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wednesday 30 may
2001
friends of the earth europe
letter to us senator jeffords: hope
against bush's hardline on environment
Millions around the world look to Senator
Jeffords for a thaw in the US freeze on World
Climate Treaty
Today, Friends of the Earth International,
the world's largest grassroots environment
network with groups in 68 countries, sent a
letter to newly independent US Senator Jim
Jeffords, future leader of the Senate
Committee on the Environment asking for his
help in bringing the United States back to
the world climate treaty. Senator Jeffords
rejected the Republican Party's increasing
tilt away from public health, social and
environmental safeguards, and has registered
as an independent.
Dr Brent Blackwelder, President of Friends
of the Earth US: "Senator Jeffords has thrown
the balance of power back towards a
responsible policy toward climate change.
Jeffords' rejection of the current
administration's agenda reflects the outrage
and disappointment felt by millions of people
around the world who watched in horror as
President Bush trashed the global climate
treaty. Friends of the Earth hopes that the
political shift in the Senate will send a
clear message to Bush: the environment must
not and cannot be sold off."
Roda Verheyen, Friends of the Earth Europe
climate campaigner: "The Kyoto Protocol must
not be reduced to a bargaining chip with the
US. Presidents come and go, but Kyoto
Protocol commitments have taken a decade of
hard science and hard politics. The EU cannot
afford to let Bush rule the day on what is
the most urgent environmental question of our
times. European governments must agree to
implement the Protocol regardless of the US
position at the EU summit in Gothenburg,
otherwise it is unlikely that environmentally
effective agreement can be negotiated with
the other Parties."
Read the
text
of FoE's
letter to Senator Jim Jeffords
Press Contacts:
Roda Verheyen, FOEE climate campaigner: + 49
179 465 2979
Howard Mollett, FOE Europe Press Officer: 02
542 01 89
Daniel Mittler, FOE Germany (BUND)
Organiser of the Friends of the Earth
"LifeBoat Action" at the
next UN climate talks in Bonn: +49 30 275
86468
FRIENDS OF THE EARTH ACTION AT NEXT UN
CLIMATE TALKS: THE LIFEBOAT --- JULY 21st
2001
For more information:
www.foeeurope.org/lifeboat
Last year, FOE brought thousands of people
to the COP6 negotiations in The Hague to
build 'The Dike'. This year, FOE will build a
huge symbolic LIFEBOAT in Bonn at COP6bis
together with thousands to tell governments
"Don't Sink The Kyoto Protocol !" ...
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