Defending the Environmental Agenda
July 25, 1996
The rain it falls upon the just
And on the unjust fella
But mostly on the just because
The unjust stole the just's umbrella.
-- unknown
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Sierra Club Legislative Hotline - 202-675-2394
Sierra Club National Headquarters - 415-776-2211
Sierra Club World Wide Web - http://www.sierraclub.org
White House Comment Line - 202-456-1111
White House Fax Line - 202-456-2461
Clinton's e-mail - president@whitehouse.gov
Gore's e-mail - vice.president@whitehouse.gov
White House Address - 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington, DC
20500
US Capitol Switchboard - 202-224-3121
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Contents:
ACTION ALERT! NATIONAL CALL-IN DAY -- ONE YEAR
ANNIVERSARY OF LOGGING WITHOUT LAWS
IN THE MAIN RING: TRADE PROGRAM SAVES CONSUMERS' RIGHT TO
KNOW
STUDDS AMENDMENT IS DOLPHIN SAFE
CONGRESS' STANDARD NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO
PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH
IN THE FIELD: N. DAKOTANS SEND LAND PROTECTION MESSAGE
TO GOVERNOR
IN THE PRESS: SIERRA CLUB'S LOBBYING ADS SURVIVE THE
"TRUTH-CHECKER"
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL: CALIFORNIA AND NORTH CAROLINA SENATE
RACES HEATING UP
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ACTION ALERT!
NATIONAL CALL-IN DAY -- ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF LOGGING WITHOUT
LAWS
Saturday, July 27th, 1996 marks the anniversary of the enactment
of the Clear-cut Rider, arguably the worst environmental
legislation ever enacted, and certainly the most irresponsible
piece of special interest legislation to pass this Congress and
signed by President Clinton. Tomorrow's call-in day is a chance
for forest activists to protest the suspension of the
environmental laws that protect America's National Forests.
President Clinton has publicly acknowledged that the Clear-cut
Rider was a "mistake." He needs to immediately use his
authority as President to cancel destructive timber sales under
the Rider and use his leadership to encourage Congress to
override last year's rider.
Members of the House and Senate should pursue every opportunity
to repeal the Clear-cut Rider. Last month's close, but
heartbreaking vote in the House of Representatives (209-211),
produced by the hard work and dedication of forest activists
around the country, should actually create momentum towards a
winning vote if a similar amendment is introduced in the Senate.
Urge your Senators to support a vote to end the Clear-cut Rider.
WHEN TO CALL:
TOMORROW, FRIDAY, JULY 26, 1996
FROM 9 A.M. TO 6 P.M.EASTERN TIME
WHO TO CALL:
1) FIRST -- CALL YOUR SENATORS
2) NEXT -- CALL THE WHITE HOUSE
US CAPITOL SWITCHBOARD - 202-224-3121
WHAT TO SAY:
1) Tell your Senators that one year of the Clear-cut Rider
has been one year too long! Urge them to support a vote to end
the Clear-cut Rider.
2) Urge the President to cancel the egregious Clear-cut
timber sales! And ask him to support efforts in Congress to end
the destructive Rider.
AFTER THAT:
Remember, unfortunately, this issue won't go away over the
weekend. So after a big push to get phone calls into Senators
and the White House, we need to keep the pressure on. One of
the best ways to do that is to write a letter to the editor of
your local newspaper -- let others in your community know you
are outraged about the Clear-cut Rider. And also, your Senators
and Representative will be coming home for the August recess
very soon, so plan to attend any Townhall meetings or community
events and personally express your concerns directly.
**************THANKS!!!**************
IN THE MAIN RING:
TRADE PROGRAM SAVES CONSUMERS' RIGHT TO KNOW
Just six weeks ago, trade program learned that a massive
industry coalition wanted to use the World Trade Organization
(WTO) to throttle ecolabeling. Ecolabels are the symbols and
labels that tell shoppers that wood furniture,organic food,
computers and other products are made with environmentally
preferable methods.
Representing 2,900 companies with combined sales of $1 trillion
per year, the industry coalition wanted the United States Trade
Representative (USTR) to give the WTO new powers to judge
ecolabels' environmental benefits. The coalition claimed that
consumer information about the environmental impacts of products
restricts trade. But their real goal, they admitted, was to
eliminate ecolabeling altogether. Had the coalition succeeded,
the WTO would have taken a giant step toward becoming a global
EPA -- but an EPA beholden to corporations, not the environment.
In response, the Club mounted a concerted mini-campaign that won
a commitment from the USTR to hold off on the industry proposal
when it meets with other WTO representatives in Geneva this
week. But the fight is not yet over.
Industry could try other tactics -- for instance, getting
another country to propose the same restrictions. So let's
celebrate a victory, but remain vigilant. For more info,
contact Dan Seligman (202) 675-2387.
STUDDS AMENDMENT IS DOLPHIN SAFE
The House will vote Tuesday, July 30, on the
Gilchrest-Cunningham bill, H.R.2823, to undermine US dolphin
protections. H.R. 2823 would change the dolphin-safe label on
canned tuna, allowing fishers to set nets on dolphins to catch
the tuna that school underneath. Dolphins will die out of sight
of the observer back on the factory fishing boat as speed boats
race miles ahead trying to catch the fleeing dolphins and
encircle them with purse seine nets.
