News from Green Hour: We are now trying to compile the world's largest library of photos of kids playing outside!

We've already got pictures of kids splashing in streams, running in playgrounds, dancing in the surf, climbing trees -- from all over the world!

The smiles tell the tale: Playing outside makes kids happier and healthier. But really, folks, it's just plain FUN!

For instant happiness, look at the shots parents have uploaded already: http://www.flickr.com/groups/greenhour/ So cute!!

Have any photos you want to add? Feel free! You have to sign up with Flickr, but if you click the link above, you can find out how -- it's pretty easy.

Thanks, everyone!

Anne Keisman
greenhour.org

PS: Lots of kids have a snow day today in the U.S. Nice opportunity for a Kodak moment! ;-)

And we're live from Union Station in Washington, DC! I just came from Dirksen Senate Office Building, where I was one of about 75 people who didn't get into today's Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing featuring Al Gore. Fortunately, Catherine Bowes, NWF program director for global warming, and several intrepid interns got to Dirksen at the crack of dawn and were able to get into the hearing.

Gore told the committee that America must retake its leadership role on climate action:

"In order to repower our economy, restore American economic and moral leadership in the world and regain control of our destiny, we must take bold action now," he said in testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The Nobel laureate, who won an Oscar for his global-warming book turned documentary "An Inconvenient Truth," said Washington had to lead the world heading into global climate talks in Copenhagen in December.

If Congress "acts right away" to pass Obama's stimulus plan and "takes decisive action this year" to cap carbon emissions, the US delegation to the Danish capital will enjoy "renewed authority to lead the world in shaping a fair and effective treaty," said the former vice president.

"And this treaty must be negotiated this year. Not next year. This year," he warned in the written remarks.

National Wildlife Federation President & CEO Larry Schweiger said today, "Other countries have begun to act – and they have waited long enough for the United States to step up and do our part. We have a moral obligation to lead on this crucial issue and an economic imperative to ensure that the world’s next generation of energy solutions carry a Made-in-America label."

Finally, there was one benefit to getting shut out of the hearing room. I was able to join the scrum of photojournalists camped outside Sen. Kerry's office waiting for Vice President Gore to emerge. Note that the hearing room is already full -- all those people waiting outside were doing so on the off chance they might get in. Talk about a hot ticket (no pun intended)!

If you weren’t one of the lucky thousands packed into the National Portrait Gallery last week for the Green Inaugural Ball, you missed the best and greenest party of the year!

Musical acts included Will.i.am. (of the Black Eyed Peas), Melissa Etheridge, Maroon 5, John Legend, and Michael Franti. Speakers included former Vice President Al Gore, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, National Wildlife Federation President & CEO Larry Schweiger, and … comedian Paul Reiser. Yeah, I didn’t know the former Mad About You star was into the environment either. You can see Jason Kempin’s photos here. 

It was a fantastic setting for a great event. The Gallery’s courtyard was lit up beautifully for the event and guests were free to roam the halls (I made sure to get a picture with conservation legend Teddy Roosevelt).

Organizers made sure every detail was as green as possible. Some features:

• 100% of the carbon footprint of the event was being offset with high quality carbon offsets from Native Energy. The offsets will support a portfolio of renewable energy technologies.

• The event's menu was developed by Grand Cuisine and Chef Bradley Nairne, in consultation with renowned organic Chef Nora Pouillon, and included locally-sourced, organic and seasonal food.
  
  
• Waste from the event was be recycled, reused and composted by the Waste Neutral Group. No plastic bottles were available.

Washingtonian’s Capital Comment blog reviewed the event and gave it an impressive average of 4.25 stars! Hopefully we’ll get to do it all again in four years.

This Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I--together with some of my fellow National Wildlife Federation staffers--took up the call to a day of national service by joining some big names and little kids to clean up and revitalize a partially frozen Anacostia River in Washington, D.C.

It was such an inspiring day! Not only did we protect a vital natural resource for Washington residents, but kids got outside, learning that strong, healthy trees help create a strong, healthy river.

We started with picking up trash, which was such a big task that Earth Conservation Corps—the sponsoring organization and NWF’s local affiliate—had to dispatch pickup trucks to gather all the garbage found. (I can only imagine what one would find in the water!)

In the afternoon, more than a hundred school children gathered to plant 44 tree saplings in honor of the new president who was to soon be inaugurated just one subway ride away.

Throughout the day, I talked to students painting dead fish with neon paint and helped print them onto big white display banners, while a few of the little ones passed out goodie bags with baby pine saplings inside.

It was clear to me on this day that kids have the potential to grow up and become good stewards when they're given the proper guidance now.

That's why I wanted to let you know that in the weeks ahead, we'll have a great opportunity to help make more days like this possible for kids across the country.

If you haven't already, take a quick moment to learn about the No Child Left Inside Act — one of the most important pieces of legislation to get environmental education back in America's classrooms—and then let your Members of Congress know you support this bill.

After all, hands-on environmental education isn't just about preparing our kids to take on the environmental challenges of the 21st century, but you never know when getting outdoors might result in meeting a wildlife celebrity like National Wildlife Federation's own Ranger Rick! 

By Amanda Cooke, Communciations Intern, National Wildlife Federation

We've waited a long time for a significant victory for our public lands…

Over the last five years, it's been one thing after another threatening to take the character and beauty from our public lands. From fossil fuel development occurring at an unprecedented rate and conducted rashly and irresponsibly to dirty mining and threats to sell-off public lands for short term gains, public lands have been abused and all but forgotten as the national treasure they truly are.

Almost 1/3 of the United States is public lands -- lands held in trust by all Americans that provide vital habitat for our wildlife, clean water and open space for recreation. They are also lands we will pass on to our children, and our children's children to experience.

