NWF: Inexcusable for EPA Nominee to be Denied Fair Vote

May 9- Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Republicans announced a boycott of today’s hearing on the confirmation of Gina McCarthy as Environmental Protection Agency administrator.

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

“Given Gina McCarthy’s long record of non-partisan public service, it’s inexcusable for her nomination to be politicized by senators prioritizing industrial polluters over public health protection. She’s answered every question put to her and her record of protecting America’s wildlife, clean air and water, and public lands is rock-solid. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee should set aside partisanship and instead serve the American people by giving Gina McCarthy the clean up-or-down confirmation vote she deserves.”

Take Action to support a speedy decision.

Sportsmen Back Sensible Fracking Regulations

May 8 – As the Interior Department prepares to release new federal fracking regulations, a sportsmen’s coalition is urging officials to make sure the rules will adequately protect air and water quality, fish and wildlife.

The update to oil and gas drilling methods on federal and tribal lands is the first in about 30 years, Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development noted Tuesday. Meanwhile, the process of hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” has significantly changed, opening previously inaccessible land to development.

“The reality is the technology and methods have changed since the original rule was put in place. Today, millions of gallons of fluids and chemicals are injected underground at high pressure,” said Brad Powell, Senior Policy Director for Trout Unlimited’s Sportsmen Conservation Project. “We know there are a lot of good companies doing the right thing. But it’s critical to have safeguards in place. We can’t run the risk of contaminating groundwater or surface water and endangering people, fish and wildlife.”

Learn more about the negative environmental effects of hydraulic fracturing here.

National Wildlife Federation Expert Appointed to New Committee on Climate Change and Natural Resources

May 8 – The National Wildlife Federation’s Director of Climate Change Adaptation, Dr. Bruce Stein, has been selected to serve as a member of the newly-established federal Advisory Committee on Climate Change and Natural Resource Science by Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell.

“We urgently need to understand how climate change will impact wildlife and their habitats, so that we can take appropriate actions to enhance their chances for survival,” said Stein. “The Department of the Interior is working hard to improve the scientific basis for wildlife conservation in an era of global warming, and I am honored to have been invited to serve on this new Advisory Committee.”

“Responding to climate change and its effects on our natural and cultural resources is an important priority for the nation,” said Secretary Sally Jewell. “This committee embodies our commitment to working closely with our partners to strengthen our efforts to develop sound science that will help inform policymakers, land managers and the public in making important resource management decisions.”

The new committee will provide guidance on the Interior Department’s climate change adaptation science initiatives, including the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center and the recently established Department of Interior Climate Science Centers.

Read Bruce Stein’s profile and learn more about NWF’s climate-smart conservation work.

Senator Chambliss Honored for Farm Bill Conservation Leadership

May 8 – Georgia Wildlife Federation, the state’s oldest and largest conservation organization, and National Wildlife Federation, the nation’s largest conservation organization, today recognized U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) in his Capitol Hill office with a Conservation Service Award for his leadership in promoting natural resource conservation in the Farm Bill. Presenting the award were Todd Holbrook, president and CEO of Georgia Wildlife Federation and Matt Nichols, chairman of GWF, with Jim Lyon, vice president for Conservation Policy for National Wildlife Federation.

In presenting the award, Holbrook cited Senator Chambliss’ leadership in last year’s Farm Bill floor debate, when the Senator successfully sponsored an amendment to re-attach basic natural resource protections to crop insurance premium subsidies. The protections—called conservation compliance—require subsidy recipients to forgo draining wetlands (Swampbuster) or farming highly erodible lands without a soil conservation plan (Sodbuster).

“Senator Chambliss’ leadership on this issue has been critical to protect our natural resources and Georgia taxpayers’ wallets,” said Holbrook.

Click here to learn more about the Farm Bill and how it effects America’s wildlife habitats.

Planting the Seeds for Gardening With Kids

May 8- Spring isn’t just a beautiful time to enjoy the outdoors, it is also a great time to get outside with your kids and start your own family garden. A new guide, titled “Get Your Family’s Garden Growing”released by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) shows just how easy and fun it can be to garden with your kids. The new guide is part of the National Wildlife Federation’s Be Out There movement and is being released in celebration of May is Garden for Wildlife Month.

Report: Advancing Landscape-Scale Conservation in North America’s Coastal Temperate Rainforests

May 6- North America’s resource managers and conservation practitioners protect and preserve our lands, waters, and wildlife in the face of land use change, development pressure, and now, climate change. To help ensure our resource managers and conservationists will be able to protect and preserve the places and wildlife we cherish in light of climate change, National Wildlife Federation worked with the North Pacific Landscape Conservation Cooperative (NPLCC) and University of Washington Climate Impacts Group to identify climate change-related challenges, needs, and opportunities for conservation in North America’s coastal temperate rainforests and coasts. The 195 resource managers, conservation practitioners, and researchers we engaged requested four types of support to address the challenges they face: decision-support systems and tools; collaboration and other capacity-building activities; new or different science, data and information; and, science communication and outreach.

