Volume 40, Number 3, Fall 2010www.foe.org

Newsmagazine

Something’s Fishy

Why is the FDA Considering Approval of Genetically Engineered Salmon?

2 Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine … Fall 2010

Moving Forward on the Climate Crisis

This summer, we witnessed the quiet end to the environ-

mental community’s latest and perhaps greatest effort to pass comprehensive climate and en-ergy legislation when the U.S. Senate declined for the final time to bring a bill to the floor for de-bate. I am torn by the results. On the policy front, we avoided sig-nificantly flawed cap and trade plans that conceded far too much ground to Wall Street and cor-porate polluters. This approach was irreconcilable with Friends of the Earth’s mission of creating a just and healthy world and we dodged a bullet when it failed. More troubling though, was that Friends of the Earth and the en-tire environmental community missed a significant opportuni-ty to make a down payment on the generational transformation needed in the way we produce and consume energy. This is tragic.

Explanations for why we lost momentum in the climate de-bate are being tossed out left and right: it was the poor economy; the environment played third fiddle to health-care and finan-cial reform; the extreme political polarization between Republi-cans and Democrats prevented bi-partisan compromise; Friends of the Earth and other groups opposed to flawed bills eroded environmentalists enthusiasm; President Obama did not provide leadership; the Big Coal and Big Oil lobbies were just too powerful.

There is a kernel of truth in each of these explanations. But I think they point to some-thing deeper. We can no longer ignore the pervasive influence corporations have on our lives,

our society and our govern-ment. Corporate influence and the diehard belief in markets are transforming us from com-munities, neighbors and indi-viduals into mere consumers.

It must be challenged. The en-vironmental community needs to invest in building a movement

focused on our vision of the fu-ture. Central to our vision are values of sustainability, equity and justice. If we focus on these values, we will open up oppor-tunities to develop stronger and deeper ties with the broader progressive community, includ-ing labor, environmental, social justice, anti-war and financial reform groups. On many levels we are already fighting the same fight – we just need to join forces.

The seeds of this broader movement are already being sown in the United States and throughout the world. Take for instance the Appalachia Rising events that happened in Wash-ington, D.C. this past Septem-ber. Community leaders from West Virginia, Kentucky, Virgin-ia and Tennessee took matters into their own hands by lead-ing the largest march and rally against the deplorable practice of mountaintop removal mining ever seen in this country. Let’s stop global warming and restore the health of communities by keeping coal in the ground. I also see hope in the organizing that Bill McKibben and the organiz-ers at 350.org did for the global work party for climate solutions on October 10, 2010. There is no better way to show politi-

cal leaders that we care – and shame them into action – than by getting to work in our own communities. Internationally, I vividly remember the 100,000 people who chanted “System Change, Not Climate Change” on the streets of Copenhagen during the UN climate negotia-tions last December. These are the seeds that we must nurture and grow. This is the movement that we must build to overcome the inertial forces of apathy, fear and corporate entrenchment.

Our efforts to halt the climate crisis require a fundamental transformation. Creating this transformation is a generational challenge, and will require a du-rable, values-based grassroots movement. Along the way, there will be success, as well as heart-breaking failure, like the failure of Congress to pass real clean energy and climate legislation this year. Failure can be hopeful and positive, but only if we take the time to truly learn and un-derstand why our goals were not met. These are some of my obser-vations; I look forward to hear-ing yours. If you’d like to share your thoughts with me, email me at erichpica@foe.org.

Erich Pica, President

president’s message

“We can no longer ignore the pervasive influence corporations have on our lives, our society and our government.”

Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine … Fall 2010 3

Table of Contents

President’s Message … 2

Ecobites … 3

Behind the Scenes … 4

No Discharge Zone … 5

Something’s Fishy … 6

Green Scissors … 10

Charitable Gifts … 10

No More Dirty Coal … 11

Stopping Keystone … 12

The Melting Arctic … 14

Elections: Advocating for the Environment … 15

EarthShare … 16Cover photo: Genetic Technology Policy Campaigner Eric Hoffman spoke at a demon-stration protesting frankenfish in front of the White House.

ecobites

Global Day of ActionCongress has failed to act aggressively to solve to the climate crisis, and we decided that we’re not waiting for them any longer. We part-nered with 350.org to promote a global day of action on October 10, 2010. Our aim was to demonstrate to Washington the broad public support that exists for climate solutions and to shame politicians into siding with people and the planet instead of corporate pollut-ers. Learn more about the event at www.foe.org/organize101010.

The “BP 10”Becca Connors, our Internet Out-reach Manager, spoke at a rally at the Capitol on the three month anniversary of the BP disaster. Our campaign targeting the “BP 10” - the five senators and five representatives who received the most contributions from oil and gas in the past two election cycles - demanded that they donate this money to Gulf restoration efforts, as part of our larger goal of ending corporate influence in politics.

Stay ConnectedStay connected with Friends of the Earth online. If you haven’t al-ready joined our e-activist list, go to www.foe.org and enter your email address in the left-hand column. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.

See our photos on Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/foeaction/

We also have campaign-specific sites.

If you’re interested in biofuels go to: http://twitter.com/foe_biofuelsand www.facebook.com/nodirtybiofuels.

If tar sands interest you, check out our Facebook page here: www.facebook.com/keystonepipeline.

