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A List of Environmental and Telecommunications Events and Issues
``` [The first part of this is only of interest in Boston, but the rest is of broader interest.]
Date: Fri, 28 Jul 1995 14:42:57 +0059 (EDT)
From: George P Mokray
A List of Environmental and Telecommunications Events and Issues July 28 to August 11, 1995
Published, Edited and Written by George Mokray for Information Ecologies 218 Franklin St #3 Cambridge, MA 02139 (617)661-2676 gmoke@world.std.com
"A List..." now has a homepage: http://world.std.com/~gmoke/AList.html
Listings MassEnviro Listings Industrial Strength Recycling Sierra Club Update Kamikaze Reader - The Atomic Bomb Memorial Edition Fruition Bike Tour Jobs With Justice The Begging Bowl Hiatus
Friday, July 28
8 pm Making a Living While Making a Difference Melissa Everett, author and career consultant contact 491-8788 Global Village Books, 111 Mt Auburn St, Cambridge
Sunday, July 30
8 pm Concert and Sing-Along Rick Goldin & Will Fudeman contact 491-8788 Global Village Books, 111 Mt Auburn St, Cambridge
Tuesday, August 1
7:30 pm Demo of "Nanowave" - Multiple STM Chip MIT Nanotechnology Group contact FHapgood@world.std.com MIT, Building NE 43, Room 773
Wednesday, August 2
7:30 pm Green Table - informal discussion of sustainability contact Washington Taylor 863-2263, wattiet@world.std.com Cambridge Brewing Co, 1 Kendall Sq, Cambridge
Thursday, August 3
10 am Sustainable Boston - envisioning Boston as a sustainable city contact Cathy Douglas Stone 635-3425 Boston City Hall, Room 603
Thursday, August 10
10:30 am Environmental Roundtable - renegotiating the Contract With America and building a new environmental vision contact Julie Wormser 349-9770, Julie_wormser@abtassoc.com Clean Water Action, 76 Summer St, Boston
1 - 5 pm Earth Day New England Picnic and Brainstorm contact Dina Kiesel 573-8331 by August 8 for RSVP DYS/MDC Scenic Location, West Boylston, MA
Friday, August 11
11 am Virtually Wired Grand Opening Gala - public access computing with Mayor Menino contact Coralee Whitcomb 542-5555, cwhitcom@bentley.edu 55 Temple Place, Boston (a block from Park St Station)
Saturday, August 12
2 - 10 pm Charles Olson Festival - honor the author of The Maximus Poems, a great American poet who taught me what "polis" can mean contact (508)281-9763 Gloucester City Hall, Gloucester
Thursday, August 17 - Saturday, August 19
Visible Evidence - Strategies and Practices in Documentary Film and Video contact Gerald O'Grady 496-8551 Harvard, Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts
MassEnviro Listings
For further information, contact Meg Colclough of the MA Executive Office of Environmental Affairs at (617)727-9800 x218 or massenviro@aol.com.
JULY 16- 8/17 SEA EXPERIENCE, TEACHER ENHANCEMENT SEMINAR IN MARINE STUDIES 1-800-552-3633
JULY 31 - 8/11 FIELD STUDY IN MARINE SCIENCES, call Michael Williamson 617-734-5200 x256 or 508-468-4699
AUGUST 9-30 SCIENCE AT SEA PROGRAMS ..limited enrollment, call 800-552-3633
AUGUST 19 AQUATIC PROJECT WILD Wildlife, Sandwich, call 508- 888-6870
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Industrial Strength Recycling
Editorial Comment: Tom Spriggs (mtspriggs@igc.apc.org) sent this in last week but I didn't have room for it. Now all we have to do is compile local, state, regional and national throughput analyses with materials and energy exchanges built in. Date: Sat, 15 Jul 1995 19:37:00 -0400 (EDT) From: JENGLEHA@engine01.msmail.miami.edu To: infoterra (UNEP INFOTERRA Subscription List) Subject: WWW interactive waste exchange Message-ID: <9507152337.AA09092@nywork2.undp.org>
There is now an interactive waste exchange, the National Materials Exchange Network, linking many regional waste exchanges. It is funded primarily by Earthcycle, with help from U.S. EPA, the city of Spokane WA, and private companies. The Web page address is:
http://www.earthcycle.com/nmen/
Jim Englehardt University of Miami
Editorial Comment: This was forwarded to me by a chemical engineer friend who wishes to remain anonymous. Looks like another good resource.
