official resigns to protest rollbacks A senior official with the Environmental Protection Agency has resigned to protest Bush administration attempts to allow heavily polluting power plants to violate the Clean Air Act. In resigning, Eric Schaeffer, a 12-year EPA veteran, said the Bush administration has been kowtowing to the power industry and interfering with EPA efforts to enforce the law. To read Schaeffer's letter laying out the reasons for his resignation, go to http://www.defenders.org/newsroom/letter.html As the Bush administration scales back enforcement action against aging coal-fired power plants that are violating the law, researchers in a study published this week have linked long-term exposure to fine particles of air pollution to an increased risk of dying from lung cancer. 7. KIDS ESSAY CONTEST: Students writing about black bears, sea otters School children participating in essay contests sponsored by Defenders of Wildlife are learning about the Florida black bear and the California sea otter. Writing about the imperiled species, student essayists are competing for prizes of $1,000, $500, and $250 savings bonds. The Black Bear Insurance Co. is donating prize money in Florida. "We felt this contest would be an ideal way not only to encourage students to learn about the bears and sea otters, but also about the important ways that different species depend on one another," said Defenders of Wildlife's education associate, Yvonne Borresen. To learn more, go to http://www.kidsplanet.org/contest. 8. SPECIAL BENEFITS FOR OUR SUPPORTERS -- Help save the lives of America's wolves. Adopt a wolf today and your contribution will be used to stop the lifting of federal protections for these magnificent animals. With your adoption you'll receive your very own wolf adoption kit including an adoption certificate, a cuddly plush wolf toy and a year's subscription to our award-winning Defenders magazine. http://www.defenders.org/adopt/wolf/adopt.html -- Special discount and free tax review at H&R Block. With over 440 changes in the tax law, you may miss important new credits or deductions that could save you money. Defenders with H&R Block is pleased to offer the No. 1-rated TaxCut Deluxe software for the special price of $19.95. With each purchase, Defenders receives a royalty at no additional cost to you. Complete with all the new tax laws, TaxCut asks you simple questions, automatically selects and completes the forms you'll need, and double checks your return. Go to http://www.defenders.org/hrblock/ You can also take advantage of H&R Block's Doublecheck program where they'll review your last three years of returns for free. Call 1-800-HRBLOCK. -- An easy way to help save wildlife is to drink shade-grown coffee. Threatened by shrinking habitat, migratory birds and small wildlife have found a sanctuary in the forest-like environment of shade coffee farms. That's why Defenders of Wildlife has teamed with the Thanksgiving Coffee Co. and Grounds for Sharing to develop Java Forest shade-grown organic coffees. To learn more about Java Forest, or place an order, visit http://www.javaforest.org or call: 1-866-766-6328. --- Click here to read the new online issue of our magazine Defenders: http://www.defenders.org/defendersmag/. Learn about sea otters taking a nose dive, killer roads and more. To SUBSCRIBE to DENlines, visit Defenders' Web site at: http://www.defenders.org/den or send an e-mail to DEN@defenders.org and put the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject line, and your name and address in the text area. DENlines is a biweekly update of Defenders of Wildlife, a leading national conservation organization recognized as one of the nation's most progressive advocates for wildlife and habitat and known for its effective leadership on saving endangered species such as brown bears and gray wolves. Defenders advocates new approaches to wildlife conservation that protect species before they become endangered. Founded in 1947, Defenders is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization with more than 480,000 members and supporters. | 