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SolutionsVol. 36, No. 2 March-April 2005

“What’s good for General Motors isgood for America,” GM executives pro-claimed in the 1950s. But automakersdon’t always act in Americans’ best inter-est. Over the years they have repeatedlyblocked progress toward cleaner cars, andnow they’re at it again. GM, Daimler-Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Toyota and oth-ers are suing California to overturn thenation’s first law limiting global warmingpollution from passenger vehicles.

EnvironmentalDefense helped pass thelaw in 2002, overcomingan all-out industryassault. Then ourexperts assisted regula-tors in determining themost cost-effective ways to implementthe measure. “Environmental Defense hasbeen indispensable in providing politicalexpertise to pass the bill, technical exper-tise to develop the regulation and legalexpertise to defend it from industryattack,” says the bill’s sponsor, assembly-woman Fran Pavley.

The law gives manufacturers until2016 to cut global warming pollution by30% using readilyavailable technolo-gies. With Californiahome to 24 millionvehicles and some ofthe nation’s worst airpollution, the lawhas garnered supportfrom GovernorArnold Schwarz-enegger, who haspledged to defend it.

Despite thelaw’s popularity, thestate faces an uphillbattle. Automakersconsistently have

Car companies declare war onCalifornia global warming law

Where we stand 2

Mailbag 3

Regional update 6

News briefs 9

Action center 11

refused to come to the table to helpdevelop the regulations. Instead, usinglocal auto dealers as a front, the manu-facturers filed suit in Fresno’s federaldistrict court, which had upheld a previ-ous auto industry challenge. EPA orCongress also could block theCalifornia law.

Environmental Defense and its allieshave intervened in the lawsuit on thestate’s behalf. Our experts will refute

industry claims that thelaw would bankruptautomakers, which recallearlier argumentsagainst seat belts andsmog controls.

When U.S.automakers resisted building more fuel-efficient cars in the 1970s, they lost 30%of the market to the Japanese. “Auto-makers have the know-how to buildcleaner cars. But instead of investing inbetter technologies, they spend millionsfighting new standards,” says our policyanalyst Kate Larsen.

Don’t tamperwith thebayou

Learning from localpartners

A newbreed ofnature lover

High noon for clean air

Appliancescomeclean

Saving a river delta

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Californians support

the law.

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Please seeCover Story, p. 2

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enegger and New York governor GeorgePataki recently sent a joint letter to U.S.senators asking them not to undercutthese efforts.

“Any comprehensive strategy toaddress global warming must includepassenger vehicles, which are the fastestgrowing source of this pollution,” saysour attorney Jim Marston.

AUTOMAKERS FEEL THE HEATWith the U.S. government disengagedfrom international efforts on globalwarming, California’s measure has gainedworldwide attention and support. Atrecent UN climate negotiations, wearranged for assemblywoman Pavley tospeak about her bill by phone to a packedroom of delegates from the EuropeanUnion and Japan, which will need toreduce auto emissions to meet theirKyoto caps. “We look to California to setthe standard,” said a German environ-mental official.

In addition to supportingCalifornia’s law in court, Environmental

Defense will help galvanize shareholdersand consumers against the automakers’obstructive tactics. Says Marston: “We’lltake this fight to the courtroom, theboardroom and the showroom.”

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Demand that theautomakers stop fighting California’sclean vehicle law. Visit www.environmen-

taldefense.org/action.

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COVER STORY: Collision course for a global warming law

Automakers have a reason to benervous: California has repeatedly pio-neered clean car laws that have drivenchange throughout the industry. Sevenstates and Canada—which combinedwith California make up 30% of the twonations’ vehicle markets—plan to adoptthe new standards. Governor Schwarz-

Continued from page 1

effort to bring us cleaner cars. GM isemblematic: It promises lower emis-sions, but its vehicles emit more globalwarming pollution overall than anyoneelse’s. GM even funds a web site thattrashes climate science.

Veteran Wall Street auto analystMaryann Keller warns that Detroit’s “col-lective blindness” may set it up for disas-ter. A member of two National Academyof Sciences panels on fuel economy,Keller castigates automakers for their“arrogant” insistence that consumerswon’t buy more fuel-efficient vehicles.

Sales of gas-guzzlers are flaggingwhile thousands sit on waiting lists for

efficient hybrids like the ToyotaPrius sedan and Ford Escape SUV.The limit on hybrids is not consumerdemand but industry’s capacity toramp up production.

Automakers who resist produc-ing greener vehicles are living in thepast. Instead of investing in cleantechnologies, they’re spending mil-lions on lawsuits against vital mod-ern standards like California’s.

I have a message for Detroit: Calloff your lawyers and unleash yourengineers. With a little ingenuity, youcan again lead the world in automo-tive technology and bring a majorAmerican industry back to health. Youmight not move the Earth, but you’llcertainly make it a better place.

“Give me a leverand a place tostand,” said theGreek engineerArchimedes, “and Iwill move theEarth.” Equallyconfident latter-day engineers have

worked countless wonders. Considerthe automobile: Henry Ford’s innova-tions sparked a century of Americanprosperity. Today, to preserve oureconomic and environmental health,we need to reinvent the car.

Unfortunately, America is fallingbehind. Europe’s cars soon will emit25% less global warming pollution.China too has mandated cleanervehicles for its booming market.

Detroit pays lip service to suchprogress but undermines every

Memo to Detroit: Innovate, don’t litigate

Environmental Defense Solutions

WHERE WE STAND

SolutionsEditor: Peter Klebnikov

Environmental Defense, 257 Park AvenueSouth, New York, NY 10010. Main number 212-505-2100.

Membership questions: Call 800-684-3322 oremail [email protected]

Mailbag: Mail to address above, call 800-242-3251 or email [email protected]

©2005 Environmental Defense. Publishedbimonthly at New York, NY. ASSN 0163-2566

New York • Washington • Oakland Boulder • Raleigh • Austin • Boston Project offices: Los Angeles • Beijing

Online at www.environmentaldefense.org

By Fred Krupp, President

‒‒‒‒‒Consumers can’t get

enough of hybrids

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Motor vehicles emit 40% of global warm-ing pollution in California.

