Winter 2005 Waterkeeper Magazine
Winter 2005 Waterkeeper Magazine
gone global
Waterkeeper:
Time To Change the Paradigm
A
fter years of global security than war or terror, a conclusion shared by
difficult and Great Britain’s top scientist Sir David King, and by a
intense nego- recent Pentagon study.
AP Photo/CP,Jeff McIntosh
tiations, the Kyoto Responsible foreign oil companies like B.P. (which has
Global Climate Treaty changed its name to Beyond Petroleum) acknowledge the
took effect February 16 crisis and are aggressively investing in clean, efficient
with the world’s biggest technologies and renewable energies that will help
polluter, the United reduce carbon dioxide emissions globally by 70%. Similar
States, conspicuously investments by our nation would be a boon to America’s
absent from the 150 participating countries. air, our economy and our national security. After all, the
The solid scientific consensus that global warming steps we must take to comply with Kyoto are steps we
caused by human excesses is already catastrophically should be taking to reduce our dependence on foreign oil,
altering our weather is confirmed beyond doubt by over our vulnerability to price shocks on the international oil
2,000 top climate experts from over 100 countries in the market and our balance of payment deficits.
largest, most rigorous peer reviewed collaborative Conservation and efficiency will make American
research project ever. But you don’t need a weatherman industry more competitive and cleaner. Fuel efficiency
to know which way the wind blows. The evidence of cli- will make every American richer; less money spent on
mate chaos is all around us. gasoline means more money in our pockets. Efficient
History’s ten hottest years have occurred since 1990. technology, like refrigerators, automobiles and air condi-
The Arctic Ice Cap has lost 40% of its volume in 20 years tioners, will be key export items over the coming decades
and will be gone within our generation. Forests are as third world nations strive to reduce their greenhouse
dying, permafrost and glaciers are melting worldwide. gases. (China has already implemented one of the world’s
Within decades, there will be no glaciers in Glacier most aggressive programs for curbing dangerous emis-
National Park, no snows on Kilimanjaro. Sea levels are sions, including banning gas-guzzling automobiles.) The
rapidly rising, coral reefs disappearing, weather patterns patents on and profits from these technologies will go to
are becoming increasingly chaotic, animals and plants the nation with the toughest laws at home.
are changing their behavior. Russian bears, suffering But rather than investing in a sustainable future, irre-
through that nation’s warmest winter ever, are so con- sponsible American companies like Chevron,
fused that they have awoken a month early, throwing off Exxon/Mobil, and Peabody Coal have poured hundreds of
their entire life cycle. A quarter of the earth’s species will millions of dollars into a campaign intended to deny the
be extinct in 50 years, according to a new collaborative science and delay reform.
study by top biologists from eight nations published in Remember the successful anti-regulatory tactics of the
Nature in January 2004. The frequency of catastrophic tobacco industry which employed diabolical public rela-
weather is increasing exponentially. Deadly storms made tions geniuses, corrupt scientists, powerful lobbyists and
2004 the most costly year ever for the insurance industry. rivers of money to derail, for sixty years, regulation of a
England received a month’s worth of rain in a single product that was killing one in five of its consumers?
night. Two years ago a lethal European heat wave killed With far greater profits at stake in poisoning the public
more than 15,000 people. U.N. Weapons Inspector Hans than did Big Tobacco, King Coal and Big Oil, are now
Blix warns that global warming is a greater threat to employing the same tactics on a grander scale. They’ve
Hill have brought industry the most compliant Congress and sion of almost all other important stories—missing altogether
President in history. Corporate toadies in the White House invit- the war that this administration has declared on our environ-
ed the fossil fuel barons to secretly write the President’s national mental laws.
Not a single question was asked by a reporter about the envi-
energy policy, a collection of massive subsidies and tax breaks,
ronment or global warming during the presidential debates and
which instead of reducing fossil fuel dependence, increases our
many key newspapers and networks have lost, terminated or
wasteful addiction. Even the Wall Street Journal condemned the
transferred key environmental reporters to other beats—includ-
obscene plan as a "$145 billion boondoggle."
ing, most recently, USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, the
All that money has bought the industry public officials will-
Washington Post and CNN.
ing to ignore the science. President Bush, who has received $100
It’s time to change the paradigm. As Hans Blix and Sir David
million in energy industry largesse, says "the jury’s still out" on
King, and the Pentagon have recognized, global warming poses a
global warming. Powerful senate Environment and Public Works
far graver threat to America than terrorism. As we consider the
Committee chair James Inhoffe (who has received over $1 million
relative culpability of corporate criminals who are putting the
in energy industry cash in 10 years) calls global warming a
planet at risk and engineering a massive deception to defraud
"farce" and the senate Commerce Science and Transport chair-
the public and our lawmakers, it’s worth remembering Teddy
man Senator Ted Stevens who has received $560,000 from the
Roosevelt’s oft-repeated statement that our nation would never
energy and transportation industries, recently said that "global
be destroyed by a foreign enemy and his warning that our dem-
warming is the biggest hoax perpetuated on the American peo-
ocratic institution would be subverted by "malfactors of great
ple." Meanwhile, Stevens’ home state Alaska is currently heating
wealth" who would erode them from within. WK
up ten times faster than anywhere else, with frightening results
already obvious to anyone with open eyes; warming weather is
destroying villages, threatening polar bears, walruses and seals
10 54 70 86
CONTENTS
Staff © 2004 Waterkeeper Alliance. Reproduction of editorial content only, is authorized with
Steve Fleischli Executive Director appropriate credit and acknowledgement. Waterkeeper, Channelkeeper and Lakekeeper
Susan Sanderson Development Director are registered trademarks and service marks of Waterkeeper Alliance, Inc. Coastkeeper,
Eddie Scher Communications Director Creekkeeper, Gulfkeeper and Inletkeeper are trademarks and service marks licensed by
Scott Edwards Legal Director Waterkeeper Alliance, Inc. Riverkeeper is a registered trademark and service mark of
Jeffrey Odefey Staff Attorney Riverkeeper, Inc. and is licensed for use herein. Baykeeper and Deltakeeper are
Erin Fitzsimmons Chesapeake Regional Coordinator registered trademarks and service marks of Waterkeepers Northern California and are
Thomas Byrne Field Coordinator licensed for use herein. Soundkeeper is a registered trademark and service mark of
Cate White Development and Communications Soundkeeper, Inc. and is licensed for use herein.
Associate
Inside pages printed on Domtar Schooner paper with up to 20% post-consumer content,
Janelle Hope Robbins Staff Scientist
and at least 17.5% of the fiber used in the manufacturing process comes from well-
Richard J. Dove Waterkeeper Liaison
managed forests in accordance to the rules of the Forest Stewardship Council.
Mary Beth Postman Assistant to the President
Lauren Brown Staff Attorney Printed in USA • Cummings Printing
Sharon Kahn Economics Fellow
Waterkeeper NEWS
Shipyard
The Duwamish Shipyard is a ship repair facility that services tug boats,
barges, fishing vessels, passenger ferries, and pleasure craft.
The Duwamish River drains into Elliott Bay in Seattle, Washington.
On October 1, the Washington State Department of Ecology issued a
Caught Red-Handed Notice of Violation to the Duwamish Shipyard. On October 27 the
Duwamish Shipyard denied two of the three events. The State is now
assessing whether to issue a penalty. The Soundkeeper is continuing its
T
he Puget Soundkeeper was looking for illegal pollutant
discharges and found what she was looking for. A pipe, patrols.
haphazardly jutting from Duwamish Shipyard’s graving dock, was
pouring foul-smelling water directly into the Duwamish River.
The Soundkeeper team went to work immediately. Skipper Paul
Frederickson backed the Soundkeeper vessel into the discolored pool
forming below the pipe. Puget Soundkeeper Sue Joerger got on her cell
phone to the regional Department of Ecology inspector to report the
water quality violation. Richard Woo, Executive Director of the Russell
Family Foundation, who was on the boat for a tour with the Soundkeeper,
took photos to document the incident. They filled over a dozen water
bottles with samples of the discharge. Later, analysis at the King County
Environmental Lab indicated high levels of copper, zinc, fecal coliform, and
sediment.
A citizen had reported a similar event to the Soundkeeper’s Pollution
Hotline the previous week. Later, a third incident was documented by
another Puget Soundkeeper patrol.
Reddish-orange discharge pours from the Duwamish Shipyard’s
graving dock Photo: Puget Soundkeeper
T
his summer Columbia Riverkeeper discovered that the Point Adams
1, 2004. Tamminen founded Santa Monica Baykeeper in chicken processing facility was illegally dumping hundreds of thousands
1993, initiating the recently settled City of Los Angeles sewage case, of pounds of Foster Farm raw chicken parts waste into the Columbia
and serves on the California Coastkeeper Alliance Board.Tamminen River. After surveillance of the facility and an investigation, the Riverkeeper
previously served as California’s Secretary of the Environment. alerted the plant that they were preparing a lawsuit and alerted authorities at the
In his new position he will serve as a direct liaison between the U.S. EPA's criminal division. EPA raided the facility shortly thereafter, seizing
governor and cabinet members, which includes all agency and documents and computers for possible criminal prosecution.
department directors. The processing facility ceased the illegal chicken discharges and agreed to pay
$200,000 to settle violation claims. Under the settlement, Columbia
Riverkeeper will direct funds to groups working for river protection to restore
and defend the Columbia River. Eighty Thousand dollars will go to support
restoration on the Skipanon River, important salmon spawning habitat for
Columbia River salmon. An additional $40,000 will go to the Columbia Springs
Environmental Education Center to purchase some of the last spawning habitat
for chum salmon in the Columbia Basin. The settlement will go a long way to
restore damage to the river and dissuade other polluters.
Internal EPA
Investigation Slams
Agency
Photo: Stephen Holt
E
nvironmental Protection Agency’s own Office of the Inspector standard for mercury that would result in national emissions of 34 tons
General issued a scathing report on Thursday, February 3, harshly annually."
criticizing the methodology and the content of its proposed These EPA officials set a goal that would save industry money, instead of
mercury emissions rule. one that was truly achievable by the industry and protective of human
Under the Clean Air Act, Congress instructed EPA to create a mercury health. Not coincidently, 34 tons is the same amount of mercury that would
reduction plan that reflected the mercury emission levels that top be emitted by the industry if they installed absolutely no mercury control
performing units are actually achieving in their day-to-day operation – a technologies, but simply complied with other provisions of the Clean Air Act
standard that is referred to under the Act as the Maximum Achievable that require reductions in emissions of other dangerous gases from
Control Technology or MACT. Instead, the Inspector General’s report coal-fired power plants.
found that "EPA senior management instructed EPA staff to develop a MACT EPA’s proposed rule is due to be finalized by March 15, 2005.
Oil Spill on the Delaware and water quality. Dense slugs of tar (some five feet thick), small tar balls,
and a slick oily sheen spread over 60 miles down the River to the Delaware
Bay and into the ocean. A toxic, industrial stench hung heavy over riverside
communities. After just two weeks, 119 miles of shoreline were
contaminated.
Delaware Riverkeeper Maya van Rossum’s first order of business was to
help the community learn what had happened and how they could help.
Photo: Delaware Riverkeeper
O
n the evening of November 26, as many were enjoying But responsibility for an oil spill falls squarely on the shoulders of the
Thanksgiving leftovers, the Delaware River was suffering its worst tanker owners and operators. Navigating an oil tanker is always risky.
oil spill in decades. As many as 473,000 gallons of Venezuelan It is also a privilege that comes with the responsibility to avoid and repair
crude spewed into the River from the Greek oil tanker Athos I. this kind of harm. The Riverkeeper, along with Delaware Riverkeeper
The oil tanker was maneuvering to come in to dock when it hit a 15 foot Network members, volunteers, and the surrounding communities, will now
curved hunk of rusting steel resting at the bottom of the Delaware. The work to ensure that those responsible pay natural resources damages to
impact tore two holes into the bottom of the single-hulled tanker. support scientific studies of the environmental impacts of the spill and
The thick crude oil spread quickly, covering more of the River and, with the projects that will help the River heal.
tides, flowing up tributary streams contaminating sensitive habitats, wildlife,
John Lessord, age 69, spent time on Christmas Eve replacing booms used in the Area of spill and former fuel depot
fuel recovery process.These booms are designed to absorb petroleum and must
be periodically removed from the water and wrung out. Ice has hampered
clean-up operations which will resume in the spring Photos: Erie Canalkeeper
Lower Miss.
Riverkeeper
and Friends Brief Louisiana
Officials
T
he Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper together with the
Louisiana Environmental Action Network and the Bluff
Swamp Wildlife Refuge and Botanical Gardens gave
senior staff from the Louisiana Department of Environmental
Quality a tour of fragile wetlands that are part of the historical
Mississippi River basin. During the tour the agency staff were
briefed about environmental problems along the "chemical
corridor" (the stretch of the Mississippi River between Baton
Marylee Orr, the Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper, with colleague Rouge and New Orleans).
A
fter a powerful rainstorm it’s thrilling to stand on a bridge permeable pavement as a low-impact pollution-prevention measure.
and watch torrents of coffee-colored water rage through a Gary Minton, Ph.D., with Resource Planning Associates of Seattle
creek bed. But stormwater isn’t only dangerous for its fury and author of Stormwater Treatment: Biological, Chemical, and
and intent to uproot everything in its path. It’s also hazardous waste. Engineering Principles, and Andrew Reese a professional engineer
Stormwater runoff is a major source of pollution because it sweeps with AMEC Earth and Environmental Inc. of Nashville and co-author
everything off streets and lawns—from engine oil to weed killer–and of Municipal Stormwater Management, will discuss assessments of
into storm drains. Louisiana State University civil engineering current practices. John Kosco, an engineer with Pasadena,
professor John Sansalone has found that 144 feet of highway can California–based TetraTech, is a former EPA official and an expert on
yield a large milk carton’s worth of heavy metal–laden pollutants NPDES who will cover construction site runoff measures.
after a good rain. Too often stormwater flows into oceans and lakes The environmental engineering and science expertise featured at
untreated. StormCon show how Phase II is distributing the burden of environ-
O
n December 10, the Potomac Riverkeeper, Assateague Coastkeeper,
Chester Riverkeeper, and South Riverkeeper filed suit against U.S. EPA to
compel the federal government to take responsibility away from Maryland
for setting pollutant limits for state waterways. The federal Clean Water Act requires
states to set "total maximum daily loads" (TMDLs) for pollution into waterways that
are unsafe for their "designated uses" (including drinking, swimming, and boating).
The initial deadline for setting TMDLs was 1979. The Maryland Department of the
Environment did not submit its first TMDL to EPA until 1998, and currently is setting
limits for an average of 19 impaired water bodies a year. At this rate, the state will not
be finished until 2037, 58 years after the initial deadline to set these limits.
Waters throughout the state are impaired by pollutants such as bacteria, metals,
nutrients, sediments, and toxic substances. The University of Maryland Environmental
Law Clinic is representing the Chesapeake Waterkeeper programs.
Proposition O
with environmentalists, neighborhood organizations, business groups, and
dozens of city and state officials supported the measure, which had no
formal opposition.
For Clean Water Passes in Los Angeles The $500 million bond secured a 75 percent "yes" vote, easily
surpassing the two-thirds margin necessary. Monies will be raised through
On November 2, 2004, voters in Los Angeles went to the polls and declared
property taxes, averaging about $35 a year on a $350,000 home for 24 years.
a historic mandate for clean water. Faced with increasingly
The measure provides a strong accountability element, including the
stringent regulations, city officials have recently been struggling with how to
appointment of a citizens oversight committee that will review proposed
pay for solutions to water pollution problems. Over several months, Santa
projects to make sure they are responsible, cost-efficient, and result in real
Monica Baykeeper and other environmental organizations worked with the
water quality improvements. Also notable about Proposition O is that it
city to carefully craft Proposition O – a measure to increase funding for
passed with such a high margin of victory. Several other spending measures
water improvement projects. These projects will benefit every L.A.
on the local ballot failed, but the public clearly put the basic need for clean
neighborhood by upgrading storm drains, eliminating flooding, creating
water as a top priority.
community parks, restoring wetlands, and improving water quality. Along
T
he Upper Neuse Riverkeeper Dean Naujoks and Lower Neuse speakers could be heard. A strong, coordinated grassroots campaign
Riverkeeper Larry Baldwin successfully defeated a controversial covering both ends of the Neuse river basin generated about 1000
proposal that, if approved, would have more than doubled comments asking the agency to deny the permit. The Riverkeepers also
nitrogen pollution into the drinking water supply for 380,000 people. obtained support from municipalities and numerous state legislators
In spring 2004 the town of Butner, North Carolina, purchased water throughout the river basin, including State Senate President Marc Basnight
pollution trading credits for 61,300 pounds of nitrogen per year from a and State Attorney General Roy Cooper. The Attorney General’s office
downstream municipality. This permit, if allowed, would transfer the went even further, questioning the merits of water pollution trading. City
pollution more than 250 miles up the Neuse River into Falls Lake – head- officials have withdrawn the proposed trade until a study of Falls Lake is
waters of the River. Town officials claimed the expansion was necessary for completed and a new nutrient management plan is completed.
needed plant expansion and economic growth.
But Falls Lake already suffers from too many nutrients. Neuse
Riverkeepers argued that increased nitrogen loading would further degrade
water quality in Falls Lake, imperiling the waterbody, and that the trade vio-
lates the federal Clean Water Act, which forbids expanding
discharges that "contribute to a violation of water quality standards."
This fall, the North Carolina Division of Water Quality agreed to host a
public hearing after the two Neuse Riverkeepers brought this issue to the
attention of state officials, EPA, and the media. Public turnout exceeded the
capacity of the room and a second hearing was scheduled so that all
Sweet Home
Turning Around Alabama’s Department of
ADEM’s Board of Directors finally acknowledged the
problems with Mr.Warr’s leadership on October 19, 2004 and
elected to terminate his tenure as director. Now Mobile
Baykeeper and coalition members will play a direct role in the
Environmental Management. selection of a new director by serving on the stakeholder
committee charged with that task.
By Casi Calloway Alabama is at a crossroads. We can select a new
director who will uphold ADEM’s mission "to protect and
improve the quality of Alabama’s
environment and the health of all its
citizens," or we can hire another
industrialist fat-cat. We will fight for the
appointment of a responsible director
committed to the protection of
Alabama’s natural resources. We will do
all we can to ensure that Alabama
remains a place worth coming home to.
W
hen I was growing up, I never thought that I would return to
Alabama after college. Many of my friends felt the same way.
We wanted to live and work in big, fast-paced cities in the north,
until we realized the potential of the great state we had left behind.
Unfortunately, many things must change for this state to live up to the
slogan we all used to sport on our license plates; "Alabama the Beautiful."
Our state currently ranks 50th in the nation in spending on matters of
environmental protection. Alabama was among the last states to create an
environmental protection agency, and that only happened at the federal
government’s behest. Even then the Alabama Department of Environmental
Management" (ADEM) seemed to be nothing more than a "one-stop" pollution
permitting shop. ADEM’s lax enforcement of permits and failure to collect fines
from known violators made headlines and brought even more negative
attention to Alabama.
In 2002, however, seven environmental organizations joined forces to form
the ADEM Reform Coalition. The Coalition is guided and supported by Mobile
Baykeeper, Black Warrior Riverkeeper, Hurricane Creekkeeper, and
Choctawhatchee Riverkeeper. I am happy to report that we are making real
I
t is my great pleasure to be given an opportunity to share with crabs and fish, are expanding, oyster populations are just two
you my vision for the Chesapeake Bay and for the importance percent of historic numbers, and submerged aquatic vegetation
of water quality to the aquatic ecosystems that Waterkeepers continues to decline. The major culprit is water quality
across the nation are working to protect and restore. To para- degradation due to excessive nutrients and sediments. Sources of
phrase the recent findings of the Chesapeake Bay Blue Ribbon these pollutants include municipal and industrial wastewater,
Panel, "…there will never be another time when restored water- runoff associated with certain agricultural practices and urban
ways are more achievable, or less expensive, than right now." sprawl, and atmospheric deposition.
The declining health of the Chesapeake Bay is well-document- However, the root of the problem lies with our land use and
ed: "dead zones," where oxygen levels are too low to support population growth in the watershed. Each year 100,000
additional people call the authority over land use, stormwater management, and water and
Bay watershed home and 100 sewer management. Associated with these responsibilities are
acres of open space and heavy burdens related to financing, technical expertise, and
forests are lost each day. The education.
result is overburdened I am working with local governments and other stakeholders in
U.S. Rep.Wayne Gilchrest represents sewage treatment facilities the Chesapeake Bay restoration effort to improve federal support
Maryland’s Eastern Shore and increased stormwater for local Bay clean-up efforts for the immediate future and beyond
runoff from new housing the CBP 2010 deadline.
developments, shopping centers, and roads, with additional costs As chairman of the House Resources Subcommittee on
for mitigation and reversal of subsequent environmental damage. Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans, I held a field hearing
In 1983 the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) was created to in December to learn more about the challenges local
coordinate the Bay cleanup effort. It is a regional partnership that governments face and the opportunities they can bring to ultimate
includes the states of Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania; the Bay restoration. The issues are complicated and varied and
District of Columbia; the Chesapeake Bay Commission (a tri-state include the influence of land use and atmospheric deposition on
legislative body); and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency nutrient loading; the consequences (both ecological and from a
(EPA) for the federal government. The CBP has been hailed as a human health perspective) of introducing non-native oysters to
model for its coordination of local, state, and Federal the Bay; the role menhaden play in water quality; the status of
stakeholders. developing and implementing Tributary Strategies; and the imped-
In 2000 the CBP set specific reductions of nutrients and iments local governments encounter in addressing all of these.
sediment that must be met by 2010 for each major tributary. These challenges will only grow more complex and costly to
Although a great deal of progress has been made in reducing nutri- address with time. However, with the help and enthusiasm of our
ent loads to the Bay, we still have a long way to go and only a few Waterkeepers and other stakeholders, I feel confident about what
years to meet the 2010 goals. we can achieve together to meet these challenges and to more
Local governments are at the front lines of the cleanup effort, effectively integrate growing human infrastructure needs with
and are uniquely situated to implement actions that will restore nature’s infrastructure. WK
the water quality in the Bay. There are over 1,650 local govern-
ments throughout the Bay watershed, and each has statutory
W
hat are the politics of creativity and the tools our laws provide.
water? Where is the They now, however, have to fight the battle
greatest threat to the on many fronts including a changing politi-
environment? And what will it take to stem cal landscape at all levels of government.
the flood of regressive political actions in The political landscape is always in flux.
the increasingly complex battleground of Laws that provide protection for our natu-
courts, shifting laws, international trade ral life support system can be erased or
agreements, executive orders, and state weakened by legislative changes or execu-
and local rulemaking? tive orders that often go unnoticed by the
Waterkeepers come from all different public. The streams of bills on federal,
walks of life with different family and state, and local levels are refreshed each
economic histories, political leanings, and session cycle; some are positive, some
regional conceptions of the world. There is, have possibilities, and others are hurtful.
however, a common thread among The Clean Water Act and other federal bod- On the floor of the Connecticut State
Waterkeepers that sticks out like a bright ies of law are under constant attack from Assembly Photo: Soundkeeper
red fiber on a gray flannel background. various interest groups. Executive orders
That commonality is a commitment to pro- can nullify the effects of protective meas-
tect our life-sustaining environment and ures and in many cases the citizens are
enhance the place where we all live. none the wiser. Entering my seventh term as a State
Waterkeepers also share the idea that their A Waterkeeper’s greatest asset is the Legislator in Connecticut, and being
individual efforts will coalesce together people’s desire for a world with clean air Soundkeeper for Long Island Sound, I have
into a blanket of protections across the and water. Most polls show that the public some perspectives on the legislative
nation and world. Waterkeepers share the overwhelmingly supports strong environ- process. In a word or two - it ain’t easy.
methods and tools they deploy to achieve mental laws including provisions for citi- Anyone who has made the transition from
the goals of a clean, productive, and livable zens’ empowerment, as in the citizen suit either direction (coming from a policymak-
world. These long-standing tools, created provision of the Clean Water Act. ing wing of government to being a
by government, are threatened by polluters Enlightened laws like these make it possi- Waterkeeper, or from a Waterkeeper to
with an aggressive political agenda to ble for Waterkeepers to do their job. The government) will instantly recognize the
shelve them away. In order to help stem public supports protection and enhance- different ground rules and responsibilities
the tide, environmentalists need to be ment of the environment. But in the daily for the different roles. Performing both
more diverse in their approach to getting toil of life, the public misses the cleverly duties concurrently adds to the complexity.
things done, or not done, as some cases veiled attacks on protections. In legisla- No longer afforded the luxury to say I love
may be. It is time for Waterkeepers and tures across the country, the climate that or hate any proposal, I am now compelled
people of a similar ilk to take the plunge promotes the rolling back of protections is to ask deeper questions. Whatever I decide
into being citizen legislators. at an all time high. The environmental pro- can’t be singularly ideological; it must be
Waterkeepers can respond or act proac- tections passed into law in the 1970s functional. Producing legislation that will
tively to applications, proposals, and dra- would not even get a reading in the pass on the floor, be signed by the
matic events that impact our waters with Congress of today. Governor, and work as law is both the
ballot propositions across the nation pro- requirement advocates are not bound to.
posing spending on local parks or environ- To do that, you have to develop the neces-
mental infrastructure improvements were sary political skills of give and take. Like
overwhelmingly successful. The Trust for most things, politics are as much about
Public Land calculates that nationwide this personal relationships as they are about
Y
ou may know me as an actor, but I am also extremely concerned about
our environment. We are at a turning point in our country right now.
Over the past four years we’ve witnessed the dismantling of the pro-
tections of our air and water by the Bush administration.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. describes this unprecedented situation in his book
Crimes Against Nature – which I hope everyone will go out and get, and read, and
understand. It is a call to action. Each of us must do what we can to speak up
for the environment with our own words and deeds. Kennedy and the 129 local
members of Waterkeeper Alliance are fighting to protect what we as Americans
should have as a birthright - clean air, clean water, and healthy children.
Waterkeepers are out patrolling their waterways, standing up to polluters and
bringing lawsuits to protect precious waters across the nation. Waterkeepers
are the champions of the people and the fish and wildlife whose lives depend on
clean water.
It may be hard to focus on environmental issues at times like these. But we
shouldn’t let our guard down. We must not allow Congress and big oil compa-
nies do what they want with our national wilderness areas. They are part of our
heritage. We can’t let these corporate powerhouses fool us into thinking that our
only energy resource is oil. We need our government to encourage innovation.
Let’s tell Congress we want to focus on clean energy solutions that will reduce
our demand for oil – like new technology cars that use little or no gas. So let’s
do the real patriotic thing. Let’s tell our Senators and our Representatives that
drilling in the Arctic will never solve our country’s energy problems.
–Leonardo DiCaprio
Chacun a droit à des cours d’eaux en santé. L’approche du mouvement Waterkeeper – l’activisme
communautaire local, soutenu par l’Alliance à une plus grande échelle – est la meilleure façon de protéger ce
droit. On compte actuellement 129 programmes locaux des Waterkeepers en Amérique du Nord et du Sud, en
Europe et en Australie. Dans ce numéro, nous avons demandé aux membres internationaux de la Waterkeeper
Alliance de nous raconter leur histoire.
Cada uno tiene el derecho a agua limpia. El modelo Waterkeeper - activismo local, dirigido por la
comunidad, apoyado por la alianza más amplia - es la mejor manera de asegurar este derecho. Ahora hay 129
programas locales de Waterkeeper que trabajan en América del norte y del sur, Europa, y Australia. En esta
edición, pedimos nuestros Waterkeepers internacionales contarnos sus historias.
߈ࠇߥ᳓ • ᒝࠦࡒࡘ࠾࠹ࠖ
Chuyak Yaku • Jatun Llaktakuna
ьѸѦѲѝ • зњѥєѝѥєѤззѨѲьѝѤкзє
Temiz Su • Güçlü Toplum
House lights go down. Stage lights come up in a renovated water- Les lumières de la salle diminuent. Celles de la scène s’allument
front warehouse nightclub. Inscribed on the wall, just visible in the dans une boîte de nuit située dans un entrepôt rénové du secteur
now–darkened room, is a centuries-old description of this location. riverain. Une description de cet endroit, vieille de plusieurs siècles,
It is clear that Lake Ontario bears little resemblance to what est inscrite sur le mur, maintenant visible dans la salle obscure.
Elizabeth Simcoe saw when she penned these words shortly after Manifestement, le lac Ontario ne ressemble plus guère à ce
arriving from England in 1791. qu’Elizabeth Simcoe a vu lorsqu’elle écrivit ces mots peu après
It is Toronto Bay, Lake Ontario, June 21, 2003. être arrivée d’Angleterre en 1791.
Tonight the audience is a collection of some of the most powerful Nous sommes sur le bord de la baie de Toronto, dans le lac
clean water advocates in the world. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. takes the Ontario, le 21 juin 2003.
stage and tells the audience, "This lake is the forgotten lake. It was L’assistance se compose ce soir d’une brochette de certains des
taken over by government agencies and by industry, and stolen from défenseurs de la qualité de l’eau les plus puissants du monde.
the public." It is now time to take our lake back. Robert F. Kennedy fils monte sur scène et déclare à l’auditoire :
It is the last night of Waterkeeper Alliance’s Annual Conference, « Ce lac est le lac oublié. Les organismes gouvernementaux
the first time such a gathering has been held outside the United et l’industrie s’en sont emparés et l’ont volé au public. »
States. One hundred fifteen Waterkeepers from the US, Canada, and L’heure est maintenant venue de reprendre notre lac.
Latin America are joined by dozens of Canadian activists, drinking in C’est la dernière soirée de la conférence annuelle de la
Kennedy’s words, and soaking up the inspiring presence of so many Waterkeeper Alliance, premier rassemblement du genre à se tenir à
grassroots leaders. l’extérieur des États-Unis. Cent quinze Waterkeepers des
Words spoken this night will resonate for years to come. One Toutefois, cette richesse n’est pas absolue. Si l’on juge de la
member of the audience will bring the message of waterfront renew- qualité de nos cours d’eau d’après notre capacité d’y nager, d’y
al to a mayoral candidate who will make it the centerpiece of his win- pêcher et d’en boire en toute sécurité, nous constatons que le
ning platform. Another, a pioneer in television broadcasting, will Canada s’appauvrit de plus en plus. Dans de nombreuses localités
become one of the movement’s most influential supporters in canadiennes, il est essentiel pour la santé de la communauté que
Canada. l’on puisse se rendre sur le rivage et aller se baigner; pourtant,
As Kennedy’s words ring out over the sounds of clinking beer nous assistons à une épidémie de pollution dans chacune des
glasses and periodic cheers, a benefit concert across the street bol- provinces. Tous les jours, des milliards de litres d’eaux usées se
sters support for a city ravaged by the deadly SARS virus. In just two déversent dans nos eaux. Des villes importantes comme Halifax et
years’ time, the headliners of that show, The Tragically Hip, will bring Victoria rejettent dans l’océan des eaux d’égout brutes sans
the cry of the Waterkeeper movement to one hundred thousand fans aucune forme de traitement. L’été, toutes les plages du lac Ontario
on a cross-country tour. sont contaminées par des bactéries. Ces quatre dernières années
On this summer night, a corner is being turned. Waterkeeper seulement, 20 000 personnes sont tombées malades parce que
Alliance has come to Canada. des eaux d’égout s’étaient infiltrées dans leur eau potable.
