Tuesday, 14 Nov 2000

Stop the WTO -- and Bring Some Coleslaw

Many environmentalists and other anti-globalization activists are planning to gather in Seattle on 30 Nov. to mark the one-year anniversary of much-publicized protests against the World Trade Organization. Thousands are expected, though far fewer than the estimated 50,000 who hit the city's streets last year, calling for trade policies to be made more friendly to the environment and workers around the world. Activists are planning teach-ins, marches, and a "global potluck" featuring vegan barbecue and organic apples. "It's important to continue to educate the public about what's going on," said Chris Cain of Global Action Seattle. The Seattle Police Department is preparing for the occasion by inventorying its riot gear.

The Salmon Equivalent of Richard Hatch

After several years of controversy, the feds yesterday listed wild Atlantic salmon in eight Maine rivers as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Only 27 adult salmon have returned up the eight rivers to spawn this year. Enviros praised the decision, but said it may have come too late, and they stressed that it would take a concerted effort by the feds, the state, and industry groups to save the fish. However, the state's two Republican senators and its governor, Angus King (I), protested the listing. King said that it was based on poor science and that it might cause the ruin of Maine's aquaculture and blueberry industries. Maine officials, who said they would weigh whether to appeal the decision in court, contend that the remaining salmon are no longer wild, having interbred for years with stocked fish. The feds maintain that the salmon are a genetically distinct group.

Wolf Blitzes

Defenders of Wildlife formally petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service yesterday to reintroduce wolves to the southern Rocky Mountains, an area encompassing western Colorado, southern Wyoming, northern New Mexico and Arizona, and parts of Utah. The region would be ideal for wolves because it is sparsely populated and contains large stretches of public land, said Defenders Vice President Bob Ferris. After most wolves in the lower 48 states were killed off in the early 1900s, the federal government reintroduced gray wolves into Yellowstone and central Idaho in 1995, and wolf populations there are now thriving. Meanwhile, an editorial in today's Portland Press Herald advocates the reintroduction of wolves to Maine.

Forced Busing?

U.S. Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt is set today to unveil a new management plan for California's Yosemite National Park that aims to reduce crowding and traffic congestion in the park, which gets 4 million visitors a year. A centerpiece of the long-anticipated plan is an expanded shuttle bus system intended to cut automobile traffic by 55 percent over the next decade. The plan would also restore 180 acres to a natural state and eliminate a number of roads, parking spaces, campsites, and employee housing units, but it would allow the construction of new cabins and other buildings. Although the Wilderness Society praised the draft plan, the Sierra Club and some other enviros say it permits too much development and doesn't go far enough to protect the park's natural resources. Before his death last week, legendary environmentalist David Brower described the Yosemite plan as "greenwash and half-baked."

Cowa-Bunga!

A Malaysian ship, the Bunga Teratai Satu, that had been stuck on the Great Barrier Reef off the northeast coast of Australia for 12 days was tugged to freedom earlier today. Enviros were unhappy that rescuers had to blast away coral with dynamite to get the ship loose; fortunately, the blast did not cause any leaks of the ship's hazardous cargo, which includes pesticides and fungicides. There was no pilot aboard when the ship ran a-reef, 4.5 miles off course from its journey between Singapore and Sydney. The ship's captain has pleaded guilty to negligence and damaging the reef. In the wake of the accident, the World Wildlife Fund plans to push for pilots to be required on all ships in Australian waters, and enviros would also like ships carrying dangerous cargo banned from the Great Barrier Reef area.