People Before Profit blog

Oklahoma suffers quakes after fracking

Fri, 27 Jun 2014 15:54:00 +0000

Residents of central Oklahoma are enduring what they describe as a swarm of earthquakes that have shaken their homes and rattled their nerves. Not far from there, fracking operations are ongoing, continuously disturbing both the environment and people's peace of mind.

On July 24, about 500 people in the Oklahoma town of Edmonton attended a meeting with regulators and research geologists in order to voice their concerns. They have noticed the increasing frequency of quakes in an area that used to have no seismic activity at all. It is no coincidence, they believe, that the central part of the state is home to many fracking wastewater disposal wells.

Scientists say the injection of wastewater into the ground could be triggering manmade earthquakes. Fracking involves blasting water, sand, and chemicals into underground rock formations to bring oil and gas to the surface. They believe that fluid then increases pressure beneath the ground and helps to lubricate faults, encouraging seismic disturbances. Pumping that waste into the earth at high pressure, they add, doesn't help matters.

"I've experienced dozens, maybe a hundred, earthquakes," said Edmonton resident Mary Fleming, who noted they shake her house periodically and cause cracks in the plaster inside her home. "The house rocks. The bed lurches." She was one of the many who raised their hands when residents were asked whether a recent tremor jolted them awake early in the morning.

The citizens urged the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, which regulates the oil and gas industries, to ban or severely restrict the wastewater wells, which have likely contributed to most of the 230 quakes the state has recorded so far this year. Two days after this meeting, in fact, a magnitude 3.6 earthquake was recorded southwest of the town of Guthrie by the U.S. Geological Survey; that's not a high enough magnitude to cause major damage, but it's certainly not a microquake, either.

Austin Holland, a research seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, remarked, "This state is experiencing an unprecedented level of earthquake activity." He said the agency is closely monitoring the quakes to see if they worsen, and furthermore to determine conclusively whether they are being caused by fracking. "We're having more earthquakes here, including magnitude three, than the western U.S." He admitted, "We do see some cases where there is a pretty clear link between fluid injection and the earthquakes."

Another possibility, he thought, is that this is due to a combination of human-caused and natural effects; perhaps even a perfect storm of factors. "We can tell that sometimes very large rainfalls or changes in aquifer levels can cause earthquakes. Just the natural changes that occur. We could be looking at a combination of that, combined with changes in the amount of wastewater that is disposed of, and natural stress changes. There are all sorts of different [possible circumstances] that we are looking at."

William Ellsworth, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey who has published more than 100 papers on earthquakes, said the worst part is that, even after scientists have established a link between seismic activity and fracking, no state besides Ohio factors this into its drilling operations. In 49 states, there is no seismic risk assessment required for injection wells. "Nobody is talking to one another about this," he said. "I'm worried that one day, an injection of wastewater into the ground could pierce an unknown fault somewhere that's five miles from a nuclear power plant."

"This swarm of earthquakes is very robust," said Holland. And there could be a chance that somewhere in this series of tremors, a more destructive quake could occur. "In 2011, we saw a foreshock, a bunch of earthquakes, a large main shock, and then it settled down for a couple of days." In the same way, "it is certainly possible that we could see a large earthquake in this [current] sequence." Either way, the current quakes show no signs of slowing. "We continue to see seismic activity in the area," he concluded.

Photo: An anti-fracking demonstration takes place in Oklahoma, decrying the dangers of fracking. Residents of many affected towns are now ready to add "earthquakes" to that list. Erik Schelzig/AP

Gore strikes hard (and strikes out), again

Wed, 25 Jun 2014 16:11:00 +0000

Al Gore has done it again. His latest essay in Rolling Stone celebrates some progress in transitioning to renewable energy, applauds positive steps by the Obama administration on climate change, and gives a wide-ranging analysis of the state of the climate crisis in general.

This important essay deserves the widest possible readership, another clarion call for further transformation of global energy systems. Gore ably details many examples from around the world, both of the environmental problems we face and of the positive steps that are beginning to make a difference.

