Since 1958 days with heavy precipitation have increased over the region by 31 percent. Climate models predict this trend to continue in the Great Lakes, with wild swings between heavy rain events and intensely dry conditions.

As the climate changes we can expect more river events like these:

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Grand Raggidy Rink Floods, April 2013. Credit: Tim Bileth

Grand River Flooding April 20, 2013. Credit: Rachel Kramer\Flickr

Mayor George Heartwell declared a state of emergency as more flooding is expected. The water is predicted to crest at 22 feet.

Even the Grand Raggidy Roller Girls are going to have to find a temporary place to bout, or will need to put on flippers instead of skates. Their facility is now underwater.

East Lansing, Michigan

The Michigan State University Fight Song begins like this:

On the banks of the Red Cedar,
There’s a school that’s known to all; …

Right now, the banks of the Red Cedar and parts of Michigan State campus are underwater. The river crested at 7.9 feet Monday morning, above the 7-foot flood stage. Relating even more to the Fight Song – it is the athletic fields left waterlogged.

Chicago, Illinois

The Des Plaines River was twice its flood stage on Sunday.  According to readings by the National Weather Service the river crested at 9.98 feet. The Des Plaines River is amongst these other rising rivers: Fox River, Rock River, DuPage River, the north branch of the Chicago River, and Salt Creek.

Jonathon Monken, director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, said

Based on the forecasting right now, we expect to meet and exceed flood levels—historic flood levels … So record flood stages are absolutely possible.

Flooding also required closure of several local forest preserves to the public. The Brookfield Zoo closed its gates for only the third time in its history.

Flooding in Chicago. Credit: Jerry Pos\Flickr

Toledo, Ohio

Northwestern Ohio is experiencing a very wet April. Over the past weekend more than 2″ of rain fell in many parts of far northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan in a 48 hour period. The Maumee River is about a foot above flood stage at Defiance, and it is nearing its crest.

Spring Flood Risk Forecast

NOAA released a springtime flood risk map for the Great Lakes and the United States.

U.S. Spring Flood Risk, 2013. Credit: NOAA

Want to know more about the impact heavy rain and flooding has on Great Lakes wildlife and what to do about it?

Learn more in this detailed report: Taken by Storm!

Floodplain development is contributing to the demise of Puget Sound orcas. Photo: Minette Layne/WikiMedia Commons

The Costs of Flooding

Since 1990, Puget Sound has been ravaged by 15 major flood disasters—that’s more than one every other year. As outlined in our new report, Changing Course: Why Protecting Floodplains is Good for People and Wildlife, thousands of homes have been damaged or destroyed and at least 58 people have died due to flooding. These floods cost taxpayers more than $1.37 billion in clean up and recovery costs.

Humans are not the only ones affected by floodplain development. Since 1900, Puget Sound Chinook salmon populations have declined 93% and nine runs of Chinook have gone extinct. Orca whales, which eat primarily salmon, have declined by half. Both are now under federal protection through the Endangered Species Act, but habitat and populations continue to decline.

Developing in Floodplains

Tolt River Road near Carnation, WA inundated by floodwaters. Photo: King County.

By filling floodplains and leveeing rivers, we’ve diminished the ability of the land to absorb large storms. More than 90% of our floodplains and wetlands have been lost to development, agriculture and other human activities. Of the floodplains that remain, more than 70% are in poor condition. The result is an increase in devastating flood damage, degradation of Puget Sound, and steep declines in fish and wildlife populations.

Solutions for Our Floodplains

As scientists consider how to address salmon declines and larger storms, they are coming to the conclusion that protecting and restoring floodplains is one of the most important things we can do to help salmon and orca while reducing risk for people.

The first step is to prevent more harmful development in flood-prone areas. In other words, we must stop making the problem worse. The second step is to fix our past mistakes by repairing already damaged floodplains. We can do this by buying out frequently flooded properties, setting back or removing levees to widen the river and floodplain, and restoring floodplains to recreate critical ecological functions.

So, is putting Puget Sound’s next million people in floodplains a good idea? So far, building in floodplains has been bad for people, bad for taxpayers, and bad for fish and wildlife. The question should not be, where are we going to put the next million people. The question should be, where are we going to put them, safely?