This is the e-mail edition of NIST UPDATE. NIST UPDATE is a bi-weekly synopsis for journalists of current activites, research results, and program announcements from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. If you would like to subscribe to this e-mail edition, send an e-mail note to: MAILSERV@nist.gov In the body of the message, put the command: SUBSCRIBE NIST_UPDATE (don't forget the underbar between T and U). That's all there is to it. Send reports of problems to: baum@micf.nist.gov NIST UPDATE also may be found on the NIST gopher service: gopher-server.nist.gov
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MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP
Projects Provide Environmental Tech Info
NIST's Manufacturing Extension Partnership [MEP] recently announced two projects to help America's smaller manufacturers use more efficient technologies and better management techniques to reduce or eliminate sources of pollution in their operations. One project establishes the National Metal Finishing Resource Center to provide companies with electronic access to comprehensive information on regulatory compliance and pollution prevention opportunities, technologies and techniques. NIST, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and four industry groups are funding the center. In a related project, the Massachusetts Manufacturing Partnership, an affiliate of the MEP and a division of Bay State Skills Corp., will integrate environmentally focused assistance into the broader services it offers smaller manufacturers. NIST, EPA and several Massachusetts organizationsare providing funding. Both projects are part of a larger effort being coordinated by NIST's MEP, in cooperation with EPA, to make environmental assistance readily available to smaller manufacturers. For more information, contact the MEP at (301)975-5020 or mepinfo@micf.nist.gov (via Internet). Media Contact: Jan Kosko, (301) 975-2767 kosko@micf.nist.gov
Read All About MEP on New Home Page
America's manufacturers and others now have a new one-stop electronic resource for information on NIST's Manufacturing Extension Partnership. The "MEP Source" -- a World Wide Web site -- provides users with a description of MEP and its services, maps with links to information on the MEP centers nationwide, contacts at all of the centers, information on MEP regional programs and a calendar of events. In addition, the new site provides access to NIST's technical expertise and resources in areas such as manufacturing engineering, electronics and electrical engineering, building and fire research, standards, and quality management. The MEP Source also features links to other sources of information on national and international standards, such as ISO 9000, and product certification. The site can be reached at http://www.mep.nist.gov by anyone with a computer equipped with TCP/IP, Internet connectivity, and World Wide Web browsing software, such as Mosaic or Netscape. The MEP is a growing nationwide system of services and support for the nation's 381,000 small and medium-sized manufacturers. MEP provides access to new technologies, resources and expertise. Media Contact: Jan Kosko, (301) 975-2767 kosko@micf.nist.gov
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Sierra Club Update
Editorial Comment: The indefatigable John Andrews (andrews_john@atc.ll.mit.edu) has sent another report from the legislative front.
As Ross Donald (rnn@world.std.com) and Citizens for Sensible Safeguards (regs@rtk.net) remind us: Project Relief and the Alliance for Reasonable Regulation were kind enough to establish a toll free number to support the passage of S. 343, the Regulatory Reform Bill. We strongly urge you to put good use to this number, call it as many times as you feel comfortable, stating your OPPOSITION to this heinous bill, and please pass it on to any colleagues, friends, or grassroots activists to test its limits. Call 1-800-444-1555. Call it early and often.
And here's another set of numbers to use and abuse:
Dial your House reps toll-free at 1-800-972-3524 and Senate reps at 1-800-962-3524 (information provided by KatOverman@aol.com)!
Don't forget you can also use email, WWW forms, and soon hopefully email-to-fax servers for contacting your state or federal representatives, if this is more convenient. See RAGE's "activist resources" page for comprehensive listings of government online.
Ciao, Andrew Nemec ____ _ | _ \ __ _ __ _ ___| | Email: anemec@gargoyle.tiac.net | |_) / _` |/ _` |/ _ \ | Voice: 617-469-4331 | _ < (_| | (_| | __/_| Fax: 617-469-4331 || \_\__,|\__, |\___(_) WWW: http://gargoyle.tiac.net (anytime) |___/
Andy Nemec has just installed a database of over 600 Boston area environmental groups that I developed from the book A Greener Boston on his RAGEpage. Take a look at it. See what needs to be updated and added and let's get all our essential information online for 24 hour, 7 days a week availability.
IN THE MAIN RING President Clinton Signs Recissions Bill; Opens Door To Clear Cutting National Forests
President Clinton today signed the rescissions bill with the timber salvage provision.
