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Environmental Action
Alerts for February, 2000

coming soon - in March - improved navigation - easier to find articles & alerts - faster load time

some special reports(many others alerts below, also)

U'wa campaign alerts

click here for sample letter to Gore and Fidelity

click here to read about worldwide Oxy resistance

click here to read about Columbian Police murders

read 2nd alert re: Columbian Police Murders

more info re: international support for U'wa

various alerts

click here for Wal-mart  contraceptive prohibition

Southwest Wolf Recovery-Story & Letter

click for Army Corps of Engineers Questionable Practices

click for Genetically Engineered Salmon news

click here for Amnesty Report re:murdered activist

from Rainforest Action Network Feb 2, 2000

U'wa History and sample letter to Gore and Fidelity

(Occidental Investors)

    Below you will find a brief chronology of recent events in U'wa land as
well as the most recent call to action to support the U'wa. The situation
has grown very serious and I urge you to take action by contacting
Occidental Petroleum's 2 most important shareholders - Al Gore and Fidelity
Investments.  You can find more information about all of these events,
including communiques from the U'wa themselves on our webpage www.ran.org.

SEPT 1999 - Colombian government grants final permits to allow LA Based
Occidental Petroleum to drill on U'wa land

OCT 12 1999 - Indigenous People's Day is marked with demonstrations and
rallies at Colombian  embassy's and consulates around the world calling for
an immediate cancellation of the proposed oil drilling and a return of the
U'wa ancestral homelands.

NOV 1999 - 250 U'wa begin a peaceful occupation of the proposed drillsite
Gibraltar 1

JAN 2000 - Bill Clinton proposes a $1.3 billion military aid package to
support the Colombian military despite their track record as the worst human
rights abuser in Latin America.

JAN 19th - Thousands of Colombian troops surround the U'wa occupation,
preventing food, water or more U'wa from getting through to the surrounded
U'wa encampment.

JAN 25th - U'wa occupying the drillsite are removed by Colombian military
helicopters, in the process 3 U'wa disappear and remain unaccounted for;
Occidental moves equipment in.

JAN 26 - 8 U'wa supporters arrested at Al Gore's NH campaign headquarters
for protesting his long term connection to Occidental Petroleum including
his ownership of $500,000 worth of Oxy stock.

FEB 3 - International Day of Solidarity for the U'wa!  Demonstrators target
Fidelity Investments, a major shareholder in Occidental Petroleum and call
on them to use their influence to get the project cancelled.  Al Gore's
national HQ is flooded with phone calls and faxes demanding that he take
action for the U'wa!

FEB (ongoing) The movement to support the U'wa people grows with frequent
demonstrations at local Fidelity, massive divestment by Fidelity
shareholders and ongoing pressure on Al Gore.
------------------------
please forward

"...We are making an urgent call to the national and international
community, and to all groups who have supported us, to mobilize against
this last attempt to trample upon the U'wa nation,  which threatens our
existence and culture. WE U'WA WILL NOT CEDE OUR CULTURAL, HISTORIC AND
ANCIENT RIGHTS.  WE PREFER GENOCIDE SPONSORED BY THE COLOMBIAN
GOVERNMENT RATHER THAN HANDING OVER OUR MOTHER EARTH TO OIL COMPANIES.”
    - Emergency Communique from the U'wa People, Jan 20, 2000

THE U'WA PEOPLE OF COLOMBIA NEED YOUR HELP!

OCCIDENTAL PETROLEUM AND THE COLOMBIAN ARMY HAVE INVADED THEIR LANDS!

CONTACT OCCIDENTAL'S MOST IMPORTANT SHAREHOLDERS -
FIDELITY INVESTMENTS and VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE
(sample letter below)

DELIVER YOUR LETTER IN PERSON ON THE FEB 3 DAY OF SOLIDARITY WITH THE U'WA!
Find the nearest Fidelity "Investor Center" to you :
http://personal400.fidelity.com/gen/centers/invstctr.html.tvsr

       *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *

       The U'wa people, an indigenous tribe of about 5000 people in
northeastern Colombia are completely opposed to efforts by Los Angeles
based Occidental Petroleum to drill for oil on their land.  Oil
drilling would violate the U'wa's most important religious beliefs and
present a grave threat to their culture and the environment. The 1.5
billion barrels of oil estimated to be beneath U'wa land would meet
the global fossil fuel demand for only three weeks.

       Oil is at the center of Colombia's bloody civil war which has
claimed 25,000 lives in the past decade alone.   

Occidental's nearby
Cano Limon pipeline has been bombed over 600 times in its 12 years of
operation.  These attacks have resulted in approximately 2.1 million
barrels of crude oil spilling into the soil and rivers - eight times
the amount spilled by the Exxon Valdez.  The U'wa know that Occidental's
oil drilling will bring them only violence, human rights abuses and
ecological devastation.
       Since mid-November hundreds of U'wa, including women, children
and tribal elders, have been peacefully occupying the proposed drill
site.  Their message is clear. In their words: "We would rather die,
protecting everything that we hold sacred, than lose everything that
makes us U'wa."  On January 19th thousands of Colombian troops invaded
the area to allow Occidental to begin preliminary operations.  The
situation is critical. The U'wa need our support.
       The best way to pressure Occidental is through their two most
prominent shareholders : Fidelity Investments and Vice President Al Gore.
Boston based Fidelity Investments is the world's largest mutual fund
company and controls more than 30 million Occidental shares - almost 10
percent of the company's total value.  Fidelity's  slogan is "We help
you invest responsibly."  We must demand that Fidelity Investments act
responsibly for the rights of indigenous people and for precious,
irreplaceable ecosystems.  Urge Fidelity to either convince Occidental
to cancel its project on U'wa traditional lands, or to dump all their
Occidental stock in protest.
     February 3 is a day of solidarity for the U'wa and activists
around the world will be organizing teach-ins, letter writing parties,
vigils, demonstrations and direct actions at Fidelity locations.  Find
your nearest Fidelity at the URL above and organize something to show
Fidelity that you support the U'wa!
        Vice President Al Gore has a long standing connection with
Occidental Petroleum.  His father was on the Board of Directors and
his family earned much of their wealth through their connections with
Occidental. Gore owns up to $500,000 in Oxy stocks, and stands to reap
large financial rewards if Oxy finds the 1.5 billion barrels of oil
that the company estimates is under U’wa land. Oxy and its employees
are also frequent and generous funders to both the Gore campaign and
to the Democratic party. In 1996, Oxy Chairman Ray Irani gave the
Democratic National Committee $100,000 just 2 days after sleeping in
the Lincoln Bedroom of the White House.  Gore says he cares about the
environment and human rights.  Let's challenge him to prove it by
telling Occidental to abandon oil fields on all U'wa land.


For more detailed information and copies of U'wa communiques
go to Rainforest Action Network's webpage - www.ran.org

To get more involved in the campaign contact Patrick at
Rainforest Action Network 1-800-989-RAIN  or rags@ran.org

           *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *

WRITE/FAX BLAST/PHONE ZAP FIDELITY and AL GORE

Edward C. Johnson III
Chairman and CEO Fidelity Investments
82 Devonshire St.
Boston, MA  02109
Telephone: 800-544-6666
Fax: 617-476-4164

Albert Gore
Vice President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington DC 20500
FAX: 202/456-7044
Gore 2000 Campaign offices :
Telephone - TN  615-340-2000


SAMPLE LETTER TO FIDELITY (can be adjusted for Gore)

Dear Mr. Johnson III,

I recently learned that Occidental Petroleum is moving forward with
the Samore Block oil project on the traditional territory of the U'wa
People of Colombia.  As you probably know, the U'wa are adamantly
opposed to Occidental's drilling plans and are willing to die to stop
this project.

Your company is one of the largest shareholders of Occidental stock,
and as such has unrivaled power to influence Occidental's decisions.
I urge you to do everything in your power to stop this human and
ecological tragedy before it takes place.

If the Samore Block project goes forward, it will jeopardize the lives
of five thousand people and the health of a fragile forest ecosystem.
The project will also have repercussions that extend far beyond
Colombia, as the U'wa have overwhelming international support.

As one of Occidental's primary shareholders, Fidelity has a
responsibility to take a stand on this highly controversial and
potentially deadly project.  Show your customers that you
will not invest in the destruction of indigenous cultures by publicly
urging Occidental to cancel all drilling on U'wa land.  Please let me
know about your progress in addressing this critical issue.

Sincerely,
Your Name

       *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *

Thank you for taking action on behalf of the U'wa!  You can also send
a free fax to support the U'wa from www.ran.org.

************************************************************************************************

from Environmental Defense Fund  Feb 4, 2000

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from Natural Resources Defense Council Feb 4, 2000

EARTHSMARTCARS BULLETIN

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from Center for Marine Conservation Feb,  2000

to send an electronic petition visit: http://www.cmc-ocean.org/petition/index.php3 or to help out in other ways visit http://www.cmc-ocean.org/3_pt/3_ptintro.php3

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from World Wildlife  Feb 9, 2000

Polar Bears and Penguins At Risk

Scientists believe that the twentieth century was warmer than any in
the last thousand years.  Global warming is real.  Unfortunately, many
of the predicted outcomes spell serious trouble for wildlife and their
habitats.  The disappearance of sea ice, for example, has diminished
the habitat suitable for polar bears in the Arctic and for Adelie
penguins in the northern part of the Antarctic peninsula.    

Please help combat these and the many other threats posed by global
warming by urging your member of Congress to take legislative action
to increase the fuel efficiency of gas-guzzling and highly polluting
sport utility vehicles, minivans, and other light trucks.  Doing so is one
of the most important steps we can take in the United States to reduce
the greenhouse gases that are heating up our planet.

Last year, with help from Conservation Action Network activists, we
fought hard but ultimately lost a battle to allow the federal Department
of Transportation to study the feasibility of raising mileage standards
for sport utility vehicles, minivans, and other light trucks.  This year
we intend to succeed and need your help to kick off a strong campaign.  
Please send a free message urging your member of Congress to sign
onto a letter to President Clinton asking him to support higher fuel
efficiency standards for sport utility vehicles, minivans, and other light
trucks.  To take action, go to http://takeaction.worldwildlife.org.  
Please act today!

The Conservation Action Network will automatically include your
mailing address in your message-as required by many members of
Congress.  If you choose to send an e-mail to your representative and
you receive a message back saying there were any problems with the
delivery of your message, please notify us at
undeliverable@worldwildlife.org.

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************

from rainforest action network Feb10, 2000

34 CITIES, 9 COUNTRIES : ACTIVISTS SAY NO DRILLING ON U'WA LAND! FIDELITY INVESTMENTS TARGETED AROUND THE PLANET


In this post :
1. Fidelity feels the heat!  Feb 3 and beyond....
2. Global solidarity round up with contact info!
3. MEDIA - Bloomberg Business wire


    The U'wa people of Colombia continue their uncompromising resistance to
Occidental Petroleum's (Oxy) efforts to drill for oil on their ancestral
homelands.  Despite the ongoing occupation of their land by the Colombian
army, the forcible removal of dozens of U'wa from the drillsite area and
mounting violence in the region the U'wa continue to mobilize to defend
their lands and culture. The U'wa have been protesting Oxy by blocking roads
across the region, rallying in Bogata along with representatives of other
indigenous communities (such as the Embera Katio) and calling for solidarity
actions around the world.
    On February 3 the U'wa call was answered when activists around the world
targeted one of Oxy biggest shareholder's Fidelity Investments.  From Tokyo
to London and in 23 cities across the U.S. Fidelity got the message that we
will hold them accountable for the safety of the U'wa people.  Fidelity's
business as usual was disrupted by demonstrations, rallies, pickets,
die-ins, talking briefcases, attempted lock downs and activists delegations
delivering letters of protest.  Additionally in 8 other countries around the
world activists mobilized to support the U'wa resistance.  Fidelity's was
clearly very shaken by the mobilization.  They hired both uniformed and
undercover security at many of their investor centers and in London boarded
up much of their office in preparation for a demonstration by Reclaim the
Streets.  In other parts of the world U'wa supporters rallied outside of
Colombian embassies, held vigils or organized educational events in their
communities.  See below for descriptions of what happened in specific areas
as well as contact information for each city.
    Fidelity's official response remains that they do not want to address this
issue.   As Fidelity spokesman Vincent Loporchio says : Fidelity invests in
"companies with the highest likelihood of stock-price appreciation.... Our
portfolio managers are not trained to make investment decisions in order to
fulfill social or political objectives."  Apparently this means they are
perfectly happy to profit off the destruction of indigenous lands and
cultures.
    Meanwhile Occidental CEO Ray Irani has moved to silence U'wa supporters by
requesting a temporary restraining order against Rainforest Action Network,
Amazon Watch, Action Resource Center, Project Underground and Student Action
for the Environment.  The court case is still pending but one thing is
certain - no lawsuit will silence the growing voices of support for the
U'wa.  We need to keep the pressure on Oxy's 2 most important shareholders -
Fidelity and Al Gore. Wherever Gore goes we need to be there to raise this
issue and wherever there is a Fidelity presence we need to show them that
the U'wa have many friends.

CONTACT AL GORE'S OFFICE - Nashville TN  p) 615-340-2000   fax) 615-340-3295

Find the nearest Fidelity "Investor Center" to you :
http://personal400.fidelity.com/gen/centers/invstctr.html.tvsr
Fidelity's boston office fax # = 617-476-4164
Organize a follow up action in your town!

For more information or to coordinate solidarity actions contact Rainforest
Action Network
patrick reinsborough at organize@ran.org or lauren sullivan at
lsullivan@ran.org

---------------------------------------------
#2 ACTION FOR THE U'WA AROUND THE GLOBE

US cities where activists visited Fidelity : (* = more info below)

Atlanta, GA*
Charlotte NC
San Francisco, CA*
Boston, MA*
Los Angeles, CA*
Glendale, CA
Canoga Park, CA
Irvine, CA
Palo Alto, CA*
San Rafael, CA
Chicago, IL*
NY, NY*
Denver, CO*
Providence,RI
W. Hartford, CT
Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Tampa, FL
Austin, TX
Houston, TX
Portland, ME
Minneapolis, MN*
Portland, OR
Seattle, Washington
San Diego, CA*

International -
London* - Reclaim the Streets demonstrates at Fidelity UK
    CONTACT :  rts@gn.apc.org
Tokyo - activists deliver letter of protest to Fidelity Japan
    CONTACT :  Yuriko Hayami, JATAN eureka@jca.apc.org
Calgary, Canada - rally at OxyCanada HQ, disruption of Fidelity
    tradeshow exhibit CONTACT : Jeff Emmett jeffjim@telusplanet.net
Amsterdam - demo at Colombia embassy  CONTACT : trasgu@cable.A2000.nl
Tel Aviv, Isreal - unconfirmed solidatity action
    CONTACT : Roni, Green Action armonb@inter.net.il
Mexico City - solidarity statement from striking UNAM workers
Prague, Czech Republic - ongoing community education
    CONTACT : Hubert, Earth First! Prague  zemepredevsim@ecn.cz
Limerick, Ireland - ongoing community education
    CONTACT : Green Concern greenconcern@hotmail.com

other solidarity actions :
Santa Barbara, CA - Earth First! bike ride for the U'wa  coalition of
enviro, human rights,    peace and justice groups confront representatives of
Oxy petroleum at corporate    greenwashing conference
Madison WI - rally for the U'wa/protest against military aid at State house
    CONTACT : MattEBubba@aol.com Community Action on Latin America


LONDON
A small but resolute group of people from Reclaim the Streets picketed the
office of Fidelity Investments and distributed up to 1000 leaflets, mainly
to Fidelity workers. 2 majestic banners were unfurled: 'NO BLOOD FOR OIL'
and '5000 U'WA LIVES AT STAKE/FATALITY INVESTMENTS' .There was a very strong
police presence but no arrests. The doors and windows of the office were
boarded up and we can be pretty sure that every worker there has a fair idea
of what the U'wa issue
is all about. A local Colombian cafe owner came over to express support and
took a load of leaflets for his clientele, many of which will work for
Fidelity with any luck.  Photos posted at www.gn.apc.org/rts
CONTACT - London Reclaim the Streets  rts@gn.apc.org

ATLANTA - Atlanta Rainforest Action Group organized guerilla theater at 2
different Fidelities with 30 costumed activists participating in die-ins
inside the investor centers.  Activists then  marched to the Colombian
consulate for a rousing demonstration.
CONTACT - Leigh Scherberger leighscherberger@hotmail.com  770-232-7084

CHICAGO - Chicago Colombia Committee and Colombia Labor Monitor brought out
40 folks on a very cold and dreary day.  Nearly 2,000 leaflets were
distributed during the lunchtime rush.  Fidelity's reponse was to panic and
call the cops who arrived via squad car and bicycles several minutes later.
Photos at www.prairienet.org/clm/chicol.html
CONTACT - Dennis Grammenos, Chicago Colombia Committee  (773)489-1255
dgrammen@prairienet.org

