READ, ACT, REPEAT. AS MANY TIMES AS YOU CAN.

An email from Environment2004.org with great links to online polls.  Post-debate polls seem to have a big influence on the media spin on these debates.  Let's do it.   Dear E'04 members,<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>In the presidential debate last Friday in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City><st1:place>St. Louis</st1:place></st1:City>, an audience member asked President Bush to name his environmental accomplishments.  His garbled response listed a few facts and figures, dressed up with a whole lot of spin -- garbled, perhaps, because the President is not used to talking about the environment.  As Florida Senator Bob Graham noted when the President failed to mention the environment even once in his 2004 State of the Union address, "If I had his environmental record, I wouldn't talk about it either."

 

The day after the debate, Environment2004 released a point-by-point analysis of Bush's response, exposing the extent to which he misrepresented and distorted the hard facts about his administration's abysmal environmental record.  Some example distortions:<o:p></o:p>

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• While Bush claimed that his Clear Skies initiative would reduce sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and mercury emissions by 70%, in reality his initiative actually weakens emissions standards as required by current regulations.  Bush is proposing to allow dirty coal-fired power plants to spew more of all three of these contaminants into the air for longer than the Clean Air Act would.

 

• Bush claimed that there have been fewer water quality complaints since he's been president, but under his watch, fish consumption warnings for rivers and lakes have almost doubled, the number of beach closings has risen 26%, and 44% of the nation's water bodies are still impaired by pollutants.  Meanwhile, his administration has slashed funding to local sewage treatment plants, exempted factory farms from liability for water contamination, rolled back protections for wetlands, and underminded enforcement of the Clean Water Act to favor polluters. 

 

• Bush cited his Healthy Forests initiative in reducing the threat of forest fires in our nation's forests, but in reality the initiative is actually heightening the risk of forest fires in our communities.  Logging companies now have access to more acres (including pristine national forests formerly protected by the now defunct Roadless Rule), are subject to less stringent environmental analysis and public participation than before, and are encouraged to continue harvesting high-value wood rather than small timber – which scientists say will actually increase the intensity and frequency of forest fires.<o:p></o:p>

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Tonight, Bush and Kerry face off in <st1:place><st1:City>Tempe</st1:City>, <st1:State>Arizona</st1:State></st1:place>, for the last presidential debate of this election.  This debate, unlike the previous two, will focus exclusively on domestic issues.  We'll have experts standing by to decipher any Bush comments on the environment, but we need you to help play a role in making sure the record is straight about the President's environmental record. <o:p></o:p>

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TAKE ACTION!

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Here are three easy ways to make a difference right after tonight's debate:

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1) Vote in online polls:<o:p></o:p>

 

National and local news organizations will be conducting online polls during and after the debate asking for readers' opinions. These polls carry weight with commentators and columnists looking to declare the debate's winner.  Here's a few to get you started:

• CBS: http://www.cbsnews.com/
• CNN: http://www.cnn.com/
• Fox News: http://www.foxnews.com/
• MSNBC: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/
• Wall Street Journal: http://www.wsj.com/
• Akron Beacon-Journal: http://www.ohio.com/<o:p></o:p>
• Atlanta Journal-Constitution: http://www.ajc.com/ 
• Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/
• Los Angeles Times: http://www.latimes.com/
• Philadelphia Inquirer: http://www.philly.com/<o:p></o:p>
• Minneapolis-St. Paul Star-Tribune: http://www.startribune.com/
• Orlando Sentinel: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/
• South Florida Sun-Sentinel: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/ <o:p></o:p>

Don't forget to check the websites of your local newspapers and TV stations for additional online polls!

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2) Write letters to the editor:

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Immediately after the debate, go online and write a letter to the editor of your local paper about who you think will do a better job for our environment and our nation as the next president.  You can do so easily by using the Democratic Party's online media center:

 

http://www.democrats.org/media/

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3) Call radio and TV stations:

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TV and radio coverage immediately following the debate is where much of the spin is cemented. Make sure you call radio and TV stations to tell them what you thought.

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Find shows in your area at:

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<o:p>http://www.democrats.org/media/find.html</o:p>

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