Salmon Salmon!

Occasionally lost in the limelight of nude bicyclists, triple IPA’s and feminist bookstores is our amazing Chinook Salmon fishing.

How many places on our planet exist where on your lunch break you can cruise the river that bisects your downtown metropolis, go catch a salmon, and be back to work before your boss notices? Not too many.

This salmon fishery defines our state and is why the conservation work that the National Wildlife Federation is doing throughout the Pacific Northwest is so important.

Check out the video for proof that salmon fishermen are a little wacky and why many salmon fishermen will fight like hell against threats to the fishery.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Say “No” to Big Coal

Right now, Big Coal is attempting to transform Oregon’s majestic Columbia River from the heart of  our renewable energy corridor and salmon fishing paradise into the nation’s hub for exporting dirty coal to China.

If the big coal companies get their way, up to 38 million tons of coal per year could soon be shipped through Oregon on uncovered trains and exported through the Port of St. Helens- directly adjacent to one of the hottest salmon fishing spots on the river come late summertime. 

This is not the Oregon I know. No room for coal, lets keep it Bikes, Brews, Books, Salmon and more Salmon!

Live in Oregon? Speak up to stop coal export terminals today.

National Wildlife Federation’s Storytelling Video Diary Series shares the candid tales of 10 NWF staffers from around the country; armed with their cameras in California, Wisconsin, the Pacific Northwest, Northern Virginia, and Washington, DC, these nine staffers will share with you their individual trials, epiphanies and stories as they unfold in their daily adventures.

Great Lakes Remain Vulnerable to New Wave of Dangerous Mining, According to New Report

May 10 – Gaps, inconsistencies and loopholes in U.S. state and Canadian provincial laws are leaving the Great Lakes and other natural resources vulnerable to a new wave of mining activity sweeping the Upper Great Lakes states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota and Canadian province of Ontario, according to a new legal analysis by the National Wildlife Federation and Ecojustice Canada.

“Weak laws and lax enforcement undermine efforts to protect our water, wildlife and communities from this dangerous form of mining,” said Michelle Halley, National Wildlife Federation attorney. “There is an urgent need for the region to address these issues now or likely face decades of contamination and clean-up.”

And here is some news from our sister organization, NWF Action Fund

New Ad: Cleaner Air Isn’t Just Good For Our Lungs; It’s Good For Our Economy

May 10 – If politicians in Washington know that protecting the air we breathe not only protects people and wildlife, but also helps spur our economy, then why are they trying to gut Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) clean air standards? On Thursday, May 10, the National Wildlife Federation Action Fund (NWF Action Fund) and Earthjustice are launching a seven-figure TV ad buy that highlights the economic and health benefits associated with a transition to a greener economy, while also raising public awareness and support for EPA’s new clean air standards to limit industrial air pollution from power plants.

Here are highlights from NWF in the News:

• The Detroit News: Wildlife federation gives Michigan poor rating for mining regulatory system
• Gannett: Groups say mining laws too weak to protect Great Lakes
• Minnesota Public Radio: NWF wants more study of Great Lakes-area mining
• Minneapolis Star Tribune: Rep. Cravaack: Cut climate change education funds
• UPI: Keystone XL debate enters new phase

For more, visit www.nwf.org/News

Source: DBL Investors, 2011 Report (pdf)

But, there is also a story about the continued imbalance in our system that favors the old, polluting technology of the past over the clean energy choices of today and the future.

This imbalance is more than a graph with numbers.

This imbalance has real-world consequences that have already led to economic opportunity loss to other countries.

The most tangible example is the recent news that Gamesa, a giant in the wind industry, announced they would be installing an offshore wind prototype in the Spanish Canary Islands, rather than off the shores of Virginia.

From the Richmond-Times Dispatch:  Wind giant snubs Va. for offshore prototype

Global wind giant Gamesa said today it will build a wind turbine prototype in the Spanish Canary Islands instead of Virginia, citing the sluggish pace of U.S. development of offshore winds.

