National Wildlife Federation staffers are taking notes on today's House Energy & Commerce Committee hearing on the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, draft principles for clean energy & climate legislation introduced by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA). Read our live blog here!

Dozens of sportsmen and women from all across America are in Washington, DC this week, asking their members of Congress to take bold action on climate and energy legislation. I got the chance to talk to some of them before they headed to Capitol Hill:

As the House Energy & Commerce Committee continues hearings today on the Waxman-Markey draft climate legislation, President Obama is traveling to Iowa, the nation's No. 2 wind energy producer:

Heather Zichal, a top aide on Obama's energy team, said the president would urge Congress to pass a bill that commits $15 billion annually for 10 years to the renewable-energy industry.

"Go back to this plant in 10 years and, once we get this comprehensive energy and climate legislation through, they will see a dramatic rise in the number of employees," said Zichal, deputy assistant to the president in the Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy. "We're not suggesting we would completely fill this hole, but we're making dramatic improvements and steps in the Obama administration to get there."

You can read our summary of the opening statements at Tuesday's E & C hearings here.

The National Wildlife Federation is connecting people with nature -- through the Internet.

Sounds paradoxical, doesn't it?

It's true. With just a few mouse clicks and key presses, we are raising awareness about the importance of outdoor time. Hopefully, with our gentle reminders, people will find the time to unplug and have a Green Hour.

Recently, our social media coordinator, Danielle Brigida (@starfocus), sent a single question out to our Twitter followers and Facebook fans:

QUESTION:

She received a deluge of responses -- here are just a few:

ANSWERS FROM THE TWITTER-VERSE:

 

 

AND FROM FACEBOOK FANS:

 

Too many people today miss out on these kind of memories. Inspire others by sharing some of your own childhood memories with @NWF, @starfocus, or on our Facebook page.

Dozens of sportsmen from all across America are in Washington, DC today. They're here to ask their members of Congress to take bold action on climate and energy legislation. With Congress kicking off "the mother of all climate weeks", the timing couldn't be better.

To help make sure members of Congress get the message, the National Wildlife Federation Action Fund and several other conservation groups bought Download NWFActionFundPoliticoAd today in Politico:



The ad features more than 800 sportsmen and conservation groups from across the country who've come together to ask Congress to pass comprehensive climate and energy legislation in 2009.

We'll have more coverage of the sportsmen fly-in and lobby days in the week ahead here at Wildlife Promise. To learn more about our outreach to sportsmen, visit TargetGlobalWarming.org!

Today Congress is launching what Politico calls "the mother of all climate weeks":

Fifty-four witnesses will testify on climate change legislation in three full days before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, topped off with an appearance from Al Gore on Friday. The committee will also hear from EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and high-profile representatives from business and the environmental movement.

The hearings are timed to coincide with Earth Day on Wednesday.

Three weeks ago, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Energy and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Ed Markey (D-Mass.) introduced the outlines of a bill establishing a cap-and-trade system. They plan to move the bill through committee and to the full House by the Memorial Day recess.

The House Science and Technology Committee will also hold a hearing on Wednesday on monitoring and measuring greenhouse gas emissions.

Over in the Senate, State Department climate change envoy Todd Stern is headlining a hearing at the Foreign Relations Committee on new global climate change agreements. Stern just returned from two weeks at the international climate change negotiations in Bonn, Germany.

The House Energy & Commerce Committee will kick things off this afternoon with opening statements.

One major question leading up to the hearings -- will Republican committee members offer real policy critiques or continue to try to muck up the gears?

"[A]t hearings designed to discuss the particulars of climate policy, Republican representatives and their witnesses have been bogging down the proceedings with skeptical rants and cockamamy theories," writes Grist's Kate Sheppard. "If you want to know how seriously Republicans are taking the process, keep an eye on these hearings."

So far their record isn't good. Rep. Barton and Rep. Shimkus have earned plenty of unwanted attention for their shaky grasp (to put it kindly) of climate science.

We'll keep you updated on this week's hearings!

For centuries, America's wildlife and wild places have been under threat from the ongoing introduction of non-native plant and animal species into our country's ecosystems.

As one example, back in 1869 the European Gypsy Moth was brought into the US. Since then, the moth has spread out over half the country, decimating hundreds of thousands of acres of white oak forests.

Unfortunately, the gypsy moth is just one of many invasive species that harm wild places in the country and compete with native wildlife over resources. Not only do they threaten native plants and animals, but they can be a huge economic burden to agriculture, forestry, fish industries and more.

