The following is a guest post from Larry Bartlett from Fairbanks, Alaska—he gives a firsthand account of  traveling in the Western Arctic Reserve (also known as the National Petroleum Reserve or NPR-A), the single largest unit of public land in the nation encompassing 23.5 million acres. This land provides habitat for caribou, grizzlies, polar bears, wolves, and millions of migratory birds—including tens of thousands of ducks and geese highly valued by sportsmen throughout the nation.

When Alaskans are asked about the National Petroleum Reserve (NPR), most have never heard of it, few have visited this region, and still fewer have hunted this barren landscape.  That’s precisely the way I prefer it; wild, uncorrupted, scenic, stark, and extremely remote.

Most notably this region in Northwest Alaska serves two biological purposes:

1. Spring breeding grounds for hundreds of thousands of migratory birds;
2. Calving grounds and summer range for the Western Arctic Herd of caribou (the largest caribou herd in Alaska, numbering over 550,000 animals).

I’ve frequently visited the largest drainage existing within the NPR, the Colville basin, starting around 1998. Surprisingly, not much has changed in this region.  It continues to provide wild and remotely scenic adventures to those who wish to endure its vastness firsthand.

©Dave Shreffler

Pristine Wilderness in the Truest Form

Most visitors begin trips to the northwest region starting in July, since breakup occurs in late June on these northwest rivers.  Mosquitos are intense until mid August, so most of my personal travels occur during this time period to mid-September.

After spring calving season, caribou slowly begin a southwest movement from the Utukok uplands, across the Colville River, and continue southwest over the Continental Divide through river drainages and over broad mountain passes of the Brooks Range. Most caribou hunters pursue opportunities along major tributaries of the upper Colville and Noatak rivers.

A unique region, floaters often find bituminous coal chips washed up on the many gravel beaches of the Colville River and its tributaries.  This region has abundant bituminous deposits close to the surface, and oil seeps can also be seen in this region, giving rise to the question of when, not if, these valuable resources will be tapped and exploited from the NPR.

As far as the “experience” floaters can expect, I’ve enjoyed many types, from hunting pursuits for moose and caribou to archeological finds to char fishing.  It’s a great place to escape human encounters and soak up the wonder of this unexploited landscape.

Many fossils, such as mastodon and mammoth tusks, dinosaur bones, and ancient human remains, can be found jutting out from eroding high cliffs and along the shorelines of many clear-flowing tributaries of the Colville River. This region’s wildlife has experienced flows and ebbs of life and death for hundreds of thousands of years, and it continues to be considered one of the richest sources for scientific importance in all of Alaska. The first known inhabitants of North America are thought to have crossed into Alaska and to the Americas from Siberia across the nearby Bering Land Bridge as early as 15,000 years ago. Peoples in this region often buried their dead in shallow rock-covered graves, since permafrost prevented traditional burial practices.  And these mounds can be located in sporadic locations across the tundra and near the banks of the Colville River, so visitors must travel with bright eyes and wary souls to spot these unique anthropologic treasures.

This region has a bounty of possible adventures; however, there are simply too many unique attributes to list that make up the whole “experience” of travelling to this region of Alaska. It’s a resource worth protecting from crude resource extraction, heavy human use and careless travel. Perhaps this region is best described as Alaska’s Northwest Gem, full of wonder, adventure, and historic importance.

Currently, the Bureau of Land Management is finalizing a management plan to determine which lands and waters will be protected and which will be leased for oil and gas development in the Western Arctic Reserve. Thanks to widespread support for conservation, they have identified a preferred plan called ‘Alternative B2′. This plan will preserve wildlife habitat for caribou, grizzly and polar bears, and millions of migratory birds in the Western Arctic. 

Although this is a major step forward — we’re not over the finish line yet. It is important the management plan be finalized to permanently protect wildlife habitat in the Reserve.

Please “like” and “share” our image on Facebook, to thank Interior Secretary Salazar and urge him to stand strong against pressure to open more of the Reserve to oil and gas development.

Shell’s Kulluk Oil Rig, credit Tom Doyle/Flickr

Shell’s rig is not simply another rig.  It is the pioneer, intended to open a new frontier and convert an unspoiled aquatic wilderness into the next big oil rush. These waters are vital habitat for an abundance of wildlife such as ringed seals, as well as whales that travel the world’s oceans and birds that migrate across North America every year.

