Defenders of Wildlife Blog

Defenders' president and CEO, Jamie Rappaport Clark

Last week, the National Journal’s Energy and Environment Experts Blog asked, “What’s in store for 2012?” Read about what environmental priorities Defenders president and CEO Jamie Rappaport Clark thinks Congress should focus on this year.

The damages of last year’s record-setting droughts, floods and fires are estimated to have cost the country more than $52 billion. Not to mention the costs to our natural resources. The Texas Forest Service estimates as many as 500 million trees throughout the state were killed by the year’s horrific drought —a full 10 percent of the forests in the Lone Star State. And according to the top international climate scientists that comprise the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the natural disasters of last year were only a preview of the extreme weather to come.

Instead of waiting for 2012 to deliver worse and potentially deadlier punches, Congress should take this opportunity to fortify our natural defenses and prepare ourselves for what’s ahead. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Max Baucus (D-MT) have taken the first important step in that direction. In November the two introduced the Securing America’s Future and Environment (SAFE) Act, a bill that outlines the countless benefits that healthy natural resources provide to our country’s safety, economy and well being, and provides a roadmap to help them adapt to a more hostile climate. From combating pests in forests in order to prevent fires to restoring watersheds that protect drinking water supplies, the legislation offers common-sense solutions to protecting our communities, natural resources and wildlife in an uncertain future.

2011 was a record-setting year for floods, droughts and fires. Photo courtesy USDA

Without a doubt, the coming year will be one of belt tightening and tough budgeting. The SAFE Act does not appropriate money but does provide a clear outline of how our resource agencies can strengthen and protect our invaluable resources through new planning and coordination. The bill is an investment plan; each step taken to help our natural resources adapt to a changing climate now will save us time, money and energy down the road.

We may not know what the coming year will bring. But by passing the SAFE Act, Congress can ensure America is ready to meet the challenges of the future head-on, in 2012 and beyond.

Learn more:

Read the full question and see what others are saying on the National Journal’s Energy and Environment Expert Blog.

Learn more about the SAFE Act and how it will protect American communities and natural heritage.

Climate change will mean more frequent and intense droughts and forest fires. Photo courtesy USDA

This post originally appeared on the High Country News blog, The Range.

They don’t call it the Wild West for nothing. From crippling droughts to raging fires, the region is no stranger to natural disasters. But will it be able to weather the storm ahead?

Already, 2011 has been a record-setting year for extreme weather events. And scientists predict that as climate change continues, we’re in for even harder times. For a region heavily dependent on farming, ranching and outdoor recreation, this pattern threatens not only communities, wildlife and natural resources, but local economies as well.

And natural disasters aren’t the only way climate change is leaving its mark in the West. Rising temperatures are allowing pests like the pine bark beetle to thrive, decimating forests and increasing the risk of fire. Warming streams are reducing habitat for coldwater fish like trout and salmon. And the U.S. Geological Survey predicts that by the year 2030, the glaciers of Montana’s Glacier National Park will be no more than a memory. In order to stop these trends, it’s critical we take action now.

Fortunately, the West has a leader who intends to do just that.  Senator Max Baucus. D-Mont., has joined forces with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I, to tackle the challenge of preparing for these changes head-on. This month, the two senators introduced legislation that outlines the countless benefits that healthy natural resources provide to our country’s safety, economy and well being, and offers a roadmap for how to help them adapt to a more hostile climate. The bill does not call for money, but aims to strengthen climate change adaptation efforts across the government, requiring federal agencies to plan for the projected long-term effects of climate change and encouraging states to follow suit. From combating pests in forests in order to prevent fires to restoring watersheds to protect drinking water supplies, the Securing America’s Future and Environment (SAFE) Act provides practical solutions to prepare ourselves and vulnerable natural resources for an uncertain future.

“In Montana, where our outdoor heritage grounds us and defines us as a people, we know that healthy public lands mean more tourism, more support for our Montana businesses, and more jobs.” – Sen. Max Baucus

The SAFE Act is also an investment plan, helping government agencies reduce their long-term costs by determining the most effective ways to protect and conserve our country’s natural resources. Upon the bill’s release Sen. Baucus said, “In Montana, where our outdoor heritage grounds us and defines us as a people, we know that healthy public lands mean more tourism, more support for our Montana businesses, and more jobs.” He recognizes that stronger natural resources mean stronger communities and economies, and that fortifying Montana’s natural resources now will save the state time, money and energy down the road.

Instead of waiting for the next natural disaster to strike, 2011 should be America’s wake-up call. We need to start planning now to be sure that we are ready for whatever challenging future climate change holds. Two innovative senators have taken the first step. Now it’s our turn to come out strong behind them and support their efforts to protect the wildlife and natural places that makes this country so great.

The West may still be wild, but we should do everything in our power to keep its communities, wildlife and natural resources SAFE.

Learn more:

See the original post on High Country News.

Read more about the SAFE Act and the promise it holds for America’s wildlife and natural places. 

As you gather round the Thanksgiving dinner today, you may notice an unexpected (and unwelcome) guest at the table: the effects of the extreme weather experienced across America this year. From wildfires and drought to flooding and tornadoes, there isn’t a region in the country that hasn’t felt the pain of these unprecedented events. Not even your holiday spreads are safe — and from turkey deaths to pumpkin shortages, these new weather patterns are leaving their mark on the most classic of American dishes.

