Sportsmen Share Priorities With New Interior Chief

April 10 – A national sportsmen’s coalition looks forward to working with Interior Secretary Sally Jewell on continuing the important job of restoring balance to public-lands management and implementing oil and gas leasing reforms started by her predecessor.

Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development congratulated Jewell on her confirmation by the U.S. Senate Wednesday and urged her to provide strong leadership to conserve clean air and water, fish and wildlife habitat and preserve the public-lands legacy that has helped shape the nation’s economy and identity.

“SFRED and millions of sportsmen believe in responsible development of energy resources on our multiple use public lands. We are not, however, willing to sacrifice fish and wildlife habitat, populations, water resources, and recreational opportunities to poorly planned development,” the CEOs and presidents of the coalition’s three lead partners wrote in an April 10 letter to Jewell.

The letter lists the coalition’s top six priorities and was signed by Larry Schweiger of the National Wildlife Federation, Whit Fosburgh of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, and Chris Wood of Trout Unlimited.

NWF: EPA’s McCarthy Deserves Fair Hearing, Clean Confirmation

April 10 – With the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee set to hold a hearing on the nomination of Gina McCarthy as Environmental Protection Agency Administrator on Thursday, the National Wildlife Federation urges a fair hearing and clean up-or-down confirmation vote.

“The Environmental Protection Agency will need her leadership as it continues working to confront the climate crisis,” said Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “While President Obama has made clear that he prefers to work with Congress to find bipartisan compromise on climate action, in the face of Congress’ continued failure to act meaningfully on climate change, it’s essential that the Environmental Protection Agency uses its Clean Air Act authority to finalize and implement limits on industrial carbon pollution.”

The National Wildlife Federation began an online campaign in key states on Monday urging U.S. Senate to support the clean water concerns of sportsmen and confirm McCarthy, part of a coalition campaign going online in 11 states. The ads read:

Clean water matters to [state]. It drives our economy and defines our values. No wonder 79% of sportsmen support the Clean Water Act. Tell Senator XX to stand strong for sportsmen and support Gina McCarthy for EPA.

• Click here to learn more about NWF’s efforts to advocate for wildlife-friendly renewable energy.

Water Bill Guts Environmental Review of Corps Projects

April 9 -  Fifty law professors from across the country have signed onto a letter asking for the removal of two provisions in the current version of the Water Resources Development Act that prevent effective environmental reviews of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposals.

“I have always considered Senator Boxer a friend to the environment and I’m shocked she would put her name on this bill,” said Holly Doremus, a professor of Environmental Regulation at the University of California–Berkeley School of Law. “The bill as it stands would allow the Corps to do an end-run around careful environmental review.”

This bill was co-sponsored by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Senator David Vitter (R-LA). The almost 300-page bill was introduced just three weeks ago on a Friday evening and voted on by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee the following Wednesday. The full Senate could vote on the bill as early as Thursday.

“The history of the Corps water program has all too often been a story of taxpayer dollars being poured into projects with greatly exaggerated benefits and massively underestimated costs,” said Zygmunt J.B. Plater, a law professor at Boston College. “As written, this bill puts the fox in charge of the hen house. If the bill passes, we’ll see even more taxpayer dollars sunk into dysfunctional projects that hurt the national interest.”

• Read the full letter here.

And now here are highlights from NWF in the news:

• Associated Press- Group: Dolphin, turtle deaths a sign of sick Gulf
• First Business News- Interview with Sara Gonzalez-Rothi
• Roll Call- Oil Pipeline Break Refocuses Keystone Debate on Risks of Spills
• The Hill- Green group ads urge vulnerable lawmakers to back EPA pick
• The Christian Science Monitor- What is killing California sea lion pups?
• Hawaii News Nows- Let Your Kids Have Fun in the Sun (and Rain)
• Baton Rouge Advocate – 3 years later, oil leak effects still unfolding
• Houston Chronicle’s Fuel Fix – Dolphin deaths still high after Gulf oil spill, environmentalists say Examiner.com Dolphins and turtles still in peril three years after BP oil spill and Louisiana coast frenetically eroding three years after spill
• Discovery News – Record Dolphin, Sea Turtle Deaths Since Gulf Spill
• New Orleans Times-Picayune – National Wildlife Federation says environmental effects of BP spill far from over

For more information, visit www.nwf.org/news

Enjoying a rare quiet moment in the Augusta Civic Center

We gave out a couple thousand Ranger Rick, Animal Baby, and Big Backyard magazines as well as copies of our On Thin Ice report, which is about how warm winters are impacting sporting traditions. We even had a Maine-specific NWF fact sheet about warm winter impacts, written by Eric Orff, a Game and Fish Commission member and retired wildlife biologist.

