Help Us Find a Teddy Roosevelt for Our Oceans

Teddy Roosevelt left an enduring legacy in protecting our nations last great places and saving millions of acres of wild land. Today, our oceans are in trouble, with marine life and plants in danger of vanishing forever. We need a champion to commit that same level of action to our oceans. Send a message to President George W. Bush and Senator John Kerry urging them to become the Teddy Roosevelt of the oceans and to restore the health of our seas:
http://actionnetwork.org/ct/HpaYwHs1rQEr/

*Oceans in Crisis*

Covering more than two-thirds of the Earth's surface, our oceans were once thought to be an inexhaustible resource, too vast to be damaged by the actions of humans. We now know differently. Fisheries are collapsing, runoff is polluting coastal waters and coral reefs are dying. Our coasts are being carved up to make room for housing, hotels, roads and fish farms, and our waterways are dumping grounds for toxins and other waste.

From icy seas to warm tropical waters, more than two-thirds of the world's fisheries have been overfished. Billions of pounds of fish each year are wasted as unwanted "bycatch" (catch tossed overboard, dead or dying, for lack of market). And hundreds of thousands of seabirds, marine mammals, sea turtles and other marine life are killed through destructive fishing practices.

The explosion in fish farming to satisfy our growing appetite for seafood is polluting our coastal waters with fish waste, antibiotics and other pollutants. Runoff from farms, animal feedlots and streets has created huge 'dead zones' in many bays and estuaries, where few life forms survive.

*Oceans Alive Calls For Action*

The recent draft report by the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy confirms that our oceans are in trouble, findings that are echoed by the Pew Ocean Commission and many others. Our oceans need help, and with the right tools we can reverse this decline.

The election year offers a historic opportunity for movement on ocean issues. Building on our long commitment to practical solutions, our Oceans Alive campaign is dedicated to protecting and restoring this vital web of life.

*Wanted: The Teddy Roosevelt for Our Oceans*

Why Teddy Roosevelt? During his presidency, Roosevelt championed conservation and saved millions of acres of wild land for the benefit of all Americans. Today, we need a champion to commit that same level of passion and action to our oceans.

TAKE ACTION!

Take the Oceans Alive pledge and call on President George W. Bush and Senator John Kerry to restore the health of our seas:
http://actionnetwork.org/ct/HpaYwHs1rQEr/

MORE INFORMATION:

Get more information about why oceans are in trouble at Oceans Alive and learn what you can do, online and on your dinner plate:
http://actionnetwork.org/ct/FpaYwHs1rQEO/

See our ad in last Friday's New York Times:
http://actionnetwork.org/ct/F1aYwHs1rQEg/

Spread the word. Send friends and family an inspiring Oceans Alive postcard (spread the word url) and encourage them to take the pledge:
http://actionnetwork.org/ct/GdaYwHs1rQEv/

Lebensmittelhersteller können vorgeben, wie die Tiere gefüttert werden, deren Produkte wir essen. Doch viele Unternehmen weigern sich immer noch, ohne Gen-Pflanzen füttern zu lassen. Dies zeigt auch der Streit mit Müllermilch.

Dass die Mehrheit der Verbraucher Gentechnik im Tierfutter ablehnt, scheint keine große Rolle zu spielen. Die Verbraucher haben ohnehin keine Wahl - es sei denn, sie haben bei jedem Einkauf unseren Ratgeber zur Hand. Denn Produkte von Tieren, die mit Gen-Pflanzen gefüttert wurden, müssen nicht gekennzeichnet werden.

Damit sich das ändert und wir mit unserem Einkauf Druck ausüben können, starten wir eine Unterschriften-Aktion. Sie richtet sich an die Europäische Union mit der Forderung, diese Gesetzeslücke zu schließen. Wir bitten Sie, zahlreich teilzunehmen. Den Link zur Kopiervorlage finden Sie hier:

http://www.greenpeace.org/multimedia/download/1/534601/0/Unterschriftenliste.pdf

Leider will auch Müller als Marktführer für Molkereiprodukte nicht mit gutem Beispiel vorangehen und veranlasst nach wie vor keine Tierfütterung ohne Gen-Pflanzen.

Wer will noch mal oder hat noch nicht protestiert? Hier geht's zur Cyberaktion gegen Müller:

http://act.greenpeace.org/ams/de?a=1470&s=gen_de

Der neue Rundbrief ist da! Neben unseren neuesten Pestiziduntersuchungen finden Sie darin Hintergrundinformationen zum globalen Anbau von Gen-Pflanzen sowie ein Interview mit einem Vertreter des Milchwirtschaftsverbandes:

http://www.greenpeace.de/ekn-rundbrief

Wie immer viel Spaß beim Lesen und Mitmachen!