While Gore acknowledges the failures of market economies to adequately address climate change, he continues his short-sighted advocacy of regulated capitalism and "green" entrepreneurs as the solution. Along similar lines is a recent Time Magazine article on "The Green Revolution." But the congratulations of those who want to limit environmental struggle to changing investment strategies, technological improvements and limited market regulation are premature, to say the least.

Gore has the honesty to admit "Our civilization is confronting this existential challenge at a moment in our historical development when our dominant global ideology - democratic capitalism - has been failing us in important respects." Unlike the climate change deniers and "free market" fundamentalists, he recognizes that the unregulated market bears great responsibility for "failing to measure and include the categories of 'value' that are most relevant to the solutions we need in order to respond to this threatening crisis (clean air and water, safe food, a benign climate balance, public goods like education and a greener infrastructure, etc.)."

But he does not ask why the market works this way. He does not recognize that the aim of many capitalists to pollute without paying the costs is a feature of the system, not a bug - the system was designed that way.

Yet we should welcome Gore's determined advocacy of serious reforms such as a carbon tax and other measures that address the existential crisis facing the people of the world.

While socialists and communists rightly criticize the idea that capitalism is a solution, we too have to welcome the progress being made by some capitalist countries and companies on limiting greenhouse gas emissions and transitioning to renewable energy. This is because, while capitalism is a major cause of the environmental problems we face, humanity needs environmental change to start happening now - we can't wait for socialism.

Gore and others argue for a transformation to "green" capitalism, a regulated, technologically-oriented capitalism that they think will help us overcome the climate crisis. Their positive outlook is achieved, in part, by limiting the discussion to one or another aspect of the general crisis in the relationship between nature and humanity. Climate change is likely the most serious example, but it is only one aspect of this crisis. It is most important because, in addition to the direct threats to humanity from global warming, it also makes all the other challenges worse.

The environmental challenges we face are not just due to the ways we produce the energy used in industry, transportation, and the heating and cooling of buildings. They include deforestation along with escalating forest fires around the globe; soil degradation causing decreasing agricultural yields at the very time humanity needs more food; the spread of persistent organic pollutants ("pops ") around the entire globe, affecting human, animal, and plant reproductive systems; ocean acidification and the collapse of many fisheries from increased warming and acidification as well as from massive over-fishing; rising sea levels threatening the very existence of some Pacific island nations as well as causing salt-water intrusion into drinking water supplies, already happening in some areas of Florida; and many more interlinked problems.

Gore notes, "[H]ow did the Republican-dominated House of Representatives respond to these grim warnings? By passing legislation seeking to prohibit the Department of Defense from taking any action to prepare for the effects of climate disruption."

These problems as a whole are due to a serious imbalance between humans and the natural environment on which we depend. And this imbalance is mainly caused by the capitalist system of production, geared to ever-increasing production of commodities, ever expanding GDP, ever-skyrocketing profits - all incompatible with the finite world on which human quality of life depends.

We should welcome progress in transforming the energy marketplace in ways that favor renewable energy production, and welcome progress towards an international treaty to set mandatory targets for greenhouse gas emission reduction. At the same time, unless we fundamentally transform the political economy, we will be stuck on a treadmill that continues to reproduce the imbalance with nature, a threat to the quality of life of all humanity.

Photo: Al Gore speaks about sustainability at Sapphire NOW business technology conference in 2010. Wikipedia

North Dakota park threatened by oil, gas drilling

Tue, 24 Jun 2014 16:17:00 +0000

The pristine vistas and rugged prairie of Theodore Roosevelt National Park may soon be marred by oil rigs. The North Dakota park, which is home to a great variety of wildlife, has 100 miles of hiking and horse trails, and has skies where visitors can sometimes witness the Northern Lights, is about to become the latest area to be used for oil and natural gas drilling operations.