Friend us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/foe.us

Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/foe_us

Watch our videos on YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/FriendsoftheEarthUS

4 Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine … Fall 2010

Change Starts at Home: An Interview with Peter

Peter Stocker is our Donor Services Manger at Friends

of the Earth. Earlier this year Peter and his family moved to an energy efficient home they built themselves in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

What was your motivation for the lifestyle changes you’ve embraced, from building an energy efficient home, to run-ning your car on biodiesel from recycled waste oil, to gardening and tending to the land around your home?

For our family the decision to change our lifestyle was rooted in the belief that living a truly sustainable life means thinking about our impact on the planet in a holistic way. That includes everything from growing our own organic food, to minimizing our carbon footprint, to raising our children close to nature. Above all we want our children to ap-preciate the natural world and to experience it first hand, not through a television or computer screen. And of course we have to do our part to prevent the worst impacts of global warming so they can enjoy the planet long af-ter we’re gone. We decided that the best way to achieve our goals was to move to a rural setting.

You built your own house and made it as energy efficient as your budget would al-low. Why was energy efficien-cy such a priority for you?

Seventeen percent of U.S. total greenhouse gas emissions come from people’s homes, with most of that coming from heating and cooling. High tech options like so-lar are often the first thing that

comes to mind. But on our bud-get we couldn’t afford solar, so we had to find less expensive ways to make the house energy efficient.

The most important thing we did was to use passive solar de-sign. Most windows in the house face to the south, maximizing sunlight in the winter to warm the house and minimizing sun-light in the summer to keep the house cool. Combined with thicker insulation, a whole house fan, radiant barrier roofing, and other features, we have drasti-cally reduced the need to arti-ficially heat and cool the house.You also fuel your car using biodiesel made from recycled vegetable oil – how is biodie-sel different from other biofu-els like ethanol?

Most biofuels, ethanol and biodie-sel alike, are produced from crops grown specifically for fuel, which means that lots of oil is burned in their production, they compete with food crops and they put pres-sure on farmers domestically and internationally to clear-cut for-ests in order to grow fuel crops.

The biodiesel we buy is dif-ferent because it comes from a local producer who collects used vegetable oil that would other-wise go to the landfill and pro-cesses it into fuel that we can put straight in our gas tank. We have to pay about 65 cents more per gallon than we would for con-ventional fuels, but it’s worth it to reduce our carbon footprint.

What was the greatest tri-umph of this endeavor?

One of the best experiences since moving has been watching the delight our daughter gets from seeing wildlife in its natural hab-itat. Though for me, getting our first electric bill this summer and seeing how little electricity we were using was also pretty nice!

Not everyone is handy around the home; what simple chang-es can anyone make in their life?

Spread the word! We are only going to beat global warming if we can get enough people to change their lifestyles, so it’s in-cumbent upon all of us to under-stand what’s at stake to build the movement. That includes doing things like joining Friends of the Earth’s online activist list and encouraging friends and fam-ily to do the same. To join our activist list go to the home page at www.foe.org and enter your email in the left-hand column.

Probably one of the most im-portant ways everyone can green their lives is finding ways to use fewer fossil fuels, like driving less, telecommuting, taking pub-lic transportation, walking, or biking.

Visit www.foe.org/behind-the-scenes for more about Peter’s green home, and links to his favorite recipes using food from his gar-den.

Peter gives his daughter Lucia a lesson in tree plant-ing.

behind the scenes

Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine … Fall 2010 5

California Closes in on “No Discharge Zone” Victory By Marcie Keever

California’s 1,600 mile coast-line is not only home to many

endangered species and world renowned for recreational activi-ties, it is vital to the state’s econ-omy. A healthy environment is crucial to keeping all of these in good order. Many pollutants have been addressed as threats to the coast’s marine resources, but one source continued to evade regula-tion – until recently. On August 25, 2010 California won a major victory against coastal pollution by instituting a long awaited ban on sewage dumping, also known as a “No Discharge Zone.”

In the last decade, sewage and other harmful pollution dis-charged from cruise ships and large ocean-going vessels have been targeted as a major threat to the California coastline. A typ-ical large cruise ship, the largest of which can now carry between 3,000 and 8,000 passengers and crew, generates an average of 210,000 gallons (or 10 backyard swimming pools) of human sew-age and one million gallons (40 more swimming pools) of gray water (water from sinks, baths, showers, laundry, and galleys) on a one week voyage. Nearly 1.5 million passengers departed on cruise ships in California’s waters in 2008 and California ports received approximate-ly12,000 cargo ship calls in 2009. The number of cruise passen-gers and the number and size of cruise and cargo ships continue to grow, presenting an ongoing threat that demands regulations to protect the marine resourc-es and economy of California.

In 2005, Friends of the Earth

sponsored the Clean Coast Act in the California State Legisla-ture. The Act, authored by State Senator Joe Simitian, sought to stem the tide of ship pollution by prohibiting the discharge of numerous waste streams from large ships in California’s wa-ters – including sewage, sew-age sludge, gray water, hazard-ous waste, and oily bilge water.

California was able to imple-ment all of these bans imme-diately – except for the sew-age dumping ban. In 2006, California appealed to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agen-cy to grant the state author-ity to implement the sewage No Discharge Zone (NDZ) under the federal Clean Water Act.

After several years of inaction by the U.S. EPA, Friends of the Earth stepped up its pressure in support of California’s NDZ re-quest. We sent our own letter to

the EPA urging action and rallied 20 members of California’s con-gressional delegation to send a joint letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson urging her to give California the authority to ex-tend this legislation to protect the public against harmful sewage.

