A helpinghand forfarmers

Choosinghealthyfood

Vol. XXXII, No. 5 September 2001

Climate:U.S. in thehot seat

Media blitz to saveenergy

Oil giantcutsemissions

Ted Turnerto protectrare birds

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Stoppingoffshoredrilling 8

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Kerry Russell remembers the day U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service agentsarrived at his ranch with a low-bid pur-chase offer and the threat of confisca-tion through eminent domain if herefused to sell. Russell’s 130-acrespread on the edge of Austin, TX, isprime habitat for two endangeredbirds, the golden-cheeked warbler andblack-capped vireo.

Russell grew up on his land,wanted to stay but distrusted the gov-ernment. Then he discovered our SafeHarbor program. This EnvironmentalDefense initiative helps landownersrestore critical habitat voluntarily with-out adding new federal restrictions ontheir property. Safe Harbor is vital forwildlife, since most endangered speciesinhabit private lands.

“I prefer to help the birds on myown terms,” says Russell. “You folkshelp me do it the right way. SafeHarbor is a breath of fresh air—thefirst concerted effort to work withlandowners by a na-tional organizationthat I’ve seen.”

Golden-cheekedwarblers are true Texasnatives. Because ofurban sprawl andbrush clearing, how-ever, their habitat hasshrunk to a sliver ofthe state. Six warblerslive on Russell’s prop-erty, but now, henoted, “they’ve donenesting and are round-ing up and heading toGuatemala.”

Safe Harbor fulfills its promise

The golden-cheeked warbler: a Texas survivor.

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Russell is rallying his neighborsto join Safe Harbor and encouraginghis children to help conserve thisunfragmented landscape. “I’d still befighting the U.S. government if itweren’t for Environmental Defense,”he says. “Thanks to you guys, I’ve seena huge change in how Fish andWildlife works.”

More than two million acres inseven states are now enrolled in SafeHarbor, providing an ark for endan-gered species. The program has beenused by public and private organizationsincluding The Nature Conservancy,Ducks Unlimited, Amoco and West-vaco, a forest products company. ThePeregrine Fund used it to reintroducethe northern aplomado falcon into thewild. And on the island of Molokai, weare helping reestablish the nene goose,Hawaii’s state bird.

“This program buys desperatelyneeded time for vanishing wildlife,”says our scientist David Wolfe.

Along with millions of otherAmericans, I went to a nationalpark this summer. As I walked outonto the south rim of the GrandCanyon and let my eyes roam overa magical world, I discovered thatthe famous view had been cloudedby a haze of particulates. Visibilityin the canyon, I was told, is nowonly one-half to two-thirds of whatit once was and should be.

Constant vigilance is requiredto keep our national parks healthy.These fragile treasures depend onan intricate and sometimesobscure safety net of regulations.Without them, our parks wouldquickly deteriorate.

In 1999, EnvironmentalDefense helped achieve historicEPA regulations controlling haze innational parks. A park, we argued,cannot function without clean air.Now these EPA regulations areunder attack. Numerous electricutilities and mining companies,claiming distress, have filed suit tooverturn them. We’re spearhead-ing a coalition of 15 groups helpingthe government fight off this chal-lenge in federal court.

Why, you might ask, are weassisting the federal government?Simple. Our involvement helpsensure that the governmentdefends our national treasureswith the utmost vigor. We’ll bekeeping you posted.

—Fred Krupp

This summer, 178 nations hammeredout an agreement setting in place therules requiring industrialized countriesto cut emissions of greenhouse gaseslinked to global warming. Theeleventh-hour agreement in Bonn res-cued the Kyoto Protocol from collapse.

Six months ago, success seemedimpossible. With the U.S. on the side-lines, Environmental Defense workedbehind the scenes with delegates fromJapan, Russia and the EuropeanUnion to reach consensus. “Thisagreement is a monumental achieve-ment,” said our executive director FredKrupp, whose advice at a criticalmoment helped Japan’s efforts on thecompromise.

The final agreement, adoptedunanimously, allows industrial nationswith the highest emissions of green-house gases to achieve their cuts withgreater flexibility, something theUnited States has long advocated. “Itis a sad irony that the U.S. was absentat its own victory party,” said our chiefscientist Dr. Michael Oppenheimer.

The Bonn agreement incorpo-rates several ideas championed byEnvironmental Defense, including afirm compliance regime and an inter-

national emissions trading system thatallows countries to achieve reductiontargets cost-effectively. Although theaccord fails to address tropical defor-estation, it does provide a frameworkfor partial crediting of carbon “sinks.”

