The World Trade Organization Fracas
by Lila Berge

Sierra Club leaders were at the WTO meeting in Seattle, took part in peaceful marches and met with President Clinton and other government officials. They helped make the case for including representatives of environmental and labor organizations when global trade issues are decided. They did not take part in the riots or property damage.What are the environmental issues involved in world trade? One important issue is genetically modified food crops, first introduced by Monsanto in 1996. Their soybeans were altered so that farmers could use Monsanto's Roundup herbicide without killing the soybeans. By 1999 there were 37 million acres of 'Roundup Ready  soybeans grown in the U.S. Insect-resistant corn, some containing Bacillus thuringienses (Bt) toxin, were grown on 25 million U.S. acres last summer. Bt made headlines when the corn's pollen was reported to kill butterfly larvae as well as harmful insects. Nearly 60% of Canada's canola crop comes from genetically altered seed.Globally there were 98.6 million acres of such crops grown last year, including 90% of the soybeans in Argentina. This is a major change in agricultural practices in a very short period of time. Was competition between corporations causing a rush to market their altered seeds before adequate testing was done?The debates over environmental safety include effects on biodiversity, genetic pollution or gene transfer, increasing the resistance of insects and disease-causing microorganisms, allergic reactions, and other health effects. Are farmers actually using less pesticides because of these altered seeds? Should genetically altered food products be labeled to give consumers a choice? What testing standards should apply? How would uniformity of labeling and testing be achieved in a global market? The WTO trade talks broke down over other issues, including the suspicion between underdeveloped and developed countries that regulations already in place were protectionist and disadvantaging poor countries. Gerber and Heinz say they will not use genetically altered ingredients in their baby foods, in spite of Gerber being owned by Novartis, one of the top four agricultural biotechnology developers. The U.S. Food Administration (FDA) position is that genetically altered foods are no different than conventional foods and labeling is only needed when there is a substantial difference in nutritional content or danger of allergic reaction. With billions of dollars at stake, the corporate and farm lobbies are working the halls of congress and campaign contributions are flowing. The Sierra Club has not taken a position on the ag biotech developmentsÉyet. We just want to be included in the WTO discussions while further study is done on possible environmental and health problems.

Calendar-

February-MarchFebruary 4-6: Winter Outing in the Kettle Moraine State Forest - Northern Unit. A ski/snowshoe outing is being planned for the first weekend of February. We have reserved the 'Maple Sugar Suite' at Camp Matawa, the same location where the last JMC Annual Meeting was held. The two rooms in this Ôsuite' can hold up to 8 people, and we have the option of using one of their bunkhouse style cabins for additional sleeping space. A small kitchen in this suite will accommodate our own meal preparations. Cost per person will be approximately $14 -$18 per night plus meal costs. Contact Eric for more details.

February 10: Executive Committee Meeting, 7:00 p.m., at Messiah Lutheran Church, corner of Durand Ave. (Hwy 11) and Pritchard Ave. in Racine. All members are welcome.February 17: Get Informed! Come hear Mary Lazich, State Senator from the 28th District, speak about the Highway 36 bypass and the Fox River Cleanup. The meeting is at 7:00 p.m. at the Messiah Lutheran Church, corner of Durand Ave. (Hwy 11) and Pritchard Ave. in Racine. Come early for coffee and entertainment. Members of the Sierra Club and non-members are invited.

February 26: Potluck & Pool Party at Greenridge Recreation Center, 3:00 p.m. until closing. Bring a dish to pass, your swimsuits and towels. The charge to our group for this facility is $50, so the hat will be passed to cover expenses.

March 1: Southeast Sierran Deadline. See back page for contact information.March 9: Executive Committee Meeting, 7:00 p.m., at Messiah Lutheran Church, corner of Durand Ave. (Hwy 11) and Pritchard Ave. in Racine. All members are welcome.

March 16: John and Lila Berge will show slides on their trip to the Kilauea Volcano National Park in Hawaii. See the calderas, plants, rainforest and lava tubes. Historic sites in Hawaiian history will also be shown. This presentation will be at the Gateway Technical College Conference Center in Kenosha at 3520 30th Ave. Come early for coffee and conversation. The program starts at 7:00 p.m. The public is invited.April 3:

Executive Committee Meeting, 7:00 p.m., at Messiah Lutheran Church, corner of Durand Ave. (Hwy 11) and Pritchard Ave. in Racine. All members are welcome.