Thanks to the joint effort by the state of California, its congressional delegation and Friends of the Earth, the EPA has finally taken action to ap-prove the vessel sewage dump-ing ban. This August, Friends of the Earth’s Oceans and Vessels team joined the regional EPA administrator at a press confer-ence in San Francisco announc-ing the decision to establish what will be the largest coastal NDZ in the United States. If approved the NDZ will apply along Cali-fornia’s entire 1,600 mile coast-line within three miles of shore, and include San Francisco Bay.

The EPA is allowing a 60 day public comment period before making a final decision on the rule. We need your help to protect California’s waters and coastline from vessel sewage pollution – go to www.foe.org/support-californias-ship-sewage-dumping-ban to sub-mit comments before November 1, 2010.

oceans

Santa Rosa Island is the second largest of the Channel Islands of California and would be covered by the No Discharge Zone. Photo Credit Wolcott Henry, Marine Photobank.

“A typical cruise ship on a one week voyage generates an average of gallons of human sewage -- the equivilant of 10 backyard swimming pools.”

210,000

6 Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine … Fall 2010

Something’s Fishy

By Eric Hoffman

No genetically engineered ani-mal has ever been approved

for human consumption. But that could change this fall. The federal Food and Drug Adminis-tration (FDA) announced August 25 that it is considering approval of a genetically modified salmon known as the frankenfish. The frankenfish was developed by a corporation called AquaBounty whose mission is to use biotech-nology to advance large-scale aquaculture, and no doubt to also enhance profits. Even though the FDA had 10 years to review Aqu-aBounty’s application they only allowed ten business days for the public to review the FDA’s analysis and provide comments, but the initial reaction from the public is that these modified fish pose a variety of threats.

CompetitionThe frankenfish is engineered

to grow twice as quickly and may eat as much as five times more food as its non-engineered counterparts – and that’s cause

for concern. If the frankenfish escapes from aquaculture farms where it is raised and enters the open ocean, it could contami-nate natural populations with its genes and weaken salmon populations. It could also out-compete wild salmon for food. Of particular concern is the sur-vival of natural Atlantic salmon, a species already listed as en-dangered. Indeed, research pub-lished in a report by the pres-

tigious National Academy of Sciences indicates that a release of just 60 genetically engineered salmon into the wild could lead to the extinction of a natural population of 60,000 salmon in less than 40 fish generations.Containment

AquaBounty claims their fast-growing fish would be contained and therefore will have no chance of escaping into local waterways. Yet the Asian carp infiltration of the Chicago River is evidence that even the best containment systems fail. In the 1970s cat-fish farmers imported Asian carp to remove algae and sus-pend matter out of their ponds. But flooding in the early 1990s led to many of these ponds over-flowing their banks, releasing the Asian carp into the Missis-sippi River Basin. The fish have migrated to the Chicago River, the only link between the Missis-sippi River and the Great Lakes.

“A release of just 60 genetically engineered salmon into the wild could lead to the extinction of a natural population of 60,000 salmon in less than 40 fish generations.”

Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine … Fall 2010 7

The FDA is considering approving genetically engineered fish for food.

Human health and the environment are threatened.

Friends of the Earth is fighting back.

Tips for Avoiding Genetically Engineered (GE) Food1. Buy Organic: Certified organic food is not allowed to have any

GE products.

2. Look for Non-GMO Labels: The fastest growing food label around, companies can voluntarily say if they avoid GE products.

3. Avoid At-Risk Ingredients: 70 percent of processed foods contain GE products. Try to avoid processed foods made with corn, soy, canola, or cottonseed – the “big four” GE crops in the U.S.

4. Buy Products From the Non-GMO Shopping Guide: Our friends at the Center for Food Safety have created a guide for consumers hoping to avoid genetically engineered food. Visit http://truefoodnow.org/shoppers-guide/ to print a guide or download the new digital version for you phone at the iTunes store or on the android market!

Natural disasters, wear-and-tear and human error can all lead to similar breaks in AquaBounty’s containment systems, allowing genetically engineered salmon to escape into our waterways.Sterilization

The company also promises that their fish will be sterilized, yet their own data admits that up to five percent of the eggs may remain fertile. AquaBounty al-ready has orders for 15 million eggs – which equals up to 750,000 fertile fish right off the bat that could escape and wreak havoc on the environment. Even more trou-bling is the fact that AquaBounty will still need fertile males and females to fertilize their geneti-cally engineered eggs. Clearly, fertile frankenfish will exist and have the potential to escape. Drug-resistance

Human health is a press-ing concern as well. One conse-

quence of government approval of these frankenfish would likely be the use of even more anti-biotics in aquaculture as more and more fish cycle through, in-creasing opportunities for drug-

resistant bacteria to develop. Farmed salmon are given more antibiotics than any other live-stock by weight and the fran-kenfish could require even more antibiotics since AquaBounty’s

8 Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine … Fall 2010

fish, by their own admission, would be less fit and therefore more susceptible to disease.Allergens

Scientists are also concerned about the increased potential for allergic reactions. Fish are among the major allergy-caus-ing foods, and the physically altered frankenfish could pose an increased risk of severe, per-haps life-threatening allergic re-actions. Unfortunately neither AquaBounty nor the federal Food and Drug Administration have made the frankenfish available for independent safety testing. Outlaws

AquaBounty has identified its proposed location for raising the frankenfish, and it seems as if it is intent on avoiding U.S. environ-mental law. They plan on fertil-izing the eggs on Prince Edward Island in Canada, shipping them to Panama to be raised and pro-cessed, and then shipping them back to the U.S. for consumption. Despite open claims that the busi-ness will expand its operations from the U.S. to other countries, the FDA is refusing to look at the cumulative harms AquaBoun-ty’s commercial operation will have on the global environment.