“This agreement is a turningpoint,” said our attorney Joe Goffman.“It is now up to each country to ratifythe treaty.” Even though the U.S. is notparty to the agreement, there is newmomentum on Capitol Hill to pass leg-islation calling for mandatory cuts inemissions of carbon dioxide, a mainprovision of the Kyoto treaty.

Many corporate leaders are con-vinced the United States will eventu-ally join the fight against globalwarming, and would prefer to beginmaking capital investments now,before the job becomes more expen-sive. Eight major U.S. corporations,including BP and DuPont, have vol-untarily pledged to cap their green-house emissions through our Part-nership for Climate Action.

“It’s not too late for the Bushadministration to reengage in theprocess,” said Goffman. “If we fail toact, the global climate—and Americancompetitiveness—will suffer.”

Has the U.S. missed the train on global warming? With America sidelined at the sixth Conference of the Parties (COP 6) in Bonn, we worked with Japan and others.

A breakthrough on global warmingCLIMATE AGREEMENT PUTS U.S. IN THE HOT SEAT

D I R E C T O R ’ S M E S S A G E

Takingthe longview

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Get Green tips savecash and the planet

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Dennis Puleston never forgot a sky-lark that began singing amidst theterror of the invasion of Normandy.For the rest of his life he repaid thatbird. Puleston, the founding chair-man of Environmental Defense, diedJune 8, at 95, having dedicated hislife to environmental protection.

An expert naturalist and birdpainter, Puleston was a close observerof Long Island’s osprey colony. In the1960s, he noted an alarming declinein osprey chicks because DDTthinned eggshells. He joined otherscientists in legal action to stop localDDT spraying, pioneering the use ofscience and law to protect the envi-ronment and spurring the creation ofour organization, then called theEnvironmental Defense Fund. In1972, DDT was banned nationwide.

An old-style adventurer born inEngland, Puleston grew up in a fish-ing village on the Thames estuary,where he developed a love for the nat-ural world and a curiosity about far-away places. In 1931, at 25, he set offin a 31-foot yawl to sail around theworld. It took six years and included

Dennis Puleston, 1905 - 2001HE LEFT THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE

encounters with cannibals, pirates,buried treasure, a pet boa constrictorand capture by the Japanese duringthe Sino-Japanese war. Puleston’s cap-tors were so impressed by a handwrit-ten thank-you note from the emperor,to whom he had given his pet cocka-too, that they released him.

In 1941, Puleston settled onLong Island. He helped design theDUKW amphibious landing craftthat brought troops ashore in WorldWar II. For this President Trumangave him the Medal of Freedom.

At an age when most peopleretire to a rocking chair, Pulestonbegan leading expeditions to acquaintpeople with the urgent need for inter-national protection of Antarctica. Hislast environmental victory, over a pro-posed mall, came last year at age 94.

Nearly 350 people gathered athis home to celebrate his achieve-ments. Many recounted how theirlives intertwined with this modest,gentle, and compassionate man. “Hepersevered,” said our executive direc-tor Fred Krupp. “He cared so deeplythat he inspired others to care.”

What began as a hobby of painting and observing wildlife grew into a calling thatinspired the modern environmental movement.

Underinflated tires threaten safety andwaste more than two million gallons ofgasoline a day.

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New TV and radio ads will urgeAmericans to use energy more effi-ciently at home and on the road, sav-ing money and reducing pollution.The campaign, called Get Green forits environmental and economic bene-fits, expands our 14-year partnershipon recycling with The AdvertisingCouncil.

Last year the media donated morethan $100 million of ad time and spaceto our recycling campaign, ranking itfirst among the Ad Council’s 30 majorcampaigns like “Take a bite out ofcrime,” Smokey Bear and “Friendsdon’t let friends drive drunk.”

The humorous Get Green adsdraw people’s attention to simple ener-gy-saving steps like adjusting yourthermostat at home, having your carserviced regularly and keeping tiresproperly inflated. For more tips, view-ers are directed to getgreen.com.

McCann-Erickson, the world’slargest ad agency network, generouslydonated its services in creating the GetGreen campaign. Additional supportcame from the Alliance for Clean Airand Transportation, the FederalHighway Administration and EPA.

Environmental Defense NewsletterEditor: Peter Klebnikov257 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010Main number: 212-505-2100

©2001 Environmental Defense. Published bi-monthly at New York, NY. ASSN 0163-2566

Contact the editor at 800-242-3251, by fax at 212-616-1489, or by email at editor@environmentaldefense.org.