It's no wonder that currently a Congressional committee is considering legislation that would protect America's native wildlife and wild places from invasive species. This bill would strengthen our wildlife import laws, which is critical to protecting our native wildlife from future invasive species.

Please speak up for the plants and animals in your neighborhood today by asking your representative to support the Non-native Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act.

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-MI) has gotten a lot of unwanted attention for yesterday's appearance on ABC's This Week. Boehner told host George Stephanopoulous, "George, the idea that carbon dioxide is a carcinogen that is harmful to our environment is almost comical. Every time we exhale, we exhale carbon dioxide. Every cow in the world, you know, when they do what they do, you’ve got more carbon dioxide." The video below and Grist has the transcript.

There's a whole lot of mumbo jumbo jammed into those three sentences. Joe Romm unpacks it best: "One of the GOP’s senior leaders thinks this debate is about whether carbon dioxide is a carcinogen? And thinks carcinogens harm the environment, rather than people? And thinks that cows are of concern because they produce carbon dioxide, rather than methane?"

While most of the initial reaction has been focused on mocking Boehner's "cows fart a lot" comment, it's the end of the interview that's most telling. For all the attention to Boehner's ham-handed cow comparison, he just can't deliver the beef. All Boehner can do is duck and flounder.

Watch an increasingly exasperated Stephanopoulos give Boehner chance after chance to give a straight answer a simple question: What's your plan?

STEPHANOPOULOS: But it sounds like from what you’re saying that you don’t believe that Republicans need to come up with a plan to control carbon emissions? You’re suggesting it’s not that big of a problem, even though the scientific consensus is that it has contributed to the climate change.

BOEHNER: I think it is — I think it is an issue. The question is, what is the proper answer and the responsible answer?

STEPHANOPOULOS: And what is the answer? That’s what I’m trying to get at.

BOEHNER: George, I think everyone in America is looking for the proper answer. We don’t want to raise taxes, $1.5 to $2 trillion like the administration is proposing, and we don’t want to ship millions of American jobs overseas. And so we’ve got to find ways to work toward this solution to this problem without risking the future for our kids and grandkids.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So you are committed to coming up with a plan?

BOEHNER: I think you’ll see a plan from us. Just like you’ve seen a plan from us on the stimulus bill and a better plan on the budget.

Here's the full clip:

Just in from Reuters:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is expected to declare on Friday that greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide endanger human health and welfare, environmental and congressional sources said.

The EPA's decision could clear the way for possible U.S. regulation of these emissions, and is expected to spur action in Congress to pass carbon-capping legislation to curb global warming.

This is great news! As the National Wildlife Federation's Joe Mendelson said earlier this week, "This EPA decision will quite simply be a game-changer for climate policy. It’ll have repercussions domestically and abroad, showing the Obama administration’s firm commitment to aggressive action to fight global warming."

Keep checking back to Wildlife Promise today for updates on this historic decision.

I know many of you have sent in emails and made phone calls to advocate on behalf of bold climate action to safeguard wildlife from global warming, but this week we have a special opportunity to take a slightly different sort of action.

This week, many members of Congress are in their home-districts for the April recess, which offers a wonderful opportunity to stop into your senators' or representative's office to meet with them in person and let them know why safeguarding our natural world from global warming is important to you.

Recently, draft legislation to cap the carbon pollution that causes global warming and invest in clean energy technologies was introduced into the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce. This draft bill will not only repower our economy with millions of new clean energy jobs, but also provides the safeguards necessary to protect our natural world for generations to come. Your Members of Congress need to know that America's wildlife enthusiasts support this legislation.

I know what you're thinking: What difference does walking in really make?

Well by now Congressmembers are up to their ears with facts, graphs and charts detailing how strong climate and energy legislation will curb the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming and create millions of new jobs. (And they're also hearing plenty from the opposition.)

But who they don't hear from enough is everyday Americans like you and me. If you're reading this right now, chances are you know how climate change will affect you. For me, hailing from Long Island, New York, I worry about how sea level rises will impact coastal communities around the world.

Visiting your Congressmember's office sends an unbeatable message. It shows just how much you care about confronting global warming – and that you represent a host of concerned citizens who share your views.

And don't worry — we know that walking in to your Congress member's office can seem a bit scary. That's why we've already created resources and tips to support you. So, if you do have a few minutes during these last two days of the April recess, pop by your Congressmember's office and let them know that you're there and you care, and you hope they do too!