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Editor:

The environment was hardly debat-ed during the presidential election(“President Bush: Your LegacyAwaits,” Nov.-Dec. Solutions). Howcan we change this? I believe thatwe need to frame the debate aroundwhat people are most concernedabout—their children’s health.

Eric White, Sterling, VA

Our health program director Dr.

John Balbus responds:

We agree. Children are particularlyvulnerable to many types of pollu-tion, including mercury, soot andsmog. Environmental Defense isworking to reduce these threats by

curbing toxic chemicals and air pol-lution. Our Clean Air for Life cam-paign, which aims to reduce air pol-lution from key sources by 80% inten years, emphasizes the impactson children’s developing lungs. Formore, see www.environmentalde-fense.org/cleanairforlife.

Editor:

I would like to add two ways con-sumers can address the issue ofjunk mail (“Taming the PaperMonster,” Nov.-Dec. Solutions). 1. Ask to be put on the “Do Not Mail”list at www.the-dma.org or DirectMarketing Association, P.O. Box 643,Carmel, NY 10512. 2. Call the 800 numbers printed onunwanted catalogs and ask to beremoved from their mailing list.

Pamela R. Smith, Chicago, IL

PLEASE WRITE US!

See addresses at left.

www.environmentaldefense.org

Environmental Defense257 Park Ave. SouthNew York, NY 10003

Member25 Main StreetAnytown, NY 11199

A decade ago some western lawmakerswere intent on gutting the EndangeredSpecies Act. House Resources Com-mittee chairman Don Young (R-AK),who characterized environmentalists asa “waffle-stomping, Harvard-graduat-ing, intellectual bunch of idiots,” madeit clear that dismantling the Act was hisnumber one priority.

Young failed to destroy the Act,but today our nation’s best-knownwildlife law is once again underattack, with representative RichardPombo (R-CA) leading the charge.Those arguing for weakening the Actare again claiming that the Act harmslandowners. What has changed, inpart due to the work of Environmen-tal Defense, is that this time aroundlandowners don’t necessarily believe it.

“Ten years ago, the debate wasdominated by horror stories aboutordinary people who couldn’t use theirland because an endangered bird hadnested there,” says our economistRobert Bonnie. “Now those horrorstories have been replaced by successstories of cooperation betweenlandowners and environmentalists.”

Landowner-friendly programswe helped develop have turned manyfarmers, ranchers and foresters intoenthusiastic champions of the speciesthey once feared. One such program,Safe Harbor—which protects prop-erty owners against added regulationif they help endangered species—now covers three million acres of pri-vate land.

WILL THE PRESIDENT ACT? As the current debate shapes up, weare recommending that PresidentBush make specific improvements tothe Act to engage landowners furtherin species recovery. These improve-ments, such as cutting red tape andintegrating federal and state agencies’efforts, can be made administrativelywithout overhauling the Act.

“The Act is a lot more flexiblethan most people realize,” saysBonnie. “Instead of performing radicalsurgery, the government should usethat flexibility.”

Tell Congress to maintain a strongEndangered Species Act. Visitwww.environmentaldefense/action.

After working with our scientist David Wolfe (right), Texas landowner Kerry Russell (left)says: “If it weren’t for Environmental Defense, I’d still be fighting the government.”

Washington watchCongress launches new assault onEndangered Species Act

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Charlotte, NC, epitomizes the NewSouth. The former textile center

and home of NASCAR has become abanking mecca. Chosen by Money maga-zine as one of the “10 Best Places toLive,” the city has seen its populationswell by a third in the last decade.

But along with the growth havecome highways, sprawl and pollution. “Theair seems to be getting harder to breatheevery year,” says Tim Long, the founder ofa local running club. Indeed, Charlottenow rivals Atlanta as the Southeast’ssmoggiest city. Its failure to meet federalhealth standards for ozone pollution hasput thousands at risk for respiratory illness.

With the federal government balk-ing on key clean air protections, NorthCarolina passed a Clean Smokestackslaw that sharply limits sulfur dioxide and

nitrogen oxide pol-lution from thestate’s aging powerplants. To complywith the law, whichEnvironmentalDefense helpeddevelop, DukeEnergy is installinga $400 millionscrubber at its coal-fired power plantnear Charlotte.

“This will help,” says our policyanalyst Michael Shore, “but much of theair pollution in cities like Charlotte driftsin from other states.” Even America’sremote national parks, from Sequoia inCalifornia to Acadia in Maine, suffer theimpacts of acid rain and are frequently

Environmental Defense Solutions

shrouded in haze.

SEEING THE BIG PICTUREBecause pollution comes from multiplesources, Environmental Defense hasdeveloped an integrated strategy. As partof our Clean Air for Life campaign, we’veset an ambitious goal to cut major sourcesof air pollution nationwide by 80% overthe next decade. We’re focusing on threeareas: smokestacks, tailpipes and traffic.

Clean smokestacks. While theBush administration and some in Con-gress push to enact flawed Clear Skieslegislation (see box), EPA has proposed abetter solution. The agency’s Clean AirInterstate Rule (CAIR) would require 28states to cut power plant emissions 70%by 2015. Using a cap-and-trade program,EPA estimates CAIR’s health benefitswould outweigh costs 20 to one. Theadministration originally promised tofinalize the rule last year, and now says itwill do so in March. But its support ofClear Skies raises serious doubts aboutthe future of the Clean Air Act.

“The Clean Air Act has protectedAmericans’ health for more than 30 years,”says our health program director Dr. JohnBalbus. “Weakening it now would be liketelling a patient her cancer is beginning toshrink and then diluting her medicine.”

As our experts lobby for strongprotections, including stricter limits on

Clean air crossroadsWITH DEMAND FOR POWER SURGING,

AMERICA FACES A STARK CHOICE

Despite air quality improvements in recent decades, more thanhalf of Americans still breathe unhealthy air.

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In depth

Powerful forces in Washington—backed by the utility industry—aretouting the so-called Clear Skies legis-lation as the best way to clean Amer-ica’s air. The most promising elementof the bill is its title. Behind the smokeand mirrors, Clear Skies:

Postpones mercury cleanup. ClearSkies would delay reductions inmercury pollution from powerplants, the largest source of toxicmercury contamination, by nearly adecade.