Shame, shame, shame.
Now that the dirty deed is done, the clear cutting of our national forests is expected to begin, in the name of salvaging dead and dying trees. We are pursuing legal options in an effort to stop the devastation of our national forests. The lawyers will take care of that.
It's up to the rest of us to prevent this travesty from going gently into that good night. Instead, we must rage against this dying of the fight against such plunder of our natural heritage. We've gotta make some noise about President Clinton's broken promise to block logging without laws.
Take Action
As you may have heard, top White House insiders smugly believe that very few folks care much about the President's flip-flop. They are counting on our silence to validate this broken promise.
Its our job to prove them wrong.
We have to hit them where it hurts:- in the press, where media events, calls to reporters and editorial writers, and letters-to-the-editor will let every American know that President Clinton broke his promise;- in the pocketbook, by sending back empty envelopes to Democratic fund raising letters that you may receive. Include a message that you won't give because of this action; and,- in the electorate, by raising the visibility of this outrageous flip-flop among voters in your state.
In the coming days, we will be provide ideas and info on ways to accomplish this goal.
P.S. Very Important - Remember to focus your efforts to condemning the President's action rather than slandering his character. The latter is tacky, and worse -- ineffective.
P.P.S. Don't forget about the timber industry allies who rammed the timber salvage provision down our throats: Sens. Mark Hatfield (R-OR) and Slade Gorton (R-WA), and Reps. Charles Taylor (R-NC) and Norm Dicks (D-WA).
Take Action Call the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to protest President Clinton's signing of the recissions bill with the timber salvage provision. The correct phone number is 202-863-8000. Call and let them know that you have already complained to the White House, and that they don't seem to be getting the message, that the President should stand up to the special interests and to those in Congress who would put the timber industry above the law and "savage" our national forests. Ask for Don Fowler, the chair, or Tony Wilson.
Contact: Melanie Griffin July 27, 1995 202/675-6273 Debbie Sease 202/675-6699 Daniel Silverman 415/923-5526
HOUSE TRIES TO WIPE OUT ENVIRONMENT THROUGH FUNDING BILLS.
In two separate actions, the House continued its assault on the environment in the budget bills. The full House passed the Interior Appropriations bill by a vote of 244 to 181. This bill was characterized by Rep. George Miller (D-CA) as "a legislative clear cut of environmental and resource protection" and "the most blatantly anti-environmental, anti-scientific bill yet produced under Republican rule....Whenever the environment, or species protection, or the taxpayers' interest, or resource management get in the way of private companies that want to dig, cut, drill, pollute, or develop, this bill has just one answer: gut the law."
The Interior bill zeroes out critical programs designed to protect commercial fish research, endangered species protection and many more. It lifts Congressional prohibitions on offshore leasing in North Carolina. It heavily subsidizes timber cuts and timber road construction that desecrate our lands and cheat taxpayers. It slashes funding for park acquisition nationwide and just to appease ranchers and miners it transfers funding for the new Mojave National Preserve to the BLM even though this area is managed by the National Park Service.
One bright spot in the Interior spending bill is that the House adopted the Rahall (WV) - Klug (WI) amendment to extend the moratorium on selling mining claims on public lands to private interests for peanuts. The amendment was adopted by a 271-153 margin and had the support of 95 Republicans!
Meanwhile, the full Appropriations Committee was finishing the job on a separate bill which includes the EPA budget and wiping out our clean water and air programs. The full committee bill was substantially the same as the subcommittee bill -- it slashes EPA funding by 35% and prohibits the EPA from enforcing the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act.
This EPA spending bill will be taken up by the full House later this month.
* Action needed. The full House is likely to adopt this extreme anti-environmental EPA spending bill, too, but we shouldn't let them do it without exposing this attack on the laws that protect us all to the full light of public scrutiny. Please take a moment to write your local paper protesting the actions of the House and urging your Senators to oppose these bills when they get the chance to vote on them. Use these bills as examples of how extreme the House is and how it is not representing the best interests of your community.
FACT SHEET ON ECONOMIC HARMS OF EPA BUDGET BILL
Penny wise? Pound foolish! Proposed EPA Spending Cuts Will Cost Americans $ Billions
What the new leaders in Congress are promoting as a "sensible" strategy to reduce the budget deficit is actually a back-door attack on environmental protection that will cost Americans hundreds of billions of dollars in cleanup costs and immeasurable losses to natural resources and the environment.