Finding a safe home for Puget Sound’s next million people will mean building smarter. Restoring and protecting our floodplains will mean that Puget Sound’s next generation will not just be safer from floods; they will also still be able to see salmon and orca leaping from our waters.

For more information, be sure to read our report: Changing Course: Why Protecting Floodplains is Good for People and Wildlife, and watch our video here.

Aerial views of the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy to the New Jersey coast taken during a search and rescue mission by New Jersey Army National Guard, Oct. 30, 2012. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Mark C. Olsen)

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, the first priorities for federal, state, and local governments are to prevent additional loss of life, assist those in need with all resources possible, and begin the difficult recovery process.  But once the recovery process begins my family and friends, along with countless others up and down the eastern seaboard, will begin to consider how to repair, rebuild and strengthen their homes and business properties.

As we move towards the repair and recovery phase, NWF has identified a 10 ways to better prepare for extreme hurricanes: five national policy changes that can be made right now to make all us safer, and five activities that must be stopped to avoid and minimize future storm-related catastrophes.  These recommendations all have one thing in common – they promote protection and restoration of natural defenses that are critical for safe, affordable, and sustainable protection from storms and floods.

Five Actions to Protect People, Property and Wildlife from Storm and Flood Damages

High water in the wetlands of Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. Flickr photo courtesy U.S. FWS.

1. Promote Climate Readiness. Many federal, state, and municipal agencies have taken steps to develop climate-adaptation plans, which chart a path toward preparing for and coping with extreme weather events and other climate impacts. Most of these plans have yet to be implemented, though, and will require political will and adequate funding to truly create more climate-resilient communities. And Readiness is the key word here—the best time to protect against and plan for natural catastrophe is long before it happens. We can start by implementing the recommendations of the Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force.
2. Make Flood Insurance Reform Real. Hurricane Sandy destroyed countless properties across the Northeast, including many that belonged to people who had no idea their property was located within a floodplain and therefore did not have flood insurance. Thankfully, the just passed Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act made great strides towards updating how we map flood zones by taking into account increased storm frequency and intensity. By updating our maps and requiring more people to purchase flood insurance we’ll protect more properties, and also send a market signal that there are smarter, safer and better places to develop than in the middle of a floodplain. We can do this if we fully fund and implement the Flood Insurance Reform Act. 
3. Protect Our Natural Defenses. Natural features like wetlands reduce storm intensity and protect nearby properties from flooding. In fact, a single acre of wetland can store 1–1.5 million gallons of flood water. We must capitalize on these benefits and ensure that government helps protect these beneficial and cost-effective flood control features. The Obama Administration took several new steps to meet this goal. It has created new guidance and intends to pursue rulemaking to reinstate crucial Clean Water Act protections for wetlands and streams, and is also poised to release new water resources planning guidelines.
   
4. Encourage Better Stormwater Management. During major rain events, like Hurricane Sandy, stormwater and sewer systems are often inundated.  New storm water rules and guidance allow us to address these serious storm water concerns for communities across the country—especially those with aging infrastructure. We must update stormwater regulations to require that major sewer system upgrades in urban areas account for projected increases in rainfall and provide adequate holding basins to protect towns and communities from flooding, while protecting water quality at the same time.
5. Reduce Carbon Pollution. To avoid increased damage from super storms and other severe weather events, Americans must begin taking steps to reduce carbon pollution. The administration must follow through on its efforts to use the Clean Air Act to limit carbon pollution from power plants and other sources. And it must accelerate development and deployment of innovative clean energy solutions. Until we solve the problem at this level, we’ll be playing catch up after every storm. See my colleague Joe’s Mendelson’s recent piece for more details.

Five Actions that put People, Property and Wildlife at Risk from Storm and Flood Damages

The aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in Rodanthe, North Carolina. Flickr photo by North Carolina Dept. of Transportation