Canada has always been a country of water. It has the longest Toutefois, notre eau potable contient des choses pires encore
shoreline in the world (200,000 kilometres). More of this country is que des eaux usées. En août 2003, une panne d’électricité a frappé
covered by freshwater than any other country (755,000 square kilo- la majeure partie de l’est de l’Amérique du Nord. L’une des régions
meters or nearly 300,000 square miles). Canada is home to North les plus touchées fut Sarnia, en Ontario, capitale pétrochimique du
America’s second longest river system and the world’s largest bay. It Canada. Située sur les rives de la rivière St. Clair, la ville de Sarnia
also borders the largest freshwater system on the planet. Water is compte plus d’une vingtaine de grands fabricants de produits
the reason that Canada is the country it is today. It provided the First pétrochimiques et de raffineries de pétrole. Quand l’interruption de
Nations and, much later, European colonizers means for travel, courant se produisit, les ensembles industriels tombèrent en
trade, and permanent settlement. Water links Canada’s three panne. Une entreprise, Royal Polymers, déversa environ 650 livres
coasts, nurtures crops, and, even in the coldest northern extremes, de chlorure de vinyle dans les eaux de la rivière St. Clair.
provides nourishment for people. Près de deux semaines s’écoulèrent avant que l’on ne rapporte
But this wealth is not absolute. If we judge the health of our le déversement de chlorure de vinyle. Les services de santé
waterways by our ability to safely swim, drink, and fish, then we see communautaire émirent alors un avis de faire bouillir l’eau, recom-
that Canada is increasingly impoverished. The ability to walk down mandant que l’on y ajoute de l’eau de Javel domestique afin de « la
to the shore and swim is central to the health of many Canadian rendre propre à la consommation ». « On devrait pouvoir sentir une
communities; yet, there is an epidemic of pollution in every faible odeur de chlore après avoir désinfecté l’eau adéquatement.
province. Billions of litres of sewage flow into our waters every sin- » C’est là une stratégie efficace pour tuer les agents pathogènes,
gle day. Major cities such as Halifax and Victoria dump raw sewage mais qui demeure complètement sans effet dans le cas des
into the ocean without any treatment whatsoever. In summer, every produits chimiques industriels toxiques. Les résidents et les
beach on Lake Ontario is polluted with bacteria. In the last four résidentes de Stag Island, en aval de Sarnia, souffrirent de
years alone, twenty thousand people became ill because of sewage nausées, de désorientation et de léthargie. Ils doivent maintenant
contamination in their drinking water. composer avec le fait que le chlorure de vinyle est un carcinogène
publishes national advisories, suggesting that women and children tant que mouvement populaire. Dans le cadre du premier
indulge in fish such as shark, swordfish, and tuna just once a month. partenariat entre des citoyens et Environnement Canada, les
Pollution creates the need for these advisories. Industrial emis- Waterkeepers ont réalisé des enquêtes sur des fuites dans des
sions, illegal dumping, and improper waste disposal introduce con- dépotoirs, qui ont conduit à des condamnations et à la
taminants such as mercury and PCBs into waterways. Once in our restauration d’un site où l’on avait jeté des déchets du projet
waters, these contaminants build up in fish and birds, posing a Manhattan. Ils ont lutté pour l’amélioration des processus de prise
threat to the ecosystem and the humans who consume them. de décision et contesté les lois canadiennes sur l’évaluation
Ironically, Canada has perhaps the world’s strongest laws pro- environnementale pour leur manque de vision. La remise en
tecting fish and habitat. Polluting the ocean with sewage is illegal. question des politiques du gouvernement fédéral par les
Poisoning water supplies with chemicals is illegal. Contaminating Waterkeepers a reçu l’appui du Bureau du vérificateur général et
fish and destroying their habitat is illegal. Yet, Canadians can no s’est traduite par la protection améliorée des Grands Lacs.
longer safely swim, drink, or fish the waters of this nation; here, in En octobre 2004, ces Canadiens et ces Canadiennes se sont à
the country of water. nouveau réunis dans l’entrepôt où la Waterkeeper Alliance s’était
Enter the Waterkeepers. Waterkeepers are here to win back our rassemblée en 2003. Alors que l’écho de la première conférence
lakes, rivers, and coasts. They enforce the laws that government internationale des Waterkeepers tenue dix-huit mois plus tôt
ignores. They ensure compliance when industry does not. résonnait encore, les Waterkeepers du Canada ont élaboré une
Waterkeepers are restoring this country’s historic wealth one water- stratégie pour reconquérir les cours d’eau du pays. Un mois plus
way, one community at a time. tard, ils lançaient www.waterkeepers.ca – un site Web qui présente
Daniel LeBlanc, Petitcodiac Riverkeeper, was Canada’s first mem- leurs programmes locaux aux Canadiens et aux Canadiennes et qui
ber of Waterkeeper Alliance. He launched his program in 1999 and décrit les fondements du mouvement.
was quickly followed by programs in Ontario, Alberta, and British Deux semaines plus tard, Waterkeepers Canada a pris la route
Columbia. Today, there are eight established Canadian Waterkeeper en compagnie des Tragically Hip, le célèbre groupe de musique
programs and many more in development. rock. La tournée, qui s’est rendue de Vancouver à Halifax, a
sewn when the first causeway choked a river and the first steel plant
spewed out chemical blobs. Momentum intensified when the first
government agency turned a blind eye. Across the country, water
quality was suffering as public resources were bargained away. So,
when Robert Kennedy, Jr. stood on that Toronto stage in 2002 and
Photo: CP/JONATHAN HAYWARD
called Lake Ontario a "forgotten lake," his message resonated.
People understood that he could have been speaking about any
enquête en 2003-2004 dans le cadre d’une collaboration
number of waterways in Canada.
binationale entre le Canadian Detroit Riverkeeper, le St. Clair
Two years later, there is a new voice for waterways and commu-
Channelkeeper, le Lake Ontario Waterkeeper et l’École de droit de
nities in Canada, and a renewed commitment to environmental law
l’University of Windsor, dont le rapport a recommandé que ces
enforcement and grassroots participation.
accusations soient portées. De plus, le gouvernement provincial
Remember the company that dumped the vinyl chloride into the
continue d’évoquer l’appui des Waterkeepers en défendant auprès
St. Clair River? They’ve been charged with four separate violations of
des grandes entreprises ses nouvelles lois vigoureuses contre les
Ontario law and are facing fines of up to $12.5 million. A binational
déversements.
collaboration between Canadian Detroit Riverkeeper, St. Clair
Vous vous souvenez du pont-chaussée qui a causé
Channelkeeper, Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, and the University of
l’envasement de la rivière Petitcodiac et l’effondrement de ses
Windsor Law School investigated the chemical spill in 2003-2004
pêcheries? Les Sentinelles de la Petitcodiac ont été à l’origine de
and issued a report recommending that those charges be laid.
l’une des évaluations des impacts environnementaux les plus
Further, the provincial government continues to cite the support of
exhaustives de l’histoire du Canada. Les experts viennent de
Waterkeepers as it defends its tough new anti-spills legislation
recommander de restaurer le libre écoulement de la rivière, et
against corporate interests.
l’héritage du pont–chaussée sera bientôt chose du passé.
Remember the causeway that choked the Petitcodiac River and
Pendant ce temps, les Waterkeepers des Grands Lacs exercent
wiped out its fishery? The Petitcodiac Riverkeeper led the charge for
une surveillance et font enquête sur les réseaux d’égout qui
one of the most comprehensive environmental impact assessments
empoisonnent leurs plages. En 2004, le Lake Ontario Waterkeeper
in Canadian history. Experts have just recommended restoring free
a amené le gouvernement de l’Ontario à effectuer un examen
flow to the river and the legacy of the land bridge will soon be over.
juridique de sa politique à l’égard des plages, après qu’une
Meanwhile, the Great Lakes Waterkeepers are monitoring and
enquête menée sur trois ans eut révélé que chacune des
investigating the sewage systems that are poisoning their beaches.
municipalités visées par l’enquête avait enfreint la loi sans
In 2004, Lake Ontario Waterkeeper triggered a legal review of
qu’aucune accusation ne soit portée.
Ontario’s beach policy after a three-year investigation revealed that
La venue de la Waterkeeper Alliance au Canada en 2003 a rallié
every municipality investigated had broken the law, but had never
un appui en faveur de la qualité de l’eau tel qu’on n’en avait jamais
been charged.
vu auparavant. Les Waterkeepers sont dévoués. Les Canadiens et
Bringing Waterkeeper Alliance to Canada in 2003 rallied support
les Canadiennes sont passionnés. Après un siècle de négligence et
for clean water in a way the country had never seen before. The
de manque de respect, une chose est claire : les eaux du Canada
Waterkeepers are dedicated. Canadians are passionate. After a cen-
sont sorties de l’oubli. WK
tury of neglect and disregard, one thing is clear: Canada’s waters are
forgotten no more. WK
The mighty Petitcodiac River, with its signature chocolaty brown flow, once teemed with fish and migrating shorebirds. Prior to the
1960’s, the powerful tides of the Bay of Fundy flowed up the river twice a day, bringing a tidal bore as high as 2 metres and as fast as 13
km/hour. The tide reached the headwaters of the Petitcodiac River system then receded back to the ocean, leaving nutrient-rich mudflats
behind.
But in 1968, a causeway built across the river in downtown Moncton cut the tidal river in half, choked the entire ecosystem and changed
everything. For the last three and a half decades, the saltwater tide no longer flows upstream of the causeway and fish from the ocean can no
longer reach the headwater streams where they spawn.
Since launched in 1999 as Canada’s first Waterkeeper program, the Petitcodiac Riverkeeper has rallied the communities of his watershed
towards the goal of restoring this once majestic tidal river and initiated a series of environmental law enforcement measures that promise to
win back this historic waterway for the enjoyment of future generations.
Through the tireless efforts of the Petitcodiac Riverkeeper, an end to the 40 year battle to save the Petitcodiac River is now in sight. Experts
leading a comprehensive environmental impact assessment on the future of the river recently recommended either the permanent opening of
the causeway gates or the replacement of the causeway with a partial bridge. A final decision on the river’s fate will be taken sometime in
2005.
