president’s message

Honoring Our Founder: David cies and tax breaks are deeply embedded in the belief that we have to live within our means. The cover story Brower’s Centennial Year on the Earth Budget, as well as updates on our trade “Thank God for Dave Brower; he makes it so work describe some of our activities to promote broad easy for the rest of us to be reasonable.” based reforms to tax, budget and trade policy. - Russell Train, EPA Administrator under President Nixon. We are also continuing our fight against genetically As an environmental studies major at Western Michi- modified organisms being introduced into the envi- gan University, I had as part of my curriculum the as- ronment. Brower once said, “It is absolutely impera- signment of reading John McPhee’s book “Encounters tive that we protect, preserve and pass on this genetic with the Archdruid.” “Encounters” is a series of nar- heritage for man and every other living thing in as ratives first written for the New Yorker Magazine that good a condition as we received it.” The story on our places David Brower in Glenn Canyon, Glacier Peak efforts to stop the introduction of genetically engi- Wilderness and Cumberland Island neered mosquitoes describes how we with three men seeking to dam, mine are working to preserve this heritage. and develop the locations. “Encoun- You will read about our campaign ters” is on my annual reading list efforts to shut down the San Onofre because of the clarity of vision and nuclear reactors in California. Brower strength of conviction Brower dem- made opposing the construction of onstrates throughout his dialogues nuclear reactors a major campaign ef- with his opponents. fort for Friends of the Earth, and more Brower’s environmental activism than 40 years later we continue to lead and leadership helped create a na- the environmental community in the tional and global movement. As the fight against dangerous nuclear power. first executive director of the Sierra In many ways, David Brower’s Club, he helped to propel the Sierra centennial celebration is less about Club to national prominence. After Brower himself, and more about the the Sierra Club, he founded Friends living legacy that is the green fire fu- of the Earth in the United States, eling environmental activism in the which became the seed in the cre- United States and beyond. Brower once said, “We are ation of the Friends of the Earth International network, to hold fast to what we believe is right, fight for it, and which is now the world’s largest grassroots federa- find allies and adduce all possible arguments for our tion of environmental organizations with groups in 76 cause. If we cannot find enough vigor in us or them countries. He also founded the Earth Island Institute to win, then let someone else produce the compromise. and nurtured the creation of the League of Conser- We thereupon work hard to coax it our way. We be- vation Voters. Brower was the key incubator of the come a nucleus around which the strongest force can modern environmental movement here and abroad. build and function.” We need to more fully embrace His thinking and vision resonates today at Friends his vision, his tenacity and uncompromising nature of the Earth. Brower once said, “… to fail to conserve as we battle to protect our planet for the children and is grand larceny, grand larceny against children. Eco- environment to come. nomic growth as presently practiced is stealing from Sincerely, children, in a sophisticated way.” The impact of eco- nomic growth on the environment has gotten worse. Our efforts to reform or eliminate the root economic Erich drivers of environmental destruction such as trade poli-

2 Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine Summer 2012 Newsmagazine Volume 42, Number 2, Summer 2012 www.foe.org

President’s message …………………………. 2 Declaration of support for the End Polluter Ecobites ……………………………………………. 3 Welfare Act .……………………………………. 10 California nukes on shaky ground ………. 4 Victory for cleaner cruise ships ………... 12 Cover story: Earth Budget …………………. 6 GE mosquitoes in the Keys ………………. 13 Injustice in La Oroya ………………………… 14

