Senator Baucus Supports Lieberman-Warner, Tackling Global Warming Head-On

America's conservation future looks much brighter, thanks to Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) who endorsed Senator John Warner's (R-VA) and Senator Lieberman's (ID-CT) comprehensive global warming legislation: America's Climate Security Act of 2007.

Of critical importance, this bill will reduce U.S. global warming pollution by approximately two percent every year from major emitters in the coming decades. It provides significant funding to implement federal, state and tribal strategies that help wildlife survive climate changes that can no longer be avoided. It also provides needed protections for low- and moderate-income families dealing with our changing climate.

I know that Senator Baucus has long been deeply concerned about global warming, but he has also been concerned that the wrong legislative approach could hurt rather than help efforts to combat climate change, said Tom France, Director, National Wildlife Federation's Northern Rockies Resource Center His endorsement of the Lieberman-Warner legislation reflects his careful, thoughtful approach to climate legislation, his years of experience on the Environment and Public Works Committee, and his confidence that this bill is the right vehicle to address global warming.

"I believe it is a moral imperative to deal with climate change," said Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. "This bill strikes a good balance."

National Wildlife Federation expects other Senators to follow Senator Baucus' leadership and support this bipartisan legislation. Report after scientific report has made clear that we have run out of time to take action to address global warming and we are on the verge of a critical tipping point.

The defining issue of the 21st century now is whether we will muster the political will to confront global warming before the worst effects of climate change become irreversible.

Senator Baucus' support for America's Climate Security Act of 2007 is further evidence of that political will, demonstrating that confronting global warming is a moral responsibility to protect our children's future.

"We are all used to talking about these impacts coming in the lifetimes of our children and grandchildren. Now we know that it's us." -- Martin Perry, co-chair of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Questions Arise as Cities Run Dry

The Southeastern U.S. is experiencing a persistent, severe drought that began in 2006 and has significantly worsened with sweltering temperatures and a drier-than-anticipated hurricane season so far. Almost one-third of the Southeast has been declared "exceptional," the most severe drought category.

Water sources that sustain large cities are shrinking and residents are concerned about future water supplies.Lake Lanier supplies more than 3 million Georgia residents with water; the Army Corps of Engineers also releases Lake Lanier water to supply a coal-fired power plant and protect endangered wildlife species downstream in Florida.

There is no question that we will continue to experience extreme weather events - such as severe drought - with continued global warming.

"If we want to change the forecast for wildlife and people in our region, we need a long-term water use plan for Georgia," said F.G. Courtney, director of the National Wildlife Federation's Southeast office.

Tuesday, Oct. 30:

House Foreign Affairs Committee, Global Environment and Renewable Energy Asia, the Pacific, and the Global Environment Subcommittee hearing: "Renewable Energy and the Global Environment." 2:00 PM

2172 Rayburn

Wednesday Oct. 31:

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, full committee hearing: "Oil and Gas Development: Exemptions from Health and Environmental Protections." 10:00 AM 2154 Rayburn.

Thursday, Nov. 1

: House Select Energy Independence and Global Warming Committee, Full committee hearing on "Wildfires and the Climate Crisis."

2172 Rayburn.

Thursday, Nov. 1:

House Budget Committee, Full committee hearing on "Counting the Change: Accounting for the Fiscal Impacts of Controlling Carbon Emissions."

210 Cannon.

Friday Nov. 2-Monday Nov. 5:

Powershift 2007.

Youth conference on global warming, University of Maryland.

White House' Cold Shoulder on Public Health Effects of Warming

The Bush Administration dramatically altered sections of congressional testimony by the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on the public health impacts of global warming. The censored testimony included detailed effects global warming could have on the spread of disease. A new report released by the American Academy of Pediatricians also warns of the negative impacts of global warming on children's health.

"The Bush Administration is afraid of the plain truth on global warming because they have done so little for so long," said Larry Schweiger, President & CEO, National Wildlife Federation "They need to stop putting politics ahead of science when the health of our kids hangs in the balance."