SAN FRANCISCO - 75 people from Rainforest Action Network, Greenaction,
Project Underground and other local groups rallied outside Fidelity's SF
office holding a giant banner which read "Fidelity Don't Invest in Genocide!
Take Action for the U'wa!".  Floyd Westerman from the International Indian
Treaty Council started the rally with a ceremony and a call to support
indigenous peoples everywhere.  Other speakers talked about local
environmental justice issues, American military aid and the need for diverse
communities to unite against corporate domination.  That evening a teach-in
on Colombia was held with representatives of the Embera Katio people an
indigenous community in Colombia who are fighting to protect their lands
from a giant dam.  Connections were drawn between the Embera and U'wa
struggles, US militarism and the growing movement against corporate
globalization.
CONTACT - Patrick Reinsborough, Rainforest Action Network rags@ran.org,
415-398-4404

MINNEAPOLIS - A group of concerned  citizens approached the management and
security of Fidelity
Investments at 7600 France Ave. in Edina.  The group requested that a
letter, signed by
several local citizen organizations, be sent to the CEO of Fidelity, asking
said company to divest its dominant holdings in Occidental Petroleum, the
destroyer of the U'WA.  The activists caused quite a stir by holding signs
up inside Fidelity, leafleting all the surrounding businesses and asking the
police as many difficult questions as possible. By the time the protesters
left
the Fidelity manager was very frazzled indeed.
CONTACT - Drew Hempel hemp0027@tc.umn.edu; Big Woods EF! Hotline
612-362-3387

BOSTON - Alerted to International protests in support of the U'wa people,
Fidelity
heightened security at its Boston Investor center.  Despite this, activists
attempted to lock down inside the office but were intercepted by plain
clothes policemen and  thrown off the property. However, activists were able
to chain a "talking briefcase" to
the door and for the next hour it broadcast the story of the U'wa,
Occidental and Fidelity's connection to this project. Meanwhile, 50
protesters braved the freezing weather to hold signs/banners, chant, talk to
passersby and support the attempted lockdown.  Food not Bombs provided
a hot lunch  and returned for the second demo of the day at 3:30.
Over 80 protesters flooded the sidewalks, then marched up to Fidelity
headquarters holding signs, massive puppets representing the U'wa,
drumming and chanting slogans.  Speakers from Colombia Vive,the Colombia
Support Network, Amazon Watch and Rainforest Action Network fired up the
crowd.
CONTACT : Kim Foster, RAINFOREST ACTION NETWORK fosterk@gis.net
781-551-6674

NY, NY - As well as organizing a demonstration at Fidelity, 2 NY U'wa
supporters disrupted a Feb 7 Al Gore campaign event with a banner that read,
"Want My Vote? Save the U'wa".  The activists  challenged Gore, a major Oxy
shareholder, to use his personal and political influence to stop impending
drilling on the homelands of the U'wa people.  The activists, Rainforest
Relief Executive Director Tim Keating and Cindy Rosin distributed hundreds
of leaflets to attendees of the performance before they were arrested by
police.
CONTACT Adam Weissman (212) 966-4831 adam@wetlands-preserve.org

DENVER - Activists from the Boulder Rainforest Action Group accompanied by
"Crackers" the chicken picketed Fidelity in Denver's World Trade Center.
After facing down overzealous security guards, making a lot of noise and
handing out many leaflets they vowed to return soon!
CONTACT - Alyssa Schuren, Boulder RAG  303-492-5776
Alyssa.Schuren@Colorado.EDU

LOS ANGELES - 30 people from Action Resource Center, Amazon Watch and other
groups were greeted by telephoto lens wielding security guards at the
Century City Fidelity.  This didn't deter them from much raucous
demonstrating and leafleting.  At another LA location 12 activists from
Catholic Worker began a routine of weekly visits to their local Fidelity
while at a third a candle light vigil was held.
CONTACT - Brett Doran, Action Resource Center bdoran@envirolink.org
310-392-7656

PALO ALTO, CA -  Students for the Redwood Action Team at Stanford
University, and Bay Area Action rallied with drums, banners and signs
outside their local Fidelity.  A delegation delivery a letter of protest to
the branch and informed the manager that they would be back soon unless
Fidelity used its influence to stop Oxy drilling on U'wa land.
CONTACT - Galen, RATS 650-497-6046   Cynthia King cking@Stanford.EDU

SAN DIEGO, CA - A lone activist leafleting and getting petitions signed got
himself removed from corporate property.  He continued spreading information
about the U'wa on the public sidewalk and is already organizing for the next
demonstration. .
CONTACT : Nate Solov solov@rohan.sdsu.edu 619-582-3936

------------------------------------------------

#3 MEDIA -  The global solidarity movement for the U'wa has attracted a lot
of media attention.  Much of it is up on RAN's website - www.ran.org.
Here's an example of one article from the Bloomberg Business Wire.  Please
send us any local media about the campaign for our archive.



Fidelity, Gore Urged to Help Block Colombian Occidental Venture

    Washington, Feb. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Environmental activists are
urging Fidelity Investments and U.S. Vice President Al Gore either
to divest their holdings in Occidental Petroleum Corp. or use
their influence to persuade the company to withdraw from a
controversial venture in Colombia.
    Rainforest Action Network and Amazon Watch, two non-profit
environmental groups, are targeting Fidelity, the world's biggest
mutual fund company, and presidential candidate Gore as part of an
effort to stop Occidental's drive to drill oil in a region they
say belongs to the U'wa Indian tribe.
    Fidelity is the second-largest holder of Occidental shares
and Gore -- who has billed himself an environmentalist -- is
executor of an estate that holds as much as $500,000 worth of
stock in the company.
    Members of the U'wa, a tribe that opposes exploration on its
ancestral lands, have threatened to commit mass suicide if the
project isn't stopped. News reports in Colombia say the military
began to evict the U'wa from their lands last week.
    ``I do not want my money supporting something like this,''
said Kathy Kerridge, an attorney and housewife who owns $47,000
worth of shares in five Fidelity funds. While she hasn't sold her
investments yet, she said, ``if I don't see some kind of action I
will sell my shares and transfer them to another fund and move
them out of Fidelity.''

                       Investors' Pressure

    Kerridge is among the two dozen owners of Fidelity funds who
have urged the company to pressure Occidental into withdrawing
from the U'wa tribe's land. One investor has sold off about
$300,000 worth of Fidelity mutual funds to protest the company's
actions in Colombia, according to Rainforest Action Network.
    Tomorrow, activists will hold 22 demonstrations outside
Fidelity offices in the U.S. and nine protests outside Colombian
embassies and Fidelity offices in other countries. Outside the
company's headquarters in Boston, at least one investor will
publicly divest her $21,000 worth of Fidelity funds to protest the
company's 8.25 percent stake in Occidental, said Steve Kretzmann,
a consultant to Amazon Watch's U'wa campaign.
    ``We generally don't comment on customer relationships,''
said Vin Loporchio, a Fidelity spokesman.
    The campaign is one of the first to expand investor activism
-- by which investors try to force votes on such issues through
proxy votes during annual shareholder meetings -- to the realm of
mutual funds. The activists took aim at Fidelity because it has
consistently ranked among the top three owners of Occidental stock
and is a ``leader in its field,'' said Shannon Wright, director of
Rainforest Action Network's ``beyond oil'' campaign.
    ``You're definitely going to see a lot more of this because
more people are investing in mutual funds and the people
responsible for deciding on proxies are increasingly mutual fund
managers,'' said Simon Billenness, a senior analyst with the
``socially responsible'' investment firm Trillium Asset Management
Corp., which manages more than $600 million. ``And they are going
to be increasingly lobbied by people like Kathy Kerridge.''

                       Gore's Connections

    Gore is under fire because of his close connections with
Occidental.
    The vice president's personal financial disclosure, filed
with the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, shows him as executor
of his late father's estate, which holds $250,000 to $500,000
worth of Occidental stock.
    The Center for Public Integrity, a non-profit research group
in Washington, reports that Al Gore Sr., the vice president's
father, earned $500,000 a year working for Occidental after he
retired from the Senate. In the past, the younger Gore has flown
aboard the company's private jet and solicited hundreds of
thousands of dollars in contributions for the Democratic party
from Occidental.
    Laura Quinn, a spokeswoman for the vice president, said his
mother, Pauline Gore, is sole beneficiary of the late Al Gore
Sr.'s estate. ``As far as I'm aware, the campaign has not spoken
on this issue,'' Quinn said.
    Occidental Chairman and Chief Executive Ray Irani ``has
access to Al Gore and to that extent Gore has access to him,''
said Peter Eisner, managing director of the Center for Public
Integrity. ``It's an interesting tactic and could bear fruit if
Gore chooses to do it. I know he can pick up the phone and call
the chairman straight away. Will he do it? I have no idea.''

                       Political Interests

    The activists say it's in the political interest of Gore --
author of a popular book on the environment -- to heed their call.
``He does not want in a presidential year to be connected to one
of the world's worst environmental and human rights disasters,''
Kretzmann said.
    Rainforest Action Network and other groups have also been in
touch with other major Occidental investors, like Vanguard Group,
the company's third-largest shareholder after Fidelity and Sanford
Bernstein.
    ``We understand and respect their concerns,'' said Vanguard
Group spokesman John Demming. ``We've asked our managers and
analysts to look into the situation.''
    Occidental declined to comment.
    Fidelity, which so far has declined to meet with the
protesters, indicated it's not in a position to respond to their
demands.
    ``Our portfolio managers have a responsibility to invest in
companies that appear to have the highest likelihood of stock
appreciation,'' Loporchio said. ``They are not trained to make
investment decisions to fulfill social or political objectives.''

--Emily Schwartz in Washington (202) 624-1927 with reporting in
Boston by Kathie O'Donnell  /pjh

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from Defenders of Wildlife Feb 11, 2000

DENlines Issue #8

1.  DOLPHINS: Defenders Sues To Protect Dolphins
2.  CONGRESS: Conservationists Grade Lawmakers on Environment
3.  WOLVES: Idaho Wolves Illegally Poisoned by Deadly 1080
4.  ENDANGERED SPECIES: Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Denied Listing
5.  DID YOU KNOW?: Why Animals Sleep
6.  ON THE TUBE: A&E Looks at Yellowstone Bison Issue
=================================================================     

1.     DOLPHINS: Defenders Sues To Protect Dolphins

This week, Defenders of Wildlife and ten other groups sued the U.S.
Department of Commerce and other agencies for violating provisions
of the Marine Mammal Protection Act protecting dolphins. The lawsuit
challenges final regulations that clear the way for lifting the
existing ban on dolphin-netted tuna from entering the United States.
The regulations are intended to implement a 1997 law that set new
standards for imported tuna caught by encircling schools of dolphins
swimming above them. But, conservationists say the regulations ignore
clear requirements of the law and contain numerous loopholes that
weaken protections for dolphins.

The Commerce Department has yet to decide formally whether to lift
the current ban on tuna from Mexico, Colombia and other countries
that have failed to meet the "dolphin-safe" tuna standard. More than
50,000 DEN activists like yourself have sent e-mails to the President
expressing outrage over the department's April 1999 decision to
weaken the "dolphin-safe" tuna label and urging him not to lift the
ban on dolphin-netted tuna. We will keep you updated on this
important issue.

Last summer, Defenders and other groups filed a separate lawsuit
challenging the Commerce Department's decision to allow the existing
"dolphin-safe" label to apply to tuna caught by intentionally
encircling, harassing and setting nets on dolphins. Conservationists
argued that the decision ignores scientific information supplied by
the agency's own researchers and places foreign trade interests
above protecting dolphins.

Click here for more: http://www.defenders.org/den/dl00008.html#dolphinjump

2.     CONGRESS : Conservationists Grade Lawmakers on Environment

Yesterday, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) has released the
1999 National Environmental Scorecard, an annual rating of the
environmental voting record for every member of Congress.
Representatives and Senators were graded on how they voted on the
most important environmental votes of last year, including opposing
mountaintop removal mining, supporting funding for the Land and
Water Conservation Fund, opposing commercial fishing in Glacier Bay
National Park and fighting anti-environmental riders. For the fifth
consecutive year the average score for both the House (46 percent)
and Senate (41 percent) failed to top 50 percent. This year a record
number --37-- Senators failed to cast a single positive vote on the
environment and earned a score of zero.

Conservationists expressed concern that for the third year in a row,
every member of the Senate majority leadership team failed to cast
a single vote for conservation. Particularly disturbing is the fact
that the recently elected chairman of the Senate Environment and
Public Works Committee, Senator Robert Smith (R-NH), earned an
abysmal score of  zero. In contrast, the man he replaced as chairman,
the late Senator John L. Chafee (R-RI), had a lifetime average
rating of 70.

The nonprofit League of Conservation Voters is the bipartisan
political voice for the environmental community and has published a
National Environmental Scorecard for each Congress since 1970.

To find out your Representative's or Senators' environmental voting
record, visit LCV's website at: http://scorecard.lcv.org/index.cfm

3.      WOLVES: Idaho Wolves  Illegally Poisoned by Deadly 1080

Two wolves, which were part of an ongoing recovery effort in central
Idaho, have been found dead near Salmon, Idaho, illegally poisoned
by the deadly Compound 1080. Defenders, in conjunction with the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), is offering a $2500 reward for
information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.
The FWS's National Forensics Laboratory in Oregon performed
necropsies on the two wolves recovered from the Panther and Myers
Cove area, and confirmed 1080 poisoning as the cause of death. Four
animals, including the two federally endangered wolves, a fox, and a
rancher's dog, have been killed on federal forest land in central
Idaho within the last year. FWS agents are re-examining other wolves
killed under mysterious circumstances to see if their deaths were
related.
            
Defenders worked diligently to ban 1080 use in the 1970's and later
in the 1980's because of the cruel and unusual way in which it kills.
The compound is one of the most deadly poisons in the world. Odorless
and tasteless, it effects the cardiac and central nervous systems
and causes convulsions, vomiting, spinal pressure, renal failure,
and eventual organ failure. Compound 1080 is deadly to any species,
including humans, that come in contact with it by ingestion or
through open wounds and there is no known antidote.

4.      ENDANGERED SPECIES: Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Denied Listing

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced last week that it would
not list the imperiled black-tailed prairie dog under the Endangered
Species Act, despite admitting that "available information indicates
that the species is likely to become endangered." The service stated
that it is dealing with too many other wildlife species that are in
greater danger of extinction to take on protecting the prairie dog.
Last year more than 14,000 individuals sent comments to the FWS on
this issue, nearly 90 percent of them supporting listing the prairie
dog as threatened.

Black-tailed prairie dogs are keystone species whose presence is
critical to the health of our remaining prairie ecosystems. Once
common throughout the Great Plains from Canada to Mexico, prairie
dogs have been victimized by disease, shooting, poisoning and
conversion of prairie habitat to agriculture. The prairie dog now
survives on just one percent of its historic range. Last month, more
than 100 DEN activists sent comments to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS)
urging the agency to prohibit poisoning and shooting of black-tailed
prairie dogs on USFS-managed National Grasslands.

5.     DID YOU KNOW? How Animals Sleep

While humans sleep an average of eight hours a day, primarily as a
response to fatigue, animal's sleep patterns are much more varied.
From the ever-active shrew's minute-long naps to the aptly named
sloth's 20-hour slumber, the variation of the amount of time animals
spend alseep per day is enormous. Many animals such as dolphins and
giraffes only take a series of short naps. While sleeping, animals
often choose or create protected environments to avoid predation. For
example, rabbits sleep in underground burrows, birds perch in trees
and bats sleep in the relative safety of caves. Certain species of
marine parrot fish produce a mucus envelope or shield around
themselves to help guard against moray eels and other predators
while sleeping. Other animals that lack safe locations to sleep,
such as deer and horses, often sleep standing up. Some desert animals
avoid extreme temperatures by bedding down during the hottest hours
of the day and feeding at night. Cold-blooded animals like reptiles
sleep at night because they rely on the warmer daytime temperatures
to be active.

