Issue 1 > March 21, 2008
- Feature story: With you, we’re reforming 1872 (mining law)
- Oscar stars shine less bright with “dirty gold”
- Valentine’s Day: Leading jewelers show people, planet love
- Community accountability leads to progress beyond plains
- Make Earth Day, Recycle My Cell Phone Day!
- Clarification: Toxic TVs
Feature Story: With you, we’re reforming 1872 (mining law)
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While great progress has been made towards reforming the 1872 Mining Law, your continued involvement is still needed. This spring, the Senate Energy Committee is writing a mining reform bill of its own. Your senators need to hear from you — so they know what REAL mining reform is.
Your actions do make a difference. Thanks to the thousands of you who sent letters in to their Representatives, on November 1, 2007, the House of Representatives passed the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act (HR 2262)!
The Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act, if passed, will change the way that mining occurs on public lands and is a giant step toward bringing mining on public lands into the 21st century. The antiquated 1872 Mining Law lacks protection for taxpayers and the environment, and allows mining companies to purchase public lands for 1872 prices ($2.50 or $5 per acre!). Yet, it still governs hard rock mining on two-thirds of the lands the federal government is mandated to hold in trust for the benefit of all Americans. [Learn More]
TAKE ACTION: Urge your Senator to support real 1872 Mining Law reform!
Oscar stars shine less bright with “dirty gold”
In the lead up to last month’s Oscars, over 2,400 of you sent emails to celebrity jeweler Harry Winston, urging them to commit to the No Dirty Gold campaign’s Golden Rules of Responsible Mining, which includes social and eco criteria for more responsible metals mining. Harry Winston, the jeweler to many Hollywood favorites such as Halle Berry, Angelina Jolie and Susan Sarandon, lags behind 29 leading jewelry retailers. [Learn More]
Valentine’s Day: Leading jewelers show people, planet love
Over 2,100 of you joined us on Valentine’s Day in thanking five leading jewelry retailers for pledging their support of Alaska’s Bristol Bay watershed and the world’s largest wild salmon fishery from irresponsible metal mining. These companies, like others across the globe, are responding to increasing demands for sustainably produced products demonstrating the power conscious consumers hold over companies. [Learn More]
NM doesn’t roll (back) with the oil & gas industry this year
Together with New Mexico’s conservation community, we’ve defeated all of the oil and gas industry rollback bills in the 2008 New Mexico legislative session. Earlier this month, Gov. Richardson also vetoed an inadequate uranium clean-up bill. In Colorado, last month’s confirmation hearing for the new Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) members resulted in the most balanced in Colorado history! [Learn More]
Make Earth Day, Recycle My Cell Phone Day!
There are more than 500 million used cell phones in the U.S. sitting in people’s drawers or worse in our landfills. The problem is growing at a rate of more than 2 million phones per week adding another 130 million to the pile up this year alone. Help us reach our goal of recycling one million cell phones by making this Earth Day, Recycle My Cell Phone (RMCP) Day — it’s easy, free, and we provide a kit that includes everything you need! [Learn More]
Clarifying last month’s Toxic TVs alert
Last month we alerted you that, in the United States, almost all major electronics manufacturers do not take back their old televisions for recycling. Next February over-the-air TV broadcasts are switching from analog to digitial — potentially rendering millions of existing TVs obsolete.
While many TVs likely will be thrown away without a TV take back program, know that the purchase of a converter will allow analog TVs to watch digital broadcasts.
Thanks to all who emailed us pointing out the converter box option. [Learn More]