ecobites

Honoring David Brower: Our new space in California Our California office recently relocated to the David Brower Center in Berkeley, a fitting move to mark the centennial of Friends of the Earth founder David Brower’s birth in July of this year. We’re excited to work alongside dozens of other groups working for environmental and social justice issues in this green, LEED Platinum mixed-use space. Also home to its own gallery space, the Cen- ter is currently hosting a memorial exhibition called Thinking Like a River: Art, The lobby of the Brower Center. Advocacy, and the Legacy of David Brower. For more information on the space Photo credit: Tim Griffith. and upcoming events, visit the Brower Center website at www.browercenter.org. Fighting against the Keystone XL rubber stamp We delivered more than 117,000 signatures from Friends of the Earth and CREDO Action activists to the Environmental Protection Agency the day after the Army Corps of Engineers rubber-stamped TransCanada’s federal permit application to build the Keystone XL pipeline’s southernmost section through Oklahoma and Texas. In solidarity with activists taking part in public hearings and protests around the country, we demanded EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson Dirty Fuels Campaigner Kim Huynh and intervene to call for a thorough environmental review of the pipeline. Read the activists protest in front of the EPA. blog post and media coverage at www.foe.org/fast-tracking-keystone-xl. Stopping Shell’s plans to drill the Arctic We partnered with Oceana, the Center for Biological Diversity, Ocean Conservancy, and Alaska Wilderness League and gathered more than 18,500 signatures from our activists alone to stop Royal Dutch Shell from drill- ing and potentially destroying the Arctic Ocean as early as this summer. The remote location and icy conditions would make containing disastrous spills even harder, endangering a delicate, endangered ecosystem that’s home to several communities who depend solely on the ocean for survival. Read the blog post and sign the petition at www.foe.org/arctic-drilling.

Summer 2012 Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine 3 nuclear

California nukes on shaky ground: The impacts of both the Fukushima accident and The four-decade long campaign to stop the radioactive leak at San Onofre have galvanized San Onofre and secure California’s community members into speaking out. “Supporters of nuclear power are dwindling because people are paying renewable energy future attention and they do not like that Edison is putting their health, safety and property at such a perilous By Damon Moglen and Kendra Ulrich risk,” said Patti Davis, who lives a few miles from the reactors. “So many local folks were clueless about San Ask a surfer, beachcomber or community member Onofre. Now, thanks to the outreach of groups like San in San Clemente what the area was like 40 years ago Clemente Green, San Onofre Safety, ROSE, Friends and they might not remember a time when the San of the Earth and others, people can tell you all about Onofre nuclear plant didn’t loom over the otherwise [the problems with] nuclear reactors.” scenic beach. Yet even then, in the 1970s, Friends of the Earth was fighting the nuclear industry in South- Despite widespread concerns, Edison announced a ern California, raising concerns around building a plan in March to restart the reactors as early as June. nuclear plant in the middle of earthquake fault zones. We jumped into action, generating nearly 4,000 let- Today, with more than 8.3 million people living within ters from our online activists in California to Senators 50 miles and millions more within radioactive fallout Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Dianne Feinstein (D- range, the consequences of an accident would be even Calif.), asking them to use their oversight authority greater. with the Nuclear Regulatory Committee to ensure that the reactors remain shut down. Back then, we intervened to try and stop the con- struction of the two reactors because of earthquake Our pressure campaign soon paid off. The accident risks. Later, in the 80s and 90s, we rallied against the and uncertainty surrounding the safety of bringing plant’s radioactive and thermal discharges and their the plant back online prompted a wider investigation. impact on Pacific marine life. Fast forward to the pres- Friends of the Earth commissioned Fairewinds, a ent: Friends of the Earth has led an intensive campaign nuclear engineering consulting firm, to write three over the past six months to keep San Onofre shut reports that remain the only publicly available techni- down after an accident in January. cal documentation on the steam generator problems Earlier this year, the two nuclear reactors at San at San Onofre. Onofre went offline after a burst pipe leaked radia- One of the reports demonstrated how major de- tion from one of the steam generators located inside sign changes in the replacement generators installed the reactor building. These steam generators are used between 2009 and 2010, including the addition of to circulate highly pressurized water from the reactor hundreds of extra tubes inside the generators, likely core, which in turn produces steam that powers the caused severe wear on the steel tubes. Wear and tear electrical turbine. that should have resulted only after decades of use Just as we had in the past, we reached out to local occurred in less than two years. We shared the reports citizens groups and others to work together to ensure with the NRC, Sens. Boxer and Feinstein and made safety at the plant. We ran a TV ad campaign demand- them available on our website. ing that plant operator Southern California Edison In May, Sen. Boxer wrote to Edison and the Nuclear keep the reactors shut down until the damage to the Regulatory Commission, demanding documents relat- steam generators had been assessed and the reactors ing to Edison’s decision to replace the plant’s steam deemed safe to restart. generators with a different design and the NRC’s review of that decision. It was clear that the NRC,