6.      ON THE TUBE: A&E Looks at Yellowstone Bison Issue

The cable television channel Arts & Entertainment (A&E) will air a
wildlife documentary examining the controversial Yellowstone bison
issue on Thursday February 24, at 9:00 p.m. EST (check your local
listings). Each winter, as bison move from the protection of
Yellowstone National Park onto adjacent state, federal or private
lands, they become targets of an aggressive control program by the
state of Montana based on ranchers' concerns that bison could
transmit the disease brucellosis to their cattle. COntrol efforts
continue despite the fact that there has never been a documented
case of a wild bison transmitting brucellosis to cattle. Such fear
has led to the killing of approximately 3,100 bison since 1985, with
nearly 1,100 killed during the winter of 1996-97 alone. As a result,
the park's herd has dwindled to about 2,500. Defenders has worked
with other groups to support alternative management proposals that
do not involve killing bison. The A&E program will include exclusive
video footage and interviews with local conservationists fighting to
protect the nation's last free-ranging bison herd. For more information
on the Yellowstone bison see the related article in Denlines Issue #5
or click on http://www.defenders.org/den/dl00005.html#CONT2


      * TELL YOUR FRIENDS!! FORWARD THIS ISSUE AND SPREAD
           THE NEWS ABOUT WILDLIFE AND CONSERVATION *

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or send an e-mail to denlines@defenders.org and put the word
SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.  
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changeaddress@defenders.org and put your new e-mail address in the
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DENlines is a bi-weekly publication of Defenders of Wildlife, a
leading national conservation organization recognized as one of the
nation's most progressive advocates for wildlife and its habitat.
Known for its effective leadership on endangered species issues,
particularly predators like brown bears and gray wolves, Defenders
advocates new approaches to wildlife conservation that protect
species before they become endangered. Founded in 1947, Defenders is
a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization with more than 380,000 members
and supporters.

                      Defenders of Wildlife
                  1101 14th Street, NW, Suite 1400
                      Washington, DC 20005
                    http://www.defenders.org

                (c) Defenders of Wildlife, 2000.



**************************************************************************************

from World Wildlife Feb 11, 2000

-- Gift to the Earth: The four countries that border on
the MesoAmerica Reef ecoregion, Belize, Mexico, Guatemala,
and Honduras, have shown a strong commitment to jointly
manage the reef ecosystem. A February 8th ceremony at
the Mayan ruins of Tulum in Mexico celebrated their
generous commitment. To learn more about our Endangered
Spaces, see our Web site at:   
http://www.worldwildlife.org/global200/

-- Yellowstone Wolf Ruling: This ruling was a major
victory for conservation. A Federal appeals court ruling
on January 14th that wolves can remain in Yellowstone
National Park overturns an earlier ruling that had called
for the removal of the wolves, which were reintroduced
into Yellowstone and other parts of the northern Rockies
in 1995 and 1996. For more information go to:  
http://www.worldwildlife.org/news/newsroom.cfm?type_id=12

-- Atlantic Forest: The government of Argentina's Misiones
province passed legislation to create a green corridor
of nearly 2.5 million acres of protected forest. The new
protected area provides a vital link to parks in
neighboring Brazil, and safe passage for all the region's
diverse wildlife.

-- WWF and Britannica.com: Register your e-mail address at
Britannica.com and WWF receives $1! This is a free and
simple way to help WWF with its conservation efforts,
PLUS you'll be entered to win one of SIX travel adventures
in Britannica.com's "Inspired Causes Inspiring Destinations"
Sweepstakes. Visit: http://www.britannica.com

-- E-Cards.com: Since its inception, E-Cards.com has supported WWF,
and it's one of the top sources for traffic to the WWF Web site.
So the next time you're sending an online greeting, check them
out at: http://www.e-cards.com

-- Don't forget to visit the Conservation Action Network frequently
for simple actions that you can take to help protect endangered
species worldwide!
http://takeaction.worldwildlife.org



*************************************************************************************

from Rainforest Action Network   Feb 15, 2000

This past Friday (February 11), 150 Colombian police moved into the area
around the Oxy drillsite, dispersing 450 U'wa who had been blockading
two roads.  Using teargas, the police forced the U'wa present into a
river.  Three children were killed, and fifteen U'wa are still missing.  
Read the Chicago Tribune article.
http://www.ran.org/ran_campaigns/beyond_oil/news/chicagotrib_000213.html

The Clinton Administration has sent a package to Congress which proposes  putting $1.3 billion dollars in U.S. aid this year primarily toward the corrupt Colombian military and police and "fighting the war on drugs."  
Please call your representatives TODAY and tell them to reject this
outrageous proposal.  Spending money on the Colombian military only
increases violence in a wartorn region, and as we've seen over the past
few weeks, it could have serious repercussions for the U'wa.  Your
support has never been more critical.  Read talking points and find out
how to contact your representative.
http://www.ran.org/ran_campaigns/beyond_oil/oxy/usaid_points.html

Finally, see what else you can do to support the U'wa including
pressuring Fidelity Investments and Al Gore, Jr.--two of Oxy's most
influential shareholders.
(http://www.ran.org/ran_campaigns/beyond_oil/resources.html)



To read archived messages, go to http://igc.topica.com/lists/ran-updates

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rainforest Action Network
221 Pine Street, Suite 500
San Francisco, CA  94104
tel: 415-398-4404
fax: 415-398-2732
URL: http://www.ran.org/


_____________________________________________________________
Who will win the Oscars? Spout off on our Entertainment list!
http://www.topica.com/lists/showbiztalk


**************************************************************************************

from Greenpeace Feb 16,2000

To All Arctic Activists:

After a month of furious activity at Greenpeace, there are some new
developments we'd like you to know about.

We have launched a new campaign to get support for a resolution we are
bringing forward at the BP Amoco AGM on April 13 in London. The resolution
calls on BP Amoco to abandon the Northstar project and stop lobbying to
open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling, and instead, to
transfer the funding to a large factory that mass produces solar panels. (BP
Amoco owns BP Solarex, the world's largest solar company.)

The resolution is supported by Greenpeace, US PIRG and the Trillium Asset
Management socially responsible investment fund, along with more than a
100 individual investors. It has been officially accepted by BP Amoco (they
had no choice - we had fulfilled all of the legal requirements!) and is being
mailled out to 900,000 shareholders around the world.

We have created a squad of 20 polar bear costumes which have been
making appearances in London and Washington recently to embarrass BP
Amoco and promote the resolution.

We've also dramatically expanded the SANE BP website at:
http://www.sanebp.com

This site has the text of the resolution, a form to register your support if you
are a BP Amoco shareholder, and a database of almost 1300 institutional
shareholders. Please visit the site and check to see if your bank, mutual
fund, insurance company, pension fund or university owns BP Amoco
shares. If they do, you can use a convenient web form to fax or email the
institution to ask them to support the resolution.

Cheers,
Kevin

Kevin Jardine
Climate Campaign
Greenpeace International

----------------------------------------------
Greenpeace Arctic Activists List
NO NEW OIL
http://greenpeace.org/arctic

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************

from Greenpeace Feb 16 2000

*Here's an entertaining message about our Polar Bear Brigade in London from
the Greenpeace UK office.

Cheers,
Kevin

***

Last night, 16th Feb, the bears of despair gave the 1500 guests at the
Institute of Petroleum Annual Dinner in Park Lane, London, an opportunity to
begin their evening with a laugh at BP's expense. Five bears with "I can't
bear BP" and "BP: the end of my world is nigh" messages were
accompanied by two bowler-hatted stockbrokers with "BP: shareholders say
paws off the Arctic" messages.  The bears paraded miserably around the
main entrance to the Hotel while the stockbrokers covered the back.  The
rest of us - in near arctic conditions - handed out the postcards inviting
guests to call BP's bluff.  We also nipped inside and left them in toilets and
on tables wherever we could.  

As a direct communication it went really well, with the vast majority taking
it in a good natured way and enjoying having a pop at BP.  Most people went
in with a smile on their face - not the normal reaction when oilies see GP.
I briefly sneaked into the reception area and heard a couple of groups
talking about BP and the bears. On the way in a couple of groups from other
oil companies - thoroughly enjoying it - took handfulls of cards to post
their view to BP, others sneakily revealed GP membership cards in their
wallets. Someone even asked if they were Arco bears.

Only a few BP guests (defensively) identified themselves. The guest of
honour was UK energy minister Helen Liddell MP (took a card but no
comment). There were plenty of people arriving who couldn't open a car door
for themselves, and some particularly gangster-like high-rolling Russian oil
men. Overall - cold (for non-bears), fun and another successful dig at BP.  

---------------------------------------------------------
Kevin Jardine
Greenpeace International
Climate Campaign
Keizersgracht 176
1016 DW Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Tel: + 31 20 523 6660
Fax: + 31 20 523 6200
E-mail: kjardine@ams.greenpeace.org
------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------
Greenpeace Arctic Activists List
NO NEW OIL
http://greenpeace.org/arctic

************************************************************************************************

Please join the ZPG Action Network now (goto www.actionnetwork.org/zpgaction) and ask Wal-Mart to start carrying Preven.

Or, contact Lee Scott, Wal-Mart's CEO.

email: letters@wal-mart.com Fax Number: 501-621-2063

Lee Scott Wal-Mart Stores 702 SW 8th Street Bentonville, AR 72716

************************************************************************************************

from Global Response Feb 16 2000

campaign to Support the U'wa people

This news re. the campaign to support the U'wa People vs. Occidental Petroleum is circulated by the Amazon Alliance:


1) Fidelity a target in oil protest - Boston Globe, 2/4
2) Fidelity, Gore Urged to Help Block Colombian Occidental Venture, 2/2/
3) U'wa Indians denounce violent eviction - Inter Press Service, 1/31/99
4) Communique from the U'wa People- 1/31

============================================

Fidelity a target in oil protest

By Karen Hsu, Globe Correspondent, 2/4/2000

Environmental and human rights groups yesterday demonstrated outside
Fidelity Investments offices in Boston and 19 other cities to protest the
mutual fund company's stake in Occidental Petroleum Corp., which plans to
drill for oil on land claimed by the U'wa Indians in Colombia.

The groups want Boston-based Fidelity to pressure Occidental to cancel the
drillings and they have threatened to start a campaign to encourage
customers to withdraw their money from the giant investment firm.

In Boston yesterday, about 50 people rallied in the bitter cold as
customers tried to enter Fidelity's Congress Street offices. At one point,
the bomb squad was called after someone tried to handcuff a briefcase with
a tape recorder playing to one of the lobby doors.

Other protests at Fidelity offices took place in Atlanta, New York,
Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Fidelity controls about 30
million, or about 8.5 percent, of Occidental's shares, the human rights and
environmental groups said.

In Prague, Geneva, and Tel Aviv, the protest groups demonstrated in front
of Colombian embassies.

The U'wa dispute the government's approval of a license for Occidental to
drill for oil, Colombia's largest export, and have tried to block the
drilling equipment.

Last week, the Colombian military began evicting a few members of the U'wa,
a tribe of 5,000 Colombian Indians, from their property to a military base
as machinery tried to move in.  The drill site is in an area of disputed
land. Roberto Perez, the highest elected official of the U'was, says the
site is about 1,600 feet from the tribe's reservation, but the Colombian
government contends it is several miles away. Nonetheless, the area is
considered part of the tribe's ancestral lands, Perez said in a telephone
interview from Bogata, the capital. Perez said the tribe last year bought
two farms on land that has become part of the drilling area.

The U'wa have threatened to walk off a 1,400-foot cliff in the Andes in a
mass suicide to protect the land they considered sacred. Their ritual
chants reminisce a time, hundreds of years ago, when many U'wa jumped off a
cliff to avoid enslavement by Spanish invaders.

''It is not only ecocide, but cultural genocide,'' said Dune Lankard, a
protester in Boston who came from Alaska. Lankard, 40, is a commercial
fisherman who fought for compensation when the Exxon Valdez oil spill
ruined his Eyak people's lands.

The protest was organized by Rainforest Action Network, Amazon Watch, and
other organizations. Rainforest Action Network was effective last year in
persuading Home Depot, the nation's largest retailer of lumber, to agree
not to sell any wood from endangered forests.

A Fidelity spokesman yesterday said the resolution of such disputes should
be in the hands of the government. ''The appropriate authorities of the
world have the responsibility to address matters of this type. We would
hope they would do so fairly and wisely on behalf of their citizens,'' said
Vincent Loporchio, spokesman for Fidelity. ''Our responsibility is to weigh
the impact of these issues on behalf of our mutual fund shareholders.''
Occidental did not return phone calls.

The activists have also targeted Vice President Al Gore, whose Occidental
stock holdings are valued up to $500,000. Those shares came from his father
when he sat on Occidental's board.

Simon Billenness, senior analyst at Trillium Asset Management in Boston, a
socially responsible investment firm with $600 million in client assets,
said that both Fidelity and Gore could influence the petroleum company.

''Both of them could easily pick up the phone and talk to the CEO of
Occidental, which could send a very strong message that this project on
U'wa lands is going to be counterproductive in the long term for
Occidental,'' Billenness said.

This story ran on page A16 of the Boston Globe on 2/4/2000.
? Copyright 2000 Globe Newspaper Company.


-------------------------------------------------

Fidelity, Gore Urged to Help Block Colombian Occidental Venture
2/2/0 19:6 (New York)

Fidelity, Gore Urged to Help Block Colombian Occidental Venture

     Washington, Feb. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Environmental activists are urging
Fidelity Investments and U.S. Vice President Al Gore either to divest their
holdings in Occidental Petroleum Corp. or use their influence to persuade
the company to withdraw from a controversial venture in Colombia.
     Rainforest Action Network and Amazon Watch, two non-profit
environmental groups, are targeting Fidelity, the world's biggest mutual
fund company, and presidential candidate Gore as part of an effort to stop
Occidental's drive to drill oil in a region they say belongs to the U'wa
Indian tribe.
     Fidelity is the second-largest holder of Occidental shares and Gore --
who has billed himself an environmentalist - is executor of an estate that
holds as much as $500,000 worth of stock in the company.
     Members of the U'wa, a tribe that opposes exploration on its ancestral
lands, have threatened to commit mass suicide if the project isn't stopped.
News reports in Colombia say the military began to evict the U'wa from
their lands last week.
     ``I do not want my money supporting something like this,'' said Kathy
Kerridge, an attorney and housewife who owns $47,000 worth of shares in
five Fidelity funds. While she hasn't sold her investments yet, she said,
``if I don't see some kind of action I will sell my shares and transfer
them to another fund and move them out of Fidelity.''

                        Investors' Pressure

     Kerridge is among the two dozen owners of Fidelity funds who have
urged the company to pressure Occidental into withdrawing from the U'wa
tribe's land. One investor has sold off about $300,000 worth of Fidelity
mutual funds to protest the company's actions in Colombia, according to
Rainforest Action Network.
     Tomorrow, activists will hold 22 demonstrations outside Fidelity
offices in the U.S. and nine protests outside Colombian embassies and
Fidelity offices in other countries. Outside the company's headquarters in
Boston, at least one investor will publicly divest her $21,000 worth of
Fidelity funds to protest the
company's 8.25 percent stake in Occidental, said Steve Kretzmann, a
consultant to Amazon Watch's U'wa campaign.
     ``We generally don't comment on customer relationships,'' said Vin
Loporchio, a Fidelity spokesman.
     The campaign is one of the first to expand investor activism -- by
which investors try to force votes on such issues through proxy votes
during annual shareholder meetings -- to the realm of mutual funds. The
activists took aim at Fidelity because it has consistently ranked among the
top three owners of Occidental stock and is a ``leader in its field,'' said
Shannon Wright, director of Rainforest Action Network's ``beyond oil''
campaign.
     ``You're definitely going to see a lot more of this because more
people are investing in mutual funds and the people responsible for
deciding on proxies are increasingly mutual fund managers,'' said Simon
Billenness, a senior analyst with the ``socially responsible'' investment
firm Trillium Asset Management Corp., which manages more than $600 million.
``And they are going to be increasingly lobbied by people like Kathy
Kerridge.''

                        Gore's Connections

     Gore is under fire because of his close connections with Occidental.
     The vice president's personal financial disclosure, filed with the
U.S. Office of Government Ethics, shows him as executor of his late
father's estate, which holds $250,000 to $500,000
worth of Occidental stock.
     The Center for Public Integrity, a non-profit research group in
Washington, reports that Al Gore Sr., the vice president's father, earned
$500,000 a year working for Occidental after he retired from the Senate. In
the past, the younger Gore has flown aboard the company's private jet and
solicited hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions for the
Democratic party from Occidental.
     Laura Quinn, a spokeswoman for the vice president, said his mother,
Pauline Gore, is sole beneficiary of the late Al Gore Sr.'s estate. ``As
far as I'm aware, the campaign has not spoken
on this issue,'' Quinn said.
     Occidental Chairman and Chief Executive Ray Irani ``has access to Al
Gore and to that extent Gore has access to him,'' said Peter Eisner,
managing director of the Center for Public Integrity. ``It's an interesting
tactic and could bear fruit if Gore chooses to do it. I know he can pick up
the phone and call the chairman straight away. Will he do it? I have no
idea.''

                        Political Interests

     The activists say it's in the political interest of Gore -- author of
a popular book on the environment -- to heed their call. ``He does not want
in a presidential year to be connected to one of the world's worst
environmental and human rights disasters,'' Kretzmann said.
     Rainforest Action Network and other groups have also been in touch
with other major Occidental investors, like Vanguard Group, the company's
third-largest shareholder after Fidelity and Sanford
Bernstein.
     ``We understand and respect their concerns,'' said Vanguard Group
spokesman John Demming. ``We've asked our managers and analysts to look
into the situation.''
     Occidental declined to comment.
     Fidelity, which so far has declined to meet with the protesters,
indicated it's not in a position to respond to their demands.
     ``Our portfolio managers have a responsibility to invest in companies
that appear to have the highest likelihood of stock appreciation,''
Loporchio said. ``They are not trained to make investment decisions to
fulfill social or political objectives.''

