VOL. XXVIII, NO. 5 • NOVEMBER 1997Letter

ENVIRONMENTALDEFENSE FUNDENVIRONMENTALDEFENSE FUND

3O3O1967 1997YEARSYEARS

A s the Environmental Defense Fundapproached its 30th anniversary, we

decided to step back and look at the state ofthe environment and to reexamine EDF’srole in the common effort to protect it. Wewanted to identify the most pressing envi-ronmental problems and the contributionsthat we were best equipped to make. Weknew we could not effectively addresseverything that needed doing. What couldwe do? Over the past year, we discussed anddebated these questions among ourselves.The result was a Strategic Plan that willguide our efforts in the years ahead.

What We Face

The effort to protect the environment beganaround the turn of the century with the pri-mary goal of preserving wild areas. The greatnational parks and forests were created. Thenext great effort was to fight pollution in our

lives, especially our air and water. The CleanAir Act and Clean Water Act were passed,and the Environmental Protection Agencywas created. It was early in this period thatthe newly established EDF fought and wonits battle against the use of DDT.

Today, the air is clearer than it was 30years ago. More wild rivers and wildernessareas are protected. Some toxic chemicalsare more carefully disposed of. And a willto protect the environment is now part ofthe bedrock of American public opinion.

Important as these accomplishments are,they are dwarfed by the environmental perilswe face today. Pollution of the oceans isincreasing, and fish stocks are crashing. Thecomposition of the atmosphere is changingin ways that threaten grave damage to entirenatural ecosystems and human societies.Species are becoming extinct at an accelerat-ing rate. In fact, a shift has occurred in thebalance of strength between nature andhumankind. We have passed, almost withoutnoticing it, from a world in which the over-all stability of the Earth’s environment couldbe taken for granted to a world in whichmajor, often irreversible manmade alterationsof the environment are under way.

New Strategic Plan Will Focus EDF on Four Key Goals

Continued on page 3.

Protecting the world’s oceans is one of thefour essential goals adopted by EDF in its newStrategic Plan.

By Fred KruppExecutive Director

Continued on page 3.

British Petroleum (BP), thethird largest multinational

oil company in the world,announced a dramatic climateaction plan just weeks beforethe December talks in Kyoto,Japan at which the world’snations hope to complete atreaty to avert global warming.BP agreed to monitor and dis-close its worldwide greenhousegas emissions and to take stepsto limit its emissions. With EDF,BP will develop a pilot pro-gram, setting performance tar-gets in 10 of its operating units,and, within two years, set a vol-untary company-wide emissions

British Petroleum and EDF Efforts Boost Climate Talkslimit, years ahead of treatyrequirements. By making thesemoves, BP will learn how to bestreduce emissions well ahead ofits competitors.

Human activities—particular-ly the burning of coal, oil, andnatural gas—are adding carbondioxide and other heat-trappinggreenhouse gases to the atmos-phere. The consensus of morethan 2,000 scientists who areadvising the world’s governmentson climate change is that, ifemissions of greenhouse gasesare not reduced, the Earth isexpected to warm by two to sixGlacier National Park, above, has lost 100 of its 150 glaciers and 73% of its ice

fields in the past century, as global average temperature has risen about 1° F.

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100% Recycled (75% Post-Consumer) Paper Totally Chlorine Free Please Share or Recycle

Seeking a More EffectiveEndangered Species Act

What Happens When You Flip the Switch?

EDF believes a reauthorizedEndangered Species Act mustprotect wildlife withoutpenalizing landowners.

EDF’s on-line Electricity LabelGenerator tells the full story.

Boardroom Backpacker

Building Green For Home or Office

For John H.T. Wilson, EDF’s new chairman, business and the environment go together.

Designed to reduce waste, conserve resources, and prevent pollution, the new offices of the Alliance for Environmental Innovation offer ideasfor every builder or remodeler.

Texas Office44 East AvenueAustin, TX 78701512-478-5161

Project Office6 Faneuil Hall MarketplaceBoston, MA 02109617-723-2996

Editor: Norma H. Watson Assoc. Editor: Tim Connor©1997 Environmental Defense Fund, Inc.Published bimonthly at NY, NY ISSN 0163-2566

Visit EDF Online at www.edf.org

National Headquarters257 Park Avenue SouthNew York, NY 10010212-505-2100

California Office5655 College AvenueOakland, CA 94618510-658-8008

Rocky Mountain Office1405 Arapahoe AvenueBoulder, CO 80302303-440-4901

North Carolina EDF2500 Blue Ridge RoadRaleigh, NC 27607919-881-2601

Membership Line:800-684-3322Fax: 202-234-6049Internet: members@edf.org

Capital Office1875 Connecticut Ave., NWWashington, DC 20009202-387-3500

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Letter

News Briefs

EDF attorney Douglas Hopkins, head ofEDF’s Oceans program, and marine ecolo-gist Dr. Rod Fujita have been appointed toEast Coast and West Coast Advisory Panels,respectively, for a National Academy of Sci-ences study of Individual Transferable Quo-tas. ITQ’s are a method of assigning eachfisherman a share of the total allowablecatch as a way of keeping fish harvests fromexceeding the scientifically determinedlimit. Hopkins and Fujita are the only rep-resentatives of any national environmentalgroup on the Advisory Panels, which Con-gress created during last year’s reauthoriza-tion of the Magnuson Act, the law govern-ing marine fisheries.