Shell Oil:  A Large Spill is Not “Reasonably Foreseeable.”

As a team of oil spill experts warned in a thorough report of Arctic ocean drilling the risks are being minimized and ignored now just as they have been ignored before, as we witnessed so tragically with BP’s ultra deepwater operations. In the Gulf, we had the largest spill response infrastructure in the country to support a dense concentration of long term operations.  In the remote Arctic waters, there is nothing except rough seas and sea ice that can close waters to recovery operations for long periods of time.  Shell is bringing up a single spill response barge.  It’s hard enough to cast a crab pot in these waters, let alone contain millions of barrels of spilled oil.  NWF’s Peter Lafontaine noted last summer this statement by US Coast Guard Commandant Robert Papp:

“If the company fails, if the response plan fails, the federal government must in some way be able to back it up with some resources. We had plenty of resources, from bases to communication systems to helicopters, in the Gulf of Mexico. And if this were to happen off the North Slope of Alaska, we’d have nothing.”

So we are crossing our fingers and trusting that Shell can mobilize the resources to handle a spill.  At least they are taking the risk seriously, right?  Well, no:

“A large oil spill, such as a crude release from a blowout, is extremely rare and not
considered a reasonably foreseeable impact.” — Shell Alaska Chukchi Sea Exploration Plan

Sound familiar?  Here’s what BP said in their Gulf drilling plans prior to the Deepwater Horizon blowout:

“In the event of an unanticipated blowout resulting in an oil spill, it is unlikely to
have an impact based on the industry-wide standards for using proven equipment
and technology for such responses.” –Oil Spill Response Plan for BP Deepwater Horizon Drilling

Should we trust an oil company to begin drilling in these unspoiled waters when their plans are based on the premise that a large oil spill isn’t “reasonably forseeable?” No, we know better.  But they received a green light, anyway.

Does Wildlife Matter to Government Drilling Regulators?

Bearded Seal, via Kerry Ritz/Flickr

No evidence?!  Here are some of BOEMRE’s conclusions from their own environmental assessment of what could happen in a major spill (one that significantly underestimates the potential for a long-running blow-out like we saw in the Gulf):

Assuming that all young ringed and bearded seals exposed to the oil died because of absorption (through the skin), inhalation, and/or ingestion of toxic hydrocarbons in the oil, this loss could take these marine mammal populations more than one to two generations to recover Shell (p. 131-2).

Polar bears exposed to petroleum hydrocarbons through direct contact or by ingesting oiled prey would probably not survive (p. 132)

In lagoon habitats, long-tailed duck densities suggest that when large concentrations of molting individuals are present, tens of thousands could be contacted by spilled oil. This would constitute a substantial loss to the regional population. Notable losses would also be experienced by post-breeding common eiders concentrated near barrier islands and in lagoons. A spill …would be expected to contact several other species present in substantial numbers, including the king eider, scoters, northern pintail, Pacific loon, and glaucous gull. (p. 130-1)

Oil Disasters: An Acceptable Cost of Doing Business?

Everyone knows where this story ends up…it really comes down to how often and how big the spills will be off Alaska’s northern shores, and how badly wildlife is impacted.  But the risks of a wildlife disaster are all an acceptable cost of doing business for oil companies.  After all, BP pocketed $24 billion in profits in 2011.  Deepwater Horizon was a financial blip for them, but the damages to marine life will be long-lasting.

Last week, a group of five dedicated folks from all across the country made the trek to Washington, DC to answer just those questions. They were making the case to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) that what happens in the Arctic affects wildlife across the country.

Watch this short video to hear their powerful stories:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Encompassing 23.5 million acres, the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska is the largest single unit of public land in the nation and provides habitat for caribou, grizzlies, polar bears, wolves, and millions of migratory birds–including tens of thousands of ducks and geese highly valued by sportsmen throughout the nation.

For the first time ever, BLM is considering a new management plan for the Reserve to determine which of these lands and waters will be developed for oil and gas leasing, and which will be protected. This planning process provides a unique opportunity to ensure that future development in the Reserve is properly balanced with conservation of the area’s exceptional wildlife habitat, particularly the four Special Areas with outstanding wildlife values in the Reserve.