Download the full report: Advancing Landscape-Scale Conservation: An Assessment of Climate Change-Related Challenges, Needs, and Opportunities for the NPLCC (pdf)

Read the Wildlife Promise blog: 4 New Insights for Climate-Smart Conservation

And now here are highlights from NWF in the news:

• ABC News: Hiking With Babies and Tots: Trail Options Grow
• NPR: Big Ag Agrees to Conserve Cropland, But At What Cost?
• Fairfax Times: Middle schooler wins national youth environmental reporting award
• Port Clinton News Herald: More massive algal blooms likely
• Times-Picayune: Using the Mississippi River to rebuild Louisiana’s coast: David Muth
• Sierra Sun Times: Ranger Rick and The National Wildlife Federation Visit Sierra Foothill Charter School
• Denver Post: Creek spill an overdue wakeup call
• North Country Public Radio: NWF expands challenge to new invasive rules
• Journal-Sentinel: Wildlife Federation sues to allow New York state to toughen ballast standards

For more visit www.nwf.org/news

Resource managers and conservation practitioners work to preserve, protect, and understand the lands, waters, and wildlife of our country. What do these professionals need in order to address the challenges posed by climate change in their work? We spent a year asking 195 natural and cultural resource managers, conservation practitioners, and researchers this question.

These professionals work along the west coast of North America in the North Pacific Landscape Conservation Cooperative (NPLCC) region. This is a dynamic and beautiful place filled with dense evergreen forests, spectacular coastlines, some of America’s longest rivers, and such iconic species as salmon, orca, and grizzly bear. While their toolbox is full of strategies and actions applied over the decades, they requested more support to address the particular challenges presented by climate change.

Decision-support systems and tools

By gathering the most relevant documents, data, and other resources in one place, decision-support systems and tools enable managers and decision makers to make more informed decisions. For the managers, conservation practitioners, and researchers we engaged, decision-support systems and tools were the most requested type of support. These systems and tools may include:

• Maps showing where a particular type of habitat is located
• Climate change vulnerability assessments for a specific forest, beach or other location
• Computer- or web-based tools that visualize climate change impacts, alternative ways to respond to impacts, and the pros and cons of choosing one alternative over another

Collaboration and other capacity-building activities

The NPLCC region traverses the Pacific coastline from southern Alaska to northwest California. It crosses state and national boundaries and encompasses federal, tribal, state, and non-governmental jurisdictions. As such, the professionals we engaged emphasized the need to pursue projects and plans that meet the objectives of multiple partners working to address climate change effects on diverse ecosystems. They also emphasized the need to work together to maintain or improve the health and status of the region’s ecosystems over time; in other words, to build or maintain landscape resilience over time. Requested capacity-building activities include:

Bald eagles are found in much of the NPLCC region. Credit: Robert Palmer

• Guidance such as “Best Management Practices” manuals that outline how to incorporate climate change considerations into planning efforts. Or, assessments of the pros and cons of applying new or controversial research to make management decisions.
• Case studies of progress or success in climate change adaptation
• Development of synthesis products, such as an assessment of when, where and under what conditions to use tools for climate change analyses and/or planning. Or, a web-based “climate clearinghouse” that compiles contact information, scientific literature on climate change, and/or an inventory of existing research.
• Facilitation of collaboration among people, projects, institutions, and funding sources

New or different science, data and information

Some data gaps and information needs identified by the managers, conservation practitioners, and researchers we engaged are shared throughout the NPLCC region, while others are particular to a specific location or ecosystem.

The beauty and complexity of the region is breathtaking. This is just the type of system scientists would like to model. Credit: Patricia Tillmann

• Hydrologic data (i.e., water data) in Alaska and British Columbia such as data on how much water flows in a stream per year, per season, per month, or per day.
• Regional and local models of ocean conditions. These may include water temperature, patterns of ocean currents, the level of nutrients in the water, and other conditions.
• Scenarios of climate and socioeconomic conditions, developed in collaboration with decision makers and stakeholders. Scenarios are different but equally possible “visions of the future.” They provide specific descriptions of what the future will look like based on hypothetical (or in some cases, real) decisions made today.