Victory for the Florida Keys

In an environmental victory for the FloridaKeys, a judge has ruled that the state canreduce the number of development permitsissued in the area unless the county govern-ment improves sanitary sewer and stormwater treatment in the Keys in the next fiveyears. In an earlier trial, Dr. Fujita, appear-ing as an expert witness for 1000 Friends ofFlorida, testified that pollution from exist-ing development exceeded the carryingcapacity of coastal waters of the Keys. Basedin part on this key testimony, the judgeinvalidated a weak growth managementplan for the Keys and ordered the state toadopt the stronger plan that has now beenupheld.

EDF Experts are Active onOcean Protection Issues

Aaron Gastellum, an intern for EDF gen-eral counsel James T.B. Tripp in New York thispast summer, was struck and killed by a car inAugust. In his work with Tripp, Gastellumcollected and mapped information on the nat-ural resources of the Hudson Highlands.“Aaron was an extraordinarily gifted youngman who made an enormous contribution toEDF in his short time here,” said Tripp.

EDF Summer Intern Killed in Tragic Accident

Congress continues its efforts to reau-thorize the Endangered Species Act (seepage 4) and Superfund. The outlook forboth is still cloudy, although some biparti-san support for the Endangered SpeciesAct—including Administration support—isemerging.

House and Senate committees have passeddifferent versions of a bill to reauthorize thenational transportation legislation known asISTEA (Intermodal Sur-face Transportation Effi-ciency Act). Both versionsleave largely intact theonly funding source forprojects to reduce air pol-lution from transporta-tion (the Congestion Mit-igation Air Quality pro-gram) as well as most measures that areimportant to local and regional efforts todevelop environmentally preferable trans-portation options. Efforts in both bills to“streamline” the environmental review processremain troubling, however. EDF continues towork with others to improve the bills.

Congress has passed and the Presidentsigned the International Dolphin Conserva-tion Act, a major step toward protectingdolphins that swim with schools of tunaand can be snared in tuna nets. Under theAct, no dolphin can die in the catching oftuna if that tuna is to receive a “dolphinsafe” label.

Congress Watch

Steve Cochran

By Steve Cochran, EDF Legislative DirectorSome of EDF’s major environmental

achievements have come from creatingincentives for businesses to make environ-mentally sound decisions and for consumersto choose environmentally preferable goodsand services. Opportunities remain where“green” markets could bridge the gapbetween economic and environmental goals.

Seeking to engage market forces tobridge that gap, EDF economists Dr. DanielJ. Dudek and Dr. Zach Willey and EDFattorney Joseph Goffman helped found anew nonprofit organization, the Environ-mental Resources Trust. ERT seeks to usetraditional financial tools to benefit environ-mental resources. Besides environmentalbenefits, ERT’s projects should demonstrateeconomic benefits and thus are likely to pro-duce income. All net proceeds from the pro-jects will be reinvested in ecological projectsthat might otherwise go unfunded.

Dudek and Goffman are developingERT projects to reduce greenhouse gasemissions in an effort to jump-start globalclimate protection. Willey and consultantAdam Diamant are working with ERT onwater marketing projects in the Pacific

Northwest, where ERT will market electric-ity produced from water it acquires andfrom increased river flows required to ben-efit endangered salmon, as well as energyfrom new and existing geothermal, wind,and solar sources. Other ERT projects willdesign and advocate market approaches toreduce air pollution and preserve forestsand other natural resources.

New Group Formed toStimulate “Green” Markets

Doug Hopkins and Rod Fujita of EDF’s Oceansprogram staff.

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EDF staff Daniel Dudek, Zach Willey, and Joe Goff-man are on the board of the EnvironmentalResources Trust.

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In September, EDFreleased a study of poten-tial impacts of globalwarming on the WhiteMountains region of NewEngland. The report, Sea-sons of Change: GlobalWarming and New Eng-land’s White Mountains, byEDF scientist Dr. JanineBloomfield, finds that theregion faces substantialrisk of disruptive changesas a result of global warm-ing. Among these are amuted fall foliage display, adecline in maple syrupproduction, a shortened skiseason, a dramatic drop introut habitat, and potentialchanges in timber productivity.