--Emily Schwartz in Washington (202) 624-1927 with reporting in
Boston by Kathie O'Donnell  /pjh

------------------------------------------------------------
INTER PRESS SERVICE

Monday, 31 January 2000

U'wa Indians denounce violent eviction
By Yadira Ferrer

BOGOTA -- Colombia's U'wa indigenous community will present charges before
the United Nations and the Organization of American States (OAS) against
the multinational Occidental Petroleum Co. for the violent expulsion of 26
indigenous protesters from a camp in an area claimed by the indigenous
group.

Roberto Prez, president of the U'wa indigenous government council, told IPS
that the eviction operation conducted by police Tuesday resulted in several
injuries and three people disappeared. The security forces had restricted
access to the site since Saturday to prevent supporters from bringing the
protesters food and water.

The police had surrounded the camp since Jan. 19, "when they called on us
to peacefully leave the site, but we told them we would resist any attempt
to evict us from our territory," affirmed Prez, who is coordinating  a
protest to be held in Caracas in southeast Colombia.

The indigenous leader affirmed that his community will report Occidental
Petroleum Co., known as Oxy, and the Colombian government to the human
rights commissions of the U.N. and the OAS, as well as other international
forums.

"With this project, Oxy and the government want to destroy the U'wa
community, by bringing petroleum exploitation to our land, violating our
culture and customs," affirmed Perez.

The U'wa oppose drilling oil wells in the area because they consider
petroleum "the blood of Mother Earth," and its nearly 5,000 members have
threatened mass suicide if the multinational carries through with the
project.

In the late 17th century, an U'wa community jumped off a cliff to avoid
colonization by the Spanish.

The group's conflict with Oxy began in 1992 when the government-run
Colombian Petroleum Company (Ecopetrol) signed a contract with the
multinational for oil exploration in the area known as Samor, in an eastern
jungle region on the Venezuelan border.

The U'wa opposed the agreement, which they saw as a violation of their
rights because they had not been consulted, as is required according to the
nation's 1991 Constitution.

The Constitutional Court intervened in the controversy and in 1995 ruled
that the exploration license granted to Oxy be revoked because the
consultation process had not taken place. Oxy called off its exploration
projects.

Several meetings between the parties to the conflict were held throughout
1997 and 1998, but the U'wa stood fast in their position against oil
drilling in the Samor area. Then last September, the Colombian government
subjected the indigenous reserve to government regulation and expanded U'wa
territory from 61,000 to 221,000 hectares.

The action preceded the granting of a definitive license to Oxy for oil
exploitation in Samor, just five km from the U'wa reserve.

The government wields the argument that the project is located outside the
indigenous reserve, said independent member of Congress Gustavo Petro, but
he added that it is a slap in the face for the U'wa.

He maintained the problem is not whether the oil project is inside or
outside of the reserve, it is a failure to "defend indigenous culture," for
which Colombia could be charged with the crime of genocide.

In 1998, the U'wa received the Bartolom de las Casas prize, awarded by the
Spanish government to people or institutions who stand out in the defense
of indigenous values.

The U'wa battle against Oxy is supported by international activists
organized under the U'wa Defence Taskforce. They maintain that oil
exploitation near the indigenous reserve will harm the tropical jungle and
endanger the community itself, which is already besieged by Colombia's
internal armed conflict involving guerrillas, paramilitary groups and
government security forces.

Early last year, three U.S. activists working with the U'wa defense project
were assassinated by a group from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of
Colombia (FARC), the nation's largest and most powerful guerrilla
organization.

The Minister of Mining, Carlos Caballero, said Wednesday that Oxy "has
already begun drilling in order to calculate the quantity of petroleum to
be found in the Samor area," as part of a "very important" project for the
nation's economy.

According to the official, the Samor project means "an important increase
in petroleum reserves" for Ecopetrol, which would prevent Colombia from
having to import oil for several years.

Ecopetrol reports indicate that the Samor oil fields hold nearly 1.3
billion barrels of petroleum, which would be added to the nearly 3.0
billion barrels in Colombia's current reserves.

----------------------------------------------

FROM THE U'WA PEOPLE

OF THE STATES OF BOYACA, SANTANDER, NORTH OF
SANTANDER, ARAUCA AND CASANARE, COLOMBIA

COMMUNIQUE TO THE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC:

1. We denounce the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) for the
various actions that they have carried out against the U'wa people; such as
armed intimidation against indigenous inhabitants of our communities in
past months; the machine-gun fire attack on Mr. Carlos Tegra Uncaria's
home; and the detention, kidnapping, and subsequent murder of our North
American sisters and brother activists, Terence Freitas, Ingrid
Washinawatock, and Larry Gay Lahenae, who defended our cause in a
humanitarian way.

2. We condemn all support from Colombians for the multinational oil company
OXY.  In this way, we energetically reject the collusion mounted by the
Colombian government through the armed forces, the FARC, the multinational
OXY and the subcontracting company Rocas del Llano to protect and safeguard
vehicles, equipment and machinery belonging to OXY, in the area from the
municipality of Pamplona to the Samore Block; the tight coordination to
achieve their goal, is evident.

3. A strong militarization took place on January 19 in Cedeno on property
that belongs to us, where our U'wa brothers were surrounded by soldiers and
riot police North of Santander, and were physically and psychologically
abused, and their personal goods were destroyed.

4. There have been death threats and intimidation made against civil
officials to persuade them to act against our constitutional and legal
rights, as in the case of Toledo's judge, Dr. Yamile Vergel, who has been
pressured into causing our forcible removal from our own lands.

5. There are strange circumstances surrounding the murder of Dr. Daniel
Jordan Penaranda, notary public of Pamplona, who aided us in the process of
gaining legal title to the farms of Santa Rita and Bellavista, as a
collective U'wa property.  These farms are located in the village of
Cedeno, municipality of Toledo.

6. We reiterate our noble purpose to continue our peaceful struggle in
defense of our ancestral and traditional rights to our territory, and we
don 't agree with the actions by the National Liberation Army (ELN) to
destroy the machinery and equipment of the transnational oil company OXY,
since actions like these only make the conflict worse.

7. We invite campesinos, workers, students, teachers, truckers, merchants
and indigenous peoples in our region to show solidarity with our struggle,
because we are convinced that DEFENDING OUR TERRITORIAL RIGHTS  IS THE ONLY
GUARANTEE OF OUR EXISTENCE. Today, we publicly and officially inform
Colombia and the world that starting Tuesday, February 1, we declare a
civilian strike in defense of the social rights of the U'wa people and the
people of the Sarare area.

Cubara, January 31, 2000.
Sincerely,
U'WA AND GUAHIBO INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF BOYACA, SANTANDER, NORTH OF
SANTANDER, ARAUCA AND CASANARE.

ROBERTO PEREZ GUTIERREZ ISMAEL UNCACIA
As U'wa Representative CRIA Representative
Translation by Florencia Valle, Rainforest Action Network.

************************************************************


[Global Reponse]
--------------------------------------

--------------------------------------
GLOBAL RESPONSE is an international letter-writing network of environmental
activists.  In partnership with indigenous, environmentalist and peace and
justice organizations around the world, GLOBAL RESPONSE develops "Actions"
that describe specific, urgent threats to the environment; each "Action"
asks members to write personal letters to individuals in the corporations,
governments or international organizations that have the power and
responsibility to take corrective action.  GR also issues "Young Environ  
mentalists' Actions" and "Eco-Club Actions" designed to educate and
motivate elementary and high school students to practice earth stewardship.

P.O. Box 7490 Phone: 303/444-0306
Boulder CO, USA 80306-7490 Fax:   303/449-9794

To receive Global Response "Actions" and "Emergency Actions" by email:
Send a blank message to: globresmembers-subscribe@igc.topica.com

Visit our website at: http://www.globalresponse.org




--------------------------------------
GLOBAL RESPONSE is an international letter-writing network of environmental
activists.  In partnership with indigenous, environmentalist and peace and
justice organizations around the world, GLOBAL RESPONSE develops "Actions"
that describe specific, urgent threats to the environment; each "Action"
asks members to write personal letters to individuals in the corporations,
governments or international organizations that have the power and
responsibility to take corrective action.  GR also issues "Young Environ  
mentalists' Actions" and "Eco-Club Actions" designed to educate and
motivate elementary and high school students to practice earth stewardship.

P.O. Box 7490 Phone: 303/444-0306
Boulder CO, USA 80306-7490 Fax:   303/449-9794

To receive Global Response "Actions" and "Emergency Actions" by email:
Send a blank message to: globresmembers-subscribe@igc.topica.com

Visit our website at: http://www.globalresponse.org


**************************************************************************************

from Global Response Feb 16 2000

Attacks on non-violent U'wa protesters result in three children's deaths

Dear Global Response "Quick Response Network:"

Three U'wa children reportedly died as a result of Colombian police and
military attacks on non-violent U'wa protesters near the Gibralter 1 site
where Occidental Petroleum wants to drill for oil.  Please read this press
release from the U'wa Defense Working Group, and send faxes and emails to
Colombian officials (addresses given below).

For the complete text of Global Response Action #1/2K "Support U'wa People
vs. Occidental Petroleum / Colombia,"
see www.globalresponse.org.  For updates and press reports from January and
February, see www.ran.org.

- - - - - - - -
U'WA DEFENSE WORKING GROUP PRESS RELEASE

February 11, 2000

Colombian Police Attack Peaceful U'wa Blockade
Three U'wa Children Killed - U'wa Reserve Militarized

Oxy and Colombian Government Urged to Suspend Operations

Cubara, Colombia -- Dangerously escalating an already tense situation,
Colombian National Police today brutally attacked a group of 450 peaceful
U'wa protesters on a road near Las Canoas, approximately 4 kilometers from
Gibraltar 1, site of the Occidental Petroleum's proposed oil well in
Northeast Colombia.   According to an urgent communique from the U'wa, this
attack resulted in the death of three U'wa children. Many adults were also
injured and several U'wa are now missing.

The U'wa report that at 8:15 am this morning, four helicopters arrived from
Bogota carrying members of the Colombian National Police who then began to
disperse a group of U'wa men, women, children, and medicine men and their
supporters who have been peacefully blockading the Saravena - Pomplano road
for the past week.  Without warning, the police used tear gas and heavy
machinery to charge the blockade, forcing the peaceful U'wa into the
Cubujon River.  The road blockades had been effectively stopping Oxy from
moving in construction equipment to the drill site.

The U'wa are in engaged in a tense standoff with the Colombian Government
and Oxy to prevent oil drilling on their sacred ancestral lands.  Since
January 19, the region including the site of the oil well have been heavily
militarized.  The U'wa also report that even the U'wa reservation has been
militarized and the army is reportedly restricting travel to and from the
reservation.  On January 25, The Colombian soldiers reportedly used brutal
methods to evict the nonviolent U'wa, airlifting the last 25 resisters by
military helicopters.

International human rights groups are calling for an immediate suspension
of all activity by Oxy at Gibraltar 1 pending a negotiated settlement with
the U'wa and calling on President Pastrana to withdraw Colombian security
forces from the U'wa Reserve and from the two farms owned by the U'wa at
Gibraltar 1.  Furthermore, Groups in the U.S. are calling on the Clinton
Administration to use diplomatic pressures on the Colombian Government to
ensure a peaceful resolution of this conflict.

"At a time when the US is about to vote for $2 million a day in military
aid to the Colombian security forces,  military maneuvers resulting in the
death of innocent U'wa children cause serious alarm about how our tax
dollars could fund more brutality and human rights abuses against innocent
civilians in Colombia," said Steve Kretzmann of Amazon Watch.

In the past week, protests were held in 34 cities in nine countries. These
demonstrations have been targeting the two most important shareholders in
Occidental - Fidelity Investments, which controls about 10 percent of Oxy
stock, and US Vice President Al Gore, who holds up to a half million
dollars in Oxy stock and who has enjoyed the sponsorship of Oxy throughout
his political career.  Yesterday, a protest was held outside the Gore 2000
campaign headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee.

-----------------------------------
The Association of Traditional U'wa Authorities, ASOUWA, and the Regional
Indigenous Council of Arauca

February 11, 2000

URGENT: THREE U'WA CHILDREN KILLED DURING COMBINED POLICE AND MILITARY RAID

DENUNCIA PUBLICA NACIONAL E INTERNACIONAL

The Association of Traditional U'wa Authorities, ASOUWA, and the Regional
Indigenous Council of Arauca, denounce the following to departmental,
national and international Human Rights and Non-governmental Organizations:

1. Today, Friday, February 11, 2000, at approximately 8:15 a.m., combined
Colombian military and police forces arrived by air to the hamlet of
Canoas, approximately 4 kilometers from Gibraltar, Northern Santander
deparatement. At the site, approximately 450 indians -- women, children,
men and elders from the U'wa community -- were gathered. Without prior
warning, the public forces violently evicted the members of the community
using heavy machinery and tear gas, and they forced us to flee by leaping
into the River Cubujon. As a result of these violent acts, three U'wa
children died. Other children and women are wounded, and there are U'wa who
are missing.

2. We denounce these crimes against humanity, specifically against the
indigneous people. These actions violate our constitutional rights, our
human rights and international humanitarian law.

3. We urgently request the intervention of governmental and
non-governmental observers, from the national and international levels.We
urge you to speak out against these abusive acts which violate the precepts
of the Colombian Constitution which protect indigenous people and which
violate human rights.

4. We demand that the President of Colombia and Occidental Petroleum
Company take measures to respect the indigenous communities, and we hold
them both responsible for all actions which violate our physical well being
and territorial rights.


FOR THE DEFENSE OF OUR ETHNIC RIGHTS, OUR PRINCIPLES AND OUR

THE U'WA COMMUNITY IS PRESENT

ASOU`WA/ CONSEJO REGIONAL INDIGENA DE  ARAUCA

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  - - - -
- - - - -  - - - - - - - - - -

REQUESTED ACTION:  Please ask the Colombian president and the Presidential
Advisor for Human Rights to take action to suspend all activity by
Occidental Petroleum at Gibraltar 1 pending a negotiated settlement with
the U'wa.  Ask President Pastrana to withdraw Colombian security forces
from the U'wa Reserve and from the two farms owned by the U'wa at Gibraltar
1.

Dr. ANDRES PASTRANA, Presidente de la Republica de Colombia, Palacio de
Narino, Fax Int'l Code + 571/286-7434. Bogota. pastrana@presidencia.gov.co

Dr. GUSTAVO BELL LEMUS, Consejero Presidencial para los Derechos Humanos,
Fax Int'l Code+571 341-8364. Bogota.

- - - - - - - - - -
Friday February 11, 6:40 pm Eastern Time

Three children die in Colombia Indian protest

BOGOTA, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Three children died on Friday when police
evicted hundreds of protesters from an oil drilling site that militant U'wa
Indians claim as part of their ancestral lands, the Indian group said.

The deaths, confirmed by a government indigenous affairs official in
northeast Arauca province, were reported by the U'wa in a communique
denouncing the crackdown.

About 500 police used tear gas, riot sticks and even bulldozers to force
about 450 U'wa protesters off land near the potentially oil-rich
Gilbratar-1 drill site, where Occidental Petroleum Corp (NYSE:OXY - news)
is preparing to sink the first test well, the statement said.

``Without any warning, the security forces proceeded to push us back toward
our communities with heavy machinery and tear
gas, forcing us to jump into the Cubojon River,'' it added.

``Due to this persecution and use of force and abuse, three children died,
women and children were hurt and battered and some Indians disappeared.''

Indian community leaders told local radio the drowning victims were infants
strapped to the backs of their mothers who had entered the river.

Fabio Tegria, an U'wa chieftain speaking from the scene of the police
crackdown, said 15 Indians were missing after the melee including up to
nine children.

The U'wa, who number no more than about 7,000, have surrounded the
Occidental drill site since last November to prevent the drilling for oil,
which they describe as the ``life blood of Mother Earth.''

The U'wa grabbed the media spotlight for the first time about five years
ago, when they vowed to commit mass suicide if their land was ever violated
by Occidental or any other oil company.

The Gibraltar-1 site is on the edge of the so-called Samore block, which is
believed to harbor up to 2.5 billion barrels of crude oil and could help
ensure much-needed petro-dollars and energy self-sufficiency for Colombia.

The U'was say the site, while outside their reservation, is part and parcel
of the sacred lands of their forefathers.

The government extended the official U'wa reservation late last year to
more than 543,000 acres (220,000 hectares), making it some five times its
original size.

But that step failed to end their protest.