The FDA’s hasty announce-ment and the subsequent rev-elation of potentially harmful side effects set off alarm bells at Friends of the Earth and in Sep-tember we launched a campaign to show the FDA that the public doesn’t want frankenfish on their plates. We joined with a coali-tion of more than thirty groups to submit 171,645 comments from the public, demanding that the FDA reject this fish for human consumption. This included more than 8,000 Friends of the Earth activists who responded to our call for support. In addition, we sent letters signed by more than 300 environmental and public

A History of Safeguarding Public Health

Friends of the Earth has alerted the public to the dangers posed by genetically engineered organisms since the late 1970s. In 1977 our

newsmagazine, Not Man Apart, published an article describing the risk of researchers accidentally creating a dangerous new organism in the lab and then allowing it to escape into the broader environment. In the mid-80s Friends of the Earth published Altered Harvest, an in-quiry into the emerging practice of genetically engineering crops, and pointed out that powerful companies like Monsanto were buying up independent seed companies. Friends of the Earth’s biggest exposé came in September 2000 when, through independent testing, we discovered StarLink, a genetically engineered corn not approved for human consumption in Taco Bell brand taco shells, a Kraft product. Our team raised the red flag on Kraft – organizing demonstrations at grocery stores and Kraft manufacturing locations as part of our “Kraft-ed” campaign to draw attention to the health and environmental concerns linked to genetically engineered foods. The publicly scan-dalized Kraft was forced to recall millions of boxes of taco shells. The recall reinforced for the public the threats posed by GMOs and the need for safety testing and accurate labeling so consumers can make informed choices. The magnitude of this victory was put into perspec-tive when Mother Jones magazine revealed in 2008 that after we blew the whistle on Kraft, a private security firm was hired to spy on Friends of the Earth and two other environmental groups – scouring dump-sters in the middle of the night hoping to find “enemy intelligence.”

Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine … Fall 2010 9

Friends of the Earth interns Josef Palermo and Lindsay Shade join protesters in front of the White House on September 16.

health organizations, chefs, res-taurants, and tribal communities to the FDA, pressuring it to deny approval of this frankenfish.

On September 16, in collabo-ration with allies like Food and Water Watch, the Center for Food Safety, and Ben and Jerry’s we organized a demonstration about the frankenfish in front of the White House. Ben & Jerry’s CEO Jostein Solheim took part, acknowledging that if the FDA approves the frankenfish, any number of genetically engineered animals could be next – poten-tially the dairy cow – and they’re not okay with that. In protest of the frankenfish, they announced the symbolic renaming of their fa-mous “Phish Food” ice cream for the day to “Something’s Fishy.” You can see photos from the dem-onstration on Flickr: www.flickr.

com/photos/foeaction.And on September 20, I tes-

tified before the FDA commit-tee considering the franken-fish application. Friends of the Earth submitted comments to the FDA, which were signed by twenty other organizations in the U.S. and Canada, highlight-

ing the possible environmental threats of this genetically engi-neered salmon. We called on the FDA to conduct a comprehensive and independent environmen-tal impact review before any de-cisions on approval are made.

At the end of the hearing the FDA committee recognized that there were problems with Aqu-aBounty’s product and requested that more studies be conducted before the fish is approved. The company’s studies on health safe-

ty were poorly designed and their samples sizes, sometimes as low as twelve fish, were way too small to guarantee safety. Mem-bers of the committee also ex-pressed concern that not enough evidence exists to show these fish will be safe if they escape into the environment. The commit-tee’s only expert on fisheries, Dr. Gary Thorgaard, called on the FDA to conduct an Environmen-tal Impact Statement – a com-prehensive review of all the en-vironmental risks – a sentiment echoed by other members of the committee. If the FDA takes this call to heart, it will allow time to fully analyze the environmental and health risks instead of trying to rush the process. However this will only delay the approval pro-cess, not fully eliminate the risk.

We need your help to stop ge-netically engineered salmon from landing on our plates. Write to the FDA at:cvombudsman@fda.hhs.gov and tell them the environmental risks of AquaBounty’s salmon are too great. In addition, de-mand that the fish be labeled so consumers can avoid them at the market by November 22 (docket #: FDA-2010-N-0385 at www.regulations.gov).

A Leading Voice on Emerging Technologies

Friends of the Earth is the leading environmental group working on emerging technologies – such as genetic engineering, cloning, synthetic biology, and nanotechnology. We fight to stop these dangerous technologies and ensure that if they do reach the market they are properly regulated to protect people and the environment – not corporate profits. Check out the websites below for more:

• Frankenfish: www.foe.org/fda-announces-hearings-approval-genetically-engineered-salmon

• Emerging Tech: www.foe.org/healthy-people

• Animal Cloning: www.foe.org/healthy-people/cloned-food

• Synbio: www.foe.org/healthy-people/synthetic-biology

• Nano: www.foe.org/healthy-people/nanotechnology-campaign

10 Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine … Fall 2010

Planting Seeds for the Future: Charitable Gifts Provide Lasting Support

Charitable gifts included as part of your long-range es-

tate and financial planning can be a wonderful way to provide lasting support for Friends of the Earth. It can be possible to make a real difference while minimizing taxes and settle-ment costs and conserving more

of your estate for loved ones.

Estate gifts can be funded with cash, securities, real es-tate, or other property. There are many ways to leave your legacy – through gifts that are simple to carry out and can even provide income, tax ben-efits, and peace of mind that you are championing a healthy earth for future generations.

For more information at no obligation, please contact us at cfrench@foe.org or 1-866-217-8499, ext. 212.

The purpose of this ad is to provide gen-eral information about estate planning. It is not intended as legal, accounting, or other professional advice. ©MMIX RFS-CO, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

giving

Green Scissors: Cutting Costs and Saving the Environment

Since its inception fifteen years ago, the Green Scissors Cam-

paign has fought to make envi-ronmental and fiscal responsi-bility a priority in Washington. By eliminating subsidies and programs that both harm the en-vironment and waste taxpayer dollars, the federal government can protect our natural resources while reducing the growth of gov-ernment spending and making a significant dent in the national debt. Friends of the Earth, along with a diverse coalition of taxpay-er, environmental and consumer groups, released a new Green Scissors Campaign report this past June. Green Scissors 2010 identifies more than $200 billion in wasteful government subsidies that are damaging to the environ-ment and harmful to consumers.

Now more than ever this cam-paign is critical — the country faces deficits not seen since World War II. Spending levels continue to rise: from the stimulus to de-fense, from healthcare to energy. The Congressional Budget Office

(CBO) has forecast a $1.3 tril-lion deficit for fiscal year 2010.

To get our nation’s spending in check tough choices will need to be made in many areas, includ-ing energy and natural resourc-es. The good news is there are plenty of cuts and reforms that will benefit both the environment and the country’s bottom line. We need to eliminate wasteful pro-

grams and policies that not only cost us upfront, but create addi-tional financial liabilities down the road and threaten our na-tion’s fragile land, air and water.

The report targets four major

areas for budget cuts: energy, infrastructure, agriculture and biofuels, and public lands. Un-doubtedly there are more cuts that could and should be made, but this report is a first step to restoring fiscal sanity while also protecting our environment.

From the more than a cen-tury-old 1872 Mining Law that gives away federal land at $5 an acre, to $53 billion in lost oil and gas revenues from royalty free leases given away in the late 1990s, to the $5.4 billion per year ethanol tax credit there are dozens of reforms that can bring in hundreds of billions in valuable taxpayer revenue while helping to address our nation’s top environmental priorities.

The list of cuts is long, and tackling them will require taking on some of the world’s richest and most powerful corporations. The President and Congress must get tough with the special interest groups that are raiding our trea-sury and jeopardizing our valu-able natural resources. We know it is not going to be easy; we need real leadership now more than ever.

Excerpted from the Green Scissors 2010 report, online at: www.foe.org/green-scissors.

economic policy

Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine … Fall 2010 11

Protecting Our Health and Climate from Dirty CoalBy Kelly Trout

Coal is one of the most toxic sources of energy fueling

our lives. Burning coal accounts for one-third of the climate-warming gases emitted in the U.S. But it’s not simply the cli-mate that coal imperils. From blowing mountaintops to bits in Appalachia, to belching pollu-tion into the air of choked urban neighborhoods, the coal industry inflicts unacceptable damage to people’s health and quality of life. Ending our use of coal is es-sential to restoring the health of communities on the frontlines of its production and prevent-ing catastrophic climate change.

Here are some highlights of the work that we are doing this year to propel us past coal:• Supporting the movement to end mountaintop removal mining.

Appalachia Rising, the larg-est-ever mobilization to end mountaintop removal min-ing, took place September 25 to 27 in Washington, D.C. with Friends of the Earth’s whole-hearted participation. Moun-taintop removal mining is the devastating practice by which coal companies blast the tops off mountains and dump the debris in streams and valleys below, contaminating drinking water.

During a weekend conference and Day of Action, thousands of coalfield residents, concerned cit-izens, and environmental, faith and social justice groups joined together to bring Appalachia’s cry to President Obama and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson: Abolish mountaintop removal mining and transform the econo-

mies of Appalachia toward clean-energy jobs and a sustainable and healthy future. It was an in-spiring three days of strategizing, movement-building and speak-ing truth to power that sowed strong seeds of hope and action to stop coal companies’ reign of devastation in Appalachia. • Protecting communities from coal ash contamination.

Coal ash is a toxic solid waste generated in the process of burn-ing coal. It is appallingly un-regulated and piling up at more than 600 dump sites across the country. Toxins routinely leach from coal ash dumps into our riv-ers and drinking water, increas-ing cancer, learning disabilities, birth defects and other illnesses.

Right now the EPA is con-sidering the first-ever federal safeguards for coal ash disposal. Friends of the Earth is pushing the agency to stand up to greedy coal and utility lobbyists and in-stitute the strongest protections possible during the public com-ment period that runs through November 19, 2010. In addition to 10,000 comments submitted to the EPA by Friends of the Earth activists, Erich Pica testified at the EPA hearing that took place August 30 in Arlington, and Friends of the Earth supporters have turned out to the six other hearings across the country.

• Ending taxpayer handouts to Dirty Coal.

Friends of the Earth has been working for more than a decade to eliminate the variety of ways by which our tax dollars subsi-dize Dirty Coal pollution.

At the end of 2009, we con-vinced Congress to expire a tax credit for production of liquid coal, the dirtiest type of transpor-tation fuel. This year we fought off several attempts to resusci-tate this Dirty Coal giveaway.

Friends of the Earth has also been holding the U.S. Export-Im-port (Exim) Bank accountable for phasing out loans to coal projects. The bank is a taxpayer-funded agency that provides financial support to U.S. companies do-ing business abroad. In 2009 we reached a groundbreaking law-suit settlement with Exim, forc-ing it to consider the climate change impacts of its lending, but recently the bank has dismantled this effort and is on the verge of a coal lending spree. In June, Exim caved to political pressure and voted to approve a loan that it had originally rejected for one of the world’s dirtiest coal plants in India. With more coal projects coming down the pike, we are pushing Exim to meet its com-mitments and reject these and other fossil fuel projects.

climate & energy

In May, former intern Kim Huynh attended a congressional hearing to hold coal company Massey accountable for putting profits over people.

12 Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine … Fall 2010

Our Campaign to Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline Has Big Oil on the Defensive!By Alex Moore

In our spring 2010 newsmaga-zine, I introduced Friends of

the Earth’s campaign to stop oil extraction in Canada’s tar sands. Since then, we’ve made progress and I wanted to up-date you on the developments.

As a refresher, in Canada’s tar sands, oil giants like Shell are clear-cutting massive swaths of forest, draining wetlands and hauling away tons of living mat-ter and soil to mine a tarry sub-stance that can be refined into oil. It won’t be long until more com-panies like BP get into this dirty business, strip mining the Boreal Forest and destroying areas the size of Florida. Indigenous com-

munities living downstream are being poisoned by toxins leaching from the sludge left behind: In Fort Chipewyan, one hundred of the town's 1,200 residents have died from rare cancers and auto-immune diseases since 2000. The impacts are global as well, as tar sands oil is the dirtiest fuel when it comes to climate pollution.

This year, the focus of our campaign has been stopping a proposed pipeline, called the Keystone XL, that would pump 900,000 barrels of tar sands oil from Canada to the Gulf Coast

of Texas. This pipeline would double our country’s reliance on dirty tar sands oil, put farmland, rivers, and drinking water sourc-es in Midwest and Great Plains states at risk of spills, and exac-erbate air pollution in communi-ties surrounding the Texas refin-eries where it would terminate.

President Obama has the power to reject this pipeline. Friends of the Earth and our activists have been pushing his administration to do so, and our pressure is working. Here’s what we have accom-plished to date:• Big Oil won't get the swift rubber stamp it expected.

The remarkable 46,939 pub-lic comments and 656 calls Friends of the Earth activists made urging the State Depart-ment to reject this pipeline have provoked the agency to delay its decision and scruti-nize the project more closely.• Our concerns are being heard.

The EPA handed the State De-partment a failing grade for its analysis of the pipeline's environ-mental and public health impacts. This forces the State Department to go back to the drawing board

and take seriously the dangers this pipeline would pose to the land, air, and water of communi-ties in its path – and our climate.• We've put Big Oil on the defensive.

TransCanada, the firm seek-ing approval to build the pipe-line, caved to pressure in August and withdrew its application for a controversial safety waiv-er. Friends of the Earth and our allies fought hard against this concession and we won!• Members of Congress are speaking out.

In June, with the help of more than 6,000 messages from Friends of the Earth activists, we rallied 51 members of the House to tell the Obama administration that Big Oil's plan to pump Canadian tar sands crude all the way to Tex-as is dangerous for our country.

By putting Big Oil on the de-fensive and forcing the Obama administration and Congress to pay attention to the dangers posed by the Keystone XL pipe-line, we’ve effectively delayed a fi-nal decision on the pipeline until 2011. This gives us more time to dial up our pressure and achieve our goal of convincing President Obama to reject this pipeline and more of the world’s dirtiest oil.

Canada’s Boreal Forest is being destroyed by tar sands. Photo Credit Peter Essick, Aurora Photos.

climate & energy

“The Keystone XL pipeline would double our country’s reliance on dirty tar sands oil, put water sources at risk of spills and exacerbate air pollution.”

Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine … Fall 2010 13

Before the president arrived, ac-tivists used mud to stencil the mes-sage, “Obama: No More Spills, Stop the Keystone Pipeline,” on side-walks around his Hyde Park home.

The following day, they held a banner along the president’s route down-town, calling on the presi-dent to stop the pipeline.

And when the president arrived at a fundraiser, protesters gathered out-side with a huge, oil-drenched peli-can puppet, signs and flyers handed out to more than 1,000 passersby. The protest was covered by USA Today.

Activists Join Together Against the Keystone XL Pipeline

Friends of the Earth and Rainforest Action Network Chicago teamed up in early August to greet Presi-dent Obama with messages opposing the Keystone XL pipeline during his visit to Chicago.

In the fall, we’ll be organizing more actions like this to show that Americans want clean energy now, not more dirty and dangerous oil.

If you aren’t already following us on Facebook go to www.facebook.com/keystonepipeline to keep in touch and follow our fall campaign.

DAY OF ACTION: ACTIVISTS TARGET OBAMA IN CHICAGO

14 Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine … Fall 2010

On Thin Ice: Increasing Arctic Melting Leads to a Rise in Shipping By Marcie Keever

Friends of the Earth works with the U.N. agency responsible

for maritime safety and pollution standards – the International Maritime Organization (IMO) – to reduce air and water pollution from ships worldwide. Our ef-forts led to the establishment of stronger international and U.S. air pollution regulations for ves-sels in 2010. Despite our achieve-ments, the world’s oceans remain under seige. As global warming continues to melt ice in the Arctic, and more navigable ocean water is created, shipping in the Arctic will increase – and that spells trouble for the environment.

Arctic sea ice expands and re-cedes depending on the season. It is around this time every year that sea ice coverage is at its min-imum. Oil tanker and cargo ship owners hoping to shave hundreds or thousands of miles off their routes are taking advantage of the lack of or reduction in ice and testing the waters for ship pas-sage. A Russian oil tanker recent-ly made its way to China via the Northeast Passage – the vessel

route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans along the Russian Arctic coast that was at one time impassable but is getting easier to navigate due to melting ice.

Other factors make increased shipping in the Arctic seem in-evitable. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that the Arc-tic holds about one-quarter of the undiscovered hydrocarbons in the world, in addition to large quantities of minerals, so one can expect natural resource ex-ploration and production in the Arctic to ramp up soon. In fact

UK-operated Cairn Energy has already begun new offshore oil drilling in Greenland, within the Arctic Circle. This will in turn lead to an increase in shipping associated with the search for, and processing and transport of these valuable commodities.

Despite the uptick in Arctic shipping, there are no laws in place to protect the environment, nor are there up-to-date navi-gational charts to prevent ships from running aground as they try to circumvent the receding

ice. The latter of these issues led to the grounding of at least four ships in the Arctic – one cruise ship, one barge, and two oil tank-ers – in the past two months.

While the threats to vulner-able Arctic marine ecosystems from vessels are myriad – sew-age, grey water, black carbon (es-timated to be the second largest contributor to global warming af-ter carbon dioxide), invasive spe-cies, garbage, underwater noise, and marine mammal collisions – chances of enacting strong pre-cautionary measures to protect the Arctic environment are prom-ising. The IMO is currently devel-oping a Polar Code, or mandatory suite of rules, for polar shipping. Friends of the Earth is actively involved in the development of the Polar Code, and a number of our concerns regarding the envi-ronmental risks posed by vessel operations in Polar regions were mirrored in a recent study com-missioned by Norway for the IMO.

With few pristine areas left in the world, it is essential that we work collectively to make sure that the Arctic remains an eco-logical wonder even as climate change and sea ice loss enable greater cruise ship activity and natural resource-related ship-ping, as well as trans-Arctic operations. For more informa-tion on the Polar Code, go to www.foe.org/arctic-polar-code.

Russian cruise ship off Svalbard in Norway. Photo Credit Thomas Hallermann, Marine Photobank.

oceans

“As global warming continues to melt ice in the Arctic, shipping in the area will increase – and that spells trouble for the environment.”

Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine … Fall 2010 15

ELECTIONS ARE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADVOCATE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Regardless of who you plan to support in this fall’s elections, we hope you will take advantage of this campaign season as an opportunity to advocate for the environment. Here are fi ve things you can do to make a diff erence:

1. Be PresentShow up at candidates’ events and ask about climate change and other environmental issues. One way politicians get a sense of what their constituents think is by hearing from people who show up at town hall meetings, fundraisers, and other campaign events. Turning out for events and asking questions isn’t just a way to inform yourself and others about where candidates stand; it’s also an opportunity to infl uence what candidates think their constituents care about. You can be particularly eff ective in local govern-ment, where people are less likely to attend these meetings. Do a little research before attending so you can focus your questions on issues the candi-date has already addressed, but where you would like to see their position modifi ed, or where there are gaps in their policy plans. For example: Why are incentives for renewable energy not included on your priority list? What steps are you taking to combat climate change?

2. VolunteerVolunteering to make phone calls or knock on doors on behalf of candidates is a great way to support them. And letting them know that a particular issue motivated you to volunteer for them is a great way of keeping them supportive of your issue! If you tell candidates you volunteer for them because they stand up to corporate pol-luters, they’ll be more likely to continue standing up to polluters.

And if a local environmental group is doing any work to get out the vote before the election, that group could no doubt also use your volunteer sup-port. Contact your local government or environ-mental group to see how you can help!

3. DiscussInitiate conversations with others about the issues that are important to you and how they impact your votes. If your peers hear from someone they respect that clean energy is an important issue, it could aff ect how they vote. You can fi nd out more about specifi c issues like global warming, transportation, energy, public health, etc. at www.foe.org if you need inspiration or facts to support your point of view.

4. Respond to PollstersIf you are called by a fi rm that’s conducting a survey, please participate. And if questions about the environment or clean energy, or pollution or global warming, come up, say that that these are top priorities for you. This will impact the survey results – and survey results have a powerful way of infl uencing political debates.

5. Vote (of course!)Our democracy only works when you participate, and the most essential form of participation remains turning out and voting. If more environ-mentalists turned out to vote in each election, Congress would be a lot more friendly to people and the planet, and a lot more hostile to Big Oil, Dirty Coal, and other polluting special interests. The deadline to register varies in each state, but is typically about a month before the election date. Check online to receive registration by mail or call your local government offi ce for directions on how to register in your state.

And most importantly, be engaged. These are all ways to become engaged in elections, and there are many others. The key thing isn’t which way you participate in the political process – it’s that you do participate.

Friends of the Earth (ISSN: 1054-1829) is published quarterly by Friends of the Earth, 1100 15th St NW, 11th Floor, Washington, DC 20005, phone 202-783-7400, fax 202-783-0444, e-mail: foe@foe.org, website: www.foe.org. Annual membership dues are $25, which includes a subscription to Friends of the Earth. The words “Friends of the Earth” and the Friends of the Earth logo are exclusive trademarks of Friends of the Earth, all rights reserved. Requests to reprint articles should be submitted to Lisa Matthes at lmatthes@foe.org. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, DC.

A copy of the latest Financial Report and Registration filed by this organization may be obtained by contacting us at Friends of the Earth, 1100 15th St, NW, 11th Floor, Washington, DC 20005. Toll-free number: 877-843-8687. Or, for residents of the following states, by contacting any of the state agencies: CALIFORNIA - A copy of the Official Financial State-ment may be obtained from the Attorney General’s Registry of Charitable Trusts, Department of Justice, PO Box 903447, Sacramento, CA 94203-4470 or by calling 916-445-2021. FLORIDA - A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE, WITHIN THE STATE, 1-800-435-7352. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. Florida registration # CH960. KANSAS - Annual financial report is filed with Secretary of State #258-204-7. MARYLAND - For the cost of copies and postage: Office of the Secretary of State, State House, Annapolis, MD 21401. MICHIGAN - MICS 10926. MISSISSIPPI - The official registration and financial information of Friends of the Earth, Inc. may be obtained from the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office by calling 1-888-236-6167. Registration by the Secretary of the State does not imply endorsement by the Secretary of State. NEW JERSEY - INFORMATION FILED WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL CONCERNING THIS CHARITABLE SOLICITATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY BY CALLING 973-504-6215. REGISTRATION WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT. NEW YORK - Office of the Attorney General, Department of Law, Charities Bureau, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271. NORTH CAROLINA - FINANCIAL INFORMATION ABOUT THIS ORGANIZATION AND A COPY OF ITS LICENSE ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE STATE SOLICITATION LICENSING BRANCH AT 1-888-830-4989. THE LICENSE IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT BY THE STATE. PENNSYLVANIA - The official registration and financial information of Friends of the Earth may be obtained from Pennsyl-vania Department of State by calling toll-free within the state 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement. UTAH - Permit #C495. VIRGINIA - State Division of Consumer Affairs, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, PO Box 1163, Richmond, VA 23218; 1-800-552-9963. WASHINGTON - Charities Division, Office of the Secretary of the State, State of Washington, Olympia, WA 98504-0422; 1-800-332-4483. WEST VIRGINIA - West Virginia residents may obtain a summary of the registration and financial documents for the Secretary of State, State Capitol, Charleston, WV 25305. Registration does not imply endorsement.

StaffErich Pica, PresidentNick Berning, Director of Public Advocacy and CommunicationsMichelle Chan, Coordinator, Economic Policy ProjectTom Clements, Southeastern Nuclear Campaign CoordinatorRebecca Connors, Internet Outreach ManagerWill Driscoll, Foundations DirectorCaely French, Development AssociateDavid Hirsch, Managing Director Eric Hoffman, Genetic Technology Policy CampaignerKate Horner, Trade and Forests Policy Analyst Ian Illuminato, Health and Environment Campaigner

John Kaltenstein, California Clean Vessels CampaignerMarcie Keever, Coordinator, Oceans and Vessels ProjectSelina Khakasa, Executive AssistantLisa Matthes, Publications ManagerAdina Matisoff, China Banks CampaignerKate McMahon, Energy Policy CampaignerAlex Moore, Dirty Fuels CampaignerKaren Orenstein, International Finance CampaignerDan Riedel, Manager of Information TechnologySara Schedler, Plug-in Hybrid CampaignerBen Schreiber, Tax AnalystSeverin Skolrud, Transportation Policy Campaigner

Peter Stocker, Donor Services ManagerKelly Trout, Communications AssociateInternsSarah Mier, Communications Heather Kangas, Dirty FuelsSarah Mier, CommunicationsJosef Palermo, Biofuels CommunicationsAaron Petcoff, Dirty FuelsCarly Pildis, CommunicationsLindsay Shade, Biofuels Research and Advocacy

Our Mission: Friends of the Earth defends the environment and champions a healthy and just world.

PERIODICALSPOSTAGE PAID ATWASHINGTON, DCAND ADDITIONALMAILING OFFICES

Fall 2010: Volume 40, Number 3

1100 15th St NW, 11th FloorWashington, DC 20005

Giving Through Your Workplace

Giving through your work-place is a great way to sup-

port Friends of the Earth’s advo-cacy for the planet and all the life it supports.

If your employer participates in the federal government’s Com-bined Federal Campaign (CFC

#12067), United Way, or other workplace giving campaigns, you can support Friends of the Earth through an automatic payroll de-duction.

Another great way to give is through Earth Share, a nation-wide network of leading environ-

mental organizations that works to educate the public about the environment and to provide op-portunities to care for our plan-et through workplace giving.

For more information or to find out if EarthShare participates at your workplace, visit www.earthshare.org. Friends of the Earth’s CFC designation num-ber is 12067. For other questions, contact our membership depart-ment at (866) 217-8499, ext. 212, or pstocker@foe.org.

giving