September, 19 2017, 12:00pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Gwen Dobbs, Director of Media Relations,(202) 772-0269,newsroom@defenders.org
Department of the Interio Draft Report Leaves Giant Sequoia and Other National Monuments at Risk
Late Sunday, a leaked copy of the Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Zinke's recommendations on national monuments was obtained by The Washington Post and revealed his plan to vastly reduce the boundaries
PORTERVILLE, Calif.
Late Sunday, a leaked copy of the Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Zinke's recommendations on national monuments was obtained by The Washington Post and revealed his plan to vastly reduce the boundaries of at least four. The recommendations came after Zinke received more than 2.8 million public comments about our national monuments -- with over 99 percent of Americans urging for their current and future protection. Zinke's recommendations are unprecedented in American history and could boost drilling, mining and timber harvesting in some of our nation's most ecologically and historically important lands.
In California, Zinke recommended eliminating vast portions of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, which crosses the state border into Oregon, opening it up to "traditional uses" like mining, logging and drilling. However, aside from Cascade-Siskiyou, none of the six other California monuments, including the Giant Sequoia National Monument, are addressed in the draft report, leaving them open to future boundary or management changes. The release expressed DOI's intent to review management plans and alter the protective nature of the monuments, potentially impacting all of California's national monuments. The recommendations signal the Trump administration's consistent favoring of harmful extractive industries, putting places like the Giant Sequoia National Monument, threatened by logging, very much at risk. Residents across the Central Valley and throughout California continue to oppose the administration's arbitrary review process and disregard for the economic, environmental and historical value of protected public lands.
"This is an attack on public lands, on our climate, and on communities," said Sarah Friedman, Senior Campaign Representative at Sierra Club. "The recommendations were made without logic, transparency, or respect for science. We expect our representatives in Congress to fight back on behalf of fishermen, scientists, families, teachers and so many other diverse groups who cherish and rely on our national monuments."
"Secretary Zinke is monumentally out of touch with the American public. Giant Sequoia National Monument, which Secretary Zinke's recommendations leave in limbo, is emblematic of the incredible outdoor wonders and wildlife found in California and preserved for all Americans, present and future generations alike," said Kim Delfino, California program director for Defenders of Wildlife. "From the giant sequoias themselves -- the largest trees on the planet -- to a rich diversity of wildlife, including the potential return of the California condor, Giant Sequoia National Monument was established to protect one of the most precious landscapes in the country. Secretary Zinke's recommendations threaten the protection of these irreplaceable resources and wildlife and communities that depend on them."
"Giant Sequoia National Monument has a special connection for me and my family," said Lori de Leon, Business Manager of the Dolores Huerta Foundation. "Growing up, our family didn't have a lot of money for expensive travel. My mother, Dolores Huerta, Cesar Chavez, other leaders in the labor struggle, and our families used the Giant Sequoia National Monument as a place to recharge and gain strength for the fight. Today, our Giant Sequoia National Monument continues to provide inexpensive outdoor recreation opportunities for local, underserved and 'park-poor' communities. These beautiful spaces give families and communities an opportunity to enjoy all the benefits of recreation and to create memories that will last a lifetime."
Local businesses are pushing the Trump administration to consider the financial impact of erasing so much protected land.
"As investors in California's economy, we know the value of public lands in attracting visitors and supporting plenty of local businesses," said Steve Frisch, President of Sierra Business Council. "The Giant Sequoia and Kings Canyon region attracts millions of visitors a year who stay in hotels, buy gear, eat in local restaurants and patronize local businesses. Leaving Giant Sequoia in limbo risks that income."
- In California, outdoor recreation accounts for more jobs than the wine, television and film industries combined.
- Since designation in 2000, average earnings in the Giant Sequoia region have increased on average by $625 annually, greater than the five year average before designation.
- Total employment in surrounding counties has also increased over the same period -- averaging more than 13,100 jobs annually.
- Research from VisitCA found tourism is a $2.23 billion dollar industry in California's Central Valley, generating almost 24,00 jobs. In Tulare County alone, travel dollars generated $37.8 million in local and state sales tax receipts.
- Since 2001, service jobs in the Giant Sequoia National Monument region have grown by 35 percent, with travel and tourism making up 16 percent of total private employment in 2015.
