That was unprecedented. Wade said membership also had increased as a result of the Bush administration's onslaught of attacks on environmental regulations and programs. Wade said the biggest public response came in reaction to the administration's proposal to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, or ANWR, but there also was strong reaction to Bush reneging on a campaign promise to reduce emissions by utilities of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, and his refusal to let stand tighter standards for arsenic in drinking water. Sierra Club membership has risen, from 641,679 in December to 674,865 at the end of February, the last month for which numbers are available. Carl Pope, the group's executive director, said the number of people visiting the group's Web site had more than doubled in the last few months compared with the same period a year ago.
People are very energized.
They're surprised by the intensity of what Bush is doing to shred the environmental safety net. They're responding by saying they need to do something. The Wilderness Society Web site also has recorded a much bigger volume of hits in recent months, and the number of phone calls to the group's headquarters has gone up 20 percent, said Ben Beach, a spokesman for the society. People calling our office want to know what they can do to counter Bush's policies. We tell them to let their representatives on Capitol Hill know they're unhappy.