An appeal from Rachel's...

[Guest guest]

December 2001

 

Dear Friends,

 

Thanks to you, we are celebrating Rachel's 15th anniversary this

month.

 

We started the newsletter in December 1986 to give grass-roots

activists reliable, documented information that they could use in

fights to protect their neighborhoods and communities.

 

The idea was to translate technical information about

environment and health into language that people can understand

and use. And people like you have provided generous support to

keep Rachel's going.

 

Over the years we have often been the first ones to alert the

public to many emerging problems:

 

** The toxic hazards of incinerator ash April, 27, 1987 (Rachel's #22)

 

** Environmental racism May 18, 1987 (Rachel's #25)

 

** The dangers of leaking landfills August 10, 1987 (Rachel's #37)

 

** Pesticides causing cancer in children August 17, 1987 (Rachel's #38)

 

** Lax EPA standards for testing genetically engineered crops May 23,

1988 (Rachel's #78)

 

** Diesel exhaust causes lung cancer May 14, 1989 (Rachel's #120)

 

** Organic solvents harm the nervous system July 11, 1989 (Rachel's

#137)

 

** Chemicals interfere with hormones in animals and humans Dec. 11, 1991

(Rachel's #263)

 

Over the years, we have also reported on innovative policies that could

solve these problems:

 

** We first advocated a " green tax " on pollution Nov. 7, 1988 (Rachel's

#102)

 

** We first argued that freedom from toxics was a basic human right Nov.

7, 1989 (Rachel's #154)

 

** In that same issue we first attacked the flawed risk-based approach

to environmental protection -- the approach that requires us to " line up

the dead bodies " before we can take action to protect the public;

 

** We first argued that solar/hydrogen should replace oil in our economy

Sept. 25, 1991 (Rachel's #252)

 

** We first advocated looking at " the corporation " as the polluters'

base of power Nov. 13, 1991 (Rachel's #259)

 

** We first described modern environmental protection based on

precaution May 6, 1992 (Rachel's #284)

 

Over the years, we have continually reported new information on all of

these topics, and much more. And there has been some real progress:

 

** Everyone now acknowledges that landfills leak and threaten

groundwater;

 

** Everyone knows that incinerators create toxic ash, threatening public

health; the incinerator industry is all but defunct (though it is now

trying to make a comeback -- so we've got to revisit this problem);

 

** U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has now said diesel

exhaust is a public health hazard that should be controlled;

 

** Since September 11, many, many people have realized that our

dependence on oil poses a serious threat to our national security;

 

** The " risk-based " approach to environmental protection is still used

by our government, but no one any longer believes that it can actually

protect the environment or human health -- after all, it was designed by

polluters to protect polluters;

 

** Huge numbers of community-based activists are now advocating a

precautionary approach instead of the " you have to line up the dead

bodies " risk-based approach. Sooner or later, this new precautionary

paradigm will become the norm.

 

** The general public definitely " gets it " about the dangers of toxic

chemicals -- more than half of all Americans now buy bottled water to

minimize their exposure to toxicants. (This does not solve the water

pollution problem, but it's an indicator of broad concern.)

 

** Environmental racism is still rampant but at least there's a huge,

vocal movement opposing it and the federal government officially opposes

it; and

 

** The United Nations this year declared that a clean environment is a

basic human right.

 

The combination of good factual information, plus good ideas for new

policies, will eventually change " business as usual " -- but it will take

a continual fight at the local level, community by community, decision

by decision.

 

If you want to stay on the " cutting edge " of environmental news and

policy, please support the publication of the Rachel's newsletter. Our

small staff works hard and we appreciate the consistent financial

support that you, our readers, have provided us. We hope that you will

support us again this year.

 

To help support Rachel's, please fill out the form below or TO MAKE A

CONTRIBUTION ONLINE go to http://www.rachel.org and click on the " Donate

Now " button in the lower right corner.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

(signed)

Peter Montague, Editor

 

 

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We thank you for your generous support.

 

Please return this form and your contribution to:

 

Rachel's Environment & Health News

Environmental Research Foundation

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Annapolis, MD 21403-7036.

 

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