buzztail

Help Stop D-Bug

2009-07-09T18:11:00.010-06:00

Got a heads-up from Rob at Oregon Wild today concerning the D-Bug timber sale in Oregon.

This sale involves more logging and road-building on roadless lands than was done during the entire Bush presidency, and to make matters even worse, is located just off the edge of Crater Lake National Park. At a time when President Obama needs to step up and uphold the 2001 Roadless Rule, this project would be one giant step in the wrong direction.

You can find out more about D-Bug here, and you can add your voice to those urging Forest Supervisor Dils and Secretary Vilsack to put a stop to this travesty.

So Long Shane

2009-07-08T17:08:00.001-06:00

So long Shane. And thanks.

Global Day Of Action

2009-07-08T16:26:00.014-06:00

Greenpeace is holding a global day of action today on climate change to coincide with the G8 meeting in Italy.

Early on, protesters climbed the stacks and took over four coal-fired power plants in Italy. Later in the day Greenpeace activists rappelled down the face of Mt. Rushmore to hang a banner challenging President Obama to truly be a leader on global warming.

You can follow it all via twitter.

Tell Obama To Uphold Roadless Rule

2009-07-07T18:02:00.004-06:00

In 2000 I worked on the campaign for the National Forest Roadless Rule. The support for it was overwhelming, and then president Clinton signed it in 2001, shortly before handing over the White House keys to GW Bush. Since then it has been tampered with and fought over to the point where it still remains in limbo.

As a candidate on the campaign trail, President Obama promised to uphold the roadless rule rule if elected, yet it hasn't been done. Let's hold him to that promise.

Alberta Clipper

2009-07-02T18:45:00.019-06:00

You've all heard of the Alberta tar sands. Dirty stuff. Maybe you've also heard of the Alberta Clipper, the name given the 1000 mile pipeline project by the Canadian company Enbridge which would transport the tar sands crude from northern Alberta to Superior, Wisconsin. From there it would be moved to US refineries, mostly in the Midwest.

Since the pipeline crosses an international border, it requires a Presidential Permit for the US portion. Executive Order 11423 directs the Secretary of State to issue the permit if the SoS determines that it serves the national interest. What it comes down to is that soon after July 6, Hillary Clinton will be making that determination. Public comment is open until then.

I haven't seen any online campaigns directed at Secretary Clinton. If you see one, use it please. Otherwise you can comment on her website. We need to let SoS Clinton know that we need to refuse Canadian tar sands oil. Transporting 450,000 barrels a day of one of the world's dirtiest substances from Alberta to American refineries does not serve the national interest. Not now. Not ever.

Update: By god, I found one.

Just Dump It In The Lake

2009-07-01T19:43:00.011-06:00

Apparently the Supreme Court feels that it's just fine and dandy to dump toxic mine wastes into pristine mountain lakes. Here's from an Earthjustice email that was in my inbox this evening:

On June 22, the Supreme Court ruled that the Clean Water Act allows a mining company to pump hundreds of thousands of gallons per day of toxic waste slurry into a pristine lake in Alaska. Over the next decade, 4.5 million tons of solid waste will be dumped into Lower Slate Lake, killing nearly all the aquatic life and essentially burying the entire lake.

Yes indeed, the Supreme Court granted permission last week for the Kensington Mine, operated by Coeur d' Alene Mining of Coeur d' Alene, Idaho to basically fill Lower Slate Lake in the mountains near Juneau, Alaska with mine waste over the next several years, killing off the life of that lake.

Earthjustice has a petition to Lisa Jackson of the EPA, and Nancy Sutley, chair of the Council on Environmental Quality calling on them to rescind a 2004 memo by BushCo allowing dumping of mining waste into our waters without having to meet pesky things like EPA standards. You can read the Earthjustice alert and sign the petition right here. Then you can pass it along.