Last week the senate passed the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act, which contains more than 160 separate public lands bills, most of which will expand the protection of our public lands. The Act will provide the largest expansion of the National Wilderness Preservation System in 15 years, designating 2.1 million acres of permanent wilderness in nine states -- California, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Michigan, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Another one of the bills in the package -- the National Landscape Conservation System Act -- will provide permanent protection for the first new system of conservation lands in the United States in more than 50 years. Under the National Landscape Conservation System Act, over 850 federally recognized areas covering 27 million acres of the Bureau of Land Management's most spectacular land and waters will be protected permanently.

The Act now moves to House of Representatives, which is expected to consider it in the coming weeks. Visit www.OurPublicLands.org for more information.

Let's face it - our cars threaten wildlife in more ways than one. Road development threatens habitats, to the point where wildlife corridors are needed for animals to migrate. Not only that, but auto emissions are one of the biggest contributors to global warming. Driving a hybrid is a great start - but it just won't be enough.

Though his statement on Wednesday was short,  Transportation Secretary nominee Rep. Ray LaHood had a lot to say on the big picture of the way we move, declaring that transportation development "must be sustainable" and that we must invest in railroads and mass transit if we want to confront climate change.

With the urgent need to reverse global warming, it's high time we have infrastructure that works for us and for wildlife. If you haven't done so, please urge new leaders in Congress to  make rails and trails investments, which both stimulate our economy and conserve natural resources.

And how about taking it one step further? Let's not forget about walking and biking – the best way to reduce our carbon footprint and experience nature at the same time!

I'm excited to report that since mid-November, over 160,000 people have signed the petition urging President Obama to usher in America's clean energy economy during his first 100 days.

The first 100 days start today, which means it's time for action.

If you were watching the Inauguration yesterday, you might've heard the new President say:

"We'll work tirelessly to… roll back the specter of a warming planet."

And if you were like me, you did a little happy dance in front of the TV. It's not everyday that a politician commits to protect the planet for future generations in a national address.

But that was followed by the sobering reminder:

"For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies."

It's clear that the new administration is open to taking our country towards a clean energy economy, but now it's time for us to start making sure they follow through with action.

Now that we're just days away from delivering the petition to Congress and the new administration, you can help make sure that the petition for wildlife-friendly energy solutions makes a solid thump when it lands on our new leadership's desk.

If you haven't already signed the petition, there's still a few days left to add your name, OR if you've already signed the petition, you can reach out to your family, friends and neighbors with this quick ecard.

The time you take to speak up for clean energy solutions today will put us that much closer to restoring our natural world and giving us all safer energy choices, lower family fuel costs and millions of new jobs.

We all know that these are some tough times for our country's economy. —and as a conservationist, I find myself not only concerned about the impact of our economy on my family, friends and neighbors, but also on the wildlife and natural resources I cherish.

And yet--I take hope in being certain that we do not need to sacrifice our natural resources to help revive our economy -- or vice versa. And, I take even more hope in knowing that our newly elected officials are increasingly realizing this as well.

President-elect Obama, as well as numerous Members of Congress, have already acknowledged that enacting legislation to confront the country's immediate economic needs can serve as a groundbreaking step in creating a bold new direction for our economy—one that makes investments that would not only spur employment growth, but guide us to a clean energy economy while also protecting wildlife and restoring our natural resources..

This bold new direction for our economy can create millions of made-in-America jobs. It calls for restoration programs that need workers to remove invasive species and plant native wildlife. It helps expand conservation corps programs and bring sustainability education in high schools and universities so that our students thrive in a clean energy economy. Furthermore, the clean energy economy creates "shovel ready" jobs such as installing solar panels, building wind turbines and retrofitting homes.

It's important that we let this incoming administration and new Congress see the widespread support for this new beginning for our country's economy, so that it doesn't get drowned out among the voices calling for more of the same.

Please consider taking just a quick moment today to send this message to our country's new decision makers, asking them to support a bold new economic policy that works for people and wildlife!

The holidays are over. The prospect of three more months of winter seems, well, HORRIBLE. Everyday I seem to find more reasons to

1. Tether myself to my couch

2. Surf Twitter, Flickr and Facebook

3. Catch up on my Netflix
   

This is especially sad, because I coordinate www.greenhour.org – NWF's website that encourages kids and their parents to go outside. Shouldn't I be able to resist the lure of the many screens in my home?

Yes – and, in fact, I WILL RESIST!

While working here, I've discovered amazing tools to get me off the couch and into the great outdoors -- and I thought I'd share.

5 tips to make outdoor adventures part of your family's winter routine:

1. Layer it up: Wear several layers of clothing. What keeps you warm is the heat you capture in between the layers! (Hint: Mittens are warmer than gloves, because fingers retain more heat when they touch each other.)




2. Stay dry: Nothing chills you like wet skin. For optimal warmth, your base layer should be made of a material that wicks away sweat from your body. Popular fabrics include polypropylene and silk. Your outermost layer should be water- and wind-proof.




3. Geocaching and Letterboxing: Now that you're warm, look for hidden treasure (and get some fresh air at the same time.) There are about 20,000 letterboxes hidden in North America and 707,904 geocaches around the world. Go find one!




4. Find nature nearby: Find a park or nature center near you, then head out for a walk. First, download a Wildlife Observation Checklist or a Nature Scavenger Hunt list to make it interesting.




5. Watch the neighbors: Fill your birdfeeders and see what visitors come. Learn how to make a nesting box for your feathered friends.

HAVE FUN!

Anne Keisman
Online Media Coordinator
Green Hour