RE: [greenyes] RE: PEER Press Release

["Steve Bloom" <spbloom@no.address>]

	Unfortunately, Bush and a lot of his supporters are confirmed Millenialists who see
exploiting the Earth prior to the anticipated return of that Jewish preacher (who as such
still wouldn't be eligible for membership in certain private social institutions run by
members of the Bush "base") as their God-given duty.  Long-term environmental concerns are
just not a problem for these people.
	I'm reminded of a joke (?) I heard a few days ago that Bush's favorite song is "Nearer My
God to Thee."  That in turn puts me in mind of a bumper sticker my partner recently put on
her car that reads "Where are we going, and why am I in this hand basket?"
	-- Steve Bloom

> -----Original Message-----
> From: D Hughes [mailto:djhughes@no.address]
> Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2004 9:23 PM
> To: DONNAWAY Jay; greenyes@no.address
> Subject: Re: [greenyes] RE: PEER Press Release
>
>
> I thought that part of the National Park Services' mission is to educate
> the public.  Having
> a book at the Grand Canyon gift shop claiming the Grand Canyon was created
> by Noah's
> flood hardly fills this mission, although I find it more of an
> embarrassment than anything
> else.  The choice is yours to buy it or not.  What is far more disturbing
> is the placement of these bronze plaques bearing Psalms verses at scenic
> overlooks.  This is clearly a case of the Federal government advocating for
> a particular religion.  Can you imagine the reaction if verses from the
> Quaran were installed?  Shall we install some Buddhist shrines as well?
>     Let God's handiwork speak for itself.
>    amen.
>    Don Hughes
>
>
> At 12:16 PM 10/25/2004, DONNAWAY Jay wrote:
>
> >Since when does stocking the gift shop shelves with a particular product
> >amount to Federal advocacy?  If it does, I would expect the
> >environmental community to be more concerned about toxic toy
> >pterodactyls pumped full of plasticizers than the offering of a single
> >book that by it's very title, professes to offer an alternative view.
> >What's next, oh defenders of Liberty, book burning in the name of green
> >energy?
> >
> >Jay Donnaway
> >
> >------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >---------------------------------------------------
> >Date: Sun, 24 Oct 2004 16:54:10 -0500
> >To: "GreenYes" <greenyes@no.address>
> >From: "Peter Anderson" <anderson@no.address>
> >Subject: Administration's Science Position
> >Message-ID: <007101c4ba14$52a761b0$6bcfaf42@no.address>
> >
> >Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility
> >
> >Press Release
> >
> >For Immediate Release: Wednesday, October 13, 2004
> >Contact: Chas Offutt (202) 265-7337
> >
> >PARK SERVICE STICKS WITH BIBLICAL EXPLANATION FOR GRAND CANYON Promised
> >Legal Review on Creationist Book Is Shelved
> >
> >Washington, DC - The Bush Administration has decided that it will stand
> >by
> >its approval for a book claiming the Grand Canyon was created by Noah's
> >flood rather than by geologic forces, according to internal documents
> >released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility
> >(PEER).
> >
> >Despite telling members of Congress and the public that the legality and
> >
> >appropriateness of the National Park Service offering a creationist book
> >for
> >sale at Grand Canyon museums and bookstores was "under review at the
> >national level by several offices," no such review took place, according
> >to
> >materials obtained by PEER under the Freedom of Information Act.
> >Instead,
> >the real agency position was expressed by NPS spokesperson Elaine Sevy
> >as
> >quoted in the Baptist Press News:
> >
> >   "Now that the book has become quite popular, we don't want to remove
> >it."
> >
> >In August of 2003, Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Joe Alston
> >attempted to block the sale of Grand Canyon: A Different View, by Tom
> >Vail,
> >a book explaining how the park's central feature developed on a biblical
> >
> >rather than an evolutionary time scale. NPS Headquarters, however,
> >intervened and overruled Alston. To quiet the resulting furor, NPS Chief
> >of
> >Communications David Barna told reporters that there would be a
> >high-level
> >policy review, distributing talking points stating: "We hope to have a
> >final
> >decision in February [2004]." In fact, the promised review never
> >occurred -
> >
> >   a.. In late February, Barna crafted a draft letter to concerned
> >members of
> >Congress stating: "We hope to have a final decision on the book in March
> >
> >2004." That draft was rewritten in June and finally sent out to
> >Congressional representatives with no completion date for the review at
> >all;
> >   b.. NPS Headquarters did not respond to a January 25th memo from its
> >own
> >top geologists charging that sale of the book violated agency policies
> >and
> >undercut its scientific education programs;
> >   c.. The Park Service ignored a letter of protest signed by the
> >presidents
> >of seven scientific societies on December 16, 2003.
> >"Promoting creationism in our national parks is just as wrong as
> >promoting
> >it in our public schools," stated PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch, "If
> >the
> >Bush Administration is using public resources for pandering to Christian
> >
> >fundamentalists, it should at least have the decency to tell the truth
> >about
> >it."
> >
> >The creationist book is not the only religious controversy at Grand
> >Canyon
> >National Park. One week prior to the approved sale of Grand Canyon: A
> >Different View, NPS Deputy Director Donald Murphy ordered that bronze
> >plaques bearing Psalm verses be returned and reinstalled at canyon
> >overlooks. Superintendent Alston had removed the bronze plaques on legal
> >
> >advice from Interior Department solicitors. Murphy also wrote a letter
> >of
> >apology to the plaques' sponsors, the Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary.
> >PEER
> >has collected other instances of what it calls the Bush Administration's
> >
> >"Faith-Based Parks" agenda.
> >
> >_________________________
> >Peter Anderson, President
> >RECYCLEWORLDS CONSULTING
> >4513 Vernon Blvd. Suite 15
> >Madison, WI 53705-4964
> >Ph: (608) 231-1100
> >Fax: (608) 233-0011
> >Cell: (608) 698-1314
> >eMail: anderson@no.address
> >web: www.recycleworlds.net
> >
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> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
> Don Hughes, PhD student                         *
> Dept of Chemistry, 431 Jahn Laboratory                  *
> SUNY-College of Environmental Science & Forestry
> Syracuse, NY 13210                                      *
> 315-470-6597    djhughes@no.address                        *
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> "When I was younger I could remember anything,
> whether it happened or not."
> Mark Twain (1835-1910); US writer and journalist.
>
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