Maybe the fine folks of Coeur d' Alene, the next time they need to dispose of a bag of trash, should simply go and drop it off in the front lobby of Cd'A Mining. It would be quite convenient, and far less deadly than the waste the mine will dump into the lake, though it would probably attract more attention. Who knows?

What's that? Oh yeah. Never mind. That would be illegal...

Appalachia Restoration Act

2009-06-29T15:08:00.015-06:00

The first hearings were held in the Senate last week on the Appalachia Restoration Act (S696). This is the Senate version of the House of Representatives Clean Water Protection Act and would effectively outlaw the practice of dumping toxic mining fill into mountain valleys and streambeds to dispose of it.

Supporters of S696 turned out in large numbers at the hearings, led by Maria Gunnoe of West Virginia, recipient of the 2009 Goldman Environmental Prize for her work to stop the destructive practice of mountaintop removal mining. Here she is in a short video.

The video of course urges us all to call our Senators and tell them we want them to support S696. You can do just that right here.

Blogger Action

2009-06-28T14:35:00.013-06:00

Bloggers from around the country today are calling on President Obama to go to West Virginia and see for himself the massive destruction caused by mountaintop removal mining.

There are posts here and here with links to other actions being taken.

You can call this my small contribution to today's action:

Mr. Obama, you and your administration have paid lip service to the criminal practice of mountaintop removal mining. You've spoken against it, yet it continues to this day. You've yet to see first hand the destruction caused to the land and the people of West Virginia. You've yet to see why people, everyday citizens, are willing to risk arrest to put a stop to it. Go to West Virginia, go soon, see it with your own eyes, and let your conscience guide you.

In case you missed it in the Kos diary by Devilstower, you can contact Obama here on Rainforest Action Network.

Waterton-Glacier Investigation

2009-06-28T09:36:00.009-06:00

Eleven environmental groups have petitioned the UNESCO World Heritage committee to investigate and list Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park as a World Heritage site in danger.

Plans have been in the works for some time now for open-pit and MTR coal mining and coalbed methane projects by Cline Mining of Canada among others. Some of these are within 25 miles of the park boundary, and should leaks occur, the waters of Glacier could become contaminated within 24 hours. The entire Flathead drainage could be, and probably would be, impacted by these mining operations.

You can find out much more at the North Fork Preservation Association site. These folks are doing a super job of following the press coverage on this critical issue.

Waxman-Markey Passes House Vote

2009-06-27T20:29:00.011-06:00

I'm really none too pleased by this one. The Waxman-Markey bill (ACES) passed the House yesterday by a 219-212 vote. Now one would think I'd be happier than hell with a strong bill that deals with the growing menace of global warming, and I would be if we had one. This joke sure isn't it. It does nothing.

Cuts of 25% to 40% of 1990 emission levels by 2020, about a decade from now, are needed to begin to make a difference. This bill calls for a 4% reduction by 2020, and with the offsets and allowances granted to the biggest polluters it may not even accomplish that. It's being hailed as a foot in the door, but does anyone really believe that it will lead anywhere? Hopefully, due to the closeness of the House vote, the Senate won't pass it. This may be, as is being said, an historic piece of legislation. It's also compromised to the point of uselessness. We need to contact our senators and tell them to kill this bastard. We need to demand a climate bill with some teeth, one that actually addresses global warming, not one that's watered down to nothing to appease energy corporations. And maybe we need to start listening to this guy.

Big Enviro for the most part has been a champion of this legislation, with two notable exceptions. Hats off to Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth for having the balls to call this one out for what it is. Nothing.

Update: More here.

Reminiscing

2009-06-22T17:41:00.021-06:00

It's kind of funny how certain seasons trigger memories of past travels and experiences in wild country. When fall rolls around, late season canoe trips in the Boundary Waters come to mind. Winter reminds me of snowshoe and ski trips over those same frozen waters. There are too many from a quarter century of wandering the mountains of Montana to even know where to begin. Maybe it's an age thing.