The oil and natural gas industries have been encroaching on the park for some time now. The same sky beneath which park goers once stood and, on lucky occasions, observed the Aurora Borealis, is now being tinged instead with the orange glow of natural gas flares from drilling on the park's border. Now, park officials say, there is serious talk about leasing actual park land to oil and fracking companies, which would mean that the environmental tampering would no longer be an outside threat, and the park's fragile ecosystem would come under attack.

Winthrop Roosevelt, great-great grandson of the president for which the park is named, remarked, "The purpose of the park is to provide for future generations. The ability to do so is compromised if developers expose the park to that type of drilling," especially "without having a really good knowledge of the long-term effects it may have." As it is, he noted, as many as one thousand trucks per day transporting waste or supplies for drilling regularly use the park's dirt roads - roads that were originally meant only for light tourist traffic.

Former North Dakota tourism director Jim Fuglie, who writes extensively on the park, said, "With an oil boom comes all kinds of problems. We have pristine air, we have pristine water; nothing has ever threatened those things before. Now, we have cattle ranchers whose grass is being covered by the dust of a thousand trucks a day."

Think Progress commented on the issue, stating, "Oil wells are creeping closer and closer to the park's boundaries. Already, visitors are discovering" that parts of the park are "becoming islands in a sea of industrial development. Soon, there could be drilling within the national park itself." In fact, they added, it's "one of 30 national parks that could have drilling within their borders in the future."

They went on to include a video by the Center for American Progress, part of the group's report on the issue, which notes that Theodore Roosevelt National Park is part of the massive Bakken shale that has caused the recent North Dakota oil drilling boom. The group said in their report, "Oil and gas drilling is a dirty business that, if done improperly, has the potential to do substantial harm to national parks. Drilling involves not just the construction of rigs but also roads, pipelines, and other infrastructure. Toxic chemicals such as naphthalene and benzene are sometimes used in oil and gas drilling and production activities. There is also the equally real threat of spills, which are frequent both onshore and offshore. One estimate found that in North Dakota in 2011 alone, there were more than a thousand spills of oil, wastewater, or other drilling fluids."

Roosevelt concluded, "Our national parks were set aside to protect America's natural, cultural, and historic resources for future generations. The headlong rush to drill has caused a number of social and environmental consequences that are just too startling to ignore, and North Dakota's unique and fragile ecosystem is being irrevocably changed." Speaking directly to environmentalists, he added, "If you are outraged like I am that a national park could be sacrificed in the oil and gas industry's quest for selfish profit, it's time to take action."

Photo: Oil production can be seen just beyond the boundaries of scenic Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Visitors can often hear the sounds of the activity while in the park itself. Park officials fear that oil and gas companies will soon seek to begin drilling within the park itself. Charles Rex Arbogast/AP

Olympian swims to raise awareness on meningitis

Tue, 24 Jun 2014 15:14:00 +0000

LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill. - They say that knowledge is power, and that spreading knowledge is powerful. When former Olympian Dara Torres, father Bob Werner, as well as a medical expert gather here at a local high school, they hope to do just that; spread knowledge and raise awareness to support the "Voices of Meningitis" campaign.

Voices of Meningitis is a disease prevention campaign from the National Association of School Nurses. Joined together as a health initiative, these nurses strive to educate and motivate parents to protect their teens and speak with their teen's health care provider about the importance of vaccination. Although rare, meningococcal disease is a serious infection that includes meningitis, which can potentially cause death or disability in an otherwise healthy teen, within 24 hours.

Torres, 12-time Olympic medalist in swimming, joins the campaign for the second year to educate other parents and to help raise awareness through a series of events in LA, Atlanta, Chicago, and New York. Torres swims 24 laps to symbolize the 24 hours that it can take for meningitis to take a life.

"I am honored to be traveling across the country on behalf of the Voices of Meningitis campaign so as to educate parents and teens about meningococcal meningitis prevention. It's been fun being able to swim with the kids, too. They're all fast and say 'I want to beat an Olympian!'" says Torres

Being an iconic athletic figure and a mother herself, I asked Torres what she aims to teach her children and why this cause is important to her. "Being a mother, I strive to teach my kids not to worry about what everyone else is doing, and just concentrate on yourself. When I was in college, I actually had an experience where someone caught the disease and we all had to be quarantined and vaccinated. It wasn't until years after though that I had learned more about the disease. Two out of three moms aren't aware, and that's why I am here."