Member services: 800-684-3322 ormembers@environmentaldefense.org

Environmental Defense OfficesNew York, NY • Washington, DC • Oakland, CA Boulder, CO • Raleigh, NC • Austin, TX Project Offices: Boston, MA • Los Angeles, CA

Online at www.environmentaldefense.org

NORTHEAST Regional News

due by year’s end, will be amodel for other states eagerto combat global warming.

The task force createdfive working committees; En-vironmental Defense is repre-sented on three. EconomistRobert Bonnie is focusing onagriculture and forestry,Trippis tackling transportation,and both Tripp and businessliaison Andrew Aulisi are onthe trading committee.

“This is a great oppor-tunity to show how econom-ic incentives can achieve cutsin greenhouse gas emissions,”says Tripp. “At a time whenthe U.S. is getting a black eyeworldwide for pulling backon international efforts, we’redelighted that Governor Pa-taki is launching this majorinitiative.”

When New York State resi-dents opened their energybills recently, they saw a letterfrom Governor George Pa-taki offering a $75 rebate forreplacing inefficient air con-ditioners and discounts oncompact fluorescent bulbs.

The governor’s goal isto make New York State aleader in addressing globalclimate change. To that end,he has asked our GeneralCounsel James Tripp to serveon the state’s GreenhouseGas Task Force. Charged withrecommending policies andactions to achieve majorgreenhouse gas reductionsstatewide, the group com-prises 18 people-six eachfrom business, state agenciesand environmental organiza-tions. The recommendations,

At our urging, New York State is considering alternative energy.

New York takes a stand ongreenhouse gas emissions

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When planners proposed changing the state land-use plan toallow high-density development in Alpha, NJ, some resi-dents were taken aback. The proposal covered farmland andother environmentally sensitive lands they cherished. Ratherthan giving in to encroaching sprawl, they took action.

Armed with a state-of-the-art computerized analysisby Environmental Defense, the citizens convinced townofficials to rethink their zoning. “The analysis served as awake-up call.,” says Laura Oltman, a member of thePhillipsburg Riverview Organization, a local conservationgroup. “It also showed the state planning comission that itlacks the information it needs to make smart decisions.”

Although it’s too soon to declare victory in Alpha, theneighboring townships of Lopatcong and Pohatcong in theNew Jersey Highlands have used our Geographic Informa-tion System (GIS) analysis to avert similar zoning changes.

Our (GIS) model displays the future impact ofdevelopment decisions made today. It combines informa-tion from land-use plans, environmental maps, censusdata and other geographic details and presents it in a waythe lay public can understand. “Towns often don’t realizethe implications of their decisions,” notes our scientistJason Patrick. “By examining the demographic, land-useand environmental impacts of development, planners canplan for smart growth.”

A new weapon against sprawl

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Our tool shows citizens the consequences of land-use choices.

Midwest has created a New Jersey-sized “dead zone” in the Gulf ofMexico. Reduced use of farm chemicalsand increased waterside planting oftrees can protect rivers from pollution.

At the same time, farms can be apositive environmental force. They arefrequently the front line of defenseagainst sprawl. But without help topurchase conservation easements tohold onto their land, farmers are oftenforced to sell. The number of farms hasdropped from six million to two mil-lion, leading to increased urban sprawland a loss of biodiversity.

“The incentives we helped intro-duce can help ensure a vibrant futurefor the family farm, healthier food anda cleaner environment,” says our attor-ney Scott Faber.

In Cortland County, NY, the averagedairy farm nets $27,000 a year. KarenDove isn’t in the business to makemoney. “You want to do right by theland,” she says, “but conservation is ex-pensive.” A federal program has helpedDove and her husband install fences andpaddocks to graze their 130 milk cows inrotation among separate pastures, allow-ing parts of the land to rest and protect-ing the Tioughnioga River.

Most conservation oriented farm-ers aren’t as lucky. Even though a record$32 billion was doled out to farmers lastyear, our research shows that most farm-ers who apply for conservation grants areturned down for lack of funds. PhilLudwig, who administers federal conser-vation programs in Cortland County,reports a backlog of farmers who want tosign up. “At least in my small part of theworld, this is government money wellspent,” he says.

Environmental Defense has tar-geted farm legislation now beforeCongress as the nation’s best opportu-nity for improving water quality,wildlife habitat and human health.

Aiming to expand conservationincentives, we helped write theWorking Lands Stewardship Act.Introduced by Reps. Ron Kind (D-WI)and Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD), this bill

proposes $8 billion in farm subsidies tohelp farmers who undertake conserva-tion measures. It would provide $500million annually for open space protec-tion, $2 billion for water protection and$750 million to help wildlife. It alsoboosts funding to restore habitat, planttrees along urban rivers and help farm-ers switch to organic farming.