- Outdoor recreation in California generates $92 billion in consumer spending annually, supporting 732,000 direct jobs, $30.4 billion in wages in the state, and $6.2 billion in state and local tax revenue.
Immigrant groups are joining business and environmental groups in denouncing the federal administration's sham process.
"Local immigrant communities in Tulare County have often been left out of the conversation on environmental issues," said Fernando Serrano, Vice-Chair of CAPS (Coalition Advocating for Pesticide Safety). "However, the threat to the Giant Sequoia National Monument has awoken many of us to the importance of participating in the defense of our public lands. Our communities will not stand by as Secretary Zinke takes private industry more seriously than communities. Public lands should stay in public hands."
"This monument, like others, was created with broad local and statewide support, and full public engagement," said Soapy Mulholland, President and CEO of Sequoia Riverlands Trust, rancher and long-time resident of the Southern Sierra. "Local communities have worked many years to protect these places for future generations."
The attempt to reduce or eliminate protections for our public lands continues the federal administration's pattern of undermining the Antiquities Act, one of the nation's most important conservation tools. The Antiquities Act was signed by President Teddy Roosevelt in 1906 to safeguard and preserve U.S. public lands and cultural and historical sites for all Americans to enjoy. Sixteen presidents -- eight Republicans and eight Democrats -- have used this authority to protect many of California's iconic landscapes, from Muir Woods National Monument in Northern California, to Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California.
In June, the California State Legislature passed a resolution (Assembly Joint Resolution 15) demonstrating the commitment of state leaders to protecting California's national monuments. The measure was introduced in direct response to Trump's Executive Order, and passed with bipartisan support. The resolution sends a strong message that California does not want its monuments changed or rescinded, and that state leaders will stand firm against attacks on our public lands.
"National monuments like Giant Sequoia help define who we are as a nation and as Californians. The Giant Sequoia National Monument provides a place for residents of the Central Valley to experience nature for the first time. WildPlaces, Audubon chapters, and Sequoia ForestKeeper regularly bring youth from the region to the national monument and their experiences are transformative. Reducing these public lands protections to benefit extractive industries destroys this opportunity," said Mehmet McMillan, founder and Executive Director of WildPlaces.
"The Giant Sequoia National Monument includes most of the Kern and Tule Rivers, which support downstream whitewater rafting and fishing in local towns like Kernville and Springville where rafting companies, guides, outfitters, and local hospitality businesses have sprung up in the last twenty years. Changes to the monument will hurt the anglers, sportsman and local businesses that rely on the monument and river," said Steve Evans, Wild & Scenic Rivers consultant for CalWild.
"The recommendations in this leaked report undermine the statewide goal of making our communities and our forests more resilient to climate change. Our research has shown that the giant sequoia and its relative, the coast redwood, sequester more carbon per acre than any forest on the planet. Weakening protections of these ancient giants and surrounding forestlands threatens our natural resources and the local communities that depend on them," said Sam Hodder, President and CEO of Save the Redwoods League.
"Americans have stood up in record-breaking numbers to show their overwhelming opposition to the assault on national parks, public lands and waters. More than 2.8 million comments poured in during the DOI's 60-day public comment period, and more than 99 percent of the comments expressed support for maintaining or expanding national monuments. In Bakersfield, approximately 150 citizens stood up in 95oF heat to rally to show support for the Giant Sequoia National Monument outside Kevin McCarthy's office," said Ara Marderosian, Executive Director of Sequoia ForestKeeper(r).
Defenders of Wildlife is the premier U.S.-based national conservation organization dedicated to the protection and restoration of imperiled species and their habitats in North America.
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Gore Calls Out Fossil Fuel Industry 'Shamelessness' in Lying to Public
"They are continuing to do similar things today to try to fool people and pull the wool over people's eyes just in the name of greed," the former vice president said.
Mar 17, 2024
In reflecting on nearly 50 years of climate advocacy, former Vice President Al Gore said that he had "underestimated" the greed of the fossil fuel industry.
The remarks came in an interview published in USA Today on Sunday. When asked if he had any regrets, Gore responded that he had "put every ounce of energy" he had into climate advocacy, but added:
"I was pretty slow to recognize how important the massive funding of anti-climate messaging was going on. I underestimated the power of greed in the fossil fuel industry, the shamelessness in putting out the lies."
