31 Jul 1998 Scoop #193: July 31, 1998

Activities at the Environmental Policy Task Force meeting, chaired by David Ridenour of The National Center for Public Policy Research.

House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-TX) discussed environmental and regulatory issues and the need for grassroots organizations to mobilize support for a sound environmental policy. He also specifically cited the Environmental Policy Task Force as an excellent example of such a broad-based coalition. He then took questions on a variety of environmental and regulatory issues. Contact Rep. Armey via Horace Cooper at 202/225-6007.

Dr. Fred Singer, Ph.D. in Physics from Princeton University and Director of the Science and Environmental Policy Project (also former Director, United States Weather Satellite Service; former Professor of Environmental Science of the University of Virginia; former Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency) delivered a presentation on problems with the climate models Vice President Gore is relying on for his speeches and public policy pronouncements on global warming. For one thing, said Singer, the models Gore favors show that the earth should be warming now at a rate of 1 degree Fahrenheit per decade, but weather data is showing that the earth is actually cooling. Another problem, said Singer, for Mr. Gore is that scientific data is also showing that the human influence on climate change Gore alleges isn’t present. Singer emphasized the importance of getting this information to the public, concluding: “The White House says the science is settled. It’s not.” Contact Dr. Singer at 703/934-6940 or visit http://www.sepp.org.

Dr. Bonner Cohen, editor of EPA Watch and Washington Editor for Earth Times, updated participants about the response to a National Wilderness Institute report he wrote, “The People v. Carol Browner: EPA on Trial.” Cohen called the response to the report of possible perjury and other irregularities by EPA officials “fascinating,” and predicted, “You are probably going to see some resignations, and some people indicted also.” The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Professional Responsibility has announced that it “has initiated an inquiry into the matters described” in the report and the Landmark Legal Foundation has referred the report to the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division for possible action. 19 EPA employees from six EPA offices have also signed a joint letter endorsing the general conclusions of the report, saying they were willing to “risk their careers” by going public about alleged lawbreaking and irresponsible behavior at the EPA.

The report and information is available at http://www.nwi.org/SpecialStudies/EPAReport/Overview.html or from Bonner Cohen at 202/739-0179. Additional information about the EPA employees is available on the home page of EPA microbiologist Dr. David L. Lewis at http://members.aol.com/LewisDaveL/.

Marlo Lewis of the Competitive Enterprise Institute reviewed the various ways the Clinton Administration is seeking to bypass the Constitution by attempting to have the U.S. comply with the Kyoto global warming treaty without first permitting the Senate to vote on it. Under the Constitution, Lewis reminded participants, a treaty is not the law of the land until two-thirds of the U.S. Senate has ratified it. Compliance with the Kyoto treaty is controversial, in part because it is nearly beyond debate that the treaty would harm the U.S. economy, in part because the U.S. is being asked to comply with harsh economic restrictions that are not being applied to other major nations, and in part because of significant doubts by scientists of the soundness of the scientific theories upon which the treaty is based. Contact CEI at 202/331-1010 (http://www.cei.org).

Maureen Koetz of the Nuclear Energy Institute delivered a presentation on the environmental benefits of nuclear power and how using nuclear power helps localities reach Clean Air Act compliance targets. Among other facts, she noted that the relative costs of producing energy per unit of energy output are 1.83¢ for coal, 1.92¢ for nuclear energy, and $3.30¢ for gas. According to NEI, nuclear plants produce electricity by splitting uranium atoms, so no fuels are burned and no pollutants are released. From 1973-1996, U.S. nuclear power plants reduced cumulative emissions of nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide, pollutants controlled under the Clean Air Act, by 2.5 million tons and 80.2 million tons, respectively. They also reduced CO2 emissions by two billion metric tons of carbon. Nuclear energy was responsible for 90 percent of reductions in electric utility CO2 emissions between 1973 and 1996. Americans get more electricity from nuclear energy than from any other source, except coal. Contact Maureen Koetz at 202/739-8000 (http://www.nei.org).

Fran Smith of Consumer Alert reviewed a report jointly published by Consumer Alert and the Pacific Research Institute, “Impact of Potential ‘Greenhouse Gas’ Emission Limits on the People and Economy of California” by Glenn R. Schleede. (A previous report covered Texas.) The report analyzes how many jobs would be lost, how much the GDP would drop, how much more money a family would send to Washington in taxes, how much more electricity and cars would cost, and other factors of compliance with Clinton Administration-recommended emissions limits. Smith says the full paper will be placed on http://www.globalwarming.org. Contact Fran Smith at 202/467-5809 or [email protected](http://www.consumeralert.org/).

David Ridenour distributed copies of recent National Center National Policy Analysis papers, including NPA #199, “What the Scriptures Tell Us About Environmental Stewardship” by Samuel Casey Carter, which shows how some Christian leaders promote environmental policies that are at odds with biblical teachings; NPA #196, “Cloning Politics Makes for Strange Bedfellows” by David Ridenour, which examines anti-biotechnology crusader Jeremy Rifkin; NPA #194, “Global Warming: Enjoy it While You Can” by John Carlisle, which reviews 11,000 years of geological history relating to global warming; NPA #193, “What Earth Day Means to Minority Citizens,” by Edmund Peterson, which examines the environmental movement’s insensitivity to minorities; NPA #200, “The Quincy Library Group: So-Called ‘Consensus’ Forest Plan Lacks Consensus, Violates Rights” by David Ridenour, which says the Quincy Library Group Forest Recovery and Economic Stability Act would violate ranchers’ water rights; NPA #202, “Alar Redux: Hollywood Peddles Shaky Science Once Again” by Amy Ridenour, which criticizes the peddling of junk science by Hollywood personalities & examines evidence about the safety of silicon implants; and NPA #203, “Sun to Blame for Global Warming” by John Carlisle, which argues that the sun plays a key role in global warming & cooling. Contact David Ridenour at (202) 507-6398 or go to https://nationalcenter.org to read full-text copies.

Pat Callahan of the American Association of Small Property Ownership discussed the importance of the Supreme Court decision in Phillips v. Washington Legal Foundation, noting that $100 million is generated each year for left-wing legal activist groups by the practice the Supreme Court ruled against in this case. Contact Pat Callahan at 202/244-6277 or visit https://nationalcenter.org/PhillipsvWashingtonLegal98.html.*