The Spanish company won Virginia regulatory approval in March to construct the 479-foot, 5-megawatt wind turbine prototype off the Eastern Shore. It was viewed as a significant step by the wind technology company to help develop the nascent U.S. wind industry, especially in waters off Virginia.

….

[A] Gamesa spokeswoman said the slow pace of regulatory actions, uncertainty over the future of tax credits for offshore development and the lack of a federal energy policy all conspired against investment in the prototype. (link added)

How Congress can act to fund the solution, not the problem

The signs of climate change, fueled by our continued reliance on carbon-polluting energy, are increasing in urgency. The economic, ecological and even psychological damages are being felt across the country.

While there is little sign that Congress will take significant action this year to significantly change the tide on energy policy, there is opportunity for policymakers in Washington to take important steps to keep current clean energy incentives going while looking at options to cut wasteful, environmentally harmful spending.

Clean Energy Tax Credits that Require Action in 2012

Unlike fossil fuel subsidies that are embedded in the tax code, these clean energy incentives need to be re-authorized from time-to-time and many have recently expired or are set to expire by the end of the year if Congress doesn’t take action.

• Section 48 Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for Offshore Wind Energy. Offshore wind energy represents a huge untapped resource that stands to generate clean electricity and increase manufacturing jobs for the future of the nation. There are still, however, no operating offshore wind facilities in U.S. waters. Section 48 should be extended for offshore wind facilities and bi-partisan legislation has been introduced in the House and Senate to do so.
• Section 45 Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit (PTC) . This provision has been a critical tool to support investments in renewable energy. The credit expires at the end of 2012, but uncertainty on whether Congress will act has already resulted in a sharp drop in investments in wind energy production, threatening the livelihoods of the more than 78,000 people in nearly every state in the nation who are now in wind-supported jobs. When Congress allowed the PTC to expire in the past, wind installations dropped between 73 and 93 percent.
• Tax Credits for Energy Efficient Homes & Appliances.  The Section 45L Efficient New Homes Tax Credit & Section 45M Efficient Appliances Manufacturer Tax Credit expired at the end of 2011.  These tax credits not only save consumers and homeowners money by promoting energy efficient appliances and home energy products, but also create jobs. These credits encourage domestic manufacturing of high-efficiency appliances and jobs installing home efficiency projects that cannot be exported.
• Section 48C Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit. This program leveraged vital private investments in new, expanded, or re-equipped clean energy manufacturing projects throughout the country. With applicants far exceeding the program’s original allocation, the program was able to leverage $5.4 billion in private investment, boosting growth and creating thousands of new U.S. manufacturing jobs for the burgeoning global renewable energy industry. Congress must pass an additional allocation for 48C, so that we can continue to grow our domestic renewable energy industry from the beginning to the end of the supply chain.
• Section 1603 Treasury Grant Program for Renewable Energy Projects.  Section 1603 has played a vital role in renewable energy deployment and expired at the end of last year. The program has leveraged over $22.8 billion in private sector investment to support over 2,000 projects representing over a dozen clean energy industries in all 50 states. According to a study by the U.S. Partnership for Renewable Energy Finance (a non-partisan educational program for policymakers), the Section 1603 program has generated over 115,000 jobs since it was enacted.
• Section 30B(d)(2)(B) Credits for Hybrid Medium- and Heavy-Duty Trucks.  Medium and heavy duty vehicles are second only to automobiles in oil consumption and they are responsible for 20 percent of U.S. transportation-based greenhouse gas emissions.  Hybrid and electric drives can increase fuel efficiency in trucks from 20 to more than 50 percent, yet the incentives for producing and deploying them expired in 2009. These incentives will help accelerate the development and deployment of more efficient and cleaner vehicles and help create domestic jobs.

Learn more about NWF’s efforts to promote clean energy that protects wildlife for our children’s future and what you can do to help.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Watch other campuses’ videos and see what they did to energize students.

Overall Campus Conservation Nationals saved 1,739,046 kWh of electricity and $157,925, equivalent to taking 151 US homes off the grid for year!  Not to mention the 1,554,814 gallons of water, equaling 10,365 shower hours!

Keep up to date with CCN and learn more about getting involved in next year’s competition.