The bill has rapidly gained supportin Congress and now has over 100 co-sponsors. To accelerate its passage, wehelped form a diverse coalition of envi-ronmentalists, farmers, ranchers, sports-men and public health groups.The samecoalition will be invaluable whenCongress acts on the 2002 Farm Bill.

REDUCING FARM POLLUTIONCurrent farm policy subsidizes over-production of commodity crops such ascorn, soybeans, cotton, wheat and rice.Grown with heavy applications of pes-ticides and fertilizers, these commoditycrops do significant damage to theenvironment. Farmland accounts for55% of the land in the lower 48 states.Farm practices affect up to 80% of thewater we drink and also have a majorimpact on estuaries. For instance, nitro-gen from fertilizer washing down theMississippi River from farms in the

Family farmers recruited for a safe, clean environment

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“Farmers are our natural allies,” says our attorney Scott Faber. “They should beallowed to participate in conservation.”

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More than two million acres of rural landare converted to urban use each year.

Fertilizer washed into the Gulf of Mexico hascreated a “dead zone” the size of New Jersey.

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ucts certifies they were produced with-out the use of pesticides, genetic engi-neering, growth hormones, irradiationor antibiotics. Most supermarkets nowhave organic sections.

Join your local co-op. Food co-opsoffer affordable produce (often organ-ic) and other staples through the buy-ing power of their members. Themodern co-op movement has its rootsin the 1960s back-to-the-land move-ment. Today’s co-ops, however, offereverything from gourmet cheese tofat-free cookies.

Consider community-supported ag-riculture. CSAs are a new variationon the food co-op. Groups of con-sumers buy shares in a local farmer’scrop, thus ensuring themselves aweekly supply of fresh food and thefarmer a regular income. This cutsdown on transportation impacts,

Healthy food for a healthy planetWHO SAYS IT CAN’T TASTE GREAT?

Much of the popular, affordable farefavored by Americans is fat-laden andburdened with chemical additives.What’s more, our food is often grownin ways that take a heavy toll on theenvironment. But after you cut downon these negative impacts, what’s leftto eat? Should you buy only free-range meat and eggs? Go organic?Become a vegan?

These are important questions.When the Union of ConcernedScientists studied consumer decisionsthat have the greatest impact on theenvironment, food choices came innear the top of the list, second only totransportation.

Here are a few tips for a some-times confusing issue:

Look for USDA Organic. The newnationwide organic standard comesinto play this year. The USDA Organicseal on produce, meat and dairy prod-

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Organic goes mainstream. To meet the growing demand, big corporations now shiporganic food long distances. If you have the opportunity, choose local products.

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Today’s specials

The following resources explorethe changing American diet. For afull list of organizations providinguseful information, visit our website at www.environmentalde-fense.org/more/10542 or contactthese groups directly:

The Agricultural MarketingService lists farmer’s marketsnationwide. Director, Wholesaleand Alternative Markets, USDASTOP 0269, 1400 IndependenceAve. SW, Washington, DC 20250-0269; 800-384-8704.

The Center for Science in thePublic Interest gives an overviewof food safety. 1875 ConnecticutAvenue, N.W., Suite 300, Washing-ton, D.C. 20009; 202-332-9110.

The Co-op Directory Service pro-vides state-by-state listings offood co-ops. 1254 Etna Street, St.Paul, MN 55106; 651-774-9189.

For online information on the bestseafood choices, visit www.environ-mentaldefense.org/more/10543.

The Food Alliance supports sus-tainable agriculture and usefullabeling programs. 1829 NEAlberta, #5, Portland, OR 97211;503-493-1066.

Food First/Institute for Food andDevelopment Policy works toestablish food as a fundamentalhuman right. 398 60th Street,Oakland, CA 94618; 510-654-4400.

The Robyn Van En Center main-tains a national resource directo-ry of Community-Supported Agri-culture (CSA) projects. 1015Philadelphia Avenue, Chambers-burg, PA 17201; 717-261-2889.

This guest article is one of a series by the editors of E/The Environmental Magazine (for subscription information: 800-967-6572 or www.emagazine.com). Opinions are the author's and not necessarily those of Environmental Defense staff.

One of the world’s largest oil companies has joined forceswith Environmental Defense to reduce its greenhouse gasemissions voluntarily. The state-owned PetróleosMexicanos (PEMEX), which supplies all of Mexico’s oiland gas, has begun a company-wide program to cut carbondioxide emissions. We will help develop the program andensure it cuts emissions substantially.