In other developments on Friday, Marxist rebels stepped up a recent wave of
attacks on energy infrastructure across Colombia by bombing two
high-voltage power pylons on the outskirts of Bogota and 18 others in
northwest Antioquia province.

Police blamed the bomb attacks on Cuban-inspired National Liberation Army
(ELN) rebels, who have toppled about 270 power pylons in the past year to
protest privatization plans and what they see as excessive foreign
involvement in Colombia's energy sector.





--------------------------------------
GLOBAL RESPONSE is an international letter-writing network of environmental
activists.  In partnership with indigenous, environmentalist and peace and
justice organizations around the world, GLOBAL RESPONSE develops "Actions"
that describe specific, urgent threats to the environment; each "Action"
asks members to write personal letters to individuals in the corporations,
governments or international organizations that have the power and
responsibility to take corrective action.  GR also issues "Young
Environmentalists' Actions" and "Eco-Club Actions" designed to educate and
motivate elementary and high school students to practice earth stewardship.

P.O. Box 7490 Phone: 303/444-0306
Boulder CO, USA 80306-7490 Fax:   303/449-9794


*************************************************************************************

from Environmental Defense Fund Feb 16 2000

1. After Army Corps' Scandal Breaks, Pentagon Launches Probe
2. Environmental Defense Publishes Whistleblower Affidavit
3. Groups Urge Army Corps' Response to Analysis Distortions
4. Movement Seen to Clean Up High-Altitude Junkyards
5. Play Kokoto and Learn About Endangered Species
6. Make Smart Choices With Our Online 'Green Car' Guide
7. Give to Support Renewable Energy Sources

******************************
1.  PENTAGON PROBES ARMY CORPS' DISTORTED PROJECT ANALYSIS

Whistleblower allegations, supported by documents first published on this web site, have resulted in a Pentagon probe of an Army Corps of Engineers' study of a proposed $1 billion project for the upper Mississippi.

http://www.environmentaldefense.org/programs/ecosystems/mississippi/

******************************
2.  POSTED HERE: THE AFFIDAVIT FILED BY CORPS' WHISTLEBLOWER

Published on our web site, the affidavit by Corps' economist Donald C. Sweeney was filed with the Office of Special Counsel, which is required to assure that agency heads -- in this case Secretary of Defense William Cohen -- conduct a thorough investigation.

http://www.edf.org/programs/ecosystems/mississippi/ms_affidavit.html

*****************************
3.  ENVIRO GROUPS CALL FOR 'VIGOROUS' RESPONSE FROM CORPS

Environmental Defense, along with other environmental and outdoor groups, sent letters to three top U.S. government officials asking for "immediate and vigorous response" to serious distortions in the economic analysis of the proposed Upper Mississippi River Navigation Expansion project.

http://www.environmentaldefense.org/pubs/NewsReleases/2000/feb/e_corpsresponse.html

*****************************
4.  MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS NEED TO PICK UP THEIR TRASH

For the past fifty years, mountain-climbing expeditions have littered the great summits of the world with their trash. Now attempts are being made to remove it.

http://www.environmentaldefense.org/pubs/emagazine/2000/trash.html

*****************************
5.  LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED: PLAY KOKOTO

Play Kokoto, the interactive game for kids (and grown-ups) that tests concentration while teaching about endangered species.

http://www.environmentaldefense.org/Earth2Kids/Kokoto/

******************************
6.  VISIT OUR ONLINE GUIDE TO 'GREEN CAR' CHOICES

From choosing to using to disposing of your automobile, the right consumer choices can minimize environmental impacts. This site tells you how.

http://www.environmentaldefense.org/programs/PPA/vlc/index.html

******************************
7.  YOUR GIFT CAN HELP PRESERVE FREE-FLOWING RIVERS

Environmental Defense works to protect ecosystems and the habitat of endangered plants and animals. The focus is on preventing exploitation and creating sustainable management methods. You can help by donating online via our secure server or by phone, fax, or mail.

https://www.environmentaldefense.org/secure/want2help/donate_ecosystems.html

******************************
8.  SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES

To stop receiving Environmental Defense Dispatch, please send e-mail to listserv@www.edf.org, with

SIGNOFF *

in the body (NOT the Subject) of the message.

******************************
To start receiving your own Environmental Defense Dispatch, just fill in this simple form on the web:

http://www.environmentaldefense.org/Join4Free/

******************************
Don't forget to check out past Dispatches in our archive.

http://plaza.environmentaldefense.org/dispatches.nsf

******************************
Thanks for checking in often! More news daily at:

http://www.environmentaldefense.org

Copyright 2000 Environmental Defense. All rights reserved

************************************************************************************************

from Rainforest Action Network Feb17 2000

In this post :

1. UDWG press release Feb 17
2. Take action for the U'wa - now and March 9th!
3. Improved U'wa solidarity email lists!
4. U'wa Communique - Army Attacks Feb 11 (espanol and english)
5. UDWG press release Feb 11


PLEASE DISTRIBUTE WIDELY

#1

U'WA DEFENSE WORKING GROUP

Media Advisory:  February 17, 2000

Contacts:   Atossa Soltani 310-317-7045   Steve Kretzmann 510-551-7953
           Lauren Sullivan 415-398-4404  Martin Wagner 415-627-6700


General Strike in Effect in U'wa Region in Colombia
Dead Children Named, One Body Found
In Washington, OXY Admits Payments to Guerrillas

Responding to the recent use of force by the Colombian National Police
against the peaceful U'wa, rural workers throughout the region began a
general strike on February 15. Scheduled to last three days, the strike
is being observed in the districts of Araucanos de Fortul, Saravena y
Arauquita, as well as Cubará where businesses remained closed and public
transportation was suspended.

The Colombian newspaper, El Tiempo reported that the body of one of the
victims of Friday's incident, four-month old Nury Bócota, daughter of
Pastor and Gloria Bócota, was found. The names of two other children
believed dead were also reported as 10 year-old Jorge Anicuta and 9
year-old Maricio Diaz. The two were from the Guahibo indigenous
community of Geareros (Tame) who had joined protests in solidarity with
the U'wa. Search for the other bodies is made difficult due to the
terrain and the fast current of the Cubojón River.  The U'wa also claim
a fourth infant may have died in the clash.

Families and friends of the four-month old victim conducted a burial
service yesterday.  The children allegedly drowned after the soldiers
and anti-riot police used tear gas, bulldozers and riot sticks to charge
the blockade, forcing the U'wa to jump into the fast flowing Cubujón
River. The National Police had previously denied reports of deaths as a
result of the confrontation.

The U'wa also released the names of four U'wa who were  injured and 11
additional people reported missing following the incident. The injured
are reported as: Maria Antoineta Ihuanito, Chela Ihuanito, Patricia
Ihuanito, and Luis Caballero. The missing are reported as: Eleanora
Herrera, Luz Elena Herrera, Gustavo Delgado, Wilson Diaz, Antonio
Delgado, Nelson Diaz, Edgar Diaz, Tonio Delgado, Freddy Diaz, Alfredo
Diaz, Wilson Herrera.

Meanwhile in Washington this week, Larry Meriage, Occidental Petroleum's
Vice President of Public Affairs admitted that Oxy regularly pays off
the Colombian Guerrillas. Testifying before the Criminal Justice, Drug
Policy and Human Resources Subcommittee of the House of Representatives
Meriage stated that: "[our employees] are regularly shaken down by both
the FARC and the ELN. They are required to pay a "war tax" to both of
the guerrilla groups or they are not able to work."

"Meriage's admission that Oxy pays the guerrillas underscores the
absurdity of looking for oil in the middle of a war zone." said Steve
Kretzmann of Amazon Watch. "It also reinforces what the U'wa have always
said about this project - that it will only bring more violence to their
region. The only responsible course of action for Oxy and the Colombian
Government is an immediate suspension of the Samoré project pending a
negotiated settlement that all sides are party to."

Video footage taken by the U'wa of the February 11 incident has aired on
Colombian Television stations. Copies of any of  the aforementioned
documents are available upon request.


# # #
--------------------------------------------
#2
URGENT!  SOLIDARITY ACTIONS FOR THE U'WA PEOPLE NEEDED!

    The U'wa people are being killed. They are threatened because a small
cartel of corporate and government elites are willing to profit off the
destruction of indigenous lands and culture. As the Colombian military
occupies U'wa land Occidental Petroleum is transporting equipment into
the Gibraltar 1 drill site.  The situation is urgent.  The U'wa
resistance continues but to be successful the efforts of the U'wa in
Colombia must be matched by global action! We must show the world that
we will not silently sit back and allow the violation of the rights of
the U'wa people.  Take Action!
    If you are in the US call upon your elected representatives and urge
them to vote against Clinton's proposed $1.3 billion military aid
package to Colombia.  Explain to them that US military aid will lead to
an escalation in violence against indigenous communities.  The U'wa
people want peace not oil!
    Also contact Vice President Al Gore.  As an major shareholder in Oxy he
has a responsibility to speak out against these crimes!  Contact his
national campaign office in Nashville TN at : p) 615-340-2000   or
fax)615-340-3295  vicepresident@whitehouse.gov Demand he take action for
the U'wa!  Gore has been targeted from Vermont to New York to Olympia
Washington.  Let's keep up the pressure!
    Organize against Fidelity Investments one of Oxy's largest shareholders
who are willing to profit from the destruction of U'wa lands and
culture.  Find your nearest Fidelity Investor center at :  
http://personal400.fidelity.com/gen/centers/invstctr.html.tvsr Get free
phone numbers to call Fidelity from around the world at :
http://www100.fidelity.com/about/contact/inter.html  
Send a letter of protest to Fidelity's CEO  Mr. Edward Johnson III,
Chairman
Fidelity Investments 82 Devonshire Street, Boston, MA  02109 fax # =
617-476-4164  Organize a demonstration, letter writing party,
educational event or non-violent direct action.  U'wa children are
dying.  Does Fidelity care?


MARCH 9TH - GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION FOR THE U'WA! Let's make it a day that
Fidelity will remember when we show them that there is No Business as
Usual for companies who profit from genocide!
Start organizing a demonstration today!  More information and
downloadable factsheets at www.ran.org  Contact patrick at RAN (+1)
415-988-4404 or 1-800-989-RAIN or organize@ran.org.


------------------------------------------------
#3

Rainforest Action Networking has been contacted by U'wa supporters
around the world. In order to more easily manage subscribers with our
limited resources we are switching our existing lists to Topica.  
Hopefully this will facilitate the rapid spread of information and allow
decentralized discussions of strategy.   We have set up two email lists
for U'wa supporters.  If you are someone who has received these updates
from RAN directly you will be sent an invitation to join both lists.  
Here's is a brief explanation of their difference.


1. UWA_UPDATES : An announcement only email list (very low traffic) for
communiques from
the U'wa, emergency updates and calls to action.  List subscribers
cannot post to the list.
You can subscribe to it at :  http://igc.topica.com/lists/uwa_updates
or by  sending a BLANK email to: uwa_updates-subscribe@igc.topica.com

2. U'WA-INT : The International U'wa solidarity list which is a
discussion list to help
U'wa supporters around the world strategize about how best to support
the U'wa.  List subscribers can post to all other members of the list.  
You can subscribe to it at http://igc.topica.com/lists/uwa-int  or by
sending a BLANK email to:
uwa-int-subscribe@igc.topica.com

Spread the word about these two new organizing tools!


----------------------------------------------
#4


English translation (Version en Espanol sigue)

Sent: Friday, February 11, 2000 11:33 AM

URGENT: THREE U'WA CHILDREN KILLED DURING COMBINED POLICE AND MILITARY RAID

DENUNCIA PUBLICA NACIONAL E INTERNACIONAL

The Association of Traditional Uwa Authorities, ASOUWA, and the Regional
Indigenous Council of Arauca, denounce the following to departmental,
national and international Human Rights and Non-governmental
Organizations:

1. Today, Friday, February 11, 2000, at approximately 8:15 a.m.,
combined
Colombian military and police forces arrived by air to the hamlet of
Canoas,
approximately 4 kilometers from Gibraltar, Northern Santander
deparatement.
At the site, approximately 450 indians -- women, children, men and
elders
from the U'wa community -- were gathered. Without prior warning, the
public
forces violently evicted the members of the community using heavy
machinery
and tear gas, and they forced us to flee by leaping into the River
Cubujon.
As a result of these violent acts, three U'wa children died. Other
children
and women are wounded, and there are U'wa who are missing.

2. We denounce these crimes against humanity, specifically against the
indigneous people. These actions violate our constitutional rights, our
human rights and international humanitarian law.

3. We urgently request the intervention of governmental and
non-governmental
observers, from the national and international levels.We urge you to
speak
out against these abusive acts which violate the precepts of the
Colombian
Constitution which protect indigenous people and which violate human
rights.

4. We demand that the President of Colombia and Occidental Petroleum
Company
take measures to respect the indigenous communities, and we hold them
both
responsible for all actions which violate our physical well being and
territorial rights.



FOR THE DEFENSE OF OUR ETHNIC RIGHTS, OUR PRINCIPLES AND OUR

THE U'WA COMMUNITY IS PRESENT

ASOU`WA/ CONSEJO REGIONAL INDIGENA DE  ARAUCA
____________________________________________________

DENUNCIA PUBLICA NACIONAL E INTERNACIONAL


La Asociación de Cabildos y autoridades tradicionales ASOU`WA y el
Consejo
Regional CRIA, denunciamos antes las ONGS de Derechos Humanos
departamental,
nacional e internacional, los siguientes hechos:

Hoy viernes 11 de Febrero del 2000, siendo las 8:15 a.m., arribaron
fuerzas
mixtas entre policía y ejercito que fueron trasladados por vía aérea, al
sitio de las Canoas, aproximadamente 4 kilómetros de Gibraltar (Norte de
Santander), lugar donde nos encontrábamos concentrados alrededor de 450
indígenas entre mujeres, niños, ancianos de la comunidad U`wa. La fuerza
publica sin ningún aviso, procedió a desplazarnos forzosamente a las
comunidades, con maquinaria pesada y gases lacrimógenos; obligándonos a
lanzarnos al río del Cubujón, debido a la persecución y hechos de
fuerza,
quedaron como consecuencia de estos atropellos 3 niños indígenas
muertos,
niños y mujeres heridos y contusos, a los igual indígenas desaparecidos.

Denunciamos estos hechos de lesa humanidad en contra de nuestras
comunidades
indígenas, que violan nuestros derechos constitucionales, los derechos
humanos y el derecho internacional humanitario.

Solicitamos URGENTEMENTE la intervención de los organismos de veeduría y
control del Estado, como ONGs nacional e internacional a pronunciarse en
contra de estos hechos violatorios a los preceptos constitucionales
indígenas y de Derechos Humanos

Exigimos del Presidente de la República y de la OXY, el respeto de las
comunidades indígenas, a la vez los responsabilizamos de todo acto
violatorio a nuestras comunidades e integridad física y territorialidad
indígena

POR LA DEFENSA DE NUESTROS DERECHOS ETNICOS, POR NUESTOS PRINCIPIOS Y
CULTRUA

COMUNIDAD U´WA

PRESENTES, PRESENTES


ASOU`WA CONSEJO REGIONAL INDIGENA DE ARAUCA
------------------------------------------------------
#5
U'WA DEFENSE WORKING GROUP

For Immediate Release:  February 11, 2000

Contacts:  
Atossa Soltani 202-256-9795 Martin Wagner 415-627-6700 ext 216
Steve Kretzmann 510-551-7953 or Shannon Wright 415-595-7246


Colombian Police Attack Peaceful U'wa Blockade
Three U'wa Children Killed - U'wa Reserve Militarized

Oxy and Colombian Government Urged to Suspend Operations

Cubara, Colombia -- Dangerously escalating an already tense situation,
Colombian National Police today brutally attacked a group of 450
peaceful
U'wa protesters on a road near Las Canoas, approximately 4 kilometers
from
Gibraltar 1, site of the Occidental Petroleum's proposed oil well in
Northeast Colombia.   According to an urgent communiqué from the U'wa,
this
attack resulted in the death of three U'wa children. Many adults were
also
injured and several U'wa are now missing.

The U'wa report that at 8:15 am this morning, four helicopters arrived
from
Bogota carrying members of the Colombian National Police who then began
to
disperse a group of U'wa men, women, children, and medicine men and
their
supporters who have been peacefully blockading the Saravena - Pomplano
road
for the past week.  Without warning, the police used tear gas and heavy
machinery to charge the blockade, forcing the peaceful U'wa into the
Cubujón
River.  The road blockades had been effectively stopping Oxy from moving
in
construction equipment to the drill site.

The U'wa are in engaged in a tense standoff with the Colombian
Government
and Oxy to prevent oil drilling on their sacred ancestral lands.  Since
January 19, the region including the site of the oil well have been
heavily
militarized.  The U'wa also report that even the U'wa reservation has
been
militarized and the army is reportedly restricting travel to and from
the
reservation.  On January 25, The Colombian soldiers reportedly used
brutal
methods to evict the nonviolent U'wa, airlifting the last 25 resisters
by
military helicopters.

