Wind turbines off Blyth, UK (Flickr’s Zabdiel

The coalition sent a letter to President Obama today with more than 200 signers, including the National Wildlife Federation, Environment America, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and dozens of other groups representing millions of Americans. It calls for continued federal leadership to move away from fossil fuels and applauds administration efforts over the last year, specifically the Interior Department’s “Smart from the Start” initiative. The program has designated appropriate areas for wind development in federal waters off the coast of six Atlantic states—Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware and Virginia.

What is the coalition specifically asking the Obama administration to do?

• Support federal financial investments to spur offshore wind development;
• Set a bold goal for offshore wind in the Atlantic;
• Ensure that offshore wind projects are sited, constructed and operated responsibly;
• Provide DOI and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management with sufficient staff and resources, and
• Prioritize coordination to secure a market for offshore wind power.

Some people have a misperception that you have to choose between offshore wind energy and thriving wildlife populations. Much of that is due to a misinformation campaign funded in large part by William Koch, one of the billionaire polluting Koch brothers who’s fighting clean energy just because he doesn’t want to see it off his Cape Cod estate. The truth is that America urgently needs to clean up our electricity grid if we are to protect wildlife from the dangers of climate change. Experiences in Europe show us that offshore wind energy can be ramped up rapidly, economically, and an in a way that protects our wildlife and natural resources.

The federal government is making wildlife protection a top priority as it moves forward with offshore wind energy siting, leasing and development. From today’s Washington Post report on the planned auction to Atlantic Ocean offshore wind farm developers:

Before opening offshore plots to wind farms — the total area is more than 1.5 million acres — the government is spending millions to study the distribution and behavior of such federally protected migratory species as red knots, roseate terns and piping plovers, as well as of diving birds, which forage on the continental shelf.

“Conservationists of all political stripes are united behind offshore wind as a winner for America’s wildlife, public health and economy,” says Catherine Bowes, the National Wildlife Federation’s senior manager for new energy solutions. “Clean energy solutions are critical to protecting our wildlife, fish and natural resources for future generations of outdoor enthusiasts.”

Take Action

Tell the Obama administration you support properly sited and developed offshore wind energy to protect wildlife. Please take a moment to email the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management urging them to bring clean wind energy to states along the Atlantic coast.

Stuart Fox at PopSci.com reports:

“With the US granting wind power plant leases off the coasts of New Jersey and Delaware, the UK planning to overtake nuclear power with wind in five years, and even coal loving China getting in on the act, all the talk about wind power these days has focused on offshore wind farms. However, a new study suggests that the wind power mother lode may be up in the sky, not off in the sea. Sure, high altitude wind power isn’t the newest idea in the world. Not only has the tech been around for a couple of years, but companies like Kite Gen and Sky WindPower are already trying to break into the market. However, this study is the first to identify the best spots to place the high-flying turbines.”

See full article. >>

The Chesapeake Bay is a national treasure for hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts. But this could be a paradise lost due to global warming, which poses a very real threat for fish and wildlife in the Chesapeake Bay region.

Over the past quarter century, billions of dollars have been invested in restoring the Chesapeake Bay watershed. These major investments could be lost due to global warming.

Download the full report >>

Fish and wildlife are being affected by climate changes:

• Warmer air and water will alter the composition of species that can live in the bay, contribute to worsening dead zones and harmful algal blooms, enhance marine diseases and encourage expansion of harmful invasive species such as nutria.
• Rapidly rising sea levels will inundate coastal marshes and other important habitats that are important for fish and waterfowl and make coastal property more vulnerable.
• More-extreme weather events, including floods, storms, droughts and heat waves will lead to more polluted runoff into the Chesapeake Bay, hurt water quality, and make the outdoor experience increasingly unacceptable for people.
• Changing climate across North America will affect breeding grounds and migration patterns for waterfowl, such that fewer birds make their way to Chesapeake Bay each year.

Fortunately, there are solutions:

• Reduce global warming pollution and provide new funding for wildlife.
• Expand State Wildlife Action Plans to address global warming.
• Expand state-based funding for Maryland and Virginia conservation activities.
• Adapt waterfowl and fish management practices.
• Discourage extensive coastal development and armoring of shorelines.
• Account for global warming in land conservation and habitat protection efforts.
• Redouble efforts to manage storm-water runoff into the Chesapeake Bay.

Do you know of any other solutions?  What do you think about the report?