“Saving energy reduces costs and preserves naturalresources,” says PEMEX director general Raul MunozLeos. “We’re honored to receive support from Environ-mental Defense for [the program’s] design.”

During the first six-month phase, the company willuse an internal emissions-trading program to reduce gases1% below 1999 levels. It will then set an extensive, 10-yearreduction target.

Implementing a cap-and-trade approach that we pio-neered, PEMEX will establish an overall cap on emissionsand allocate it to the company’s subsidiaries. Each facilitycan then trade its assigned reductions with other facilities.In this way, the lowest-cost reductions will be found whilethe overall cap will not be exceeded.

“We applaud PEMEX for taking an emissions cap,” saysour executive director Fred Krupp. “Part of the responsibilityof a world-class company is to address climate change.”

Reducing emissions “won’t be easy in a period ofgrowth,” says our business liaison Millie Chu. “This

requires a shift in the mindset of the entire company downto the worker adjusting valves in a refinery.”

The agreement comes at a time when 180 countries arepoised to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on global warming. TheU.S. administration has criticized the pact for, among otherreasons, failing to require commitments from developingcountries. “This agreement is critical because PEMEXappears to be the first company from the developing worldto commit itself to firm greenhouse gas reductions,” says ourchief scientist Michael Oppenheimer.

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helps hold the line against sprawl andmay be the best deal yet in terms offreshness and taste.

Visit the farmers’ market. Withoutjoining anything, you can shop at oneof the 2,800 farmers’ markets operat-ing throughout the United States.Here, consumers get access to locallygrown, farm-fresh produce and grow-ers skip the middleman to deal direct-ly with the customer.

Choose seafood wisely. Many of thefish we love to eat are disappearing fromthe world’s oceans, while other speciesare abundant and caught in environ-mentally sustainable ways. Make aninformed choice by consulting the “fishfinders” offered by Environmental

Defense, the National Audubon Societyand other groups. (See box at left.)

Drink shade-grown coffee. Tradi-tional growing methods use little or nofertilizer and pesticides and preservesongbirds. Not all shade-grown coffeeis organic or vice versa, but there is anatural connection.

Push for better labeling. Environ-mental Defense is pressing for labelingof genetically engineered foods (to pro-tect consumers who may be allergic toan introduced gene) and is partneringwith The Food Alliance to label certainfoods produced using certified sustain-able agriculture methods.

By Jim Motavalli

Mexican oil giant joins us to reduce greenhouse gases

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PEMEX supplies the oil and gas for every car in Mexico.

Making a Char-itable Gift Annu-itiy to Environ-mental Defensewill hel perpet-uate your com-mitment so thatwe can keep theworld healthyfor all living creatures. With a gift of$10,000 or more, you earn a fixedannual sum for life and receive animmediate charitable deduction.

To learn about how your gift can makea big difference, please check the boxon the form facing page 5, call toll-free 1-877-677-7397 or write:

Anne B. DoyleEnvironmental Defense257 Park Avenue South

New York, NY 10010

A Different Kind of Gift

The cold waters of the NorthAtlantic meet the Gulf Stream offCape Hatteras at a place named ThePoint. Endangered right whales, seaturtles and migratory fishes congre-gate here to feed in the nutrient-richwaters. “Ecologically, this is one ofthe most important areas of theWestern Atlantic,” says our scientistDr. Douglas Rader.

The Point may also contain nat-ural gas deposits and is coveted by oilcompanies. For nearly 20 years, theOuter Banks—and much of the U.S.coastline—have been protected by anannual moratorium on new offshoreoil leases. Now the Bush administra-tion wants to lift it and has targetedthe Outer Banks for possible explo-ration. “This could become GroundZero for new drilling,” says Rader.

Working with congressmen andshoreline communities, we helped laythe groundwork for both the House

and the Senate to pass bipartisan billsthis summer favoring an extension ofthe moratorium. We also successfullyurged the Bush administration to sig-nificantly scale back its proposal tolease tracts off the Florida panhandlenot included in the moratorium.

We are also working to close amajor loophole exploited by oil com-panies. An amendment by SenatorsBarbara Boxer (D-CA) and JohnKerry (D-MA) would block oil com-panies from conducting seismic testsin waters covered by the moratorium.“The amendment will ensure thatthese activities cannot be conductedby stealth in protected areas.” says ourmarine advocate Richard Charter.

These successes offer a measureof protection for national treasuressuch as The Point. “We must remainvigilant,” says Charter. “Victoriesmay only be temporary, but our loss-es are permanent.”

Drawing the line on offshore drilling

A 1969 oil rig blowout off Santa Barbara served as a national wake-up call.