1. Government Subsidization of Development in High Risk Areas. Earlier this year, the Congress passed and the President signed the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 which made significant steps towards ensuring that property owners pay actuarial- or market-based rates for flood insurance. This is important as it helps people understand their risk and lessens floodplain development via the free market. But the bill didn’t go far enough. There are still countless properties that receive federal subsidies for flood insurance, including home owners living behind decertified and failing levees. Until we ensure everybody pays according to risk, we should continue to expect dangerous coastal development.
2. Failure to Prioritize & Harmonize Civil Works Projects. While some improvements have been made to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers planning process, the Corps continues to plan and operate projects that increase flood risks and destroy natural features that protect communities from flooding. Moving forward, Congress must consider the flooding impacts of all projects regardless of their primary purpose. For instance, we must consider the flooding impacts of navigation projects and have the political courage to veto them if these projects put people and property at risk.
3. Destruction of wetlands and streams.  Actions by the Supreme Court, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Environmental Protection Agency over the last decade undermine the Clean Water Act’s ability to prevent destruction of many wetlands and small streams by developers and others. Similarly, lax enforcement of the Farm Bill’s Swampbuster restrictions has exacerbated wetlands loss.  Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Iowa, and Missouri have each lost 85-90 percent of their wetlands and countless headwater streams. Between 1998 and 2004, coastal watersheds in the eastern United States lost almost 1 percent of their freshwater wetlands. Just a 1–percent loss of a watershed’s wetlands can increase total flood volume by almost 7 percent.
4. Backstop State and Federal Insurance Programs: Subsidized government insurance—like the National Flood Insurance Program of Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance Corp—mask risk and encourage unsafe development. And still legislators across the country continue to call for an expansion of these subsidies by creating federal backstops or bailouts for these poorly run programs. We must not move towards this type of dangerous policy.
5. Build with Concrete instead of Mud and Grass: The WRDA 2007 national water policy proposed to “protect the environment” by “protecting and restoring the functions of natural systems and mitigating any unavoidable damage to natural systems,” and by “seeking to avoid the unwise use of floodplains.” The Corps is ignoring these requirements by continuing to promote environmentally destructive and costly structural projects even where less costly and environmentally protective nonstructural and restoration measures would provide better solutions. We need a major change of course to stop building structures that protect those directly behind them and exacerbate downstream flooding and instead use natural, open floodplains to allow rivers room to expand and cover their banks without impacting property.

How You Can Help

By going to the polls this Tuesday, we can show Big Polluters their money is no match for millions of Americans who have the power to elect leaders that will stand up to protect wildlife and fight climate change. Get ready to vote by locating your polling place today, deciding now what time you will vote and making sure that your friends and family have rides to the polls. Let’s Pack the Polls for Wildlife.

A Black Billed Magpie during an early morning walk in Aspen, Colorado. Photo by Melinda Koslow, 2012.

This year the Forum tackled the idea of “Living With the New Normal,” a response to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s actual air temperature measurements that show the U.S. yearly normal temperatures are now 0.5 degrees F higher in 1981 to 2010 than they were from 1971 – 2000.

In parts of the Great Lakes region average air temperature increase is closer to 1 degree F.

Using standards established by the World Meteorological Organization, the 30-year normals are used to compare current climate conditions with recent history. Local weathercasters traditionally use normals for comparisons with the day’s weather conditions.

What does this mean for our planet? I tackle these questions through the framework of the three main points of discussion at the Forum.

How is the planet responding to this new normal?

I’ll bring in a Great Lakes example for this one. The most obvious is probably the recent flash flooding in Duluth, Minnesota. Over two days, more than seven inches (some reports are closer to 9 or 10 inches) of rain fell, breaking rainfall records and causing a raging river through the city.

Precipitation totals for Duluth area June 19-20, 2012. Photo from NOAA, 2012.

Two-thirds of the zoo was under water, said Holly Henry Marketing Director of the Lake Superior Zoo.

The flooding hit wallets also. Early estimates from the state of Minnesota show at least $100 million in damage.

Storm runoff from June flood in Duluth, Minnesota. Photo by NOAA, 2012.

According to the U.S. Global Change Research Program, the Midwest has already experienced a 37% increase in very heavy precipitation since 1958.

The elements are not matching up. While there’s a problem of too much water in Minnesota, Colorado has a problem of too much fire. Record temperatures in the 100 degrees F and dry conditions have made it very difficult for brave firefighters to do their jobs.

NWF’s own Rocky Mountain Regional Center staff tell more detailed personal accounts of the fires here.

Although we have to be careful to attribute short-term events to climate change, what we do know is that these types of extremes and record-breaking events help us to understand the growing risk that the warming atmosphere induces.