Carrying Capacity and Climate Change

In its fourth Global Environmental Outlook, the U.N. Environment Program asserts that global warming, the rate of extinction of species, and the challenge of feeding an expanding global population are putting humanity at risk.

The article in yesterday’s Washington Post: "At the Poles, Melting Occurring At Alarming Rate" emphasized just how quickly the effects of climate change are beginning to occur. "Things are on more of a hair trigger than we thought," said Ted Scanbos with the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, CO.

I was in Greenland in July and was struck by what the scientists there had to say. They are seeing changes in the ice that they have never seen before. And this NASA video animation shows how dramatically – and disturbingly – the Arctic summer sea ice has shrunk. As of last month, the Arctic summer sea ice extent was the smallest ever recorded – down 25% from the previous record low set in 2005.

Wildlife are struggling to adapt in the Arctic, and not always successfully. Polar bears, seals, and walrus are facing the challenges of daily survival in a changing ecosystem.

And what is happening in the Arctic isn’t just about the Arctic. As Carin Ashjian, a Wood Hole Oceanographic Institute scientist says in the Washington Post article: "It affects everyone." My home state of Pennsylvania is rich in field, forest and agriculture, but the higher temperatures from global warming will bring more flood, drought, and impacts to wildlife in the state.

It’s clear we are reaching the scientific tipping point more quickly than most of us anticipated. But last week I was heartened to see us take another step toward a political tipping point. The Climate Security Act of 2007 is a bipartisan breakthrough that will take us a giant step closer to an historic vote in the United States Senate.

Now more than ever, we need the political courage of our leaders. And we need to speak out – each of us – and demand that our leaders respond now to the urgency of this issue.

This isn’t about left or right – it’s about right and wrong. Global warming will affect each of us. And we have the opportunity – and the responsibility - to speak up and demand meaningful action from our legislators. Let’s not leave this to the next generation. Let’s do our part. Together, we can and we must do this for the sake of our children and the wildlife we share the planet with.

Today Senators Joseph Lieberman (ID-CT) and John Warner (R-VA) will introduce America’s Climate Security Act of 2007.

The bill will secure an estimated $125 billion dollars through 2030 for wildlife and has earned the support of Republican Senators Elizabeth Dole (NC), Norm Coleman (MN), and Susan Collins (ME). It will  reduce global warming pollution from major emitters by one-third (33%) below current levels between 2012 and 2030, and by 70% below current levels between 2012 and 2050.

In addition, the bill will return an estimated $275 billion to low and middle income families to aid a just transition to a clean energy future, $400 billion to zero- and low-carbon technologies investments, $30 billion to job access and training for a clean energy workforce, and financial resources to mitigate price impacts on tribal communities. This funding will be generated by payments from large polluters for emission permits.

Martin Luther King III will be also testifying in support of this bill today. The hearing will be viewable online at http://www.globalwarming.house.gov/. Mr. Mike Williams, Board Member, National Tribal Environmental Council, will also be testifying.

This bill was made possible because many committed Americans spoke up and demanded that our leaders take action now to address global warming and provide a bright energy future for our children. I’m grateful our leaders are beginning to listen.

Over the weekend I attended and spoke at the Clean Air, Cool Planet conference in New Hampshire. What struck me most was how many people from so many walks of life took hold of their conservation heritage to speak out on global warming. Even conservative New Hampshire sportsmen firmly believe global warming is occurring and they want their elected officials to do something about it now.

I was especially encouraged to see National Wildlife Federation's recent poll among New Hampshire hunters and anglers receive front page, above the fold coverage in Manchester's Union Leader. This is one of the most conservative papers in the Nation. Read the full article.

Also, National Wildlife Federation's video of our recent trip to Greenland is currently featured as the number 2 video on YouTube. There have been almost 200,000 total views. The video can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/.

Poll: Hunting, fishing, environment hand in hand

By PAT GROSSMITH

New Hampshire Union Leader Staff

Presidential hopefuls may want to take a look at global warming and where Granite State hunters and anglers stand on the issue, given a poll conducted by the National Wildlife Federation.

These normally conservative New Hampshire sportsmen believe global warming is occurring, that man's activities are contributing to it, elected officials have a strong moral responsibility to do something about it and the United States should take the lead, according to Larry Schweiger, the NWF's president and CEO.