257 Park Avenue SouthNew York, NY 10010

Address Service Requested

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DEFENSE

Environmental Defense has joinedforces with the Turner EndangeredSpecies Fund to initiate Florida’s first-ever Safe Harbor program. The initia-tive at Ted Turner’s 2,800-acre AvalonPlantation Annex in the Florida pan-handle will restore habitat for theendangered red-cockaded woodpecker.Safe Harbor, pioneered by us, insulateslandowners from increased regulation.

“Ted’s goal is to use this project asa template to persuade other landownersto participate,” says Greg Hagan, whomanages the Turner properties in theSoutheast. “We’re big believers in SafeHarbor. It offers landowners flexibility.”

Turner is America’s largest individ-ual landowner with a keen interest inendangered species. His Avalon planta-tion is distinguished by its stands of rare,old-growth longleaf pine favored by thewoodpeckers. “This is some of the nicestfish habitat I’ve ever seen,” says oureconomist Robert Bonnie.

“Environmental Defense lent ourproject a lot more credibility with gov-ernment,” says Hagan. Building on thesuccess of our Turner effort, Florida isplanning a statewide Safe Harbor pro-gram for the woodpecker.

Turner helps species

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Prime habitat:Turner’s Avalon plantation.

Environmental Defense NewsletterEditor: Peter Klebnikov257 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010Main number: 212-505-2100

©2001 Environmental Defense. Published bi-monthly at New York, NY. ASSN 0163-2566

Contact the editor at 800-242-3251, by fax at 212-616-1489, or by email at editor@environmentaldefense.org.

Member services: 800-684-3322 ormembers@environmentaldefense.org

Environmental Defense OfficesNew York, NY • Washington, DC • Oakland, CA Boulder, CO • Raleigh, NC • Austin, TX Project Offices: Boston, MA • Los Angeles, CA

Online at www.environmentaldefense.org

CENTRAL Regional News

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The issue wasn’t on theradar screen of the TexasNatural Resources Conser-vation Commission untilMacLeod helped bring it totheir attention last spring.After months of intensedebate, the agency becamethe first in the nation toestablish stringent clean-airstandards for small genera-tors. The rules will cut emis-sions by up to 80% andseverely restrict the use ofdiesel fuel.

Over the next 20 years,the government estimatesthat small generators couldcontribute up to 20% of thenation’s new electricity.Realizing that somethingneeds to be done, and inspiredby the new Texas rules,California and New York areconsidering similar steps.

The Clean Air Act succeed-ed in regulating most largecoal-fired power plants. Butit has done little to curbemissions from highly pol-luting, small-scale electricitygenerators. These facilities,most of which are fueled bydiesel, have remained largelyunregulated.

Until recently thesegenerators were used only inemergency situations. Butin California and Texas thisyear, small generators havebeen fired up routinely, aresult of electricity restruc-turing and warnings of pricespikes. “They pollute 40 to100 times more than largerpower plants,” says our ener-gy specialist Mark Mac-Leod. “They undermine theair quality gains we’ve madeunder the Clean Air Act.”

New microturbine generators produce less pollution without diesel.

Clamping down on small andfilthy diesel generators

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“This milk-and-honey wilderness,” is how ecologist AldoLeopold described the Colorado River delta in 1922.Back then, the vast, fertile wetland supported abundantwildlife along the U.S.-Mexico border. Ten dams and 80diversions later, “less than one percent of the water actu-ally reaches the delta,” says our scientist Jennifer Pitt.

By 1980, headlines proclaimed that the ecosystem,once larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined,was dead. Yet that same year the tide began to turn.

With the last reservoir finally full, high-water yearssent floodwaters to the delta for the first time in decades,reestablishing riparian habitat for animals like the vaqui-ta porpoise, the world’s smallest and rarest marine mam-mal. A prolonged drought, however, could again reducethe amount of water reaching the delta to a trickle.

Responding to recommendations by EnvironmentalDefense and its partners, the U.S. and Mexico haveagreed to study restoration plans for the delta. Pitt ishelping organize a symposium in Mexicali this month tobrief stakeholders on current scientific understanding ofthe river. With bi-national cooperation, we may yet pre-serve the delta that inspired Aldo Leopold’s words.

Our report, A Delta Once More, is available atwww.environmentaldefense.org/more/10546.

Paradise lost ... and regained?

Better water management can save the Colorado Delta.

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The Environmental Protec-tion Agency has decided notto let even trace amounts ofgenetically modified StarLinkcorn into human food. Thedecision follows the release ofa report by an agency advisorypanel to which we con-tributed information.