A big thanks to Ray McCormick of the Indiana Wildlife Federation, James Tyson of the Colorado Wildlife Federation, Debra Lee of the Conservation Federation of Missouri, Joe Wilkinson of the Iowa Wildlife Federation and Joel Gay of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation for helping show the Bureau of Land Management that there is widespread public support for a balanced and responsible decision in the Reserve.

The BLM has just announced they are extending the public comment period deadline to June 15! If you haven’t spoken up yet, you still have a chance to join tens of thousands of wildlife advocates across the country that have already taken action.

Help protect Alaska’s caribou by urging the BLM to protect crucial habitat in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.

credit: Mark Wexler

While the narration makes reference to the melting ice that’s threatening everything from the Arctic’s polar bears to the Antarctic’s penguins, it shies away from detailing the cause of the warming trend – man-made carbon pollution.

The series producer has made clear that Frozen Planet’s omission of climate science wasn’t accidental:

Including the scientific theories “would have undermined the strength of an objective documentary, and would then have become utilized by people with political agendas,” Vanessa Berlowitz, the series producer, said in an interview.

She added, “I feel that we’re trying to educate mass audiences and get children involved, and we didn’t want people saying ‘Don’t watch this show because it has a slant on climate change.’ ” [...]

“Many organizations, and it sounds like Discovery is one of them, appear to be more afraid of being criticized by climate change ‘dismissives’ than they are willing to provide information about climate change to the large majority of Americans who want to know more about it,” said Anthony Leiserowitz, the director of the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication.

Berlowitz gets politicization backwards. Giving viewers the straight climate facts isn’t political – it’s educating your audience about the world around them. It’s the hiding scientific reality in fear of blowback from climate deniers that politicizes the program.

Protest at Discovery Channel headquarters, May 2012

We are deeply disappointed by your decision not to explain the science, and human causes, of global warming in the “On Thin Ice” episode of the Frozen Planet series. As the world’s leader in environmental programming, your decision sends a dangerous message to media companies around the world — that it is better to censor yourself than risk criticism by global warming deniers. We call on you to immediately acknowledge this error and to conduct a review of all Discovery programming decisions to ensure no such self-censorship happens again.

Discovery took an important step in airing “On Thin Ice,” reversing its original decision not to show the series’ final installment that dealt more directly with global warming-related issues. But this petition sends a clear message that it’s not good enough to skirt the issue of climate change – viewers expect Discovery to connect the dots.

 Take Action

An incredible 815,000 Americans have already shown their support for protecting polar bears and other wildlife through the Environmental Protection Agency’s limits on carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants. Please take a moment to add your voice to the thousands of National Wildlife Federation members and supporters who are saying loud and clear that we know why climate change is happening – and we’re stepping up to help stop it.

Student delegates at the Alaska Youth for Environmental Action Civics & Conservation Summit in March with Governor Sean Parnell. (Photo courtesy of AYEA)

The theme for the Civics & Conservation Summit was “Local Food & Wild Salmon,” but its purpose went far beyond that.

During the training, delegates worked on talking to media; talking to elected officials; how to read a bill; and how to impact decisions leaders make about the environment. They also honed their public speaking skills through skits and group presentations.

The students had a chance to meet Governor Sean Parnell and honor AYEA’s Legislators of the Year (State Senators Gary Stevens (R-Kodiak), Hollis French (D-Anchorage) and Bill Wielechowski (D-Anchorage)), but the most important aspect of the summit was the time student delegates spent advocating for some issues vital to the future of the state’s natural resources.

See a few of the delegates in the video below talking about their reasons for loving Wild Alaskan salmon, or listen to this story by Juneau’s KTOO “Young Conservationists learn about legislative process.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Some issues on AYEA’s docket, from AYEA Program Manager Megan McBride:

• Senate Bill 3 – An Act providing for state funding for school lunch and breakfast. Alaska is one of just a few states that don’t provide any state funding to match federal funds. For several years, AYEA teens have been advocating for more local Alaskan food to be served in schools. Two years ago, AYEA advocated for the Farm to School Bill that facilitates locally grown products to be served in Alaskan schools. Given the tight budget school food is on, however, it’s been hard to make progress since that bill has passed.
• Madeline Rafferty (Age 17, Fairbanks): “This bill is essential in providing healthier meals to students all across the state by incorporating locally grown and caught food in school lunches. Not only would this improve the quality of school lunches, but it would support the local businesses providing this food. It is well known that eating a healthy breakfast increases academic performance and doing so will raise test scores.”