Massachusetts Senator John Kerrysaid, “This report should serve as a wake-up call to all of us that global warming isnot a distant or remote threat. Under veryplausible scenarios, global warming couldrob future generations of the beauty andresources of the White Mountains. We

must take action now to prevent thatfrom happening.”

Seasons of Change, based in part onscientific data published by the UN’sIntergovernmental Panel on ClimateChange, is available for $10 postpaidfrom EDF Publications, c/o the Washing-ton office.

The ski season in New Hampshire may be considerably shorteneddue to warming temperatures as a result of climate change.

Study Shows Impacts on White Mountains

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The four goals EDF has chosen in thecourse of our self-assessment are:

1. Stabilizing the Earth’s climate byreducing emissions of greenhouse gases.

2. Safeguarding the world’s oceans frompollution and overfishing.

3. Protecting human health from expo-sure to toxic chemicals and pollution.

4. Defending and restoring biodiversity,with particular concentration on rivers andwatersheds.

We at EDF know we do not have all theskills or resources needed to meet these chal-

lenges, but by allyingour efforts with others’and concentrating ourwork on four maingoals, we believe we willwin important victoriesfor the environment inthe years to come.

Concentration on thefour goals, however, can-not mean that we give

up a wider watchdog role. We must vigilantlymonitor other areas, in order to cooperate withour fellow organizations, promptly recognizenew challenges, and act accordingly. EDF willremain alert, adaptive, and entrepreneurial.

New Solutions Needed

Today’s problems are so large that we mustenlist powerful political and economic forcesto help solve them. Only governments canset environmental standards, but EDF hasdiscovered that the market, at times, canhelp find the best ways to achieve thosestandards. We have also pioneered efforts towork directly with businesses to achieveenvironmental goals. Our regional officesgive us influence at the local level, and theywill play an increasingly important role inour work.

A group such as EDF will never equalgovernments or corporations in the magni-tude of its resources. But, with the coopera-tion of our allies, the benefit of sound sci-entific findings and wise planning, the sup-port of public opinion, and a rich store ofexperience at our disposal, we can hope tolive up to our organization’s name, and ful-fill our responsibilities as steadfast defend-ers of the environment.

To receive a copy of EDF’s StrategicPlan, contact the Membership Office, listedon page 2.

EDF Will Focus EffortsOn Four Major GoalsContinued from page 1.

Fred Krupp

mandatory reductions. EDF’s design sug-gestions have been largely adopted. Yet, agood mechanism without a strong goal is oflimited value.

EDF advocates reducing greenhouse gasemissions significantly below 1990 levels,starting no later than 2005. “This reductioncan be affordably achieved through the useof proven market mechanisms to controlpollution,” said Krupp. “It must be achievedswiftly for the sake of our planet’s future.”

Key to the success of the effort is pro-viding incentives that harness the world’sgrowing economies to the global impera-tive of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.By rewarding the entrepreneurs and busi-nesses that innovate to reduce emissionsand penalizing those nation’s and industriesthat lag in gaining reductions, we canlessen the economic and political costs oftackling this troubling problem. Under theClean Air Act’s acid rain provisions, com-panies have an incentive to reduce emis-sions early, and are now 35% ahead ofschedule, providing early relief for ecosys-tems. A similar set of incentives to spurearly reductions is vital to achieve timelygreenhouse gas reductions.

degrees Fahrenheit in the next century.Small differences in global average temper-ature can mean dramatic shifts in climate.The global average temperature during thelast ice age was only nine degrees coolerthan it is today.

The U.S. government has yet to supportreduction targets. By contrast, the EuropeanUnion has supported 15% cuts in emis-sions, from 1990 levels, by 2010. EDF hasintensified its efforts to raise public aware-ness of the need to cut greenhouse gasemissions and to push for a strong U.S.position on this issue.

EDF executive director Fred Krupp was apanel member at the White House Confer-ence on Climate Change in October. Kruppcalled upon the U.S. to commit to cuttinggreenhouse gases as early as possible.

The U.S. has proposed an excellent “capand trade” framework for maximizingreductions in greenhouse gas emissionswhile minimizing cost. This plan wouldplace a binding limit—or cap—on eachnation’s emissions, but would give nationsflexibility to use emissions trading andother cost-effective ways to meet the

EDF Urges Strong U.S. Position at Climate TalksContinued from page 1.