When summer solstice comes though I can't help but remember the times I spent years back, living up the East Fork of the Bitterroot and hanging out with a bunch of mountain goats. I've posted about that before so I won't go into detail here, but every summer at this time they'd come down from the high country for a few weeks. They'd feast on new green growth, and by about the Fourth of July they'd vanish back to their high country haunts. Good times. Unforgettable times. I haven't been up there now in years. I should get up there again to see if this current generation of goats still follows the same patterns and trails of those from those past years. They probably do.

My bank account, the money one, has never held much. Usually just enough. Sometimes not even that. But my memory bank is full, which is fine -- I've always valued those experiences more than I have mere money. That's why I've lived the way I have. If it were to happen that I could never get back out into the wild again, I'd have a lifetime of experiences to fall back on. In that respect I'm one of the richest people I know.

My biggest hope -- at least one of them -- is that future generations have a chance to have those same kinds of experiences. I hope they, like the mountain goats, have the opportunity to wander the same wild trails that their ancestors did.

Doing It Ourselves

2009-06-18T17:39:00.004-06:00

Several activists were arrested today in West Virginia for scaling a dragline in a protest against mountaintop removal. There is a story here at Mountain Action, along with live twitter updates. This is but the latest of many such actions there in WV.

Talk is cheap. And easy. We can all talk until our tongues fall out, but when those who make decisions for us refuse to listen direct action becomes an increasingly attractive option. May we all take a lesson from that, and while we're at it let's give a salute to those who are willing to put their bodies on the line for what they believe.

What You Don't Know Can Kill You

2009-06-18T16:57:00.008-06:00

There are 44 'high hazard' toxic coal ash disposal sites scattered about the US somewhere. Apparently nobody really knows where, except for the EPA, the Dept. of Homeland Security, the Army Corps of Engineers, and those that created the sites. Sen. Barbara Boxer has been pushing the EPA to disclose the locations so affected communities can know what they're dealing with and push for clean up of the sites. She has been muzzled by Homeland Security, which has nixed that disclosure citing unspecified security risks. Coal ash sites are a deadly brew of lead, mercury, arsenic, and other highly toxic by-products left behind from the burning of coal in power plants. There are 44 communities sitting on potential time bombs.

These communities have the need and the right, as do we all, to know of the locations of these sites so clean up can begin. A coalition of environmental groups agree, and have filed a formal request with DHS to make this information known.

You can find out more in this Earthjustice press release.

Update June 29: EPA agreed today to make the locations of these high hazard sites public information.

A Tough Spot

2009-06-14T07:42:00.017-06:00

There's little question that corporations dominate our world. From the ways we live to the decisions made by our elected officials, the choices made are those that largely benefit the corporate powers. Campaign contributions and corporate lobbying take much of the blame for that. And for good reason -- the 'we helped fund your campaign and put you in office, now kiss our ass and do what we want you to do' method works. But as this article from the Washington Post points out, there's another side of corporate domination.

It's not only lawmakers who are invested in the health and well-being of major corporations, and it's not only healthcare and insurance and pharmaceuticals that benefit. Energy, food, finance, and indeed most all of what we depend on in our lives would be included. Most of us are also invested in these, either from our jobs, or our retirement plans, or both. For most of us, elected reps included, our financial futures are tied to the profitability and success of the corporations. We are reluctant, and understandably so, to rock the boat too much for fear of throwing our financial security under a train.

The global corporate powers of course know this, and take full advantage of it. They trot out hardships, job losses and financial ruin for everybody should regulations be enacted and enforced and major changes be made. Whether things like single-payer healthcare, carbon taxes at point of origin, putting a stop to dirty energy projects like MTR and oil shale, or other environmental and social justice regulations would have an adverse effect on profitability or not is arguable, but it doesn't matter. The threat is enough. We may grumble and bitch, but we get back in line. The change we clamor for ends up being little change at all. We get, and accept, the rearranging of the furnishings when what we need to do is tear down the structure and rebuild it.