Science communication and outreach

The professionals we engaged identified three audiences for targeted communication and outreach: resource managers, conservation practitioners, and researchers; the public and educators; and, decision makers. They also emphasized that promoting effective science communication and outreach will require targeted messaging and a user-to-consumer approach. Examples of requested communication and outreach needs and activities include:

• Use of visualization tools to communicate climate change effects and examine potentially vulnerable areas
• Making the connection between social, economic, and ecological impacts, especially when communicating with decision makers and the public

Learn more and support our work to build capacity to address climate change

Download the full report: Advancing Landscape-Scale Conservation: An Assessment of Climate Change-Related Challenges, Needs, and Opportunities for the NPLCC (pdf)

Learn more about our work to build capacity to address climate change

Take action in the Pacific Region

National Wildlife Federation Announces Young Reporters for the Environment USA Winners

May 3- The National Wildlife Federation (NWF), the U.S. host of the international Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) program, announces the 2013 middle and high school winners of the Young Reporters for the Environment USA (YRE USA) competition. The YRE USA competition had a prestigious jury panel of professionals possessing expertise in the fields of environmental conservation, sustainable development, journalism, photography, videography, and education.

The Young Reporters for the Environment USA program is part of a rapidly-growing international network of international youth engaged in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). It is coordinated by the Foundation for Environmental Education and currently operates in 27 countries.

Click on the article link above for more information on this year’s winners.

For more information on Young Reporters for the Environment, please go to: www.yre-usa.org.

To Protect Great Lakes from Ballast Water Invaders National Wildlife Federation Asks for Restraining Order

May 2- The National Wildlife Federation is asking a federal judge to stop the EPA from implementing a rule that would prohibit the State of New York from strengthening protections against non-native species introduced by ballast water discharges.

The motion was filed yesterday in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

“The people, businesses and communities that have paid a steep price from aquatic invasive species deserve strong protections that shut the door on ballast water invaders once and for all,” said Marc Smith, senior policy manager at the National Wildlife Federation’s Great Lakes Regional Center. “Our action today seeks to stop the EPA from blocking efforts to get the State of New York to do enough to prevent the introduction of more aquatic invasive species.”

The stakes are high in the effort to protect the Great Lakes. Ballast water invaders have altered the Great Lakes ecosystem from top to bottom and cause at least $200 million per year in damages and control costs.

National Wildlife Federation Announces 2013 Results for the Campus Conservation Nationals Competition

May 1- The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) in partnership with Lucid Design Group, the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and the Alliance to Save Energy, announces the 2013 results for the Campus Conservation Nationals Competition (CCN), the largest nationwide electricity and water reduction competition on college and university campuses.

From February 4 through April 26, 2013, students, faculty and staff switched off unused electronics, took shorter showers, and turned off lights in common areas, all to see who could save the most. Participants organized events, utilized social media, and launched creative marketing campaigns to motivate their peers to take personal actions and encourage changes in building operations. Through thousands of direct actions and collective effort, CCN participants demonstrated that personal actions can significantly reduce energy use and advance the sustainability of their schools.

To learn more about the results of the competition, visit CompeteToReduce.org/results

May Is Garden For Wildlife Month

April 29- From bird watchers to butterfly lovers, people across the country are transforming their gardens into havens for wildlife in celebration of National Wildlife Federation’s Garden for Wildlife Month and its Certified Wildlife Habitat™ program.

“May is a wonderful time to get gardening and a great time to attract some of nature’s most beautiful creatures to your yard,” said David Mizejewski, Naturalist and Personality for the National Wildlife Federation. “Taking simple steps in your garden to encourage wildlife is not only personally rewarding it also provides myriad benefits to animals and ecosystems.”

This year’s Garden for Wildlife Month’s feature species is thehummingbird, which was the winner of a recent online survey to select this year’s feature animal. Hummingbirds are a prime example of the beauty one can expect to see as a result of careful planting. 

For more information about Garden for Wildlife Month, gardening tips, resources, and certifying a Wildlife Habitat with NWF, please go to: www.nwf.org/gardenforwildlife.

New Report: Heavy Rain Exacerbating Farm Runoff, Worsening Toxic Algae Blooms In Lake Erie

April 29 – As the Great Lakes region experiences massive flooding due to weeks of heavy rain, a new report from the National Wildlife Federation examines how intense rain events are exacerbating farm runoff and contributing to record toxic algal blooms in Lake Erie that impact public health, drinking water supplies and wildlife. The report warns that the storms driving harmful algal blooms will only become more common due to global warming.

“Lake Erie is experiencing a one-two punch of heavy rains and farm run-off that is influencing the magnitude of toxic algal blooms,” said report author Melinda Koslow, regional program manager at the National Wildlife Federation’ Great Lakes Regional Center. “Global warming will only exacerbate this urgent problem. Thankfully, there are solutions to help farmers and communities protect our Lakes, environment and economy.”

