President Obama is expected to make a final decision on Keystone XL this year, and right now, we have a critical opportunity to stop this project. The U.S. State Department’s public comment period for their environmental review of Keystone XL ends April 22nd, and it’s crucial they hear widespread opposition to the risks this project poses to wildlife.

Speak up for wildlife TODAY by urging President Obama to stop the Keystone XL pipeline once and for all.

 
WATCH OUR NEW VIDEO on the impacts tar sands oil poses to wildlife from Canada to the Gulf coast of Texas and beyond:

Click here to view the embedded video.

NWF: Keystone XL Tar Sands Vote a Test of Climate Commitment

March 22-The U.S. Senate is set to vote today on what’s known as the Hoeven amendment, a non-binding amendment that expresses support for building the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline regardless of its impacts on wildlife, climate change, and clean water.

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

“We’re coming off America’s hottest year on record as the cleanup from climate-fueled superstorm Sandy is still ongoing, and what’s the Senate hard at work on? Earning its low approval rating by capitulating to polluting special interests with a meaningless vote on the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.

Check out more on Keystone XL

Westerners Praise Salazar Plan to Protect Water from Costly Oil Shale Speculation

March 22-Westerners praised the Salazar oil shale plan released by the Interior Department today for its smart approach to protecting water and local communities from costly oil shale speculation.

“We commend Secretary Salazar for developing a commonsense plan that makes public land available for research but requires results and environmental safeguards before any commercial leasing can proceed,’’ said Michael Saul, attorney with the National Wildlife Federation. “This new plan aims to ensure that we won’t risk precious water, air quality, fish, wildlife and the regional economies that depend on those resources on a gamble that might never pay off.”

The plan requires that companies conduct successful research operations of oil shale and prove oil shale’s economic viability before the Bureau of Land Management will consider commercial development. Companies will also be required to put proper safeguards in place to protect water supplies, land, wildlife, air quality and local economies.

For more on Carbon Pollution, visit  Stopping Carbon Pollution

But, as in previous years, big polluters and their allies in Congress are desperately trying to insert additional measures unrelated to the budget that would weaken protections for our wildlife, air, water, and climate.

Your senators need to hear from you TODAY—urge them to oppose anti-wildlife amendments in the budget.

Among the dozens of reckless amendments being considered are proposals that could:

• force the approval of the Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline, despite the disastrous impacts it would have on the climate crisis and wildlife, including woodland caribou in Canada;
• undermine the federal government’s authority to move forward with limiting carbon pollution that causes climate change;
• slash funding for programs that safeguard crucial habitat for wildlife and prevent endangered species like ocelots from heading for extinction;
• increase oil and gas drilling on federal lands, which will increase our dependence on dirty fuels and endanger critical habitats;
• prevent the administration from moving forward with clean water safeguards that are critical for healthy fish and wildlife

At a time of record-breaking temperatures and increasingly devastating extreme weather events that are putting wildlife and our communities at risk, it’s crucial that we shift away from high-carbon fossil fuels and towards cleaner energy sources. Yet some members of Congress are allowing big polluters to misuse the federal budget to approve their pet projects such as the disastrous Keystone XL pipeline, at the expense of wildlife and ecosystems.

It is urgent that your senators hear from you TODAY so they know the grassroots base will hold them accountable if they side with polluters over their constituents’ interests. With your voice, we can win this critical fight and continue to create a brighter future for America’s cherished wildlife.

Now, it’s up to us to send a signal to the Obama administration they can’t ignore. The 45 day public comment period starts TODAY, and your voice is needed to keep up the fight for caribou and many more wildlife at risk from this catastrophic project.

Protect caribou by telling the Obama administration to address Keystone XL’s impacts on wildlife, habitat and climate change.

Photo: Flickr/peupleloup

State Department Analysis is Fatally Flawed

The State Department’s review ignores the massive impacts to wildlife from the Keystone XL pipeline by failing to:

• examine the effects on the boreal forest and its wildlife by enabling further tar sands development in Canada. If development continues unchecked, some caribou herds in the tar sands region could disappear in as little as 30 years.

• consider the enormous contributions to climate change. The expansion of tar sands extraction in Canada is exacerbating the climate crisis, which is fueling extreme weather events and putting wildlife in danger.

• adequately address the threats from pumping 800,000 barrels of tar sands oil per day along its route through America’s heartland. The pipeline would pass through the same migratory corridor that endangered whooping cranes use each spring–putting the rivers and wetlands on which they rely at risk of toxic oil spills.

Keystone XL Decision Looming

The fight to stop Keystone XL has been more than three years in the making. From emails, to hearings and rallies, to phone calls, and letters in your local newspapers–the efforts of dedicated people like you have been critical in halting this dangerous project thus far, and now we must see it to the end.