Either option will be a giant leap forward towards restoring
the free flow of water and is great news for the fish – experts
estimate that nine of the ten species of fish that historically
called the Petitcodiac River home will immediately return to
their natural spawning grounds, and the tenth, Atlantic salmon,
will return after stocking programs. WK
Autrefois, la majestueuse rivière Petitcodiac, avec ses eaux d’un brun chocolat caractéristique, fourmillait de poissons et d’oiseaux de
rivage migrateurs. Avant les années 1960, les puissantes marées de la baie de Fundy remontaient la rivière deux fois par jour, apportant un
mascaret qui pouvait mesurer une hauteur de 2 mètres et se déplacer à une vitesse de 13 km/h. La marée atteignait le haut du réseau de la
rivière Petitcodiac, puis se retirait vers l’océan, laissant derrière elle des vasières riches en éléments nutritifs.
Cependant, en 1968, on a construit un pont-chaussée sur la rivière au centre-ville de Moncton, qui a coupé la rivière à marées en deux,
étouffé l’ensemble de l’écosystème et complètement changé la situation. Depuis les trois dernières décennies et demie, l’eau salée poussée
par les marées ne remonte plus en amont du pont-chaussée et les poissons de l’océan ne peuvent plus se rendre dans les ruisseaux d’amont
pour y frayer.
Depuis leur création en 1999 en tant que premier programme Waterkeeper au Canada, les Sentinelles de la rivière Petitcodiac ont rallié les
communautés de ce bassin versant dans le but de restaurer cette rivière à marées autrefois majestueuse et d’instaurer un train de mesures
en faveur de l’application des lois environnementales, qui permettront de reconquérir ce cours d’eau historique pour que les générations
futures puissent en profiter.
Grâce aux efforts inlassables des Sentinelles de la rivière Petitcodiac, on voit maintenant se profiler la fin de la bataille amorcée il y a 40
ans pour sauver la rivière Petitcodiac. Des experts qui ont dirigé une évaluation en profondeur des impacts environnementaux sur l’avenir de
la rivière ont récemment recommandé soit l’ouverture permanente des vannes du pont-chaussée, soit le remplacement du pont-chaussée par
un pont partiel. Une décision finale sur le sort de la rivière sera prise quelque part en 2005.
N’importe quelle de ces options marquera un pas de géant dans la lutte pour restaurer le libre écoulement de la rivière et signifie une bonne
nouvelle pour les poissons. Selon les experts, 9 des 10 espèces de poissons qui vivaient jadis dans les eaux de la rivière Petitcodiac
reviendront immédiatement dans leurs zones de frai naturelles, tandis que la 10e espèce, le saumon de l’Atlantique, reviendra après avoir fait
l’objet de programmes d’ensemencement. WK
MORAVA
RIVERKEEPER
Our work to protect the Morava started more than ten years ago when thirty
individuals and organizations – nature conservation groups, fishermen associa-
tions, and others – came together to found The Union for the Morava River. The
Union for the Morava River was volunteer run, and our projects were supported by
various foundations. It was the first nonprofit citizens’ organization focused on
protection of a river and its watershed in our country. As secretary, I participated
in all of our projects. Our main priority was and still is floodplain protection, which
includes river and wetland restoration.
In 1997, the Czech Republic was hit with a devastating flood – larger than the
expected "100-year flood" during an extreme period of rainfall that reached 234
millimeters of rainfall per day (that is 9.2 inches in one day). Almost the entire
floodplain was underwater. 25 people perished, 70,000 inhabitants from 70
villages were forced to evacuate, flooding damaged 30 towns and more than 200
villages.
Since that time, water management specialists have focused on flood-control.
Unfortunately, they have focused primarily on engineered solutions only, mainly
new dams. What they don’t understand is that solutions that do not consider the
impact on the environment will not only fail to solve the flooding problem, but lead
to even more serious environmental damage in the future.
I've always had a love of water and rivers, and I studied water management at
university. Later, as an environmental educator at the conservation group
Veronica, I gave courses on water for students of all ages. I started school-based
water-quality monitoring in Brno. It was fun to work with the school kids and their
teachers, using portable laboratories, sampling the brooks, rivers, and wells of
Riverkeeper Helena Králová on the Svratka River, a
tributary of the Morava River, in the city of Brno.
Photos: Morava Riverkeeper
the city and its surrounding. To make the mapping and sampling restoration and hydrology. Still interested in working to protect my
more efficient and interesting, we designed questionnaires – my river, I learned from friends in Portland, Oregon about Waterkeeper
daughter Helenka did the illustrations for them. Later, the project Alliance and was impressed by their activities and achievements. I
was expanded internationally to schools in eastern Slovakia and then attended the Waterkeeper Annual Conference in Long Island,
Hungary. When working with conservation organizations in other New York in June 1999. After coming home, I wrote a few articles and
European countries, I learned about new ways to protect the rivers, presented Waterkeeper ideas to the Union for the Morava River.
such as Adopt a River and River Contract – projects that use voluntary In June 2000, in collaboration with my friends at the Union for the
agreements between concerned citizens, companies, public officials, Morava River and with the support of my husband Bill, we launched
conservation groups and others to improve conditions on the river. the Morava Riverkeeper program. I work with students, communi-
About five years ago, I had the opportunity to teach at the cate with water authorities, participate on flood control projects,
University of Technology in Brno, teaching river and landscape monitor water quality, and educate the public on water and river
issues. As Riverkeeper, I push for flood control measures that us. After three months of writing, phoning, explaining, and waiting,
incorporate river and landscape restoration. we gave up. I took leave from work, enlisted my son John and Vaclav
There are signs that we are making progress. I worked with my (an experienced water management specialist and member of the
colleagues from Union for the Morava River to develop alternative Union for the Morava River) to help. We spent almost a week in the
flood control measures for the Morava and Becva Rivers. We recently town of Krnov collecting the information ourselves. We did a basic
brought our argument for incorporating environmental considera- leveling survey, walked along the river, waded in the water, measured
tions to river management authorities and government officials and, all the bridges and river channels in the town, and got the necessary
amazingly, it was accepted! We also presented an ecological alterna- data to design our alternative plan.
tive of flood control for the city of Olomouc. Some of our ideas were Our calculations proved that Nove Herminovy would not have to
accepted by water management authorities there as well. be sacrificed. With the riverbed enlarged at strategic points, the
The lack of communication between the civil engineers working in riverbanks in town restored to a natural condition, and some of the
river management and natural scientists, however, remains a huge bridges raised to accommodate more flow, the river would
problem. Successful river restoration requires the collaboration of harmlessly transport higher floodwaters right through town. This fall
specialists in both groups. We need to overcome the arrogance of we presented our solution at a round table discussion with city
some water management authorities who don’t see the need to reach officials and the media. Now we’ll have to convince officials to go
beyond their own expertise to make sure that any flood control meas- forward with our plan.
ures we implement will truly protect the river and its vital habitats.
Here’s an example: A new dam was being planned for flood
control for the town of Krnov. The dam was to be built on the location
of a small but prospering village called Nove Herminovy, where 253
people lived. This ancient village would be sacrificed to save the
larger town downstream from the next big flood. We were asked by
the village mayor to help investigate alternative projects for control-
ling flooding on the Opava River, a tributary to the Morava, without a
dam. Our biggest obstacle was the unwillingness and reluctance of
other officials to cooperate.
In order to complete our evaluation we needed elevation data of
the river, which the authorities had collected, but refused to provide
Australia is described in Dorothea McKellar’s poem “My Country” breed in the flooded billabongs which flank the rivers were unable to
as "a land of droughts and flooding rains." And it is! If ever a country reproduce.
needed Waterkeepers, it is Australia. There are times when we have The hard-hooved stock animals – the sheep and cattle – trampled
precious little water at all, and then there are times when we have too the soft soil of the river banks and gave erosion a foothold, so river-
much. So if there is any chance of keeping it when we have it, we take banks crumbled away and the riverside vegetation disappeared. The
it. frogs, reptiles, birds, and mammals that relied on this habitat also
Australia is a very old, very flat place. It is also a very big place, suffered. The importation of traditional farming practices, extensive
almost as large as the continental U.S. It is 2500 miles from the single-species crops, and flood irrigation also exacted a toll on the
forested east to the parched west and 1500 miles from the monsoon- land. Deep-rooted trees were cleared so the groundwater, which con-
al north to the snow-clad mountains of the south. The centre is all tained the salt accumulated in the soils over millions and millions of
desert – millions of acres of desert. There are five- year-old Australian years, rose to the surface. Without the trees to pump the groundwa-
kids living there who have never seen rain. Maybe that’s why 85 per- ter up into the atmosphere, large tracts of agricultural land were
cent of our population lives within 50 kilometers of the coast. taken from production as salt poisoned the soil.
Australia has an abundance of strange animals, from 50 different The crops that settler farmers brought with them were often ill
kinds of kangaroos to over 200 snakes, including eight of the top ten matched to the Australian environment. Why should a dry country
deadliest in the world. The leaves on our gum trees hang down to such as Australia produce cotton or rice, both extremely reliant on
avoid the sun – they lose less water that way. You wouldn’t call our huge volumes of water? These crops are just not viable, and other
trees shady. This is just one of the adaptations of our flora and fauna countries can grow them without the same environmental cost.
to arid conditions. There are more. Desert mice never drink. There’s Most Australians have yet to come to terms with the nature of the
nothing to drink anyway, and they metabolise (that’s metabolize for continent upon which we live – we’ve only been here a little over two
our American friends) all the water they need from their food. As long hundred years. We still don’t know how to live here; we are not yet
as there are good seasons and plenty of grass, kangaroos can be con- possessed of understanding.
tinuously pregnant, turning out joey after joey. If there is a chance to So when some environmentalists who were starting to under-
reproduce, kangaroos take it. stand began looking for better ways to protect our water and our
Australia’s water problems arose with the arrival of the English waterways, they were delighted to learn about Waterkeeper Alliance.
and other European settlers. The Aboriginal people, the marsupials Australians profess a great love for our rivers, and an even greater
and other animals, and the plants were adapted to the arid environ- love for our coasts. After all, we reckon we have the best beaches in
ment, including the erratic rainfall. Europeans brought different ani- the world! If we could look after our rivers and coasts better than we
mals and plants, and they had very different ways of making a living had been, we wanted to join up.
from the land. The bush was cleared, crops were planted, and rivers Waterkeepers Australia started in late 2003. Derwent
were dammed. Plants and animals that relied on infrequent, but Riverkeeper: Our first member, "Derwent" Dave Turner hails from
heavy rains, and the flooding that then surged across the land suf- Tasmania, an island-state off the southeast coast of Australia.
fered mightily. The gum trees that needed regular inundation suf- Derwent Dave has been looking after the Derwent River and its estu-
fered stress and died, and the giant freshwater Murray Cod that ary for many years. He can tell you how introduced sea stars have
been taking over the seabed, and how the waste from the yachts
in the annual Blue Water Ocean Classic, the Sydney to Hobart
Yacht Race, was being dumped in the river. The newspaper article
describing his success with the port authorities, who now require
the yachts to pump their bilges into a sewer for proper treatment,
was titled “No to Poop Decks.” Derwent Dave is indeed a suc-
cessful Riverkeeper.