 Read the report at: www.nwf.org/TakenByStorm

New Radio Ad Thanks Sen. Collins for Saying No to Dirty Air Budget Proposals, Voting for a Clean Budget

April 29- The National Wildlife Federation launched a new ad in Maine today thanking Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) for her opposition to dirty air budget proposals, which would have gutted Environmental Protection Agency clean air standards that protect the health of Americans.

The ads will be accompanied by a “takeover” of the Bangor Daily News website Monday through Wednesday, and the Portland Press Herald website on Thursday. They express thanks for Sen. Collins’ opposition to cynical anti Clean Air Act amendments during Senate budget debates in March that would have blocked the EPA’s historic Carbon Pollution Standard, the Mercury and Air Toxics Standard (MATS), as well as other clean air standards and public health protections.

“We are thanking Senator Collins for putting wildlife and public health ahead of corporate polluters’ profits,” said Jim Lyon, vice president for conservation policy at the National Wildlife Federation. “America’s sportsmen want our members of Congress to stand strong for our air, water, wildlife and public lands. Congress shouldn’t ever use the budget process to replace important clean air and water protections with dangerous, dirty and deadly pollution.”

Listen to the ad here.

And now here are highlights from NWF in the news:

• Bloomberg News: Enbridge Expansion Could Turn Into Keystone-Like Fight
• Forbes.com: The Price Of Investing In Sin
• The Journal Sentinel :  Wildlife Federation sues to let New York State toughen ballast standards
• NorthJersey.com: May is National Wildlife Federation’s “Garden for Wildlife” month
• Equities.com: 300,000 Students Compete in Campus Conservation Nationals 2013 and Save Over Two Million kWh of Electricity and 1.6 Million Gallons of Water
• Denver Post: Creek spill an overdue wakeup call

 For more visit www.nwf.org/news

 Guest post by Tim Gestwicki, CEO of North Carolina Wildlife Federation.

If you’re a sportsman here in North Carolina, you’re pretty thankful for the Nantahala, for John’s River, Sandy Marsh & Elk Knob. You give thanks for the Tar River, and Lake Mattamuskeet.

And while you’re at it you give a heartfelt thanks to senator Hagan, who has protected our forests, lakes and streams by voting to support reducing the mercury & industrial carbon pollution that threatened to ruin them, protecting our hunting and fishing industry that brings 3.3 million dollars annually to our state.

So let’s take a moment and give thanks to the Roanoke River, the Cape Fear wetlands and Wilson Creek. And let’s thank Senator Hagan for standing up for them, and for our outdoor heritage.

These words of thanks for the incredible public lands and natural places in North Carolina—which you may hear on your radio here in North Carolina—are why outdoorsmen like me took notice of Senator Hagan’s vote to support reducing mercury and carbon pollution during last month’s budget votes.

Positive Votes on Climate

Buried among the hundreds of budget votes that the Senate took were some positive votes towards confronting climate change.

Majorities of senators—including Senator Hagan—voted to support key Clean Air Act provisions allowing the Environmental Protection Agency to limit the amount of industrial carbon and mercury pollution fouling our skies.

Congress shouldn’t use the budget to cut important protections against air pollution that harms our public lands and air.  North Carolina Senator Hagan deserves our thanks for opposing the harmful amendment.

Thank Senator Hagan

Tell Senator Hagan “Thank you for voting line with your concern about climate change by supporting the Clean Air Act” on Facebook.

Send her a tweet saying Thanks @SenatorHagan for your support of climate & @EPAgov during budget votes.”

Tim Gestwicki is CEO of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation (NCWF) with over 20 years in non- profit conservation work.  A sportsman who helped lead the building of an elite, formidable conservation organization recognized for effective and efficient work statewide, regionally and nationally, Tim has established a one of kind wildlife habitat coalition comprised of sporting and land conservation groups to work in unified fashion on agriculture, farm bill and private lands habitat efforts; and has initiated new wildlife habitat programs for developers, places of worship, and islands.  Tim enjoys hunting and fishing in NC from the mountains to the coast.

Majorities of senators–including Senators King and Collins–voted to support key Clean Air Act provisions allowing the Environmental Protection Agency to limit the amount of industrial carbon and mercury pollution fouling our skies.

Congress shouldn’t use the budget to cut important public health protections against air pollution, and Maine Senator Angus King and Senator Susan Collins both deserve our thanks for opposing these amendments.