Chiwaukee Prairie Workdays on the Prairie are held on the 3rd Saturday of each month. Contact Donna Peterson for details. There now is a Chiwaukee Prairie website: http://www.users.wi.net/~oak

March 30: Conservation Development Conference - Randall Arendt, nationally recognized expert on methods to balance conservation and development in the design of subdivisions, will speak at the Racine Marriott at 4:00 p.m. Prior to this talk, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., there will be a tour of conservation-oriented subdivisions in Milwaukee.The afternoon program includes dinner. A registration fee (with preregistration a week in advance is required) will be charged. Contact Susan Greenfield at (262) 681-7899.The Sierra Club will have a table with anti-sprawl literature at the Mariott Hotel during the conference.

Stewardship Fund Nearly Doubled in State Budget

The new State Budget sets aside $460 million over the next decade to acquire land and protect key conservation acres. Since 1990 the Stewardship Fund has helped protect nearly 200,000 acres of our state's natural heritage. Some local Racine/Kenosha/Walworth sites to benefit are Lulu Lake and Chiwaukee Prairie. Five million dollars has been earmarked for the Baraboo Hills, and one million set aside for Great Lakes Bluffs and shorelines.

Thanks to Our Fund Raisers

Mary Ann Ortmayer reports that eleven people sold Christmas wreaths, earning our treasury $491.75. Melissa Warner garnered over $1000 in rebate money from the Sierra Club by marking up and submitting all educational articles in our newsletter and filling out the necessary forms. Keep those educational articles coming! Dian Sorenson has concluded our Sierra Calendar sales. Nearly all were sold earning $272. Many thanks to all who helped!

FROM YOUR LEGISLATIVE WATCHDOG

Your watchdog was a little weary after the nonstop holiday activities when Santa came to her rescue in the form of an email forwarded by John Berge to provide us with this informative essay.Congress Flunks Environmental TestAt Special Interests' behest, Members loaded the budget with riders, failed to pass laws protecting wild lands, halt water pollution and curb global warning. In its final action, Congress passed a federal budget that includes damaging anti-environmental riders although hard work by the Clinton-Gore Administration and by congressional environmentalists in both parties paid off as many riders were rejected. 'CongressÉcompletely failed to pass a pro-environmental agenda this year,  said Sierra Club executive director, Carl Pope. 'The first session of the l06th Congress can be summarized in two words, Ômissed opportunities.' The Congress could justifiably be called Ôdo nothing' for failing to take much needed action to protect America's environment. Fighting Sprawl: Community Open Space Bonds bill languished. This is an innovative proposal for a federal partnership with local communities to help them plan for smart growth and fight sprawl.Protecting Wilderness: Although bills to designate 9.l million acres of wilderness in Utah, protect the Northern Rockies Ecosystem and permanently put the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge off limits to oil drilling were introduced and gathered a record number of cosponsors, the Congress failed to act on them.Protecting Forests: A bill to end commercial logging of our National Forests was introduced, gaining strong bipartisan support and a record number of sponsors, but Congress did not adopt the legislation and instead pushed bills that would further expose our National Forests to damaging logging.Cleaning up Factory Farms: Legislation was introduced to give the EPA the authority to require better management of livestock manure (H.R. 684). The bill would require plans for beneficial use of manure, prevent the siting of factory farms in ecologically vulnerable areas, and require large meat-processing corporations, not just the individual livestock operator to assume responsibility for proper use or disposal of livestock waste. However, the bill is bottled up in committee.Family Planning: A compromise made by President Clinton and Congressional leadership attached the 'Global Gag Rule  to the repayment of U.S. debts to the United Nations. The rule will bar family planning organizations abroad from receiving U.S. funds if they provide legal abortion services or participate in public debates on abortion policies with their own money. If the President waives the rule, the budget will be reduced by $l2.5 million.'The only bright spot is that President Clinton, Vice President Gore and pro-environmental members on both sides of the aisle were able to keep the federal budget from being worse on the environment, added Pope.