The poll of 600 self-identified hunters and fishermen, more than half of whom described themselves as politically conservative, was taken in late September.

Schweiger said 60 percent of them believe global warming threatens New Hampshire's quality of life and even more believe it is a threat to the skiing, hunting, fishing and maple syrup industries.

Sixty-six percent of the sportsmen agreed global warming is an urgent problem requiring immediate action, while 57 percent believe the country is doing too little to address the issue.

The United States should be a world leader in addressing global warming, according to 77 percent of those polled, while 87 percent believe the country can improve the environment and strengthen the economy by investing in renewable energy technologies that create jobs while reducing global warming.

Schweiger, who is a hunter and fisherman, said the sportsmen have a very strong sense of legacy and tradition and believe very strongly in stewardship, which is how they come to this issue.

He said their view also interweaves with national security and the need to move away from the country's dependence on oil.

"There's a strong sense that we can still do this and we can change the way we're operating this country," he said.

The federation, Schweiger explained, is also hearing growing concern about cold water fishing. This summer in Montana, he said trout fishing was shut down at noon because the water was so warm and the combination of human activity and stress heat were killing fish.

"So we are seeing increasing numbers of sportsmen concerned about that," Schweiger said.

The profile of the sportsman polled is that of a Caucasian man, living in a small town or rural New Hampshire. More than half of them said they vote regularly and consider themselves politically conservative.

Jameson French, president of Northland Forest Products in Kingston, said the importance of the sportsmen poll is it shows people who are not necessarily typical of environmentalists are concerned about global warming.

Earlier this year, when a forest and climate change meeting was held in the state, he said they expected 50 people. But 350 people attended and included loggers, truck drivers and small sawmill owners.

French said when there's a mud season in January for the third straight year, whether it is caused by carbon or something else "it is affecting their livelihood."

With the primary weeks away, 50 percent of these sportsmen remain undecided and 64 percent of that number are likely Republican primary voters.

I was recently awakened by loud pounding on my apartment door in the dead of night. Before I could answer, the pounding returned. This time, it was even louder. I raced to find a fireman standing in a smoke-filled hallway announcing that the building was on fire. He sternly warned that I needed to leave immediately.

I did not ask the fireman if he was a Republican or Democrat. Nor did I question his professional judgment. I did not seek a contrarian’s opinion about the potential of the neighbor’s kitchen fire to spread. I didn’t take a wait-and-see attitude about the fire. I simply followed his advice and got out.

I share this experience because I see a parallel between structural fires and global warming. If we truly believe global warming is happening and that it is an urgent threat to our communities, to our children and to the future of wildlife, we will act now!

I find it utterly dumbfounding that in poll after poll, Americans say they see that our world is warming with more rogue storms and floods, more massive forest fires, vast sheets of melting ice and severe and sustained droughts all over the world. However in the face of this threat, many people are doing absolutely nothing to respond. They acknowledge that we may be facing a climate crisis and then they go right back to sleep.

Maybe it’s a matter of trust. We trust the local firemen. Why don’t we trust the thousands of top-notch scientists who have published more than 10,000 climate-related studies warning us about a pending crisis? Why don’t we listen to them in the same way we listen to firemen? Instead, Americans sit and listen while uninformed skeptics in the media challenge the integrity of the many published scientists of the National Academy of Sciences and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, even though many of these experts have been studying this matter in great detail for more than 25 years.

The scientific debate about global warming’s causation is over. Yet we hear science and anti-science given equal footing by leading voices in the media. People walk away confused, doubtful and hesitant to act. Even fewer elected leaders are taking action. As I write this, the eastern half of the United States is experiencing an unusual October heat wave. As autumn temperatures reach the 90s in Washington, D.C., why is it so difficult for our elected officials to see the problem?

Perhaps we need to do more to communicate to the public what the personal steps look like so that we can all take measures to lower our personal carbon emissions. Perhaps we need to give people a pathway for greater social action to change the direction of Capitol Hill. After all, the pathway to solutions includes a combination of public policies and personal choices.