The Lang Lang Riverkeeper is involved in a battle to stop six
chicken broiler sheds from being built on the flood plain seventy
five yards from the bank of the Lang Lang River. They had been
involved for some time in planting trees and grasses to create the
habitat that brings back wildlife. And their efforts have paid off:
even platypus have returned to the river. Now there is a weird ani-
mal – an egg-laying, fur-covered, duck-billed, beaver-like creature
that finds food with its eyes closed, diving to the riverbed to find
small invertebrates by touch.
The platypus is the only egg-layer that Peter Row, the Lang Robin Merrick,Yarra Riverkeeper, receives the certificate of membership
Lang Riverkeeper, wants in abundance around his river. With the in Waterkeepers Australia from Sir William Deane; Greg Hunt looks on
Photo:Waterkeepers Australia
Primary school students singing the Julian Lennon song “Saltwater” Paul Sinclair,Waterkeepers Australia Director, with students
before the speeches get underway at the launch of the Photo:Waterkeepers Australia
Waterkeepers Australia
Photo: Waterkeepers Australia
After a meeting with the Moogji Aboriginal Council to discuss their experiences managing the local environment, Mati and Uncle Albert Mullet,
Gunnai/Kurnai Aboriginal Elder, visited the banks of the Snowy River.
Photos:Ventura Coastkeeper
Gina Melendez (Wishtoyo Foundation/Ventura Coastkeeper Board member) with a friendly koala Mati with a wombat – Caversham Wild
Animal Park,Whiteman’s Park, Perth
Mangrove forest
Bosque manglar
Photo:Terri Garland
campaigns with schools and universities. We held While Bolivia has a ten year old Law of the tengan el valor de parar la cont-
media events, organized public rallies, and hosted Environment on the books, it is rarely enforced in aminación ilegal del Río. El
neighborhood workshops to report on the pollu- La Paz. The language of the law is quite strong, but programa Guardarío esta traba-
tion of our rivers. it will take a combination of effective advocacy jando para un futuro en que el
In 2000, this effort culminated in a petition, with government officials and overwhelming public gobierno y las contaminadoras
signed by more than 10,000 citizens, demanding support before they have the courage to stop no podrán ignorar la salud
that the Mayor of La Paz ensure that industries illegal pollution. The Riverkeeper program is pública ni la legislación am
treat their sewage, protect the food supply from actively working towards a time when the govern- biental. WK
the impacts of water pollution, and prevent the ment and polluters will no longer be able to ignore
dumping of garbage into our waterways. public health or our environmental laws. WK
Sugar cane worker in Southern Mexico Trabajador de caña de azúcar en el sur de México
Photo:Terri Fensel
The Río Hondo Riverkeeper program monitors the river’s 16,000 square
kilometer watershed. This place is astonishingly beautiful, with a wide range
of ecosystems from mountaintops to coastal mangrove forests on the
Caribbean Sea.
Most of the people of the Río Hondo watershed are artisans – subsistence
farmers, fishermen, and craftsmen whose livelihood is directly linked to the
Río Hondo is the natural health of their river. Sustainable development of the Río Hondo watershed is
border between Belize, central to the long-term health of the communities that surround the river. The
Riverkeeper program is working in a coalition with other groups and two uni-
Guatemala, and Mexico, versities to develop coastal management plans to ensure that eco-tourism and
other uses of the coast are appropriate and sustainable. We are also working
running 169 kilometers on international issues such as trans-boundary parks to preserve endangered
from its birth place in the species because the manatee, sea turtles, and other species don’t know or
respect political boundaries.
Maya Biosphere Reserve Río Hondo is a paradise, but in this paradise we are facing a serious threat
in Guatemala to its delta from chemical-dependant corporate agriculture. For more than four decades
sugar cane plantations have used vast quantities of agrochemicals to produce
in the Chetumal Bay, their crops. These chemicals spill over land and water damaging the health of
communities living on the river and impacting tropical forest ecosystems and
Mexico. riparian habitat. Health impacts have never been quantified, and much of the
time they are not even recognized. Local medical personnel lack even basic
technical knowledge about these chemical products. But sugar cane workers
and their families are exposed to these chemicals every day of their lives. Lack
of awareness of the risks to communities by medical professionals, and lack of
oversight of the practices of these large industrial farms by the government
Guatemala, corre a lo rollar planes de manejo para las zonas costeras y para asegurar que los usos,
como es el ecoturismo, son sustentables y apropiados para la zona.
largo de 169 kilómetros Trabajamos también en temas internacionales para la región, parques trans-
fronterizos y especies en riesgo – porque los manatíes, tortugas y algunas
desde su nacimiento en la otras especies no saben de fronteras.
Reserva de la Biosfera Rio Hondo es un paraíso en verdad, pero en este paraíso hay problemas.
Por más de cuatro décadas el cultivo de caña ha utilizado enormes cantidades
Maya, en Guatemala de agroquímicos que se han vertido sin control sobre suelos y aguas, dañan-
do la salud de los habitantes de la ribera, impactando fuertemente a las sel-
hasta su desembocadura vas tropicales y en general todo el entorno ecológico que rodea a este impor-
en la Bahía de Chetumal, tante hábitat y sus pobladores humanos. El impacto sobre la salud que estas
actividades están generando no ha sido cuantificado, y la mayor parte del
México. tiempo no es reconocido. La carencia de conocimientos técnicos básicos sobre
el manejo de los productos químicos, la falta de conciencia sobre el riesgo al
que se someten los trabajadores de la caña de azúcar y sus familias cada día
has blended into a silenced environment of complicity and apathy. de sus vidas, más aún, la falta de experiencia sobre el manejo de
As a biologist and community activist in Southeastern Mexico, este tipo de casos por parte de personal de emergencias y médico,
I saw the need for my community to break the silence and take han llegado a crear un ambiente de silenciosa complicidad y pasmo.
action to protect ourselves. In 2001, I started the Río Hondo Como una bióloga y activista comunitaria en el sureste de México
Riverkeeper program as a program of COBIOTEC, a Mexican commu- vio la necesidad para la comunidad de romper el silencio y tomar
nity organization based in the northern portion of the watershed. acción para protegernos. En 2001 empecé el programa Rio Hondo
Our watershed needed a vigilant organization to look out for the Guardarío bajo el cobijo de una ONG mexicana, COBIOTEC, en la
health of the community and the river – that’s why I became the Río porción norte de la cuenca hidrológica del Río, la porción mexicana.
Hondo Riverkeeper. Nuestra eco–región hacia falta una organización vigilante para
We began by walking house to house in effected communities, fijarse en el bienestar de la comunidad tanto como del rió – por esta
interviewing people about their family’s health and their handling of razón llegue a ser la Rio Hondo Guardarío.
toxic chemicals while working on the sugar plantations. With our Inicialmente recorrimos las casas de cónico comunidades encue-
preliminary report we approached the local Citizen Council for stando y recopilando información sobre los procedimientos de
Marine Pollution and Research, chaired by the Mexican Navy, and manejo y los efectos de los químicos sobre la gente y los ecosis-
presented our action plan to address this growing problem. temas. Con el reporte de observaciones acudimos al Consejo
We are establishing a specialized medical center to attend to Ciudadano de Contaminación e Investigación del medio marino,
those suffering the effects of exposure to these chemicals; a support presidido por la Marina Armada de México, y presentó nuestro plan
and rehabilitation program for the more than three thousand men, de acción frente este problema creciente. Estamos trabajando para
woman, and children whose lives have already been affected; an establecer un centro de atención especializada en intoxicaciones;
education program on the handling and management of chemicals, un programa de apoyo y rehabilitación para personas afectadas
residuals, and containers; and a waste handling and confinement (que sobrepasa los 3,000, hombres, mujeres y niños); un programa
program. Additionally we will work with the farmers to evaluate and de educación y manejo de químicos, residuos o envases; y un pro-
test alternative sugar cane plague management, because, after all, grama de manejo y confinamiento de residuos. Adicionalmente se
that is the same sugar we take to our family and our dinner table buscará trabajar con los grupos de agricultores para evaluar y pro-
every day. WK bar alternativas de manejo de plagas para la caña de azúcar, porque
después de todo, es la misma azúcar que llevamos a nuestras famil-
ias y a nuestras mesas cada día. WK
Mapiando el Derrotero
Guardacosta de Baja California
Abandoned marina at Santa Rosalillita – the same type proposed for Bahia de los Angeles.
Marina abandonada en Santa Rosalillita – la misma que se ha planificado para la Bahía de los Angeles.
By Serge Dedina
Photo: Baja Coastkeeper
Bahia de los Angeles Photo: Baja Coastkeeper
Sea of Cortez community he calls home, "We have to stand up for Serge Dedina es el Guardián de la Costa en Baja California y el
our town and our way of life. Protecting this place is the only way we Director Ejecutivo de Wildcoast. Es el autor de Saving the Gray Whale.
will have a future." WK
WJ Nichols, Julio Solis, and Rodrigo Rangel share a cup of tea on the way to
check turtle nets on Bahia Magdalena.
WJ Nichols, Julio Solís, y Rodrigo Rangel comparten una taza de té en camino a
revisar las redes para tortugas en Bahía Magdalena.
Photo: Jeffrey Lamont Brown
spirit that guides their fishing – take what you need, protect what Volvemos a depositar las cuatro tortugas en la cálida agua
should be protected, self-enforce within the community, and teach nocturna y se marchan con fluidez, dejando una estela de remolinos
the children well. bioluminiscentes. Ángeles de la bahía.
No obstante, el objetivo no es romper récords, es algo mucho
más importante. Isidro, Javier y Miguel se enorgullecen mucho de
Punta Abreojos Elementary School
que sus tortugas regresen. Atribuyen la recuperación incipiente al
It’s "sea turtle day" at the Punta Abreojos Elementary School.
mismo espíritu nuevo que guía su pesca – tomar lo necesario,
Every white-uniformed kid in town is packed into the auditorium.
proteger lo que se debe proteger, respetarse dentro de la comu-
Isidro is beaming like a lighthouse. Tall and instructive.
nidad y educar a los niños adecuadamente.
"We must teach the children," he explains to me, pumping his
fist in the air. Of course, he’s right.