Wouldn't that be risky? Absolutely, but so is continuing down the road we're on. We're reluctant to risk the comfortable and the known for something new. That too is understandable. We want to tweak the current structure, prop it up to resemble it's former glory, but the result of that could well be, and likely will be, that the whole damn thing collapses under it's own weight. As long as we as a society remain heavily invested in the current scheme and pin our lives and our futures to it, that remains a likely scenario. We need real change, fundamental change from the foundation up. We need to rebuild, not remodel, and it needs to be done in all aspects of our society and economy. But what to do? Where to start? That's our challenge. Those are the kinds of questions we need to ask and face, not how we can fix a rotting complex.

Grizzly Bear Action Alert

2009-06-10T14:18:00.013-06:00

From NRDC:

Help protect grizzly bears from a deadly mining scheme

In the lush forests and meadows of the Cabinet-Yaak wilderness in northwest Montana, a small population of 20 to 30 grizzly bears hovers on the brink of extinction. This isolated group of grizzlies is already threatened by increased development, habitat loss and high levels of grizzly mortality. Now, officials in the Kootenai National Forest are considering a proposal for a mine that would drill thousands of feet directly beneath the grizzlies' habitat. The Mines Management Corporation wants to drill for 120 million tons of ore-bearing rock over the course of the next 16 years, even though environmental studies have shown that the project would displace grizzlies from their critical habitat, destroy at least five streams and increase road development as well as the potential for poaching. The approval of this mine would likely have devastating effects on the grizzly population.

You can contact the Forest Service here.

'Drill Baby, Drill' Is Alive And Well

2009-06-10T08:32:00.012-06:00

Byron Dorgan (D-ND) introduced an amendment to the energy bill being argued in Congress that would allow offshore drilling in the eastern Gulf Coast, within 45 miles of the Florida coast. That would reduce the limit from 125 miles. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee OK'd it 13-10.

A related amendment would allow federal agencies to continue purchasing oil from the Alberta tar sands in Canada in spite of the known environmental dangers and CO2 emissions involved in that ongoing nightmare. On the plus side, an amendment to allow directional drilling in ANWR from outside the refuge boundaries was shot down.

The big argument in Congress now isn't whether this should be done or not. It's a given that drilling should commence and that tar sands oil is alright. The arguments are about revenue sharing and how these amendments will affect the vote on the energy bill. It'll be interesting to see how the environmental groups line up on this now. Certain elements in Big Enviro applaud the energy bill even though it does woefully little to address the problems it's supposed to address. Others are less thrilled.

I'd be more than happy to see these amendments kill the energy bill. It needs to be taken out to the dumpster where it belongs, and the amendments can go with it. We need to let Congress know that this isn't good enough. It isn't even close. Get back to the drawing board and draft a plan that will actually cut greenhouse emissions as much as is needed, phase out fossil fuels, and jump-start work on true renewables, whatever it may take to do that.

Comes a time when we as earthlings are going to have to face a radically different energy future and way of life. As painful as it may be, at least in the short term, that time is now. We'd better get on with it.

Doing What I Need To Do

2009-06-07T20:50:00.010-06:00

Sometimes words fail. Or to be more accurate, I fail to use them well. The same with photos. They, as often as not, seem inadequate. But again, it's probably just me.

I have a real gift though for spreading myself too thin. For too long now I've been trying to keep this blog going as well as my photo blog. As if that weren't enough, I've had a website for photography going along with two or three gallery sites. Between all that, working full-time, and being a single dad, I can't even keep track of them anymore. So as of tonight most of those are being shut down. I feel a real need to simplify. To unclutter. To give myself a little breathing room.

This blog will stick around. I may back off a little bit but I'll still be here, hopefully all the stronger for it. The same goes for my photo blog. Wildness and photography are my drivers, and I will continue to post about both because I can. And because I must. For my own sake if for no other reason I must. Other projects can go on the back burner for a while.