We’re expecting a final decision on Keystone XL by President Obama this year. Fortunately, we have a critical opportunity right now to make sure the effects on wildlife, habitat, and climate change are included in the final review. Our wildlife and future generations are depending on it.

NWF: State Dept. Keystone XL Analysis Fatally Flawed

March 1 – The U.S. State Department, which is overseeing the permit application for TransCanada’s Keystone XL tar sands pipeline issued a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) today. The SEIS release wraps up another stage of the highly controversial environmental review and kicks off a round of public comment that will eventually lead to a final decision from President Obama within several months. National Wildlife Federation has several major concerns with the analysis, but most objectionable is the claim that “approval or denial of the proposed Project is unlikely to have a substantial impact on the rate of development in the oil sands.”

“This analysis fails in its review of climate impacts, threats to endangered wildlife like whooping cranes and woodland caribou, and the concerns of tribal communities,” said Jim Lyon, vice president for conservation policy at the National Wildlife Federation.

• For more, read our latest blog post on this issue: “Will Obama Go Back to 1984 on Keystone XL?“

Oil Spill Case: BP Needs to Be Held Accountable

February 25 - BP is facing tens of billions of dollars in penalties as the U.S. Department of Justice and the British oil giant get ready to start trial Monday over civil charges stemming from the 2010 Gulf oil disaster. However, a report in the Wall Street Journal today suggests that the Department of Justice may be considering proposing a settlement.

“The Gulf of Mexico is more than just a place where oil companies make enormous profits—it’s a public jewel where our children swim, where wildlife live, and where we get the food we eat,” said Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation.

• For more check out the latest BP blog:  ”BP’s Gulf Oil Spill Trial 101: A Primer“

New NWF Report Raises Questions on Need for Lake Michigan Diversion

February 25 – A new National Wildlife Federation report raises questions on whether a Wisconsin community needs to divert water from the Great Lakes to meet its water needs. The City of Waukesha is applying to divert Lake Michigan water. The application is the first since the passage of the Great Lakes Compact which bans diversions of Great Lakes water and promotes wise water use within the eight states and two Canadian provinces bordering the lakes. Many conservation groups view Waukesha’s application as precedent-setting.

“Our analysis finds that Waukesha might not need to divert Great Lakes water to meet its water needs,” said Marc Smith, Senior Policy Manger with National Wildlife Federation. “The city has options on the table that may satisfy their water needs. In short, they have not justified their need for a Lake Michigan diversion.”

• Download the full report: An Analysis of the City of Waukesha Diversion Application (pdf)

And now here are highlights from NWF in the news:

• The Washington Post: Blocking Keystone XL won’t save the climate, State Department analysis says
• Wall Street Journal: Accusations Fly as Trial Over Gulf Oil Spill Begins (subscription required)
• NPR: Witnesses To Take The Stand In BP Trial
• UPI: Green groups want BP held accountable
• Times-Picayune: Environmental leaders weigh in on the start of BP oil spill trial
• Mother Jones: Top 4 Reasons the US Still Doesn’t Have a Single Offshore Wind Turbine
• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: National Wildlife Federation questions Waukesha water request
• Detroit Free Press: Warmer winters bedevil moose in Minnesota
• CBC News: Warming Lake Superior stresses wildlife, observers say

For more visit www.nwf.org/news

Can’t be in Washington, DC for the “Forward on Climate” rally? No problem!

Thanks to a tool called Thunderclap, you can join this nationwide display of solidarity on social media by clicking here.

Your message will be compiled with thousands of others from across the country, and automatically delivered to the President as the rally begins at noon on February 17th. Together, we’ll echo the stream of signs people will be carrying down the National Mall with this clear and undeniable message, amplified across the internet:

“I call on @BarackObama to move #ForwardOnClimate. Pls RT & watch the largest rally for climate action live: http://forwardonclimate.org”

One of the most immediate actions President Obama can take is to reject the Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline—a project that would drive production of tar sands oil in Canada, which has three to four times the carbon footprint of other oil produced in North America. In addition to fueling climate change that is melting sea ice for polar bears in the Arctic, the expansion of tar sands in Canada is pushing entire herds of caribou to extinction as their forest habitat is destroyed.

Rejecting the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline is the first step for the climate, but it must be followed by many more—including critical federal standards to limit carbon pollution from our nation’s dirty power plants. Together, we can deliver a clear message to President Obama that Americans from coast to coast are ready to chart the course for a cleaner energy future.

Join the “Forward on Climate” rally online to be the voice for polar bears, caribou and many more wildlife!

Note: When you get to the website, just click “Support with Twitter” or “Support with Facebook” and follow the steps to accept the permission request. The application will only post one message on your behalf and you can opt out at any time.

