Weekly News Roundup – August 3, 2012

Aislinn Maestas | Last Updated: January 8, 2016

Want to know what National Wildlife Federation was up to this week? Here is a recap of the week’s NWF news:

Disaster Assistance Bill’s Cuts to Conservation Are Short-Sighted

August 1 – The House of Representatives is expected to vote this week on a bill to provide disaster relief to ranchers who have been hit hard by the drought. Unfortunately, the bill is paid for entirely by cuts to conservation programs.

Julie Sibbing, director of agriculture and forestry at the National Wildlife Federation, said today:

“Although it is critically important that those ranchers who have been affected by the devastating drought get the disaster assistance that they need, this bill offsets the aid through steep, disproportionate cuts to the conservation title. We need Congress to act now to provide aid to ranchers in need, but this should not be a choice between robbing Peter and paying Paul.

U.S. Coal Industry Export Plans Carries Heavy Risk for Northwest Communities and Nation

July 31 – A new National Wildlife Federation report concludes that a massive buildup of U.S. coal exports through the Pacific Northwest would threaten public health and cause serious environmental degradation to the region’s natural resources. As coal continues to decline as a source of power in the U.S., the report warns that the industry’s plan to expand markets abroad will harm fisheries, endanger communities, and increase global warming pollution. Because of a decline in demand in the U.S. for coal, this fight over port expansion in Washington and Oregon will determine the immediate future of the coal industry in the United States.

“Sending more coal to Asia carries almost no benefits for the U.S., but we pay the price,” said Felice Stadler, Director of Energy Campaigns at the National Wildlife Federation. “Degraded fisheries, damaged communities, medical costs, harms to wildlife, and a continued burning of high carbon fuel will cost us dearly for decades.”

And here are highlights from NWF in the News:

UPI: NWF: Risk of coal exports outweigh gains
The Columbian: Report adds to debate over coal exports
The Oregonian: Coal export foes to request National Academy of Sciences review
KPLU: New voices in debate over Northwest coal export terminals
E&E News: NWF warns against increased exports (subscription required)
Farm Futures: Disaster Assistance Presses On Alone
TV and Radio: Frank Szollosi and Beth Wallace teamed up to handle interviews to support the Enbridge pipeline safety report. They made news on 7 radio stations in Michigan and Wisconsin, plus 2 stations in British Columbia wanted to know about the dangers of their pipelines. Both Beth and Frank where invited on the air for a long interview on WGVU-TV in Grand Rapids. The report was also covered by WXMI in Grand Rapids.