Climate is what you affect, weather is what gets you. – Myles Allen

Read more about the effects of climate change on extreme weather patterns in the U.S. Climate Change Science Program’s report Weather and Climate Extremes in a Changing Climate, Regions of Focus: North America, Hawaii, Caribbean, and U.S. Pacific Islands or in climatologist Heidi Cullen’s book The Weather of the Future.

How are we responding to this new normal?

See no evil, hear no evil, say no evil. Photo by Melinda Koslow, 2012.

Flickr/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region, 2010.

This work requires lots of relationships across state, tribal and federal lines and across all sectors of the economy to help wildlife survive these changes. NWF is a leader in practicing climate-smart conservation in all approaches to saving wildlife – ecological restoration (especially in the Great Lakes), planning, urban habitats, understanding how and why we are vulnerable and more.

It can be done.

These actions not only save wildlife, but also help our human habitats deal with a new normal. For example, every wetland we restore helps reduce the impact of flooding and water quality pollution to our cities.

How adapting does not mean accepting.

Flickr/Natalie Lucier, 2009.

Conservationist E.O. Wilson and I. Photo by Melinda Koslow, 2012.

Yet, I still think about those people who emulate the three “wise” monkeys. When will they also respond?

To paraphrase Harvard biologist and famous conservationist, E.O. Wilson, a human response to a message they don’t want to hear is often like this, “First the ridicule, then the outrage, followed by claims of ‘it’s what we’ve been saying for a while.’”

My opinion? It’s really what we’ve been saying for a while.

The glaciers on Mt. Adams are quickly retreating due to climate change Photo: Bryn Fluharty

Water Water Everywhere

According to the Department of Ecology’s Washington State’s Integrated Climate Response Strategy, increases in winter runoff and precipitation and more intense precipitation will lead to more severe flooding in the winter months. For many rivers, this will mean an increase of the magnitude of the 100-year flood under natural conditions. These events are predicted to increase by 20 to 30 percent by 2040, which will put more people in danger and stress our existing flood control systems, such as dams, levees and dykes.

Predictions for Increases in Flooding Under Two Climate Scenarios. Source: Tohver and Hamlet 2010

The Salmon Connection

Climate change will impact salmon by changing the stream flow, changing and decreasing habitat and increasing water temperatures. Exposure to severe floods is predicted to cause an increase in mortality for the eggs and juvenile fish of fall- and winter-spawning fish. These populations include Chinook, coho, chum, sockeye salmon, and bull trout.

Climate change will also result in a significant loss of salmon habitat. By 2090, potential losses in Oregon and Idaho will exceed 40 percent, and will top 22 percent in Washington. Floodplains—essential habitat for salmon—are already degraded, with 71% of Washington State’s floodplains in poor condition. Development continues in these sensitive areas, degrading what little floodplain habitat is left. National Wildlife Federation recognizes this loss of habitat as an important and pressing issue. We have taken the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to court over the impacts of the National Flood Insurance Program on salmon runs in Puget Sound.

It is imperative that we protect existing habitat and restore degraded habitat in order to help save our salmon and help protect against the impacts of climate change. If we do not we will lose a part of our natural history and culture. We have the opportunity to change and must act.

At first the rains come as a light drizzle, tapping out a soothing melody on rooftops and windowpanes. Soon the tempo quickens to a loud drum beat of impending danger. As the rain falls harder and harder the river begins to swell, slowly creeping up its banks. Even the levees that have been constructed to shelter communities from floods are not immune to the growing threat and soon water begins to spill into the land around the river. At one point this land was left free for flooding but then people began to develop along the river. Levees were built and vegetation removed which destroyed the natural processes of the river. With out the natural protection offered from the floodplain the water begins to swirl into the basements and living rooms of the houses. Furniture, family heirlooms, floors and walls are submerged by the flood waters as the residents have to evacuate in a hurry.

This is a scene that is played out over and over again throughout the years and across watersheds. Many homes were insured through FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) which provides subsidized flood insurance for those living in floodplains. The insurance makes it possible for people to rebuild in the same location after a flood. These rebuilt homes only continue to put their owners in danger from floods and negatively impact salmon. As of 2011 Washington state has had 833 repeatedly flooded homes(those that have been flooded three times or more) and cost tax payers $71 million in insurance claims.