Another change I'm making here and now is to start posting under my real name. pj finn is screen name I've been using, but I've gotten tired of trying to keep track of what I do as pj finn and what I do as Paul Johnson. So I'm dropping the finn. The biggest problem I have with my real name is that it is ridiculously common, hence the screen name. I've been confused with about fifty million other Paul Johnsons over the years, so I'm going to shorten it to p johnson. So yes, I'll still be pj. And you can continue to call me that. But, like the clown said in his shtick about thirty years or so back, can't remember who it was, 'ya doesn't has ta call me Johnson.'

So, with that, I'll be back soon, as soon as I clear my feeble little brain of the extra clutter. And I'll continue on with the things that matter to me the most. What was that again? What matters to me the most? Well...

This does:

A Time Comes

2009-06-05T07:57:00.004-06:00

Like it says in this piece, a time comes to take action. We all must choose. Here's a little nudge from Greenpeace. It even comes with a movie.

Poking Fun

2009-05-31T20:18:00.005-06:00

Activism needn't always be heavy-handed and pedantic. That gets old and tedious fast. Passionate, earnest, in your face yes -- but also light-hearted, raucous, and good for a laugh or two. It's much more energizing and effective that way.

I came across this piece of satire and will pass it along in that spirit. It's a few years old already but it's still good for a laugh. We musn't forget that as much as there is to do, as formidable as some of the challenges we face may appear, it's important to be able to stop and laugh at ourselves once in a while.

Waking Up From The American Dream

2009-05-29T12:40:00.027-06:00

The giant is awakening. People are starting to look around with a gnawing feeling in the pit of their collective gut that things just aren't right. The change they voted for and hoped for isn't happening, and quite likely won't. Not from mainstream politics it won't. The power is concentrated in the hands of the wealthy few, their grip is strong, and our elected ones are all too willing to bow to their demands. Don't look for change from DC. Not yet.

So where do we go? Much of our society is growing restive and uneasy. Many are getting pissed. A handful, a growing handful, are getting truly outraged and are organizing to take action. Halle-fucking-lujah for that. It's about time. It's a start. Many many more need to mobilize and get involved, but it's a start.

One of the big triggers is the current fight over so-called healthcare reform, which apparently, to my untrained eye, would do little more than solidify the death grip the insurance industry has over our society. Folks, everyday ordinary folks, are organizing in opposition to what they're hearing on this issue. The same goes for the growing menace of global warming. And in West Virginia, millions of tons of explosives have blown off the tops of mountains since BrandObama took office in spite of his mighty talk on the campaign trail to stop this criminal practice. At the same time, in West Virginia and elsewhere, the opposition is growing by leaps and bounds. Every week there are new actions and new arrests of people who are willing to put their bodies on the line to put an end to MTR. Again, many of these are citizens of the area who have had enough of the devastation. And on it goes. Those are but three examples. There's much more going on, much more that needs to be done, and it's going to be up to us, as active citizens, to do it.

So in the spirit of the great tradition of rebellion -- no, make that revolution, with the attitude than democracy and citizenship are not spectator sports, I'm posting links to a few organizations that are organizing and mobilizing a true opposition voice. May it grow so strong that those we've sent to DC can only ignore it at their peril.

For those pushing for single-payer healthcare check out the link here at 1payer.net.

For action on global warming, as good a place to start as any is Greenpeace.

Outraged by mountaintop removal? Look up Appalachian Voices and iLoveMountains.

If like me you want to see great areas of wild country protected from the ravages of industrialization, want to work for something like NREPA, the place to start is the Alliance for the Wild Rockies. There are other wilderness groups of course, but too many are willing to settle for table scraps. AWR is willing to fight for the real thing.