International human rights groups are calling for an immediate
suspension of
all activity by Oxy at Gibraltar 1 pending a negotiated settlement with
the
U'wa and calling on President Pastrana to withdraw Colombian security
forces
from the U'wa Reserve and from the two farms owned by the U'wa at
Gibraltar
1.  Furthermore, Groups in the U.S. are calling on the Clinton
Administration to use diplomatic pressures on the Colombian Government
to
ensure a peaceful resolution of this conflict.

"At a time when the US is about to vote for $2 million a day in military
aid
to the Colombian security forces,  military maneuvers resulting in the
death
of innocent U'wa children cause serious alarm about how our tax dollars
could fund more brutality and human rights abuses against innocent
civilians
in Colombia," said Steve Kretzmann of Amazon Watch.

In the past week, protests were held in 34 cities in nine countries.
These
demonstrations have been targeting the two most important shareholders
in
Occidental - Fidelity Investments, which controls about 10 percent of
Oxy
stock, and US Vice President Al Gore, who holds up to a half million
dollars
in Oxy stock and who has enjoyed the sponsorship of Oxy throughout his
political career.  Yesterday, a protest was held outside the Gore 2000
campaign headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee.

# # #


*********************************************************************************************************************************************************

ZPG Action Network Update Feb18, 2000

CURRENT ZPG ACTIVITIES

A big Thank You to you and everyone else for a great first

year for the ZPG Action Network.  In the last quarter of

1999 alone we sent over 4400 faxes to policy-makers!  You

are making the world a better place for future generations!


Please tell everyone you know who might be interested about

the ZPG Action Network.  They can sign up at

www.actionnetwork.org/zpgaction.


You might find the following resources helpful in your

future activism:


*IN LATE MARCH our Earth Day Activist Kit will be available

both as a .pdf document on the web and in print.  Email

kerry@zpg.org to get involved in ZPG's Earth Day 2000

activities.


*Preven is still banned at Wal-Mart!  Emergency

contraception is safe, effective and prohibited at all Wal-

Mart pharmacies.  Go to

www.zpg.org/Action_alerts/alert28.html to learn more.



*If you're not already a member, maybe it's time to

consider joining ZPG to help us continue our important work

advocating women's empowerment, education, family planning,

and the environment.  To join or learn more about ZPG's

activist programs, go to www.zpg.org/Get_Involved/



*Also, check out ZPG's Catalog at www.zpg.org/Catalog/ for

great population education materials and great gift ideas.



*For more detailed information about legislative issues,

read ZPG's Legislative Update at

www.zpg.org/Action_alerts/alert26.html.  The most recent

issue includes new information on international family

planning cuts and the Global Gag Rule, parental consent for

family planning and a recent Roe v. Wade Resolution.

*If you are a student or professor, be sure to get involved

with ZPG's Campus Outreach Program at

www.zpg.org/Reports_Publications/Publications/publication81.

html or email sarahjoy@zpg.org.  

Feel free to contact me with any comments, questions, or

suggestions!  And thanks for all your great work!

Scott
Scott McNiven - e-action@zpg.org.

************************************************************************************************

DEN ALERT:

LAST CHANCE FOR SOUTHWEST WOLF RECOVERY



With only eight wild Mexican wolves left in the American southwest,

Defenders needs your help to ensure that the most critically endangered

wolf in the world stays on the road to recovery. Anti-wolf interests

are mobilizing against a proposal by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

(FWS) to reintroduce additional gray wolves to New Mexico's Gila

Wilderness Area and adjacent roadless habitat along the New Mexico-

Arizona border. The Gila was the first federal wilderness area

designated in the United States and provides the safest and best

habitat for wolves in the southwest——far from roads, guns, and

livestock.



Defenders strongly supports the FWS' proposed action because it will

significantly benefit wolves by limiting conflicts with people and

livestock, avoiding wolf losses, exposing wolves to abundant native

prey and guiding the dispersal of wolves into suitable locations

throughout the recovery area. The ability to translocate wolves is

also a valuable management option which allows for quick responses

to conflict situations that, in the past, have resulted in the deaths

of livestock and wolves.



WHAT YOU CAN DO



Your comments could help decide the life or death of wolf recovery

in the southwest. Please take a minute and send the comment letter

provided below to the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service supporting

wolf translocation to the Gila Wilderness. YOUR COMMENTS MUST BE

RECEIVED BY MARCH 15, 2000.



INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA THE WEB:

If you have access to the web, simply click on the link below which

will take you to the DEN Action Center web site:



           http://www.denaction.org



INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA EMAIL:

If you do not have web access, you can still respond to this alert.

Simply, choose the "reply to sender" option on your email program.

Be sure to include the original message in your reply. Then edit the

message provided below as you wish and  press SEND when you are ready.

We will make sure it is delivered correctly. You must include the

whole letter in your response starting with "==START OF LETTER=="

and ending with "==END OF LETTER==."  



We strongly encourage you to personalize the message provided below

by putting the message in your own words or adding personal thoughts.

A personalized letter is viewed as more important than a computer-

generated one. However, hundreds of unedited letters will still have

a large impact. Therefore, please reply even if you don't have time

to personalize the letter.



==== START OF LETTER - ALERT 6 ==== DO NOT REMOVE THIS MARKER

   

Dear Mexican Wolf Recovery Coordinator,

I strongly support the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's proposed

action (Alternative A) to translocate Mexican wolves into the Gila

Wilderness and adjoining National Forest lands.  

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service already has the authority to

translocate Mexican Gray Wolves into the Gila National Forest as

provided under the experimental rule in the 1998 Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS) and associated Record of Decision. Furthermore, the

EIS has thoroughly evaluated the realistic potential effects the

presence of up to 100 wolves throughout the recovery area. It would

be redundant, time consuming and expensive to re-address previously

covered issues for each release site-specific management decision.  

The proposed action, however, should be amended to allow for the

release of Mexican wolves which have not previously been released.

This would provide important management flexibility necessary to

address specific management needs likely to arise (i.e., supplying

a mate for breeding, rearing, etc.).



The future success of Mexican wolves hinges directly on their ability

to establish territories within the Gila National Forest.  

Translocations into the Gila Wilderness and adjoining public forest

lands will significantly benefit wolf recovery by allowing wolves to

be located into areas with no roads and few livestock. This will

minimize conflict, advance recovery, reduce costs and promote overall

program acceptance and success.



These features, combined with the fact that the Gila Wilderness is

our nation's first officially designated Wilderness Area, make the

proposed action not only critical to the survival and recovery of

Mexican wolves, but essential to ensuring that future generations

will be able to enjoy true wilderness with a full complement of

native species.



Please, promptly adopt and implement Alternative A. Recover the

Mexican wolf and restore the wild to wilderness while you have the

opportunity.



Sincerely,



(Your name and signature will automatically be added here)



==== END OF LETTER - ALERT 6 ==== DO NOT REMOVE THIS MARKER



**********************************************************************************************************************************************************

ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE DISPATCH

Thursday, February 24, 2000
More than 300,000 strong
* More on the Corps * Fishy Gene Pool * Kosovo *
To unsubscribe from this weekly digest, see the instructions in #8 below.

1. Billion Dollar Project Is Not Enough for Corps
2. There's Something Fishy in the Gene Pool
3. Environmental Crisis Deepens in Kosovo
4. Down in the Delta: A Forgotten Jewel
5. 'Nature Journal' Looks at February on Long Island
6. News Environmentalists Can Use Every Day
7. Support Transportation Alternatives

******************************
1.      ARMY CORPS CONTINUES QUESTIONABLE PRACTICES

Environmental Defense has acquired a memorandum that provides new information about previous disclosures that top officials of the U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers ordered economists to "cook the books" on a $1 billion navigation project on the Upper Mississippi River.

http://www.environmentaldefense.org/

******************************
2.     SOMETHING FISHY WITH TRANSGENIC FISH

A Canadian fish farm wants to market genetically-altered salmon that grow bigger and faster than their wild counterparts. But this could "muck up the gene pool." Read Environmental Defense scientist Rebecca Goldburg on transgenic fish.

http://www.environmentaldefense.org/pubs/Reports/Aquaculture/transgenic.html

******************************
3. ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS IN KOSOVO

Last year's headlines told of the human toll exacted during the conflict in Kosovo. Environmental repercussions from the two months of turmoil are the latest threat to the populace. (From the editors of E Magazine).

http://www.environmentaldefense.org/pubs/emagazine/2000/kosovo.html

*****************************
4. PRESERVING THE COLORADO RIVER DELTA IN MEXICO

The Colorado River is all but forgotten as it spreads out into an extensive delta below the U.S. border. An Environmental Defense report describes what needs to be done to preserve this little-known oasis of diversity.

http://www.environmentaldefense.org/pubs/newsletter/1999/Dec/l_COdelt.html

*****************************
5. EXPLORE FEBRUARY'S NATURAL CHARMS ON LONG ISLAND

February boasts the first few harbingers of spring. Naturalist Dennis Puleston chronicles Long Island's earliest hints of the upcoming season.

http://www.environmentaldefense.org/pubs/Books/NatureJournal/Feb/feb_1.html

*****************************
6. NEWS YOU CAN USE IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE

At Environmental Defense we have plenty of ideas about ways you can help the environment. Here are a few to help get you started.

http://www.environmentaldefense.org/makeadifference/options/newsyoucanuse.html

******************************
7. SUPPORT ALTERNATIVES IN OUR TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM.

The Transportation program at Environmental Defense focuses on the best way for America to get from here to there. You can help by donating online via our secure server or by phone, fax, or mail.

https://www.edf.org/secure/Want2Help/donate_transportation.html

******************************
http://www.environmentaldefense.org/Join4Free/

******************************
Don't forget to check out past Dispatches in our archive.

http://plaza.environmentaldefense.org/dispatches.nsf

******************************
Thanks for checking in often! More news daily at:

http://www.environmentaldefense.org

Copyright 2000 Environmental Defense. All rights reserved.

************************************************************************************************

DENlines Issue #9
Defenders  Electronic Network (DEN)
Friday February 25, 2000

1.      WOLVES I: Alaska Wolves Under Fire
2.      WOLVES II: Southwest Wolf Recovery in Jeopardy
3.      ENDANGERED SPECIES: Legal Victory for Piping Plovers
4.      BIRDS: DEN Helps Protect Migratory Shorebirds
5.      WILDLIFE CALENDAR: Manatees Keep Warm in Winter
6.      FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Jane Goodall on the New Millennium
=================================================================     

1.     WOLVES I: Alaska Wolves Under Fire

The Alaska Board of Game has authorized a wolf control program in an
area west of Denali National Park and is considering another north
of Anchorage. Both programs are likely to permit aerial wolf shooting
and are designed to increase artificially the number of moose and
caribou available to be killed by hunters. However, each must be
approved by Alaska Governor Tony Knowles (D), who has stated that he
would not approve any predator-control program unless it is
scientifically sound, cost-effective and publicly acceptable. Neither
proposal has broad public support and both downplay non-wolf factors
affecting moose and caribou populations such as the carrying capacity
of the habitat, weather, bear predation and a high local hunter
success rate.

These wolf control proposals come just four months after the state
legislature overrode Governor Knowles' veto and passed legislation
that made it easier for the state to use aircraft in predator-control
programs. The legislation repealed a key element of a ballot
initiative approved by nearly 60 percent of Alaska voters in 1996.
Defenders is mobilizing Alaska citizens to urge the governor to stop
both wolf control proposals.

2.     WOLVES II: Southwest Wolf Recovery in Jeopardy

Anti-wolf interests are mobilizing against a U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (FWS)  proposal to move previously released endangered gray
wolves into the Gila Wilderness and adjacent roadless habitat along
the New Mexico-Arizona border. The Gila was the first federal
wilderness area designated in the United States and provides the
safest and best habitat for wolves in the southwest——far from roads,
guns and livestock. Representative Joe Skeen (R-NM) issued a press
release this week attacking the wolf recovery program, and wolf
opponents are organizing a rally tomorrow in Glenwood, NM, opposing
future reintroductions.  

The FWS' proposed action will significantly reduce conflicts with
people and livestock, avoid wolf losses and expose wolves to abundant
native prey. The ability to translocate or move wolves is a valuable
management option that allows for quick responses to conflicts that
have resulted in the death of livestock and wolves.

Only eight wild Mexican wolves currently run free in the American
Southwest. To help ensure that the most critically endangered wolf
in the world stays on the road to recovery visit the DEN Action web
site at: http://www.denaction.org or for more information visit
http://www.defenders.org/wildlife/wolf/lobosum.html  

3.      ENDANGERED SPECIES: Legal Victory for Piping Plovers

A U.S. District Court judge ruled this month that the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (FWS) must move forward to protect critical habitat
for two endangered populations of piping plovers in the Great Lakes
and Great Plains regions. The decision came in response to a 1996
lawsuit filed by Defenders of Wildlife, charging that FWS violated
the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by failing to recover populations
of the small migratory shorebird.

The piping plover, named for its flute-like "peeplo" song, was first
listed under the ESA in 1985 after its numbers declined sharply. The
major threat to the plover is habitat degradation by human activities
including lakeshore development, dredging of tidal flats and increasing
human use of beaches. Despite the legal victory, conservationists
remain concerned about important plover breeding habitat located in
Canada, where no habitat protections exist.

4.      BIRDS: DEN Helps Protect Migratory Shorebirds

After receiving hundreds of e-mails from DEN activists, the Atlantic
States Marine Fisheries Commission took a crucial first step in
stopping the destructive exploitation of horseshoe crabs.  The
commission's actions will benefit the imperiled crab and the millions
of migratory shorebirds that depend upon them and their eggs as a
food source during migration.

The significant public response undoubtedly played a critical role
in forcing the commission to implement several of the conservation-
oriented options. It voted to close federal waters in the Delaware
Bay to crab harvest, prevent states from transferring unfilled crab-
harvest quotas to other states, and develop a strategy to implement
alternative bait and trap designs to reduce the number of crabs used
for conch and eel bait.  The commission also approved a 25 percent
reduction in the number of crabs each state can harvest. Thanks to
all of you who sent in comments. You definitely made the difference!

5.     WILDLIFE CALENDAR: Manatees Keep Warm in Winter

For much of the year endangered West Indian manatees, also known as
"sea cows," feed on the sea grass meadows in the Gulf of Mexico. In
October, as water temperatures begin to fall, manatees begin their
annual migration to the warmer inlets, lagoons and estuaries of
coastal Florida. When the water temperature drops below 60 degrees F,
manatees become sluggish, stop eating and will die unless they move
to warmer water. They can easily adapt from salt to fresh water
environments, changing their diet to freshwater plants in streams
and rivers.

Winter months are the best and most predictable times to see manatees.
Florida's natural hot springs keep streams at close to 90 degrees F
year round. The large marine mammals congregate to pass the winter
in places like Blue Springs State Park, Homosassa Springs State
Wildlife Park and Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge. Areas near
power plants, which discharge warm water into local streams, are
also a common gathering place. Manatees stay by the source of the
warm water in the morning or on cold days, waiting for the temperature
to rise. In the afternoon or on warmer days they venture out into
cooler waters to feed. For more information on manatees visit:
http://www.kidsplanet.org/factsheets/manatee.html

6.     FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Jane Goodall on the New Millennium

"So let us move into the next millennium with hope, for without it
all we can do is eat and drink the last of our resources as we watch
our planet slowly die. Instead, let us have faith in ourselves, in
our intellect, in our staunch spirit. Let us develop respect for all
living things."

– Jane Goodall is a world-renowned
                                  research scientist who has studied
                                  chimpanzees for more than 35 years.


            * TELL YOUR FRIENDS!! FORWARD THIS ISSUE AND SPREAD
                 THE NEWS ABOUT WILDLIFE AND CONSERVATION *

====================================================================
To subscribe, visit Defenders' website located at

http://www.defenders.org/den

or send an e-mail to denlines@defenders.org and put
the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.  
====================================================================
If your e-mail address has changed, send an e-mail to
changeaddress@defenders.org and put your new e-mail address in the
subject line. Make sure you put nothing in the subject line other
than your new e-mail address.
====================================================================
DENlines is a bi-weekly publication of Defenders of Wildlife, a
leading national conservation organization recognized as one of the
nation's most progressive advocates for wildlife and its habitat.
Known for its effective leadership on endangered species issues,
particularly predators like brown bears and gray wolves, Defenders
advocates new approaches to wildlife conservation that protect
species before they become endangered. Founded in 1947, Defenders is
a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization with more than 380,000 members
and supporters.

                      Defenders of Wildlife
                  1101 14th Street, NW, Suite 1400
                       Washington, DC 20005
              http://www.defenders.org

       (c) Defenders of Wildlife, 2000.


