Environmental Successes!! by Liora Leah

Three successes of environmental campaigns: Giant paper co. agrees to stop clearcutting forests! U.S. Congress works to ban pesticide testing on humans! Congress approves measure to keep bomb-grade nuclear material from being exported!

NRDC NEGOTIATES PACT WITH LEADING PAPER PRODUCER !

Following intense pressure last year from BioGems Defenders,

Bowater -- a giant paper company and the largest landowner on the Cumberland Plateau -- has signed a groundbreaking agreement with NRDC and our partner, the Dogwood Alliance, to stop clearcutting natural hardwood forests and converting them to biologically impoverished pine plantations!

Each year, Bowater and its third-party timber suppliers log thousands of acres of native hardwood forestlands including the vast Cumberland Plateau -- which spans seven southeastern U.S. states -- to satisfy surging demand for newsprint and pulp and lumber products.

The company has further pledged not to purchase fiber from pine plantations that replace natural forests and to limit its use of harmful chemical herbicides and fertilizers!

NRDC commends Bowater for its leadership in establishing a model for forestry in the Southeast and for helping us prove that we can achieve a robust economy without destroying the environment.

For more information about

National Resources Defense Council, BioGEMS campaign, go to: http://www.savebiogems.org/about/nrdc.asp

Find "Visit all the BioGems and Take Action" at the upper left of the webpage, click on "Pick a BioGem" to take action on all 12 campaigns! It's fast and easy!

==============================
From Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA)

I recently wrote to you regarding the dangerous practice of allowing pesticide testing on humans.

When I wrote to you, I had just joined Congressman Henry Waxman in releasing a report detailing the Environmental Protection Agency’s practice of allowing these tests to be performed on humans.

I am writing to you to share the good news that the United
States Senate has supported my efforts to have these tests
suspended. Recently, my amendment was adopted to put a
one-year moratorium on any government-sponsored pesticide
testing on humans.

Pesticide testing on humans is inherently risky, and it is
unnecessary. My one-year moratorium will give us the
opportunity to develop regulations to better protect us and our
children. The House of Representatives has adopted a similar
measure, but the pesticide industry has vowed to fight our
efforts to end these tests. You can count on me to work to
make sure our moratorium prevails.

Sincerely,

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator

To respond to this message, please click on the following link:
http://www.boxer.senate.gov/contact/feedback.cfm . This link
will take you to a webpage where you can respond to messages
that you receive from Senator Boxer’s office.

For more information on Senator Boxer's record and other
information, please go to: http://www.boxer.senate.gov

***************************************************

Union of Concerned Scientists:

Victory on Controlling the Export of Nuclear Weapons Materials!

We achieved a major bi-partisan victory when the Senate approved a measure on Thursday, June 23, 2005. The Senate voted 52-46 to eliminate a dangerous provision in the Energy Bill that would have weakened current U.S. law constraining the export of highly enriched uranium (HEU), or bomb-grade nuclear material.

Fifteen of those supporting the amendment were Republicans. See how your senator voted by clicking here. Many of you took action to encourage your Senators to vote for this effort. Now is the time to thank those Senators who voted with us and express our disappointment to those who opposed the measure.

To thank your Senator who voted with us, click here: http://ucsaction.org/campaign/7_7_05_HEU_Thanks/step1.tcl

To express your disapointment in your Senator who opposed restrictions on exporting bomb-grade nuclear material, click here: http://ucsaction.org/campaign/7_7_05_HEU_nothanks

*******************************************************************

Keep up the Eco-Actions! Thanks for all of your help!
Liora Leah