A Possible Way Out

When people are flooded out of their homes it takes an emotional and financial toll on the families, many of which were unaware of the extent of danger that living in these areas presents. The FEMA buy out program is a long and complex process that offers the possibility of moving people out of floodplains and restoring the floodplain, helping people and wildlife. This video shows firsthand accounts of flood victims’ experiences with flooding and using the buyout program.

Bad for People and Wildlife

Developing in floodplains puts people in danger and destroys critical habitat for endangered salmon runs in the Puget Sound region. It is for this reason that the National Wildlife Federation is involved in a lawsuit against FEMA. Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) no federal agency can take actions that harm an ESA listed species. By promoting development in floodplains FEMA is violating the ESA and threatening endangered salmon runs and the orcas which rely on salmon for their primary food source.

Moving Forward

Instead of continuing to bail people out of flooded properties FEMA should make it easier for people to move out of the floodplain and to higher, safer ground. This is of particular importance in the face of Climate Change which will cause an increase in extreme events such as flooding. Properties that they do ensure should be safe for people and wildlife.

Click here to view the embedded video.

National Flood Safety Awareness Week

Turn Around Don't Drown poster - National Weather Service

Flooding — a Necessary Disaster

When left to their natural state flooding is an essential part of any river system, providing habitat for wildlife such as salmon and other fish, caring nutrient rich silt onto the floodplain and creating natural meanders in the river channel. Rivers today have been encroached upon by human development with buildings, homes and roads spilling in and filling up the floodplain. The once naturally flowing rivers are then channelized and maintained through levees and dykes which provide a barrier between these areas and the river and provides a false sense of security for those living, working, and traveling in these areas. Development in floodplains harms people and wildlife. If we stop development in floodplains and begin to restore these areas to their natural state we remove ourselves from the problem by giving rivers the space they need and helping to protect people and wildlife.

Flooding and Wildlife

The National Wildlife Federation has filed numerous lawsuits against the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for using the National Flood Insurance Program(NFIP) to subsidize and subsequently promote development in floodplains which negatively impacts Endangered Species such as salmon and orcas in Puget Sound and eight endangered species including Key deer in the Florida Keys among others. Development in floodplains harms wildlife and people. By promoting development in floodplains FEMA is providing not only the means but the need to travel in flood prone areas for work or home. Smart development in regards to floodplains can reduce this danger and can help restore habitat for wildlife.

A functioning floodplain without development Photo by: Bryn Fluharty

It is 2am and my mother wakes me up. I can hear the sound of rain falling heavily outside which meant one thing, flooding at our rental. Every time it rained this hard my mother got the call from her tenants that the basement was flooding, again. This would prompt a late night drive the 15 minutes away where my mother would spend the late part of the evening and early morning digging trenches around the rental until to try and stem the flow of water into the house. As a single mother with two young children she relied on the rental for a significant part of our income and had to take care of issues such as flooding on her own as my brother and I were too young to help.

The problem that we and so many others faced was an issue of poor planning. When my family first bought the property the information was not disclosed to us that it had issues with flooding.  The house is in the Thornton Creek Floodplain and so is particularly vulnerable to flooding. The Thornton Creek watershed runs from Shoreline south into North Seattle and finally empties into Lake Washington at Matthews Beach Park. Like many urban streams and rivers development has encroached upon the creek and does not allow for the natural processes to occur. This does not mean that there is no flooding; it means that flooding will occur and will cause damage to the development that gets in its way.

Living in a floodplain carries with it significant risks to its human inhabitants. Many families like mine incurred thousands of dollars worth of damage as well as emotional stress because of flooding. According to the City of Seattle Thornton Creek has had major incidents in 1996/7, 2003 and 2006 with other s in 1990, 1986, and 1978. In 2007 the area experienced a 100-year storm event which caused flooding despite having the Meadowbrook retaining pond which failed to protect the residents. This initiated a lawsuit against the city by local residents due to damage caused by flooding. As the impacts of climate change continue we will see more events like this.

Development in floodplains is bad for people as well as wildlife. Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, cutthroat trout, steelhead, and rainbow trout have all been found in the creek. The full potential for fish habitat in the creek is in part due to the loss of connectivity to the floodplain and the lack of habitat such as deep pools, large woody debris and riparian cover (click here to find out more about Thornton creek). The removal of these elements are all associated with encroaching development.

