UPDATE, 2/9/07, via the Center for Biological Diversity:

Under fire from the Center for Biological Diversity, the Natural Resources Defense Council and American Indian groups, the Salt River Project announced on Feb. 7 it is abandoning plans to reopen the Mohave Generating Station, which would have revived the notorious Black Mesa coal mine in Arizona and its 273-mile pipeline to Nevada. Black Mesa was one of the largest strip-mining operations in the country. The project threatened to deplete aquifers linked to the Navajo and Hopi’s sacred springs, using pristine, high-quality groundwater to pump coal slurry across the arid desert.

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UPDATE, 2/1/07:

The Center for Biological Diversity also sent out an action alert on this issue:

Help Keep the Notorious Black Mesa Mine Closed!

The Black Mesa strip mine is one of the most infamous strip-mining operations in North America. The mine is owned by Peabody Coal Company and is operated on long-term leases from the Office of Surface Management and the Navajo and Hopi Nations. The indigenous people on the two reservations have protested these mines for decades because of the relocations, water withdrawals, and damage to local springs the mining has caused.

Mining stopped two years ago because of environmental violations at the coal-fired Mohave power plant that’s operated with coal from the Black Mesa mines. But now the Office of Surface Management wants to re-open the mine and re-open the power plant to fuel suburban growth in Phoenix.

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Via the Natural Resources Defense Council:

Speak out to protect Native American sacred springs from destructive coal mining

The Interior Department is currently accepting comments on a request from the Peabody Western Coal Company to extend its Arizona mining operations, which have removed billions of gallons of precious groundwater from local Hopi and Navajo lands.

Send a message right away urging the agency to consider less destructive alternatives to Peabody Coal’s proposed mining.

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Tagged: environment environmental environmentalism environmentalist action alerts nrdc Natural Resources Defense Council Peabody Western Coal Company Arizona mining groundwater Hopi Navajo center for biological diversity

Via the Natural Resources Defense Council:

Tell Congress to Pass Tough Global Warming Legislation!

It took six years but President Bush finally said “climate change” in a State of the Union speech.

Unfortunately, he left out the magic words that could save us: “mandatory limits on global warming pollution.” And we can’t afford to wait one more day — much less two more years — for this president to see the light.

It’s way too late for talk and half measures. We know what has to be done. Now we’ve got to get the new Congress to do it.

Send a message telling your Senators and Representative to pass tough global warming legislation now.

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Tagged: environment environmental environmentalism environmentalist action alerts nrdc natural resources defense council state of the union global warming climate change

Via the Natural Resources Defense Council:

Say NO to coal mining in grizzly habitat

The Cline Mining Corporation wants to gouge a heavily polluting coal mine out of the Flathead River Valley, a thriving Rocky Mountain habitat for grizzly bears that straddles the border of
Montana and British Columbia.

We need your immediate action to block this dangerous open-pit mining scheme, which would poison the headwaters of the Flathead River and jeopardize the survival of downstream populations of imperiled grizzly bears, wolves, cutthroat trout and other wildlife.

Please go to www.savebiogems.org/bears/takeaction and urge the British Columbia government to protect the spectacular wildlands and wildlife of the Flathead basin by rejecting the Cline Mining Corporation’s reckless plan.

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Tagged: environment environmental environmentalism environmentalist action alerts nrdc natural resources defense council coal mining mining conservation Cline Mining Corporation Flathead River Valley Montana

UPDATE, 1/25/07:

Also see “EPA Set to Abandon 30 Years of Air Quality Control” from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).

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Via the Natural Resources Defense Council:

Tell the EPA not to allow more dangerous lead in our air

Lead is a potent toxin that can be particularly harmful to children, yet the EPA recently proposed eliminating its current standard for the maximum allowable level of lead in the atmosphere. Urge the EPA to strengthen, not eliminate or weaken, this standard.

