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Along with allies from Green Corps, Project '96, Public
Interest Research Group and Clean Water Action, Club
volunteers delivered 2.3 million doorhangers bearing the
message "Protect America's Environment: For Our Families,
For Our Future" in more than 100 locations. The doorhangers
contained two postcards, one to President Clinton, the
other to a local official.
Ten days after volunteers in Tallahassee, Ft. Lauderdale,
Miami, West Palm Beach and Tampa distributed doorhanger
postcards to Gov. Lawton Chiles (D) urging him stop Florida
Power and Light from burning orimulsion fuel, the governor
and his cabinet voted 4-3 to deny the utility the permit.
Burning orimulsion, an inexpensive and dirty petroleum-
based fuel that has never been used in the United States,
has been opposed by a broad coalition of Florida
environmental groups since the utility first proposed it.
The postcards were one prong of a comprehensive anti-
orimulsion campaign, which also included a rally on the
Capitol steps the week before the vote. The governor's
office received about 1,000 postcards from Florida
citizens.
In Wisconsin, Earth Day volunteers braved bone-chilling
weather in Racine, La Crosse, Eau Claire and St. Croix to
deliver a doorhanger/postcard urging Gov. Tommy Thompson
(R) to stop Exxon's plan to build a mine on the Wolf River
in the northern part of the state. In May, the state Senate
voted 31-2 for a Club-supported mining moratorium. And
following a Club rally at the statehouse, the Assembly
approved a resolution to consider the moratorium, though it
is not expected to have time to act this year.
And on the other side of Lake Michigan, Club efforts to
protect the Crystal River bore fruit. Public education
events in Lansing and Detroit generated strong media
coverage, and contributed to what a staffer for Sen.
Spencer Abraham (R-Mich.), an anti-environmentalist, called
a "tough Earth Week." As a result of pressure from a
variety of sources, Abraham agreed to consider the Club-
supported Crystal River Conservation and Property
Protection Act, which would buy the contested land for
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
"Oh, what a difference a doorhanging can make," said Brett
Hulsey, Great Lakes Program Director.
Elsewhere around the country, results were not as tangible,
but in terms of rallying volunteers, raising the awareness
of communities and gaining media coverage, the Club Earth
Week events were a huge success and exceeded expectations,
said Club Field Director Bob Bingaman. The Club's Texas
office has already received 1,165 postcards, which it will
hand-deliver to Gov. George W. Bush (R). In Maryland, the
Club will deliver more than 500 postcards to Gov. Parris
Glendening (D). Colorado Gov. Roy Romer (D) has already
received more than 700 postcards. President Clinton has
received many thousands of postcards.
The public education events this spring are just a
beginning. This summer and fall, many of these same
volunteers will be reaching out to their communities - from
staffing tables at county fairs to canvassing voters
- working to make the environment an issue in the fall
elections.
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