• House Bill 100 – The bill outlaws growing or cultivating genetically engineered fish in the state. GE salmon has been a topic at the federal level after a company submitted a request for a permit to grow and sell GE salmon in the US. Alaska’s federal delegation – Senators Murkowski (R) and Begich (D) and Representative Young (R)- have all sponsored or signed on to legislation to ban GE salmon in the US. Alaska’s state legislators are on the same page, and AYEA teens are behind them!
• Hunter Doan, Youth Trainer (Age 15, Seward): “If one of these GMO fish were to escape in to the wild, it would be disastrous to the ecosystem. GMO fish are bred to grow faster and eat more than wild fish. Since they eat so much, they would eat all of the wild salmon’s food. If House Bill 100 passes, it will prevent big fish farming companies from coming in and taking the jobs of local commercial fisherman.”

• Senate Bill 152 – The bill mandates legislative approval for mining operation that could affect water in or flowing into or over the Bristol Bay Fisheries Reserve. It is intended to slow down or stall the Pebble Mine project, and for good reason—Bristol Bay is Alaska’s richest commercial fishery and “one of America’s most spectacular places.” The region’s pure waters, healthy habitat and breathtaking wilderness setting generate millions of dollars for the local economy, attract trophy salmon and trout anglers from all over the world, and support the centuries-old subsistence lifestyle of Alaska Natives—all jeopardized by mining operations
• Bill Sponsor Sen. French: “[I]t’s an important conversation starter. It’s important for them to know that they have people in the building who are willing to advance ideas that may not always get there. But you have to have the dialog, you have to have the debate, and so I’m proud to be a part of that.”
• Read more: Yes on 152 Juneau Empire Letter to the Editor by Mariah Savoie (Age 15, Anchorage)

• Senate Bill 27 – The bill would phase out the use, sale and manufacture of products containing toxic flame retardant chemicals (PBDEs, which are used in furniture and household appliances and may actually make fires more deadly). Though Alaska has very little chemical manufacturing in-state, these chemicals concentrate in the arctic through a process of bioaccumulation and Alaska ends up with disproportionately high amounts.
• Bill sponsor Sen. Wielechowski: “They knew what they were talking about. They had done a lot of research […] They asked me some very pointed questions about it, which showed they really had been studying it.”
• Rowan Heinemann (Age 17, Fairbanks) summed it up nicely: “We know the risks that PBDEs present, and now we have a chance to protect ourselves and future generations from these hazardous materials.”
• Read more: Ban PBDEs Fairbanks Daily News-Miner Letter to the Editor by Youth Trainer Emily Brease (Age 18, Healy)

Photo by: Bryn Fluharty

I could not pass up the opportunity to see the owls in the wild. It is an easy drive from Seattle to Boundary Bay. After crossing the border at the Peace Arch I only have a half hour more of driving before finding myself on a gravel covered dike separating the tide flats of the bay from the agricultural fields beyond. The tide flats provide habitat for a wide range of birds. Scanning the beach I see 8 eagles hunting small fish in the shallows. A great blue heron stalks its prey in the small grassy tufts of the tide flat as a trio of brilliant white swans swoop overhead.

Photo by: Bryn Fluharty

The owls for their part are ignoring most of their now constant paparazzi. Today there are around 18 of the owls sitting on the tangled mess of felled logs and old pilings, a mere 30 feet away from the trail. Snowy owls stand about 2 feet tall and have an average wingspan of around 5 feet. I am close enough to see their golden yellow eyes as they swivel their head in my direction. They range from almost pure white to a heavily speckled grey brown. There is little movement in the group. At times one will stretch a wing or turn its head to gaze inquisitively at something in the distance.

They have been here since December and are predicted to stay through March when conditions should improve enough for them to move on. With the uniqueness of this event it has been well publicized by the local media which in turn has caused crowds to flock here for easy access bird watching. This is an amazing opportunity to help connect people with nature in a way that is accessible to anyone willing to make the drive.

Photo by: Bryn Fluharty

Bird watching is a wonderful way to connect with nature and there are so many different types of birds to enjoy! Learning how to identify birds and be a responsible bird watcher can help you Be Out There and enjoy the birds in your own area!