Currently, the U.S. government spends a mere 2.3 cents on every dollar for environmental protection programs -- hardly a budget buster. Nevertheless, the proposed Veterans Administration/ Housing and Urban Development and Independent Agencies Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 1996 seeks to slash funding for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) programs by one-third, or $2.4 billion. In addition, it includes a number of "riders" (amendments) that would prohibit the EPA from spending money to enforce major environmental programs, including laws that keep sewage out of our water, pollution from our air, and pesticides off our food.
Allowing these environmental problems to continue will impose significant costs on society, including an increase in illnesses and deaths, lower fishing yields, diminished agricultural productivity, loss of jobs, and reduced recreational activities. What Congress chooses not to spend today in the name of fiscal restraint will create a legacy of environmental problems -- and enormous costs to the public -- both now and in the future.
A Clean Water Example
The VA/HUD Appropriations bill includes a $362 million reduction in the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund and a $725 million "elimination" of the Revolving Loan Fund for drinking water. By "saving" just over $1 billion, these cuts will severely cripple the implementation of clean water regulations and will lead to much greater costs to society:
U.S. commercial fishers stand to lose billions of dollars as growing pollution problems lower fish yields. For example, destruction of wetlands threatens the $5 billion per year international market for wetland-produced fish products.
Beach closings due to untreated sewage and other pollution threatens the multi-billion dollar recreation and tourism industries of coastal states.
Every year in the U.S. nearly 1 million illnesses and 900 deaths are caused by waterborne organisms in drinking water.
The EPA estimates that reductions in water infrastructure funding will cost over 16,000 direct jobs in construction and related industries.
A Superfund Example
The House Appropriations Committee has proposed cutting $560 million from the Superfund program, including a direct cut of $346 million to the FY96 response program and a 60% targeted reduction in enforcement. This only adds to the hundreds of billions of dollars in overdue bills for cleaning up past pollution and the unaccounted costs of natural resource depletion:
The U.S. Office of Technology Assessment estimates that it will cost over $100 billion and as many as 50 years to clean up 10,000 priority waste sites.
Contaminated sites will continue to harm aquifers and wildlife and place human health at risk. For example, PCB contamination in the Hudson River has cost commercial and recreational fisheries close to $500 million and counting. The proposed cuts allow the responsible polluters "off the hook" for paying cleanup costs -- instead, the public will foot the bill.
The EPA estimates a direct loss of at least 3500 private sector jobs for Superfund contractors.
-- Reg Reform Bill Wounded but Not Dead
The Dole/Johnston "risk your health" bill hasn't surfaced again in the Senate yet this week. You'll recall that last week, we won our third vote to keep debate going on this lengthy, costly bill. We're still celebrating, but let's not be fooled. Even though Dole's partner in the effort, Sen. J. Bennett Johnston (D-LA) called the bill "a lost cause" last week, we still think there will be more action this week.
We're getting help from the Administration on this one. Vice President Al Gore issued a statement saying, "the bill sells out to special interests and puts the health and safety of all Americans at risk." The Vice President reiterated the Clinton Administration's promise to veto the bill in its current form. "The American people expect and deserve better."
-- COMMENTS ON NFMA REGULATIONS NEEDED
FROM: Jim Bensman, Chair, NFMA Regulations Review Task Force
The US Forest Service has extended the deadline for comments on their proposed changes to the National Forest Management Act (NFMA) regulations. Comments must be received by the Forest Service by August 17, 1995. Send comments to:
Director, Ecosystem Management (1920; 3 CEN) USDA Forest Service PO Box 96090 14th & Independence Washington, D.C. 20090-6090
The Forest Service is proposing to gut the existing regulations. It is vital that we get in comments opposing this attempt to circumvent the law, particularly now that "Logging Without Laws" has passed. The proposed changes allow the Forest Service to circumvent all laws (Interim Amendment) whenever there is a catastrophic event, such as a fire or tornado. The proposed regulations remove all requirements to consider economics (i.e., below-cost timber sales). Additionally, the proposed regulations remove most of the existing resource protections.
Please include the following comments in your comments:
Interim Amendments must be removed. All these amendments would do is circumvent the law. Plans should assume certain "catastrophic" events such as 100 year floods or fires, so that Interim Amendments are not necessary. As proposed, Interim Amendments would undermine the plans, while preventing accountability to the public.