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After nearly six years of stalemate, Con-gress may finally be moving toward

consensus on the future of the EndangeredSpecies Act. On September 30, by a vote of15-3, and with the support of the ClintonAdministration, the Senate Environmentand Public Works Committee approved abill to reauthorize the Act. The bill (S. 1180)

is the result of monthsof negotiations amongCommittee ChairmanJohn Chafee (R-RI),Democrats Max Bau-cus (MT) and HarryReid (NV), RepublicanDirk Kempthorne (ID),and Interior SecretaryBruce Babbitt. A morefar-reaching bill intro-duced in the House by

Rep. George Miller (D-CA) has improvedprospects for House action as well.

The Senate is likely to act on its billfirst. Rather than radically overhauling theexisting law, the Senate bill leaves in placethe law’s key requirements: (1) Federalagencies must still ensure that their actionsneither jeopardize the continued existenceof endangered species nor destroy criticalhabitat, and (2) private landowners muststill refrain from harming endangeredspecies by destroying habitat or by othermeans. The bill makes other changes, how-ever, that could be problematic unless theconcerns below are addressed.

The bill authorizes significant newprograms to provide incentives—in theform of cost-sharing assistance—to privatelandowners who agree to carry outmanagement practices to help endangeredspecies. This may be the bill’s most posi-tive feature, but—as EDF stressed in testi-mony before the committee—the potentialbenefits of these new provisions will onlybe realized if the programs are assured ofsubstantial funding.

The bill focuses mainly on the recoveryplanning process. Its intent is to makerecovery plans more influential in guidingthe actions of Federal agencies and others infurthering the conservation of imperiledspecies. To do so, the bill requires that plansidentify the Federal agencies that couldcontribute most to species recovery and theactions needed from them. Today, Federal

agencies often ignore recovery plans,since nothing obliges them to imple-ment such plans. S.1180 would, for thefirst time, require relevant Federalagencies to enter into formal “imple-mentation agreements” that committhem to carry out specific actions inrecovery plans. States and privatelandowners may do so as well, andcost-sharing aid to private landownerswho commit to help carry out recov-ery programs is one of the new incen-tives created by the bill. A serious con-cern is that the new planning proce-dures are unduly complex and costly.EDF has urged that they be signifi-cantly streamlined.

The bill makes less substantialchanges in “habitat conservationplans,” the main means of accommodatingboth endangered species conservation anddevelopment interests on private land. Themost significant change is that the billraises the standard for approval of plans

that encompass both listed and unlistedspecies (typically plans that cover largegeographic areas). This desirable changewould make it less likely that the long-term assurances given to landowners whoenter into such plans will put species atrisk. Nevertheless, EDF has vigorouslypressed the Senate to add, as a furtherbackstop against such risk, a generous“insurance fund” from which the Secretaryof Interior could draw if he needed to stepin and correct an inadequate conservationplan. The Miller bill in the House alsogives assurances to plan participants, butlimits the impact by imposing bondingrequirements on participating landowners.

The Senate bill also codifies the govern-ment’s authority to enter into “safe harbor”agreements with private landowners. EDF,with the generous support of the NationalFish and Wildlife Foundation, pioneeredthe safe harbor concept as a means of over-coming private landowners’ reluctance tocreate, restore, or enhance habitat forendangered species. The bill also authorizescost-sharing assistance to landowners who

enter into such agreements. The activemanagement needed by many endangeredspecies is expensive; cost-sharing will helplandowners who might otherwise be unableto bear alone the costs of carrying outessential actions for improving the well-being of endangered species.

The House is likely to await Senateaction—which could come very quickly—before it begins a serious reauthorizationeffort. None of the House conservativeswho in the last Congress backed a radicaloverhaul—indeed, a virtual repeal—of theEndangered Species Act has yet shown anyinclination to follow the lead of their Sen-ate counterparts who have moved towardthe middle in an effort to find consensus. Ifthe Senate passes its bill, it will likely putpressure on House members not to let theissue die, as it has done in each of the lastthree Congresses.

Ending the six-year impasse over thefuture of the Endangered Species Act iscritically important. The status quo, inwhich the great majority of imperiledspecies are not making clear progresstoward recovery, is simply not adequate.

Critical Time for the Endangered Species Act’s Future

This male Attwater’s prairie chicken is puffed up in acourtship display. The safe harbor program offers hope tothe species, long listed as endangered yet still declining,because its habitat is primarily found on private land.

By attorney Michael J. Bean, head of EDF’s Wildlifeprogram.

Senate action is likely in the very near future.EDF members can help by urging their Senatorsnow to (1) add an assured source of substantialfunding to S. 1180 so that the proposed newlandowner incentives programs (and the habitatconservation plan insurance fund) can accom-plish their full potential benefits, and (2) reducethe cost and complexity of the new recoveryplanning procedures.

EDF MEMBER ACTION ALERT

Ending the six-year impasse overthe future of the Endangered Spe-cies Act is critically important.