Environmental Education
by Donna Peterson

Wolf Depredation Project..  An interesting article on wolf depredation came my way recently. It made me think of the many members besides myself who campaigned for the return of wolves into Wisconsin. Two thumbs up for the super-human effort to control hungry wolves. Here is the latest on what the wolves are doing in our north woods, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Foundation newsletter.  This study experimented with two non-lethal techniques for controlling wolves who kill livestock. They were tested from April 1998 to August 1999 on a pack of wolves that had killed livestock at a ranch in northwestern Wisconsin. Radio collars were placed on an adult male and an adult female from this pack. The first method entailed creating a simulated wolf pack within the boundaries of the ranch. Scent marks, using wolf scat and urine, were placed along the north and west boundaries of the ranch. An electronic howling device was also installed, which played 15Ð30 second howls periodically each night during April and early May. Both radio-collared wolves averaged a greater distance from the ranch when the simulated pack was in place. The second method tested the response of the female wolf to the use of a dog 'shock  collar. In May of 1998, she was trapped and fitted with a shock collar. When located on or near the ranch by researchers, she was given a shock. During the first six weeks, the female moved a greater than normal distance from the ranch in the 2 hour period after receiving the shock. In July and August, there was no difference in distance moved compared with her normal activity, indicating that the shocking device had lost its effectiveness. In April of 1999, the female was trapped and fitted with a new shock collar. An automatic command center was set up in the center of a calving pasture, which was able to transmit a signal to the shock collar. When the wolf approached within 50 meters of the pasture, she received shocks for 3 seconds every minute she remained in the range of the command center. No livestock losses were reported in the spring and summer of 1999, which is the first time since 1994 that this rancher did not lose livestock to wolves.

Governor Turns Back on Brownfields

State Sen. Brian Burke (Dem. from Milwaukee) has charged Governor Tommy Thompson with turning his back on brownfields. 'Reclaiming abandoned industrial land is a key component of Wisconsin's economic development   since the 1994 Land Recycling Act was passed, said Burke. In an article appearing in the December 31 Milwaukee Business Journal, he asked why did the governor veto the multi-disciplinary Brownfields Study Group which Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Secretary George Meyer and the Governor had supported for the past year?The Governor also vetoed additional DNR positions to help developers work on recycling such land and the data gathering on groundwater at such sites. 'None of these vetoes make sense if we are to be fully committed to revitalizing our cities and supporting urban economic development,   said Burke. Recycling brownfields also reduces development pressure on productive farmland and natural resources. Good News for Parks in 2000 Federal BudgetOur national parks have been underfunded and overused for decades. Rangers' poor housing and inadequate pay has damaged morale. Finally congress passed $1.4 billion for the operation of our National Park SystemÐan increase of $78 million. The park system includes more than a million acres of unprotected privately-owned land. The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) takes royalties from offshore gas and oil drilling to buy environmentally sensitive lands. The House made $440 million available for federal lands protection. In addition, states received $40 million to purchase land for open space and outdoor recreation. This is the first time in several years that Congress has appropriated any money for the states LWCF programs. Alaskan Legislation Affecting National ParksWhen the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) was passed in 1980, 104 million acres of Alaskan wild landscape, including 56 million acres of National Park lands, was to be preserved in perpetuity. Since then Alaska's population has grown 53% and visits to their national parks increased 350%. Tourism is now second only to oil in importance.Alaska's three congressmen occupy three of the four committee chairmanships that control park policy and budgets. Sen. Murkowski (RÐAlaska) introduced bill S.1683 to amend key provisions of ANILCA. It would prohibit federal managers from implementing regulations of motorized uses without consulting the state, exempt owners of private lands inside parks from environmental reviews and standards, and promote building year-round facilities to accommodate fishing and hunting. Use of helicopters in wilderness areas and unlimited access for snowmobiles and ATV's was never intended under ANILCA. This legislation failed to pass in November but it will return in the next session.

Recycling Headed for the Trash? by Representative Spencer Black By any reasonable measure, Wisconsin's recycling law has been a great success. More than 40% of the waste that used to be dumped in landfills is now being recycled. $70 million a year worth of materials that would have been thrown away are now being productively reused. That's a great many trees that don't have to be cut for paper and metal ore that need not be mined. Plans for dozens of new landfills have been put on hold. Surveys indicate that an astounding 98% of Wisconsin citizens are participating in the recycling effort. And as an answer to those who say that we have to sacrifice the environment for the economy, over 2000 new jobs have been created. With this kind of record, you would think that continuing recycling would be just plain old common sense. Unfortunately, common sense isn't always that common in the halls of state government. The recent budget debate witnessed an attempt the repeal our Recycling Law. First, Governor Thompson proposed in his budget to eliminate all funding for recycling. Then, with prodding from the landfill lobbyists, the Republican controlled Assembly voted to get rid of recycling altogether. The public outcry that followed convinced the Legislature to save recycling and to provide increased funding for local recycling programs. Then, the Governor went to work on the recycling budget with his veto pen and the result was not pretty. Tommy Thompson vetoed most of the funding for local recycling programs and created an $8 million annual shortfall in the recycling budget according to the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau. The veto means that communities will either be forced to raise property taxes or dramatically cut back on their recycling efforts. The budget passed by the Legislature would have funded recycling with a dumping fee of $2 per ton on non-recycled waste dumped in our landfills. Not only is this a fair way to fund recyclingÑit is also a strong economic disincentive to waste dumping. The Governor's veto, however, cut the dumping fee by 85%. The Governor's veto also encourages even more dumping of out of state waste in our state. In 1999, 1.2 million tons of out-of-state waste was dumped in our landfills. Wisconsin is a popular destination because our dumping fee (after the veto) is less than the surcharges in other states. Why did the Governor veto the compromise negotiated between Republicans and Democrats? Waste Management, which finds it highly profitable to bring out-of-state waste to Wisconsin, lobbied hard for a veto of the dumping fee. Executives from Waste Management contributed more than $28,000 to Thompson's last campaign. The Legislature will soon be voting whether to override the veto. Overriding the veto will secure the future of recycling, discourage out of state waste and make sure that waste dumpers, not property tax payers, fund recycling. Wisconsin has done a great job of recycling. Now is no time to throw away the progress we have made. Representative Spencer Black is the Assembly author of the Wisconsin Recycling Law.