Bis bald,

EinkaufsNetz-Team

einkaufsnetz@greenpeace.de
EinkaufsNetz
Greenpeace e.V.
Grosse Elbstrasse 39
22767 Hamburg

http://www.greenpeace.de/einkaufsnetz
Tel. + 49 40 30618-246
Fax + 49 40 30631 111

Sam Burcher reports on a global movement to ban GM trees

Some 400 GM birch trees ( Betula pendula ) in a single GM field study situated in Punkaharju, Finland have been either ripped up or cut down by unknown parties at an estimated cost of 1.21 million euros in June 2004.

After the attack, the researchers at the Finnish Forest Research claimed that their purpose was to examine the environmental risks of horizontal gene transfer. When they originally applied for permission for the field trial in 2000, however, it was to study the carbon-nitrogen processes of GM trees.

Protests against GM trees greeted the 4 th UN Forum on Forests (UNFF) in Geneva in May 2004 because of the “Decision” to draft plans for GM tree projects made at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP9) in Milan in December 2003.

GM trees have been included in the Kyoto Protocol as a means of generating carbon credits under the Clean Development Mechanism. Carbon credits sold in this way are not subject to the traceability legislation that applies to all other GM imports into Europe and therefore countries hosting GM trees will have no way of knowing whether their credits are GM free or not.

The hopes pinned on GM trees include slowing the progress of climate change and ameliorating the effects of mercury vapours in the atmosphere caused by fossil fuels and medical waste burning.

The plan is to “phyto-remediate” plots of land by planting GM trees that take up ionic mercury or organic mercury and convert it to less toxic elemental mercury, which can then be expelled into the atmosphere where it is supposed to become less harmful. But what this will achieve is relocate soil mercury from contaminated soil sites in the south and redistribute the mercury to the north. Also, the mercury expelled to the atmosphere will go back to the land through precipitation, and convert to its original toxic state in the soil. This poses threats to animal and human health as well as problems of cross- contamination of native plants . Prof. Joe Cummins, among others, has warned that populating expansive areas with mercury transgenic trees could cause a global catastrophe (see “GM trees alert”, Science in Society 16, 2002 and http://www.i-sis.org.uk/GMtrees.php )

Trees are also genetically modified to reduce the amount of fibrous lignin that is the substance of the wood of trees, providing strength and resistance to pests and disease. GM trees may contain up to 50% less lignin than their conventional counterparts, which reduces the ability of the plant to reach optimum levels of fitness in the environment. This reduced capacity leads to decreased biomass and degraded biodiversity.

It is thought that reducing lignin in trees will make wood easier and cheaper to pulp and paper, especially soft woods, as well as creating fas ter growing trees. But a forest of slow decaying trees is a major carbon sink whereas fast decaying forests will result in carbon dioxide being returned to the atmosphere too rapidly (see “Low lignin trees an forage crops”, ISIS report 5 June 2004 http://www.i-sis.org.uk/LLGMT.php ; Science in Society 23).

The US Department of Agriculture has issued more that 300 permits for open GM tree trials since 2000 and officials are expected to grant permission to grow GM trees commercially by 2005. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) GM tree trials are also taking place in China and Chile. In New Zealand GM tree trials are underway by Aventis and DuPont who have engineered pine trees ( Pinus radiata ) and Norwegian Spruce ( Picea abies ) to be resistant to their herbicides “Buster” and “Escort”. A second trial involves speeding up the growth of these GM tree species.

The introduction of “novel bio- engineered” trees into stocks of indigenous trees that “out compete” the native populations will have a disrupting effect on ecosystems and poses similar risks as GM crops, on an increased scale. Problems with GM trees in the environment are amplified because trees engineered to contain pesticides have increased ability to harm non-target insects and birds as well as distributing pollen extensively. Tests have shown that pollen from pine trees can travel up to 600 km. Furthermore , trees remain in the environment for a lot longer than seasonal crops like maize.

There is very little evidence as to what GM trees may do to the soil, but there is every possibility that they may absorb more nutrients than traditional trees, which further threatens biodiversity. And it is not yet know whether GM trees can withstand strong winds, a condition of climate change.