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Tagged: environment environmental environmentalism environmentalist action+alerts nrdc natural+resources+defense+council lead epa ucs union of concerned scientists

Via the Natural Resources Defense Council:

Help Save Polar Bears from Global Warming

Thanks to you, the polar bear won Round One of its fight for survival against the ravages of global warming.

Your activism and support of NRDC helped persuade the Bush Administration to propose protecting the bear under the Endangered Species Act.

Round Two is now beginning. The Administration is starting a 12-month review process that will lead to its final decision about whether or not to protect the polar bear.

But they won’t hold nationwide public hearings during that process unless we speak up now! They will take your request for public hearings until February 23.

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Tagged: animals animal+rights animal+welfare environment environmental environmentalism environmentalist action+alerts nrdc natural+resources+defense+council biogems polar+bears global+warming esa endangered+species+act

UPDATE, 1/22/07:

As many of you know, HR6 passed the House on Thursday; you can read the full text of the bill here.

Says Ayinde O. Chase of All Headline News,

On Thursday the House of Representatives passed the CLEAN Energy Act (H.R. 6), which rolls back subsidies and tax breaks for Big Oil, by a vote of 264 to 163. The bill specifically aims to close certain tax loopholes available to big oil companies, and collect royalties from oil and gas produced in public waters. The legislation when enforced will shift more than $14 billion from certain subsidies to investments in clean energy, such as energy-efficient technologies and renewable power. […]

The monies collected could be directed to:

- spur the construction of wind and solar energy power generation facilities

- provide incentives for energy-efficient appliances, buildings and equipment

- enable more people to purchase gas-saving hybrid cars and trucks […]

An Apollo Alliance study discovered that a major investment in alternative energy technologies has the potential of adding more than 3.3 million new jobs to the nation’s economy, stimulating $1.4 trillion dollars in new Gross Domestic Product, and eventually paying for itself in a 10-year time span.

Sweet.

My favorite headline come from Salon: “Big Oil gets punked” (!).

Earthjustice recommends sending your rep a thank you, that is, if she or he is deserving of one. Otherwise, ignore the twit and vote against him/her in the next election cycle.

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With Congress slated to vote on the clean energy portion of their 100 Hours agenda later this week, the action alerts are coming at my inbox, fast and furious. Rather than post each individually, here’s a roundup of those that call on Congress to end subsidies for Big Oil, support clean energy, and/or vote yes on H.R. 6. I’ll add new ones to the top of the list as they arrive.

(more…)

Via the Natural Resources Defense Council:

Tell officials to upgrade the outdated Morro Bay sewage plant as quickly as possible

Morro Bay and Cayucos are home to the threatened California sea otter, whose statewide population numbers only 2,700. Morro Bay’s magnificent coastal ecosystem also supports dolphins, seals, shellfish, a multitude of fish species and several shorebird and geese populations.

But for more than two decades the Morro Bay/Cayucos sewage plant has dumped bacteria-laden sewage and other pollutants into the ocean, and the bay’s surrounding waters have become a hotspot for sea otter deaths. Otters are especially important because they are “sentinels” that indicate the overall health of the marine ecosystem. Studies have traced the otters’ decline to infections from land-based contaminants found in sewage wastewater and urban runoff. These pathogens, parasites, fecal bacteria and other contaminants also threaten other marine life, pose a danger to public health, degrade coastal habitats, cause beach closures and damage the local economy.

Although the Morro Bay sewage plant could be upgraded to meet basic federal standards in less than two and a half years, plant officials do not intend to complete the project and improve water quality until March 2014. The plant’s own documents show that a faster, more efficient upgrade is not only possible, but would be less expensive as well.

Send a message urging Morro Bay and Cayucos officials to upgrade the outdated sewage plant as fast as possible.