Maybe it’s a matter of people not comprehending that the many recent signs we have been seeing are just the beginning of our troubles. The extent of sea ice in September in the Arctic was the lowest since we began measuring it. Scientists are now revising their forecasts for an ice-free Arctic down from 2070 to possibly as soon as the summer of 2020. That is a short 13 years away. Let me assure you that if we lose the summer Arctic ice, weather patterns will shift in ways we can scarcely imagine.

It has been said that a photo is worth a thousand words. If that’s true, perhaps a time-lapse video of this summer’s dramatic Arctic melt and rapid breakup is worth a thousand photographs. Don’t take my word for it. Check out the rapid melt of the Arctic ice for yourself at http://arctic.atmos.uiuc.edu/cryosphere/arctic.seaice.2007.update.mov.

After the fireman warned me that there was eminent danger, I did not say, "Gee, thanks for alerting me. I truly believe you," and then go back to bed. Instead, I took immediate steps to safeguard my life. Fortunately, through quick action the fire was contained to one unit and did not spread to the entire building.

We each need to take quick action to stop global warming before it spreads any further.

Today the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Al Gore were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to address global warming. The National Wildlife Federation asked its staff for reaction to this news. Some of their statements follow:

"Al Gore has been a tireless and courageous voice from the wilderness for the wilderness."

- Larry Schweiger, President and CEO

"Truth prevails."

- Dulce Zormelo, Chief Financial Officer

"This is a great day for all those seeking to raise awareness about this climate crisis. But it’s just one step toward the biggest prize – real action to confront global warming."

- Adam Kolton, Director, Congressional Affairs

"More than any other individual, Al Gore worked tirelessly and with fierce determination to make America and the world more prepared to address global warming."

- Kevin Coyle, Vice President, Education

"We have much work to do, and no time to spare."

- Carolyn Itoh, Director, Constituent Services

"Al Gore’s dogged persistence and unapologetic focus on the urgent need for action may end up saving the planet for this and future generations."

- F.G. Courtney, Director, Southeast Natural Resource Center

"This sets the world stage for America to lead us in solving the crisis of our generation."

- Michelle Payne, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations

"Al Gore has shown the world that we can and must confront global warming if we hope to leave a safe and healthy planet to our children."

- Becky Lentz, Deputy Director, Great Lakes Natural Resource Center

"Al Gore has inspired millions of people to help heal our wounded planet."

- Jeremy Symons, Executive Director, Global Warming Program

"Because of Al Gore’s work, we are further along the path to protecting those - wildlife - who are unable to speak for themselves."

- Karen Kress, Vice President, Development

"Al Gore winning the Nobel Peace Prize represents a global embrace of the notion of a healthy future for our world and for all its inhabitants."

- Matt Schuttloffel, Director, Internet Services

"Al Gore’s recognition signals hope for changing the forecast for our planet."

- Julian Keniry, Director, Campus Ecology

"The world recognizes the gravity of global warming and the importance of Al Gore’s work to inspire change in order to confront it. It’s time for Congress and the president to do the same."

- Andy Buchsbaum, Director, Great Lakes Natural Resource Center

In 2007, National Wildlife Federation staff served as faculty for the Climate Project, an effort by Al Gore to train more than a thousand volunteers to inspire the nation to confront global warming.

I have fond memories of trolling the lower Potomac River on foggy autumn mornings, while nearby watermen "tonged" for oysters and gulls swarmed the skiffs. The Chesapeake Bay has long held a special place in my heart. From a home we enjoyed on Maryland’s Kent Island, I have developed a deep appreciation for the natural beauty and outstanding recreational opportunities offered by the Bay. I have fished and hunted there for more than thirty years.

My personal devotion to the Chesapeake Bay has motivated professional efforts to protect this national treasure. Beginning in the early 1980’s, I assisted in the most comprehensive assessment of the bay to date. I also served on the board of the Citizen’s Program for the Chesapeake and chaired a Point Source Working Group that helped develop an "action agenda" advancing measures to restore the Chesapeake Bay. Later, working at the National Wildlife Federation, we organized a major conference, "Chesapeake Bay—A Pennsylvania Connection," which encouraged the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to launch its Pennsylvania office focused on watershed restoration. In 1995, I joined the staff of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, where we initiated an effort to better manage the blue crab and protect its deep water corridors.