Bob Werner and his wife tragically lost their daughter Becky, to meningococcal meningitis. After hearing their story, it was evident that this disease was difficult to diagnose, because it's most common symptoms-fever, headache, and muscle pain, are similar to those of the flu. "Becky was 20 years old and going to school. On Tuesday morning she woke up feeling sick. We took her to the hospital first thing the next morning, and they immediately started running tests, but the infection was basically attacking her body. By 5 p.m. we learned that she had meningitis, and by 9 p.m. that night she was gone," says Werner.

Knowing what had just happened to Becky, Werner and his family took action in order to stay clear of the infection. ''The disease is contagious so we all got antibiotics right away and further down the road got vaccinated. It happens so fast. That's why it's important to get vaccinated," says Werner.

Shortly after the passing of their daughter, Bob Werner and his wife started talking to others on the importance of getting vaccinated and the reality of the situation. "We didn't know about the vaccine; we're just typical parents and Becky was a typical kid, and if we didn't know about it, that means other parents don't either."

Medical expert Linda Gibbons advises that vaccination is crucial in infection prevention. ''To help protect against meningococcal disease, the Centers for Disease Control recommends routine vaccinations of adolescents 11 through 18. A single-dose of vaccine should be administered at 11 or 12 years of age, with a booster dose at 16 years of age. Adolescence and young adults are at greater risk for contracting the disease, which can potentially be prevented through vaccination.

I asked Gibbons how teenagers and young adults can get the infection and the best way to prevent the disease. "Certain lifestyles are thought to put adolescents at greater risk for infection, including: sharing drinking glasses, water bottles, kissing, living in close quarters (e.g. dormitories, sleep-away camps.) The vaccination is the best protection, and has been available for years although not required. Moms should talk to their child's school nurse or health care provider about meningococcal meningitis prevention or to schedule a vaccination appointment."

Although rare, meningococcal meningitis can be prevented and anyone is eligible for vaccination. For more information, please feel free to visit www.VoicesofMeningitis.org, and share in the knowledge. There are resources for health care professionals and parents.

Photo: Swimmers surround Dara Torres during her trip to the Chicago area to raise awareness about meningitis (VoicesOfMeningitis.org).

Environment, economy linked at new UN assembly

Mon, 23 Jun 2014 12:46:00 +0000

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - The first-ever United Nations Environmental Assembly opened in Kenya on Monday, as more than 150 high-level delegations began a weeklong examination of the intersection between global economic progress and the environment.

The environment is no longer a niche topic backed by a passionate minority, Achim Steiner, the head of the U.N. Environmental Program told The Associated Press, but is clearly linked to economic and societal issues.

The changing environment - including climate change, pollution, land degradation and access to water- shows that the world's economy needs to be reinvented or progress will suffer, Steiner said. The U.N. recently upgraded UNEP's standing and the weeklong assembly is the highest-level U.N. body ever convened on the environment.

"Wherever you live on the planet these phenomena are going to change the lives and economies of people, whether it's in Ohio, somewhere in Siberia or western China," Steiner said.

Sanjaasuren Oyun, minister of environment and green development in Mongolia, told the opening session that a shift toward more environmentally sound policies is a prerequisite for sustainable development. Oyun on Monday was elected the president of the newly constituted U.N. Environmental Assembly.

The conference will discuss ways to increase the progress of what is known as the green economy, including alternative energies, smart grids and new transportation options. Delegates will also look at the illegal wildlife trade, including rhino and elephant poaching. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expected to attend later in the week.

UNEP, Steiner said, argues that the world is on the verge of a technology revolution that in the coming decades will allow humans to tap into endless sources of energy. That will fundamentally change a continent like Africa, where 70 percent of residents today don't have access to electricity.