Michael Bean

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Elizabeth Cauley’s environmentalism hasflourished for nearly six decades. Now 81

and living in Placida, Florida, Ms. Cauleyrecently established a $10,000 charitable giftannuity for EDF.

“My interest in the preservation of thenatural world started in my early 20’s,” saysMs. Cauley. “At the Cranbrook Museum ofScience in Bloomfield, Michigan, I joined agroup that was led by the naturalist WalterNickel—he was quite well known in Michi-gan. He probably had more influence on mylife than anyone else. We had weekly hikes,mostly birdwatching, but we also visitedgeological sites and other natural areas.”

“This was 50 years ago,” she continues.“I really wanted to get into conservation.There were hundreds of jobs in naturalresource parks that I would have loved, butback then there was no room for a woman.”Under Walter Nickel’s inf luence, Ms.Cauley—who had already earned a master’sdegree—signed up for undergraduate class-es in physics, geology, botany, and chem-istry. She later taught grade school science

in Detroit for 34 years.“When I was in a position to contribute

financially,” Ms. Cauley says, “I decided togive to EDF, because I have confidence inyour organization to do what’s necessary toprotect our natural resources. I’m particu-larly alarmed by the disappearance of wet-lands, and I’m glad EDF is trying to protectthem.” In addition to providing unrestrictedsupport for EDF, the charitable gift annuityoffers Ms. Cauley a lifetime income—therate of return for a person of 81 is now9.6%—as well as a tax deduction, andenables her to avoid paying a capital gainstax on the transfer of the asset. She has alsochosen EDF to receive a significant giftthrough her will.

As with many EDF members anddonors, a love of birds underlies ElizabethCauley’s conservation-oriented outlook,and, in fact, predates her experience withthe Cranbrook Museum of Science. “WhenI was 8, my bird book had a picture of apainted bunting—red, green, blue, and yel-low, all on one bird,” she says. “I still haven’t

seen one. They come to AudubonCorkscrew Swamp in Florida in the winter,and I’m going to ask them to let me knowwhen they’re there.”

For information on planned giving, contact:

Anne B. Doyle, Director of Planned Giving,EDF, Box 57, 257 Park Avenue SouthNew York, NY 10010 (212) 505-2100.

Lifelong Love of Birds Spurs Planned Gift to EDF

The beautiful painted bunting that Ms. Cauley haslong wanted to see.

Now, for the first time, anyone with accessto the Internet can quickly and easily

calculate the environmental consequencesof his or her own electricity use. The inter-active “Electricity Label Generator” is locat-ed on EDF’s World Wide Web site atwww.edf.org; just click on “Energy,” then on

What Happens When YOU Flip the Light Switch?“Find Out About Your Electricity.” Thiseasy-to-use computer program produces adetailed set of environmental facts that areakin to the “Nutrition Facts” included onevery food label.

The Label Generator will prompt you toenter the dollar amount of your averagemonthly electric bill and to click on yourlocation on a map of the United States. Thecomputer then shows you what kinds ofpower plants are used to generate your elec-tricity and how much pollution is produced.

You can also find additional informa-tion about electricity generation technolo-gies and their environmental impacts, andlearn about the exciting new “green” elec-tricity options, such as solar and windpower, that will be offered by an increasingnumber of electric companies for theirenvironmentally conscious customers.

Customers Will Need the FactsTo Make Wise Choices

Beginning January 1, 1998, customers inCalifornia, parts of New England, and pos-sibly other states will be able to choosewhat company will provide their electricity.EDF’s on-line Electricity Label Generatordemonstrates the kind of informationeveryone can and should have to makeresponsible decisions about electricity pur-

California Electricity Facts__________________Where Your Electricity Comes From

Coal . . . . . . . . . . . . 0%Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . 0%Natural Gas . . . . . . 32%Nuclear . . . . . . . . . 25%Hydropower . . . . . . 39%Renewable . . . . . . . 4%__________________Your Annual Electricity Use

Kilowatt Hours Consumed 6,718 kWh__________________Your Annual Emissions

Carbon Dioxide . . . 7,801 lbs.Nitrogen Oxides . . . . . 20 lbs.Sulfur Dioxide . . . . . . . 0 lbs.

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These are the Electricity Facts that EDF’s ElectricityLabel Generator would calculate for a California res-idential utility customer with a $65 per month elec-tric bill—average for the state. Residents of otherstates and regions would see a different mix ofsources and emissions.

chases, once they have a choice. EDF is ask-ing all electric companies to give their cus-tomers full information about what kindsof power plants are used to generate theirelectricity and how much pollution results.These details ought to be provided on astandard, easy-to-read label included withelectricity bills, EDF believes.