The Economic suitability requirements of the National Forest Management Act must be restored to the determination of suitability for timber production. Economic suitability of the sale area also needs to be addressed at the project level. Below-cost timber sales should be banned.
Definitions of even-aged management and clearcutting are not generally agreed upon and so must be included.
The Regional Guide should be retained as an Ecoregion Guide that provides standards and guidelines.
Resource protection sections must be revised to include viability standards for all species of plants and wildlife. Option I and Option II should be strengthened and combined as one section. Specific standards regarding grazing suitability, soils, water, historic and other resources should be restored.
For more information, send a message to jim.bensman@sierraclub.org
-- GOP Leaders' Backdoor Raid on Environmental Programs
Later this week, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on the Veterans Affairs/Housing & Urban Development Appropriations bill. Unfortunately, members of the GOP leadership are trying to use the VA/HUD bill to stop the implementation, monitoring and enforcement provisions of many environmental safeguards by removing or blocking funding of these critical programs.
The bill cuts funding for the Environmental Protection Agency by over one-third to dramatically limit the Agency's ability to enforce the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and many other safeguards. If passed into law, the VA/HUD Appropriations bill would roll back reductions of air pollution; abandon many of our water quality programs, including wetlands protection; and hamstring efforts to prevent contamination of our food supplies. The bill also undermines the EPA's ability to take any enforcement action against polluters if the polluters operate in a state with an audit privilege law on the books.
The Republican leadership is playing down the significance of the hit to water issues in its discussions with members but Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), Chairman of the Water Resources Subcommittee and our hero from the Dirty Water Fight, has circulated a letter to his colleagues pointing out the damage this terrible bill would do to Clean Water and to other environmental programs. If the vote were held today it would be comparatively close. Calls into your Representative could make the difference. Call or e-mail your representative to urge her or him to oppose the VA/HUD Appropriations Act of 1996 and the radical cuts it proposes for environmental protection. You can reach your rep. through the U.S. Capitol switchboard, 202/224-3121 if you don't have the number.
WAR ON THE ENVIRONMENT BOX SCORE
BATTLE HOUSE SENATE WHITE HOUSE
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THE POLLUTER'S BILL OF RIGHTS IN THE CONTRACT WITH AMERICA
"TAKINGS" Bad neighbor bills Passed Committee Veto promise
Action: Media, community outreach, and pressure on Senators to oppose S. 605.
"RISK ASSESSMENT" Rolls Back Env'tl Laws Passed Blocked!!!! Veto promise
Action: Thank yous to senators who voted right, public criticism for those who voted wrong on Dole-Johnston Bill, S. 343.
"LEGAL REFORMS" Right to Sue Passed Rejected Veto promise
House and Senate bills go to conference; not an action priority
"UNFUNDED MANDATES" Passed Passed Signed
No action needed; final bill fairly moderate
REWRITING ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS
"DIRTY WATER ACT" Passed No action Veto promise
Action: Media, community outreach, and pressure on Senators to fight the Shuster Dirty Water Act, HR 961
"WILDLIFE & WILDLANDS EXTINCTION ACT" (guts Endangered Species Act) Committee Committee ??
Action needed: Media and community outreach on the importance of saving our wildlife and opposing the Gorton Bill in the Senate
BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS ATTACKS ON THE ENVIRONMENT
"LOGGING WITHOUT LAWS" The Rescission Bill Vetoed once, new "deal" with same bad provision passed House and temporarily stalled in Senate, President said he will sign it.
Action needed: Continue calls to President expressing dismay at his agreement to sign Logging Without Laws
ARCTIC REFUGE OIL DRILLING AND PUBLIC LANDS SALES The Budget Resolution Passed Passed ?????
Action needed: Media, community outreach and pressure on Congress and the President to protect the Arctic from oil drilling and the public lands from sale to developers.
INDIVIDUAL APPROPRIATIONS BILLS
Interior Appropriations Passed Later this yr ??????
Action needed: House committee restored OCS moratorium but rest of bill is a disaster. Guts funding for parks, endangered species etc. Urge Senate to support amendments that restore funding for environmental programs. Clinton has criticized parts of the bill as unacceptable.
EPA Appropriations Floor Later this yr veto threat
Action needed: House committee proposal blocks enforcement of existing anti-pollution laws and cuts EPA funding by 33%. Contact press, Senators and President expressing opposition.
Note: for details on the contents of these proposals, exact schedules, and more information on action needed, please consult the Sierra Club's Hotline (202) 675-2394; or on the World Wide Web: http://www.sierraclub.org
Environmental Regulation and Economic Efficiency
Calling the advances, "comparable only to the industrial revolution," Germany's chemical giant, Hoechst, has developed catalytic processes to dramatically reduce pollution, lowering its waste-water load, for example, by 99%. The company readily admits it turned to such efforts not out of altruism, but because of Germany's strict environmental laws, and notes that its costs for end-of-pipe cleanup have actually dropped as a result by tens of millions of dollars. (Greenwire, 7/24).
VOX POPULI Polls Show Bipartisan Environmental Support
A study sponsored by the Harvard School of Public Health showed the public 62% to 35% against cutting environmental spending to balance the budget and avoid tax increases. The only non-entitlement rated higher was K-12 education spending.
Another poll, conducted by Luntz Research in March, found Americans believe protecting the environment should be a higher priority than cutting regulations by 62% to 29%. The sentiment was strong even among Republicans who responded 54% to 39% in favor of environmental protection. Frank Luntz is Newt Gingrich's pollster.
Editorial Comment: Ever since I read that the American Revolution began with about 30% for, 30% against, and 30% undecided (an educated guess at best), I have felt that 30% of the population is the threshold figure to sway public events. Time after time in these recent days, I have seen poll reports like these - a clear majority, sometimes even 60 -70% supporting research or education or alternative energy or the environment or legal protection or universal health insurance ... while some 30% (usually those with the most money) support the legislation that eventualy gets passed and that reduces spending and protection on those very issues for that 60-70% majority. There are two things that can be done: reduce the support for those ideas to below that 30% threshold where they can sway public events or organize that 60-70% majority so that their views prevail. It is my sneaking suspicion that if we can organize our 60-70% majorities to do what they need themselves, we'll have less and less need for the government and bureaucracy and more and more institutions that the 30% can demolish only with the greatest of difficulty.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% This environmental alert was produced by the Sierra Club Legislative Office, 408 C Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002, Tel: (202) 547-1141, Fax: (202) 547-6009. Sierra Club 24-Hour Legislative Hotline: (202) 675-2394.
The Sierra Club electronic mailing list is for legislative alerts and other important information. If you want to join our list, send e-mail to: majordomo@igc.apc.org with the following command in the body of your e-mail message: subscribe sc-action Commands in the "Subject:" line are not processed.
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Kamikaze Reader - The Atomic Bomb Memorial Edition
The first time I felt the effect of the bomb dropped on August 6, 1945 on Hiroshima was when I was in the stacks of my college library and came across a report that had two photographs side by side. One was before the bomb was dropped, the other was after. Distance was marked by superimposed rings on the pictures. The difference was, literally, devastating.
A few years later, I was in Hiroshima and visited the Peace Museum, saw the shadows etched on concrete that were once men and women, the watches melted as in Dali's vision, the clocks stopped at the instant of impact. I folded a paper crane and added it to the 1000 cranes already in the park.
I do not know, I can not know if the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki that August 50 years ago saved lives in the long run. My bones know that the explosion of those bombs changed everything in this human world forever.
Philip Morrison has an article about his experiences with the Manhattan Project and the atomic bomb in the August issue of Scientific American. He calls it "Recollections of a Nuclear War". I have had the great privilege of hearing him speak about these issues in an MIT lecture hall, reading from his journal, small, neat words on graph paper. I could hear his voice as I read the article, always the mark of clear writing for me. I have also had the privilege of listening to Prof Morrison talk in memorium of Cyril Smith, one of the metallurgists on the Manhattan Project and a fellow Philomorph. This is the poem I wrote in response:
The metallurgist packed the imperfections of the surface with gold, smoothing over slight air bubbles on the plutonium sphere. The first atomic payload was a grayish green globe inlaid with golden foil. It had to be perfect to explode.
July 16,1945 Jornado de la Muerta Trinity site
I look at these men (all those I have met have been men) as mythic figures, giants, genuises, tragic as Lear. They accomplished miracles with the essentials of matter and left a legacy of a quarter million years of poison and a terrible temptation to destruction. I admire those I have met and found them to be profoundly human. I am grateful to the depths of my soul that I did not have to make the decisions they did.