Photo: Lou Gold

How Tar Sands Impacts Our Changing Climate

Tar sands production in Canada’s Boreal Forest is fueling the climate crisis (not to mention destroying wildlife habitat in the largest terrestrial ecosystems in the world). According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline has the potential to increase carbon pollution by 27 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, the equivalent of 6.2 million cars on the road for 50 years.  Woah! That’s a lot of emissions. This project would lock us into decades of dirty fuel dependence at the exact moment in history when we need to take serious action against a rapidly changing climate and embrace our clean energy future. We need to get it together. Our future depends on it.

What This Means For Wildlife

Scientists warn that without significant new steps to reduce carbon pollution, our planet will warm by 7 to 11 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century, with devastating consequences for wildlife. The climate crisis is already changing the playing field for wildlife and urgent action is needed to preserve America’s conservation legacy, according to our new report: Wildlife in a Warming World: Confronting the Climate Crisis.

“We know what’s causing the climate changes Americans are seeing in their own backyards and we have the solutions to secure our climate and safeguard our wildlife for future generations,” said Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “What we need is the political leadership to make smart energy choices and wise investments in protecting our natural resources. We can’t leave this problem for our children and grandchildren to fix – they’ll judge us based on what we do now.”

How We Can Transform Our Energy Future

Photo: Marine Jaouen

On Sunday, February 17th, join thousands of Americans at a historic rally in Washington D.C. to protect polar bears and other wildlife at risk from climate change.

Protect wildlife from dirty fuel that is contributing to climate change!

Image: Syncrude Canada

Shred the slopes at Vista Ridge. Zip through the forests and wetlands at Gateway Hill on your bike. Soar over Wood Buffalo on a hang glider – but watch out for those tall trees! Three games, endless fun! Get Syncrude’s Trail Blazer now! Play, learn and explore Wood Buffalo, Alberta with three high-octane games where you play Syncrude Canada’s über-cool mascot, the Wood Bison. Collect as many coins as you can along the way, and you could find yourself at the top of the leaderboard.

I wish I was making this up, but that’s a screenshot and promo from “Trail Blazer,” a new game that Syncrude (one of the the world’s biggest tar sands companies) hopes will brainwash kids into thinking that oil is totally dope, or fresh, or baller, or whatever word people use for “awesome” nowadays.

Look at all those fresh green trees and pristine snow! We must’ve had it wrong all this time — apparently, the tar sands region looks a lot like Aspen, Colorado instead of the mining colony from Avatar. So, just to make sure I wasn’t getting Alberta mixed up with some other place, I double-checked and…oh, wait a sec…here’s a photo of what it really looks like:

Photo: Peter Essick

Photo: Jason Woodhead

Image: Syncrude Canada

If you want to find out what’s really happening to Canada’s wildlife, a slick game is the last place to start. There’s a name for this kind of thing–it’s called “greenwashing” and it basically means pretending to be eco-friendly while doing the exact opposite in real life. This is hardly the first time the industry used pretty graphics to lie to the public (remember Enbridge, Inc’s fake map?) but it’s in the running for “Sleaziest Advertising of 2012.”

Felice Stadler, NWF’s director of energy campaigns, visited Alberta a while ago to tour the tar sands region — I still remember how shaken she was when she came back — and her reaction to seeing the game was bitter:

Believe me, there are no trees after Syncrude has paid a visit to the boreal forest.

But there’s more at stake than trees and wolves. We just re-elected a president who says he’s committed to battling climate change–the most dangerous threat to our planet’s future and the survival of people and wildlife everywhere. Now, he has a chance to prove it by rejecting the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, which would speed up development of the tar sands and light the fuse of the world’s biggest carbon bomb, but so far the White House has sent mixed signals about its intentions. Hurricane Sandy was a harsh reminder of what happens when that carbon bomb explodes, and Americans need President Obama and Congress to draw a line in the sand and say “NO!” to KXL and projects like it.

Make your voice heard! Tell the White House to reject the Keystone XL pipeline and prevent climate catastrophe.

Piping Plover | Photo by NatureFramingham / flickr

The devastation that Hurricane Sandy brought to the East Coast was a strong reminder of the action needed to combat the impacts to wildlife of climate-fueled disasters by addressing climate change and protecting wildlife habitat.

The superstorm destroyed communities and wildlife habitats–including crucial habitats for piping plovers and many other shorebirds.

Wildlife Supporters Making a Difference

Wildlife advocates like you pledged to “vote for wildlife” when you went to the polls and made sure that your friends voted as well.

You urged the candidates and presidential debate moderators to ask about climate before the elections, and kept the pressure on to make the connection between superstorm Sandy and the increasingly frequent and devastating extreme weather that scientists see worsening because of climate change.