Thank Senator King for Climate Votes

Tell Senator King “Thank you for voting in-line with your concern about climate change by supporting the Clean Air Act!” on Facebook.

 Send him a tweet saying Thanks @SenAngusKing for your support of climate & @EPAgov during budget votes.”

Sen. King’s votes were clearly in line with his stated concerns about climate change and support for the Clean Air Act.

Thank Senator Collins for Her Climate Vote

  Tell Senator Collins “Thank you for putting Maine’s interests ahead of party politics by voting against the last attack on the Clean Air Act” by leaving a comment on one of her Facebook posts.

 Send her a tweet saying “Thanks @SenatorCollins for your support of climate & @EPAgov during budget votes. Pls step up on #KXL tar sands pipeline.”

Sen. Collins deserves special recognition because she put Maine’s interests ahead of party politics by voting against this attack on the Clean Air Act. She was the only Republican to cross party lines and support these common-sense clean air rules.

Congress Must Champion Clean Air

Polls show super-majorities of the American people support action on air pollution. Two-thirds of voters say elected officials should take steps now to reduce the impact of climate change on future generations, according to a Zogby post-election poll last November.

We need members of Congress to step up and champion clean air standards instead of looking for ways to undermine these vital clean air protections. Congress should protect the health and well-being of the people they represent, not the economic bottom line of big polluters.

As the Environmental Protection Agency works to finalize landmark limits on industrial carbon pollution under the Clean Air Act, the message is clear: The American people support climate action. Let’s get this done.

The opening session on Tuesday featured key note addresses by Leo W. Gerard from the United Steelworkers (USW) and Dr. David Danielson from the U.S. Department of Energy. The following panel featured Bryan Walsh from TIME magazine, Kevin J. Anton from Alcoa, Kevin Knobloch from the Union of Concerned Scientists, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse from Rhode Island, as well as Mr. Gerard from the USW. The discussion focused on bringing climate change to the national agenda, a few highlights include:

• Kevin J. Anton from Alcoa – “If you want to go fast, go by yourself; if you want to go strong, go together.” The goal of making climate change a national issue, of getting Congress to address it needs to be a collective effort – all the groups gathered here today, the USW, Sierra Club, General Motors, Kaiser Aluminum, and others need to work together.
• U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse – Two things prompt legislative action – 1) disasters (like Super Storm Sandy), and 2) Executive action that forces the issue. This needs to change.

And the closing speaker for the morning was Jacqueline Patterson from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); Jacqueline had many words of wisdom, inspiration, and hope for the future of the U.S. and greener, healthier jobs, but one thing she said stuck the longest and strongest: “We need to get money out of politics.” It’s true, but how?

My next stop during the day was a session under Tools for the Clean Economy on offshore wind, called “Build Here, Build Now: The Case for an American Offshore Wind Energy Industry.” Offshore wind is very important to me for a couple of reasons. I live in Virginia, we are a coastal state, and currently we have no wind energy – on land, or offshore. But we do have wind! Last fall, the U.S. Department of Energy awarded Dominion Power a $4 million grant for an offshore wind energy test project. So wind is a real opportunity for Virginia, and other coastal states, as well as the Great Lakes.

This session featured future plans for developing offshore wind in the U.S., including a new project that will be launched soon in New Bedford, Massachusetts, “New Bedford Will Host Marine Commercial Terminal to Support Offshore Wind,” and also spotlighted existing offshore wind installations in Germany. We look to Europe for the expertise on offshore wind – Germany, Scotland, and others. Dirk Scheelje from the Ministry of Science and Research, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, talked about existing installations, future projects, and highlighted the point that this was an opportunity for the workforce not only on the coast, but throughout the country. Many of the presenters had great photos to share of offshore wind installations and components, but they were all from overseas, hopefully soon we will have some photos of our own to share. New Bedford should soon.

I also discovered a great new resource at the GJGJ conference, www.ChemHAT.org. ChemHAT — the Chemical Hazard and Alternatives Toolbox — is a new internet database designed to offer up easy-to-use information that can help protect individual workers, their families and co-workers against the harm that chemicals can cause; “ChemHAT is based on the simple idea that when we know how a chemical can hurt us we can take protective action.” You simply go to the website and enter in the chemical you want to learn about. I also learned some very unsettling facts about chemical management and effects:
• Our workforce is exposed to 10,000 different chemicals;
• The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) manages 16 of them;
• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires a listing of about 200 others;
• 40,000 workers have died because exposure to toxins; and
• Women working in the auto manufacturing or plastics industries are 5 times more likely to get breast cancer.

The Good Jobs, Green Jobs Conferences was a great experience. It highlighted all the great work that is being done, but also revealed all the important work that still needs to be done.

