MEDIA
ADVISORY FOR:
Thursday, August 15, 2002
CONTACT: Louis Mejia, Tribal Ink News - 786-268-2723
Charly Moore, Environmental Media Services, 202/463-6670
Sabrina Williams, Fenton Communications, 202/822-5200
More
Than 100 Heads of State Head for World Summit Without President
Bush;
Administration Environmental Rollbacks, Focus On Voluntary
Programs
Put United States At Odds With Other Nations Dozens of U.S.
Groups Head to Johannesburg
Without Administration Support
As more than 100 heads
of state prepare to gather at the United Nations World Summit
on Sustainable Development (WSSD) to assess global needs
10 years after the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro,
President Bush -- who has drawn criticism from Republicans
and Democrats for his rollbacks on environmental protection
-- is notably absent. Despite lack of support from their
own government, dozens of grassroots organizations from
across the United States are traveling to Johannesburg in
the hope of raising global awareness and support of their
issues, from environmental racism to the need for greater
local control.
Environmental Media
Services (EMS) will host a press teleconference on Thursday,
August 15, at 11 a.m. EDT to preview the Summit, which runs
from August 26 to September 4 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
NGO leaders will summarize the goals set 10 years ago at
the Rio Earth Summit and describe the progress - or lack
of progress - made to date. Grassroots groups attending
the Summit will describe the importance of emerging global
nongovernmental networks for such issues as community forestry,
environmental justice, self determination and others. Background
information and additional resources will be available at
www.EMS.org.
WHAT:
EMS Press Teleconference to Preview the World Summit on
Sustainable Development WHEN: Thursday, August 15, 11 a.m. EDT
WHERE: Journalists should call 800/547-8913.
The conference ID number is F125. WHO: John Adams, president, Natural Resources
Defense Council
Colin Donohue, director of conservation-based development,
Rural Action
Azibuike Akaba, research associate, Communities for Better
Environment
Monique Harden, co-chair, Equal Protection Committee, National
Black Environmental Justice Network
Cecil Corbin-Mark, program director, West Harlem Environmental
Action
Leslie Fields, director of international programs, Friends
of the Earth
Tribal Ink News is supporting EMS in their effort to generate
media coverage for the World Summit on Sustainable Development
(WSSD).