“Information disclosure is not a newidea,” notes Karl Rábago, manager of EDF’senergy program. “Already consumers get farmore information from snack food pack-ages than they do from their electric serviceprovider. We believe this easy-to-use webfeature is a first step toward changing that.”

Wind power is one of the “green” energy optionsthat will be offered by an increasing number of elec-tricity companies to environmentally concernedcustomers.

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People

The new chairman of EDF’s board oftrustees, John H.T. Wilson, knows a

thing or two about wilderness. He alsoknows how to work with companies to getthings done. Tall and lean, with angular,weathered features, Wilson looks like hewould be more at home hiking in the backcountry than negotiating in a corporateboardroom wearing a three-piece suit. Infact, he does both expertly.

Wilson embodies EDF’s philosophy thatwhat’s good for the environment can also begood for business. He has helped EDF workwith companies to improve their environ-mental performance and to make environ-mental considerations part of their bottom-line business decisions.

More than once in his 35 years at Mor-gan Stanley—where he remains an advisorydirector—Wilson had his wilderness vaca-tions interrupted when corporate clientscalled him back to put out financial fires.Once he was rafting in the Grand Canyonwith his wife Sandy and four children, andwhen they hiked out he got word that oneof his clients needed him. He left his fami-

ly and boarded a waiting corporate jet thatwhisked him off to Houston. “I don’t missthat part of my life,” he says.

Wilson still commutes from Connecti-cut to his midtown-Manhattan office atMorgan Stanley, but he now spends morethan half his time on community and phil-anthropic pursuits. Besides EDF, theseinclude Classroom, Inc., a nonprofit organi-zation that produces computer-based edu-cational software simulations to introducestudents to the world beyond school, andUnion Settlement, an East Harlem-basedchild care and community services group.

He grew up in Connecticut, where as aBoy Scout he loved hiking and sleepingunder the stars. That experience seems tohave cemented in Wilson a love not just ofnature but of the wildest part of nature. Ontheir honeymoon, he and Sandy went back-packing in the White Mountains of NewHampshire, staying in a tent rather than theavailable mountain huts. “Too civilized,”Wilson calls that option.

He was hired by Morgan Stanley & Co.in 1960, four years after graduating fromPrinceton, where he wrote a senior thesis onAndrew Mellon, played rugby, and polevaulted 13’6” in an era long before springyfiberglass poles. When he joined the firm,Morgan Stanley had 120 employees. Today,it has more than 11,000.

Not surprisingly, Wilson feels confidentabout helping organizations grow, plan for thefuture, and stick to their plans. He begins lead-ing EDF’s board at a time when the challengeis to “focus on areas where EDF can make adifference without getting spread thin,” hesays. “It is difficult to stay focused when thereare so many different problems.”

When Wilson joined EDF’s board in1989, one thing that attracted him was EDF’sbroad agenda. He was impressed, he says, bythe organization’s expertise on issues rangingfrom wildlife and rainforests to toxic chemi-cals and pollution. As a trustee, he helpeddevelop the new Strategic Plan that focusesthis expertise on four main goals: climate,oceans, health, and biodiversity.

Another trait that attracted Wilson wasEDF’s habit of not just identifying a problem,but also finding a solution. “It is easy to findfault,” he says, “but much harder to devisesolutions that are a step forward environmen-tally and also make economic sense.”

Although Wilson has found some busi-ness leaders wary of working with environ-mental groups, EDF has a growing reputa-tion for effective partnerships with business.Wilson was already a trustee when EDF ini-tiated the partnership with McDonald’s thatled to the demise of the foam plastic ham-

burger box, its replacement with far less-wasteful packaging, and 40 additional stepsto cut McDonald’s solid waste. Later, Wil-son helped bring Time magazine into anEDF project with other large paper users,which led to recommendations for buyingenvironmentally preferably paper. Wilsonsays the publisher appreciated EDF’s combi-nation of technical expertise and willing-ness to work with the companies to findeconomically viable ways to improve theirpaper use.

Perhaps EDF’s hands-on, shirtsleevesapproach to environmental problemsappeals to Wilson because that is the wayhe approaches his other activities. His workwith Classroom, Inc. and Union Settlementstems from a desire to give something backto the people of New York City, where heonce lived and still works. He and colleaguesat Morgan Stanley founded Classroom, Inc.in 1991 when the company moved some ofits operations to Brooklyn and had troublefinding qualified entry-level employeesfrom local high schools. Classroom, Inc.developed computer-based business simula-

tions that allowed high school students toact as hotel managers or bank employees tolearn about business, law, ethics, and cus-tomer relations. The latest simulation, pro-duced with EDF’s involvement, lets studentsmake decisions as the manager of a papermill, reacting to environmental problemsand opportunities.