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Tagged: environment environmental environmentalism environmentalist action+alerts nrdc natural+resources+defense+council california ca morro+bay Cayucos sea+otter

Via the Natural Resources Defense Council (for California residents only):

Urge California leaders to ensure that state spending protects the environment

California and the global environment scored a major victory in 2006 with the passage of groundbreaking legislation (AB 32) to curb California’s global warming pollution. We must now ensure that the state invests its resources in a way that supports the law’s global warming reduction goals and promotes a clean and healthy environment for all Californians.

In the year ahead Governor Schwarzenegger and state legislative leaders will decide how to spend more than $40 billion in infrastructure bonds approved by voters in November 2006. Legislators currently are crafting proposals to direct infrastructure spending and claim shares of the state budget for their own projects, including an effort by Assembly Republicans to use state money for dam construction.

Infrastructure investments, including roads, highways, buildings and levees, should not come at the expense of our environment and public health. Legislators must also resist efforts to fund costly and environmentally destructive dams designed to provide subsidized water for large agricultural interests — especially because less costly and damaging alternatives are available.

With a long-term vision and some creativity, state leaders can ensure that California’s infrastructure investments reduce global warming pollution, improve air and water quality and protect open space and habitat.

If you live in California, send a message urging your state legislators and Governor Schwarzenegger to keep the environment and public health at the forefront as they make spending decisions for 2007.

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Tagged: environment environmental environmentalism environmentalist action+alerts nrdc natural+resources+defense+council california ca spending budget

Via the Natural Resources Defense Council:

Take action so grizzlies can rest easy this winter

A major railroad company is plotting to use powerful military artillery to control avalanches along its railway in Glacier National Park. The deadline for public comments on this disastrous plan is December 29th, so please act quickly.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad has proposed firing explosives and dropping bombs from helicopters at Glacier’s southern boundary, even though scientific research has shown that such earth-shattering explosions are likely to disturb grizzly bear denning.

Instead, the company should upgrade its neglected, century-old system of snow sheds to include overpasses for wildlife. Over the past 30 years, trains traveling along the borders of the
park have killed at least 42 grizzlies, which are attracted to the vegetation growing in avalanche chutes by the tracks, as well as grain spilled by railway cars.

Please click here and urge Glacier officials to reject Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad’s reckless proposal and adopt an avalanche control plan that protects Glacier’s natural values.

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Tagged: animals animal+rights environment environmental environmentalist environmentalism nrdc Natural+Resources+Defense+Council bears grizzlies grizzly+bears Glacier+National+Park

Via the Natural Resources Defense Council:

Save wild Patagonia from “electrocution”

A European energy company is now scheming to build massive hydro-electric dams on every major river in Chilean Patagonia. We need your immediate action to stop this proposed “electrocution” of one of the wildest regions on earth.

Endesa-Spain’s disastrous proposal would flood thousands of acres of irreplaceable habitat for a vast array of rare wildlife including South American deer, southern river otters and many birds found only in Patagonia.

For the sake of its own profits, the company is claiming that stopping up Patagonia’s mighty rivers to produce electricity — which would then be transmitted thousands of miles — is the only way to fuel Chile’s economic growth. As part of the same plan, Brookfield Consortium, a Canadian company, would clearcut a 1,200-mile swath through five national parks and two wilderness reserves to make way for the world’s largest transmission line.

But smarter alternatives to strengthening Chile’s economy — such as stricter energy efficiency standards and the use of localized, clean and renewable energy sources — are readily available.

Chile’s new president, Michelle Bachelet, has pledged to make environmental protection a priority in her administration. To fulfill that promise, she should take a hard a look at every possible alternative before sentencing wild Patagonia to electrocution.

Please go to www.savebiogems.org/patagonia/takeaction and tell President Bachelet to spare the life of this untouched expanse of breathtaking rainforests, glaciers, fjords and rivers.

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Tagged: environment environmental environmentalist environmentalism action+alerts nrdc natural+resources+defense+council chile dam Michelle+Bachelet Patagonia hydro-electric+dam