4 Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine Summer 2012 nuclear

Patti Davis, a San Clemente resident and member of San Clemente Green, holds a sign showing the 50 mile radius around the San Onofre reactors.

notorious for its cosy relationship with the nuclear We charged Edison with failing to comply with NRC industry it’s assigned to regulate, was feeling the heat. licensing requirements when it replaced the steam Meanwhile, Friends of the Earth continued to generators that have now been found defective and pressure the NRC and Edison to disclose the scale therefore an amendment license should be required of damage to the reactors and how, if at all, they can to operate the plant. We organized a press briefing be repaired. We brought on experts including Dave the day of the filing that led to coverage throughout Freeman, who was appointed by President Carter to California and the nation. chair the Tennessee Valley Authority and who ran the Edison is now crying wolf, saying that keeping the California Energy Efficiency program in the 2000s, to plant closed over the summer could lead to brown add weight to our public campaign effort. outs. But if it remains closed, there’s a chance that the Kendra is coordinating with our coalition partners, plant could be permanently shut down, removing one activists and city council members in Orange County of the major obstacles to California moving towards and San Diego County where the reactors are located. an energy future based on efficiency and renewables. She is working with citizens groups that are attending For more information, visit www.foe.org, public meetings and calling for their representatives to www.sanonofresafety.org and www.fairewinds.org. intervene with Edison to keep San Onofre shut down. Rounding out our advocacy efforts, in June, Friends of the Earth filed a legal petition against the NRC.

Summer 2012 Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine 5 cover story

By Prashanth Kamalakanthan

to make the budget debate in Washington seem complicated. But the reality is quite simple: our Politicianscountry faces a stark choice between like raising taxes on wealthy corporations and individu- als, or cutting core programs that protect the environment and provide critical services like Medicare and Medicaid. The stakes are really that high; laws that have been the foundation of this country’s environmental policy for decades — the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the National Environmental Policy Act — would languish, with no one to enforce them if House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) gets his way. This is where the federal budget and our country’s environmental future collide — these laws are responsible for many of the advances in clean water, clean air and other environmental protections that we’ve enjoyed since the 1970s, and they are all under threat right now. At the same time as he’s pushing destructive cuts, Rep. Ryan refuses to roll back Bush- era tax cuts for the affluent and he’s fighting to retain hundreds of billions of dollars in handouts of taxpayer money to polluting industries like Big Oil. “In this country, debates over budget and economy are fundamentally arguments about power,” explains Michelle Chan, director of Friends of the Earth’s Economic Policy Project. “Behind the calls for deep cuts we can see an agenda to shift power and resources away from our government — which is accountable to the public interest — and into the hands of corporations that are only accountable to their bottom lines.” By disguising this broader agenda in the language of fiscal discipline, ultraconservatives like Rep. Ryan have been able to steadily erode funding for basic programs that protect our people and our environment, while funneling more money towards already wealthy corporations. As a part of our Earth Budget campaign, Friends of the Earth has long been leading the fight for federal budgeting that prioritizes the pubic interest. We’ve issued annual

6 Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine Summer 2012 earth budget