Green Vendor Fair hosted by Rapphannock Community College, photo taken by National Wildlife Federation staff

Rappahanock Community College’s table featured their green workforce development course offerings including “Harnessing the Sun – Solar Systems: Installation and maintenance”, “Harnessing the Wind – Wind Power Systems: Installation and maintenance”, and a course specifically geared for kids, “Elementary Lego® Engineering 2 ‘Going Green’” for students (ages 11-12) to creatively build and modify machines applying basic engineering principles and green technology.

The Green Vendor Fair not only helped the community learn what products and services are available (including educational services available through Rappahannock Community College), but for the companies (potential employers) to highlight what green skills are in demand and how the educational providers (i.e., Rappahannock Community College) can help develop training programs to ensure they are meeting this demand. The Green Vendor Fair was partially funded through a grant of the Greenforce Initiative, a partnerships of Jobs for the Future and National Wildlife Federation. The Greenforce Initiative works in six regional across the country, including Virginia, to help advance greener workforce development at community colleges and bridge campus sustainability efforts as hands-on training opportunities for students. Rapphannock Community College and ten other community colleges in Virginia are partners in the Greenforce Initiative.

Learn more about Rappahannock Community College’s green workforce development offerings.

Check out National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Ecology case study database for best practices in green workforce development.

Youth Panel Speaks at White House Youth Sustainability Challenge Launch

The Challenge opened on May 2 and closes on June 1, 2012, in the lead up to the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development that month. Through the online video challenge, the Obama Administration is calling on young people to tell the world what they are doing on their campuses and in their communities to foster sustainability and help create “an America built to last.” Winning videos will  be shown at the Rio+20 Conference and winners will be recognized at an exclusive White House event.

At the White House launch, a panel of senior-level government officials spoke about the importance of youth taking action. They stressed that young people have the power to help shape a sustainable future and that as future leaders, young people’s innovation, creativity, and mastery of new connection technologies can help demonstrate the fundamental link between economic, social and environmental progress.

Bob Perciasepe, Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency remarked that “America’s youth have the power to inspire their communities,” and he called on young people to “challenge the U.S. and the world to do more.”

A panel of local college student leaders also spoke at the launch, telling of their experiences being change-leaders on campus. They stressed that sustainability is the defining challenge of this generation, and that the key to creating change is working with others, knowing how you fit into the puzzle and how others do as well.

You can view a video from the launch event on YouTube, here:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The new Healthy Living pathway is designed to provide schools with tools to promote physical activity, regular time outdoors and creative play.

• Childhood obesity has tripled over the past three decades, with one in three children now considered overweight or obese.
• Children play outside less today than in any other generation in human history.
• Meanwhile, the average child spends more than seven hours in front of electronic screens daily.
• The use of antidepressant drugs for children has risen sharply, and the U.S. is the largest consumer of ADHD medications in the world.

But here’s the good news. Time spent outdoors, physically active, and engaged in unstructured play is perhaps the best possible prescription for what ails our kids. It helps children grow lean and fit, enhances imaginations and attention spans, decreases aggression and stress, improves vision, and decreases symptoms of ADHD. It also boosts classroom performance; just this week, a new study connected cardiovascular fitness with higher standardized test scores. In addition, children who spend regular time in nature become better stewards of the environment.

Schools have a critical responsibility—and opportunity—to set students on course for a lifetime of healthy lifestyle choices. Today, the Eco-Schools USA program officially launched a new Healthy Living pathway designed to provide schools with tools to promote physical activity,  regular time outdoors, and creative play.

The Healthy Living pathway is designed to empower schools to:

• Enable more students to walk or bike to school
• Use the school grounds as an outdoor classroom for hands-on, active learning
• Restore recess as a vital part of every school day
• Strive for a better balance between “screen time” and “green time”
• Make physical fitness and outdoor time a priority for students and staff alike
• Extend these values home to families and out into the community

The Healthy Living pathway works in concert with Eco-Schools USA’s related Healthy Schools pathway (launched earlier this year), which focuses on the physical environment at schools—the building and grounds. Together, the two pathways also provide support for schools addressing the “Healthy School Environments” pillar of the new federal Green Ribbon Schools award program, which calls for “high standards of nutrition, fitness, and quantity of quality outdoor time for both students and staff.”

