February 12, 1999
1) Alabama Green Funding Lags Behind Neighbors
2) New American Lung Association Poll About Clean Air
3) Green Scissors Report Takes Aim At Pork
4) Learn All About Your Alabama Legislators (New Website)
5) Alabama Wildlife Federation's Youth Art Contest
6) Top Nature Conservancy Job Open In Mississippi
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1. Alabama Lags Behind in "Green Funding"
- According to the Council of State
Government Ecos Magazine, Vol. IV, the state of Alabama lags significantly
behind neighboring states in funding our environmental agency.
Some of the
numbers are quite shocking. Here is the breakdown from the study.
Alabama
1997 - $30,526,394 1998 - $32,611,688
Florida
1997 - $492,722.510 1998 - $524,898,418
Georgia
1997 - $43,733,688 1998 - $47,405,709
Mississippi
1997 - $63,033,220 1998 - $94,753,576
Tennessee
1997 -$209,197,400 1998 - $235,033,800
The contribution from Alabama's General Fund to ADEM has hovered
around $4.8
million a year for the past 3 years. The state's contribution
has been
declining for most of the decade. Most of the Alabama Department
of
Environmental Management's (ADEM) funding comes from the federal
government
and fees.
2. ALA Poll: People Want Clean Air and Will Pay For It -
In December of1998
the American Lung Association (ALA) conducted a poll on people's
reaction to
paying more at the "pump" for cleaner gasoline. Currently
there is a
national debate whether cleaner gasoline should be mandated not
only in areas
with serious air pollution problems, but in all areas regardless
of air
pollution problems pertaining to a specific region or city. Pollster
Celinda
Lake who conducted the survey concluded, "overwhelmingly,
people believe
stricter standards for clean gasoline should be enforced across
the entire
country because it makes the air cleaner everywhere." A 89%
majority favored
national clean gasoline standards versus only 4% who favored the
position
that cleaner gasoline is not necessary unless the air quality
is poor.
Are Americans willing to pay extra for cleaner gasoline? According
to the ALA
poll, 91% of the people interviewed are willing to pay 3 cents
extra a
gallon, while 69% are willing to pay an extra nickel. EPA experts
predict
the national standards could cost the oil companies one to three
cents per
gallon.
On a related subject, the poll also tackled the question of
requiring sports
ulitity vehicles (SUV's) and minivans to meet the same strict
pollution
standards as passenger cars. By a 91% to 8% margin the public
favored such
restrictions. Surprisingly, 87% of SUV owners and 92% of minivan
owners
agreed that their vehicles should meet the same standards as automobiles.
To learn more about the American Lung Association's clean air
efforts, please
visit their website at - http://www.lungusa.org
or contact the state office
here in Alabama at 205-933-8821.
3. Green Scissors '99 Targets Alabama Projects - Congress
can save taxpayers
nearly $51 billion by cutting federal programs that harm the environment
and
waste money, according to Green Scissors '99, a report released
by a
coalition of environmental, taxpayer, consumer and conservative
groups. The
diverse coalition has identified 72 federal programs ranging from
money
losing timber sales to coal industry subsidies.
Specifically in Alabama, the study targets the Army's chemical
weapons
incinerator program, federal cotton and peanut subsidies, and
money losing
timber sales on our national forests.
To learn more about Green Scissors and to receive a copy of
the 99 Report,
just visit the following website -
http://www.foe.org or call Erich Pica at
202-783-7400 ext. 229.
4. Learn About Your Alabama Legislator - It is now possible
to access
information about your local Alabama legislator on the web. By
visiting the
state government website, one can receive vital statistics (such
as your
legislator's occupation), home address and even a photograph of
your local
representative and senator (photos of freshman legislators are
not yet up on
the site).
The new legislative session opens on March 2nd. Visit this
site before the
session begins at: http://www.legislature.state.al.us/
Just click on the
Senate or House button to find your member of the legislature.
5. The William Ireland Sr. Youth Wildlife Art Contest
- For over 10 years the
Alabama Wildlife Federation (AWF) has sponsored a Youth Wildlife
Art Contest,
which recognizes the outstanding artistic abilities of Alabama
students,
while increasing students' knowledge and awareness of wildlife
in our state.
The Ireland Youth Wildlife Art Contest is open to all public and
private
school students in Alabama. Students from Special Education to
K-12 can
particpate. AWF does encourage schools to conduct local contests
first
before submitting the top 2 entries in each category (they are
Special Ed,
K-3, 4-6,7-9,10-12) to the Federation's state office in Montgomery.
To learn more about this prestigious contest contact AWF's
Public Relations
Director April Lupardus at 205-941-1768.
6. Nature Conservancy ED Job Open In Mississippi - Never
read your e-mails
too quickly. Earlier this week Kathy Stiles Freeland, my good
friend and
Executive Director of the Nature Conservancy of Alabama, wrote
me an e-mail
about the Nature Conservancy seeking a new Executive Director.
Unfortunately, I read the message too fast and thought that Kathy
was leaving
her position - which would be a tragic and devastating loss to
the Alabama
environmental community!! While I was about to dial her office
- I caught
myself and re-read her e-mail. To my relief Kathy was just asking
me to
announce in BEN an Executive Director job opening at the Nature
Conservancy
of ** Mississippi** Chapter. So..... If you know of anyone interested
in
becoming the Director of the Mississippi Chapter of the Nature
Conservancy
please call Kathy Stiles Freeland for more information at 205-251-1155.
And remember - read your e-mails carefully. - PB.
Please share BEN with friends and fellow conservationists.
If you have any questions about BEN, contact Pat Byington at
205-226-7739 or pkbyington@aol.com