Don’t forget to ‘like‘ us on facebook for more stories about wildlife and wild places and how you can help protect them!

RESTORE Act needs support from a distance now

February 17 – The longer Congress twiddles its collective thumbs about passing the RESTORE Act, the greater the potential loss to all Americans.

BP’s oil well poured some 210 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, killing wildlife, local businesses and a couple of tourism seasons. Another 770,000 gallons of chemical dispersants were added to the poisonous soup.

It will take billions of dollars to repair the damage.

House Giveaway to Big Oil Jeopardizes America’s Wildlife

February 16 – The U.S. House of Representatives today passed HR 3408, the natural resources section of the transportation bill. The bill would open up millions of acres of protected offshore federal waters in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic oceans, and in Alaska’s salmon factory, Bristol Bay. It requires the Interior Department to sell 125,000 acres of commercial oil shale. The bill also mandates the selling off 400,000 acres of the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas companies and requires the building of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.

“This bill would recklessly jeopardize some of America’s most iconic wildlife, from the Arctic’s polar bears to the Atlantic’s humpback whales, while forcing the approval of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline even before a route is determined,” said Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation.

Senator Inhofe Seeks to Roll Back Clean Air Victory

February 16 – Senator James Inhofe has threatened to introduce a Congressional Review Act resolution (CRA) to strike down the EPA’s mercury and air toxics standards for power plants as soon as today. The CRA is a wrecking ball that could permanently prevent national standards for mercury and air toxics. The new mercury rule was decades in the making and is expected save thousands of lives and improve wildlife habitat while creating jobs. POLITICO has reported that Sen. Inhofe called the new standard “a killer.”

“Senator Inhofe has it backward on what the “killer” is in this situation. EPA and public health and environment groups all agree that the overdue mercury and air toxics standard will save as many as 11,000 lives, while reducing dangerous mercury exposure to children and pregnant mothers who consume fish laced with the toxic substance,” said Joe Mendelson, NWF climate and energy policy director.

Healthy Kids From Day One Act Would Address Inactivity, Fight Childhood Obesity

February 16 – A longtime champion of measures to get America’s kids outside and moving has initiated another plan to make sure the indoor childhood scourge is short-lived.

Senator Mark Udall (CO), lead sponsor of the Healthy Kids Outdoors Act focused on getting kids outside, introduced the Healthy Kids from Day One Act today to establish a pilot program to address obesity and inactivity among young children.

The three-year program will initially operate in five states, supporting “child care collaboratives designed to reduce the prevalence of overweight/obesity among children from birth to age 5″ by focusing on healthy eating, physical activity and reducing screen time.

National Sportsmen’s Groups to Congress: ‘Restore Mississippi River Delta and Gulf Coast Now’

February 16 – A group of more than 650 hunting, fishing and outdoor sporting businesses and organizations are sending two sign-on letters to Congress today with a clear message — restore the Mississippi River Delta and the Gulf Coast, a vast complex of wildlife habitat that has faced high rates of landloss and suffered further degradation after the unprecedented 2010 oil spill. The letter comes at a critical time for Gulf restoration, as news reports indicate that BP is attempting this month to pay $20-$25 billion to settle with the Justice Department on all charges related to the spill.

Coalition to Congress: ‘Do Not Waver in Support for Great Lakes Programs’

February 15 – Days after the Obama Administration released its fiscal year 2013 budget, the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition is urging the U.S. Congress to hold the line against cuts to Great Lakes restoration programs that are producing results in communities across the region.

“President Obama’s budget keeps Great Lakes restoration on track,” said Jeff Skelding, campaign director for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “Now we’re looking for the U.S. Congress to not waver in its commitment to restore a resource that more than 30 million people depend on for their drinking water, jobs and way of life.”

Study: Southeast biomass has carbon spike before long-term climate benefits

February 14 – A new study of southeastern forests in the U.S. finds that in the long run, burning wood instead of fossil fuels to make electricity can reduce heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but not soon enough to prevent worsening the conditions leading to global climate change.

The study also shows that as the industry expands in the Southeast, biomass energy will increasingly come from cutting standing trees instead of using wood residues from sawmills and other sources, emphasizing the need to balance forest ecosystem health and related values, such as drinking water and wildlife habitat, with renewable energy objectives.

