Apr 10 2005 09:17:09 Via Fax I -> 202 462 4507 Greenpeace Page 001 Or 002 ompetitive Enterprise institute Contact: Christine Hall (202-331-2258) Judy Kent (202-331-2266) to schedule Earth Day interviews with any CEI expert listed below. THE SKY ISN’T FALLING Despite decades o f dire predictions by environmentalists, ” Earth's future is greener than ever, reports the Competitive Enterprise Institute “ Washington, D.C., April 18, 2005— The 1970’s brought us many things, including the idea that Earth was going to pot. Gloom and doom predictions by those supposedly in the know have kept “Earth Day” a main focus for the environment movement. But the C o m p e titiv e E n te r p r is e I n s titu te , a public policy group based in Washington, D.C., and according to the Wall Street Journal, “the best environmental think tank in the country,” Earth Day is nothing more than a propaganda tool used to scare the public. As evidence, CEI cites the following advances, many o f which go well beyond the 30-yr. history' o f “Earth Day.” • There is no scientific consensus” that global warming will cause damaging climate ch mge. In fact, global average temperature is only about 0.6o higher than a centun ago. Outlandish claims that our earth is warming at an extreme rate mischaracterize the scientific research by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the National Academy of Sciences. The world is not in severe danger from f ising sea; levels. Research from Nils-Axel Morner of Stockholm University demonstrates that current sea levels are within the range of sea level oscillation over the past 300 years. And extreme weather conditions have no provable link! to Global warming. Research by German scientists have demonstrated that the devastating floods in central Europe in 2002 were quite normal. And don’t blame climate on the growth of vector-home diseases SUCh as malaria. World experts agree that “other factors” are more important when it comes to the spread of diseases. CEI Senior Fellow in International Policy, lam Murray. • Alarmists such as Paul Ehrlich made hysterical predictions 30-plus years ago about the w orld running out Of food. However, worldwide, the amount of food produced per acre has doubled over the past 50 years. In the United States alone, more than three times the amount of people are fed on 33 percent less farmland than in 1990 In addition, death from fam ine dropped during the 20Ih century, dfespite the w orld’s population quadrupling. Advances in agricultural technology and liberalization o f global trade have had an impact on alleviating the food 1001 Connecticut Avenue, NW • Suite 1250 • Washington, D C 20056 202-331-1010 • infOiS/cei org • wivwceiorg Transmitted by U.S. Newswire • www.usnewswire.com • Updates, removals and questions to: lists@usnewswire.com Apr 18 2005 09:18:35 Via Fax -> 202 462 4507 Greenpeace Page 002 Of 002 shortage. In recent years, one very important component of the food supply—fish, has come under attack by scare mongrels that tell us rising levels Of mercury in fish are putting people at risk. In fact, according to data taken from the Smithsonian Institute, mercury' levels found in fish are no higher today than they were 100 years ago. Greg Conko, CEl Director o f Food Safety: Policy. • The on-going belief that using pesticides Will cause cancer has never been proven and in fact, has led to the spread of serious health risks, including the West Nile Virus and malaria. Both diseases are controllable and have been drastically reduced in communities and countries that allow the spraying of DDT. In addition, credit pesticide use and artificial fertilizers for creating a worldwide boom in the production o f food The word “chemical” instilled fear in many people during the last century'. However, according to a researcher, chlorine, used to disinfect drinking water, ranks right up there with the discovery' of antibiotics as * one of the major public health accomplishments of the 20Ih century'. Angela Logomasim, Director o f Risk and Environmental Policy. • A popular environmental concern warns us that air quality’ is getting worse and is making us all sick. However, statistics show over the last 20 y'ears, carbon monoxide levels have dropped 58 percent, despite an increase in vehicle miles traveled; ozone concentrations have decreased by 17 percent; and the ambient concentration of lead has plummeted 96 percent. Mario Lewis, CEI Senior Fellow. • “Tree buggers’” claims of mass de-forestation are completely unfounded based on the numbers. In the early' part o f the twentieth century, people cut down twice as many trees as they' planted; now the United States grows 36 percent more trees than it harvests. Some researchers believe tree numbers are larger today than when Columbus arrived in 1492! In fact, less dependence on wood for fuel and construction has led to a decrease in wood consumption by' half since 1900. Look to private conservation efforts, not federal government, for the 86 percent increase in reforestation, which helps create habitat for endangered species. Species like the California Condor are becoming extinct and environmentalists tout the Endangered Species Act for helping the condor and many other species. While the ESA’s sole purpose is to save species, in fact, not one recovered species has been helped by the ESA, according to many experts. Like the California Condor and the Wood Duck, countless species have been saved through the hard working efforts o f private individuals and organizations. Robert J. Smith, Senior Environmental Scholar. CEI is a non-profit, non-partisan public policy group dedicated to the principles of free enterprise and limited government. For more information about CEI, please visit our website at www.cel.org 1001 Connecticut Avenue, NW • Suite 1250 • Washington, D C 20036 202-331-1010 • info@cei org • wwwceiorg