Legislative riders target environmental protections

[alp227]

Source: The Washington Post

For environmentalists, it was something to shout about. In a rare show of defiance, 37 House Republicans broke party ranks two days ago and voted with Democrats to strike an amendment from an appropriations bill that forbade the Fish and Wildlife Service from listing any new plant or animal as endangered.

In telephone calls and e-mails, environmentalists at groups such as the National Wildlife Federation and Defenders of Wildlife called the vote “historic” and “awesome” in surprised reactions.

But a long list of other amendments aimed at weakening environmental protections at the Department of Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency brought them back to Earth.

Nearly 40 amendments would stop the enforcement of water quality standards, abolish rules that protect streams from surface mining, gut a budget to acquire and protect pristine forestland, and slice a portion of money used to operate national parks.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/legislative-riders-target-environmental-protections/2011/07/28/gIQAfL2rfI_story.html

[swilton]

1. Since the late 1980's

many environmental groups became corporatized - not all but many. The acceptance of corporate funds dilluted some of their advocacy - hence their silence about the sell-out of the Copenhagen Summit. It's about time that they woke up and smelled the burning coffee.

[Blue_Tires]

2. +1

[BNJMN]

3. ...opps...disregard this plz.

[BNJMN]

4. Thanks for posting this. [nt]