As an outspoken supporter of Howard Dean, I was surprised to see a
political posting on this listserve. In the past, there has been a
sentiment that overtly political postings be kept off this list and it
be used for Sierra Club business and news.
The supposed article(s?) offering hope for a more environmentally
friendly world, are nothing but campaign statements from John Kerry for
President. If this list is now open to such postings, I am ready to
launch a boatload.
Could the moderator of this list please give us a ruling?
Philip W. Scott
Leopold Group Political Chair
Iowa Sierra Club
On Wednesday, April 30, 2003, at 12:23 PM, Jennifer Psaki wrote:
> With Bush Jr. in the White House, it is essential to look forward to
> 2004. We can defeat the current administration and put environmental
> issues back on the agenda. Attached are two articles which will
> hopefully offer hope for the state of the world and future plans for
> environmental protection.
>
>
>
> For further information or to become more involved with our outreach
> and campaign efforts, please contact me at [log in to unmask] or
> 515-288-5504.
>
>
>
<image.tiff>
>
> Protecting Our Environment
>
>
>
> “Nowhere is there a greater need for a new vision - a better vision -
> than in the decisions we make that affect the health of the
> environment. We know intuitively thatAmericais only as healthy as the
> water our children drink, the air they breathe, the yards and parks in
> which they play and laugh, and the communities in which they live. The
> question is whether armed with that knowledge our generation will
> leave our children and grandchildren an earth that is cleaner not more
> degraded, more beautiful not more polluted, healthier and safer for
> children and other living things than the world we inherited from our
> parents and grandparents.”
>
>
>
> John Kerry,February 9, 2003
>
>
>
> John Kerry has been a leader in the environmental movement throughout
> his career. Kerry was called the Senate’s most outspoken
> environmentalist and was named an Environmental Hero by the League of
> Conservation Voters. In 1970 he helped organize theMassachusetts’
> first Earth Day, then led the fight against acid rain in the northeast
> as Lieutenant Governor ofMassachusetts. He helped defeat efforts to
> roll back the environmental accomplishments of a generation whether in
> the form of regulatory reform or efforts to drill in national
> monuments and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. And Kerry led the
> effort to make environmental preservation a global priority through
> comprehensive treaties and pushing for the inclusion of important
> environmental protections in free trade agreements.
>
>
>
> Here is some of what John Kerry has done and will do to
> protectAmerica’s environment:
>
>
>
> Continue the Fight for Clean Air: John Kerry is a leader in addressing
> the problem of acid rain and air pollution. His work led to the
> passage of tougher smog standards in the Clean Air Act of 1990. And
> he fought hard to block the efforts that would weaken the Clean Air
> Act and joined a bipartisan proposal to limit mercury, sulfur,
> nitrogen and carbon dioxide (commonly called the Four Pollutant Bill)
> from power plants.
>
>
>
> Provide Clean and Safe Drinking Water: John Kerry worked to guarantee
> cleaner and safer drinking water by strengthening the Safe Drinking
> Water Act, and fought efforts to weaken it. Most recently Kerry
> voiced his strong opposition to President Bush’s attempt to rollback
> drinking water standards for arsenic. According to the National
> Academy of Sciences, arsenic in drinking water may cause cancer,
> damage heart and blood vessels and contribute to birth defects.
> Fortunately, the Bush Administration reversed course and implemented
> the original proposal to reduce arsenic in drinking water.
>
>
>
> Enforce Environmental Laws: John Kerry knows that the strongest
> environmental laws will be ineffective if the Administration slashes
> the support to enforce those laws and looks the other way while
> corporations continue to pollute. Kerry will strengthen the
> environmental cop-on-the-beat, and prosecute environmental criminals.
> He will also actively pursue environmental justice for communities
> that have been the victims of years of corporate environmental
> assaults.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Protect a Clean Environment in Trade Agreements: John Kerry believes
> that free trade agreements must include provisions to protect the
> labor and environmental standards so that international agreements do
> not undermine our clean air and water. He would negotiate agreements
> that grow the economy and create jobs but do not open a backdoor
> attack on our environmental standards.
>
>
>
> Clean up Toxic Waste and Protect a Community’s Right to Know:John
> Kerry is a strong supporter of cleaning up toxic waste dumps and of
> preserving and expanding the public’s right to know about pollution in
> their neighborhoods. He cosponsored legislation in 2002 which would
> have brought millions of more dollars home toAmerica’s communities to
> clean up Superfund sites, the most toxic sites in our nation. He also
> led the fight against Republican proposals that would weaken the
> ability of people to learn about polluters in their own neighborhoods.
>
>
>
> Curb Global Warming and Ozone Depletion:John Kerry is a leader in the
> national and international effort to reduce the threat of global
> warming. He wrote a successful amendment that increased renewable
> energy and climate change research funding. And he wrote a resolution
> that passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee calling on the Bush
> Administration stop blocking progress and to engage in international
> efforts to mitigate the threat of climate change.
>
>
>
> Stop Oil Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge:John Kerry
> helped block proposals to drill for oil in the Arctic National
> Wildlife Refuge. President Bush is determined to sell the resources
> of the Refuge to oil and gas companies. The resulting development will
> industrialize the Refuge and forever degrade its pristine ecosystem.
>
>
>
> Protect Open Space:John Kerry fights for increased funding for the
> Land and Water Conservation Fund which helps states and communities
> protect parks and open space. These resources have helped protect
> thousands of farms, forest and parks in our cities, suburbs and
> countryside.
>
>
>
> Expand Farmland Conservation: John Kerry supports conservation program
> like the Wetlands Reserve Program, Wildlife Habitat Improvement
> Program, Farmland Protection Program and the new Conservation Security
> Program and Grassland Reserve Program. These programs will more than
> pay for themselves by improving water quality, reducing soil erosion,
> and providing habitat for numerous wildlife species.
>
>
>
> Encourage Renewable Energy: John Kerry called for the United States to
> work toward producing 20 percent of all electricity in the United
> States from renewable sources like wind, solar, geothermal, ethanol
> and biomass.
>
>
>
> Conserve Energy and Cutting Pollution with Efficient Vehicles:John
> Kerry sponsored legislation with Senator John McCain that would have
> madeAmerica’s cars and trucks more efficient and safer. His proposal
> would save millions of barrels of oil per day, reduce greenhouse gas
> emissions and smog and save consumers billions of dollars. He would
> also encourage the production of clean vehicles by boosting support of
> research and providing tax credits to consumers who purchase advanced
> technology vehicles.
>
>
>
> Protect Marine Ecosystems: John Kerry is a strong protector of the
> marine ecosystem – a resource crucial to his home state
> ofMassachusettsand the entire country. He wrote legislation banning
> the dumping of plastics and other waste off our coasts, fought efforts
> to drill in sensitive areas inGeorges Bank, and off
> theFloridaandCaliforniacoast ad sponsored legislation protecting
> dolphins porpoises, seals and other marine mammals.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Jennifer Psaki
>
>
>
> John Kerry for President
>
> 1500 Locust St.
>
> Des Moines,IA50309
>
> 515-288-5504
>
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
>
>
>
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