Sierra Club Currents -- BP Chief is Greener than the Bush Administration
Volume II, #18
Tuesday, March 12
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Quote of the Day:
"How long will it take for people to get angry enough to take action? How
many children must die?"
------Molly Ivins, on America's environment
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(1) ENERGY: BP Chief is Greener than the Bush Administration
(2) PUBLIC LANDS: California Wilderness Area is Oil and Gas Industry's
Latest Target
(3) CLEAN WATER: Container Port Plan Meets Opposition Yet Again
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1. BP Chief is Greener than the Bush Administration
Looks like even the oil industry is having second thoughts about drilling
the Arctic and polluting our air. Responding to a question from a Sierra
Clubber during a speech, British Petroleum chief Lord John Browne declined
to throw his support behind efforts to exploit the National Wildlife
Refuge. Later, he voiced support for requiring industry to emit less
global warming pollution, stating that "it's necessary to have mandatory
standards" on carbon dioxide emissions.
The Bush administration supports drilling the Arctic. And its global
warming plan, released last month, cited economic concerns to justify
rejecting fixed standards in favor of an incentive-based scheme which has
not proved successful in the past. But BP has dramatically reduced the
amount of global warming pollution it emits, without hurting its bottom
line. Maybe Lord John could teach the Bush administration a thing or two!
For more information on this story, go to
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/cctimes/2843209.htm
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2. California Wilderness Area is Oil and Gas Industry's Latest Target
Thought the Arctic Refuge was the only area of pristine wilderness
threatened by the Bush-Cheney energy plan? Think again. In the name of
"energy independence", the U.S. Forest Service has proposed opening up
140,000 roadless acres of California's Los Padres National Forest to oil
and gas leasing.
Just like in Alaska, an area of rare ecological value could be sacrificed
for a minuscule amount of oil. The land in jeopardy is home to over 20
endangered or threatened plants and animals, including the majestic
California condor. And the oil available amounts to less than one percent
of the total to be found on federal lands. A public comment period begins
in April, and a decision is expected this summer. Stay tuned.
For more information on the threat to the Los Padres National Forest, go to
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/03/11/M
N59606.DTL
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3. Container Port Plan Meets Opposition Yet Again
Join the club. Another Rhode Island town has added its name to the growing
list of communities who are saying "No" to the Governor's plan to build a
massive container port at Quonset Point. Warwick last night became the
13th town in the Ocean State to give a formal thumbs-down to the idea. In
fact, so many concerned citizens showed up to a town council meeting to
voice their opposition that the thirty minutes set aside for public
comments quickly turned into ninety!
The Sierra Club has led the fight to "keep our bay blue". A container port
would undercut the cleanup of the bay, cost taxpayers millions, cause
massive congestion on Rhode Island's highways, and gravely threaten air
quality. Seems like a lose-lose scenario to us!
For more information on the battle to "keep our bay blue", go to
http://www.projo.com/report/stories/07208311.htm
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Erin Jordahl
Director, Iowa Chapter Sierra Club
3839 Merle Hay Road, Suite 280
Des Moines, IA 50310
515-277-8868
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