Re: [pf] Rachel's Environment & Health News

by David MacClement

24 December 2000 06:49 UTC

At 14:47 22/12/2000 -0800, Kaleopono wrote:
>Some of you may have the means and desire to support the Environmental
Research Foundation which publishes Rachel's Environmental Newsletter
during the coming year.  Kaleopono
>______
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: <rachel@rachel.org>
>Sent: Tuesday, December 19, 2000 9:02 AM
>Subject: An appeal from Rachel's
>
>> Dear Friends,
>> Once again during the Holiday season we are asking you to support
Rachel's Environment & Health News.
>> As you know, no one else does exactly what we do. ...
>> Besides printing and mailing costs, we have to maintain an extensive
library of current science and medical journals. Sometimes we have to do
considerable research to get the details right, and to understand the
policies behind the news, so we use phone and fax. And of course, there are
all the day-to-day activities, such as managing our mailing lists,
maintaining our computers, purchasing office supplies, and paying the rent.
I'm sure you get the picture.
>>
>> I hope you will consider helping us this year, so we can keep bringing
you the news. We think it's paying off -- after ten years of writing about
the precautionary principle, we are seeing it catch on here and in Europe,
and risk assessors everywhere are finding themselves on the defensive. New
ways of making decisions will lead to fundamentally different decisions, so
-- despite all the bad news - there is hope.
>>
>> To help support Rachel's, please ... go to
http://www.giveforchange.com/interact/item.asp?cat=Environment&itemno=ERF-22
-2331479-00&pos=19&html=nonprofits.html   [all on one line]
>> to make a contribution online. If you DO make a contribution
>> online, please send E-mail to maria@rachel.org letting us know.
>> Yours sincerely,
>>
>> Peter Montague
>> Editor
>

· I too, want to suggest that those who are willing and able, should
support Peter Montague's Environmental Research Foundation. 

· At the beginning of my 8 years of living on less than US$1000 a year, I
was cutting out /every/ optional expense, including almost all
subscriptions and the cost of staying a Fellow of the NZ Institute of
Physics - I still regret having chosen to do that.

· But in the second year I sent a cheque for US$100 (from my Bank of
Montreal branch) to the Environmental Research Foundation. And have never
regretted it.

· When I want to bone up on something I have little current knowledge of, I
frequently start with Worldwatch Institute publications and check through
the Rachel's Environment & Health Weekly archive. Frequently Peter Montague
has found something I didn't know, and with his references at the bottom, I
can come to my own conclusion as to how reliable his comments and quotes are.

· He is a "library researcher" rather than a "real researcher", but over
the many years I believe Peter has developed a good feel for the important
points. There's also the fact that he has a reputation to keep, so there's
sometimes a correction or update in a later edition - there are a lot of
people reading the REHW, and some of them can correct his mistakes. And
there are usually a string of reports spanning months and years, so you can
follow how the situation has changed and/or Peter Montague's understanding
has developed.

· So once again, I recommend that those who can, should make a donation to
the Environmental Research Foundation. For the hardcopy-plus-cheque method,
see the bottom of Kaleopono's original post; also at:
http://csf.colorado.edu/mail/pfvs/2000/msg06489.html

> To:
> Environmental Research Foundation,
> P.O. Box 5036,
> Annapolis, MD 21403-7036.

David.
(David MacClement) davd@ihug.co.nz 
http://www.geocities.com/davdd.geo/index.html#top
*************************************************