In key states where conservation-champions were in tight races, supporters of the NWF Action Fund, the political wing of NWF, helped get our message into the media, air TV ads, and get voters to the polls. That support made the difference between winning and losing.

In fact, all of the Democratic and Republican candidates endorsed by the National Wildlife Federation Action Fund won their important races, thanks to the support of NWF Action Fund members.

The success of candidates endorsed by the NWF Action Fund shows that the financial resources of Big Polluters are no match against strong grassroots support for candidates who are on the right side of important conservation issues.

Successes for Wildlife

What does the election mean for wildlife?

Climate Change

When it comes to climate change–the greatest threat to wildlife today–if President Obama’s campaign acts on his statements about our warming planet, we can look forward to continuing to tackle pollution from power plants. Right now, we are working with the Obama Administration to finalize limits on carbon pollution from new power plants and now have the opportunity to push for pollution limits on the biggest single source of carbon pollution in the country–our nation’s already-existing power plants.

Tar Sands

The Keystone XL tar sands pipeline was a big loser. In race after race including in Florida where Senator Bill Nelson was victorious, Senators opposing Keystone were rewarded by voters. We are now counting on President Obama to reject the pipeline that would set us in the wrong direction climate change.

Federal Budget

We must reach a fair and balanced budget. Voters sent conservation champions to Congress who will help make sure future budgets do not further endanger wildlife with deep and disproportionate cuts to conservation programs that have already faced damaging cuts. These investments are small–less than 1 percent of all federal spending–and deliver huge benefits to wildlife by keeping our waters clean and taking care of public lands where our panthers, bison, wolves and polar bears live.

Clean Water Act

With the strong leaders in the Environmental Protection Agency continuing their work, river otters and fish across our nation have hope that our small streams and rivers that have lost the protection of the Clean Water Act will once again be safeguarded from destruction and pollution. The Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies can also continue their  efforts to restore the Great Lakes, the Chesapeake Bay, the Mississippi River Delta and other cherished waterways.

What Happens Next

Exactly what happens next depends on whether Democrats and Republicans will work together to make progress on the important conservation issues facing America–and whether the GOP decides to return to the party’s Teddy Roosevelt conservation roots.

As Larry Schweiger, President and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, said today in response to the election results:

The election should be a wake-up call for any politician who doesn’t have a responsible plan for conservation, particularly on the heels of superstorm Sandy. Along with the extreme droughts and wildfires of the past summer, Sandy has not only increased the urgency of tackling climate change, but also thrust the environment back into the spotlight.

Winning More Fights for Wildlife

The devastating impacts of Hurricane Sandy are the latest in a long string of extreme weather events fueled by climate change that continue to threaten our wildlife. This year alone, record wildfires in the west forced moose to flee their burning mountain habitats and extreme droughts left many black bears searching desperately for food.

Now that the elections are over, it’s up to us make sure our elected leaders will take action to get critical policies passed to protect these and many more wildlife from climate change–before it’s too late.

It might not be easy–and we know Big Polluters and special interests will be a strong opponent–but together we can win more critical fights against Big Polluters and continue to create a brighter future for plovers, moose and black bears.

Help protect crucial habitat from worsening superstorms–take action to support limits on carbon pollution from coal-burning power plants.

Photo by Todd Powell

It’s expensive to produce, and difficult to transport. Thousands of people—from Alberta, Canada to Winnsboro, Texas to Portland, Maine—have been fighting pipeline developments in their backyards, but too often oil companies have been unabashedly ignoring the environmental and health concerns that residents and scientists alike share about pipelines and the development of this dirty fuel.

However, the conversation is changing, and this time it’s including voices that TransCanada, Enbridge, and other corporate tar sands giants can’t ignore. In addition to the investor action this week, markets showed a case of the jitters over tar sands in two separate incidents last week. Both major tar sands pipeline companies, TransCanada and Enbridge are under tight scrutiny and being watched closely.

When TransCanada announced it was shutting down the original Keystone pipeline over a safety concern, oil prices bounced downward for several hours. And when NWF issued a report that was critical of Enbridge’s operation of the aging Line 5 Midwest pipeline, NASDAQ noted Enbridge’s stock dipped downward.

Reining in Growing Giants

“Oil sands development is the fastest growing industrial source of GHG emissions in Canada, projected to approximately double by 2020.” -Environment Canada, Canada’s Emissions Trends, July 2011

Alberta Tar Sands

“When Wall Street says there are serious problems with tar sands development, it should send a clear message that betting on a dirty oil future is a loser for everyone.”

Make your voice heard! Take Action to protect climate and wildlife from the development of the dirtiest fuel on the planet!