Public lands advocate, manager takes helm of NWF’s Rocky Mountain Regional Center

February 13 – Ann Morgan, who has extensive experience in public lands policy and management in government and nonprofits, is the new executive director of the National Wildlife Federation’s Rocky Mountain Regional Center in Boulder.

Morgan started Monday in her position, which will include overseeing NWF’s efforts to conserve the public lands and wildlife that are integral to the great Western landscapes. She joins NWF after six years as vice president of the public lands department at The Wilderness Society. Before that, Morgan served as state director of the Bureau of Land Management in Colorado (1997-2002) and Nevada (1994-1997) and was an adjunct professor and research fellow at the University of Colorado’s Natural Resources Law Center.

And here are highlights from NWF in the News:

• Radio: A nationwide radio tour with Ryan Stockwell, Manager Agricultural Programs featuring the benefits of cover crops was completed this week. Ryan did a total of 9 interviews on the top agricultural radio networks in the nation. His interviews reached hundreds of stations (over 600) while exploring the benefits of cover crops to the land, water, wildlife and farmer’s bottom line.  Ryan was also interviewed by the USDA Radio Network and was heard on farm news programs nationwide via this trusted source.
• The Denver Post: EPA wants further review of water-diversion project to protect Colorado River
• E&E News: Could the Southeast create a 50-year debt of greenhouse gases by burning wood?
• Insurance Journal: 41 Senators Urge Action on Flood Insurance Reform

For more, visit www.nwf.org/News

According to the Alaska Dispatch, a well being drilled by Spanish company Repsol hit a methane gas pocket, which triggered the blowout.  A crew of specialists all the way from Texas is traveling to the site, but meanwhile the well is spewing drilling mud–42,000 gallons and counting.  An expert from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation explained that the drilling mud “is hazardous to the tundra.”

Should Big Oil Be Allowed to Drill (And Spill) in Places Like the Arctic Refuge?

credit, Susanne Miller/USFWS

Some misguided members of Congress are using the excuse that extracting dirty fuels from a beautiful and untouched national treasure will pay for highway projects.  But, thanks to people voicing their outrage across the country, some elected officials are standing up against the transportation and energy bill (H.R. 3408) that would bring ruin to wildlife and wild places.

The “terrible” transportation package in Congress opens up new drilling areas on the East and West Coast, off the coast of Alaska, and in the pristine coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge, which is home to iconic wildlife like polar bears, caribou, Arctic fox, wolves, and more. House Republican leadership are using rare procedural tricks to split the bill up because many Members take serious issue with drilling impacts, so they may lack the votes to pass it all at once.

Representatives object to drilling off the coast of places like California and along the Atlantic coast, where oil spills and well blowouts, like in the Gulf spill and right now in Alaska, threaten communities that depend on tourism. Other lawmakers worry that a provision to grant industry 2 million acres of public land for oil shale speculation would generate zero energy, zero revenue, and zero jobs. A group of House Republicans even sent Speaker Boehner a letter requesting that Arctic Refuge drilling be taken out of the bill, continuing a legacy of moderate support for this pristine wilderness.

All of this new drilling revenue is supposed to pay for a chunk of the $260 billion transportation bill.  But there’s one minor detail:  much of this revenue is speculative and wouldn’t even pay for 1% of the total cost.  Groups like Club for Growth, Competitive Enterprise Institute, and Taxpayers for Common Sense agree that it is a fiscally irresponsible approach to paying for highways, bridges, and mass transit with imaginary money.

But Pipelines Transport Oil, Not People

The transportation package also requires approval of the controversial Keystone XL tar sands pipeline permit within 30 days,  which irresponsibly overturns a recent decision by the President to deny the permit.  This pipeline would move dirty Canadian tar sludge through the heartland of the U.S. to export to foreign countries, making the America complicit in the destruction of wilderness habitat in Alberta’s boreal forests and the senseless  poisoning of wildlife to make room for the pipeline. The transportation legislation, if passed in its current state, would also fuel  climate change that is already causing severe drought and economic damage in the United States.   Building the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline would threaten America’s clean water supplies, raise gas prices in the U.S. and result in a net loss to American jobs.

The legislation also waives environmental review for many projects, takes away dedicated dollars for public transportation and even defunds a program to establish safe routes for kids to get to school.

Big Oil is already double-dipping into our wallets.  It is making record profit through taxpayer-funded subsidies and every time we pay at the pump–the industry doesn’t need another expensive gift from us.