Flooding in the house has been greatly reduced in part due to the Meadowbrook Retaining pond as well as significant modifications that my mother made at her expense. As a part time teacher and single mother the flooding acted as a huge financial and emotional drain for my mother and our family. If initial planning had been done in a smart way my family and others in the area would not have had to deal with these issues.

Programs such as the National Floodplain Insurance Program (NFIP) run thorough the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) subsidize development in floodplains. This program encourages development in floodplains and further indebts our government as more claims come through due to damage from flooding. The National Wildlife Federation is working hard to encourage smart development and stop encouraging further development of our floodplains. This will help our wildlife as well as our communities so that I and so many others can enjoy the sound of rain instead of worrying that it is simply the drum beat of impending flooding.

Do you have stories about flooding? We want to hear them!

Flooding happens when you build in floodplains. So why does the government pay people to do it? Photo credit: Washington DOT

Building in floodplains is very bad for salmon (and lots of other wildlife).  It takes away the habitat they need to survive.  And that is bad for people.  It also puts people in harm’s way when the floods come.  And in the Pacific Northwest, more floods are coming all the time because of changing weather patterns caused by climate change.

Unfortunately, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) encourages construction in floodplains by offering artificially low-cost flood insurance.  They undercut the private insurance industry and spend our tax dollars to make it cheaper for businesses to build in places that destroy the Northwest’s ecology and fish.  It is plain and simple goofy. 

To read more or to hear NWF floodplains expert Dan Siemann discuss the issue in the state of Washington on the radio, check out this story.  Or see our webpage.  And if you are wondering whether this story applies to where you live: heck yes it does.  FEMA subsidizes construction in floodplains around the country even while the federal agencies charged with protecting the environment tell us it is a terrible idea.

1. Highlight of the Week: NWF Reminds House, Pipelines Dangerous
2. Quote: Bill McKibben
3. Economic Story of the Week: Plug it In
4. Editorial of the Week: The Risks of the Keystone XL Pipeline
5. Shelter from the Storms
6. Coalition Drops More Than 600,000 Comments Like They’re Hot
7. Butte Goes Off the Grid
8. Happening this Week

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Highlight of the Week

NWF Reminds House, Pipelines Dangerous

Dr. Inkley and Rep. Brown, via NWF

In the wake of yet another tragic oil spill, NWF Senior Scientist Doug Inkley did his best to impress upon a House pipelines subcommittee that oil spills are far too frequent and better pipeline safety legislation is urgently needed.

“Montana’s people, fish, and wildlife didn’t deserve this oil spill in the Yellowstone River, but they do deserve a better response from ExxonMobil and the federal government,” Dr. Inkley testified in a hearing that included testimony from Exxon and the government’s chief pipeline safety official.

Rep. Corrine Brown, ranking Democrat on the House Transportation Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials, later invited Dr. Inkley to work with the committee in shaping good reform legislation.

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Quote:

Bill McKibben (via Energy Action Coalition)

“If you dig up huge amounts of carbon, huge amounts of ancient biology, hundreds of millions of years worth of ancient biology, and flush it into the atmosphere in a matter of decades, then it stands to reason that we’re going to have enormous effects, and now we can see those effects all around us.”

- Bill McKibben, founder 350.org.

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Economic Story of the Week

Plug it In

Converted Prius Plug-In Hybrids, via felixkramer/flickr

Our transportation sector is 95 percent dependent on oil, putting us at the mercy of unpredictable gas price spikes and the whims of foreign dictators who control the vast reserves of oil that are the source of our addiction. As more and more consumers from developing countries such as China and India enter the global marketplace and demand the same luxuries we are privileged to, reserves will only be strained further. How will we cope with increasing demand but dwindling reserves? More drilling is NOT the answer.

The people of Montana are learning all too well the consequences of our rush to drill without giving safety considerations a second thought. Hauntingly similar to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, on June 30th, an Exxon Mobil pipeline ruptured and spewed thousands of gallons of oil into the Yellowstone River. The extent of the damage is still unknown.

Cheap oil is tapped out and what is left is in ever more dangerous sites and requires more destructive methods to extract. It is time we take control of our energy future and demand from our leaders real solutions to the energy crisis. The tools to cut our dependence on oil are already available. Increased fuel efficiency, electric vehicles and investment in mass transit, not only sever our reliance on oil, but save Americans money and create jobs at home.

