Greens push for new laws
Energy Policy Clinton Urged to Pass Initiatives Before Bush Takes Power
Copyright 2000 Financial Times (London)
December 15, 2000
By NANCY DUNNE
WASHINGTON - Environmentalists had a visual ready for the television cameras yesterday - 650,000 postcards and Robert Kennedy Junior, all urging President Bill Clinton to designate the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge a national monument.
The designation, which could only be reversed by an act of Congress, could block efforts by George W. Bush to open the refuge to oil and gas drilling, a key plank in the president-elect's energy policy.
Mr Clinton is expected to agree to the demand, just as he has in recent weeks accepted a wide range of environmental initiatives. Greens say he is compiling an impressive "environmental legacy", which they are prepared to defend once Mr Bush is in the White House.
"Clinton came to this late in his presidency," said Arlie Schardt, president of Environmental Media Service. "He appears to have realised that protecting our environment and public health are hugely important."
Still, broad public support is deemed desirable for the president to act. The Alaska Coalition, pushing preservation of the Wildlife Refuge, also released a letter signed by more than 250 scientists opposing drilling.
Mr Schardt said there was no expectation that environmental progress would be possible under Mr Bush. "We're gearing up to protect what's already on the books."
The administration this week released an important agreement with greens on guidelines for environmental reviews of new trade agreements. The compact can be ignored by the next administration, but it is expected to draw broad support in Congress, almost half of which will be Democrats.
"There is now a document that is on the record and will have to be lived up to or there will be an uproar from the public interest community," Mr Schardt said.
In a clear reversal, the US was one of 122 countries which last weekend agreed to phase out 12 of the worst persistent organic pollutants (Pops). In prior meetings, the US had been seen as in league with the chemical industry.
Although the US was a big stumbling block in recent negotiations for a climate change trade, last-minute concessions produced some important gains. Agreement is still considered possible before the administration leaves office, Mr Schardt said.
In building an environmental record, Mr Clinton has often employed his executive authority to by-pass a furious Republican Congress. He has already created or expanded 13 national monuments.
Mr Clinton has also forbidden roads - and thus logging - in 58m acres of national forest. Republicans will try to reverse this policy.
Other environmental gains made in recent weeks include:
* Executive action to preserve corals reefs in 84m acres of ocean off Hawaii.
* Passage of the Everglades Restoration Act, a massive public works programme to bring back the Florida swamps from near-extinction.
* An order by the Environment Protection Agency to General Electric to dredge the Hudson River to reduce the presence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), discharged by its factories.