Help Protect Wildlife from Arctic Drilling

Arctic wildlife are already suffering from loss of sea ice from global warming.  The lives of species like the ringed seal and the polar bear would be at even greater risk from an oil spill in the Arctic Ocean, which would be virtually impossible to clean up in the remote and rough, frigid waters.  The blowout on Alaska’s North Slope is a perfect example: a crew of specialists had to be called up from Texas to try and control the well.

Wildlife need you to speak up for them and tell their member of Congress that the entire transportation package is a bad deal for wildlife, our clean air and water, and the future of public transportation.

Urge your decision-makers to make the right choice to protect wildlife from drilling >>

Today, we know that Rachel’s observations about “the global thermostat” were prescient. Recent studies confirm that the oceans have indeed warmed by about 1 degree F to a depth of 200 feet, and the overwhelming scientific consensus is that increasing levels of human-caused greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are the principal cause of this profound change in marine temperatures.

Since higher surface-water temperatures amplify hurricane intensities, the implications of warming seas should not be ignored. As ocean temperatures continue to increase, hurricanes are expected to have stronger winds and produce more rainfall—unwelcome news for coastal areas already experiencing storm-related losses.

Warmer ocean currents also can introduce migrating fish and invasive species to areas they previously didn’t inhabit, and the new arrivals can overwhelm native populations or alter newfound aquatic habitats. Warm waters tend to amplify the threats of pollution and exacerbate overfishing on weakened marine systems. Overheated, these systems have less ability to hold oxygen, threatening near-shore habitats that carry high pollution loads. Degraded estuaries, tidal flats, bays and other nursery waters are at particular risk. These fragile habitats can become oxygen-deprived faster in a warming world. Oxygen depletion is not limited to coastal habitats, however. It is a growing menace to vast oceanic regions.

As water temperatures rise, the ocean’s most productive and sensitive ecosystems are showing the strain. On reefs, the algae living symbiotically within coral die, leaving the telltale ghostly bleached coral skeletons. Lacking algae for prolonged periods, the coral can suffer irreversible decline and, ultimately, death. Loss of coral has enormous implications for fish and the rest of the marine web of life, as well as coastal communities.

Researchers have documented that warming ocean currents have accelerated melting of the floating Arctic sea ice sheet and the decline and breakup of Antarctic ice shelves. Greenland is now losing an estimated 100 billion tons of ice annually as a result of this accelerated melting. And sea levels are now projected to rise much faster than predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2007 as a result of this acceleration, further threatening coastal habitats and human infrastructures.

Warming is not the only threat to our seas. Oceans collectively absorb about 25 percent of the annual carbon dioxide emissions from human activities, and they are becoming more acidic as carbonic acid accumulates. This has caused seawater to become more corrosive to shells and marine organism skeletons, and is interfering with production of phytoplankton.

A recently published study revealed that phytoplankton has declined by about 40 percent in the past 60 years. Another study suggests that increasing acidity reduces the availability of iron, an element crucial to phytoplankton production. Because iron already is limited in marine waters, increased acidity may have grave implications.

This is extremely important to everyone, even those of us who don’t visit beaches, scuba dive or go deep-sea fishing. Phytoplankton are responsible for more than 50 percent of the oxygen-producing photosynthesis on the planet. They also are vital building blocks in the oceanic web of life.

I wish I were making this stuff up. Sadly, the facts about these threats are well-documented in scientific literature. The simple truth is this: If we continue to pollute the air with carbon dioxide, the more acidic oceans will block iron needed for phytoplankton and become more corrosive to the shells of marine organisms. This will surely threaten the entire marine food web.

While more research can help us better understand the full range of consequences of human-induced acidification, carbon pollution clearly is acidifying the oceans, as well as heating our atmosphere. Leading climate scientist Robert Corell has determined that even with carbon reductions planned by 194 nations, average global temperature is expected to rise by 4 degrees F by 2050 and acidification of our oceans would continue.

What can each of us do to help reverse this crisis? Tell the president and Congress—and everyone who aspires to those elected offices—we need a science-based energy policy that ends carbon emissions. To learn more about NWF’s efforts to protect and restore coastal areas and combat warming, visit www. nwf.org/globalwarming and http://www.nwf.org/Oil-Spill/On-the-Ground.aspx.