Learn more with NWF’s new factsheet resource, “Taking Control: Real Solutions to Rising Gas Prices.”

More on this story:

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Editorial of the Week

The Risks of the Keystone XL Pipeline

(LA Times)

TransCanada has a poor record when it comes to spills. Its first pipeline, Keystone I, has already sprung more than a dozen leaks in its first year of operation. The State Department is promising to make a decision on Keystone XL before the end of the year, and the House Energy and Commerce Committee is pushing for approval by Nov. 1, but there is no rush. The environmental risks should be thoroughly studied and mitigation measures must be put in place.

The objections to Keystone XL stem at least in part from widespread concern over the production of oil from tar sands, which ravages the landscape, pollutes rivers and emits high concentrations of greenhouse gases. The best way to solve the tar sands problem is for the world to agree on a practical scheme for putting a price on carbon emissions. (More…)

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Shelter from the Storms

flooding, via Wimmera/Flickr

With hurricane season well underway and the remnants of severe floods still troubling many river communities in the country’s midsection, it is difficult to ignore the risks out-of-control waters pose to all Americans. Recently, the House of Representatives voted to reform the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), advancing measures that will better protect people, property and the environment. H.R. 1309, the Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2011, removes incentives for risky developments in flood prone and environmentally sensitive areas, applies market-based rates to flood insurance to further mitigate risk and provides technical and financial assistance to help lessen damage and protect natural features.

“Reforming the NFIP is certainly a step in the right direction. It will help put the program on firmer financial footing, and it will better protect people by using the best science to map flood zones,” said Joshua Saks, senior legislative representative for water resources campaigns at the National Wildlife Federation.

With climate change causing more intense storms, sea level rise and flooding all across the country, this reform measure could not be timelier. We look forward to working with the House, Senate and Administration to see a comprehensive reform bill signed into law this year.

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Coalition Drops More Than 600,000 Comments Like They’re Hot

via dharma comm/flickr

A coalition of more than 50 health, environmental and associated organizations held a major public event to hand over more than 600,000 public comments to the Environmental Protection Agency. These comments, collected all over the country, express concern over the impacts of mercury pollution generated by coal fired power plants and support for the EPA’s proposed safeguards.

The event was held at Norman B. Leventhal Park across the street from the regional EPA office and included a broad spectrum of speakers, including EPA Region 1 Administrator Curt Spalding. It’s not too late to submit your own comments, click here to tell the EPA how you feel about mercury poisoning our water and our wildlife.

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Butte Goes Off the Grid

Solar Panels in Butte, Great Valley Center

Butte College recently became the first college in the U.S. to go completely “grid positive,” meaning it generates more electricity (from its on-campus solar array) than it uses.

Located on a 928-acre wildlife refuge, the Oroville, CA, school boasts a long track record of leadership on sustainability and efficiency. Butte won NWF’s 2008 ‘Chill Out’ grand prize for its carbon neutrality and energy usage goals, Sustainability Studies certificate program and recycling initiatives and was later featured in the Campus Report Card, a project by NWF and Princeton Survey Research Associates International to review trends and new developments in environmental performance and sustainability on college campuses. Butte was recognized for high marks in energy efficiency, recycling and ground management.

To learn more about Butte’s sustainability work, visit http://www.butte.edu/sustainability/
Statement from Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom

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Happening this Week

Wednesday, July 20

Examination of USDA Energy and Forestry Programs, Agriculture, 10 AM, 1300 Longworth
Hearing on Yellowstone spill, Environment and Public Works, 10 AM, 406 Dirksen
Hearing on Gulf spill, Commerce, Science and Transportation, 2:30 PM, 253 Russell

Thursday, July 21

Markup of drilling bills, Energy and Natural Resource, 10 AM, 366 Dirksen
Cool Roofs for Cooler Summers, EESI, 2 – 3:30PM, SVC 212/210 Capitol Visitor Center

Coming Soon: Wednesday, July 27

More Fight, Less Fuel: The Defense Department’s Deployment of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, 2:00 – 3:30 PM, SVC 212/210 Capitol Visitor Cent

Back to topFor more global warming news on Wildlife Promise click here.