Green Scissors reports since 1994, identifying federal New developments in the push to end projects that harm the environment and endanger pub- polluter welfare lic health. With our coalition partners — including Taxpayers for Common Sense — the Green Scissors Standing outside the U.S. Capitol on May 10, Sena- campaign has managed to eliminate $26 billion in en- tor Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Representative Keith vironmentally harmful federal spending and corporate Ellison (D-Minn.) rallied a coalition of grassroots or- subsidies, elevating environmental and social responsi- ganizations, public interest groups and environmental- bility as a fundamental federal tax and budget priority. ists for the introduction of the End Polluter Welfare Act. The boldest, most comprehensive proposal ever “Friends of the Earth believes that economic policies introduced to end fossil can have profound environ- fuel subsidies, this sweep- mental impacts,” says Chan. Our tax and budget choices, ing legislation would save “The ‘rules of the game,’ in- “ including subsidies, can help American taxpayers at least cluding trade policies, Wall $113 billion over the course Street regulations, and cam- drive our economy towards a of just 10 years. And it is paign finance laws, can con- clean and green future, or the culmination of work centrate corporate power at keep it stuck in its polluting, that Friends of the Earth the expense of the public has been doing for decades, interest. Our tax and budget carbon-intensive ways. including our 2008 report, choices, including subsidies, - Michelle Chan, Economic policy Big Oil, Bigger Giveaways. can help drive our economy ” Other cuts outlined in the towards a clean and green project director bill draw from longstanding future, or keep it stuck in its staples of our Green Scissors polluting, carbon-intensive reports. ways. Our Earth Budget campaign aims to redirect our economy in ways that protect, rather than harm, Since the bill’s introduction, Friends of the Earth has people and the planet.” worked with groups including 350.org, Oil Change, Climate Solutions, Public Citizen, Labor Network for In recent months, we’ve seen a surge of public opin- Sustainability, The Nation, Natural Resource Defense ion in support of these principles. Council, the Center for Biological Diversity, and En- vironmental Action to build grassroots support behind it. The response has been staggering. In just 10 days,

Introducing the End Polluter Welfare Act. Left: Brent Blackwelder, president emeritus, spoke on behalf of Friends of the Earth at a rally in front of the Capitol. Center: Activists from several groups showed their support for the bill. Right: Ryan Alexander, president of Taxpayers for Com- mon Sense, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), Brent Blackwelder and Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org hold a voided check made out to big polluters.

Summer 2012 Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine 7 cover story

Earth Budget victory! Killing a $6 billion ethanol subsidy Ethanol production from corn causes serious ecological damage thanks to the polluting, carbon-intensive in- dustrial farming techniques used to produce it. On top of that ethanol is a major driver of global food insecurity and hunger, raising food prices by diverting cropland for fuel rather than food production. That’s why Friends of the Earth has been at the forefront of the coalition against federal policies that support dirty ethanol. This January, years of work to end this subsidy culminated in a landmark victory for the environ- ment and taxpayers when Congress adjourned without renewing a 30-year-old ethanol subsidy. The policy handed more than $6 billion annually to ethanol blenders for decades, many of which are major oil and agri- business corporations making record-breaking profits. This victory wouldn’t have been possible without the thousands of Friends of the Earth members who have sup- ported this campaign though their advocacy and generosity. But there is more to do: Friends of the Earth continues to work against additional subsidies, like the cellulosic tax credit, that could be manipulated to fund environmentally harmful biofuels. We’re also increasing advocacy against the Renewable Fuel Standard, which mandates radical increases in the production of corn ethanol and other biofuels by 2022. It’s clear that dirty biofuels can’t be a part of our clean energy future, and we’re deter- mined to end support for them in Washington.

we gathered more than 100,000 signatures on a peti- Putting the interests of the many above tion supporting the End Polluter Welfare Act — now, the profits of the few that number is a few thousand shy of one million. And tens of thousands of our supporters have urged At the same time, as we’re fighting handouts to their congressional representatives to co-sponsor the polluters, Friends of the Earth has maintained a firm measure when we reached out in early June. social and economic justice perspective when advo- cating for smart climate policy. While our ultimate The overwhelming response to the bill underlines the commitment is toward the elimination of all fossil fuel public’s vehement opposition to fossil fuel subsidies. subsidies, Friends of the Earth staunchly defends the Polling data show that 70 percent of the public oppose right of low-income and vulnerable populations to giveaways to oil, coal and gas companies, support that meet basic energy needs. Protecting the health, liveli- largely holds up across the political spectrum. hoods and dignity of the disadvantaged is at the heart Sen. Sanders gave voice to the popular outrage of our social safety net and is central to our values at against giveaways to dirty energy corporations in a Friends of the Earth. column for the Huffington Post, where he wrote: “It is This moral commitment informs our nuanced posi- immoral that some in Congress advocate savage cuts tions on federal consumer subsidies. The Low Income in Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security while those Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps low same people vote to preserve billions in tax breaks for income households pay for heating and cooling, is a Exxon Mobil which is the most profitable corporation progressive policy that alleviates a major financial bur- in America… Instead of passing strong legislation to den for the needy. Given the structural dependence of help reverse global warming, Congress continues the our economy on fossil fuels, defunding LIHEAP under giveaways to the 200-year-old fossil fuel industry even current circumstances would be disastrous, punishing as that industry’s carbon pollution wreaks devastation the poor while doing nothing to solve the energy sec- on our planet. Enough is enough.” tor’s broader dependence on fossil fuels.

8 Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine Summer 2012 A Robin Hood Tax for the people

Eliminating wasteful subsidies for polluters is the first step toward equitable budgeting for a sustainable future. But in addition to ending harmful spending, we need to start mak- ing polluters and wealthy corporations pay for the environ- mental and social damage they cause. Since the global financial meltdown exposed the reckless- ness of Wall Street, a creative funding solution for pro-social, pro-environmental programs has been gaining strength: the “Robin Hood Tax.” The Robin Hood Tax would put a less than 0.05% tax on Wall Street financial transactions and would raise $350 billion each year to protect precious public goods. Many pressing social needs could be addressed through this tiny tax on the excesses of Wall Street speculators, allowing us to fund climate change solutions, stem home foreclosures, and widen public access to healthcare and education, among many other proposals. At a May 18 rally in Chicago coordinated by the National Nurses Union and with endorsements from over 85 organiza- tions — including Friends of the Earth U.S. — thousands of green-masked activists gathered to demand a Robin Hood Tax on Wall Street. The idea’s international appeal is growing rapidly. Small taxes on financial transactions have been introduced suc- cessfully in over 40 countries over the past few decades, with new proposals sprouting all across the world. Newly elected French President François Hollande prominently champi- oned the tax as a way to rein in a rogue financial sector that “has taken over the economy, society, and even our lives.” Nurse Karen Higgins emphasized the painful costs of not implementing a Robin Hood Tax at the rally in Chicago, telling activists: “We are watching and seeing Wall Street throwing away our money as we see people suffer and die. It will not continue.” Friends of the Earth’s International Policy Campaigner Karen Orenstein added, “Think of it as a tax on global bads for global goods,” echoing the sentiment of picket signs scattered throughout the crowd. “It’s not a tax on the people. It’s a tax for the people.”

Photo credit: National Nurses United. SupportDonateSupport todayan end an and to end polluter to polluter earthbudget doublesubsidies yoursubsidies impact! today! today! PrioritizingPrioritizing people,people, notnot polluterspolluters

I AGREE! The fossil fuels industry rakes in billions in profits, yet continues to collect taxpayer money in this time of record national debt. I am proud to stand Double with Sen. Sanders and Rep. Ellison in calling for the passage of the End Polluter your gift! A Welfare Act and to support Friends of the Earth’s critical Earth Budget Campaign group of generous to create more just, equitable and sustainable solutions to our fiscal problems. donors will match the first $30,000 I have signed my Declaration of Support for the End Polluter Welfare Act. received.

Here is my special, tax-deductible contribution for:

$25 $50 $100 $250 $500 $1,000 Other $ My check, payable to Friends of the Earth, is enclosed. Charge my gift to my: Visa MC AMEX Discover

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Declaration of Support Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Keith Ellison: I am proud to support your proposed End Polluter Welfare Act legislation. Oil, gas and coal corporations should not be paid with our tax dollars to pollute our planet. Especially in this time of record debt and economic hardship for American families, it is unconscionable to hand billions of dollars to filthy industries that already boast billions in profits. Your bold, comprehensive proposal to repeal more than $110 billion in tax breaks, handouts and subsidies for the fossil fuel industry over the next ten years is a much-needed step toward a cleaner, greener future for the United States. Thank you for your leadership on this critical issue. Sincerely,

X Name: Signature Date City, State: earth budget

Imagining a greener future

For years, our Earth Budget work has also supported the implementation of a carbon tax, which will charge corporate polluters for the carbon emissions that cause climate change. Like the Robin Hood Tax, a carbon tax — along with carbon limits — on major emitters such as coal power plants would help to cushion our biosphere and the public welfare against the reckless behavior of polluters. And by ending polluter subsidies through the End Polluter Welfare Act and taking on the other proposals detailed in our annual Green Scissors reports, we have a roadmap to a greener future.