So, why do we want President Barack Obama and Secretary John Kerry to approve construction of the Keystone pipeline from Alberta to the Gulf of Mexico?

Tar sands protesters at the “Forward on Climate” rally (photo: 350.org)

• Because it will allow Canada to double and then triple production of tar sands and send it to thirsty Asian consumers.
• Because it will encourage Wall Street to increase investment in tar sands mining; they’re worried now that increased amounts of tar sands can’t get out of Canada without more pipeline capacity. All the other new pipeline routes are currently being blocked by citizen campaigns in Canada and the U.S.
• Because, if we wait too much longer, Americans will realize this has nothing to do with U.S. energy security. In reality, only a small portion will be used in the United States. Oil companies can get a higher price for these fuels in Asia.
• Because it will allow Canada to say once and for all that it is no longer possible for their country to commit to a national greenhouse gas reduction target.
• Because it will create a strong incentive for Canada to continue obstructing international climate negotiations. Canada definitely doesn’t want to look like a laggard if others are moving forward. Far better to continue slowing the international process as it has been doing the last eight years.
• Because it will embolden Canadian oil industry and government representatives to continue interfering with American clean energy policymaking that offers incentives for cleaner fuels and vehicles.
• Because it will provide additional momentum to Canadian efforts to lobby Europeans against passing a clean fuels directive. If the Americans don’t take a stand, it will be harder for the Europeans to stick their necks out.
• Because it will embolden Canada’s current government to continue cracking down on Canadian civic interests and companies, who are opposed to tar sands development.
• Because it will strengthen Canada’s determined march to becoming a major petro state.
• Because once it is unstoppable, people will stop worrying about runoff into the North Canadian Athabascan watershed, or the increase in cancers in indigenous peoples living downstream; these are a small price to pay for billions in tar sands revenues.
• Because the economic benefits will overwhelm the costs of inevitable pipeline spills of nearly impossible-to-clean-up tar sands bitumen across more than 1,000 miles of American territory.
• Because it will create social license for deforesting an area the size of Florida and turning it into the globe’s largest open pit strip mine.
• Because it will provide 3,900 temporary jobsfor oil pipeline construction while undercutting electric vehicle and alternative fuels markets being developed south of the border; god forbid those industries take off before we can get the tar sands deposits out.

Michigan’s Kalamazoo River, the site of the largest inland oil spill in US history (photo: MI Department of Environmental Quality)

• Because it will take the wind out of the sails of America’s first real citizen climate movement (that demonstration on the mall was worrisome), and reduce pressure on President Obama to be bold on climate change and clean energy during his final term in office.
• Because it will dampen enthusiasm among a large number of Obama voters, supporters, and donors, who are alarmed about climate change and who have let it be known that they don’t want this pipeline built; this will further disempower pro-environment democrats contemplating clean energy and climate policy.
• Because it will put a damper on clean energy investment in general.
• Because Americans will complain less that increased imports of tar sands will increase the average amount of greenhouse gas emissions from a barrel of oil if they are all driving with tar sands in their gas tanks.
• Because it will encourage and give a green light to other countries who want to exploit their own deposits of more greenhouse intensive fossil fuels.
• Because it will support the globe’s dependency on gasoline for its automobile fleets.
• Because it will make oil companies richer and more powerful.
• Because it will make it more difficult to resist the current oil based economic system.
• Because, once approved, we can lower the volume on the massive campaign of criticism being directed at President Obama by the oil industry.
• And once we’ve finished this campaign, we can start pounding the president about Arctic drilling.

That’s why!

This article originally appeared in the Huffington Post and is reprinted with permission of the author. Michael Northrop is a Program Director for the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund or National Wildlife Federation.

Protect people and wildlife from the dangers of tar sands spills and climate change — Tell President Obama to say NO! to the Keystone XL pipeline.

According to the poll, skepticism that has plagued many climate change champions in recent years has given way to greater acceptance and growing concern amongst the general population.  The resurgence comes at a pivotal time in the battle to solve the climate crisis and prevent further, perhaps irrevocable damage to the Earth and its ecosystems and wildlife.

Will voters rise up en masse to tell politicians to say no to dirty deeds like tar sands and coal exports?

