Subject: Re: Population Issues Are For The Birds
Date: Jan 27 08:04:20 1997
From: Jerry Tangren - tangren at wsu.edu


Unfortunately, National Audubon is overlooking the fact that there is
overwhelming support from both parties for the requested level of
funding--if that was all there was to it.

The embargo was placed on funds because they would be used to promote
abortion in countries where abortion is against the social and religious
norms. Clinton accepted this embargo as a compromise until the details (his
report due early next month) could be further clarified. If the Clinton
administration does not change its views on exporting abortion, the family
planning money will be lost. That is the issue at stake.

Sorry to interrupt tweeters with a non-birdy issue, and sorry Dana, but
National Audubon needs to tell the whole truth about these issues.

--Jerry <tangren at wsu.edu>

>Dear tweeties;
>
>The following call for political action originated with the Audubon
>Society. It addresses
>the rapidly growing human population, one of the primary threats to wild
>birds in
>Washington State and throughout the world:
>
>The human family continues to grow at a prodigious rate, 85 to 90 million
>additional
>people every year. The global population is expected to more than double
>from the
>current 5.8 billion to 12 billion within the next 70 years. The impact on
>human well-
>being and on natural ecosystems will doubtless be profound. The only
>realistic hope of
>stabilizing this unsustainable growth is to offer family planning services
>(maternal health
>care, pre and post-natal child care, contraceptives) to everyone who wants
>them on a
>world-wide basis.
>
>In 1996 the 104th Congress cut U.S. expenditures on international family
>planning
>programs by 30% for Fiscal Year (FY) 1997 (to $385 million, down from $547
>million
>in FY 1996) and it put a six month freeze on the expenditure of the
>allocated money. In
>an effort to free these frozen funds for dispersal President Clinton in
>early February will
>issue a report that certifies the negative impact the delayed funding of
>international
>family planning has had. Then by February 28 both the House and Senate
>will vote to
>either confirm or reject this finding. The result of these votes will
>determine when and
>how much of the allocated FY 1997 money gets distributed, and it will set
>the tone for
>the FY 1998 appropriations.
>
>Please contact Senator Patty Murray, Senator Slade Gorton (if you live in
>Washington
>State) and your representative with some version of the following message
>(which can be
>simply finalized, printed and mailed):
>
>Senator Patty Murray or Representative........
>Senator Slade Gorton House Office Building
>Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20515
>Washington, DC 20510
>
>
>Dear.....;
>
>Next month, the 105th Congress will be voting on whether to remove the embargo
>placed on international family planning funds by the 104th Congress. As
>you are aware,
>the global population continues to grow at a rate of 85 to 90 million
>additional people
>every year, and is expected to more than double from 5.8 billion people
>today to 12
>billion within the next 70 years. The impact on human well-being and on
>the natural
>ecosystems that support the human community could well be devastating.
>
>In February of this year President Clinton will issue a report that
>certifies the negative
>impact the delayed funding of international family planning has had in
>those nations
>experiencing the most rapid growth. I urge you to vote in agreement with
>this finding
>and to support the distribution of embargoed family planning funds. There
>is no better
>investment that the United States can make than to help stabilize the
>explosive and
>unsustainable growth of the human family.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>
>
>**************************************************************
>For more information:
>Dana Visalli Rhonda Schlagen
>Methow Biodiversity Project Audubon Population &
>Habitat Program
>dvisalli at igc.apc.org Rschlagen at audubon.org
>509 997-9011 202 861-2242