From rachel-replies@rachel.org Wed Oct 1 13:52:43 2003
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2003 18:49:57 -0400
From: Rachel News
To: RACHEL-NEWS@LISTS.RACHEL.ORG
Subject: From Rachel's: Nationwide Precaution Campaign
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Dear Rachel's Reader,
Late last year in Rachel's #756, we told you about a
precautionary campaign that was in the works. Now that campaign
is about to kick off nationwide, urging a precautionary
approach to environmental protection, environmental justice,
and worker safety.
I am writing to ask you to endorse the principles of the
campaign, and get involved if you want to.
The attached material has 3 parts:
1) An invitation for YOU individually and/or your GROUP to
endorse the campaign.
2) The final BE SAFE Campaign Platform.
3) The endorsement itself -- this is where you say you're on
board with this powerful idea.
Thanks for considering this. The precautionary principle
already has the polluters worried. Let's give them something to
REALLY worry about: a nation-wide show of support for the
"better safe than sorry" approach. And thanks for reading
Rachel's.
Sincerely,
Peter Montague, editor
==============================================================
INVITATION
We invite you or your organization to endorse the BE SAFE
Platform listing the four principles of the precautionary
approach. Enclosed please find the Platform and an Endorsement
coupon.
The Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ), Rachel's
Environment & Health News, and hundreds of groups in the
Environmental Health Alliance are spearheading a national
campaign to build a unified demand for preventive, protective
policies in America.
The BE SAFE campaign is a collaborative initiative to build a
large coalition for pollution prevention and to hold
corporations and government accountable for protecting human
health and the environment. We can elevate public support with
a strong and diverse voice for precaution and propel the BE
SAFE precautionary approach message into the forefront of
public and political consciousness.
Our goal is to mobilize a broad constituency and gather
hundreds of thousands of signatures endorsing the Platform,
which will be given to the President in January 2005. Together
we will demand that decision makers choose a "better safe than
sorry" approach motivated by caution and prevention.
Your platform signature will be among the first of five hundred
groups and thousands of individuals for the campaign launch in
October 2003. You can help build the momentum critical to the
success of this campaign. Please send in the Platform
endorsement coupon today or you can email it to
annerabe@msn.com.
We will be launching the campaign in mid-October with national
and statewide media events. The campaign is reaching out to a
wide range of groups because the precautionary approach intersects
with all our issues. We can have a powerful impact if we all
raise the BE SAFE precaution message in our issue campaigns.
Precaution is needed in a broad spectrum of environmental and
health concerns, including air pollution, children's
environmental health, clean production, green schools,
landfills, mining, nuclear power, occupational safety and
health, pesticides, sludge, toxic dumps, water pollution,
wilderness protection and many others. Organizational leaders
have written over 40 Issue Brochures -- directly connecting each
issue with the BE SAFE principles on precaution. This fall we
will feature the brochures and other resources on the
www.besafenet.com website.
Please endorse the BE SAFE Platform today by emailing
annerabe@msn.com or faxing in your coupon to CHEJ at
703-237-8389. Together we can build public support for
government and industry to "Put Safety First." Thank you.
Sincerely,
Lois Marie Gibbs, CHEJ Executive Director
Anne Rabe, Be Safe Campaign Coordinator
Peter Montague, editor, Rachel's Environment & Health News
===========================================================
BE SAFE Platform
(Blueprint Ensuring Our Safety And Future Economy)
Environmental Health Alliance
In the 21st century, we envision a world in which our food,
water and air are clean, and our children grow up healthy and
thrive. Everyone needs a protected, safe community and
workplace, and natural environment to enjoy. We can make this
world vision a reality. The tools we bring to this work are
prevention, safety, responsibility and democracy.
Our goal is to prevent pollution and environmental destruction
before it happens. We support this precautionary approach
because it is preventive medicine for our environment and
health. It makes sense to:
§ Prevent pollution and make polluters, not taxpayers, pay and
assume responsibility for the damage they cause;
§ Protect our children from chemical and radioactive exposures
to avoid illness and suffering;
§ Promote use of safe, renewable, non-toxic technologies; and
§ Provide a natural environment we can all enjoy with clean
air, swimmable, fishable waters, and stewardship for our
national forests.
We choose a "better safe than sorry" approach motivated by
caution and prevention.
We endorse the common-sense approach outlined in the four
principles listed below.
BE SAFE Platform Principles
1. HEED EARLY WARNINGS
Government and industry have a duty to prevent harm, when there
is credible evidence that harm is occurring or is likely to
occur -- even when the exact nature and full magnitude of harm is
not yet proven.
2. PUT SAFETY FIRST
Industry and government have a responsibility to thoroughly
study the potential for harm from a new chemical or technology
before it is used -- rather than assume it is harmless until
proven otherwise. We need to ensure it is safe now, or we will
be sorry later. Research on impacts to workers and the public
needs to be confirmed by independent third parties.
3. EXERCISE DEMOCRACY
Precautionary decisions place the highest priority on
protecting health and the environment, and help develop cleaner
technologies and industries with effective safeguards and
enforcement. Government and industry decisions should be based
on meaningful citizen input and mutual respect (the golden
rule), with the highest regard for those whose health may be
affected and for our irreplaceable natural resources - not for
those with financial interests. Uncompromised science should
inform public policy.
4. CHOOSE THE SAFEST SOLUTION
Decision-making by government, industry and individuals must
include an evaluation of alternatives, and the choice of the
safest, technically feasible solutions. We support innovation
and promotion of technologies and solutions that create a
healthy environment and economy, and protect our natural
resources.
=========================================================
PLEASE ENDORSE the BE SAFE Platform.
Take precautionary action to protect our health & environment.
BE SAFE Platform Endorsement:
____ Yes, I endorse the Be Safe Platform.
____ Yes, our organization endorses the Be Safe Platform.
Campaign Information:
Please provide more information on:
___ October 2003 Be Safe Campaign Launch
___ 2004 proposed National Days of Action
___ Targeted States Campaign (Proposed states: CA, ME, MI, MN,
NY, NC, OR)
___ Conducting platform endorsement outreach to members of my
group
___ Issue Brochures
Please provide contact information below to verify your
Platform endorsement. Thanks.
Name:
Group:
Address:
Email:
Phone:
Website:
Please email this form to: annerabe@msn.com or go to
www.besafenet.com
Or send to: Environmental Health Alliance, c/o CHEJ, P.O. Box
6806, 150 S. Washington St., Falls Church, VA 22040.
703-237-2249 or FAX to 703-237-8389.