Exempts dirty power plants. By gut-ting “new source review” requirementsunder the Clean Air Act, Clear Skieswould allow hundreds of aging powerplants and industrial facilities toexpand and increase air pollution with-out having to install pollution controls.

Weakens national parks protections.

Clear Skies would eliminate safe-guards limiting haze in national parksand weaken states’ authority to protecttheir citizens from upwind pollution.

Ignores global warming. The billutterly ignores carbon dioxide, themain greenhouse gas.

“Clear Skies is the single most directassault on the Clean Air Act in thelast 30 years,” says our presidentFred Krupp. Fortunately, a smarterpath to cleaner air is at hand. EPA’sown Clean Air Interstate Rule is onthe administrator’s desk awaitingsignature (see main story).

The dirty truth about “Clear Skies”

Mercury-contaminated fish in mothers’diets can lead to brain damage in children.

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www.environmentaldefense.org 5

Harnessing the power to clean the air

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Power plant smokestacks are the largest industrialsource of air pollution. With electricity demandnationwide projected to increase 50% over the next20 years, will supply come from dirty coal or cleanertechnologies?

Clean-air laws will make a huge difference; so too

will the actions of individual electric utilities. Environ-mental Defense and allies recently negotiated an agree-ment with Xcel Energy over its plans to expand a coal-fired power plant near Pueblo, CO. Net result: Xcel willreduce its sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions inPueblo while doubling overall capacity.

mercury, we also are working directlywith utilities. In Colorado, for example,we brokered an agreement with XcelEnergy that will provide for growth, yetcut pollution (see box below).

Clean tailpipes. Our partnershipwith FedEx Express has put new hybridtrucks on the road that dramatically cutsmog-causing emissions. EPA recentlytoughened diesel standards, but since olddiesels stay in service for years, the newstandards won’t deliver their full health

benefit until 2030. We are therefore advo-cating national retrofit legislation.

Reduced traffic pollution. Faultytransportation planning has worsenedpollution. We need a national policy andmarket tools to limit traffic congestion.Otherwise, booming cities like Charlottewill continue to fail the health test andcesase to be desirable places to live.

To prod federal policy, Environmen-tal Defense has launched innovative proj-ects. In Washington, DC, we showed how

special toll lanes can finance expandedbus transit and take cars off the road,offering an alternative to a proposed belt-way that would only fuel more sprawl.

“To protect the air that we and ourchildren breathe, we need to work atevery level—federal, state and local,” saysour attorney Vickie Patton.

Tell President Bush and your senators tooppose the misnamed “Clear Skies” billand to direct EPA to finalize the vastly

preferable Clean Air Interstate Rule. Go to:http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/clearskies.

The problem

An increasing demand for power.

Like elsewhere in Colorado, Pueblo’srapid growth has propelled demandfor new energy.

Mercury. Pueblo suf-fers from the highestmercury pollutionlevels in Colorado.Xcel’s proposedexpansion lackedadequate assurances

that mercury pollution in waterwayswould be controlled.

Haze. Great SandDunes NationalPark, locatednearby, is the onlypark in the nationto have decliningvisibility throughout the year. Ozonepollution also threatens ecosystemsand acidifies lakes and streams.

The solution

Community pres-

sure. Workingwith local groups,we won an agree-ment under whichXcel will clean upan existing plant and install best-available controls on the new unit.

Energy efficiency.

Xcel promised toinvest $196 millionin energy efficiencyand generate 15% ofits future capacity

from renewable sources.

Offsets. Xcelagreed to pro-vide retrofits fordiesel schoolbuses and sup-port a state pro-gram to cut mercury pollution at anearby steel plant. It will also accountfor the health costs of global warmingpollution in its planning.

Environmental Defense Solutions6

Regional update

El Paso and Juarez: Mi cielo es su cielo.

Binational cooperationcleans border’s dirtiest air

An endangered woodpeckercomes back from the brink

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Red-cockaded woodpeckers on Safe Harbor lands have increased10%, a remarkable turnaround after decades of decline.

cials and then built supportamong foresters in theSandhills region of NorthCarolina, where the conflictwas most acute.

“Environmental De-fense secured the trust oflandowners, and that was keyto Safe Harbor’s initial suc-cess,” says the Service’sRalph Costa. ForesterDougald McCormick, whose

truck sported the notoriouslicense plate, was among thefirst to sign up.

We continued enlistinglandowner allies, and the pro-gram has spread to 13 states,aiding multiple species. “SafeHarbor reverses the tide ofhabitat destruction, which isthe greatest threat endangeredspecies face,” says our wildlifeattorney Michael Bean.

Ten years ago, the red-cock-aded woodpecker seemeddoomed. Most of its longleafpine habitat had disappearedfrom the Southeast, andlandowners, fearful ofEndangered Species Actrestrictions, were clear-cut-ting what was left. OneNorth Carolina license platesummed up the prevailingmindset—I EAT RCWS.

Today the standoff hasgiven way to a vast coopera-tive effort: More than 200landowners on half a millionacres in five states are restor-ing habitat for the endan-gered bird, and the Fish andWildlife Service reports 48new woodpecker familygroups on private lands.

This remarkable turn-around is thanks to SafeHarbor, a program wherelandowners agree to improvehabitat in exchange for aguarantee of no new restric-tions on their land. Environ-mental Defense developedthe idea with wildlife offi-

At a time when states are suing other states to protecttheir citizens from polluted air drifting across borders, itseems improbable that Environmental Defense scientistDr. Carlos Rincon could shepherd two federal govern-ments and three states to cooperate on cleaning up theirshared air. But thanks to his decade of work along themost polluted stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border, the cityof El Paso soon could be reclassified “in compliance” withClean Air Act standards for ozone, carbon monoxide andparticulate matter.

El Paso used to fail air quality standards once everytwo weeks. Now it fails just a day or two a year. EPAdeputy director William Luthans credits the improvementto “bi-national cooperation in which Carlos played a

major part.”Rincon helped

create the first interna-tional committee everto help a border com-munity clean its air.Chaired by representa-

tives of the two federal governments, it engaged businessleaders and community members in El Paso and across theborder in Ciudad Juarez. As a result, Ciudad Juarez set upemission diagnostic centers, Mexico’s state petroleum com-pany began selling less-polluting oxygenated gasoline andthe two countries reduced border traffic congestion. Wealso helped develop cleaner fuels for 400 brick-making fac-tories that had been burning tires.