The BP oil disaster sent over 200 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, putting hundreds of species of wildlife in harm’s way.

BP appears to be on the verge of settling all federal charges related to the spill. Unless Congress takes action, BP’s penalties could be used for unrelated federal spending, instead of being used to restore the Gulf.

That’s not right. One solution is a bipartisan bill called the RESTORE Act that will dedicate money from BP’s oil spill fines to Gulf restoration.

Here are THREE EASY WAYS to show your love for the Gulf:

ONE: Send an email to your Senators, asking them to dedicate BP’s oil spill fines to restoration.

TWO:  “Like” and “share” the image above on Facebook to make sure that Senate leadership knows that Americans want to see BP’s oil spill fines dedicated to Gulf restoration.

THREE: Post this on Twitter: Show your #LOVE for the #Gulf. Tell @SenatorReid @McConnellPress Pass #RESTOREact NOW! #oilspill http://bit.ly/zyg8vZ via @RestoreDelta

Clean Energy is Essential to Future of Wildlife

Transitioning to clean energy sources, such as Atlantic offshore wind, is one of the essential ways to protect wildlife for our children’s future.  Sea level rise caused by global warming pollution is the single biggest threat to wildlife and habitats like the Chesapeake Bay.  With its expansive coastline, low-lying topography, and growing coastal population, the Chesapeake Bay region is among the places in the nation most vulnerable to sea level rise.  Treasured places like Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge and Tangier Sound and the wildlife species that depend on them are at risk.

Offshore Wind Works For Maryland

Watch advocates from climate, health and business groups share how offshore wind works for Maryland.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Offshore wind will help improve our environment and quality of life while bolstering our economy.  The average price of electricity in Maryland has doubled over the last decade, in large part due to the volatile cost of fossil fuels.  We currently import 30% of our energy from neighboring states, primarily coal from Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Because the fuel (wind) is free, offshore wind power offers the ability to lock-in long-term energy prices for 25 years or more without the threat of rising fossil fuel prices.  In addition, one moderate-sized offshore wind farm would create 1,550 jobs for Maryland workers.

Show Your Support for Maryland Offshore Wind

Join the National Wildlife Federation in working with supporters and a broad coalition of partners all along the Atlantic coast to build momentum and support for the rapid, responsible development of our offshore wind energy resources.  By diversifying our energy portfolio with offshore wind we can help ensure energy security, price stability, and pollution reductions while achieving significant environmental benefits over fossil fuels which are the biggest threat to our environment.

You can demonstrate your support for the Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2012 by contacting your delegate and senator.

Take Action

If you live in Maryland,  tell your legislators and governor that you support of offshore wind

Farming and ranching makes a huge contribution to the economy of the Great Plains states

In its original application for a Presidential permit, TransCanada Corp. (the company behind the Keystone XL pipeline) planned a route that would have cut through the sensitive Sandhills region of Nebraska.

Fierce opposition from farmers, ranchers, and citizens of every political stripe forced the company to scrap that idea.

Now TransCanada is trying to identify a new route.

Any Pipeline Through Nebraska Puts the Ogallala Aquifer at Risk

Even though the oil industry was forced to make this concession to public health, a much vaster resource is still threatened: the Ogallala aquifer, which provides 30% of the groundwater used for irrigation in the United States, and drinking water for 2 million people. 

Almost any feasible pipeline route through Nebraska will still run over the Ogallala aquifer.

It would be hard to overemphasize how vital the Ogallala is to our national economy. As Nebraska’s Republican Governor Dave Heineman stressed in a letter to the White House, “This resource is the lifeblood of Nebraska’s agriculture industry.” 

The aquifer’s enormous stores of fresh water are the only reason the “Breadbasket of America” can exist–it irrigates farms that harvest nearly 20 percent of our wheat and cotton, and 15 percent of the U.S. corn–and makes possible a booming cattle industry across the Plains states.