"They are continuing to do similar things today to try to fool people and pull the wool over people's eyes just in the name of greed," Gore continued.
"What's at stake is so incredible."
Gore, who tried to raise awareness about the climate crisis in the U.S. House of Representatives as early as 1981 and brought the issue to national attention in 2006's documentary An Inconvenient Truth, has taken a harsher tone against oil, gas, and coal companies in recent months. In August 2023, he said that the "climate crisis is a fossil fuel crisis," and in September, he implored the industry to "get out of the way." In December, he lamented that the industry had "captured the COP process," referring to the appointment of the United Arab Emirates national oil company CEO Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber to preside over the United Nations' COP28 climate conference in that country.
In the USA Today interview, Gore also named the fossil fuel industry when asked about his greatest frustration.
"Well, that we haven't made more progress," Gore answered, "and that some of the fossil fuel companies have been shameless in providing, continuing to provide lavish funding for disinformation and misinformation."
"What's at stake is so incredible," he added.
However, Gore told USA Today that he tried not to focus on his anger, but instead on continuing to raise awareness about the crisis and what can be done about it. And he remained hopeful that his grandchildren would live in a world in which people had come together and acted in time.
"We've got all the solutions we need right now to cut emissions in half before the end of this decade," he said. "We've got a clear line of sight to how we can cut the other 50% of emissions by mid century."
He also encouraged more people to get involved with the climate movement.
"I would say the greatest need is for more grassroots advocates because the most persuasive advocates are those in your own community," he said.
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'North Sea Fossil Free': Activists in 6 Countries Protest 'Unhinged' Oil and Gas Development
"Going full steam ahead with new North Sea oil and gas is a sure fire route to the worst climate scenarios," one campaigner said.
Mar 16, 2024
Climate activists in six North Sea countries came together on Saturday to carry out acts of civil disobedience in protest of their governments' continued fossil fuel development.
Demonstrators in the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands blockaded roads, ports, and refineries; dropped banners; and held solidarity concerts as part of the North Sea Fossil Free campaign to demand that their governments align their plans for the shared body of water with the Paris agreement goal of limiting global heating to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels.
"For too long, the U.K., Norway, and other North Sea countries have avoided scrutiny for their oil drilling plans as the emissions are not included in their national inventories," a spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion U.K. told Common Dreams. "Going full steam ahead with new North Sea oil and gas is a sure fire route to the worst climate scenarios."
"The only serious response we can make is for citizens to unite, but we need to see many many more people doing this work."
The day of action, which was organized by Extinction Rebellion (XR), came days after a new report from Oil Change International revealed that none of five North Sea countries—Norway, the U.K., the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark—have plans consistent either with limiting warming to 1.5°C or with the agreement to transition away from fossil fuels reached at last year's United Nations COP28 climate conference. If the five countries were counted as one, they would be the seventh biggest producer of oil and gas in the world.
In particular, these governments continue to issue permits to explore for and develop oil and gas fields, despite the fact that the International Energy Agency has said that no new fossil fuel development is compatible with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C. In one high-profile example, the U.K. approved the undeveloped Rosebank oil field in September 2023. Taken together, these permits could lead to more than 10 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
The worst offenders were Norway and the U.K., which could be among the top 20 developers of oil and gas fields through mid-century if they do not change course.
"The five major North Sea countries are at a crossroads: One path leads toward global leadership in climate action and green industries, where they take bold action to phase out oil and gas production that creates sustainable jobs and communities. The other path leads to catastrophic climate change, economic crisis, and the loss of status as climate leaders globally, as they cling to outdated practices while the world moves forward," Silje Ask Lundberg, North Sea campaign manager at Oil Change International, said when the report was released.
Extinction Rebellion co-founder Clare Farrell said that the North Sea governments' policies were a betrayal of their citizens and the world following the hottest year on record.
"Temperatures have tracked 1.5°C above average recently, almost 2°C," Farrell said. "Our global commitments, such that they are, are being flushed away with no regard for what the public really want. Where's the consent for that here in our democracies? No government has a mandate to do that. So people deserve to know that our governments are willfully destroying everything. The people of these North Sea nations have not consented to destroying civilization, but that's what is going to happen. Their governments are unhinged and unchecked."