–––––A determined scientist

moved bureaucracies

of two countries.

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‒‒‒‒‒“Environmental

Defense secured

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other companies to follow their leadand send a message that antibiotic usemust be curbed.”

flooding from hurricanes. “Refineries andpipelines that provide 30% of the nation’soil and gas supply could be shut down fora long period,” warns Shell’s Ed Landgraf.“In the long term, the costs of inaction aremuch greater than the costs of preservingand protecting the wetlands.”

A PLAN FOR RESTORATIONRecognizing the delta’s importance, theCorps of Engineers proposes spending$1.9 billion over ten years on restoration,but faces stiff opposition in Congress.

Environmental Defense is workingwith Louisiana’s congressional delega-tion, state leaders and local groups todevelop a comprehensive restoration planand to gain approval for critical early-action projects that would allow some ofthe river’s water and sediment to begin toreplenish the marshes. The SenateEnvironment and Public WorksCommittee, chaired by Senator JamesInhofe (R-OK), authorized only one offive critically needed projects last session,but will take up the issue again shortly.

“What’s at stake is the world’s thirdlargest river delta,” says Faber. “We can-not afford to lose this.”

Customer trust is critical to McDon-ald’s. The company serves over 48million customers worldwide eachday. With so many at the table, therestaurant chain’s purchasing deci-sions can have a real impact onhuman health.

Responding to concerns thatantibiotic use in farm animals con-tributes to making the drugs less effec-tive for people, McDonald’s workedwith us to develop a global antibioticspolicy in 2003. Taking the lead amongquick-serve companies, McDonald’srequired its direct poultry suppliers tocurtail antibiotic use. With 30,000restaurants in 119 countries, that rep-

Along a broad expanse of southernLouisiana, between the Atchafalaya

and Mississippi rivers, a million acres ofcoastal wetlands have disappeared since1930. If nothing is done another 700square miles could vanish by 2050.

The delta’s problems began whenthe U.S. Army Corps of Engineers start-ed tinkering with nature’s plumbing tocontrol flooding and improve navigationalong the southern Mississippi River.The engineering worked, but exacted a

toll on the ecology.The wall of leveeshas stopped the riverfrom replenishing thecoastal wetlands withsediment. Now, allthe sediment washedoff farm fields is car-ried into the Gulf ofMexico.

“The naturalprocesses that builtand maintainedcoastal Louisianahave been disruptedto a point where thisecosystem is on the

verge of collapse,” says our waterresources specialist Scott Faber. Louisianaranks second only to Alaska in the valueof seafood catches, and more than 30,000commercial fishing jobs depend on thehealth of the delta.

The coastal wetlands also offer nat-ural flood protection for New Orleans andfor the nation’s largest concentration of oiland gas infrastructure. As this buffer dis-appears, everything in the coastal zonebecomes more susceptible to damage and

McDonald’s implements antibiotics reduction policy

A race to restore Louisiana’s vanishing wetlands

A healthy delta provides critical flood protection for hundredsof towns and oil refineries.

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resents quite a task.“We’re pleased to report that

McDonald’s has implemented its poli-cy,” says our project manager MillieChu Baird. All of the chicken supplierswith whom the company has a directrelationship have eliminated the use ofhuman antibiotics as growth promotersand McDonald’s has created an annualcertification process.

As part of this process, McDon-ald’s has for the first time developedand is testing a reporting system thattracks antibiotics use by its direct U.S.poultry suppliers. “McDonald’s ac-tions demonstrate that reducingantibiotic use is feasible and afford-able,” says Baird. “It’s time now for

Had you gone lookingfor some of our staff

over the past 20 years, youmight have found scientistDr. Stephanie Fried inBorneo, learning about sus-tainable forestry fromindigenous Bentian people.You might have caught upwith anthropologist Dr.Steven Schwartzman in theBrazilian Amazon rainfor-est, helping the Panarápeople reclaim their tradi-tional lands. Closer tohome, you’d have foundeconomist Dr. Zach Willeyhelping Oregon’s WarmSprings tribes use marketsto protect their water and timber.

A guiding principle atEnvironmental Defense is that local peo-ple are usually the land’s best stewards; ifthey’ve been local for thousands of years,better still. “Their empirical experienceputs them way ahead of scientists build-ing a database from scratch,” says Willey.And they’ll often defend their land withimmense courage. While some conserva-tionists champion uninhabited parks,Schwartzman has documented thatreserves managed by indigenous peoplesprotect far more against deforestation.

In Borneo, for example, theBentian saved hundreds of thousands offorested acres from destruction by multi-

national timber companies. While offi-cials had insisted the area was uncultivat-ed, Fried helped validate the Bentianclaim that they had tended it for 23 gen-erations. It looked wild only because theyknew the ecology so thoroughly. Theyplanted crops, but kept “mother trees” toreseed and erase their clearings every fewyears. They had even developed anexport crop, rattan, that could be har-

vested without damaging the forest.When the Bentian requested

Fried’s help, she recorded their oral his-tory of land use. “We’d walk, and some-one would say, ‘My great-grandmotherplanted that tree for me to build myboat, and I planted this seedling for mygrandson’s future.’”

LINKING TRADITIONS ANDTECHNOLOGYThough strong traditions can help protectthe land, globalization and cultural changehave often made more formal safeguardsnecessary. Willey recalls that, yearsago, when he’d take his kids tubingon the Warm Springs River, atribe member would draw him amap, showing where to avoid thefragile eggs of endangeredChinook salmon. “Now youngerpeople don’t know that Chinooksustained us for thousands ofyears,” says Bobbie Brunoe, aWasco Indian leader. As their oraltradition “becomes less efficientfor passing on knowledge,” addsWilley, “they’re using laws to pre-serve those practices instead.”

The role of EnvironmentalDefense is to link our partners tomarkets, technology and interna-tional institutions. Willey and the

Warm Springs tribes co-founded the DeschutesRiver Conservancy, whichbuys water from farmersto keep the river alive. Inthe Northwestern Hawai-ian Islands, we used emailand fax technology to helpa group of native Hawai-ian cultural practitioners,fishermen and divers givevoice to far-flung commu-nities that otherwisewould have gone unheardat government agencies,thereby helping to securean 84-million-acre coralreef reserve. We oftenwork to amplify indige-

nous voices when the World Bank andothers consider what projects to fund.