As CEO of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, I proposed that the Commonwealth launch a conservation bond fund that evolved into "Growing Greener," a program to fund watershed restoration along Pennsylvania’s many waterways. Growing Greener continues to pump tens of millions of dollars annually into various river and stream clean-up projects.

My deep concern about the future of the Chesapeake Bay continues to guide me from my post at the National Wildlife Federation. I also have an abiding respect for the many professionals who have spent their entire careers restoring the Bay. I understand the importance of broad collaboration at this critical moment.

Like it or not, global warming will be the defining issue of the 21st century. In its wake, the things I love most about the Bay will be in jeopardy. Unless we address the root causes of global warming, rising sea levels will wash away islands, destroy critical wetlands, and render current shorelines unrecognizable. More-intense storms will increase sediment and nutrient runoff. Warmer water will change the entire ecology of the Bay, pushing out cold-water species and allowing an influx of warm-water and invasive species.

Without decisive action to address global warming, all the hard-won progress made by so many to restore the Bay could be lost. The challenge is significant.

Fortunately, we can minimize the impacts of global warming on the Chesapeake Bay. We can steer clear of the worst impacts by taking action now to reduce our global warming pollution by just 2 percent per year. And, we can take steps to help humans, along with the fish and wildlife of the Chesapeake Bay, cope with those climate changes that are inevitable.

We don’t have time to waste. And, it will require the action of all of us.

The newly released report: Chesapeake Bay and Global Warming: A Paradise Lost for Hunters, Anglers and Outdoor Enthusiasts? offers a plan of action that can help restore the Bay to its full splendor. It is my fervent hope and belief that we will be successful. Our children and grandchildren are counting on us. To learn more about how global warming will affect the Bay see our recent report posted at: http://www.nwf.org/sealevelrise/chesapeake.cfm

Dozens of hunters and anglers from across the nation descended on Capitol Hill last week, asking their members of Congress to take strong action on climate change. Organized by the National Wildlife Federation, the unique effort brought sportsmen and women from 12 states to the nation’s capital. They urged Congress to support cap-and-trade legislation cutting carbon emissions two percent a year, putting the U.S. on a path to cut emissions 80% by 2050, with a portion of proceeds going to help wildlife survive the impacts of global warming.

My hats are off to these dedicated men and women. They are doing the most important thing  conservationists can do right now – speaking out to their elected officials on the need to confront global warming now.

The Congressional visits included hunters and anglers from Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Their varied backgrounds break traditional stereotypes of global warming activists. They included

David Crockett, former Chattanooga City Council president and descendent of legendary American frontiersman Davy Crockett

Brett Fitzgerald, a former Special Forces paratrooper and current Florida Snook Federation board member

Carol Rose of Michigan United Conservation Clubs, a regular brook trout fisher in Michigan’s Tahquamenon River.

Other attendees included Brandon Schuler, Nic Callero, Tom Smoot, Bob Rees, Kevin Biegler, Steve Carlton, William Faber, Kelli Alfano, Mark Smith, Ed Perry, John Johnson, Dennis McNair, Catherine Bowes, Steve Wright, Eric Orff, Cary Chamblee, Ben Gregg, David Stoney, John Marshall, Dan Wrinn, Jared Mott, Ryan Maas, and Liz Maas.

With the effects of global warming already impacting fish and wildlife across the United States, strong majorities of hunters and anglers recognize the need for immediate, decisive action. Each one of these participants had a story to share on how their special places are already being impacted by global warming. Hear their stories at

http://youtube.com/watch?v=fgYFE9lYKkY

The National Wildlife Federation’s Hunter and Angler Pledge to Confront Climate Change asks outdoor enthusiasts to make their voices heard and talk about their concerns – both with their friends and with their elected officials. Are you ready to speak out for your special place? To learn more about the pledge and to sign it, visit TargetGlobalWarming.org.