From: Jym Dyer <jym@mica.berkeley.edu>
Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive,alt.activism,talk.environment,alt.politics.clinton
Subject: ACTIVISM: _USA_Today_ Quasi-Poll About Environmental Issues
Followup-To: talk.environment,alt.politics.clinton
Date: 23 Jan 1993 04:09:46 GMT
Organization: The Naughty Peahen Party Line
Distribution: usa
	<EcoNet.22Jan1993.wu2@naughty-peahen>
	<EcoNet.22Jan1993.wu3@naughty-peahen>
NNTP-Posting-Host: remarque.berkeley.edu
Keywords: environment

=+= Today's issue of _USA_Today_ has an interesting feature:

            "Two experts offer conflicting views on
       environmental policy for the new administration."

The "experts" are Denis Hayes, president of the Bullitt
Foundation and founder of "Earth Day;" and Perry Pendley,
the president of the Mountain States Legal Foundation, a
"Wise Use" organization.

=+= I will summarize their arguments below, but I recommend
finding the feature and reading it.  _USA_Today_ is running one
of their Reader Call-In pseudo-polls on the feature:  readers
are exhorted to call a 900 number and vote for the either Hayes'
or Pendley's arguments.  The cost is $.29, the price of a stamp.

=+= A funny thing happened:  Pendley started sending FAXes out
all over the place asking people to call in and vote for him.
This shouldn't be too surprising:  As anyone who's read Chip
Berlet's "Wise Use" articles can see, that movement pretty much
relies on inflated claims of their own support.  If Pendley
"wins" this completely unscientific pseudo-poll, the "Wise Use"
movement will surely make as much hay out of it as possible.

=+= Want to scuttle these plans?  Call in support of Denis Hayes
at 1-900-288-9304.  Each call is $.29.

=+= (Berlet's articles were posted to misc.activism.progressive
not long ago.  I am sending them out to talk.environment along
with this message.  Look for three articles with "Wise Use" --
"The Scent of Opportunity" as the subjects.  If you've got a
threaded newsreader, follow this message's "References:" field.)
    <_Jym_>
================================================================
Denis Hayes' Arguments
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
o Protect Endangered Species
  - Species are becoming extinct.
  - Biological diversity is being lost.
  - Save old growth forests.
  - Sign the Earth Summit's biodiversity treaty.
  - Strengthen the Endangered Species Act.
o Develop "Green" Cars
  - All cars purchased by U.S. Govt. should be amongst
    the top 10 most efficient.
  - Boost fuel efficiency requirements by 2mpg for the
    next 5 years.
  - Develop cars that get 75mpg -- if we don't develop
    them, we'll be importing them.
o Create An Energy Strategy for the 21st Century
  - 3-year program to convert buses to domestic natural gas.
  - 5-year program to increase energy efficieny of government
    buildings.
  - Double the United States' energy efficiency.
  - "Bite the bullet on a $1-a-gallon gasoline tax."
  - Global leadershipin solar and renewable energy.
o Handle Global Threats
  - "Earth Corps" for young people to spend 2 years planting
    trees and restoring devastated areas.
  - $80-per-ton fee on carbon-based fuels.
  - Make family-planning assistance available to anybody.

Perry Pendley's Arguments
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
o Stop Endless Environmental Litigation
  - Calls environmental groups a lot of names and claims
    that they destroy the economy with litigation.
o Reform the Endangered Species Act
  - ". . . to consider its impact on _homo_sapiens_."
  - Claims the ESA is costing "thousands" of jobs.
o Establish Wise Timber Management
  - Compares Old Growth with bubonic plague; suggests
    it be chopped down.
o Preserve True "Wetlands"
  - Claims that "covetous federal bureaucrats" (in the Bush
    Administration, no less) changed the definition of
    "wetlands" so as to double their number.
  - Claims that environmental laws are tantamount to "takings,"
    which could cost taxpayers millions.  (Doesn't mention that
    "Wise Use" groups like his are endeavoring to establish
    "takings" as doctrine with *their* litigation.)
o "Disavow a Carter-Like War on the West"
  - This is a pure, unadulterated, content-free flame, making
    mention of cappuccino -- but not of Jimmy Carter.
Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive