But House version doesn’t call for drilling in Arctic Refuge or offshore areas 6

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1. 

   Bob Morrison Posted 6:16 am
   18 Nov 2005

   Fighting this should be #1 priority NOW!I am appalled at this evil mining bill -- and I am also appalled that the environmental community did not make fighting it a much higher and louder priority. It makes the ANWR debate, as important as it was, seem a red herring.  We're talking about an enormous amount of our beautiful public lands being opened to mining and development and literally getting sold off.  That's nothing less than the selling and destroying of America the Beautiful.  This needs to be framed and repeated vividly and vehemently in unison so that the media doesn't bury it and so that "moderate" Republicans can't vote for it without taking the enormous heat they deserve.  It would shock most Americans IF they find out about it.  That's why this is the line in the sand we must draw NOW.

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2. 

   Lisa Hymas Posted 7:28 am
   18 Nov 2005

   Enviros were blindsidedAgreed, this legislation is egregious. Yet the reason the environmental community hasn't fought it in the coordinated way they've fought Arctic Refuge drilling is that this just cropped up unexpectedly in the last few weeks. It was a surprise bombshell from Pombo.
   The fight to protect the refuge, in contrast, has been going on for years, so enviros have their strategy for it well mapped out. They've long known refuge-drilling language would be part of the reconciliation bill, so they've been preparing.
   It's a different ballgame when you get hit by something you didn't see coming. We'll see how they play ...

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3. 

   jdhlax Posted 2:03 pm
   18 Nov 2005

   Re BetsI bet they drill in ANWR and sell public lands to destructive industries, eventually anyway.
   
   Jeff Hoffman

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4. 

   Bob Morrison Posted 4:29 am
   20 Nov 2005

   Don't bet on losing our beautiful landsNo they won't, not if we stop them.
   Let's not be fatalistic.  Pessimism can be a self-fulfilling prophecy.
   As long as the lands are there, unharmed, there is still hope, and we must act on that.

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5. 

   jdhlax Posted 3:04 am
   22 Nov 2005

   Realism v. PessimismSorry, didn't mean to sound fatalistic.  First, I was being sarcastic.  Second, I never give up hope.  I learned from playing sports that one never knows what's going to happen, so one must give his or her full effort till the end.  That said, it seems the most realistic expectation is that natural lands will be destroyed as needed to fuel industrial society.
   When I was a campaigner for Earth First! in the mid-eighties, I realized that even if we got all the unspoiled land left in the U.S. designated as National Park wilderness, the land rapers would still eventually destroy it if they decided that whatever they wanted from the land was needed.  They'll either change the laws, destroy the land illegally, or take what they want by force (all three of these have already been done).
   The only thing that will change this scenario is to change human consciousness so that people have enough love and respect for the Earth and all life upon her that they would rather give up some material luxuries LIKE DRIVING than destroy the Earth.  Otherwise, the fight to keep land unharmed by humans is everlasting and will be lost eventually.
   
   Jeff Hoffman

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6. 

   mrbeau Posted 12:58 pm
   29 Nov 2005

   selling americaThis IS THE BIG ONE for everyone who enjoys this countries natural treasures. Pombo & Gibbons have structured a total give away of our countries lands, OUR land. Grist needs to keep this on the front page all the time. It is a pure landgrab to eliminate any protection for wild places, wildlife, natural resources and sell them to major corporations to pillage lands for minerals, oil, gas and develop into condominiums. forget hiking, fishing, skiing, hunting or any other recreation, yes even snowmobiling on federal lands. They wont be federal after this passes.
   
    Every congressman/woman needs to have piles of messages telling them to stop this instantly. Reps. are all up for election and none should support this and get re=elected.
   
   paul b.

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