StarLink was neverapproved for human con-sumption but last year itleaked into the food supply,causing the recall of tacoshells. Its maker, Aventis,then petitioned EPA to allowthe corn in human food.

StarLink contains abacterial gene for a proteinthat kills pests. To evaluateits safety, the governmenttested 17 people who com-plained of allergic reactionsto StarLink and found noevidence that they wereallergic to the corn.

Environmental Defense NewsletterEditor: Peter Klebnikov257 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010Main number: 212-505-2100

©2001 Environmental Defense. Published bi-monthly at New York, NY. ASSN 0163-2566

Contact the editor at 800-242-3251, by fax at 212-616-1489, or by email at editor@environmentaldefense.org.

Member services: 800-684-3322 ormembers@environmentaldefense.org

Environmental Defense OfficesNew York, NY • Washington, DC • Oakland, CA Boulder, CO • Raleigh, NC • Austin, TX Project Offices: Boston, MA • Los Angeles, CA

Online at www.environmentaldefense.org

MIDWEST Regional News

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Our intern Jamie Ramsay warns her friends not to phoneafter 3:00 pm. That’s when the volunteers in her home-town of Dayton, OH, call her to report smog levelsthey’ve measured in their neighborhoods that day usingspecial hand-held monitors we’ve provided. Ramsaypasses on the data to our Pollution Prevention Allianceand by morning it’s on our web site for all to see.

The Dayton network, organized jointly with OhioCitizen Action, is one of several programs using themonitors. Working with neighborhood activists, we’vestarted similar programs in Cleveland and Atlanta.Activists are equipped with the small devices and trainedto take daily readings of ground-level ozone (which leadsto smog) to pinpoint hot spots.

EPA monitors only three Dayton neighborhoods forsmog. Our program monitors ten. In producing the newdata, we are working with city and county officials whohave begun sending us their employees to be trained.

“Our data is not as precise as EPA’s,” says our econ-omist Carol Andress, “but it’s valuable. We can say, ‘Hereare places with consistently high ozone levels. Perhaps weshould focus strategies or health services there.’ ”

For the latest smog levels visit www.environmen-taldefense.org/more/10545.

Citizens track smog

Our volunteers are trained to uncover pollution hotspots.

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John

Rae

But the EPA panelconcluded there is a “medi-um likelihood” that the pro-tein in StarLink is an aller-gen. Our scientist Dr. Re-becca Goldburg made com-ments to the advisory panel,reminding it that Aventishas neither fully evaluatedpotential exposure to thetoxin nor taken into accountthe greater susceptibility ofchildren.

“There is no safe mar-gin for allergens,” saidGoldburg. “Even a smallamount can trigger a reac-tion.” EPA then decidedagainst the company.

We continue to pressfor stricter biotech stan-dards. Due in part to ourefforts, EPA recently final-ized its regulations forgenetically engineered cropswith pesticidal traits.

At our urging, EPA stood firm against a food giant.

StarLink corn banned for humans

Environmental Defense NewsletterEditor: Peter Klebnikov257 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010Main number: 212-505-2100

©2001 Environmental Defense. Published bi-monthly at New York, NY. ASSN 0163-2566

Contact the editor at 800-242-3251, by fax at 212-616-1489, or by email at editor@environmentaldefense.org.

Member services: 800-684-3322 ormembers@environmentaldefense.org

Environmental Defense OfficesNew York, NY • Washington, DC • Oakland, CA Boulder, CO • Raleigh, NC • Austin, TX Project Offices: Boston, MA • Los Angeles, CA

Online at www.environmentaldefense.org

SOUTHEAST Regional News

South Carolina quicklypassed its own moratoriumon new factory farms. Soonafterward, the Canadianprovince of Quebec, one ofthe world’s largest producersof pork, said it would caphog farm size in 165 townsfor environmental reasons.

Environmental De-fense aims to convince theattorneys general of NorthCarolina, South Carolinaand Virginia to join forcesand eliminate harmful wastelagoons in favor of improvedtechnologies. “The problemof hog lagoons knows noboundaries,” says Jane Preyer,our North Carolina officedirector. “Our lawmakersmust ban lagoons at factoryhog farms once and for all.”

See Hog Watch atwww.hogwatch.org.

The North Carolina legisla-ture extended the state’smoratorium on new factoryhog farms until 2003, butwaste disposal standards fortoday’s highly pollutingfarms remain unchanged. Inresponse, we have steppedup our campaign to elimi-nate open-air waste lagoons,which are responsible for airand water pollution andpublic health problems.