In the end, anything but equal part-nerships are self-defeating, says Schwartz-man. “Historically, outsiders had given thePanará presents to try to secure theircompliance. It was a leap for the elderswhen we didn’t want to just give themgoods and tell them what to do.” Instead,Schwartzman spent many nights in meet-ings in the ceremonial house. “Conser-vation,” he says, “only works if indigenouspeople and conservationists understandeach other.”


Secret gardens: The Bentian people of Borneo have tended some of theworld’s oldest rainforests for many generations.

The Baka people of West Africa won internationalrecognition of their rights with help from our econ-omist Dr. Korinna Horta.

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Local lessons for protecting global treasures

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NEWS BRIEFS

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Hybrid electric trucks that we helpedFedEx develop are already deliveringpackages in four American cities. Evenbetter, six more fleet owners—from Frito-Lay to the U.S. Army—are moving toadopt similar technology. This achieve-

ment, a collaboration among FedEx,Eaton Corporation and EnvironmentalDefense known as the Future VehicleProject, was recently awarded Harvard’sRoy Family Award for EnvironmentalPartnership.

Noting that our hybrids reduceharmful particulate emissions 96% andincrease fuel efficiency 57%, awardreviewers said the trucks “can be a prac-tical, economically viable alternative,and could become the industry stan-dard.” Other fleet operators that haveexpressed interest include the U.S.Postal Service, DHL, Purolator andFlorida Power and Light.

“The trucks are catching on, andthis recognition by Harvard will help usspread the word faster,” said our directorof corporate partnerships Gwen Ruta.

Seafood aficionados may fear that theEnvironmental Defense Seafood Selectorwill tell them all the tasty fish theyshouldn’t eat. Well, there’s good news forlovers of shrimp, America’s favoriteseafood.

U.S. farmed shrimp has been ele-vated to “best choice” status on our pop-ular selector, which serves as a guide forseafood preferences. The designation isan indication that products are producedin an environmentally friendly way.

The change is largely due toimprovements made on shrimp farms inTexas, the leading domestic producer offarmed shrimp. Texas’s stricter rules,which call for large reductions in waste-water pollution and new practices to pre-vent the spread of disease to wild shrimppopulations, are the result of successfuladvocacy by our fisheries biologist PamBaker and allies.

“This is a win-win-win situationfor the environment, shrimp farmers andconsumers,” says Baker. EnvironmentalDefense is now urging the establishmentof national standards for fish farming inthe open ocean, where the NationalMarine Fisheries Service advocatesextensive fish farm development.

WANT SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD? Go to:www.oceansalive.org.

To a nation intent on beefing up home-land security, January’s derailment of atrain carrying chlorine gas in Granite-ville, SC, should be a wake-up call. Thetrain’s broken tank cars spewed out apoisonous, ground-hugging fog thatkilled nine people. Yet as we pointed outmore than a year ago in our reportEliminating Hometown Hazards thechlorine gas did not have to be there.

Road scholars: We put our heads togetherwith FedEx to come up with a cleaner truck.

Cocktail hour forshrimp lovers

FedEx truck project wins Harvard award

Wake-up time: Derailment exposes gap innation’s chemical security

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Used at wastewater treatment plantsto remove contaminants, chlorine gas iseasily replaced by comparably priced,easy-to-use alternatives. In fact, sinceSeptember 11, 2001, numerous sewagefacilities have begun switching to lessdangerous disinfectants, and more than20 million people are safer from potentialaccidents or terrorist attacks. But morethan 16 million Americans who live near

urban wastewater plantsare still at risk.

Despite the very realdanger from hazardouschemicals in populatedareas, no national actionhas been taken to eliminatethe threats, points out oureconomic analyst CarolAndress, who authored thereport. “Frankly, it’s inex-cusable that Congress hasnot acted,” says Andress.“Will it take an even worseincident before somethingis done?”

Firm, cold, delicious—and now guilt-free.

Why are we still sending trainloads of poison through theheartland?

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Guest columnist Jim Motavalli is editor of E/The Environmental Magazine (for subscription information: 800-967-6572 or www.emagazine.com). Opinions are the author’s and not those of Environmental Defense staff.Environmental Defense makes no endorsement of the products for sale.

all appliances except dryers. The stickershows energy consumption and estimatedannual operating costs along with com-parisons to other models. Here’s more:

Refrigerators. The biggest energy hog inyour home benefits the most from effi-ciency innovations. Replacing a conven-tional refrigerator sold as late as 2001with a new Energy Star unit can cutelectricity use by 40%. With refrigerators,size and style do matter: the most effi-cient models are usually 16 to 20 cubicfeet, and top or bottom freezers use lessenergy than side-by-side units. Choose asize that meets your needs; if you plug inyour old refrigerator in the basement orgarage for extra room, you’ll more thanwipe out the savings!

Clothes washers. A regular washingmachine uses 40 gallons of water, butEnergy Star models use 18 to 25—andsave 50% on energy costs. Front-loadingmachines, commonly used in Europe and

Machines go greenMORE EFFICIENT APPLIANCES SAVE ENERGY AND MONEY

Refrigerators, dishwashers, washingmachines and dryers save plenty of

time. They also can waste a lot of energy.In industrial countries, major appliancesaccount for 30% of electricity use and12% of global warming pollution, andworldwide, their use is growing.Appliances have made remarkable leapsin energy efficiency in recent years. Inenergy terms, the old appliances still inour homes may be as obsolete as iceboxesand washboards.

On the bright side, 43 countries,including the United States, haveestablished efficiency programs formajor appliances. Americans canchoose EPA-certified Energy Starappliances, which use 10 to 50% lessenergy and water than standard models.Although they often are slightly moreexpensive, these appliances easily makeup the difference in a few years byreducing energy bills.

Shoppers also can check out theyellow EnergyGuide sticker, required on

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You can help the future look bright—and cleaner, too.