There is nothing “simulated” about Wil-son’s wilderness adventures. Several yearsago, he and his family visited Africa, optingto canoe the Zambezi River rather thantake the tamer approach of riding in four-wheel-drive vehicles in the Serengeti. Stalk-ing a pride of lions that was itself stalkingseveral impala was exciting enough, Wilsonsays, but their native guide provided an evenmore visceral thrill when Wilson askedwhat they would drink. The guide, in acanoe in the middle of the Zambezi, dippedhis leather sack into the river, pulled it out,and said, “Here’s your drinking water.”

By Billy Goodman

John Wilson Takes the Helm as EDF’s New Chairman

As a Boy Scout growing up in Con-necticut, Wilson loved hiking andsleeping under the stars.

“It’s easy to find fault, muchharder to devise solutions that area step forward environmentallyand also make economic sense.”

John Wilson on a wilderness vacation inWyoming’s Wind River Range.

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When the Alliance for EnvironmentalInnovation moved into its office space

in Boston’s historic Faneuil Hall market-place, the staff wanted the physical environ-ment to reflect the Alliance’s mission: toreduce waste, conserve resources, and pre-vent pollution associated with consumerproducts. “By choosing environmentallysound construction materials for our officeinterior, we put our principles into action,”said Alliance Director Ralph Earle.

The principles that guided the Alliancecan also help make your home or office amore environmentally sound and pleasantplace to be. Here are a few things to consid-er when building or remodeling.

1. Use environmentally preferable paint.For the interior walls, the Alliance chose alow-odor, water-based paint to minimizeemissions that contribute to indoor andoutdoor air pollution. The use of low-odorpaint also allowed the staff to work whilepainting was in progress.

Look for paints labeled “low odor” or“low VOC” for their low level of volatileorganic compounds. VOC’s are used as sol-vents and contribute not only to fumesfrom fresh paint but also to the formationof smog. Environmentally preferable paintsare comparable to traditional paints in colorselection, price, and durability. Recycledpaint is also available from a growing num-ber of retailers. Buy only what you need,and donate leftovers.

2.Reduce environmental impacts fromcarpet and vinyl flooring. The Allianceused carpet remnants that would other-wise have been thrown away, at a cost sav-ings of 75%.

If you choose a new carpet, look for low-odor carpet with natural jute backing. Newcarpets can emit chemicals from the glueused to attach carpets to their backings andfrom the carpets themselves; these chemi-cals can contribute to indoor air pollution.Have your carpet tacked down instead ofglued, or ask for low-solvent adhesives thatrelease fewer chemicals into the air.

Vinyl flooring is also a significant sourceof pollution because toxic chemicals areused in making it. Fortunately, there arealternatives. Look for natural linoleum(made with wood resin), cork flooring, orceramic tiles as alternatives to vinyl flooring.

3. Use energy efficiently.All the Alliance’s appliances,computers, printer, copier,and lighting are energy-effi-cient models. The office hadexisting fluorescent lightingand energy-efficientwindows, and the Allianceinsulated the wall whereheat loss was most severe.The office is served by asteam-absorption heatingand cooling system. Thesystem uses no ozone-depleting chemicals and ispowered by natural gas, amuch cleaner source of ener-gy than is used by the local electric utility.

Using fluorescent lights can be a majorfactor in cutting greenhouse gas emissions.A new compact fluorescent bulb uses abouta third as much power as a standard incan-descent and lasts about 10 times as long.

If you plan to replace a home appliance,look for the wide variety of environmental-ly improved appliances now in stores. Newrefrigerators do not use ozone-depletingCFCs. Front-loading clothes washers usesignificantly less water (and energy forheating the water) than conventionalmachines. Energy-efficient refrigerators,clothes washers, dryers, and dishwashers areall available, and regulations require con-tinued improvement.

4.Consider reusing or salvaging materials.To brighten its space, the Alliance addedwindows to the interior walls, letting natur-al light pass through from the outside win-dows. The added windows were salvaged atno cost from a nearby town dump, savingnatural resources and $1,500. Also, theAlliance purchased used furniture, includ-ing walnut desks and a conference table,saving lumber resources and approximately60% of the cost of similar new furniture.

Wherever possible, consider reusing orsalvaging materials. Furniture, lighting fix-tures, windows, carpets, and many con-struction materials can all be rescued fromyour local bulk disposal area, saving natur-al resources and your financial resources atthe same time.

The Alliance office demonstrates a keyprinciple of sustainable design and con-struction: many ecologically sound choicescan be cost-effective and contribute to high-quality construction. “We couldn’t have metthe Alliance’s tight budget without takingadvantage of reused materials,” said Dawn

Harris, of GHK Interior Architecture andDesign, who worked to remodel theAlliance office. “Taking the environmentinto consideration demands creativity—andthe results are fabulous!”

