Groups as diverse as the Great Old Broads for Wilderness and the Quiet Use Coalition urged the U.S. Senate on Tuesday to pass climate change legislation and a national energy policy that would slow greenhouse warming of the Earth, and called for millions of dollars to be invested in helping wildlife and other natural resources cope with climate-change impacts. In all, more than 600 groups -- sportsmen, conservation and advocacy groups, recreation organization and faith groups -- signed off on the letter.
“Community support for protecting our land, water and wildlife from a warming climate is wide and deep,” said David Moulton, director of climate policy for The Wilderness Society. “Our public health depends on the health of these ecosystems, and this outpouring of concern reflects that fact.”
In their letter to the senators, the groups said that roughly 5 percent of the total allowances generated by a climate bill should be dedicated to safeguarding wildlife and natural resources from the impacts of climate change.
These funds will provide crucial support for job-creating conservation initiatives to protect natural resources which are the backbone of public health and the American economy. Across the country construction crews, engineers, scientists and others will be employed to restore America’s landscapes, strengthen ecosystems so they can withstand disruptive changes, remove invasive species from natural areas, repair damaged watersheds and help revive rural economies.
“This funding would provide crucial support for job-creating conservation initiatives to protect the natural resources which are the backbone of public health and the American economy,” said Noah Matson, vice president for climate change with Defenders of Wildlife. “Without funding for efforts such as these, much of the natural resources all Americans depend on for water, food, medicine, flood protection and recreation will be seriously compromised in the near future.”
In portraying their requests as a reasonable investment in both the environment and the economy, the groups pointed out that outdoor recreation accounts for 8 percent of all consumer spending, which drives an overall annual contribution of $730 billion to the economy and supports 6.5 million jobs. "The economic value of the natural environment is far higher when the vast range of ecosystem services is also included; conservative estimates tally these benefits at trillions of dollars annually," they wrote.
"Communities throughout our nation depend on the clean air, clean water and healthy wildlife provided by America's national parks, forests and refuges," said Mark Wenzler, director of clean air and climate programs for the National Parks Conservation Association. "We must invest in safeguarding these lands from climate change if we want to keep our own communities healthy and prosperous for our children and grandchildren."
According to the groups, congressional action and leadership is necessary because "local, state and federal agencies, tribes and fish, wildlife and land managers are critically short of funding needed to effectively respond to the combination of the challenges posed by a changing climate."
"Time is running out for many of America’s most treasured wildlife and landscapes," said Derek Brockbank, National Wildlife Federation conservation funding campaign manager. "New and dedicated resources are needed to safeguard wildlife and natural resources from climate change impacts today so future generations of Americans can enjoy a thriving natural heritage tomorrow."
Specifically, the groups have urged the Senate to develop climate legislation that will establish a national policy framework to begin addressing the impacts of climate change on our natural resources; provide increased scientific capacity, coordination and information sharing; and dedicate 5 percent of the total allowance value to federal, state and tribal agencies.
“Without such measures in place, we are failing not only ourselves, but also the future generations of Americans who deserve to enjoy the same opportunities and benefits provided by our natural resources that we take for granted, today,” said Tom Fry, senior policy advisor, The Nature Conservancy.
Their letter to the Senate comes just a day after Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced plans to bring all land-management agencies under his purview onto the same page in terms of climate change monitoring and response activities.
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The above post caught my attention at a pregnant moment. I just finished reading the book "The End of the Long Summer" by Dianne Dumanoski. It goes into great detail to examine the issue of climate change, drawing on a broad spectrum of scientific research and reports. Global warming will radically change far more than scattered national parks and other protected lands. This is not simply an esoteric question of preserving pleasing natural settings. It is a matter of survival in the most basic sense. The issue is no longer how to avoid climate change but rather how to keep it from being a global catastophe.
The world's climate is a complex and dynamic system with a propensity to make radical swings with breathtaking rapidity. Indeed, the last two hundred years have been abnormally stable and, at least for us, favorable. By releasing enormous quantities of CO2, methane and other greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere humans are engaged in an uncontrolled and potentially dangerous experiment. We have been poking a sleeping climate monster. Now it is beginning to waken, and we can only hope it will not be as unpredicable and destructive as geological evidence shows it can be. Regardless, it is too late to dodge the climate bullet. Major changes are all but certain due to the atmospheric chemical changes that have already occurred. Now the emphasis should be on limiting the damage and preparing for a very interesting future.