Cutting subsidies for polluters “ and making them pay for the damage they cause to our land, water, public welfare and shared climate will sow the seeds for a green, socially Want to get involved? equitable future. ” Join our activist network! Our base of 140,000 grassroots ac- The choice between environmental sustainability and economic prosperity is clearly a false one. The fever tivists come from all walks of life and pitch of energy around the End Polluter Welfare Act from all around the country. and the Robin Hood Tax, as well as the broad coalition If you’re not already a part of our we’ve led against ethanol subsidies, are proof that an- online community, join right now at other future is possible. Friends of the Earth supporters and millions of activists around the world have dared www.foe.org /signup and learn about to shape a new language, energetically articulating an simple ways that you can take action alternative to the “cut, cut, cut” agenda advanced by the for the planet. Paul Ryan Budget and polluting corporations. There are a thousand ways, they say, that we can tackle our fiscal problems without endangering the Earth and Support Friends of the Earth through its people. your workplace giving campaign! Cutting subsidies for polluters and making them pay Learn more at www.foe.org/workplace for the damage they cause to our land, water, public giving. welfare and shared climate will sow the seeds for a green, socially equitable future. And now these ideas are sprouting all over the world.

Summer 2012 Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine 11 vessels

Cruise industry aims to water down environmental safeguards By Marcie Keever

One hundred years after the most infamous maritime disaster in history, the cruise industry continues to make titanic mistakes that threaten public health and the environment. First, there was the tragic grounding and capsizing of the Costa Concordia off the coast of

Italy on January 13, which left 32 people dead, two Cruise ship in Puget Sound. Photo credit: Fred Felleman. people unaccounted for, and stranded the massive cruise ship on a rock in the marine sanctuary where death, and lung growth abnormalities in children and it’s likely to remain for up to a year while a salvage lung cancer, strokes and heart attacks in adults. company works to remove it. Then there was the al- The ECA will require ships to use fuel with no leged failure of the Star Princess to aid a Panamanian greater than 1.0 percent sulfur and gradually ratchet fishing boat in distress off the coast of Central America, that down. Industry groups, like the Cruise Line In- leading to the deaths of two of the three fishermen. ternational Association, are going on offense, asserting However, the cruise industry’s environmental trans- that the ECA will require costly measures that will gressions are far more insidious. Right now it is fight- force them to abandon the U.S. market — unless they ing groundbreaking environmental regulations to receive special accommodations. reduce air pollution from ships that are expected to The IMO has already approved the use of several prevent 31,000 premature deaths across the U.S. and equivalency measures that would lead to reduced emis- save tens of billions of dollars in health costs by 2030.1 sions as an alternative to meeting the ECA’s cleaner For more than 10 years, Friends of the Earth has fuel requirement. Equivalency measures, like seawater worked at the International Maritime Organization scrubbers that filter the pollutants out of water before to advocate for reductions in dangerous and harm- it is pumped back into the ocean, are entirely differ- ful pollution from ships. As one of only a handful of ent than what CLIA is proposing. CLIA is lobbying environmental groups with formal observer status at the Obama administration to include what is called the IMO, Friends of the Earth influenced the vot- emissions averaging in the list of allowable equivalency ing members to enact the North American Emission measures. Emissions averaging gives cruise ships credit Control Area, which will prohibit vessels from burning for reducing their emissions in high population areas in highly polluting bunker fuel within 200 nautical miles exchange for polluting more in less densely populated of the U.S. and Canadian coasts beginning in August ones like Alaska and Hawaii; however it dispropor- 2012. Read our blog post about it at www.foe.org/eca. tionately impacts environments and communities that Bunker fuel is a residual fuel — what’s left over from receive the most cruise ship traffic. the refining of diesel, jet fuel and gasoline — that is Friends of the Earth, along with 11 other environmen- used in huge ship engines. It is hundreds of times dirtier tal and public health groups, wrote to EPA Administra- than diesel truck exhaust, and disproportionately affects tor Lisa Jackson in May urging her to uphold the ECA’s those living near ship ports. Bunker fuel is laden with provisions for all vessels, including cruise ships. high levels of sulfur, ash and heavy metals and when it is In light of its titanic mistakes these past months, at burned it produces tiny, harmful airborne particles that the cost of lives and livelihoods, the cruise industry have been linked to asthma onset, asthma attacks, crib 1 www.epa.gov/oms/regs/nonroad/marine/ci/letter-epa-and-uscg-to-imo.pdf can’t be allowed to water down critical environmental and health protections.