The Ogallala aquifer stretches across 8 states and supplies billions of gallons of fresh water for irrigation

Tar Sands Pipelines: A Disaster in Waiting

Oil spills happen all the time–a dirty secret that’s not so secret anymore, thanks to the scrutiny faced by the industry the last few years. And tar sands pipelines in particular have been in the news for all the wrong reasons:

• a 1.1 million gallon spill in Michigan’s Kalamazoo River;
• a 42,000 gallon spill in the pristine Yellowstone River in Montana; and
• a 21,000 gallon eruption in North Dakota on TransCanada’s first Keystone 1 pipeline – which has been plagued by at least twelve spills since it was completed in 2010.

TransCanada is doing their best to hide these risks, even going so far as to manipulate data submitted to the U.S. State Department.

An independent analysis by the University of Nebraska found that the worst-case spill scenarios were much higher than TransCanada’s estimates, with up to “91 major spills over a 50 year design life of the pipeline” and even the potential for benzene contamination of drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people. A study after the Kalamazoo spill found that nearly 60% of area residents experienced gastrointestinal, respiratory or neurological symptoms from exposure.

An Easy Choice

It’s obvious that tar sands pose an enormous risk to the Ogallala aquifer and the crops that feed Americans from coast to coast. Public polling on the issue reflects this concern: According to a Feb. 3 poll conducted by Hart Research Associates, 64% of voters think that the risk of a toxic oil spill in the Ogallala aquifer was a “very convincing” or “somewhat convincing” reason to block construction of Keystone XL. And after hearing pro and con arguments, a wide plurality of voters supported the White House’s decision to deny the permit (47% support, 36% oppose, and 17% undecided or no opinion).

Randy Thompson, a rancher whose land Keystone XL would cut through, put it in plain terms:

 Perhaps it’s just my Nebraska logic, but from my perspective it appears that the United States is getting the short end of the stick on this deal. Canada and the big oil companies are reaping the rewards while Americans are being left to fix the fence.

When you hear it like that, you realize that this debate boils down to a pretty simple question: Do we decide to protect Americans’ food supply and drinking water, or pad the profits of foreign oil companies that want to cut through our farmland on the way to overseas markets? It should be an easy choice.

 Urge President Obama to stand strong to protect wildlife against Big Oil.

For more on tar sands and the Keystone XL pipeline visit nwf.org/tarsands

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.

Courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard, Deepwater Horizon response.

BP returned to profit with a bang last year, posting net earnings of $23.9 billion on Tuesday, as the British energy giant prepared for a criminal trial over the US Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster. … [H]igher oil prices offset a drop in production, according to a group statement.

The London-listed energy major also signalled its recovery by hiking its shareholder dividend for the first time since the devastating April 2010 spillage that ravaged the company’s fortunes.

BP’s profits in the final three months of 2011 alone reached $7.69 billion. Combined, the five biggest oil companies made a record-high $137 billion in profits in 2011.

BP also reported $14 billion in cash on hand, and its CEO made clear he’s ready to pursue an Exxon Mobil-style legal strategy. “As I have said before, we are prepared to settle if we can do so on fair and reasonable terms, but equally, if this is not possible, we are preparing vigorously for trial,” said Bob Dudley.

NWF Staff Photo

BP has pledged to spend $500 million on marketing over the next two years and has spent millions on lobbying Congress.

Meanwhile, Congress still hasn’t passed the RESTORE Act, bipartisan legislation to dedicate BP’s fines and penalties to Gulf restoration.

Congress must act to make sure BP’s fines and penalties are dedicated to Gulf restoration, rebuilding critical wildlife habitat. Help protect the Gulf’s brown pelicans by urging Congress to pass the RESTORE Act now.

Blade Testing Facility, credit Carol Oldham/NWF

NWF was there because we believe that global warming is the single biggest threat to wildlife, and we have to move forward to develop clean energy in a way that is environmentally responsible . National Wildlife Federation supports the development of offshore wind energy as a critical part of the solution to climate change, which threatens wildlife and habitat across the globe. From sea level rise to the warming of mountain peaks, entire species and ecosystems are in jeopardy.

The official announcement was very heavy in acronyms and but the basics are this: Things are moving on offshore wind in Massachusetts! Environmental groups and state agencies are excited! The public is interested! And the Obama administration is moving the process forward with a steady hand! (If you want more details and all the acronyms, the press release is here).