How to Build or Redesign a “Green” Office or HomeBy Tracy Dyke, research associate at the Alliance forEnvironmental Innovation, a joint project of EDF andThe Pew Charitable Trusts.

For more ideas on how you can reduce theenvironmental impacts of your home or office,check the following resources:

Books:• Your Natural Home includes information on

environmental and health problems in thehome; case studies for building, remodeling,and decorating with environmentally prefer-able materials; and a compendium of pro-jects and materials.

• The Natural House Catalog providesoverviews of environmental issues in thehome as well as a directory of products,resources, and services.

The World Wide Web:• www.oikos.com focuses on sustainable

design and construction. It is orientedtowards professionals, but full of informa-tion and resources.

• www.ebuild.com, the web site for Environ-mental Building News, covers energy-effi-cient, resource-efficient, and healthy build-ing practices.

Mail Order Companies:• Big City Forest (New York City) manufactures

furniture and flooring from recycled wood.718-731-3931

• Environmental Construction Outfitters (NewYork City) offers environmentally responsi-ble building materials and systems, orientedtowards professionals in the building indus-try. 800-238-5008

• Environmental Home Center (Seattle) pro-vides both individuals and institutions withbuilding materials that offer an environmen-tal advantage. 800-281-9785

• Also check your local home center or hard-ware store. Many companies are increasingtheir selection of environmentally preferablematerials and may be able to help.

The Alliance office, redesigned using environmentally preferable con-struction materials, is a pleasant and healthy place to work.

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EDF Approach to Wildlife Conservation Wins Support Safe harbor, the conservation approach developed by EDF to help

endangered species on private land, has picked up important newsupport from the Federal government. Safe harbor allows propertyowners to manage their land to benefit endangered species withoutfear of incurring additional legal liability under the EndangeredSpecies Act if the species increase in number.

In June, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the NationalMarine Fisheries Service proposed a national safe harbor policywhich, when final, will encourage greater use of this approach. Astrong letter of support for the safe harbor concept was submittedby a group of distinguished scientists, including Dr. Thomas Eisnerof Cornell, EDF trustee and American Association for the Advance-ment of Science chair Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Dr. E.O. Wilson of Har-vard University, and the heads of the American Institute for Biolog-ical Sciences, the Ecological Society of America, and the Society forConservation Biology. EDF filed supporting comments on behalf ofAmerican Farmland Trust, the Center for Marine Conservation, TheNature Conservancy, Trout Unlimited, World Wildlife Fund, andgrassroots conservation groups from California, Florida, Georgia,North Carolina, and South Carolina.

In August, South Carolina officials approved a statewide safeharbor program for the red-cockaded woodpecker. The plan wasdeveloped by EDF and the Westvaco Corporation, which plans to

enroll a 9,000-acre tract north of Charleston in the program. West-vaco offers forestry advice and assistance to thousands of non-indus-trial forest landowners in the state through its cooperative forestmanagement program and will use those contacts to provide infor-mation about the new program to private forest landowners. TheU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must approve the South Carolina pro-gram before it goes into effect.

“Safe harbor” programs give private owners of forests and other land a newincentive to improve the habitat of endangered species.

Saturday, November 15, is America Recycles Day, when more than3,000 events in communities across the country will celebrate the

environmental benefits of recycling and urge Americans to chooseproducts and packaging made from recycled materials.

Keep Recycling Working: Buy Recycled is the message of thenational campaign, for which Vice President Gore is honorary chair.EDF serves on the America Recycles Day executive committee alongwith the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Recy-cling Coalition, and other public and private organizations.

To draw attention to the wide vari-ety of products now made from recy-cled materials, a new 3-bedroomhome with an estimated value of$200,000 will be built using suchproducts and will be given away inthe “American Green Dream House”contest. Construction materials,donated by the manufacturers,include steel framing made fromrecycled steel cans, drywall madewith recycled newspapers, carpetingmade from recycled plastic soda bot-tles, and an outdoor deck made with

recycled plastic grocery bags. The house will be built in a location ofthe winner’s choice, with $50,000 allotted for land purchase.

More information about local America Recycles Day activities isavailable by calling the state coordinators listed on EDF’s web site(www.edf.org). State coordinators’ phone numbers are also availablefrom EDF member services at 1-800-684-3322.

• •To enter the American Green Dream House contest, print your complete

name and address on a 3” x 5” piece of scrap paper and mail it beforeNovember 15, 1997, to: America Recycles Day Contest, c/o National Recy-cling Coalition, 1727 King Street, Suite 105, Alexandria, VA 22314-2720.

Celebrate Recycling on Nov. 15

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