Friends of the Earth

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The worldwide organization called Friends of the Earth is one of the most effective environmental groups in existence today, and the activities of FOE—along with a broad range of other news concerning ecological developments—are described each month in its publication titled Not Man Apart. You can become a member of Friends of the Earth, and receive the excellent tabloid, by sending $25 ($12 for students and retired people)—or $15 for a subscription only—to FOE, Dept. TMEN, 1045 Sansome Street, San Francisco, California 94111. And to increase the reach of the organization's doings, we've arranged to bring you this bi-monthly column, which is prepared by the staff of FOE/NMA.

WATT'S WOOL-PULLING

Secretary of the Interior James Watt surprised a lot of people this spring when he announced that he'd ask Congress to pass a bill banning oil and gas exploration in designated wilderness areas from now until the year 2000. The move seemed to represent a stunning reversal of the man's earlier prodevelopment policies . . . and caused some environmentalist groups—the Wilderness Society, for one—to issue statements congratulating the Secretary and commending the public-at-large for helping to sway the official's views.

Unfortunately, any cause for celebration was quickly put to rest when Mr. Watt released an actual draft of the legislation he was submitting. Clearly, he'd tried to pull a fast one on Congress, the press, and the rest of this nation's citizenry when he made his initial announcement.

You see, a permanent ban on drilling and mining in wilderness areas is already scheduled to go into effect—as mandated by current law—in two years. Mr. Watt's "better idea", on the other hand, would impose an immediate prohibition on exploration . . . but that ban would be effective for only 18 years, until the turn of the century, and would then be lifted automatically. The proposal also contains a provision that would empower the President to allow exploration for oil and gas, despite the ban, whenever the Chief Executive deems that an emergency exists. And (perhaps worst of all!) the bill would give the Secretary of the Interior official authority over lands now being considered for addition to the country's wilderness system!

Early indications suggest that the bill won't go far in Congress . . . we certainly hope that turns out to be the case!

MORE FALKLANDS CASUALTIES

As tragic as the crisis in the Falkland Islands has been to humankind's hopes for peace, it may prove to be even more damaging to the future of yet another group of beleaguered mammals: the great whales. Why? Because the International Whaling Commission's annual summer meeting is scheduled to be held—as always—in En gland . . . and this year's IWC chairman is from Argentina.

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