Environmental groups celebrate petition

One million give their support In only six months, dozens of environmental organizations -- including the Penn Environmental Group -- collected more than one million signatures in a nationwide petition drive to protest environmental cutbacks by Congress, according to Stephanie Haynes, campaign director for the Pennsylvania Public Interest Research Group. The groups' efforts culminated in a press conference at the University yesterday, during which officials from Philadelphia groups announced the drive's successful completion. They also emphasized the importance of protecting current environmental legislation, Liz Butler, organizer for the Philadelphia Green Corps, said. The petition was in the form of an Environmental Bill of Rights, which was accompanied by an outline of 25 steps that activists believe should be enacted immediately to protect the environment, Butler said. Many of the event's organizers expressed concern over the possible repeal of certain environmental laws, including the Clean Air and Water Acts and the Endangered Species Act. "Congress is engaged in a massive effort to roll back 25 years of environmental progress, yet close to one million Americans get sick from their drinking water, and nearly 100 million people breathe unhealthy air," Haynes said in a statement "It's time for politicians to protect public health and the environment, rather than the corporate polluters and their [Political Action Committee] contributions." The drive to protect current environmental laws began in February, when the Penn Environmental Group sponsored the Free the Planet conference at the University to heighten awareness of environmental issues. More than 1,500 student activists from around the country participated in the event. "These students came to Penn [for the conference] with the goal of revitalizing the environmental movement," said College sophomore Sudha Jayaraman, student organizer for the Penn Environmental Group. Beginning March 22, signatures were gathered at doorsteps, college campuses, shopping malls and rallies across the country. Approximately 39,000 signatures were collected in Pennsylvania alone. "These signatures are the largest number collected in a six-month period in any legislative campaign in the history of the environmental movement," Haynes said. According to Butler, the petition will be delivered to certain members of Congress in three weeks, most notably House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R - Ga.) and Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole (R - Kan.).