Washington, DC -
Chairman Richard W. Pombo (R-CA), House staff, and members of conservation
associations packed the Resources Committee hearing room for an inspiring
address by Dr. Patrick Moore, a founding member of Greenpeace.
"Dr.
Moore's remarks today were a breath of fresh air," Chairman Pombo said.
"When a founding member of Greenpeace tells you that today's so-called
environmental organizations have abandoned science and logic for zero-tolerance
extremism, it carries a lot of weight. It was refreshing to hear one of
the world's leading ecologists tell a bipartisan group of policy staffers to
focus more on science than rhetoric."
After
leaving Greenpeace, Dr. Moore founded Greenspirit, a
new environmental organization that focuses on resource sustainability and
consensus building. Specifically, Greenspirit focuses on trees as a
renewable resource that reduces pollution.
"Dr.
Moore was brilliant in taking the sensational scare tactics out of the Healthy
Forest debate and inserting science and logic instead," Chairman Pombo
continued. "When you are able to do that in any debate - on any aspect of
environmental protection - the winner is always the environment. And that
is just the direction the Resources Committee will continue to take."
Dr.
Moore said he left Greenpeace because it ceased to propose practical solutions
to land management problems. At Greenspirit, he espouses active,
scientific management to sustain and conserve our national forests. Dr.
Moore embraced Bush administration proposals and House-passed legislation that
would treat to forests to eliminate disease, insect infestation, and
catastrophic wildfires. "We have to garden the forests," he
said.
"Contrary to the scare-ganda that is shoveled at the
American people by Greenpeace and the Sierra Club, the Healthy Forest
Restoration Act will protect our environment and our forests at the same time,"
Pombo said. "As Dr. Moore pointed out, our forests need to be gardened in
order to reduce heavy fuel buildups that feed devastating fires. These are
fires that pollute our drinking water, pollute the air we breathe, destroy
endangered species, and take the lives of our fire fighters."
So, why
aren't the Sierra Club and Greenpeace endorsing the Healthy Forest Restoration
Act of 2003? Because "emotive images" and scare tactics sell more
memberships, Moore says. "I see fighting wildfire as a last resort," Dr.
Moore said during his address. "Preventing them is useful work" in
protecting the environment.
For
information on Dr. Moore and Greenspirit, visit www.greenspirit.com. Please contact Doug Heye or Brian Kennedy at
(202) 226-9019 for more information about this address at the Resources
Committee.