A campaign to ban GM trees was launched in January 2004 by Finnish Environmental Groups, The Peoples Biosafety Association and the Union of Ecoforestry. So far they have attracted support from many concerned groups: – The World Rainforest Movement, Friends of the Earth International, ISIS, The Forest Action Network and Scottish Green Party.

At a side event in Geneva under the banner “The Peopl e's Forest Forum” Anne Petermann, co-director of the Stop GE Trees Campaign in the US presented evidence about the hazards of GM trees and the risks of contamination across state borders from even single field trials. She said: “Once the pollen from those trees escape there is no going back.”

An open letter to Governments was circulated on the last day of the UNFF by the Finnish Environmental Groups which stated that there is no control system for GM pollen flowing with the wind or seeds transported by birds , and that this “breaks with the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety”, the first international law to control the transportation of LMOs ( Living Modified Organisms) across national borders.

Mikko Vartiainen, a lawyer specialising in international law on natural resources confirmed that the burden of proof of safety should lie with the proponents of GM trees and that “We should follow a very tight precautionary principle with such risks.” The campaign delegation at Geneva has facilitated dialogue between Government agents and NG Os and hopes to stimulate discussions between GM proponents and concerned scientists. But they argue that the “Decision” made at COP9 regarding GM trees should have been preceded by such dialogue.

American Lands Alliance, WWF and Greenpeace have all called for a moratorium on the release of GM trees. They suggest positive moves be made to “reduce the need” for fast growing trees that increase global demands for virgin wood and paper products along with further research and more regulations in place before GM trees are manufactured in the forests.

Hannu Hyvonen, the co-ordinator of the Union of Ecoforestry and an organic farmer said that planting GM trees was not the answer to Climate Change prevention, “One cannot put out the fire with gasoline,” he said.

Sign onto the petition: Global Ban on GM trees at http://elonmerkki.net/forestforum

This article can be found on the I-SIS website at http://www.i-sis.org.uk/

Scientists, kupuna (elders), fishermen, many in the Native Hawaiian community, the the NWHI Reserve Advisory Council and the broad public have concluded that commerical bottomfish activity is not compatible with the protection of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands ecosystem and should be phased out. This would exclude researchers working to ensure the long-term conservation of the NWHI and Native Hawaiians practicing subsistence, cultural, and religious uses.

The State waters hold the heart of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and contain some of the most ecologically important and vulnerable areas, especially the coral reefs and shallow lagoons essential to monk seals, sea turtles, and other wildlife. The state is being encouraged to provide the highest level of protection for these areas and to ensure that the language of the proposed rules accomplishes this. Please take a moment to preserve on the last wild places on Earth. Your comments will help to protect these vitally important waters. Mahalo nui loa.

You can take action on this alert either via email (please see directions below) or via the web at:
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/NWHI_refuge/83u57e4ljwb3wt

Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this.
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/NWHI_refuge/forward/83u57e4ljwb3wt

We encourage you to take action by August 13, 2004

Take Action!

The Bush Administration has announced a plan that would overturn the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, the landmark conservation initiative enacted in 2001 to protect 58.5 million acres of National Forest roadless areas from additional road-building and logging.

In doing so, the Administration will all but eliminate protections for America’s last remaining unspoiled National Forests. And worse yet, this decision completely ignores the wishes of the 2.5 million Americans who have repeatedly supported these protections.

Don't sit still for this one! Take action now. We've provided a letter below, but we know you have plenty to say about this, so feel free to edit our letter and send it.

Time's awasting. Please help us spread the word about this campaign!

http://ga1.org/campaign/roadless/wd8ks5xr1iw3e5

On-line Petitions to STOP THE DRAFT

http://www.petitiononline.com/cgi-htdig/htsearch?restrict=petitiononline.com;config=htdig;method=and;format=builtin-long;sort=score;words=s-89


Informant: blue willow

(excerpt)

by David Harrison http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/

Thousands of stray dogs will be poisoned ahead of next month's Olympic Games in Athens despite a campaign by the RSPCA to prevent their slaughter.

The animal welfare charity says that the strays will be killed because the Greek authorities fear that the sight of packs of dogs roaming the streets will damage their efforts to use the Games to show the world that their country is modern and civilised.

There are an estimated 15,000 stray dogs in Athens and although the government has taken some action to remove them from the streets without killing them, the RSPCA says that local authorities will not have the resources or the commitment to round up the animals and keep them in shelters during the Games.

Officially, the Greek authorities say that there will be no mass poisoning and the Athens Olympics Committee has asked animal welfare groups to help round up the dogs.

