Groups Join Notice of Intent to Sue NMFS over Blue Whales

Yesterday, a group of environmental organizations, including the Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Earth, and Pacific Environment joined an earlier Notice of Intent to sue the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for the agency’s failure to implement the 1998 Blue Whale Recovery Plan issued under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). A press release can be read here.

Environmental Defense filed the original Notice of Intent to Sue in August. Yesterday's development gives CBD et al the right to sue NMFS for violation of the ESA after 60 more days have elapsed. The groups say they seek to prompt action, not to get embroiled in litigation. NMFS is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Friends of the Earth Breaks with Mainstream Environmentalists in Decrying Kerry-Boxer

At least one group stands up and says the Emperor has no clothes.

As described in yesterday's post on NGO reaction to the passage of the Kerry-Boxer climate change bill out of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, reaction from NRDC, Sierra Club, and Earthjustice to the action was uniformly positive. NRDC and Sierra Club even seemed excited about the version of the bill that Senator Kerry is negotiating on the side with Senator Lindsay Graham (R, SC)--even though the latter publicly stated that his solutions for climate change depend on "clean coal," nuclear power and offshore drilling.

Friends of the Earth is not so excited. They issued a statement yesterday decrying Kerry-Boxer as too weak, and sounding the alarm about whatever Kerry, Graham and Lieberman are cooking up. In other words, they are saying publicly what staffers in most of the major environmental groups are probably saying privately.