NWF: Keystone XL Tar Sands Vote a Test of Climate Commitment

March 22-The U.S. Senate is set to vote today on what’s known as the Hoeven amendment, a non-binding amendment that expresses support for building the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline regardless of its impacts on wildlife, climate change, and clean water.

Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, said today:

“We’re coming off America’s hottest year on record as the cleanup from climate-fueled superstorm Sandy is still ongoing, and what’s the Senate hard at work on? Earning its low approval rating by capitulating to polluting special interests with a meaningless vote on the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.

Check out more on Keystone XL

Westerners Praise Salazar Plan to Protect Water from Costly Oil Shale Speculation

March 22-Westerners praised the Salazar oil shale plan released by the Interior Department today for its smart approach to protecting water and local communities from costly oil shale speculation.

“We commend Secretary Salazar for developing a commonsense plan that makes public land available for research but requires results and environmental safeguards before any commercial leasing can proceed,’’ said Michael Saul, attorney with the National Wildlife Federation. “This new plan aims to ensure that we won’t risk precious water, air quality, fish, wildlife and the regional economies that depend on those resources on a gamble that might never pay off.”

The plan requires that companies conduct successful research operations of oil shale and prove oil shale’s economic viability before the Bureau of Land Management will consider commercial development. Companies will also be required to put proper safeguards in place to protect water supplies, land, wildlife, air quality and local economies.

For more on Carbon Pollution, visit  Stopping Carbon Pollution

NWF Honors Jack Johnson, Governor and Mrs. Martin O’Malley, and Nickelodeon

NWF Honors Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley with 2012 Connie Award

May 18 – The National Wildlife Federation celebrated the achievements of this year’s National Conservation Achievement Award winners at a ceremony this week in Washington, DC.  The theme for the May 17 event was “Rediscovering the Joys of Nature.” This year’s honorees are:

• Jack Johnson for Communications;
• Nickelodeon for Corporate Leadership;
• Jim Fowler for Education;
• Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes for Government;
• Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and First Lady Katie O’Malley for Legislative;
• Senator Richard Shelby for Legislative;
• The Timberland Company for International;
• Alicia Celorio for Philanthropy;
• Nimansha Jain for Science; and
• Jack Spadaro for Special Achievement.

Maryland Schools to Go Green Under New Eco-Schools USA Partnership

May 14 – The Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE) and the National Wildlife Federation’s Eco-Schools USA program have formed a partnership that will benefit more than 400 schools throughout the state by offering joint resources to make schools and curricula greener, with the intention of growing that number further in the future.

The partnership will link the Maryland Green Schools Program and Eco-Schools USA to encourage schools to go through both awards processes: performing environmental audits; ‘greening’ school buildings and grounds; conserving natural resources; and integrating environmental education into curricula. This new collaboration offers the support and cumulative expertise of two highly regarded organizations with a unique focus on making schools green as well as their most important export—the next generation of American conservationists.

And here are highlights from NWF in the News:

• The Billings Gazette: Salish, Kootenai tribes win national conservation award
• The Birmingham News: Sen. Richard Shelby to be recognized by National Wildlife Federation
• The Great Falls Tribune: We should bring back bison as wildlife in Montana (op-ed)
• The Root: On Blacks and Fat: Danielle Moodie-Mills
•  Public News Service: PA Groups Hoping Congress Sees Clean Energy Benefits and Ohio Looks to Congress for Big Win in Clean Energy

For more, visit www.nwf.org/News

Sow Victory!

On the day that honors our nation’s first men, let’s acknowledge a few of the leading ladies behind America’s Commanders-in-Chief who’ve made sure environmental issues are on the White House table.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Facing the Great Depression and WWII head-on, FDR’s right-hand woman exemplified American self-reliance and sustainability by planting a victory garden at the White House – inspiring millions of families to do likewise.

Already concerned about the strip mining that, to this day, continues to devastate the mountains of West Virginia, Eleanor also had faith in the cultivation of domestic clean energy:

I have been wondering for a long time why some of our own defense officials do not put more emphasis on finding a good substitute for oil and worry less about where more oil is to come from.  New discoveries are all around us, and when we have to make them, we nearly always do.

Lady Bird Johnson, credit: Frank Wolfe, MacNeil/Lehrer Productions

Lady Bird Johnson

Time magazine’s “First Green First Lady” once said, “The environment is where we all meet; where all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share. It is not only a mirror of ourselves, but a focusing lens on what we can become.”

Mrs. LBJ worked tirelessly for over 40 years living by those beliefs. A strong advocate for protecting American natural resources, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center stands as a tribute to her work conserving native wildflowers and landscapes.

Where flowers bloom, so does hope.

Pat Nixon

In addition to being the first First Lady to wear pants, Mrs. Nixon sponsored the Legacy of Parks – a program resulting in the development of more than 640 parks from unused federal land.

Laura Bush

Laura Bush, who is an honorary chair of the National Park Foundation, has spent much of her time since the White House in efforts to protect the Texan coast and Gulf of Mexico. Standing up to the Vice President, she was a strong voice for President Bush’s end-of-term decision to designate almost 200,000 square miles of Pacific Ocean as conservation areas.

No matter where we live, in the city or the country, our lives depend on the quality of our native lands.

Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama's organic vegetable garden, via The White House/Flickr

She has also been instrumental in “greening” the White House – growing the recycling program and incorporating environmentally-friendly products and materials into the household.