Digging Into the Numbers

• Gallup reports that an average of 58%of Americans say they are worried a “great deal” or “fair amount” about global warming.  While below the apex of 72% reported between 1999 and 2001, it’s up sharply in the last two years from the 51% recorded in 2011.
• 78% of Americans professed some level of concern about global warming with 33% having said they worried “a great deal,” 25% “a fair amount,” and 20% “only a little.”
• 54% of Americans believe that global warming has already started to alter the climate which is also an upward trend after a recent dip in belief over the last several years.    At the same time, Americans are also reporting higher confidence in media coverage of global warming and acknowledging a broadening consensus amongst scientists.
• Up 10% over the past four years, 62% of Americans believe that scientists are in agreement that global warming is in fact occurring; this is the closest public opinion has gotten to the peak of 65% observed between 2006 and 2008.
• The new poll also shows human accountability trending back upward as 57% of Americans say they believe global warming to be the result of human activities.  This represents a 7% rebound since 2010 in which 50% of the population felt similar responsibility.

To round out the current picture of the American public’s opinion on climate change is the question of whether Americans feel as if all this has any effect on their lives. How immediate do average Americans feel the threat actually is to themselves and their families?  Or to stick with the AC/DC theme, do voters think we’re on a “highway to hell?”

Not Enough Concern

The results to this question are more disparaging to the climate change debate as the upward trend in this case means more people feel climate change isn’t a serious threat to them in their lifetime.  Those who believe otherwise make up a mere 34%, which matches the historical average.  In other words, there has been no change in this line of thinking since these polls began in 1998.

So with all this progress and getting back in black, we’re not there yet.  Moving forward, the challenge that remains in keeping things on a positive upswing in the mind of the public and the health of the planet, is getting public opinion in concert with real-time events like the recent Superstorm Sandy or the ongoing and very immediate changes happening right now to the climate and the balance of its ecosystems and the wildlife they sustain.

If you’re feeling thunderstruck that anyone could doubt the connection between man-made carbon pollution and climate change, it’s in your hands to help spread the scientific truth.  If someone mentions weird weather–from droughts to heat waves to wildfires–mention global warming and that you hope our leaders act to cut carbon pollution.  You don’t need to know every single scientific fact–send them to nwf.org/ExtremeWeather and climate scientist Dr. Amanda Staudt will do the heavy lifting for you.

So whatever motivates you best—whether it’s protecting wildlife, working to save the planet, positive cash flow, or simply rockin’ out—keep on keepin’ on, because our work isn’t done here and good work never is.

The Environmental Protection Agency is finalizing historic limits on the industrial carbon pollution that’s fueling climate change.  Tell President Obama:  For those about to act, we salute you.

New guide addresses parents’ weather-related concerns around letting kids enjoy outdoor playtime

March 27 – The new weather guide emphasizes the growing disparity between kids and outdoor play time, some of which is brought about by misguided weather concerns. The Forecast Calls for Play (pdf) reports that 61 percent of parents cite weather as the number one reason their kids do not get outside. According to the guide, parents’ aversion to letting their kids play outside in less-than-perfect weather is depriving them of the many physical and mental benefits outdoor play can provide.

“This guide shows that children are safe to play outside in most kinds of weather barring the extremes,” said Lindsay Legendre, manager of NWF’s Be Out There program. “Regular outdoor play is so important to kids’ healthy development and a little rain shouldn’t stop them from being out there. Parents might enjoy puddle jumping again themselves.”

For more information about fun outdoor activities, please visit our Be Out There page

National Blueprint for Addressing Climate Change Impacts on Wildlife and Habitats

March 26 – National Wildlife Federation welcomes the release today of a long-awaited national strategy for tackling the impacts of climate change on the nation’s plants, animals, and ecosystems. Developed collaboratively by federal, state, and tribal governments the National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy lays out a blueprint for safeguarding wildlife in the face of climate change and increases in extreme weather.

“Climate change is now the most serious threat facing wildlife,” said Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of National Wildlife Federation. “In addition to the urgent need to reduce the carbon pollution driving global warming, we must begin preparing for and addressing the climate impacts already hurting our wildlife heritage and local communities.”

For more on climate adaption, visit our Climate-Smart Conservation page

NWF-Led Coalition Calls for Stronger Tar Sands Pipeline Standards

March 26 – A coalition of landowners, former and current government officials, environmental, renewable energy and sportsmen’s groups filed a petition today with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) asking the agencies to develop stronger safety standards for tar sands oil pipelines.

“As the Kalamazoo River spill and ongoing cleanup show, current standards are failing to protect wildlife, habitats, and water supplies against the unique risks of pipeline transit of sticky, corrosive tar sands,” said Jim Murphy, senior counsel at the National Wildlife Federation. “It’s clear we need tough new standards to protect wildlife, our natural resources and public health. Until the right standards are put into place, we shouldn’t be exposing more communities and resources to tar sands risks.”