Energy settings

To learn more about energy-sav-ing appliances for your home, trythese resources:

EPA’s Energy Star program cov-ers major appliances, furnaces,room air conditioners and more.US EPA Climate ProtectionPartnerships Division, EnergyStar Programs (MS-6202J), 1200Pennsylvania Ave. NW,Washington, DC 20460; 888-STAR-YES; www.energystar.gov.

The Department of Energy’sonline home energy-efficiencyguide is at www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/energy_savers.

The American Council for anEnergy-Efficient Economy(ACEEE) promotes energy effi-ciency for economic prosperityand environmental protection.1001 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite801, Washington, DC 20036; 202-429-8873; www.aceee.org.

Consumer Reports offers the mostcomplete, unbiased applianceevaluations available in the UnitedStates. The online product ratingsrequire a payment ($4.95 monthlyor $26 a year), but general infor-mation is available to all. 101Truman Ave., Yonkers, NY 10703;www.ConsumerReports.org.

Useful books with tips on majorappliances and other homeissues include: The Green Book ofHousehold Hints: Keeping anEfficient and Ecologically SoundHome by Marjorie Harris, Firefly,2001, $14.95; and Smart Power:An Urban Guide To RenewableEnergy and Efficiency by WilliamH. Kemp, Aztext Press, 2004,$29.95.

Could there be a more meaningful wayto make a difference?

You can create an environmental legacy byincluding Environmental Defense in yourwill or estate plan. Your gift will enable usto continue working to curb global warm-ing. It can also give you income tax relief,provide you with lifetime income, andavoid capital gains tax liability.

To learn more, call toll-free 877-677-7397or write Anne Doyle, Environmental De-fense, 257 Park Avenue So., NY, NY 10010.

Leave an environmental legacy

In the crosshairs of the energy industryThey’re at it again. The energy industry wants carte blancheto drill in sensitive offshore areas and the Rocky Mountains.

Industry is seeking to end the longstanding bipartisanmoratorium on offshore drilling. With high energy pricesand a sympathetic Congress, they see an opportunity toaccess pristine areas that have been off limits for decades.“We’re in an exciting era,” exults the head of the NationalOcean Industries Association, a pro-drilling group.

Priority targets for industry include North Carolina’sOuter Banks, Georges Bank off New England and sites offNorthern California, Oregon and Florida.

We have joined with communities in the threatenedareas to prevent this rash reversal of one of America’sstrongest environmental rules. “Industry already has somany acres leased it is having trouble exploiting them,” saysour marine advocate Richard Charter.

In the Rockies, where a record number of natural gaspermits were issued last year, industry now wants permits for amillion more acres of Wyoming and Montana. EnvironmentalDefense has filed suit to stop the plans.

Ask Congress to stop drilling in sensitive areas. Go to: www.envi-ronmentaldefense.org/action.

Ask President Bush to champion the seas

The official U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy calls thestate of the oceans dire, and President Bush has respondedwith some encouraging moves. We’re pleased the president

established a cabinet-level committee and endorsed marketincentives for good stewardship.

But the administration has to do more on overfish-ing—a major driver of the oceans’ collapse. With two-thirdsof fisheries crashing and coastal waters increasingly polluted,the president also needs to ensure that managers and scien-tists have the resources to implement his recommendations.Real progress will require funding and visionary leadership.

Tell President Bush you support a doubling of federalfunding for ocean science and education. Urge him to leavean ocean legacy as enduring as Teddy Roosevelt’s on land.

Ask President Bush to be the Teddy Roosevelt of the seas; signour Oceans Alive pledge at www.oceansalive.org.


Coming soon to a beach near you?

in many laundromats, are inherentlymore efficient than top loaders, reducedrying time, and on average hold 30%more clothes. One drawback is a higherinitial cost ($300 to $400 extra). You canreduce energy use with any machine bywashing only full loads and using coldinstead of warm or hot water.

Dishwashers. Energy Star dishwashersuse 25% less electricity than standardunits. Some models, such as theSwedish-built ASKO, also offer veryquiet operation and a 20% increase incapacity. Like clothes washers, dishwash-ers should be run with full loads. Use theenergy-saving air-dry setting (avoidheat-dry) or prop open the door after thelast rinse.

ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE ACTION CENTER

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Dryers. Next to refrigerators, the typicalclothes dryer uses more energy than anyother home appliance. The average dryercosts $85 a year to run or about $1,100over its lifetime. Unfortunately, dryersaren’t required to display EnergyGuideinformation about their consumption. Soit’s best to look for dryers with moisturesensors and automatic shut-off controls.If your dryer has spin controls, use thehigher speeds. Clean the lint filter aftereach load for better circulation. If possi-ble, dry several loads in succession to takeadvantage of stored heat. And if you liveoutside the city, don’t forget the best dry-ing technology of all—the wind and asturdy clothesline.

By Jim Motavalli

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had for the past two decadesbegun bringing it back to life.

By trip’s end, Pitt hadturned important heads—including Raley’s. Pitt toldRaley of plans by theInternational Boundary WaterCommission, part of the U.S.State Department, to dredgethe 23-mile stretch of rivermarking the border withMexico, widening it from 50 to700 feet to control flooding.The problem was that theCommission was using datafrom the 1940s, when theColorado was still capable ofmassive, nourishing floods.Now, studies by EnvironmentalDefense and the Bureau ofReclamation showed, suchflows would come only onceevery 10,000 years.

PREVENTING HARMFULDREDGINGDredging would destroy 80% of theSouthwest’s best riparian habitat, a cru-cial flyway for migratory birds thatInterior is required to protect. “You’restruggling to do this,” Pitt told Raley,“and dredging will make it harder.” Soonafter the trip, Raley got Pitt and theState Department on the phone, “andmade clear that Interior shared our con-cerns.” The dredging contract was can-celled, and our consultants are now

designing more modestflood controls that willactually increase habitat.

Out on the river, Pittmade an impact on anoth-er powerful water broker,Central Arizona WaterConservancy Districtdirector Sid Wilson, who’dbeen pushing to start theYuma Desalting Plant. Sheexplained that the Plantwould destroy a 40,000-

Assistant interior secretary BennettRaley knew what he was in for

when he invited our resource analystJennifer Pitt on a Colorado River triplast April with state officials and journal-ists. “I was the only environmentalist,”says Jennifer. “He knew I’d talk aboutfederal projects threatening theColorado’s delta.”