12 Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine Summer 2012 genetic engineering

Genetically engineered Drug Administration for approval of its genetically mosquitoes still abuzz in Florida engineered mosquitoes. Typical applications for a new animal drug include things like vaccines for cattle and By Eric Hoffman antibiotics added to chicken feed. If you are wonder- ing why the FDA is considering mosquitoes as a “new The case of a British biotech company trying to re- animal drug,” you are not alone. lease genetically engineered mosquitoes in Key West With no laws or regulations on the books to deal is heating up. In the last issue of the newsmagazine we with genetically engineered animals in the U.S., the warned of Oxitec’s plans for the first-ever field release FDA simply chose an interpretation of the new animal of genetically engineered mosquitoes in the U.S. Lo- drug rule to suit its needs. It argued that since the novel cal activists in Key West caused a stir, and questions genes of genetically engineered animals “change the over who would regulate this experiment continued composition and function” of an animal, those genes and to go unanswered, causing the Florida Keys Mosquito the animal itself can be regulated as a new animal drug. Control District to announce in May that the release had been put on hold. Classifying a genetically engineered mosquito as a “drug” is the regulatory equivalent of trying to fit When we first heard about it in late 2011, activists a square peg into a round hole. These genetically en- in Key West were abuzz over the company’s efforts gineered mosquitoes aren’t the same thing as a new to sneak behind their backs and release these novel animal feed additive, for example; a food additive can’t insects under the guise of disease control, without first reproduce in the wild, bite humans, spread disease or undergoing an independent review process and with fly to another part of town. Therefore, as we’ve pointed zero opportunity for public input into the decision. out on our blog (www.foe.org/ge-regulation) and in Equally concerning, federal agencies — including interviews with reporters, the questions around en- the Food & Drug Administration and the U.S. De- vironmental and public health risks are entirely dif- partment of Agriculture — appeared to be playing a ferent. While the FDA undoubtedly has expertise in game of regulatory hot potato, leaving citizens without veterinary medicine, it lacks expertise on insect ecology, an outlet for voicing their concerns. In a way though, entomology and environmental risk assessment. that was a bonus — without an assigned regulatory The new animal drug approval process also lacks agency, Oxitec’s plans hit a road bump, slowing down transparency and public participation. The application the process while it waited for some level of scientific is kept secret as “confidential business information,” and regulatory review. and the public (including independent scientists) only In May, Oxitec announced that it had opened an has access to information released by the company. investigational new animal drug file with the Food & As Oxitec’s application goes under review, we will continue to point out the problems with the FDA’s role. Not only is it incorrect in categorizing genetically engineered animals as new animal drugs, it lacks trans- parency and public input. And possibly worst of all, by allowing the approval process for Oxitec’s mosquitoes to move forward, the FDA is setting up a dangerous precedent for how genetically engineered insects and other emerging biotechnologies are regulated in the U.S. and around the world.

Summer 2012 Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine 13 trade

The La Oroya smelter is owned by Doe Run Peru which, through a complex network of subsidiaries, is controlled by the Renco Group. Photo credit: Matthew Burpee.

