Bush, don't fund Peru rain forest ruin, say celebrities (me too!)

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http://www.enn.com/news/2003-09-05/s_8093.asp

Friday, September 05, 2003
By Jude Webber, Reuters

LIMA, Peru — A group of show business stars urged President Bush Thursday not to let U.S. tax dollars destined for a Peruvian energy project be used to fund the ruin of one of the planet's most precious rain forests.

The letter, signed by Susan Sarandon, Chevy Chase, Ruben Blades, Kevin Bacon, Jessica Lange, and rock star Sting, among others, turns up the heat on the Camisea gas project ahead of a key vote on a $75 million loan next week by the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), at which the U.S. position will be crucial.

The U.S. Export-Import Bank last week turned down backing for a $214 million loan for Camisea, Peru's biggest energy project, over environmental concerns. If the IADB did the same, Camisea would be left short of cash and Peru would lack a key international seal of approval for the landmark project.

"We ... are writing to urge you to take immediate steps to ensure that our tax dollars not contribute to the wholesale destruction of one of the planet's most biodiverse and remote rain forests and to the demise of vulnerable indigenous populations," said the letter, released by environmental groups Amazon Watch and Friends of the Earth. http://www.amazonwatch.org/
http://www.amazonwatch.org/newsroom/newsreleases03/030904_camisea.html

Hunt Oil and Halliburton seek financing for Camisea project-
http://www.gasandoil.com/goc/company/cnl25008.htm

August 29
U.S. funding denied for huge natural gas project in Peru-
The U.S. Export-Import Bank, citing potential damage to Peru's rain forests and indigenous people, rejected $213.6 million in loan guarantees for a giant natural gas project involving two Texas-based energy companies with close ties to the Bush administration.
http://www.enn.com/news/2003-08-29/s_7892.asp

The Camisea 40 years Oil Project and the Machigengas
http://www.theportrait.com/peru/camisea/camisea.html

TAKE ACTION: Tell Hunt Oil Get Out of Uncontacted Peoples Reserve
http://www.amazonwatch.org/newsroom/alert/peru_03/0308_camisea.html

I think there is still a chance to make Bush wear this into the campaign. This could give the oil company's land-rape the visibility and rebuke it demands.

Give Amazon Watch a look, and act!

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1. This post is in the can

Still time to save these poor souls from the Bush-Cheney oil gang, though. We got a break last week. Its a good time to put public pressure on Bush, ahead of next week's vote.

I'm beat. Good environment thread on Klamath river salmon...Rove.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=284890

sigh...this might not be the right board for me.

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2. Post this in the Activism/Events forum

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=106
GD moves too fast for this type of post.

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3. really?

The other board is a ghost town. What's really wrong with responding to this post? I'm bewildered. There are some raging discussions going on about Howard, Dennis, John etc. I think my problem may be the site....not enough issue discussion outside of the horse race.