When he’s not fishing, or enforcing fisheries regulations in the Escuela Primaria de Punta Abreojos
community, Isidro is dreaming up new ways to "teach the children." Es el "día de la tortuga marina" en la Escuela Primaria Punta
"I was thinking that the kids use pencils, right? They hold pencils Abreojos. Todo niño con uniforme blanco en el pueblo está sentado
ALL DAY!" He’s going somewhere with the story, I’m certain. en el auditorio. Isidro brilla como un faro. Alto e instructivo.
"So I made 1,000 pencils with the message SAVE THE SEA "Debemos educar a los niños," me explica, moviendo su puño en
TURTLES…DON’T EAT SEA TURTLES!" el aire. Por supuesto, tiene razón.
He shows me one of the thousand, a perfect, unsharpened bright Cuando no está pescando, o haciendo cumplir las regulaciones
red sea turtle conservation tool. He got them for pennies each. pesqueras en la comunidad, Isidro está soñando nuevas maneras de
I look around. All of the kids have one. como "educar a los niños."
"These kids are thinking about saving sea turtles every day, ALL "Estaba pensando que los niños usan lápices, ¿verdad? ¡Usan
day." lápices TODO EL DÍA!" Quiere llegar a algún lado con la historia,
Isidro stands to the back of the room as a line of students one-by- estoy seguro.
one make their well-rehearsed presentations on sea turtle conser- "¡Por eso hice 1.000 lápices con el mensaje SALVE A LAS
vation, biology, anatomy, biodiversity and habitats. He beams. It’s TORTUGAS MARINAS...NO COMA TORTUGAS MARINAS!"
a beautiful, beautiful thing. Me muestra uno de los mil, una perfecta herramienta de
El Cereso Prison conservación de las tortugas marinas: rojo, brillante y sin punta. Los
I’ve never seen the business side of a Mexican prison. My imagi- fabricó por centavos cada uno. Observo a mi alrededor. Todos los
nation suggests it’s a foul concrete and metal situation, surrounding niños tienen uno.
a tightly wound aberration of humanity. I did take this into account "Estos niños están pensando en salvar a las tortugas marinas
when we suggested to Javier that he visit Francisco "Gordo" Fischer todos los días, TODO el día."
in the El Cereso Prison in La Paz. Isidro se queda de pie al final del aula mientras una fila de estu-
On the inside, Javier met with his childhood friend. A man who diantes uno a uno presentan sus bien ensayadas lecciones sobre
had made a career and a bundle of cash out of lifting lobster, conservación de tortugas marinas, biología, anatomía, biodiversi-
abalone and sea turtles – legally and illegally – from the waters dad y hábitats. Isidro sonríe. Es algo hermoso, muy hermoso.
surrounding Punta Abreojos.
Gordo had six months in el bote to think about his personal La Prisión de Cereso
history. What he might do when he regained his freedom. His mis- Nunca he visto el aspecto comercial de una prisión mexicana. Mi
calculation in taking the ill-fated shortcut through the desert that imaginación sugiere una horrorosa situación de concreto y metal,
took him past Punta Abreojos with seven live sea turtles in his vehi- que rodea una aberración de humanidad fuertemente asegurada. Lo
cle. Those turtles – a meager fraction of the thousands of animals tomé en cuenta cuando le sugerimos a Javier que se visite a
he had trafficked over the years – wound him up in jail. Francisco "Gordo" Fischer en la Prisión de Cereso en La Paz.
If he could get out, he would change. Yes, he’d help. He’d give En su interior, Javier se reunió con su amigo de la infancia. Un
back to the oceans. Gordo agreed then to tell his story of corrupt hombre que hizo carrera y una gran cantidad de dinero pescando
officials, politicians feasting on endangered species, his back roads langostas, abulones y tortugas marinas – legal e ilegalmente – en
and bribes. The details would throw a bright shadowless light on the las aguas de Punta Abreojos.
matter. Gordo tuvo seis meses en el bote para pensar sobre su historia
personal. Lo que podría hacer cuando recupere la libertad. Su error
Mexico City Televisa studio de cálculo al tomar el desafortunado atajo a través del desierto que
Months later in Mexico City Javier, Gordo and I sat on the set of lo llevó más allá de Punta Abreojos con siete tortugas marinas vivas
the nation’s highest rated morning news program: Televisa’s Hechos en su vehículo. Esas tortugas – una escasa fracción de los miles de
de la Manana. As the team scientist, I set up the biological context animales que había traficado durante los años – lo hicieron terminar
and the conservation imperative. Javier drilled the interviewer with en prisión.
the back-story and his personal charisma. Gordo, wearing a black Si pudiera salir, cambiaría. Sí, brindaría su ayuda. Contribuiría a
sea turtle conservation t-shirt, leaned back in his chair, then stole los océanos. Gordo aceptó entonces contar su historia de fun-
the show. cionarios y políticos corruptos que se dan festines con especies en
He kept millions of viewers from Chihuahua to Chiapas riveted to "You still have some of that crappy TV makeup on you." He wiped it
their TVs for twenty minutes, over as many cups of coffee and plates off. We laughed. We laughed until it hurt.
of huevos rancheros. Jose Ortega y Gasset, Spain’s most famous philosopher wrote
He told uncensored stories that no one in their right mind would "Living is a constant process of deciding what we are going to do."
dare tell on live national Mexican television. And the producer gave There really are no useful blueprints that ensure compassionate
the cameraman the "keep rolling" signal four times. friendships. That steer humans to protect nature. That guide the
Something shifted in the air, on the airwaves, across the geogra- building of true communities. Or that tell us how to raise our chil-
phy of the country as he spoke without fear, as if confessing a life- dren.
time of sins to the Pope himself. The convicted turtle thief faced the And when these streams of humanity cross, braid, and mix as they
Channel 2 interviewer and the cold, merciless camera lens. In this do—we are on our own to find our way through these holy waters,
public confessional box, a former poacher found reconciliation and together. WK
spoke up to save sea turtles from extinction. Dr.Wallace J. Nichols is Director of the Pacific Ocean Region at the
In the afternoon Gordo visited La Basilica de Guadalupe. To pray, Blue Ocean Institute and Research Associate at the California Academy
he said. of Sciences.
That night at dinner, Gordo leaned toward Javier with a napkin.
peligro, sus atajos y sobornos. Los detalles ladrón de tortugas convicto enfrentó al periodista
esclarecerían el asunto. del Canal 2 y a las frías y despiadadas lentes de la
cámara. En este confesionario público un ex
Estudio de Televisa en la Ciudad de cazador furtivo encontró la reconciliación y habló
México de salvar a las tortugas marinas de la extinción.
Meses después en la Ciudad de México Javier, Por la tarde Gordo visitó la Basílica de
Gordo y yo nos sentamos en el plató del noticiero Guadalupe. Para orar, según dijo.
matutino de más audiencia de la nación: Hechos Durante la cena esa noche, Gordo se inclinó
de la Mañana de Televisa. Como el científico del hacia Javier con una servilleta en la mano. "Aún
equipo, describí el contexto biológico y el manda- tienes algo de ese horrible maquillaje de TV en la
to de conservación. Javier cautivó al entrevistador cara". Se lo quitó. Nos reímos. Nos morimos de
con la historia previa y su carisma personal. risa.
Gordo, que vestía una camiseta negra de conser- José Ortega y Gasset, el filósofo más famoso
vación de las tortugas marinas, apoyó la espalda de España escribió: "vivir es un proceso
contra la silla y luego se robó el programa. constante de decidir lo que vamos a hacer."
Mantuvo a millones de espectadores desde En verdad no hay planos útiles que garanticen
Chihuahua a Chiapas pegados a la pantalla amistades compasivas. Que guíen a los humanos
durante veinte minutos, durante casi la misma a proteger a la naturaleza. Que orienten la
cantidad de tazas de café y platos de huevos construcción de comunidades verdaderas. O que
rancheros. nos indiquen cómo educar a nuestros hijos.
Relató historias no censuradas que nadie en su Y cuando estos arroyos de humanidad con-
sano juicio se atrevería a contar en la televisión fluyen, se trenzan y se mezclan como suelen
mexicana en directo. Además, el productor le dio hacerlo – nos encontramos solos para descubrir el
al camarógrafo la señal de "seguir filmando" cua- camino correcto a través de estas aguas sagradas,
tro veces. juntos. WK
Algo cambió en el aire, en las ondas de trans- El Dr.Wallace J. Nichols es Director de la Región
misión, en toda la geografía del país mientras del Océano Pacífico del Instituto Blue Ocean y
hablaba sin temor, como si estuviera confesando investigador adjunto de la Academia de Ciencias de
los pecados de su vida al mismísimo Papa. El California.
AP Photo/Lynne Sladky
One example of the dangerous legacy of
US military activities in Vieques.
Un ejemplo del legado peligroso de las
actividades militares de los EEUU en Vieques.
Photo: Kyle Kajihiro, American Friends Service
Committee
T America, and around the world, are most intense for citi-
zens living near massive projects. But decisions on the
largest, most damaging projects almost always have an internation-
L y alrededor del mundo, son más extenuantes para los ciu-
dadanos que viven en lugares cercanos a los proyectos a gran
escala. Sin embargo las decisiones tomadas en los proyectos más
al component. The best way to stop these projects is through strong grandes y perjudiciales casi siempre tienen un componente interna-
local activism, supported by national and international alliances. cional. La mejor manera de parar estos proyectos es a través de un
Here is one example of a global campaign to challenge a flawed enérgico activismo local, con apoyo de alianzas nacionales e inter-
project. nacionales. A continuación se provee un ejemplo de una campaña
universal para cuestionar un proyecto deficiente.
E
n 1992, I stood beside the Paraná River in Paraguay with friends n 1992, parada junto al Río Paraná en el Paraguay con ami-
Satellite images of the Yacyretá project area before and after the reservoir was
filled in 1994.
Imágenes satelitales del área del proyecto de Yacyretá antes y después de que se
llenara el embalse en 1994.
The most effective collaborations are those where organiza- Las colaboraciones más eficaces son aquellas donde las orga-
tions are equal partners, working towards shared or compli- nizaciones son partícipes iguales, que trabajan hacia objetivos
mentary goals. In this case, Sobrevivencia wanted to change compartidos o complementarios. En este caso, Sobrevivencia
the project on the ground, and the Bank Information Center quería cambiar el proyecto sobre el terreno, y el Bank
wanted to change the World Bank. Over time, BIC became Information Center quería cambiar el Banco Mundial. Con el
committed to saving that river; and Sobrevivencia became a transcurrir del tiempo, el BIC se comprometió en salvar ese
regional leader in the campaign to change the World Bank. río, y Sobrevivencia se convirtió en el líder regional en la cam-
paña para cambiar el Banco Mundial.