Newsweek mentioned a Website for photographs from Nagasaki at http://www.exploratorium.edu/nagasaki/
Technology Review for August and September has a major article on "The Atomic Age at 50" as well as a long article called "Back to the Everglades". Both of these articles can be accessed at http://web.mit.edu/techreview/www/
Other articles of interest include "Defending an Endangered Act" which is about a study Prof Stephen Meyer of the MIT Project on Environmental Politics and Policy did looking at economic growth in all 50 states from 1975 to 1990 and seeing if those states with the most endangered species had lower growth in terms of construction employment and gross state product. Turns out that those states with the most endangered species did better than those with the least. The article goes on with Prof Meyer explaining why "debate by anecdote" will probably consign his findings to political obscurity. Anything we can do to help? There is also a piece on a new strain of super-rice with higher yields on fewer stems. As one who sleeps on tatami mats, such a development gives me pause. There is also a short piece on the only existing forensic science lab for wildlife called "Tracking Poachers with Forensic Science" and an essay by Langdon Winner called "The Age of Expendability" where he talks about the changing job expectations of highly educated technical personnel and faces "the recognition that our society now assumes perpetual expendability." As one who has been obsoleted in the past few months as an online information researcher by the ease of use of the World Wide Web and who expects to be obsoleted before I start as an HTML coder, I concur. There is also a review of the book Computer-Related Risks by Peter G. Neumann. Mr Neumann collects anecdotes about same at RISKS@csl.sri.com.
Harper's August issue has a cover article called "What Are We Doing Online", a conversation with John Perry Barlow, Kevin Kelly, Sven Birkerts and Mark Slouka. In the course of the piece, Barlow refers to them all as "old hippies", two for online participation and two against. It is interesting to me that Barlow brings out the response on the Net to the eulogy he wrote after his lover died. He was surprised at how many people responded to his loss. The article also includes some examples from online postings and ends with Tom Mandel's public announcement of the struggle with cancer that killed him a few months ago. If you recall from my report on the Alliance for Community Media conference a few weeks ago, one lady from Hawaii said that no baby's been born online and I responded, privately, to her that I had mourned two people online this year alone. I wonder if death brings community just as birth does. I also wonder if it is death or the concern of others that is the dominant image in this discussion of Internet life. One especially specious argument that comes up is that time on the Net abstracts you from the environment, that a virtual world could take the place of the dirt and water one we have. I believe that "A List..." is an utter refutation of that idea. I am organizing on the Net to give people more tools to take back out into the palpable, physical, political world and fight for the preservation of as much biosphere as possible. Please tell me when I'm doing it wrong.
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Fruition Bike Tour
Editorial Comment: I have a soft spot in my heart for this effort. I was the instigator of a state-wide Fruition program in the late 70's and introduced Susan McLucas, who continues the work with Bill Taylor, to the concept. I had a Fruition garden in Central Sq in Cambridge for over a decade until my idiot landlord cut it down. And they are a "community developoment corporation", too. Whether you're riding in the AIDS ride on Sept. 15-17, or the American Lung Association P-Town Trek at the same time, or in Bike Boston ride on the 17th, consider a great, fun warm-up that benefits environmental education and assists communities in the inner city by creating productive and beautiful green spaces. This is the 5th Annual Tour of the Orchards Bikeathon. It's a 1-day bike tour that offers riders a chance to see new things in the city and learn about the local communities through which they ride.
Date: Sunday, Sept. 10 Time: 9 AM, 9:30 AM, 12 NOON or 1 PM (3 starts) Distance: 10 miles, 20 miles, or 30 miles Starting Locations: EarthWorks Nursery, Jamaica Plain; near B.U. Bridge, Cambridge, and Bikepath Extension, Davis Square. Pledge minimum: $30 Freebies: Fruit tasting, lunch, bike clinics the week before as well as free rental bikes for those who need them Contact for more info/ pledge forms: EarthWorks Projects, 42 Robinwood Ave., #2, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 617-983-9463 billt@cfa165.harvard.edu
Oh, yes, prizes: T-Shirt or Fruit Tree/Vine if raise over $75; Grand prize (most $ over $400): Montague high-performance Mtn Bike which folds. 11 other prizes from bikeshops etc.
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Jobs With Justice
Went to a meeting of Jobs with Justice July 25 and found them to be discussing many projects that have an environmental component.