To find out how to become an Eco-School, visit the Eco-Schools USA website. To learn more about the current state of children’s health—and how a resurgence in outdoor play can reverse the downward trends—visit the Be Out There campaign.

With a new permit application, Keystone remains very much a threat, and Congress is debating a measure that would force construction of the dangerous project. But you can help: Speak up now to protect people and wildlife at risk, and prove to Big Oil that their money can’t buy our votes.

Graphic: Peter LaFontaine/National Wildlife Federation

Speak up now to protect people and wildlife at risk from tar sands and the Keystone XL pipeline.

Stem Fest 2012 T-shirts are on sale all week at the annual Tulip Time Festival in Holland, Michigan

Spring is in the air in Michigan. The birds are chirping, the bees are buzzing and the tulips… well, they’ve already bloomed. Their premature blossoming is causing trouble for the annual Tulip Time Festival in Holland, Michigan, and could point to a more worrisome trend of global climate change.

After an unseasonably warm March that saw temperatures soar to the mid-80s, trees flowered early and gardens everywhere got an unexpected splash of color. While few are bemoaning the mild winter (the 4th warmenst on record according to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration), it left coordinators for the Tulip Festival scrambling for a way to celebrate the annual tulip blooms in the first week of May lacking much of the main attraction.

Their solution, a humorous one: Stem Fest 2012.

Black t-shirts and buttons were ordered depicting the flowerless stems and making light of the situation in hopes that festival goers would do the same.

While the Tulip Time Festival coordinators’ view of the situation is refreshing, the reasons for the predicament are troubling. The festival has been a staple of the Holland community for 83 years, and only recently have there been questions about timing.

It may seem like a small problem with an easy solution, have the festival earlier, but as the climate changes and ranges shift north, these small problems will begin to add up and affect not only people but wildlife as well. This year, the tulips bloomed early, but were the bees around to pollinate them? When the bees finally appear at their normal time, how much sustenance will be available for them? It’s a frightening cycle with potentially disastrous results.

Stem Fest 2012 might be a good way to make light of a tough situation, but the implications of global climate change are truly a cause for alarm.

Take Action: Show support for the EPA strengthening limits on carbon pollution to help prevent climate change.

AP Photo

Jeremy Symons, senior vice president of the National Wildlife Federation, said:

“It’s hard to tell what’s really new about TransCanada’s application, which continues to threaten Nebraska’s iconic Sandhills and its critical Ogallala aquifer. It’s just the latest broken promise from TransCanada, which has threatened to seize Nebraskan lands by eminent domain and claimed its Keystone I pipeline would spill very rarely, then spilled 12 times in its first year of operation.”

The Alberta-based company is already planning to move forward with the project’s southern segment(from Cushing, OK to the Port Arthur, TX). Because the southern segment won’t cross an international boundary, the State Department won’t require a presidential permit for it to be built, but the southern segment still needs water permits from the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). TransCanada wants limited review of this dangerous project and they want to stay out of the public eye after the bruising they took during the first round of this fight.They’re betting that it will be harder for the State Department to say no to the rest of the pipeline if a significant portion of it is already in place — However, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has already said more scrutiny is needed.

Gulf Coast Project

As NWF’s Jeremy Symons argues,

“The only thing this pipeline would guarantee is billions in annual profit for oil companies, while risking long-lasting damage to our waters and lands. That’s why oil companies have pushed so hard to have their allies in Congress take this decision out of the hands of safety regulators – they know if Keystone XL is judged fairly on its impacts on America’s land, water, wildlife and climate, it doesn’t stand a chance.”

Protesters carry an inflatable Keystone Xl pipeline around the White House during the Nov. 6th rally. (Photo: Marine Jaouen)

Help us make sure this dangerous pipeline gets the scrutiny it deserves. Speak up now for wildlife and people affected by tar sands and the Keystone XL pipeline: