As Congress debates the Farm Bill, National Wildlife Federation encourages you to think about how time on a farm inspires you to protect wildlife.

Take action today and tell your House Representative to pass the Farm Bill with its conservation measures

How Did Time on a Farm Inspire You to Be a Conservationist?

Staff and volunteers from National Wildlife Federation share their farm memories and how it impacts them today:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Get to Know the Storytellers

Cynthia Radcliffe is a long-time and much appreciated volunteer at the National Wildlife Federation’s Great Lakes office doing wolf education. Time on her grandparents’ farm as a child, exploring the woods and pastures, was a critical factor inspiring her lifelong conservation work.

John Gale is a regional representative for National Wildlife Federation in the states of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico and Utah. He builds relationships with sportsmen and other partners in the region. He lives in Colorado now, but grew up in Idaho on a farm. John is inspired to protect wildlife in particular for his daughter, Harlan.

Simone Lightfoot works with National Wildlife Federation on Regional Urban Initiatives. She collaborates with leaders in urban centers throughout the Great Lakes Region to strengthen the work being done on energy and sustainability; green job development; air and water quality; brown field and hazardous waste clean-up; and environmental justice issues. Simone first became interested in conservation when visiting farms with her grandmother.

Day Breitag cultivates relationships with National Wildlife Federation donors from her farm in South Dakota. She grew up in Chicago and has lived in many places, but her heart is now on the farm, where her family competes in rodeos and gets inspired by prairie vistas.

Share Your Farm Stories In the Comments Below

Did time on a farm inspire you to care about conservation?

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

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

National Wildlife Federation, 2013.

The report highlights storm “snapshots” of seasons with heavy rain — the type expected to be more frequent with climate change — and that season’s levels of farm runoff, and subsequent toxic algae blooms.

Why is it toxic if it’s algae? Why does excess farm runoff make a difference?

There is both good and bad algae.

Algae, particularly green algae, play an essential role in forming the base of the aquatic food web. These organisms are one of the most basic forms of life, requiring only light, warm temperatures, carbon dioxide, and nutrients to grow.

Wake from a small boat in July 2011. Credit: NOAA/NCCOS

Climate Change and Heavy Rain

Wet springs, followed by dry summers are the perfect recipe for toxic algal blooms.

Rainfall and its contribution to harmful algal blooms.

Additionally, the seasons are changing. Warm conditions in the late winter or early spring can cause rain on snow events, expanding the time period of runoff potential. Although we identify a few storm snapshots in this report, the wettest spring on record for Ohio produced a memorably massive harmful algal bloom in 2011.  This is an alarming snapshot of disaster to Lake Erie if record-breaking rains and excess nutrient loads continue.

Scientists recently ran climate scenario models that show larger rain events of rainfall amounts of about 1.2 inches, have the potential to be twice as frequent over western Lake Erie basin.

Impacts on Wildlife

Credit: Ron Nichols.

Lake Erie 2010. Credit: Lake Improvement Association\Flick Creative Commons.

But this is Lake Erie, and I don’t live there

Lake Erie is a surrogate example of toxic events happening in other parts of our nation’s waters, including – the Mississippi River, Gulf of Mexico, and Chesapeake Bay. Keeping these waters clean of toxic runoff is highly important to our own health, and the health of wildlife.

Solutions

• Implement farm policy that incentives and assists farmers to apply fertilizer at the right time and the right rate. For example, applications on frozen ground or before a heavy rain will likely wash right off the land and into the waterways. Farmers can prevent fertilizer and money lost by considering any heavy rain in the forecast.
• Support wetlands restoration. Wetlands help filter excess runoff.
• Protect our communities from flooding events expected due to climate change.
• Reduce the chances of record-breaking rain by reducing global warming greenhouse gas emissions through transitioning to a clean energy economy.

Learn More and download Taken By Storm here!

Although many students are also ramping up for exams and summer internships, all across the country student activists hosted earth day events and actions to honor this planet and bring more people into the fight to protect it. In Michigan it looks like it was also a nice opportunity to spend some time outside, appreciating nature and good friends:

Photo from Connor Meston, MSU student.

And of course, Earth Day isn’t the only day students are hosting awesome events and taking action to make our world a more sustainable one. Most of these students are engaged in campaigns that work every day to undertake important sustainability goals on campus, like ending the sale of bottled water, transitioning to renewable energy, and divesting from fossil fuels. Stand in solidarity with these students by taking action today too! Take a minute to prevent oil spills in the Great Lakes by voicing your opposition to Enbridge’s tar sands pipelines. 

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!

South Haven, Michigan – Lake Michigan by Mic Stolz

Web of Pipelines Put Wildlife, Communities at Risk

Despite major issues with pipeline safety regulations and safety regulators telling Enbridge their pipelines are not safe, Enbridge has been allowed to max out pipelines running in, around and through the Great Lakes, so they can increase profit and eventually feed international markets with tar sands. Some of the pipelines being pushed to their limits are 60 years old and run under the Great Lakes for miles!

New and existing tar sands pipelines threaten the Great Lakes. These Lakes are the economic backbone for surrounding states and the freshwater drinking source for millions.

However, Enbridge has finally hit a roadblock that requires public input for one of their lines crossing the U.S. and Canada border – known as Alberta Clipper or Line 67. Enbridge is required to obtain a presidential permit because they plan to greatly increase the amount of tar sands being imported. This permit opens up a door for public comment, which finally gives concerned citizens opportunity to have a voice and to become involved.

Stop Reckless Tar Sands Pipeline Expansion

Now is the time to stand up against these plans and tell the State Department that you strongly oppose Enbridge being allowed to expand their pipelines, which will bring the Great Lakes larger spills and more pollution from refining!

It is critical that we tell the State Department that we value our resources and communities over oil profits. The increased import of tar sands crude is not to benefit the Midwest or the U.S. – Enbridge has already started to pump tar sands south for export and has plans to do the same out east. This means that we are assuming an increased risk of much larger spills, pollution from refining and aiding in the development in Canada’s tar sands region – one of the biggest threats to our global climate.

Straits of Mackinac and location of Enbridge Line 5 – a 60 year old tar sands pipeline running below the surface of the water for almost 5 miles.

Tell the U.S. State Department you value the safety of wildlife, our resources and our communities over oil profits!

Exxon crews try to control and clean-up tar sands oil in Arkansas

Last week, the Exxon pipeline burst near Mayflower, Ark., flooding wetlands and neighborhoods with toxic tar sands dilbit. The pipeline is more than 70 years old and Exxon was recently fined for failing to perform regular maintenance on the line. Very little is known about what’s actually happening, but recent aerial footage has given light to a much bigger problem for this community and Exxon.

Click here to view the embedded video.

NWF has been saying for years that the oil industry is not applying lessons learned from the Enbridge tar sands disaster and this Exxon spill proves that point unbelievably:

• Exxon had to be told that their tar sands pipeline broke as a river of tar sands oil flowed in and around homes and wetlands. Exxon is still working to stop the flow of oil from reaching nearby Lake Conway, which also happens to be the water resources for the nearby communities. Similarly, Enbridge had to be told about their million gallon spill – that tar sands spill went unreported for almost 17 hours and impacted nearly 40 miles of the Kalamazoo River! A State of Emergency was issued by the governor of Michigan to bring in resources to prevent the oil from hitting Lake Michigan.
• Exxon seems to be grossly underestimating the amount of tar sands spilled: they originally reported only 80,000 gallons spilled, but now that figure is closer to 400,000 gallons. Judging by the photos and videos, I would guess the figure will continue to rise. Enbridge also underestimated the original spill amounts, which is still under debate to this day. Enbridge also estimated the clean-up would take weeks, which has now turning into years. This is the same story Exxon is selling to the media and their failure to face the facts continues to cause major delays in the cleanup, which will only continue to impact the communities and wildlife negatively.
• Because of these low spill figures, Exxon has been allowed to get away with a pathetic response and responders are not showing signs of using spill equipment that accounts for the fact that this oil will sink in the wetlands and water impacted. It took Enbridge months to admit that the tar sands heavy crude sank in the river and wetlands, and by that time all the damage had been done. Because response to tar sands spills is much harder and much more expansive, I am guessing that Exxon will continue to try and hide the facts. Enbridge and the EPA are still trying to figure out how to clean-up tar sands oil submerged in the Kalamazoo River.
• Wildlife response is incredibly lacking and continues to be limited by Exxon — due to their potential liability. One group that has stood up in the face of this disaster is Helping Arkansas Wildlife Kritters. We want to thank them for their leadership in response. However, it appears that an Exxon contractor will soon take over all wildlife response efforts. We hope that federal agencies will also step in to ensure that response is being handled properly. It took Enbridge nearly two weeks to have their wildlife center in full gear. In those two weeks, local rescues along the Kalamazoo River tried to take matters into their own hands, but were quickly shut down because Enbridge considered their wildlife response a liability. My heart breaks for the wildlife and people that continue to be impacted.
  

  Tar sands heavy crude, from an Exxon pipeline, overtakes an Arkansas creek

• Transparency is nowhere to be found – leaving impacted residents confused and angry. Exxon has evacuated between 20-40 families and I have a feeling the evacuation zone could increase. It is critical to get people and wildlife out of the impacted area as quickly as possible because the benzene (part of the diluents used to transport tar sands through pipelines) is at unsafe concentrations in the days immediately following a release. Benzene is considered a carcinogen. Enbridge had major delays, but ended up evacuating homes within a few hundred feet of the Kalamazoo River because exposure to the chemicals was a major concern. Because of confusion and delays in those evacuations, over 300 people reported having health issues related to exposure to the tar sands crude. Ultimately, Enbridge ended up buying around 150 homes from families living along the Kalamazoo River because contamination was so widespread.

For almost 3 years now, many people (including myself) have been fighting to try and get the oil industry, our regulators and lawmakers to pay attention to the lessons learned from the Enbridge Kalamazoo River disaster – so it never happens again. The Exxon spill proves (again) that the focus for oil companies and pipeline operators is only on profits and not on the safety of our communities, wildlife and resources. Enbridge has also argued that the Kalamazoo River disaster was a rare situation. With not even three years between this spill and the Enbridge spill, I think we can safely say this is a precursor for what’s to come if we continue to allow the tar sands industry to expand.

It is inexcusable that our regulators let Exxon operate this incredibly old pipeline to transport tar sands crude. It is inexcusable that our regulators and decision makers are allowing any tar sands pipeline projects to move forward without proper spill response plans. And it is inexcusable for our lawmakers not to demand safety over oil profits.

What will it take for us to change? Last week, the National Wildlife Federation, through the filing of a rulemaking petition, lead a coalition of concerned citizens and organizations by called for a moratorium on tar sands pipelines projects and expansions until the EPA and PHMSA create tar sands pipeline regulations that account for these issues – and many more. Please help support this effort by contacting those agencies and speaking up for wildlife and those impacted by this latest disaster.

NWF photo – rescued turtle covered in tar sands oil from the Kalamazoo River

The large problem for Enbridge is that they can’t hide from the real-life facts. Enbridge has the best (and worst) “study” right here in the Kalamazoo River, where they spilled around a million gallons of tar sands crude into Michigan waters. This spill has proven the exact opposite: tar sands oil sinks in fresh water! 

This is not a little white lie: the fact that tar sands oil sinks in water is one of the biggest problems facing the industry and pipeline operators, proving that any spill of any kind into water is devastating, toxic and impossible to clean-up. The hundreds of acres of submerged oil in the Kalamazoo River — that Enbridge can’t clean up — is case and point!

Steep Learning Curve for Tar Sands Spills

Michigan journalist Fritz Klug wrote about this very point almost two years ago:

“At minimum, we’re writing a chapter in the oil spill cleanup book on how to identify submerged oil,” [EPA incident commander Ralph] Dollhopf said. “We’re writing chapters on how it behaves once it does spill (and) how to recover it.”

What the EPA didn’t expect at the beginning of the spill last July was how much time they would spend extracting the heavier oil submerged in the bottom of the Kalamazoo River.

“In a situation where we don’t have to be concerned with submerged oil, then we clean up the oil on the surface and be done,” Dollhopf said.

This past fall, the EPA issued Enbridge another work order to address the hundreds of acres of submerged oil, but Enbridge is dismissing that order because they have no idea how to remove the oil from the bottom of the river without causing extreme habitat destruction.

When a tar sands pipeline spill occurs, all readily available equipment used to clean-up oil will only address oil floating on the surface of water. So, for any pipeline operator to say they know how to properly clean up tar sands crude — this is a flat out lie.

Again, this point is extremely important considering the flood of tar sands pipeline projects hitting the U.S.

Enbridge tries to control the migration of submerged oil at Marrow Lake, along the Kalamazoo River. EPA photo

Lawmakers in the Dark

Taking this a step further, the lack of acknowledgment by our decision makers and congressional members is a little shocking. Our leaders should be demanding that regulators and pipeline operators make immediate changes to spill response plans to address this very issue, and no tar sands pipelines should be expanded or constructed until issues like this are fully addressed. This should have been an outcry immediately following Enbridge’s spill — especially considering tar sands crude is already running through many pipelines that travel in and around the Great Lakes, which are the freshwater drinking source for millions or people and habitat for countless wildlife. 

In fact, many members of Congress are ignoring the facts and trying to streamline massive tar sands pipeline projects, like Keystone XL, which will expose millions to the risk of spills and drive development in Canada’s tar sands region, one of the biggest threats to our global climate.

We are allowing Enbridge to cover up the facts with propaganda, which will continue to allow the industry to expand plans for transporting tar sands oil through some of the most sensitive areas in the world.

Contact your lawmakers and tell them you are sick of industry distorting the facts, which continues to put our communities, resources and wildlife at risk.

Since ice records began in 1973, Great Lakes ice cover has declined by an average of 30 percent. Records also show that the lakes are icing over later in the winter yet still melting around the same time in the spring.

Great Lakes Ice Cover 1970-2009. Source USGCRP 2009.

This year is better, but still below normal average. Satellites help us get a better image of how the Great Lakes look from above. These images use composite of data taken from NOAA satellites orbiting the earth’s poles and radar scans of the lakes by the National Ice Center. Here’s what ice cover looked like a month ago versus today. Darker colors like greys and blacks indicate higher ice concentration:

Great Lakes Ice Cover and Water Temperatures Comparison of January and February 2013. Graphic from NOAA Great Lakes Surface Environmental Analysis (GLSEA).

Great Lakes Ice Cover and Water Temperatures Comparing February 2010 and February 2013. Graphic by NOAA Great Lakes Surface Environmental Analysis (GLSEA).

Impact on Wildlife

Wildlife in a Warming World, the latest report by the National Wildlife Federation tells the story of what’s happening to wildlife throughout the U.S. with some specific impacts for the Great Lakes Region.

• Warming in Lake Superior helps the invasive sea lamprey thrive, harming native fish.
• Moose populations in Minnesota have dropped from 4,000 to ~100 since the mid-1980s.
• Many fish species eggs depend on ice cover for protection from dangerous winds or waves. Also, ice cover helps to ward off any bacterial growth that may affect the survival of the fish. Ice fishing – part of a multi-billion dollar fishing industry — is also affected as the ice is a no longer reliable platform to partake in the activity.
• Wetland habitat for many wildlife species is also affected as it depends on stable ice for protection from erosion. Our wetlands in the Great Lakes are vital to bird, turtle, snakes, and other amphibian habitat, protecting the lakes from sediment pollution and cleaning our drinking water.

You can learn more by listening to my radio interview Warming Lake Superior Stresses Wildlife, Observers Say on CBC News Radio.

How does ice cover look from our perspective?

Click here to view the embedded video.

A neat time lapse video tells the story of this year’s ice cover on Lake Erie. From our shoreline perspective, it looks icy. That is why satellite data and images are increasingly important to tell the bird’s-eye view of the story so we can act before it’s too late.

Solutions

Ice Caves in Grand Haven along Lake Michigan. Photo by National Park Service.

• Federal, state, and tribal governments have developed a comprehensive plan for helping the nation’s fish, wildlife, and plants adapt to climate change.  The Administration needs to release and implement this strategy.
•  Wildlife and park managers, with the support of the public, need to understand the vulnerability of their resources to climate change and develop forward-looking approaches to manage these changes.
• Management plans for lands and waters need to provide the space needed for wildlife species to shift across the landscape in response to climatic changes.

Second: A transition to cleaner, more secure sources of energy like offshore wind, solar power and next-generation biofuels while avoiding dirty energy choices like coal and tar sands oil will put us on the path to reverse this very alarming trend. We need ice on the Great Lakes, for future generations, for ourselves, for wildlife.