No, no -- this isn't a comprehensive list, nor is it intended to be. I'll add more as I go, and if you know of others pass them along. These are starting points. They offer actions you can take now, information on issues and progress being made, ways to get involved, and links to other things you can do. This is the time to get started if you haven't already. Change won't come by sitting on the sidelines watching and waiting for it. The political machine won't offer up the change that people, and our planet want and need. We'll have to do it ourselves. We'll have to build a voice, a movement, that those in power will have no choice but to listen to. And follow. We need to be the leaders. There's much to do, so we'd better get started. The time for talk is over. It's time to do. Enjoy it.

Kill It Before It Gets Loose

2009-05-25T10:37:00.016-06:00

So the Waxman-Markey bill is still flopping around in Congress like a foul-smelling fish after much debate and haggling. Good. Let it flop. And then let it die so we can come up with something that will do some good. Somebody has to show the balls to confront the challenges and changes needed for that to happen though. It's not likely to come from DC. Change like what is necessary might only come from massive action from an enraged citizenry. I'm not sure we have the balls or the vision or the will to do that either. We're too busy being 'the consumer', too frightened by change, to be effectively enraged. That may change though.

Waxman-Markey is little more than pissing in the wind. It's been diluted down by so much industry money that it's about as effective as putting a Spongebob band-aid on a severed artery. The fossil fuel industry has sunk millions into weakening it to the point of uselessness, and stands to walk away with the spoils. Again. Meanwhile the bill, as it now stands, does virtually nothing to combat the effects of climate change. From a statement by GreenpeaceUSA director Phil Radford:

“Despite the best efforts of Chairman Waxman, this bill has been seriously undermined by the lobbying of industries more concerned with profits than the plight of our planet. While science clearly tells us that only dramatic action can prevent global warming and its catastrophic impacts, this bill has fallen prey to political infighting and industry pressure. We cannot support this bill in its current state. We call on President Obama and leaders in Congress to get back to work and produce a bill, based on science, which presents a clear road map for significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, transforms our economy with clean, renewable energy technology, generates new green jobs and shows real leadership internationally.”

It's being lauded by some as good first steps. As the beginning of incremental change, but so-called incremental change usually goes nowhere. It's like trying to walk out of quicksand -- it looks like you're moving, but you're not getting anywhere.

This isn't the time for baby steps on climate action. Time may be running out on us. Climate change isn't necessarily a gradual warming of the planet. The climate reaches certain tipping points where changes come suddenly and drastically. Political change happens the same way. We're at a tipping point now. Pressure, sudden and drastic, needs to be put on our decision-makers to take bold and decisive action. Now. Relying on the same old business as usual policies of the past isn't going to cut it anymore. We need to use all of the direct-action citizen-powered tools available to put that pressure on before it's too late.

Another Trip Around The Sun

2009-05-16T05:53:00.036-06:00

I don't usually talk about birthdays much, but what the hell. Today is mine. I'm completing my 58th trip around the sun today. The more of these damn things I have, the more I start reflecting on the whole journey, and about what a ride it's been. What's really important to me becomes clearer and more urgent, what isn't falls by the wayside. That's probably a good thing.

It has been quite a ride too. I've said it before, and I'll say it again -- I've been a lucky man. There have been the usual ups and downs. I've danced my way out of some nasty situations, and I've embraced my share of good ones. Maybe more than my share. Above all I'm homing in on the things I'm willing to devote the rest of my days to. The rest I'll leave to others.

What does matter to me is wildness. Wildness and art. Politics, at least partisan politics, will get booted out on it's fat ass, except for issues that impact wilderness and this home planet of ours. I started this blog a few years ago during an election, got caught up in the game more than I originally had intended, and have been trying to extricate myself from the tar-pit of politics ever since. I think I'm gaining. I'm getting pretty good at ignoring most of the gas passed by those elected to office. I've reached a point, at long last, where I'm through with political parties. All of them.