Since the dam was paid for with international public funds, the
campaign to stop the project required an international effort as well. nizar a todos aquellos cuyos hogares y medios de vida habían
As director of the Latin America Program at the Bank Information desaparecido bajo las aguas.
Center (BIC) in Washington, DC, I was a watchdog, monitoring the Un grupo de expertos en Sobrevivencia trabajó durante años
environmental and social impacts of projects financed by the World recabando pruebas. Mi contacto principal era Elías Díaz Peña, un
Bank. While developing country governments devise and execute hidrólogo capacitado en EE.UU. que había trabajado en estudios
many projects that destroy natural resources and local communities científicos en la planificación original de Yacyretá. Sus colegas
on their own, the World Bank often provides the funding needed for incluían biólogos, antropólogos, médicos, arquitectos e ingenieros.
huge unsustainable projects like Yacyretá. We knew that we would Conocían a su río y a sus habitantes por dentro y por fuera: cada
need to fight the dam not only on the ground in Paraguay, but in riachuelo, laguna, y zona pantanosa; cada especie y su filiación
Washington, DC, at the World Bank’s headquarters. ecológica; y cada funcionario, comunidad, alcalde municipal y políti-
Working in Washington, I assisted Sobrevivencia secure funds for co. El análisis que efectuaron abrió una brecha a través de la justifi-
the campaign and helped them navigate the Byzantine workings of cación del Banco para elevar el embalse, y documentó cómo el
the Bank’s internal processes and culture. In many ways, BIC’s role Banco había violado su propia política sobre evaluación del medio
was to decode how Bank policies should apply in the Yacyretá proj- ambiente, del reasentamiento, de la población indígena y de la pro-
ect and to help Sobrevivencia bring the views of those affected by tección del hábitat. En 1996, Sobrevivencia y los líderes de la comu-
the project to World Bank officials in Washington. The investigation nidad local (con la asistencia del Centro para la Ley Internacional del
carried out by World Bank’s Inspection Panel confirmed many of Medio Ambiente) presentaron un reclamo al Panel de Inspección
Sobrevivencia’s allegations, and started an avalanche of conse- Independiente del Banco Mundial requiriendo una compensación
quences that are still being felt today. para aquellas personas desplazadas y controles de seguridad del
International attention exposed the corruption of public officials medio ambiente para minimizar daños ulteriores.
in Paraguay and Argentina and helped to create a network of organ- Ya que la represa fue costeada con fondos públicos interna-
izations willing to defend the Paraná River from other wrongheaded cionales, la campaña para detener el proyecto requirió también un
informed consent of affected indigenous and tribal peoples. Kay Treakle is the former Executive Director of the Bank
In campaigning for justice at Yacyretá, Sobrevivencia created new Information Center, where she monitored World Bank and
spaces for advocacy groups in Paraguayan politics. They reached International Development Bank projects with local non-governmental
beyond their borders, and together we learned how to work across organizations.
P
ollution and other envi- mental matters. Treaties may establish sec-
ronmental problems retariats to administer the treaty and oversee
don’t recognize politi- dispute resolution mechanisms. In general,
cal borders: depletion of ocean however, treaties rely on their signatories to
fisheries, mercury from coal- take necessary actions to implement treaty
burning power plants, and glob- obligations domestically. Several US federal
al warming, are a few. No coun- statutes (including the Ocean Dumping Act,
try can solve such problems by the Endangered Species Act, and the
itself. It takes an international Migratory Bird Treaty Act) implement treaty
effort grounded in international obligations undertaken by the United States
law. Understanding interna- International law differs from domestic
tional environmental law is law in that there is no international legisla-
therefore the key to under- ture and no international executive. There is
standing whether and how an International Court of Justice, but it has
these transnational problems jurisdiction over a dispute only if the parties
can be addressed. agree to submit their dispute to it. Once the
Treaties are agreements that IJC decides a dispute, it has no means to
bind only nations that adopt enforce its judgment. Some treaties create
and ratify them. Treaties may quasi-legislative, quasi-executive, and quasi-
be between two nations (bilat- judicial institutions to implement their provi-
eral) or multi-national, such as sions. But only rarely can they force a nation
the United Nations Charter. to act when it refuses to do so.
The Boundary Waters Treaty of Because public international law is the
1909 between the United States and Canada has proved use- law of nations, it provides few opportunities for Waterkeepers and other
ful in managing many trans-boundary disputes. Indeed, public interest advocates to enforce. They can not, for instance, bring a
before the enactment of pollution control laws in the United suit to the International Justice Court. The public does, however, have a
States, the United States and Canada agreed to international role in forcing domestic legislation to enact treaty obligations. The United
arbitration regarding pollution from a lead smelter in British States’ Constitution then makes treaty obligations "the supreme law of
Columbia that damaged apple orchards in Washington State, the land," presenting other opportunities for NGOs in domestic litigation.
the Trial Smelter Case. Scholars have counted over 35,000 Although international environmental law could be effective in address-
treaties of all kinds and over 1,000 treaties involving environ- ing global environmental problems, the biggest barrier for its doing so is
the United States government. The Bush administration is as reluctant to
submit to international law as it is reluctant to seriously address environ-
Non-governmental organizations play mental problems at home or abroad. Our refusal to agree to the Kyoto
significant roles in formulating internation- Protocol (a treaty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to ease climate
al environmental law at environmental change) or the International Criminal Court are two recent examples of the
summits, such as the Stockholm, Rio, administration’s unwillingness to lead environmentally or internationally.
and Kyoto conferences that produced Without the agreement of the world’s largest economic and military power,
international efforts are unlikely to be effective. WK
treaties and focus international attention.
According to Fortune magazine, fresh water represents, "one of the world's great business
opportunities. It promises to be to the 21st century what oil was to the 20th."
tional corporations that are poised to profit of sheer market profits. In arguing that peo- another commodity, but a public trust
handsomely from the impending shortage of ple should have to pay for access to clean resource that governments have a legal and
fresh drinking water. With dwindling sup- water, Vivendi’s managing director has stat- moral obligation to protect for present and
plies, increasing demands and billions of dol- ed, free water "is not so good an idea." future generations. WK
lars in the balance, our most vital natural Waterkeeper Alliance believes that global
resource is quietly being privatized by corpo- access to free, clean water is a very good To learn more about water privatization
rate entities with the support of global trade idea, indeed. Access to fresh water is a fun- and what to do to fight this alarming trend,
financiers and through the corporate welfare damental human right. Water is not just please visit us online at waterkeeper.org
of government subsidies and contracts.
As you read this, multinational water,
energy, food, and shipping conglomerates
are actively acquiring water rights, privatiz- Billions of dollars
ing publicly owned water systems, promot- In 2002 Vivendi generated over $12 billion in water-related revenues.
ing bottled water, and selling bulk water by All three water giants are presently among the top one hundred corpo-
transporting it from water rich areas to mar- rations in the world; together their annual revenues in 2001 were almost
kets desperate for more water. At the same $160 billion and growing at ten percent a year - outpacing the economies
time, to ensure maximum profits, these com- of many of the countries in which they operate. Room for growth is
panies are lobbying to weaken water quality tremendous. The water market in the United States alone is worth $82
standards, and pushing for international
billion, while the world-wide bottled water industry is worth $35 billion.
trade agreements that hand over the global
Worldwide potential water revenue is estimated to be anywhere
water resources to private corporations.
between $400 billion and $3 trillion. Waterworks infrastructure mainte-
These water giants believe that fresh water
nance and upgrade in U.S. cities alone is estimated to total between $150
is simply another commodity – no different
from oil or widgets – and that markets need
billion and $1 trillion over the next three decades.
to be established, corporate control exer-
cised and water policy created on the basis
T
he Bush administration has made some significant inroads At whose expense 'tis done?
since the president launched a concentrated effort to dis- Current federal wetland rules allow a developer to build on a wet-
mantle the nation’s environmental protection safeguards land if they restore an equal or greater amount of the same type of
four years ago. Since taking office in 2000, George W. Bush has pro- wetland nearby. The idea is to allow development if new wetlands in
moted the most damaging environmental policies ever espoused by the same watershed are built to substitute the wetlands that are lost.
any president. But the Bush administration is more concerned with the incon-
With this issue, Waterkeeper introduces this new feature to high- venience that mitigation causes developers than they are about eco-
light some of the more egregious environmental policies proposed by logical integrity, water quality, or flooding. That’s why EPA and the
the Bush administration. With your help, Waterkeeper will continue Army Corps of Engineers are pushing through changes so developers
to do the job that the Bush administration and EPA is failing to do – are no longer required to replace destroyed wetlands with new ones
fight for clean water and take action to protect human health and the in the same watershed. And the replacement wetlands can be a dif-
environment. ferent type than the one destroyed. This means that high-value wet-
What if this mixture do not work at all? lands can be replaced with low-value wetlands that support fewer
Instead of working to reduce the amount of raw sewage entering plants and animals, and purify less water. This change vastly reduces
our rivers, lakes and coastal waters, the Bush administration wants the costs for developers at the expense of our environment and any-
to allow more untreated sewage in our nation’s waters. Raw sewage one who lives downstream. WK
I
used to be a zookeeper. Now I’m a Waterkeeper and I’m not sure mal petting zoo. We were keepers for a wide range of animals - rep-
if the jobs are all that different. The zoo industry talks of the four tiles, frogs, birds and marsupials. We had a three-metre carpet
pillars of the modern zoo: conservation, education, research, and python, as thick as your forearm. When I wanted to explain the prey-
recreation. How else can you justify locking up the innocent if not to catching behaviour of a constrictor, I didn’t have to do any talking –
help conserve their still free brethren? Many zoos are active in far- the animal wrapped around a student’s arm to demonstrate.
flung corners of the globe working with communities to protect habi- Students would simultaneously show every emotion from sheer hor-
tat for animals, or perhaps conduct research on and breed rare and ror to wild elation. If I wanted to talk about the insulating properties
threatened species. They also have many outstanding education pro- of a possum’s fur coat, or the moist skin of a tree frog that helps it
grams. take in oxygen, again, the animals taught the lesson far better than
At Melbourne Zoo in Australia’s south, we have a zoo school my words.
based around encounters with live animals. This is no farmyard ani-
Bearded Dragon
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AbTech Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
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Citigroup Private Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 If you feel strongly about the issues
EBSCO Information Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
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Ford Motor Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover 3
Forester Communications/StormCon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 make your voice heard. Visit
Longo & Longo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Newman's Own Organics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 www.waterkeeper.org
Organic Valley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover 4
Paul Mitchell Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 to take action or to get involved
Philips Lighting CO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
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Vortechnics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 program.