I live tweeted from the event, and here are some things I heard:

•  Wind off Massachusett’s shore is abundant, says BOEM Director Tommy P. Beaudreau
• “If we get clean energy right here in Massachusetts, the whole world will be our customer” said Massachusetts Energy Undersecretary Barbara Kates-Garnick
• Recent weird weather (tornadoes in January, severe flooding, wildfires and drought) shows that we must pursue clean and environmentally sound energy like offshore wind, says Sue Reid of the Conservation Law Foundation

The facility itself was really cool, too. There were three massive blades that are being tested for flex, stress, etc – the picture above is of one of the blades – it is hard to tell the scale in my picture, but let me tell you, they are huge.

The next step is two information sessions that the Bureau of Ocean Energy management is having soon. These will be a chance to speak up and say that offshore wind is a good way to address our energy needs, create jobs, and protect our precious natural resources.

The first one is on Martha’s Vineyard on Monday, February 13 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at the Katharine Cornell Theatre, 54 Spring Street, Vineyard Haven.

The next is in Boston on Tuesday, February 14 from 3:00 to 5:00 pm at the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, 2nd floor, 100 Cambridge Street, Boston. Come out and show some LOVE for offshore wind on Valentine’s Day!

According to the world’s leading scientists, as many as 30% of species worldwide will face extinction this century if warming trends continue. If we are to protect wildlife from the dangers of a warming world, then we must take appropriate, responsible action to bring the offshore wind energy resources of the Atlantic Ocean ashore. National Wildlife Federation is working with a broad coalition of partners to build momentum and support for the rapid, environmentally-responsible development of our offshore wind energy resources.

We look forward to working with everyone to make environmentally responsible renewable energy happen offshore in Massachusetts and beyond.

In 2009, when the tide was flowing against the auto industry, National Wildlife Federation stood up to support the auto recovery package because we believed that the U.S. auto industry could innovate to build the kind of clean cars and trucks that consumers – and our environment, increasingly demand.  Since then, the U.S. auto industry and its workers have proven they have what it takes for America to lead in a prosperous, clean energy future.  The standards being considered at the hearing today — which will double fuel economy from today’s levels by 2025 — are critical to staying on this path.

These standards are also critical for wildlife, which faces both the global threat of climate change and the direct impacts of oil spills and pollution.  By themselves, the 2017-2025 standards will save 4 billion barrels of oil and cut 2 billion metric tons of carbon pollution.  Taken together with the light and heavy duty vehicle standards being implemented now, they cut more oil than we get from the Persian Gulf, Venezuela, and Russia combined and cut carbon pollution annually by more than 650 million metric tons-equivalent to 10% of total U.S. carbon pollution today.  This is the single biggest step America has ever taken to cut carbon pollution and reduce our oil dependence.

Take action to protect wildlife and create jobs–show your support for strong fuel economy standards >>

Natural Gas Drilling (Photo: Helen Slottje)

After the latest quake, a magnitude 4.0 on New Year’s Eve, five wastewater injection wells were shut down including an active injection site in Youngstown, Ohio just 100 meters away from the large tremor.

“While we couldn’t say for sure that there’s a direct causation between the injection well and the earthquakes, we thought it better to be overly cautious,” Andy Ware, deputy director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, said.

The wastewater pumped into these wells is a by-product of hydraulic fracturing or “fracking”, a process that involves forcing water mixed with sand and other chemicals  underground, which breaks up rock and frees the natural gasses trapped underneath.

Fracking companies are adamant that the earthquakes are not directly related to the drilling itself and drilling should not be affected by these new earthquakes. However, the earthquakes strengthen concerns that there is no safe way to dispose of the fracking waste products.

Thankfully no wildlife or people have been reported hurt in the earthquakes that have occurred so far, but this underscores the risk of fracking to our waters and people. 

The recent earthquakes in Ohio near hydraulic fracturing sites should serve as a wakeup call to citizens and lawmakers alike that wildlife and humans are affected by fracking through damaged habitats and toxic waste. Stronger protections are needed against harm caused by oil and gas development.

It is our job to be the voice for wildlife as well as ourselves. Something needs to be done to increase the regulation of these dangers caused by fracking, and for that to happen citizens need to speak up, contact their representatives, and stay informed.

Take action. Tell Congress to protect our nation’s water and wildlife from the dangerous impacts of hydraulic fracturing.