That said, there will be the usual activism here. That won't change much. Like it or not, most, if not all, of the important decisions, at least in the short-term, will come through the political process. I'll post actions and alerts simply because I can, not because I have any great belief that it does any good. It doesn't hurt though. I want to post more about wildness and our connection to it. I'm becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the things I say. It's not that I don't mean what I say, it's just that I mean to say more than I'm able to say. May I find the words. I want to burrow right down into the guts of wildness where life, and art, springs from. No easy thing to put into words. At least not for me.

I will post about art, particularly photography, though I do that at other places for the most part. Photography is another language. A visual language. It can say what words can't say. It can go where words can't go. It's important to me, and it's going to be a big part of the second half of my life. I'm spending considerable time at my photography sites. One, photo montana, is my site for nature and wilderness photos, some of the ones I've culled out from the past 25 years or so as well as new works I'll be adding from my outdoor wanderings. The other, just photography, is a new version of the blog I've had for a couple of years now. I stopped photographing for several years because I was growing frustrated with what I was doing. I felt like I was in a rut, like I was growing stale. I need new projects. I'm going to do some different kinds of things as far as subject matter goes, and I'm primarily going to work with older film cameras from the 1960's. I'm looking forward to it. Changes are good. I need to get my juices flowing again. I may even take up painting. Who knows what kind of a mess I can make with tubes of squishy colored stuff. I'm funny like that. I like to try different things. They don't always work well, but that's how I find out. Besides, it beats the hell out of watching television.

But enough about me. The day is wasting. I'll be keeping my self busy, here and elsewhere, though I may be busy living more and blogging less. I'll just say this to all of you -- keep your hearts and minds open. Raise your voices. Live out loud. Watch the artists. They can teach us more than all the facts and figures and information and statistics in the world if we're open to what they're showing us. Embrace wildness. Love the earth. Connect before it's too late. Above all, remember that the wild doesn't belong to us. We belong to the wild.

The More Things Change...

2009-05-10T09:14:00.007-06:00

What's the saying? The more things change the more they stay the same? Something like that.

The more I watch the environmental antics of the new crowd in DC, the more I come to realize that the only things that have changed are a few names and faces. How so? A few examples:

Mountaintop removal. A handful of permits have been removed for further review, but the EPA says that MTR likely won't pose any significant threats to the environment and people of Appalachia. In short, business as usual.

Wilderness designation. Yeah, I know. The omnibus lands thing passed a while back, but beyond that any real action, like say NREPA, gets little attention. A sub-committee hearing perhaps, maybe even a hearing on the floor, but beyond that it'll likely get shot down and buried in the back yard. The omnibus bill does protect some of the wild, but I can't help but see it as a bit of a dodge. A few isolated remnants of land get protected, land that industry is willing to let go because it's of little use to them, and the majority of our roadless areas, great unbroken blocks of wild earth remain up for grabs. Congress and the prez can say that they passed the most comprehensive land bill in decades, feel good about that, and move on to other things. We just passed a wilderness bill they can say. We don't have the time or the need for any more right now.

Wolf de-listing. The gray wolf's protection under the Endangered Species Act is history. They're moving targets again.

Polar bear protection. Secretary Salazar refuses to rescind the BushCo special ruling on polar bears.

BrandObama promised much on the campaign trail. They pay lip service to many of the environmental issues facing us. But when it comes right down to actually doing something, they pretty much fall back on the policies of their predecessors. 'Change we can believe in' is quickly becoming the chump change we're going to get.

Actions

2009-05-06T19:03:00.009-06:00

NREPA (HR980) had a House sub-committee hearing yesterday the 5th. I'm still looking to find out how it fared. If you have any info by all means pass it on.

In the meantime, there are other actions that can be taken here, and here. It's up to you.

That's all. Carry on.

Time Out

2009-05-01T19:41:00.002-06:00

It's time for some spring cleaning and remodeling around this place. I'll be back when I have something to say and a little more time to say it.