The world’s largest hogproducer, Smithfield Foods,has a pact with NorthCarolina’s attorney generalto replace its lagoons by2005. But until then, itseems to be business as usualfor Smithfield. The compa-ny has applied for permits tobuild several large hog farmsin South Carolina using out-dated lagoons.

Giant farms cause giant water pollution problems.

Hog moratorium extended

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Atlanta smog reports come from a single EPA monitorlocated 18 miles west of downtown. So where can anasthma sufferer from another part of the city turn forlocal air-quality information?

Environmental Defense has equipped and trainedvolunteers in 25 areas around Atlanta to measureground-level ozone (which leads to smog) using cell-phone-sized monitors in their backyards every weekday.The readings are phoned in and posted on theEnvironmental Defense web site.

This Atlanta effort, organized jointly with theMoorehouse School of Medicine, is the latest ozonemonitoring network we’ve established, following ongoingprograms in Cleveland and Dayton, Ohio. Smog causesnumerous health problems and induces attacks amongasthma sufferers, and Atlanta’s case is particularly urgent.The city is classified as being in “severe non-attainment”for its smog, which routinely exceeds federal air qualitystandards. Yet Atlanta has fewer monitors than othercities with similar air quality problems.

“If we pinpoint neighborhood hot spots, that couldfocus efforts to deal with this serious health threat,” saysour Atlanta- based attorney John Bowman.

For the latest smog levels visit www.environmen-taldefense.org/more/10544.

Citizens track smog

Our volunteers are trained to uncover pollution hotspots.

John

Bow

man

Environmental Defense NewsletterEditor: Peter Klebnikov257 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010Main number: 212-505-2100

©2001 Environmental Defense. Published bi-monthly at New York, NY. ASSN 0163-2566

Contact the editor at 800-242-3251, by fax at 212-616-1489, or by email at editor@environmentaldefense.org.

Member services: 800-684-3322 ormembers@environmentaldefense.org

Environmental Defense OfficesNew York, NY • Washington, DC • Oakland, CA Boulder, CO • Raleigh, NC • Austin, TX Project Offices: Boston, MA • Los Angeles, CA

Online at www.environmentaldefense.org

WESTERN Regional News

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The issue wasn’t on theradar screen of the TexasNatural Resources Conser-vation Commission untilMacLeod helped bring it totheir attention last spring.After months of intensedebate, the agency becamethe first in the nation toestablish stringent clean-airstandards for small genera-tors. The rules will cut emis-sions by up to 80% andseverely restrict the use ofdiesel fuel.

Over the next 20 years,the government estimatesthat small generators couldcontribute up to 20% of thenation’s new electricity.Realizing that somethingneeds to be done, and inspiredby the new Texas rules,California and New York areconsidering similar steps.

The Clean Air Act succeed-ed in regulating most largecoal-fired power plants. Butit has done little to curbemissions from highly pol-luting, small-scale electricitygenerators. These facilities,most of which are fueled bydiesel, have remained largelyunregulated.

Until recently thesegenerators were used only inemergency situations. Butin California and Texas thisyear, small generators havebeen fired up routinely, aresult of electricity restruc-turing and warnings of pricespikes. “They pollute 40 to100 times more than largerpower plants,” says our ener-gy specialist Mark Mac-Leod. “They undermine theair quality gains we’ve madeunder the Clean Air Act.”

New microturbine generators produce less pollution without diesel.

Clamping down on small andfilthy diesel generators

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“This milk-and-honey wilderness,” is how ecologist AldoLeopold described the Colorado River delta in 1922.Back then, the vast, fertile wetland supported abundantwildlife along the U.S.-Mexico border. Ten dams and 80diversions later, “less than one percent of the water actu-ally reaches the delta,” says our scientist Jennifer Pitt.

By 1980, headlines proclaimed that the ecosystem,once larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined,was dead. Yet that same year the tide began to turn.

With the last reservoir finally full, high-water yearssent floodwaters to the delta for the first time in decades,reestablishing riparian habitat for animals like the vaqui-ta porpoise, the world’s smallest and rarest marine mam-mal. A prolonged drought, however, could again reducethe amount of water reaching the delta to a trickle.

Responding to recommendations by EnvironmentalDefense and its partners, the U.S. and Mexico haveagreed to study restoration plans for the delta. Pitt ishelping organize a symposium in Mexicali this month tobrief stakeholders on current scientific understanding ofthe river. With bi-national cooperation, we may yet pre-serve the delta that inspired Aldo Leopold’s words.

Our report, A Delta Once More, is available atwww.environmentaldefense.org/more/10546.

Paradise lost ... and regained?

Jenn

ifer

Pitt

Better water management can save the Colorado Delta.