Saturday's protests, Farrell continued, were a way for the people in these countries to make their voices heard.
"The only serious response we can make is for citizens to unite, but we need to see many many more people doing this work," Farrell said. "Direct action like this should shake us awake; our governments will destroy democracy and society if we let them continue, that's the course we are on, and they are redoubling their efforts despite the facts and knowing how much suffering they are already causing all over the world as climate breaks down."
The demands of Saturday's protests were threefold: An end to new oil and gas infrastructure in the North Sea, for governments to tell the truth about the realities of the climate crisis, and for the countries to pursue a just transition to renewable energy. In addition, many activists made additional demands specific to their nations' policies.
The Netherlands
In the Netherlands, activists with Extinction Rebellion and Scientist Rebellion blocked all roads and railways leading to the largest oil refinery in Europe: Shell's Pernis refinery. They targeted Shell because the oil major has received new permits to drill in the Victory Gas Field and has also restarted its drilling in the Pierce Field. What's more, the company has refused to clean up its aging equipment in the North Sea, leaving old pipelines and drilling platforms to rust and pollute the sea with mercury, polonium, and radioactive lead. While there are 75 aging Shell oil and gas platforms in the Dutch North Sea that should be removed by 2035, current efforts are not on track to meet this deadline.
"Like the rest of the fossil industry, Shell is only interested in profits and shareholder returns," said Bram Kroezen of XR Netherlands, adding that Shell's appeal of a landmark court ruling ordering it to reduce emissions showed that the company "completely lacks a moral compass."
Germany
Activists with Ende Gelände blocked off access to a floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in the port of Brunsbüttel, Germany, beginning at 9:00 am local time. The activists are calling for an end to LNG imports, as new science reveals the so-called "bridge" fuel may in fact be at least as damaging to the climate as coal due to previously unaccounted for methane leaks.
"LNG is a double climate killer," Rita Tesch, spokesperson for Ende Gelände, said in a statement. "Because it consists of methane. Methane is even more harmful to the climate than carbon dioxide. It escapes into the atmosphere during transportation by LNG ships and at terminals such as here in Brunsbüttel, and heats it up rapidly. The carbon dioxide from burning it is on top of that. It's clear: LNG imports are a climate crime!"
Norway
Activists with XR Norway targeted Rafnes Petroleum Refinery, with some blockading access on land while another group entered the security area by boat.
"I'm ashamed to be a Norwegian," XR Norway spokesperson Jonas Kittelsen said in a statement. "Norway profits massively from aggressively expanding our oil and gas sector, causing mass suffering and death globally. My government portrays us as better than the rest of the world, which we are not."
Denmark
Performance collective Becoming Species and Extinction Rebellion Denmark worked together to stage a creative protest targeting the oil company Total Energies, which is the leading oil and gas producer in the Danish North Sea and currently has plans to reopen "Tyra Feltet," Denmark's largest gas field. Four members of the band Octopussy Riot climbed a Total-owned container and staged a punk concert in Denmark's Esbjerg Harbor.
"We octopuses have formed the band Octopussy Riot and have arrived here to play our song, a demand for you two-legs to stop oil and gas extraction," performer Linh Le, said. "The sea is dying, our climate collapsing. We will not accept that the most rich and powerful destroy our home. We do not want to go extinct."
Sweden
Members of XR Sweden blocked the road to Gothenburg's Oil Harbor, where the group has been protesting since May of 2022. The activists called on Sweden to stop investing in the harbor and on city officials to develop a plan to dismantle the harbor and refineries.
"Twenty-two million tons of oil enter Gothenburg's port every year, which is owned by the city," one activist said. "There is no plan for decommissioning. This does not go together with the climate goals."
Scotland
Finally, protesters across Scotland stood in solidarity with the other actions with performances and banner drops. In Aberdeen, activists unfurled banners outside the offices of Equinor, which owns 80% of Rosebank, and Ithaca, which owns the remaining 20%. The banners read, "North Sea Fossil Free," "Stop Rosebank," and "Sea knows no borders." In Dundee, protesters targeted the Valaris 123 oil platform off the coast with banners. Shetland Stop Rosebank also brought signs to Lerwick Harbor, from where the first stage of Rosebank's development is launching. XR Forres organized a performance of the group the "oil slicks" along the Moray Firth, to demonstrate what an oil spill would do to its unique coastal landscape.