There are however, only one or two shelters in Athens that can take dogs and they are already overcrowded, so the Greeks face a choice of leaving the dogs roaming the streets during the Olympics or poisoning them.

Greece's fledgling animal welfare groups said that the mass slaughter of strays had already begun. Eighty dogs were recently found dead in the coastal resort of Saronida, where some members of the British team are expected to stay.

One animal welfare activist said: "There has been a big increase in poisonings recently and we expect it to rise sharply as the Games get closer. We are doing what we can, with a lot of help from international organisations such as the RSPCA, but we are fighting against a culture that is deeply entrenched." The RSPCA has campaigned hard to improve animal welfare in Greece and in particular to end the practice of poisoning strays to control their numbers.

The Greek government has expressed a desire to give more protection to animals and introduced tougher laws last year. Antonia Kanellopoulou, the deputy mayor of Athens, said: "Stray animals need our love."

The legislation has, however, had little effect and the RSPCA says that many local authorities in Athens and other areas hosting Olympic events will use the traditional method of poisoning the animals to clear the streets before the Games begin on August 13.

David Bowles of RSPCA International, who recently returned from Athens where RSPCA inspectors were training Greek officials to catch and treat strays humanely, said: "We are seriously concerned that thousands of dogs will be poisoned so that Greece can show that Athens is a pristine modern city. They don't have the manpower or the shelters to round up all the dogs. A lot of the local authorities simply don't know how to deal with dogs humanely. We have put a lot of effort into helping them to change their ways, but the results have been very patchy. We would like to see them using private shelters so that all the dogs can be given homes during the Olympics but it looks like that is not going to happen."

Mr Bowles said that mass poisoning was "barbaric" and a "short-term fix" that would not solve the problem of strays. Another senior RSPCA official said: "Greece's success in the European football championships in Portugal and now hosting the Olympic Games has undoubtedly boosted its prestige.

"They are desperate to make a success of the Games coming back to where they started. But they cannot call themselves civilised if they continue to poison dogs."

Carol McBeth, the director of the London-based Greek Animal Welfare Fund, said that she was concerned about many areas outside the centre of Athens. "I think we may see poisonings in the places where the cycling, football and equestrian events are being held," she said.

"They will be very keen to make sure that those areas are clear and they don't have shelters for the dogs."

Poisoning animals is a criminal offence in Greece, but it is such a traditional method of controlling the stray population that many local authorities turn a blind eye to the practice and actively engage in it themselves.

Greece does not have the same tradition of caring for pets as Britain and many animals are dumped when owners become bored with them. It is illegal to have animals put down in Greece and there is no tradition of taking in strays.

The problem has been made worse by a "macho mentality" that finds it "unnatural" to neuter cats and dogs, although a neutering programme introduced by the government has had some success in Athens.

Anastase Scopelitis, the Greek ambassador to London, who is in Greece on holiday, was unavailable for comment. An embassy official said: "Greece takes animal welfare seriously and our government has taken measures to improve our standards."


SIGN THE PETITION OLYMPICS 2004: GIVE THE STRAYS OF GREECE A SPORTING CHANCE

http://www.petitiononline.com/OG2004/petition.html


Informant: SIUHIN

Salta, Northwest Argentina

And we're off! The motorbike riding Greenpeace Jaguars have just gone into action http://www.greenpeace.org/international_en/. The bulldozers are moving in, but the volunteers on their motorbikes are blocking them. We're stopping them from destroying the whole forest!!!!

I need you to join the Greenpeace Jaguars from wherever you are right now. Please, don't wait even a minute:
http://prefs.greenpeace.org/mail-links/clicks/1682.1056658.5409

Call your Argentinian Embassy now, and ask that the President of Argentina, Néstor Kirchner, introduces a moratorium on deforestation. Then please let us know what the embassy said.

Click here: http://prefs.greenpeace.org/mail-links/clicks/1683.1056658.5409
and find the phone number of the Argentinian Embassy in your country.

In Argentina, 75% of our native forests have already disappeared, and every hour the equivalent of 20 football pitches (soccer fields, for you North Americans) of forest is destroyed to grow transgenic soya. The damage is irreversible, and today an area the size of Germany is at risk. In the last month, a provincial government has sold off a natural reserve to companies planning to sow GM soya - an unprecedented act. This cannot carry on! That's why the Greenpeace Jaguars have gone into action to defend Northwest Argentina's remaining forest.

