Paving the Wilderness, Serving up Millions of Acres to Industy

[G_j]

PAVING MAD
Chip Ward, tomdispatch.com

In backroom deals, the administration attempts to 'serve up' millions of acres of wilderness to industry. Citizens, members of congress, and even some governors are fightin' mad.

*In EnviroHealth: http://www.alternet.org/envirohealth

<snip>

Unfortunately, the Bush administration dealt the system of federally protected wilderness a crippling blow in a pair of out-of-court settlements with Utah Governor Michael Leavitt, now head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The deals brokered between Interior Secretary Gale Norton and Leavitt while he was still governor were a one-two punch delivered to conservationists in a dark alley behind a federal courthouse.
Left in critical condition: the Wilderness Act of 1964 which had for decades guided our collective decisions about how to identify, designate, and protect wilderness areas. After the mugging in the courthouse alley, the thieves made off with the means for turning millions of additional acres of "roadless" land into special-service areas for oil and gas, mineral, timber, and grazing interests. Cow tracks and dry washes can now officially be designated "roads" and paved over to get to the loot ? a clear case of identity theft that will rob us of irreplaceable reserves of wilderness so gas and oil corporations can party hearty.

Although most Americans may never get nearer to wilderness than a Discovery Channel documentary, millions have visited national parks and wilderness areas and millions more have seen the pictures, heard the stories, and dreamed of making their own pilgrimages one day. We are growing ever more eco-literate and understand the importance of healthy watersheds and biodiversity just as there is ever less to be eco-literate about.

Knowing that their deal would generate popular outrage, Norton and Leavitt conveniently confessed their crime the very week our troops invaded Iraq. As planned, the story was buried in the back pages of the papers and the public was blindsided. Ever since Bush replaced Clinton, this has been a familiar story.
When unpopular corporate interests like the oil, gas, and timber industries can't work their will through an open, inclusive, and democratic political process or through the usual judicial contests, they simply sue the feds who then settle out of court and give them everything they want but can't get otherwise. That's what happened in April, 2003.
..more..

[BeFree]

1. I'm all for Wilderness

What this group has done in Iraq, however, makes what they are doing to Wilderness look like taking candy from a baby. Bad, yeah. The worst they can do? Not by a long shot.

Starting with the MIHOP of 9/11, the bombing of Afghanistan and then the Shock and Awe in Iraq, the squatters in the White House have shown that innocent humans are not to be given the time of day.

Yeah, the raping of Wilderness is bad, but the plans they have for us humans is worse.

[G_j]

2. To me it's all connected

it shows an overall destain for ALL life.
Reminds me of the line from LOTR: "Master the trees roots are deep" .. "Tear them ALL down!!"

Another of the Empire's wars, the war on the environment is also about oil, greed etc.

Of course we all know The "environment" is more than a pretty place to visit. As the support system collaspses so does human existance.

[Hammie]

3. Sauce anyone?

When unpopular corporate interests like the oil, gas, and timber industries can't work their will through an open, inclusive, and democratic political process or through the usual judicial contests, they simply sue the feds who then settle out of court and give them everything they want but can't get otherwise. That's what happened in April, 2003..

And where do you suppose they learned this neat little trick? It isn't like the Sierra Club, the Brady Bunch, La Raza, and all our pals haven't done the same damn end run around the will of the people. What's sauce for the goose...


Hammie out.

[BeFree]

4. Never before

Has such an end run been taken. This is a special case, and they didn't learn it from the Sierra Club. They learned it from Hitler!

Your 'sauce' has about as much substance as water. Tasteless.

[Karenina]

5. I have to kick this

and can't really comment when I'm foaming at the mouth cuz my caps lock has a tendency to get stuck... HALLO, EARTH TO AMIS, DO YOU GET THAT IF THE BIOSPHERE COLLAPSES ALL THE GUNS, BIBLES, MCDONALDS FRANCHISES, REMOTES, VIDEO GAMES, GADGETS ETC. AD NAUSEUM WILL BE OF NO PRACTICAL USE TO YOUR SURVIVAL??? OOmph! I got it unstuck. Whew!