************************************************************************************************

from Global Response Feb 25, 2000

the U'wa people in their fight against Occidental Petroleum, send this
update on the situation in Colombia.

To read the U'wa Defense Working Group, a coalition of organizations that support
 the text of Global Response Action #1/2K, and to send letters to
Fidelity Investments and Al Gore concerning the U'wa struggle, please visit
our website: www.globalresponse.org


Feb. 25, 2000
From: U'WA DEFENSE WORKING GROUP

Thousands of Colombians Resume Blockades Near Planned Oil Well Standoff
With Oxy Escalating

Solidarity March Today In Bogota

Rallying behind the struggle of the U'wa people of Colombia, at least 2,500
people have arrived during the past week in the small community of
Gibraltar, in the department of North Santander. The town is approximately
6 kilometers from the site of the first well planned by Los-Angeles based
Occidental Petroleum (Oxy). The campesinos, students,
and union members have reportedly joined thousands of U'wa and other
indigenous peoples in resuming the blockade of the main road to Oxy's well
site.

"They are maintaining the blockade of the road that leads to Pamplona and
are taking shelter in the church, the schools and other sites," said Cesar
Hipolito Mora, the mayor of Cubara, a neighboring town according to
Tuesday's edition of El Tiempo, a Colombian daily.

The secretary of the local Association of Campesinos (ADUC), Reina Rojas,
said from Saravena that it is not a strike, but rather a mobilization which
involves representatives from the different guilds and unions.

"It's something indefinite that will only end with a commitment from the
Government to halt the petroleum exploration in the Samore Block. We ask
that the Ministers of the Environment, Juan Mayr, and of the Interior,
Nestor Humberto Martinez come and endorse this agreement," said Rojas.

Observers in the area report that a heavy military and police contingent in
the area is monitoring the protestors, and has stopped some shipments of
food and medical supplies bound for the U'wa.  On February 11, the police
reportedly used tear gas and forcibly removed 450 U'wa who were
blockading the road, resulting in the reported drowning of three indigenous
children. The body of a four month old U'wa girl was found last week. Two
other children, ages 9 and 10, from the Guahibo tribe are still missing and
presumed dead.

Just one week ago, Occidental Petroleum Vice-President Lawrence Meriage
testified before the U.S. Congress in a subcommittee hearing on the
Military aid package to Colombia that "only two groups are intent on
blocking the project ? leftist guerrillas? and non-governmental
organizations in the US."   Meriage further implied that the U'wa were
merely pawns of others.

The U'wa issued a statement responding to Meriage's testimony saying: "We
demand that Occidental Petroleum and those in the media who have called us
guerrilla sympathizers, rectify these accusations immediately,
because they endanger the life of the U'wa community and of those that
support us. We fight to defend our cultural principles which benefit
society as a whole, and not those particular dark interests."

"Clearly, opposition to this project began with the U'wa and support among
Colombians is broad-based and growing" said Atossa Soltani of Amazon Watch.
"Given the widespread protests in Colombia by unions, farmers, students and
indigenous communities, the only responsible
course of action is an immediate suspension of this project pending a
negotiated settlement in which all sides participate."

In Bogota, members of Colombian non-governmental and indigenous
organizations will be holding a solidarity march at 2:00 p.m. today at the
Plaza Simon Bolivar which will culminate in a rally at the Ministry of
Environment.   In the United States, supporters of the U'wa continue
to target the two most prominent Oxy shareholders - Fidelity Investments
and Vice-President Al Gore Jr. Over 40 nonviolent demonstrations have taken
place in the last several weeks.

_____________________________________________________________
Want to find the best email lists? Check out the Topica 20!
http://www.topica.com/topica20


************************************************************************************************

from World Wildlife Feb 25, 2000

Support WWF to leave a living planet for generations to come!

World Wildlife Fund would like you to join our conservation
mission -- help us begin 2000 with unprecedented momentum
by making an online gift today.

For nearly four decades, WWF has been working to protect
Earth's endangered wildlife and to safeguard the natural
resources upon which all life depends.

As we enter the dawn of a new era for conservation, we're
determined to build on our successes to protect more
endangered animals, preserve more precious habitats,
expose more illegal poaching and trading, educate more
people about wildlife conservation, conduct more scientific
research, provide more technical support and field
equipment, and build more partnerships with local
communities, governments, corporations and like-minded
allies.

Making an electronic donation to World Wildlife Fund
is easy. Just click on the link to our Web site below.
http://www.worldwildlife.org
Or if you prefer, you can make a donation by calling
1-800-591-1919, 24 hours a day (credit cards only, please).


Conservation can't wait, and it can only happen through
the commitment of our dedicated field staff and the support
of people like you.

Thank you for helping WWF to save life on Earth.

-Let's leave our children a living planet, pass this email
message on to a friend.



This email is being sent to everybody who accepted
World Wildlife Fund's Living Planet Pledge, signed up for
the Earth Day Alert, or  joined our "what's new" mailing
list. These lists are now combined into one "what's new
at WWF online" list. The purpose of this message is to keep
you informed about what WWF is doing, as well as what
you can do to help save life on Earth and protect wildlife
and wildlands.

************************************************************************************************

THOUSANDS OF COLOMBIANS JOIN U'WA IN RE-BLOCKADING DRILL SITE!  THE U'WA RESISTANCE REMAINS STRONG

INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT NEEDED!

MARCH 9TH INTERNATIONAL DAY OF SOLIDARITY WITH THE U'WA  -  sTAND WITH THE U'WA BY TARGETING FIDELITY INVESTMENTS AND VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE

In the post :
1. Uwa Defense Working Group press release - Feb 25
2. U'wa communique - Feb 21 (ingles y espanol)
3. El Tiempo article - Feb 22
4. Orgaznie against Fidelity MARCH 9TH DAY OF SOLIDARITY!
5. U.S. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney supports the U'wa!
---------------------------------------


#1.
U'WA DEFENSE WORKING GROUP
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 25, 2000

CONTACTS: Lauren Sullivan, 415-398-4404 or Stephen Kretzmann,
510-551-7953
Atossa Soltani, 310-317-7045 or Martin Wagner (415) 627-6700 ext. 216

Thousands of Colombians Resume Blockades Near Planned Oil Well Standoff
With Oxy Escalating
Solidarity March Today In Bogota

Rallying behind the struggle of the U'wa people of Colombia, at least
2,500 people have arrived during the past week in the small community of
Gibraltar, in the department of North Santander. The town is
approximately 6 kilometers from the site of the first well planned by
Los-Angeles based Occidental Petroleum (Oxy). The campesinos, students,
and union members have reportedly joined thousands of U'wa and other
indigenous peoples in resuming the blockade of the main road to Oxy's
well site.
"They are maintaining the blockade of the road that leads to Pamplona
and are taking shelter in the church, the schools and other sites," said
César Hipólito Mora, the mayor of Cubará, a neighboring town according
to Tuesday's edition of El Tiempo, a Colombian daily.
The secretary of the local Association of Campesinos (ADUC), Reina
Rojas, said from Saravena that it is not a strike, but rather a
mobilization which involves representatives from the different guilds
and unions.
"It's something indefinite that will only end with a commitment from the
Government to halt the petroleum exploration in the Samore Block. We ask
that the Ministers of the Environment, Juan Mayr, and of the Interior,
Nestor Humberto Martinez come and endorse this agreement," said Rojas.
Observers in the area report that a heavy military and police contingent
in the area is monitoring the protestors, and has stopped some shipments
of food and medical supplies bound for the U'wa. On February 11, the
police reportedly used tear gas and forcibly removed 450 U'wa who were
blockading the road, resulting in the reported drowning of three
indigenous children. The body of a four month old U’wa girl was found
last week. Two other children, ages 9 and 10, from the Guahibo tribe are
still missing and presumed dead.
Just one week ago, Occidental Petroleum Vice-President Lawrence Meriage
testified before the U.S. Congress in a subcommittee hearing on the
Military aid package to Colombia that "only two groups are intent on
blocking the project … leftist guerrillas… and non-governmental
organizations in the US." Meriage further implied that the U’wa were
merely pawns of others.
The U'wa issued a statement responding to Meriage's testimony saying:
"We demand that Occidental Petroleum and those in the media who have
called us guerrilla sympathizers, rectify these accusations immediately,
because they endanger the life of the U'wa community and of those that
support us. We fight to defend our cultural principles which benefit
society as a whole, and not those particular dark interests."
"Clearly, opposition to this project began with the U’wa and support
among Colombians is broad-based and growing" said Atossa Soltani of
Amazon Watch. "Given the widespread protests in Colombia by unions,
farmers, students and indigenous communities, the only responsible
course of action is an immediate suspension of this project pending a
negotiated settlement in which all sides participate."
In Bogota, members of Colombian non-governmental and indigenous
organizations will be holding a solidarity march at 2:00 p.m. today at
the Plaza Simon Bolivar which will culminate in a rally at the Ministry
of Environment. In the United States, supporters of the U'wa continue to
target the two most prominent Oxy shareholders - Fidelity Investments
and Vice-President Al Gore Jr. Over 40 nonviolent demonstrations have
taken place in the last several weeks.
-30-
----------------------------------------

#2
(version en espanol abajo)

Association of Traditional U'wa Authorities
Communique to the General Public

As a result of the recent events that have occurred in U'wa territory,
due to the violent military and police intervention, that in past days
took the lives or three of our children and resulted in the
disappearance
of five indigenous brothers, demonstrations of solidarity for our
community have continued to grow. This show of solidarity comes from all
sectors of national and international civil society, who without
distinguishing race, color, or politics, have joined in this unequal
struggle against the National Government, the Ministry of the
Environment,
the Ministry of Mines and Energy and Occidental Petroleum of Colombia.

This time, support has come from groups in the farming communities of
Arauca, who have added approximately 4,000 people to the 1,200 members
of our indigenous community gathered near the Gibraltar well-site in
Toledo,
Norte de Santander.

The purpose of the group gathered there is to vehemently reject the
measures taken by the National Government in favor of OXY, whose plan
seeks to subdue the U'wa culture by spearheading an oil exploration
project on our ancestral territory. Nevertheless and in spite of the
many
demonstrations of support coming from all sectors of civil society, the
armed forces and police keep attempting to stop others from joining us
in
solidarity to protest Occidental.

Not only have they stopped people from passing through, but they have
also thwarted the passage of vehicles that are transporting food,
medicine
and other necessary resources crucial to the wellbeing of the people at
the Gibraltar site.

Because of the above mentioned facts:

1) We demand that the President of the Republic of Colombia and the
Ministry of Defense, immediately withdraw the army and the police that
are
surrounding, abusing, and violating the rights of the U'wa community and
the rest of the civil population that have united with us in non-violent
protest.

2) We demand that Occidental Petroleum immediately stop all activity on
our ancestral territory, as their presence has unleashed violence
against
our brothers, including the deaths of our children and of the American
indigenous rights activists Terence Frietas, Ingrid Washinawatok and
Larry
Gay.

3) We demand that Occidental Petroleum and those in the media who have
called us guerrilla sympathizers, rectify these accusations immediately,

because they endanger the life of the U'wa community and of those that
support us. We fight to defend our cultural principles which benefit
society as a whole, and not those particular dark interests.

We ask that the national and international communities support our cause
which seeks to exercise the social rights of all Colombians.

Cabildo Mayor U'wa
Kuirasiru Barrosa (Traditional Authority)
Cubara, February 21, 2000

FOR LIFE, FOR MILLENNIAL RIGHTS AND FOR THE RESPECT OF NATIONAL
SOVEREIGNTY, THE U'WA OPPOSE THE MILITARY INTERVENTION IN OUR TERRITORY

*    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *

ASOCIACION DE CABILDOS U`WAS, ASOU`WAS
Comunicado a la Opinión Pública
A raíz de los últimos acontecimientos que se vienen presentando en
territorio Uwa producto de la agresión estatal a través de sus fuerzas
armadas y de policía, que en días pasados cobró la vida de tres de
nuestros niños y la desaparición de cinco hermanos indígenas, las
manifestaciones de solidaridad hacia nuestro pueblo han venido
creciendo. Esta solidaridad proviene de todos los estamentos de la
sociedad civil nacional e internacional, que sin distingo de raza, color
o política, se han sumada a esta desigual lucha que venimos librando
contra el Gobierno Nacional, el Ministerio del Medio Ambiente,
Ministerio de Minas y Energía y la Occidental de Colombia.
Esta vez los grupos de apoyo provienen de comunidades campesinas del
Arauca que se suman en un número aproximado de 4000 a los
aproximadamente 1200 miembros de nuestra comunidad indígena que se
encuentran concentrados en el corregimiento de Gibraltar, Toledo, Norte
de Santander.
El objetivo del grupo allí concentrado es rechazar enérgicamente las
medidas tomadas por el gobierno nacional en favor de la OXY, que
pretende avasallar a la cultura Uwa teniendo como punta de lanza las
exploraciones petroleras en nuestro territorio ancestral. Sin embargo, y
pese a las múltiples manifestaciones de apoyo que provienen de todos los
sectores de la sociedad civil, las fuerzas armadas y de policía vienen
impidiendo el paso, a todo costa, de todo aquel que quiera sumarse a
estas manifestaciones de repudio hacia la Occidental y de solidaridad
hacia los Uwa.
No solo se bloquea el paso de transeúntes, también se le ha cerrado el
paso a los vehículos que transportan alimentos, medicinas y demás
elementos de vital ayuda para las personas concentradas en Gibraltar.
Por los hechos en mención:
1. Exigimos del Presidente de la República, a los Ministros de Defensa y
del Interior, el retiro inmediato de la ejercito y la policía que
acordonan, atropellan y violan los derechos de nuestra comunidad U´wa y
demás miembros civiles que se han unido a nuestra pacifica protesta.
2. Exigimos a la empresa Occidental el retiro inmediato de toda
actividad en nuestro territorio ancestral, ya que su presencia ha
desencadenado procesos violentos contra nuestros hermanos, incluyendo la
muerte de nuestros hijos y los hermanos indigenistas estadounidenses
Terence Freitas, Ingrid Washinawatock y Larry Gay.
3. Exigimos a la empresa Occidental y a los medios de comunicación que
nos han tildado de guerrilleros la rectificación inmediata de tales
afirmaciones, que ponen en peligro la vida del pueblo U´wa y de quienes
nos apoyan. Nuestra lucha es por defender nuestros principios culturales
que velan por el interés general y no por defender oscuros intereses
particulares.
4. Demandamos de la comunidad nacional e internacional el apoyo
irrestricto a nuestra causa, que busca la reivindicación de los derechos
sociales de los colombianos.
CABILDO MAYOR U´WAKUIRASIRU BARROSA (AUTORIDAD TRADICIONAL)
CUBARA, 21 DE FEBRERO DE 2000
POR LA VIDA, POR LOS DERECHOS MILENARIOS Y EL RESPETO A LA SOBERANIA
NACIONAL LOS U´WAS NOS OPONEMOS A LA INTERVENCION MILITAR EN NUESTRO
TERRITORIO


--------------------------------------------------

#3
El Tiempo - February 22, 2000
2,500 People Blockade the Pamplona-Saravena Road
Blockade in Solidarity with the U'wa People
Arauca- Some 2,500 citizens from the Sarare area occupied, since
yesterday, the small North Santander community of Gibraltar, in support
of the U'wa Indians protest against petroleum exploration in the region.
"They are maintaining the blockade of the road that leads to Pamplona
(Norte de Santander) and are taking shelter in the church, the schools
and other sites", said the mayor of the neighboring town of Boyaca,
Cubara, Cesar Hipolito Mora.
According to the public official, the people are sleeping in makeshift
beds made of sticks and plastic.
The secretary of the Association of Campesinos (ADUC), Reina Rojas, said
from Saravena (Arauca), that it is not a strike, but rather a
mobilization which involves representatives from the different guilds
and unions.
"It's something undefined that will only end with a committment from the
Government to halt the petroleum exploration in the Samore Block. We ask
that the Ministers of the Environment, Juan Mayrs and of the Interior,
Nestor Humberto Martinez come and endorse this agreement", said the
trade unionist.
The Mayor of Cubara stated that the people have stored food and other
necessities which will allow them to remain there for a good period of
time.
In the meantime, the mayor of Saravena (Arauca), Roberto Martin Vera,
indicated that each day that the blockade of the road between Norte de
Santander and Santander continues, the municipality sustains a loss of
at least 100 million pesos.
The conflict began the first of February when close to 450 U'wa
blockaded the same road at the Canoas and Chinita sites, after which
they were removed by the Army from the Cedeno site where the National
Government authorized petroleum exploration by the multinational
Occidental.
The 11th of February, anti-riot agents dissolved the blockade of the
access road using tear gas. The indigenous people reported the deaths of
three children and the disappearance of another 11 natives during the
procedure in which two uniformed agents were injured, one of them by an
arrow.