And talk she did, of a once greatdesert estuary, covering 3,000 squaremiles and benefiting the entire Gulf ofCalifornia, from vast shrimp fisheries totiny endangered vaquita porpoises. Shetold how decades of damconstruction and diver-sions upstream haddiminished that estuary—like the Nile and Indusdeltas—to remnant wet-lands and mudflats. Thenshe told them the goodnews: that the delta hadproved remarkablyresilient. Agricultural andmunicipal wastewater,and the occasional flood,

Victory on the Colorado RiverTIMELY INTERVENTION PREVENTS DESTRUCTION OF CRITICAL HABITAT

The Colorado runs like gold through a desert.

This summer tanager dependson the delta.

What they’re saying about

Environmental Defense

“One organization that is leadinga campaign to rally support for theMcCain-Lieberman bill...isEnvironmental Defense. Its [cli-mate program] director PeterGoldmark spoke convincingly toBoston's business and investmentcommunity on the scientific consen-sus behind global warming."

—Boston Globe editorial Nov. 27, 2004

acre delta wetland, La Cienega de SantaClara, home to endangered Yuma clapperrails and desert pupfish. It would also wastemillions of dollars, costing about ten timeswhat local farmers would charge to sellArizona the same amount of water.

Back on dry land, Wilson enlistedPitt in a group working to reconcileArizona’s water needs with the delta’s sur-vival. “Jennifer convinced me that youcould have productive, rational discussions

with strong environmental advocates,” saysWilson. “She cares about the economics ofwhat we do, and I wanted her to bringthat to the table.” Seems the currentdrought, now in its sixth year, may finallypush the Colorado Basin states to buildmarket flexibility into their water plans.

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On the Grand Canyon trip, Jennifer Pitt bothpaddled and persuaded.

Tuesday, March 15, 2005Dear Environmental Defense member,

With the Kyoto treaty now in effect, significant first steps are being takenby 141 nations to undo global warming-but not the United States.

As the world’s largest source of global warming pollution, Americahas a responsibility to act—and anopportunity to thrive in the new globalmarketplace for a clean energy future.

We need your help. With the newCongress sworn in, we’re gearing upfor a full-scale effort to pass thebipartisan McCain-Lieberman ClimateStewardship Act. This is a critical andurgent first step.

Put simply, the McCain-Lieberman bill is the most effective

action to curb global warming ever proposed in Congress. Its market-basedapproach rewards innovation and guarantees rapid pollution reductions.

Thanks to your help, McCain-Lieberman won unexpectedly strongsupport before the last election. Now we must build on that momentum toreach the 51 votes that will win passage in the Senate.

That’s why I want to deliver one million signed petitions to CapitolHill as a powerful display of public solidarity. You can help galvanize thissupport. I urge you to sign the two petitions on the back of this newsletterand return them in the envelope in the center of this issue.

It will only take you a moment. But by speaking out today, you canhelp rescue tomorrow.

P.S. Along with your petitions, please also join The 51 CLUB. Each mem-

ber is contributing $51—or more—to help get the 51 votes we need for a

Senate majority. (See below.)

Continued on following page

It started out as a trickle, butthe scientific evidence on globalwarming has grown into a torrent.

Just last month, researchersat Scripps Institution of Ocean-ography released the first evi-dence that the world’s oceansare warming at an dangerousrate, and that human activitiessuch as the burning of fossilfuels are largely responsible.

“The debate over whether ornot there is a global warmingsignal is now over, at least forrational people,” said researcherDr. Tim Barnett. The new oceansdata affirms what atmosphericscientists-as well as theNational Academy of Sciencesand the American GeophysicalUnion-have already concluded.

Unless decisive action istaken, scientists warn we maynot be able to avert widespreadadverse impacts on water sup-plies, agriculture, ecosystemsand human health.

Most of the world hasresolved that global warming is

Emergency campaignon global warming

You can help win the Senatevote to undo global warming!PLEASE SIGN THE TWO PETITIONS ON BACK PAGE TODAY

Your latest

Environmental

Defense

newsletter

inside

McCain won’t take “no” for an answer.

McCain-Liebermanbill is best response to global warmingWHY WE MUST DEMAND

SENATE ACTION NOW

�

Join The 51 CLUB today!

Please contribute $51 to finance our emergency cam-paign to get the 51 votes we need to win the vote. Mailyour contribution with your petitions, or put your gift towork even faster by using your credit card to con-tribute at 1-800-591-1919 or undoit.org/Join51Club.

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too dangerous to ignore. In fact,many businesses and govern-ments have moved aggressivelyto cut greenhouse gas emissionsby using energy more efficiently.

But Washington’s silence hasbeen deafening.

The good news is that thewheels are beginning to turn onCapitol Hill. A sense of urgencyis in the air and both parties nowrecognize the need to act.Senators like Chuck Hagel(RNE), who not long ago scoffedat the science, are proposingtheir own climate bills.

By far the most credible leg-islation before Congress is thebipartisan Climate StewardshipAct sponsored by Senators JohnMcCain (R-AZ) and JosephLieberman (D-CT). It calls forenergy producers and industryto reduce emissions to year 2000levels by 2010.

The McCain-Lieberman billuses a market-based approach

The opposition’s strategy: Delay, deny

and delude

fense recently exposed a studyby ExxonMobil-fundedresearchers that omitted criti-cal temperature data to assertthat the current warming trendis not unusual. Irresponsiblescience does not belong inCongress. With your help, wewon’t allow the fiction writers,whatever their stripe, to prevail.

Join the fight against global warming.Visit www.undoit.org.

The closer we get toengaging the UnitedStates in the fightagainst global warming,the more reckless theopposition gets. In theirdesperation, our oppo-nents have enlisted astrange choir of voices.Senator James Inhofe(R-OK) even invoked sci-ence fiction novelistMichael Crichton in aneffort to prove his case thatglobal warming is an invention.In a Senate speech in January,Inhofe called Crichton’s latestthriller State of Fear “the realstory” on global warming. Nowthat’s scary.

The same could be said forsome big energy companiesthat are spending millions todeceive Congress with fictitiousscience. Environmental De-

EMERGENCY CAMPAIGN ON GLOBAL WARMINGTake action today by signing and returning the petitions on the back page!