I'm also asking if you could send on this email to your closest contacts and friends, to those who share with you the desire to defend the forest, in every corner of the world. The participation via email of many people like you has succeeded before in stopping other cases of deforestation. This time too, we're going to win!

Please help us. The destruction of the forests in Northwest Argentina means the loss of thousands of animal and plant species, the degradation of the soil and its contamination thanks to the use of pesticides, as well as hundreds of indigenous and local people losing their homes.

Ask President Kirchner to declare a moratorium on deforestation for the entire country! I know I can count on your participation.

Thank you,

Emiliano Ezcurra
Forest Campaign Coordinator
Greenpeace Argentina

P.S: with two simple actions you can help stop an environmental crime.

* Call President Néstor Kirchner and ask him to declare a moratorium on forest destruction in Argentina. Click here
http://prefs.greenpeace.org/mail-links/clicks/1684.1056658.5409 and find the phone number of the Argentinian Embassy in your country.

* The second action is more important than you think. It just involves forwarding this email to your friends so that they know what's happening in our country, and asking them to act too.

Anbei die aktuelle Petition des Bundesverband Elektrosmog e.V. zum Stopp der UMTS-Technologie: http://tinyurl.com/6lb28

http://www.buergerwelle.de/pdf/bamberger_appell_200704.pdf
http://www.buergerwelle.de/pdf/naila_mobilfunkstudie.doc
http://www.buergerwelle.de/pdf/naila_studie.doc
http://www.buergerwelle.de/pdf/offener_brief_bamberg_an_bundesregierung.pdf

Bitte unterschreiben Sie zahlreich und schicken Sie sie direkt nach Berlin.

Die Zeit ist günstig, gerade im Blick auf die gerade veröffentliche Naila Studie und den Bamberger Appel.

Viele Grüße in die ganze Republik

Ulrich Weiner

WILD NORTHWEST, July 21, 2004

A Message from Northwest Ecosystem Alliance

"No Surprises" for Landowners, No Recovery for Endangered Species Fair policy needed to help restore imperiled fish and wildlife

The Endangered Species Act serves as the safety net for fish and wildlife facing imminent extinction. For those endangered species that live on non-federal lands, the ESA allows timber companies, developers, and other landowners to negotiate agreements -- called "Habitat Conservation Plans" -- that specify protection for certain wildlife habitat while allowing other habitat to be destroyed. Unfortunately, these multi-decade agreements contain a "No Surprises" provision that allow landowners to prevent any changes, based on new scientific information or changing circumstances, that might improve endangered species recovery. The "No Surprises" rule also forces taxpayers to shoulder the cost of any changes.

After losing a court battle, the government is now reconsidering rules that protect and promote recovery of endangered species on non-federal lands, and they need to hear from you. We live in a changing world. As new scientific information and better management approaches becomes available, they should be applied to improve recovery of endangered species. Similarly, as circumstances change -- new threats emerge like west Nile virus or sudden oak death syndrome -- conservation plans should be adjusted appropriately. Although it may seem like common sense, the "No Surprises" policy does not ensure this will happen.

Comments must be received by Monday, July 26, 2004.

Please write to the US Fish and Wildlife Service and tell them to reform the "No Surprises" rule.

Send comments to:
Chief, Division of Consultation
Habitat Conservation Planning, Recovery, and State Grants
US Fish & Wildlife Service
4401 N. Fairfax Dr., #420
Arlington, VA, 22203
Fax: 703.358.2229. Email: pprr@fws.gov

Talking Points:

Reform the "No Surprises" policy and other ESA rules to:

- Require that "Habitat Conservation Plans" be periodically evaluated for their effectiveness in endangered species recovery.

- Require "Habitat Conservation Plans" to be periodically modified to incorporate new scientific information or changed conditions and circumstances that affect endangered species recovery.

- Specify that the US Fish and Wildlife Service has the authority to modify or revoke "Habitat Conservation Plans" if they are found to impair long-term recovery of imperiled fish and wildlife.

- Require landowners, developers, and other landowners to post performance bonds to ensure accountability.

For more information, visit the Endangered Species Coalition site, http://www.stopextinction.org/Issues/IssuesList.cfm?c=35.

Please reply to this email to let us know that you took action. And
thank you for speaking out to protect endangered species!

Erin Moore
Communications Coordinator
Northwest Ecosystem Alliance
1208 Bay St., Ste. 201
Bellingham, WA 98225
360.671.9950 ext. 24

Keeping the Northwest wild. For further information, please visit
http://www.ecosystem.org .


Informant: Earth First!