"All countries should align their drilling plans with the Paris agreement now," the XR U.K. spokesperson said. "We thank everyone who has taken action today in defense of a livable planet."
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One-Third of Children Under 2 in Northern Gaza Now Acutely Malnourished
"Malnutrition among children is spreading fast and reaching devastating and unprecedented levels in the Gaza Strip due to the wide-reaching impacts of the war and ongoing restrictions on aid delivery," UNICEF said.
Mar 16, 2024
Around one-third of children under two in northern Gaza are now suffering from acute malnutrition, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund announced on Friday.
That's double the percentage of children under two who suffered from acute malnutrition in January, as the rate jumped from 15.6-31% in one month.
"The speed at which this catastrophic child malnutrition crisis in Gaza has unfolded is shocking, especially when desperately needed assistance has been at the ready just a few miles away," UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said in a statement.
"The situation is beyond catastrophic."
The UNICEF data came from screenings it conducted with its partners in February. While the rates of malnutrition are higher in the north, no part of Gaza remains untouched. As a whole, the agency concluded that "malnutrition among children is spreading fast and reaching devastating and unprecedented levels in the Gaza Strip due to the wide-reaching impacts of the war and ongoing restrictions on aid delivery."
A full 28% of children in Khan Younis in central Gaza have acute malnutrition, while in Rafah, around 10% suffered from acute malnutrition by the end of February. That was also double the 5% who suffered from acute malnutrition in January in the southern city. In the north, as many as 25% of children under five also suffer from acute malnutrition, up from 13%. The new figures come as humanitarian groups and U.N. agencies have been warning about potential famine in the Gaza Strip for months.
UNICEF also found in February that 4.5% of children in shelters and health centers in northern Gaza suffer from severe wasting, the most serious and potentially fatal form of malnutrition, for which the necessary treatment is not on hand. In Khan Younis, more than 10% of the malnourished children have severe wasting. Even in Rafah, the number of children under two with severe wasting more than quadrupled from 1% to over 4% between January and the end of February.
In total, at least 23 children have died from starvation or dehydration in northern Gaza in the last few weeks alone, UNICEF said. Israel's bombardment and invasion of Gaza has been particularly devastating for children as a whole, killing around 13,450 out of a total death toll of more than 31,000, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
"We've been sounding the alarm that children will die due to malnutrition and disease since the beginning of the war," Save the Children UK said on social media on Saturday. "Our worst fears have now come true. These man-made conditions continue to deteriorate toward famine and will continue to take innocent children's lives."
Lucia Elmi, UNICEF's special representative in the Palestinian territories, toldThe New York Times that children were declining at such alarming rates because the available water, bread, and flour was not enough to provide the nutrition they need.
"They need protein, they need vitamins, they need fresh products, and they need micronutrients, and all of this has been completely missing," Elmi said last week. "That's why the deterioration has been so fast, so rapid, and at this scale."
Dominic Allen, the United Nations Population Fund representative for Palestine, told reporters on Friday that everyone he spoke to Gaza was "gaunt, emaciated, hungry."
"The situation is beyond catastrophic," he said.
Russell said that UNICEF had not been able to acquire the supplies it needed to properly treat malnourished children. Humanitarian groups have criticized Israel for making aid deliveries more difficult by searching every truck that enters the strip and rejecting whole shipments because they contained items like children's scissors or wooden instead of cardboard boxes for toys. In multiple instances, the Israeli military has fired on on aid convoys and on people gathering to receive aid, killing scores.
"We have repeatedly attempted to deliver additional aid and we have repeatedly called for the access challenges we have faced for months to be addressed. Instead, the situation for children is getting worse by each passing day. Our efforts in providing life-saving aid are being hampered by unnecessary restrictions, and those are costing children their lives," Russell said.
Ultimately, Russell continued, the only way to properly feed and treat Gaza's children is for Israel to stop its attack on the strip.
"An immediate humanitarian cease-fire continues to provide the only chance to save children's lives and end their suffering," Russell concluded. "We also need multiple land border crossings that allow aid to be reliably delivered at scale, including to northern Gaza, along with the security assurances and unimpeded passage needed to distribute that aid, without delays or access impediments."
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