Put another way, he said, the globe will see another block of people the size of China demanding access to energy. Already, Steiner said, air pollution causes 7 million premature deaths a year, four times the combined number of deaths from AIDS and diarrhea, a huge killer in Africa.

"A healthy environment is about healthy people," Steiner said. "What we are doing is helping people understand how people will live better and longer and how their children will have a world that is not so polluted that the quality of their lives will be compromised."

World leaders recognize that global environmental cooperation must be achieved, Steiner said.

U.S. President Barack Obama this month proposed new rules to cut carbon dioxide emissions from coal plants by up to 30 percent by 2030 from 2005 levels. The proposal has been well received in Africa, which is seen as being highly vulnerable to changing climate patterns, changes African leaders blame on the West.

Obama's announcement sent a strong signal that the U.S. will undergo a sustained and serious effort to bring down its carbon footprint, Steiner said. Climate change is a dramatic driver of a rethinking of global economies, he said.

"At the beginning of the 21st century the environment and natural resources are perhaps more critical than ever before in allowing our economies to advance," Steiner said.

If economic penalties such as carbon taxes are not adjusted and the world continues to see the environment as an expendable commodity for national development, "we are facing an increasing dramatic set of scenarios where tipping points kick in and we reach a point of no return," Steiner said.

Photo: Achim Steiner, Executive Director of United Nations Environment Programme( UNEP) addresses the delegates, at the United Nations Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. Sayyid Azim/AP

Obama, actor DiCaprio turn the tide on protecting marine areas

Fri, 20 Jun 2014 14:22:00 +0000

President Obama used his executive authority on June 17 to create the world's largest marine sanctuary. This has huge implications for the environment, as it bans commercial fishing, mining, and oil exploration in a major portion of the Pacific Ocean. The move will bypass Republican lawmakers who have long acted as roadblocks to environmental struggles, and could protect up to 800,000 square miles of the south-central Pacific from commercial and corporate exploitation.

To this end, the Obama administration also announced the development of a new task force that will combat illegal fishing operations in the Pacific. The President will also consult with scientists and conservationists before determining the precise location and geographic scope of the sanctuary. It will, however, border and vastly expand the areas around the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, which was established back in 2009 and placed 77,020 square miles under the protection of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Obama also sought to add more national monuments. In a continuation of his use of executive power, under the Antiquities Act of 1906, he will designate 11 new national monuments on land across the U.S., allowing a plethora of new protections for millions of acres of precious wilderness.

"We can protect our oceans for future generations," said the President. "Growing up in Hawaii, I learned to appreciate the beauty and power of the ocean. And like Presidents Clinton and Bush before me, I'm going to use my authority as President to protect some of our most precious marine landscapes, just like we do for mountains and rivers and forests."

The move came directly on the heels of a bold and direct speech by Obama during a commencement address at the University of California-Irvine on June 14. During that address, the President openly criticized the obstinance of Republicans who denied the threat of climate change and the need to defend the environment. He encouraged young voters to speak out about environmentalism and reiterated the need to get legislation passed to change things for the better. With this plan for what will be the largest protected marine area in history, it would seem that Obama is showing he has lived up to his words.

The White House's new task force is part and parcel of Obama's new initiative. It will be called the Presidential Task Force on Combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing and Seafood Fraud, and will report to the National Ocean Council, which itself was established via executive order in 2010.

Obama explained that illegal and unregulated fishing in the Pacific continues to "undermine the economic and environmental sustainability of fisheries and fish stocks. Global losses attributable to the black market from such fishing are estimated to be $10-23 billion annually, weakening profitability for legally caught seafood, fueling illegal trafficking operations, and undermining economic opportunity for legitimate fishermen in the U.S. and around the world."

Meanwhile, anti-environment Republicans and corporate oil executives are likely seething over the development of the marine sanctuary. Thousands of square miles of what oil companies see as potential territory for offshore drilling will now be closed off to them. And in addition to defending the waters from such tampering, the area's tuna and other fish stocks will be able to recover and increase their numbers.

