[Previous entry: "The Age of Bullshit"] [Main Index] [Next entry: "Sharks? -- or last vestige of the govt's checks and balances?"]

07/08/2005: "Merriam-Webster Makes for Bad Policy"

Remember the word Bullshit the next time you're swimming in a freshwater lake that you thought the government was protecting from pollution.
Funny how the role of government has changed from protecting the people of the country to protecting the corporations of the country, at the expense of the people.
Yes, very funny.

"Word to the Unwise"

"The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) are getting creative. They're
rewriting the definitions of everyday words -- and letting
their imaginations run wild.

"Everyone knows what "waste" is. According to Merriam-
Webster, it's "damaged, defective, or superfluous material
produced by a manufacturing process; an unwanted by-product
of a manufacturing process, chemical laboratory, or nuclear
reactor." The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the EPA
have no use for dictionaries. Historically, both agencies
classified toxic mine tailings as "waste" and prohibited
mining companies from dumping the stuff in lakes and rivers
under the Clean Water Act. With a simple rule change, they
redefined the polluted by-product as "fill," for which
there are fewer restrictions for dumping.

"Thanks to this simple word change, the mining company Coeur
Alaska will now be allowed to dump 4.5 million tons of
chemically processed tailings into Lower Slate Lake in the
Tongass National Forest. It marks the first time since the
Clean Water Act became law in 1972 that a mining company
will be permitted to discard its toxic waste into a
freshwater lake. Other mining companies are already
looking to exploit this new loophole and dump their waste
into public waterways.

"Clearly these agencies have a knack for looking at words
through rose colored glasses. If they keep it up,
"pollute" will soon mean "to help an elderly woman onto the
bus" and "smog" will be "a bubble-gum flavored treat every
kid can enjoy."

"Read the Reuters article, "Controversial Alaska gold
project gets OK" at:
http://info.sierraclub.org/ct.html?rtr=on&s=arz,dvjp,o7l,cq4o,a3hw,c7it,3ojx


***

Want to do more and help spread the word about the Bush
administration's assault on the environment? Here are a
few things you can do:

1) read RAW and stay informed
2) forward this edition of RAW to your friends, family, and
co-workers or use our online form to encourage them to subscribe
to RAW themselves at:
http://info.sierraclub.org/ct.html?rtr=on&s=arz,dvjp,o7l,ldxe,kehy,c7it,3ojx
3) write letters to the editor of your local newspapers
4) join the Sierra Club's Take Action Network at:
http://info.sierraclub.org/ct.html?rtr=on&s=arz,dvjp,o7l,7bpf,3vup,c7it,3ojx
5) support the Sierra Club's efforts by donating much-needed
funds at:
http://info.sierraclub.org/ct.html?rtr=on&s=arz,dvjp,o7l,9vnm,86o8,c7it,3ojx "

post taken from:
http://lists.sierraclub.org/SCRIPTS/WA.EXE?A2=ind0507&L=raw&D=1&T=0&O=D&F=&S=&P=186

Replies: 2 Comments

Cheapest+Disney+Vacation+and+Orlando+Vaction+Homes+Links+and+Resources%2EGreat+source+of+information+%2E%2E%2EBook+Online+and+Save%2Ehttp%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Echeapdisneyvacationspackagesandtickets%2Ecom%2F++%3Ca+href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Echeapdisneyvacationspackagesandtickets%2Ecom%2F%22%3E++Disney+Vacation+and+Orlando+Vacation+Packages%3C%2Fa%3E

Disney+Vacation said @ 08/06/2005 11:25 AM PDT

Cheapest Disney Vacation and Orlando Vaction Homes Links and Resources.Great source of information ...Book Online and Save.http://***.cheapdisneyvacationspackagesandtickets.***/ Disney Vacation and Orlando Vacation Packages

Disney Vacation said @ 08/06/2005 11:25 AM PDT