Ice Age Trail Work Days & HikesNotes: All work activities will begin at 9:00 a.m. unless otherwise noted. The highway 12 parking lot is approximately 5 miles east of Whitewater, or 2.5 miles west of LaGrange. Trail maintenance work may include grubbing to remove stumps, trimming back growth, painting blazes, installing erosion control, clearing new trail, litter control, etc. For trail work bring water, lunch, work gloves and work tools such as loppers or bow saws. Wear long pants and long sleeve shirt to protect from, prickly bushes, etc., suitable footwear and a hat. Depending on the season, location and conditions, insect repellent, sunscreen or rain gear may also be useful. Contact Kangaroo to volunteer for community service or special projects at times other than those listed below. Contact Persons: Bill (Kangaroo) Knickrehm, (608)883-2825; Barb or Jerry Converse, (262) 473-7304; Sue Clymer, (262) 632-6968; Gary Klatt, (262) 473-4973; Gerry Emmerich, (262) 642-5641; Dolly McNulty, (262) 728-8351; Ingrid Larson, (262) 728-6661; Sally Ward, (262) 495-8362; Vince Lazzaroni, (262) 248-824; June Wheeler, (262) 889-4240.February 12, Saturday, Winter Trails Day in Marathon County. Limited number of snowshoes for rent ($2). Refreshments served at noon. Ringle segment east of Wausau; Hwy 29 to Hwy Q; north I mile to Poplar Lane; east on Poplar for 1 mile.February 17, Thursday, 7:00 p.m.; Regular Meeting, FirStar Bank in Elkhorn.February 17, Thursday, 7:00 p.m.; Moonlight Hike at Natureland Cty Park. Territorial Road; east of Hwy 89 & west of Cty P.February 19, Saturday; (Gary) Maintenance. Meet at Highway 12.February 20, Sunday; (Kangaroo) New Trail Work. Meet at Highway 12.March 5, Sunday, Noon; Meet at Hwy 12 at 11:30 to carpool to Lapham Peak. Bring snowshoes or X-country skis if the weather permits.March 16, Thursday, 7:00 p.m.; Regular Meeting, FirStar Bank in Elkhorn.March 25, Saturday; (Gary) Maintenance. Meet at Highway 12. March 26, Sunday; (Kangaroo) New Trail Work. Meet at Highway 12.April 1, Saturday, 10:00 a.m. Hike to Lulu Lake; meet on Cty J, 1/4 mile east of Pickeral Lake Road.April 10 through 13, Monday-Thursday; Lead Elder Hostel hikes of varying lengths in the Southern Kettle Moraine State Forest. Call June at (262) 889-4240 for details.

March 16th, Kilauea Volcano - Hawaii Volcano National Park

John and Lila Berge will show slides on their trip to the Kilauea Volcano in the Hawaii Volcano National Park on Hawaii. See the calderas, plants, rainforest and lava tubes. Historic sites in Hawaiian history will also be shown. This presentation will be at the Gateway Technical College Kenosha Campus Conference Center in Kenosha at 3520 30th Ave. Come early for coffee and conversation. The program starts at 7:00 p.m. The public is invited.

Kilauea Volcano - the most active in the world
The Kilauea Volcano located on Hawaii's Big Island (the Island called 'Hawaii') has been erupting since January 1983. 16 years of steady lava flow provide spectacular entertainment for the tourist and local alike. The Kilauea Volcano lava flow is located within the boundaries of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The presence of the active volcano also causes frequent earthquakes throughout the entire island.