Obama made the announcement at a State Department Our Ocean conference; amongst the attendees was actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who had been strongly pushing for such a move and had previously donated $3 million to the Oceana conservation group. He declared he would now donate an additional $7 million over the next two years to "meaningful ocean protection" and to bolster the President's move.

DiCaprio called the interference of oil corporations and illegal fishing markets "the Wild West on the high seas," and called for "an end to the incessant plundering of the ocean and its vital resources." He added that this is a worldwide problem, remarking, "Since my very first dive in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia 20 years ago, to the dive I got to do in the very same location just two years ago, I've witnessed environmental devastation firsthand. What once looked like an endless underwater utopia is now riddled with bleached coral reefs and massive dead zones."

Secretary of State John Kerry added, "Most people think the ocean is larger than life; an endless resource impossible to destroy. But people underestimate the enormous damage that we as humans are inflicting upon the ocean every day."

Photo: Actor Leonardo DiCaprio speaks at the Our Ocean conference, applauding Obama's marine sanctuary initiative and donating $7 million to ocean protection and conservation. Cliff Owen/AP

Obama turns up the heat on climate change deniers

Tue, 17 Jun 2014 16:22:00 +0000

President Obama gave a de facto follow-up to his previous climate change speech on June 14, during his commencement address at the University of California-Irvine. In a bold and positive move, he called out climate change deniers, emphasized the urgency of the matter, and called on students to push the issue beyond the current partisan divide in Washington, D.C.

He criticized the negative remarks made by Republicans in Congress, such as those of Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., who claimed that the effects of climate change, if any, were "unknowable;" and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who diverted questions on global warming and simply said he was not a scientist. "One doesn't need to be a scientist," Obama pointed out, "to act on scientific issues while in public office."

The President said that when Americans were set on a course for the moon, "nobody ignored the science. I don't remember anyone saying that the moon wasn't there or that it was made of cheese. Today's Congress, though, is full of folks who stubbornly and automatically reject the scientific evidence about climate change. They will tell you it's a hoax, or a fad. There are some who also duck the question. They say, 'Hey, look, I'm not a scientist.' And I'll translate that for you: what that really means is, 'I know that climate change is happening, but if I admit it, I'll be run out of town by a radical fringe that thinks climate change is a liberal plot, so I'm not going to admit it.'"

Vox writer Ezra Klein said the speech was a diverse one in that it "was about more than just the Republican Party. It was an impassioned case for why climate action is necessary. And it was, politically, a speech that showed Obama is done trying to convince Republicans to work with him on climate change and has moved on to trying to convince the public - and in particular, the next generation of American voters."

Obama is indeed clearly trying to work with young environmentalists, as evident by his remarks: "People are [too busy] thinking about politics instead of thinking about what's good for the next generation. The reason I'm telling you this is because I want to light a fire under you. As the generation getting shortchanged by inaction on this issue, I want all of you to understand you cannot accept that this is the way it has to be. You're going to have to push those in power to do what this American moment demands. You've got to educate your classmates, colleagues, family members, and fellow citizens, and tell them what's at stake. You've got to push back against the misinformation and speak out for facts."

Ben Adler, Grist.org writer, pointed out that Obama's act of reaching out to the new generation is a smart move. He said, "Republicans will never embrace climate action just because most people passively support it, or because environmentalists ardently do, but young people could entice them. The millennial generation is growing in electoral strength, leaning heavily Democratic but showing signs of disappointment with the Democrats. If young voters really did show elected officials that support for climate change is a prerequisite for their votes, Republicans might eventually take notice."

"I'm not a scientist either," said the President. "But we've got some really good ones at NASA. I do know that the overwhelming majority of scientists who work on climate change, including some who once disputed the data, have since put that debate to rest." It's time, he concluded, "to invest in what helps and divest in what harms. We have to realize that climate change is no longer a distant threat. It has moved firmly into the present."

Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

Gray wolf gets endangered species protection in California

Fri, 06 Jun 2014 15:41:00 +0000

The California Fish and Game Commission voted on June 4 to grant endangered species protections to gray wolves. This is the first time the state has stepped into the issue over the species, which is losing protection and being killed in several states, and which is expanding to territories it had not inhabited for decades in others.