The Studds amendment will turn the Gilchrest-Cunnigham bill from
dolphin deadly into dolphin safe legislation. It will allow
foreign fishers who limit dolphin mortality under a new
international agreement to sell their tuna in the United States,
thereby rewarding their efforts, but it will reserve the dolphin
safe label to only that tuna caught without intentionally
endangering dolphins. The Studds amendments protects the
consumers right to chose truly dolphin-safe tuna -- and will
encourage dolphin-safe fishing.
****TAKE ACTION****
Call your Representative today. Tell them to vote for the
Studds Amendment to HR 2823. Also get the word out in the press
by sending a letter to the editor. This is an issue that is not
likely to go away.
*******************
CONGRESS' STANDARD NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH
Senator Bryan's and Reid's filibuster of the Nuclear Waste
Policy Act is over and the Senate will take up a substitute, but
equally bad, bill on Wednesday, July 31. The bill turns Yucca
Mountain in Nevada into a "temporary" storage site for nuclear
waste from all over the country. This means the most hazardous
substance on earth will be passing by towns and cities by truck
and rail, on its way to Yucca Mountain.
Last week Nevada Senators Bryan and Reid lost a vote to sustain
their filibuster, but secured 34 votes -- enough to sustain
President Clinton's promised veto. By agreement in the Senate,
the substitute bill, with purely cosmetic changes, will be
offered with an opportunity for both parties to offer four
amendments.
The substitute bill would still endanger public health by
exposing all of us to traveling nuclear waste. It preempts both
federal and state laws, and allows Congress to set the standard
for human exposure to radiation. The only change is that EPA
can take a position that Congress' standard is not high enough
to protect public health. We don't know what the amendments
will be, but NOTHING will make this bill anything better than
the dangerous bill that it is. We will keep you posted.
***TAKE ACTION***
CALL OR WRITE YOUR SENATORS NOW!!!! Urge them to vote against
the Nuclear Waste Policy Act and follow the lead of Senators
Bryan and Reid on any amendments. Also send a letter to the
editor of your local paper.
*****************
IN THE FIELD:
N. DAKOTANS SEND LAND PROTECTION MESSAGE TO GOVERNOR
The Teddy Roosevelt Group of the Sierra Club and Lewis and Clark
Wildlife Club met with the Governor Ed Schafer of North Dakota
in early July and presented to him over 400 signed postcards
asking that he protect public lands in North Dakota. This was
the culmination of the Sierra Club's April doorhanger campaign
in North Dakota.
Ben Austin age 10 from Mandan, North Dakota was present with his
parents at the ceremony with the governor. Ben turned 10 on
Earth Day and wrote a impassioned message urging the Governor to
protect the environment on his postcard. He was selected by
local Club members to join them and represent the many
Bismarck\Mandan citizens who signed the cards.
IN THE PRESS:
SIERRA CLUB'S LOBBYING ADS SURVIVE THE "TRUTH-CHECKER"
A TV station in Wichita, Kansas sent out their "Truth-Checker"
to test the validity of the lobbying ads that we ran on
Wichita's TV stations, which exposed Rep. Todd Tiahrt's dismal
environmental voting record (0% League of Conservation Voters
[LCV] score) in the 104th Congress. The "Truth-Checker" also
tested the factual accuracy and content of several other
lobbying ads, including those run by the AFL-CIO. The
"Truth-Checker" gave the Sierra Club's ads the highest ratings
of all of the recent lobbying ads run in this district.
A similar test was done in Maine by a Portland TV station, where
our lobbying ads that exposed the poor environmental voting
record of Rep. Jim Longley (15% LCV Score) in the Portland media
market. Again, the Sierra Club's ads are at the head of the
lobbying ad class, receiving a "B+" from the TV station's
investigative reporter.
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL:
CALIFORNIA AND NORTH CAROLINA SENATE RACES HEATING UP
A MASON-DIXON/PMR poll conducted 7/18-20 surveyed 812 likely
voters; margin of error +/- 3.5% (release, 7/24). Tested: Sen.
Jesse Helms (R) and ex-Charlotte mayor Harvey Gantt (D), who was
the Dem Senate nominee vs. Helms in '90.
NOW FAV/UNFAV 5/96 2/96 2/95
Helms 48% 43%/41% 46% 49% 54%
Gantt 42 36 /35 38 37 37
The Sierra Club has endorsed Harvey Gantt in this race against
the 0% LCV'er, Sen. Jesse Helms.
CA 36: HARMAN POLL SHOWS HER UP 17 IN BROOKS REMATCH
A poll conducted 7/8-10 for Rep. Jane Harman (D) by
Garin-Hart-Yang Research surveyed 503 likely voters; margin of
Error
+/- 4.5%. Tested: Harman and '94 GOP cand./Rancho Palos Verdes
City Councilmember Susan Brooks (R).
Harman 48%
Brooks 31
The Sierra Club has endorsed Rep. Jane Harman.
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