Uncovering injustice in trade had an escape hatch. Using a provision of the trade agreements pact that allows foreign investors to seek monetary damages for the costs of complying with a country’s By Bill Waren environmental regulations, Renco sued the Peruvian government through an international tribunal — not As I landed in Dallas this May for another negoti- simply to evade paying its due but to force Peru to pay ating session of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade the company $800 million. agreement, the struggle for justice for the children of As this example illustrates, modern-day trade agree- La Oroya was rolling over in my mind. ments reach their tentacles far beyond the simple La Oroya, high in the central Andes of Peru, is exchange of goods at the border. They look and act known as one of the 10 most polluted places on Earth.1 like bills of rights for corporations, empowering Big Ninety-seven percent of children between the ages of Oil, mining, tobacco, agribusiness and pharmaceuti- 6 and 12 have dangerously high levels of lead in their cal companies to evade accountability for social and blood.2 The source of the pollution destorying the com- environmental injustices they inflict. munity’s air, water and land is a smelting plant owned I was going to Dallas to watchdog a rapidly expand- by a U.S. holding company called Renco Group. ing, yet largely secret, trade deal that could be the big- The Peruvian government demanded that Renco pay gest the U.S. has ever seen — and to highlight the for the clean up of its pollution. But because of a trade threats it poses to environmental protections. agreement signed between the U.S. and Peru, Renco 1 www.blacksmithinstitute.org/wwpp2007/finalReport2007.pdf The Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement includes 2 www.slu.edu/x39256.xml 10 Pacific region countries plus the United States, and

14 Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine Summer 2012 trade

others may soon join the talks. For some countries, the trade deal appears to be a necessity if they are to maintain or expand access to the giant U.S. market. Unfortunately, U.S. negotiators are using this leverage to try to roll back environmental and public interest policies in other countries as a favor to multinational corporations, rather than seeking a more equitable trading relationship for small businesses, family farmers and workers in all countries. In Dallas, I met formally and informally with nego- tiators from Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Peru and Chile that are potential allies in opposing some of the most environmentally threatening provisions, such as those that give foreign investors like Renco the abil- Texans protesting outside the TPP negotiations in Dallas. Photo ity to sue governments over domestic environmental credit: Citizens Trade Campaign. regulations. The Australians in particular proved to be administration to honor its pledge of transparency in valuable allies on issues involving the TPP investment trade policy-making and release the negotiating text. chapter. Friends of the Earth activists amplified the call, with 13,800 of you signing a petition delivered to the U.S. As negotiations over the negotiating team in Dallas. “ Trans-Pacific trade pact The TPP negotiating text is kept secret not only from the public but also from Congress, although a few roll on, our task will be to chapters have leaked. Two-thirds of the Democrats continue to reveal the ways in in the House of Representatives wrote to Ambassador Kirk, complaining that they have been denied access which the TPP will hamstring to the TPP text. Even Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), environmental regulations the chair of the U.S. Senate Trade Subcommittee, and subvert democracy. has objected strongly to being left out of the loop on the substance of the negotiations. All this bespeaks a ” breathtaking arrogance and distrust of democracy by the U.S. negotiating team. Without question they have Unfortunately, communication with the U.S. delega- something to hide — in the form of political favors tion in these fora is overwhelmingly a one-way street. exchanged with corporate lobbyists. Advocates like me sit down with U.S. negotiators and urge them to do right by the public. Then the negotia- As negotiations over the Trans-Pacific trade pact roll tors return to closed-door sessions where the deals are on this year, our task will be to continue to reveal the hammered out. The actual text under deliberation is ways in which the TPP will hamstring environmental kept far from the light of day — that is unless you’re regulations and subvert democracy. We have defeated one of the corporate lobbyists designated as a “cleared similar trade agreements in the past — such as the advisor” to the U.S. Trade Representative, Ambassador Multilateral Agreement on Investment and the Free Ron Kirk. Trade Area of the Americas — by shining a light on their special interest provisions and marshalling public In a letter to Ambassador Kirk this spring, Friends support for government action that protects ordinary of the Earth joined other groups in urging the Obama people like those in La Oroya.

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