Continued from previous page

Senator Inhofe calls global warming “the greatesthoax ever perpetrated on the American people.”

that favors the least-cost waysto cut global warming pollution.This will stimulate innovationand help U.S. industry become aglobal leader in the marketplacefor clean energy technology andknow-how. It will also reduceAmerica’s dependence on oil.

AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALLGroups ranging from religiousorganizations to the ski industryto insurance providers havecalled for action on globalwarming. “Give us a date, tell ushow much we need to cut, give

Time to act: The 1990s was the hottestdecade of the 20th century, and probably ofthe last 1,000 years as well.

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us the flexibility to meet thegoals, and we’ll get it done,”Xcel Energy CEO Wayne Brunettitold Business Week.

It’s time to tap into America’singenuity and catch up to the restof the developed world. With yourhelp, we can persuade 51 sena-tors to pass McCain-Lieberman.Already 40 are on record, so wehave just 11 votes to go.

We can, and must, beat glob-al warming. There is no time tolose.

Make sure your voice is heard inWashington. Visit www.undoit.org

EMERGENCY CAMPAIGN ON GLOBAL WARMING

Our global warming action plan

Global warming threatens our health, our economyand our environment. Its consequences are poten-tially catastrophic. Fortunately, there is hope.People created global warming, and we can stop it.

But building political will in Washington is not easy.That’s why it’s important for you to sign the petitionsto your senators on the next page. Help us deliverthis simple, clear message: Americans want action.

Your contribution today will help us advance ourstrategy to cap global warming pollution:

Through positive steps like these, in partnership with others—andwith your support—we can change U.S. policy on global warming.

•Secure Senate votes in key states. Work to mobilizebipartisan support in states like Arkansas, Iowa,Louisiana, North Carolina and Ohio.

•Counter industry’s disinformation campaign. Weexposed ExxonMobil for misleading the public aboutclimate change. Now we must expand our efforts.

•Enlist business allies. Show that industry can cutemissions and prosper; build on our partnershipswith many of the world’s largest corporations.

•Increase our lobbying influence. Engage top-rankconsultants to recruit individual senators and help usrespond to evolving legislative opportunities.

•Mobilize Americans online. Attract visitors toour undoit.org campaign web site; enlist at leastone million petition signers.

•Motivate concerned citizens through paid and public service adver-tising. Place hard-hitting advertisements on CNN, in The New YorkTimes and other leading newspapers, and on leading news web sites.

Global climate at the

tipping point?

The year 2004 was the fourthhottest on record, and marked the28th consecutive year that aver-age global temperatures exceed-ed historical averages. An inter-national panel co-chaired by U.S.Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME)concluded last month that unlesswe act soon, increasingly destruc-tive consequences are inevitable.

Every American—and everycitizen of the world—should takeheed. Urgent action is needednow because greenhouse gasesreleased by the burning of fossilfuels and other human activitiesremain in the atmosphere for 100years or more.

The impact? Record heat,drought and flooding. By the endof the century, there could be nomore glaciers in Glacier NationalPark; Boston’s climate couldresemble that of Atlanta, andflooding could make much ofcoastal Florida uninhabitable.

“With climate change,” con-cluded Snowe, “there is an eco-logical time bomb ticking away.”

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Citizen’s Petition

[to Senator SENATOR’S NAME]

[From Member’s name]

[Address 1]

[Address 2]

[City, State]

WHEREAS ... Global warming is the most pressingenvironmental problem of our time; and

WHEREAS ... Carbon dioxide and other green-house gases released by fossil fuel consumption,deforestation and other human activities can trapheat in our atmosphere for 100 years or longer—with devastating environmental consequences; and

WHEREAS ... Current U.S. policy on climatechange is one of indifference, out of step withworld opinion, at a time when our damaging glob-al warming pollution is continuing to increase.

THEREFORE ... I urge you to co-sponsor and sup-port, in every way you can, Senator John McCainand Senator Joe Lieberman’s bipartisan ClimateStewardship Act, a bill to create national caps onglobal warming pollution.

Please respond letting me know whether you will

or will not support the Climate Stewardship Act.

Sincerely,(signature)

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDENVIRONMENTAL

DEFENSE

Totally chlorine free 100% post-consumer recycled paper

Please see the

letter from

Fred Krupp on

the front about

the upcoming

vote and:

(1) Sign the twopetitions to yourSenators.

(2) Enclose agenerous con-tribution to The51 CLUB.

(3) Detachentire yellow

portion andreturn in theenvelope facingpage 7.

Citizen’s Petition

[to Senator SENATOR’S NAME]

[From Member’s name]

[Address 1]

[Address 2]

[City, State]

WHEREAS ... Global warming is the most pressingenvironmental problem of our time; and

WHEREAS ... Carbon dioxide and other green-house gases released by fossil fuel consumption,deforestation and other human activities can trapheat in our atmosphere for 100 years or longer—with devastating environmental consequences; and

WHEREAS ... Current U.S. policy on climatechange is one of indifference, out of step withworld opinion, at a time when our damaging glob-al warming pollution is continuing to increase.

THEREFORE ... I urge you to co-sponsor and sup-port, in every way you can, Senator John McCainand Senator Joe Lieberman’s bipartisan ClimateStewardship Act, a bill to create national caps onglobal warming pollution.

Please respond letting me know whether you will

or will not support the Climate Stewardship Act.

Sincerely,(signature)

Urgent 51 CLUB Reply

Yes! I want to join The 51 CLUB and help do even more to win the 51 votes needed to pass theClimate Stewardship Act! Please find my gift enclosed in the amount of:

� $51* � $100 � $250 � $1000 � $_________

� I am not able to join the 51 Club at this time. However, I would like to make a special contri-bution to the Environmental Defense Action Fund in the amount of: $________.

� I have enclosed my signed petitions to my U.S. Senators.

*Minimum amount for joining The 51 CLUB

Because the Environmental Defense Action Fund engages in hard-hitting citizen action to win passage of legislation for a better, healthier environment,contributions are not tax-deductible.

Please be sure to sign your petitions and return this entire page in the enclosed reply envelope.

We will deliver your petitions along with thousands of others to your U.S. Senators.







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