The petition effort is spearheaded by the National Wildlife Federation and includes 29 national, state and local organizations as well as 36 landowners from states across the country impacted by existing and proposed tar sands pipelines. It requests a halt to new or expanded tar sands pipelines until adequate rules are in place.

For more on Tar Sands Oil, visit our Climate and Energy page

 And now here are highlights from NWF in the news:

• The Huffington Post: Five Ways to Celebrate National Wildlife Week
• Wall Street Journal: New Requirements for Ballast Water Dumped By Ships
• Washington Post: Keystone Fears Resonate Among New England
• Today Show: Bird Call Girls: Hoda and Molly Ringwald chat with a kookaburra
• Public News Service: Mainers Join to Petition U.S. on Tar Sands Regs
• The Houston Chronicle: Funds to Restore the Gulf

For more visit www.nwf.org/news

NWF’s recent report Wildlife in a Warming World: Confronting the Climate Crisis details how wildlife and wild places across the nation are already dealing with climate change. As we celebrate the many wonderful ways trees touch our lives and benefit wildlife during this year’s National Wildlife Week, we also take a moment to step back and consider what climate change means for trees today and into the future.

Forests Facing New Climate Challenges

The trees that define the landscape in many parts of the United States are expected to undergo significant range shifts in the decades to come. As temperatures increase and patterns of rain/snow change, many tree species will have to find ways to adjust. And, this means that the birds, mammals, and other wildlife that depend on these forests will also have to adjust, not to mention the livelihoods and communities that are closely tied to the many services provided by the forests.

Here are a few examples of what climate change means for our forests:

• In the Rockies, forests are facing major changes as a result of droughts, wildfires, and insect outbreaks, all fueled by the warming conditions. More than 6 million acres of pine forest in Colorado and Wyoming alone have been devastated by mountain pine beetle outbreaks, drastically affecting the heart of the region’s tourism industry. The loss of white-bark pine has wildlife managers worried about the impacts on wildlife—including grizzly bears—that depend on pine nuts as an important food source.
• As the Southwest faces more intense and frequent megadroughts, chances are that we won’t be able to have forests in many of the places they are currently found. A recent study based on tree-ring analysis found that these megadroughts are now happening about 14 percent of the time, up from about 5 percent during the past 1000 years. If we keep polluting at the same rate, the Southwest could be in megadrought conditions 80 percent of the time during the second half of this century.
• In Alaska, forests are already beginning to encroach on the tundra. Wildlife species that are specifically adapted to tundra conditions are especially at risk. For example the arctic fox is facing new competition from forest-adapted red foxes.
• Climate change is projected to make parts of the Northwest much less suitable for many of the conifers for which the region is famous. In Washington State, for example, Douglas fir could be lost from over 32 percent of its current range.
• In the Northeast, spruce-fir forests are expected to recede up mountain slopes as temperatures become too warm for their survival, to be replaced by oak-dominated forests. Eastern hemlock is expected to be lost across most of its U.S. range as warmer winter temperatures allow the destructive hemlock woody aldegid to survive and spread. Many wildlife species rely upon the year-round cover of these evergreen species.

Conservation Approaches Branching Out, Too

Forest and wildlife managers are realizing that our approaches to conservation need to match the new challenges confronting our forests. When making plans for how and where we protect forests, we now need to think about possible shifts in forest ranges, changes in wildfire and pest outbreaks, and the impacts of more heat waves, droughts, and heavy rainfall events.

National Wildlife Federation is helping lead efforts to make conservation efforts climate-smart. For example, in a project to restore Ohio’s Black River, NWF made recommendations about which tree species to plant based on climate model projections of how tree ranges will shift. Our efforts with rural landowners in Alabama have helped them understand the value of longleaf pine as a native species that is more resilient to climate extremes than other pine species.

At the same time, conservationists, city planners, and water managers are looking to trees and forests as a way to increase the resiliency of our communities to climate change. Trees are critical infrastructure for cities and towns, and tree plantings, like those NWF is urging for National Wildlife Week, can help create more shade and reduce the need for air conditioning during heat waves. Healthy forests also help soak up heavy rainfall, reducing the likelihood of downstream floods while providing natural filtration for drinking water.

Don’t Forget Carbon Storage

When it comes to climate change, perhaps the most compelling reason to protect our forests and urban canopies is the crucial role trees play in removing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it for a long time. In fact, the regrowth of trees in the Northeast currently offsets about 16 percent of the nation’s carbon pollution from burning coal, oil, and gas.

Trees are a bigger part of the carbon pollution equation than many people realize.  That’s why NWF is working hard to fight deforestation in the Amazon and support forestry programs here at home. And, that’s why we hope that you’ll take a moment to plant a tree (or even better, a LOT of trees!) this year.