They are involved in planning workshops for the Industrial Union Department Conference of the AFL/CIO on September 29 & 30 at either Roxbury Community College or Bunker Hill Community College. They are already planning a workshop on Sustainable Economic Development and I will be contacting the coordinator of that effort, Ed Bruno. I asked if they were interested in an Internet workshop and their eyes lit up. The next workshop planning meeting is on August 15 at 6 pm at Local 25 (?) and the Washington DC contact is Leanne Haynesworth (sp?) at (202)842-7808.
They asked me to talk a little about the Environmental Roundtable and they suggested that we emphasize that the contract is not just bad for the environment but bad for the economy, that it constitutes a transfer of internal and external costs from corporations to the Commonwealth, and that there is a split between small and big business that may be exploited here: small businesses are hit harder and hate regulation more than big business, don't have the money to remain competitive under strict regulation (a point I also heard at the Environmental Management Information and Software Technology Congress), and are the core of the Contract constitutency. They suggested that perhaps the large corporations might subsidize the smaller businesses and their compliance and clean-up. They also suggested that we say, "This is an assault on communities rather than just the environment."
Jobs with Justice will try to establish a task force on jobs and environment.
Other projects they are working on include the Federal Reserve and monetary policy and are trying to fund a newsletter on that subject called NE Fedwatch. They are thinking of an email edition and an insert for inclusion in other groups' newsletters.
Members from CPPAX are working to arrange a hearing on the job situation with Barney Frank.
Tim Costello is working on some involvement with the Boston State Hospital development in Mattapan. MA Audobon has a $5 million parcel adjoining that development. Tim Costello is trying to arrange participation through union pension funds, trying to begin a pilot project of union investment in the inner city for job and community development.
Jobs with Justice is also working on a grant proposal to fund an outreach effort and a brochure (they especially need someone to help them do layout).
Ed Bruno wants to coordinate different union, community development and sustainability initiatives around the states. Bruno seems to have experience with Sustainable Milwaukee and a sustainability and industrial ecology project with union participation in Baltimore. Commonwealth Action/Northeast Action is also doing something similar.
The Best Jobs Coalition, with Clean Water Action as a member, is having a meeting on September 13 at 7:30 pm at Roxbury Community College in Room 102. They are organizing for good, clean, sustianable jobs in low income communities.
The next meeting of Jobs with Justice is August 29 at 6:30 pm at 160 Second St in Cambridge. Contact Pasqualinho Columbaro (265-9849) for further information.
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Environmental Roundtable Alert
There is an amendment to a Rivers bill that amounts to "takings" legislation going through the legislative process on Beacon Hill. This amendment might come to a vote by Monday, July 31. Dan Spira of the AMC is spearheading an effort to organize support against such takings legislation and is looking for signatures on a letter. Contact him at 523-0655 x345 if you want to help.
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The Begging Bowl
I produce "A List..." from my own pocket and my own heart. I will continue to offer it for free; but if you find it useful, please don't hesitate to contribute with information, criticism, ideas, or funding.
I live a life where I walk down the street and on finding a penny, pick it up to say, "I've gotten paid today." Somewhere along the line, I took a vow of poverty. I've never made more than $14 - 15,000 a year and lately my income has been more like $5000. I was lucky enough to have parents and grandparents who set some money aside for me but that is running out as I do what my gut tells me I must do. Usually, when people ask, I say I am independently poor. I know a few other people of the same status and too many others who are just plain poor.
At 45, I have discovered my life's work: "A List..." This is what I should be doing. This is what, I feel in my bones, I am good at. If you feel the same, any support would be most gratefully accepted.
Thanks to all those who have already offered their support.
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Hiatus
This edition is a little long and could have been much longer. I am amazed at how much information is out there and how much is pertinent. Two people sent me pieces on "the best ideas of '95" that I don't have room to include. Usually, I try to keep "A List..." down to 20 pages but, as I have obligations that will keep me away from my computer most of next week, I decided to let it run a little longer than usual. Hope that my extra verbiage has not become tedious. Trust that you, gentle reader, will let me know.
Please check out the "A List..." homepage at http://world.std.com/~gmoke/AList.html
I really felt like such an Internet jock, a real cyber guy when I published it last week-end. When people ask me, "What's so good about the Net?" I say that on the Net, and especially on the Web, I have the same presence as General Motors. Their graphics may be flashier but we still are compared on content and usefulness to the user. Finally, there's that proverbial "level playing field" and I'm gonna play it for all it's worth. ```
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