-----------------------------------
#4  TAKE ACTION FOR THE U'WA!   NOW AND MARCH 9TH!

    The U'wa resistance remains strong.  Their ongoing blockade of the
drillsite sends a strong message that no amount of brutality by the  
Colombian government will stop their efforts to defend their sacred
lands.  The people of Northeastern Colombia are showing incredible
solidarity with the U'wa by joining in the blockade of the drillsite.    

    The U'wa have put out the call for international solidarity.  Now all
of us who care about justice, the environment, human rights and
resistance to corporate rule must answer with action.  Our actions will
show Occidental and all those companies that are willing to profit from
the destruction of  U'wa lands and culture that we will not tolerate
their attacks on our U'wa brothers and sisters. An injury to the U'wa
people is an injury to us all!
    The best way to take on Occidental is to target their 2 most important
shareholders - Vice President Al Gore and Fidelity Investments.  As the
U'wa blockade their homelands they time has come for us to blockade
Fidelity's operations.  Whether its demonstrating at their offices,
leafleting their customers, organizing educational events,  or shutting
down their operations with non-violent direct action the U'wa need us
all to organize in our communities.
    In the US find your nearest Fidelity Investor center at :  
http://personal400.fidelity.com/gen/centers/invstctr.html.tvsr
Internationally get free  phone numbers to call Fidelity from around the
world at :
http://www100.fidelity.com/about/contact/inter.html  
    Send letters of protest to Fidelity's CEO  :
Mr. Edward Johnson III,  Chairman Fidelity Investments
82 Devonshire Street, Boston, MA  02109
fax # =  617-476-4164  

    Also keep the pressure on Al Gore.   Activists have been continually
disrupting his campaign appearances demanding that he address the U'wa
issue.  Let's keep it up!  Contact his national campaign office in
Nashville TN at : p) 615-340-2000   or
fax)615-340-3295  email : vicepresident@whitehouse.gov Tell him that as
an major shareholder in Oxy he  has a responsibility to speak out
against Oxy's crimes!

    Updates, factsheets and other campaign materials in a downloadable
format are available at www.ran.org also www.amazonwatch.org.  To
coordinate your local actions with other supporters and get hard copies
of materials and great stickers  please contact Patrick at Rainforest
Action Network  1-800-989-RAIN or organize@ran.org

---------------------------------------
#5.

IMMEDIATE RELEASE                Contact:  Jocco Baccus
February 22, 2000               Phone:   (404) 377-6900

Email:Jocco.Baccus@mail.house.gov

"SUSPEND OCCIDENTIAL PETROLEUM'S DRILLING."
SAYS CONGRESSWOMAN MCKINNEY

"No more blood for oil"

WASHINGTON, DC -- Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney (D-GA), Ranking Member
of
the Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights, today
sent a
letter to Vice President Al Gore, calling on him to take action in
stopping
Occidental Petroleum from drilling on ancestral indigenous land in
Colombia.

"The location of the drill site represents a serious disregard for the
spiritual and cultural heritage of the U'wa people," says McKinney.  
"Oil
drilling on U'wa land will result in considerable environmental damage
and
social conflict which will lead to greater militarization of the region
as
well as an increase in violence."

"The only way to avoid this tragedy is through respect for the rights of
the
U'wa under Colombian and international law.  Sadly, both the Colombian
government and Occidental Petroleum have disregarded these rights. If
Occidental Petroleum begins drilling , which they say they could do at
any
time, it will be catastrophe. "Respect for democracy, human and
environmental rights are much more important than cash for capitalistic
corporations," stated McKinney.

-30-
---------------------
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from Global Response Feb 29, 2000

Dear Members of Global Response's "Quick Response Network:"

Please join Amnesty International in this urgent letter campaign,
concerning the death of an environmental activist in Indonesia.  
The  Amnesty call for letters follows:

>Amnesty International has just released the following Urgent Action
calling for >an immediate letter writing action demanding an investigation into the
death of >Sukardi, an Indonesian environmental activist, who worked for the
Indonesian
>Bamboo Thicket Institute.  Please write letters to the addresses provided
below
>asking for protection of human rights defenders and an impartial
investigation
>into the circumstances around his death.  For those of you interested in
more
>background information on the human rights situation in Indonesia, read
the
>accompanying report "Indonesia: Acehnese Human Rights Defenders under
Attack"
>which should soon be available under the publications section of Amnesty
USA's
>website.  The UA can also be downloaded from our website.
>
>22 February 2000                               AI Index: ASA 21/07/00
>
>                          AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL APPEAL
>            INDONESIA: ACEHNESE HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS                 UNDER ATTACK
>
>                        Sukardi, Environmental Activist
>
>Sukardi, a 30-year-old staff member of an environmental and community
>development group called the Indonesian Bamboo Thicket Institute (Yayasan
>Rumpun Bambu Indonesia, YRBI), "disappeared" on 31 January 2000 in Sawang
>Sub-district, South Aceh.  His body was discovered the following day.
Serious
>injuries, including bruising, swelling and broken bones suggest that he
may
have
>been tortured before being killed.
>
>     According to reports received by Amnesty International, Sukardi was
>abducted in the vicinity of Sawang district police command (Polsek) while
>travelling back to his office on his motorcycle at around 6pm in the
evening of
>31 January. When he failed to return, some friends went out to look for
him.
>They stopped searching at around 10pm because of bad weather.  At around
6am the
>following day, Sukardi's colleagues received a phone call stating that a
corpse
>had been discovered around eight kilometres from the YRBI office in the
>direction of the town of Tapak Tuan, South Aceh.  Sukardi's friends went
to
the
>Tapak Tuan General Hospital to identify his body.  According to reports,
his
>right hand was broken and several muscles were exposed.  He had also been
shot
>several times in the chest as well as in the back of his legs. His
motorcycle
>was discovered on 4 February 2000 in a nearby ravine.
>
>     It is not known who is responsible for his death or why he was
killed.
>There are unconfirmed reports that a witness heard the sounds of someone
>apparently experiencing severe pain coming from Sawang police station on
the
>evening of  Sukardi's "disappearance".  A police spokesman has stated that
a
>police investigation has been launched into the case. In view of serious
>concerns that the security forces may be responsible for his death,
Amnesty
>International is calling on the authorities to conduct an independent
inquiry
>into the incident.
>
>Background
>
>Despite encouraging indications that Indonesia?s new administration will
>continue with the reform process, the human rights situation in the
country
>remains fragile. In the absence of fundamental institutional and legal
reforms,
>human rights violations continue to go unpunished and perpetrators
continue
to
>evade justice.
>
>     The people of Aceh, in northern Sumatra, have endured serious human
rights
>violations for many years. These have been committed in the context of
>counter-insurgency operations by the Indonesian security forces against
the
>armed opposition group, Free Aceh Movement (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka, GAM).
>Thousands of civilians, including women and children, have been caught up
in the
>violence which has created untold misery and suffering for the region?s
>population.
>
>     In recent weeks, there have been worrying signs of increased attacks
on
>civilians, in particular human rights defenders. Human rights lawyers,
>humanitarian workers, student activists and journalists are just some of
those
>who have been threatened, attacked and, in some cases, killed.
>
>Action
>
>Please write politely worded letters, faxes or telexes in Bahasa
Indonesia,
>English or your own language to the Indonesian authorities at the
addresses
>below. In your letters, state your concern about the case of Sukardi
detailed
>above. Please urge the Indonesian government to:
>
>(    take immediate steps to protect the right of human rights defenders
and
>other human rights monitors to carry out their human rights activities in
Aceh
>free from fear of arrest, intimidation or attack;
>(    carry out a full, prompt and impartial investigation into the case of
>Sukardi and all other alleged human rights violations targetted at human
rights
>defenders;
>(    ensure that all those responsible for serious human rights
violations -
>including extrajudicial execution, torture and ?disappearance? - are
brought
>promptly to justice before a civilian court according to international
human
>rights standards;
>(    issue immediate instructions to the security forces to halt all
arbitrary
>arrests and detentions, torture and ill-treatment, ?disappearances? and
unlawful
>killings;
>(    ensure that all security operations in Aceh are carried out in line
with
>international human rights standards.
>
>Please send copies of your letters to the diplomatic representatives of
>Indonesia in your country.
>
>Addresses
>|--------------------------------------->
>|                                       |
>| KH Abdurrahman Wahid                  |
>| President of the Republic of          |
>| Indonesia                             |
>| Istana Merdeka                        |
>| Jakarta 10110                         |
>| Indonesia                             |
>| Fax: +62 21 345-2685 or 380-5511 or   |
>| 526-8726                              |
>| Telex: 44283 BIGRA IA or 44469 DEPLU  |
>| IA                                    |
>| Salutation: Dear President            |
>|                                       |
>|--------------------------------------->
>  >---------------------------------------|
>  |                                       |
>  | Mr Hasballah M. Saad                  |
>  | State Minister for Human Rights       |
>  | Affairs                               |
>  | Jl Kuningan Timur M 2/5               |
>  | Jakarta 12950                         |
>  | Indonesia                             |
>  | Fax: +62 21 525-0075 or 525-0139      |
>  | Salutation: Dear Minister             |
>  |                                       |
>  >---------------------------------------|
>|--------------------------------------->
>|                                       |
>| Dr Juwono Sudarsono                   |
>| Minister of Defence and Security      |
>| (Menteri Pertahanan dan Keamanan)     |
>| Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat No.13-14      |
>| Jakarta Pusat 10110                   |
>| Indonesia                             |
>| Fax: +62 21 381-4535 or 384-5178      |
>| Salutation: Dear Minister             |
>|                                       |
>|--------------------------------------->
>  >---------------------------------------|
>  |                                       |
>  | Brig. Gen. Bachrumsyah Kasman         |
>  | Chief of Police for Aceh (Kapolda     |
>  | Aceh)                                 |
>  | Jl Cut Meutia No.3                    |
>  | Banda Aceh                            |
>  | Aceh                                  |
>  | Indonesia                             |
>  | Salutation: Dear Brigadier General    |
>  |                                       |
>  >---------------------------------------|
>
>
>Note: fax tones may be difficult to obtain. Please be patient and try
several
>times if necessary.
>
>End of Action: 31 May 2000
>
>
>



--------------------------------------
GLOBAL RESPONSE is an international letter-writing network of environmental
activists.  In partnership with indigenous, environmentalist and peace and
justice organizations around the world, GLOBAL RESPONSE develops "Actions"
that describe specific, urgent threats to the environment; each "Action"
asks members to write personal letters to individuals in the corporations,
governments or international organizations that have the power and
responsibility to take corrective action.  GR also issues "Young
Environmentalists' Actions" and "Eco-Club Actions" designed to educate and
motivate elementary and high school students to practice earth stewardship.

P.O. Box 7490 Phone: 303/444-0306
Boulder CO, USA 80306-7490 Fax:   303/449-9794

To receive Global Response "Actions" and "Emergency Actions" by email:
Send a blank message to: globresmembers-subscribe@igc.topica.com

Visit our website at: http://www.globalresponse.org

To unsubscribe from this email list, send a blank message to globresmembers-unsubscribe@igc.topica.com

_____________________________________________________________
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*************************************************************************************************

from Greenpeace Feb 29, 2000

BP Amoco NorthStar Project

Now that two weeks of bad weather are over, we can finally go public:
Greenpeace has set up a camp on the frozen Beaufort Sea at a short
distance from BP Amoco's Northstar project. Our team of eight arrived
around February 12, and the supply plane was delayed by bad weather until
this weekend. We now have two large huts with accomodation for a number
of activists, and we are busy setting up a number of wind generators.

This is one of the most ambitious projects taken on by the Greenpeace
climate campaign, and Greenpeace is in one of its biggest fights ever against
BP Amoco's Northstar project.

For more information, and a number of webcasts direct from Alaska, you can
visit our website at: http://greenpeace.org/arctic.

I can also pass brief messages on to our ice campers, so if you send
messages to me, I'll send them on.

We'll need your help more than ever in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

Here's the release:

GREENPEACE CAMPS ON POLAR ICE TO PROTEST BP AMOCO'S
NORTHSTAR PROJECT

February 28, 2000 (Amsterdam)  - Eight Greenpeace protesters parachuted
and snowmobiled their way onto the frozen Arctic Ocean to monitor and
protest the construction of  BP Amoco's Northstar project, the first offshore
oil project to be built in the Beaufort Sea off Alaska's north coast.  Using a
DC-3 cargo plane to fly supplies out to the ice, the protesters set up Ice
Camp 'Sirius' one mile from the controversial oil production facility
construction site, in a bid to protect the earth's climate from the continued
production and burning of fossil fuels and protest the Northstar  project.

The protesters, equipped with polar survival gear and state-of-the-art
communications equipment, lived in tents for 15days while waiting for the
cargo plane to arrive with the two survival huts, which will be powered by wind
generators.

"This is ground zero for global warming - the Arctic is warming faster than
anywhere else on the planet," said Dan Ritzman, Greenpeace Climate
Campaigner at Ice Camp Sirius.  "BP Amoco promotes itself as a green oil
company that is concerned about global warming, yet continues to drill in
new oil frontiers with projects such as Northstar.  It's time for BP Amoco to
put its money where its mouth is and shift its investments away from fossil
fuels and toward climate-friendly forms of energy such as solar power," said
Ritzman.

If built, BP Amoco's Northstar project would produce oil from an artificial
island six miles off Alaska's north coast. Oil would be transported ashore in
a pipeline buried beneath the seabed. Subsea pipelines are untested and
unproven in the Arctic Ocean, an environment of solid or broken ice for more
than nine months of the year, of extreme temperatures, harsh storms and
months of darkness. Due to these and other factors, an oil spill would be
unable to be cleaned up for over 50 per cent of the year. In a 1998 draft
environmental impact study the US Army Corps of Engineers estimated the
chance of a major oil spill at one in four.  If the  Northstar project is built, it
will open the door for several other offshore drilling projects and for leases
and drilling throughout the Beaufort Sea. Opening this new oil frontier will
have grave consequences for the climate as well as the polar bears, whales,
seals and other wildlife that call the Beaufort Sea home.

"Greenpeace is campaigning against Northstar to stop global warming at its
source and to prevent irresponsible oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean," said
Steve Sawyer, head of the Greenpeace Arctic Project in
Anchorage, Alaska.  "The science of climate change tells us that we cannot
afford to burn even one-quarter of all known fossil fuel reserves without risking
dangerous levels of global warming. Against this backdrop, it is irresponsible
for BP Amoco to open this new fragile frontier to oil drilling and untested
technologies," said Sawyer.

Ice Camp Sirius was established just weeks after Greenpeace filed a
shareholder resolution calling for BP Amoco to halt the Northstar project.
Greenpeace has also filed lawsuits in state and federal courts in
the U.S. to halt the project.

For more information, contact:
Ice Camp Sirius, via Melanie Duchin, Greenpeace Alaska: +1-907-227-2700
Steve Sawyer, Greenpeace Alaska: 1-907-277-8234, or via cellphone: +1-202-
258-3027
Susan Cavanagh, Greenpeace International Press Desk: +31-6-212-96910
Pictures available from John Novis: +31 20 5249580 or can be viewed on the  
Picture Desk web site :-
http://www.greenpeace.org/library/picturedesk.html
Video avaialable from Mim Lowe: +31 20 5249543

Notes To Editors: Due to the remote location of Ice Camp Sirius and routine
winter conditions in the Arctic, deployment of the camp took place over a
period of weeks.   On February 12, eight Greenpeace protesters used
snowmobiles to get to a site near Reindeer Island, approximately seven
miles east of the planned site for Ice Camp Sirius, and 10 miles north of
Prudhoe Bay. Equipped with full survival gear and telecommunications
equipment, they spent 15 days living in tents while they prepared the runway
and waited for the DC-3 cargo plane.

On February 26, the DC-3  arrived with survival and telecommunications
equipment.  While the plane circled the airstrip, a parachutist jumped from
the plane.   The parachutist was necessary to help guide the DC-3 on its
approach and landing on the airstrip.  Once on the ground, the DC-3's cargo
was offloaded in 25 minutes, and departed after a  total of 60 minutes on the
ice.

It took approximately two days to shuttle  the gear via snowmobile and
sledge to the location of Ice Camp Sirius, seven miles to the west of the
airstrip near Reindeer Island.  The camp was fully operational by late evening
on February 27, Alaska Standard Time.

The camp is made up of two buildings fully equipped with state-of-the-art
telecommunications gear, and will have five wind generators to provide power.

---------------------------------------------------------
Kevin Jardine
Greenpeace International
Climate Campaign
Keizersgracht 176
1016 DW Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Tel: + 31 20 523 6660
Fax: + 31 20 523 6200
E-mail: kjardine@ams.greenpeace.org
WWW: Check out Arctic Action at http://greenpeace.org/arctic
------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------
Greenpeace Arctic Activists List
NO NEW OIL
http://greenpeace.org/arctic

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