One such territory might be the Golden State itself, where a gray wolf pup was spotted in the northern part of the state in 2011. Environment authorities believe that pup later found a mate and began denning in Oregon. California now joins Oregon and Washington in providing safe passage for these wolves that are repopulating their former range. This comes at a time when wolves in other states have not been so lucky; 80 percent of those in Wyoming can be shot on sight after the state marked them a "trophy game animal."

Environmental groups thus applauded California for making the correct choice on gray wolves. Amaroq Weiss, of the Center for Biological Diversity, remarked, "The Pacific states are the last, best place for wolves. We have the progressive attitudes and social values where people embrace wildlife, no matter if it's got teeth or claws."

Experts believe the wolves denning in Oregon will eventually establish a pack in northern California. Damon Nagami, an attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, declared, "While other states bicker and quarrel, California adds the latest chapter to one of the world's greatest biological success stories. The dispersal of wolves out of the northern Rockies will help to bring balance to other ecosystems in need of their stabilizing influence."

Gray wolves have taken much flak from oppositional groups, which include hunters and ranchers. They have been called everything from "killing machines that gut calves for fun" to "coyotes on steroids that will take livestock, attack ranchers, and ruin the industry." These claims, however, are greatly exaggerated, and do not match up with the fact that gray wolves' population in such areas continues to be sparse. In Oregon, there are only a little over two dozen wolves, and this is the result of a reintroduction to Yellowstone National Park that began as far back as 1995.

California Fish and Game Commission member Michael Sutton, a former Yellowstone ranger, said, "There is no more iconic animal in the American West than this one. We owe it to them to do everything we can to help them recolonize their historic range in our state."

The Sierra Club stated, "Wolves are among the most charismatic animals in America. The howl of the wolf is emblematic of our country's last wild areas, a reminder of strength and beauty in the natural world. Wolves are vitally important to maintaining the natural balance, culling out weak and sick animals to keep populations in check. The rippling benefits of wolf reintroduction can be seen throughout the region - from the reappearance of willow and aspen trees, to the return of beavers, and increased populations of red foxes. Nevertheless, habitat loss, unregulated hunting, and negative stereotypes continue to reduce their numbers."

Photo: David Eggart/AP

Today in history: Stockholm meet launches global environmental movement

Thu, 05 Jun 2014 14:14:00 +0000

On June 5, 1972, the landmark United Nations Conference on the Human Environment opened in Stockholm, Sweden. It is widely recognized as the beginning of modern political and public awareness of global environmental problems.

World Environment Day, launched by the conference, has been celebrated on June 5 each year since 1973. This year's theme is "'Small Islands and Climate Change." The official slogan is "Raise Your Voice Not The Sea Level."

The Stockholm conference adopted a Declaration on the Human Environment, the first document in international environmental law to recognize the right to a healthy environment. The declaration sets forth "common principles to inspire and guide the peoples of the world in the preservation and enhancement of the human environment."

It connects environmental issues with the needs of developing nations and the need to protect human rights, including freedom from colonialism, apartheid and nuclear weapons.

The conference was attended by representatives of 113 countries, 19 inter-governmental agencies, and more than 400 inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations.

It "represented a first taking stock of the global human impact on the environment, an attempt at forging a basic common outlook on how to address the challenge of preserving and enhancing the human environment," says Gunther Handl, Tulane University public international law.

After Stockholm, there was a dramatic increase in global awareness of environmental issues and in adoption of environmental laws.

The 1972 conference led to international efforts to address climate change such as the 1997 Kyoto Treaty and a succession of world meetings that are still struggling to reach consensus on actions to reduce global warming.

Photo: Keith Johnson, from Jamaica, left, chairman of the preparatory committee for the 1972 UN Conference on the Human Environment, UN Secretary-General U Thant, center, and Maurice Strong, right, secretary-general of the conference, with a design for the official conference poster, at UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 15, 1971. UN/Teddy Chen