Explore, Enjoy and Protect the Planet
Sierra Club Currents - Upstream Battle Volume VI, #63 Tuesday, May 8, 2007 Quote of Note: "But I will die with my toothless mouth planted firmly around their corporate ankles." -- Tom Kruzen, a 60 year old activist working to stop Doe Run's massive contamination of La Oroya, Peru from the company's lead smelter (1) Salmon: Upstream Battle (2) Michigan: Water Sentinel Wins Petoskey Prize (3) Take Action: Protect Our First National Park (4) Take Action: Increase Fuel Economy (1) Salmon: Upstream Battle Due to widespread population declines, Puget Sound steelhead salmon were listed yesterday as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act. Steelhead are a popular game fish and both sportsmen and environmentalists are deeply concerned about their future. Members of both groups are taking action to improve the degraded habitat, man-made barriers, and harmful hatchery practices that have all contributed to the decline. Find out more about what the Sierra Club is doing to protect our fishing traditions. (2) Michigan: Water Sentinel Wins Petoskey Prize Water Sentinel Lynn Henning has been awarded the 2007 Petoskey Prize for Grassroots Environmental Leadership from the Michigan Environmental Council for her "tenacious, innovative and courageous" commitment to protecting the community from the pollution created by factory farms. Despite intimidation tactics by the factory farmers targeting her and her family, she worked relentlessly for the health and welfare of her neighbors and their environment. As part of the Petoskey Prize, Lynn will receive $5,000 to further her efforts. Learn more about factory farms and what you can do to help. (3) Take Action:Protect Our First National Park Both the EPA and National Park Service have independently confirmed, several times that visitors would enjoy Yellowstone with much less risk to their health, far less impact on park resources, and greater opportunities to enjoy the park's natural ambiance if snowmobile use is ended and snowcoach access expanded. Yet the new winter use plan proposes almost tripling the number of snowmobiles allowed in the park each day -- over 700 snowmobiles. We need to act now to preserve the ambiance of our first national park for our children and grandchildren. Tell the National Park Service that snowcoaches, not snowmobiles are the way to go! (4) Take Action: Increase Fuel Economy The technology exists today to make all new vehicles -- from sedans to SUVs to pickup trucks -- go farther on a gallon of gas. This is the biggest single step that we can take to saving money at the gas pump, curbing global warming, and cutting America's oil dependence. Today, a Senate committee moved forward on fuel economy legislation that does not guarantee any oil savings or reduction in global warming emissions since it sets goals, but no standards. Now more than ever, America needs vehicles that go farther on a gallon of gas. Tell the Senate to require annual improvements in fuel economy. |
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Currents is the Sierra Club's weekly e-mail update providing you with facts, stories, quotes, and "take action" features. |