"Pacific Environment". (From the Publisher).

SIMPLE GREEN FOR THE BERING SEA

"If you've eaten fish lately, there's a 50 percent chance it came from the Bering Sea," according to the advance blurbs put out by the environmental activist advocate Pacific Environment. The organization, assisted by considerable pecuniary contributions of extremely well-healed funds, foundations and individuals, hosted a five-day-long group hug dubbed: "Sustaining the Bering Sea: An International Conference for Collaboration."

The venue was the exquisite Alyeska Prince Hotel in Girdwood, running April 1-5, dates selected, the organizers said, "as an alternative to the Anchorage meeting of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, a body that has had only limited success in preserving the Bering."

The usual cast of characters that shows up at most of these gatherings was in attendance: international, national, regional and state personalities representing their agencies and interests-from polar bears to brown bears, birds, fish, mammals (marine)-and all kinds of working groups, ad hoc groups, task forces on environment, past office holders and future office seekers, assorted other wannabes and those who just like to "floor show." But except for yours truly, business interests were absent. In fairness, I am not aware that business was invited, especially since we are sometimes seen as the heavy in the piece.

GIVE SOME CREDIT TO PACIFIC ENVIRONMENT

Among more than 100 attending the conference was a large delegation from the Russian Far East. Pacific Environment had invited top-ranking scientists and experts in such fields as pollution, enforcement, economics, local community incentives, Native traditional knowledge, and species' management, to mention only a few areas of interest. But the truly significant accomplishment was bringing together experts from both sides of the Bering Sea to talk and exchange notes and experiences; to discover that Russians are learning about, worried about and studying the same things we are concerned about. That should get high marks, no matter who or how it might have come about. Pacific Environment provided simultaneous Russian-English translations and the entire event showed every conceivable earmark of an event organized to a fare-thee-well. Good job. But for a group espousing environmental changes for the better, precious few environmental topics, per se, were discussed. For example, not a word was spoken of the (old Soviet) World War II ordnance and nuclear debris that leaks and leaches out of old subs and ships off the coast of the Russian Far East.

WHO ARE THEY?

By implementing a combination of direct advocacy, providing expertise, linking citizens and organizations, affecting policy and giving support, the organization has developed new, effective approaches to international environmental work that gains results in both local and international policy-making, according to their own published reports. It has fostered dozens of strong and effective environmental organizations and achieved environmental and political victories in places all along the Pacific Rim where it also supports multicultural environmental education of youth and developing countries.

The group is very well funded and staffed with extremely competent, dedicated workers. Financial support comes from an old arm of Alaska environmental advocacy, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund; also the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Global Greengrants Fund, Patagonia Inc., Turner Foundation and, of course, the U.S. EPA, to call out only a tiny number of ardent supporters.

The board of directors and staff personnel roster reads like a Who's Who in world environmental influence and educational accomplishment. Name an influential environmental organization and someone from Pacific Environment is either on the board, contributes heavily or founded the organization.

If interested, you can learn more about this amazingly powerful and Bering Sea "program builder" from Oakland, Calif. at www.pacificenvironment.org.