See how the elements are making their way to your Thanksgiving, courtesy of our friends over at Resource Media (click image to enlarge):

These shortages and price hikes may be hard to swallow, but we still have cause to be thankful! Last week, Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) and Max Baucus (MT) introduced legislation designed to protect American communities, natural resources and wildlife from the increasingly destructive impacts of climate change. The bill, the Securing America’s Future and Environment (SAFE) Act, outlines the countless benefits that healthy natural resources provide to our country’s safety, economy and well being, and offers an common-sense approach to help them adapt to a more hostile climate.

Whether giving our counties, towns and states better tools to prepare for disasters or helping farmers plan now for an environment with less water, there are steps we can take to better prepare our country for the challenges ahead. We just have to get started. Learn more.

Defenders' president and CEO, Jamie Rappaport Clark

This blog originally appeared on the Huffington Post.

From wildfires and drought to flooding and tornados, 2011 has been a record-setting year for extreme weather events. The economic pain to American communities unprepared for such radical shifts in natural weather systems has been tremendous. Already, drought in the south has cost the country $10 billion. And as the dry conditions spread to the southeast and midwest, we can anticipate that number to grow.

Our finances aren’t the only place we feel the effects of extreme weather. Natural disasters take a substantial toll on our national historic places, parks and refuges, and the wildlife that make up our country’s natural heritage. Drought reduces food supply, flooding damages river banks and sends pollution into waterways, and hurricanes and other large coastal storms can devastate coastlines, habitats and wildlife. Unfortunately, these threats only promise to get worse. These weather patterns have long been predicted as indicators of a changing climate, and as the world continues to warm, we can expect these events to occur more often, with greater intensity.

Natural disasters join a long list of ways a shifting climate is already changing the face of our planet. Sea level rise, warming rivers and streams, insect infestations and other risks to wildlife and natural habitats may not be as high-profile as extreme weather, but their impacts on our wildlife and natural resources are no by means insignificant. To survive these threats, our natural resources and wildlife — and the economies they support — need help adapting to these changes now.

In light of this year’s tragedies, can we really justify not giving our counties, towns and states better tools to prepare for disasters and restore their communities after disasters happen?

Fortunately, we’ve got leaders in the U.S. Senate taking action to tackle this challenge. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Max Baucus (D-MT) have been longtime champions in the effort to protect American communities, natural resources and wildlife from the increasingly destructive impacts of climate change. Legislation introduced by the senators today provides a road map for how to get it done. The bill, the Securing America’s Future and Environment (SAFE) Act, outlines the countless benefits that healthy natural resources provide to our country’s safety, economy and well being, and offers a common-sense approach to help them adapt to a more hostile climate.

Climate change will mean more frequent and intense droughts and forest fires. Photo courtesy USDA

This is not a regulatory bill; the SAFE Act is an investment plan. Senators Whitehouse and Baucus know that each step taken to help our natural resources adapt to a changing climate now will save us time, money and energy down the road. So when we rebuild coastal wetlands to create buffers against damaging storms or combat invasive pests in our forests where watersheds originate and in turn protect drinking water supplies, we are not only helping to strengthen our natural resources, we’re investing in our communities, our country and our future.

In light of this year’s tragedies, can we really justify not giving our counties, towns and states better tools to prepare for disasters and restore their communities after disasters happen? Instead of waiting for disaster to strike, our leaders are planning ahead to be sure that we are stronger and ready for whatever future climate change holds. The SAFE Act provides us with the plan and the leadership to start fortifying our natural defenses. Let’s get to work.

Learn more: 

Read more about the SAFE Act.

See how Defenders is working to protect wildlife and natural places from the harmful effects of climate change.

BREAKING: Across the country, the impacts of climate change are taking a toll on our wildlife and natural resources. And after a year of record-setting extreme weather events across our nation, efforts to help our wildlife and natural resources survive these changes have never been more critical.

Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) and Max Baucus (Mont.) are taking the lead in addressing this critical issue and today introduced legislation designed to protect American communities, wildlife and natural habitat from the increasingly destructive effects of climate change. The non-regulatory bill, the Securing America’s Future and Environment (SAFE) Act, outlines the countless benefits that healthy natural resources provide to our country’s safety, economy and well being, and underscores the urgent need to help them adapt to a more hostile climate  and provides a road map to do so.

WASHINGTON (November 15, 2011) – The following statement is from Jamie Rappaport Clark, president and CEO at Defenders of Wildlife:

“Our nation has recently experienced a number of tragic weather events, and the extreme floods, drought and wildfires that took place this year have long been predicted as indicators of climate change. As the world continues to warm, unpredictable and extreme weather events join a growing list of threats to our natural resources and the economies that depend on them. If we want to protect American communities, wildlife and resources such as safe drinking water from the growing threats of a changing climate, it’s critical we take action now.

“Sens. Whitehouse and Baucus offer a common-sense approach for stimulating federal and state collaboration designed to meet the impacts of climate change head-on. They know that helping our natural resources adapt to a changing climate now will save us time, money and energy down the road. When we rebuild wetlands to create buffers against storms or restore vital watersheds to ensure we have clean drinking water, we are helping to strengthen our natural defenses while also making an investment in our communities and our country.

“We may not know exactly what lies ahead, but by increasing the likelihood of survival for our communities, wildlife and natural resources amidst the unavoidable effects of climate change, the SAFE Act will better position America to respond to an uncertain future.”

Learn more:

See how Defenders is working to protect wildlife and natural places from the harmful effects of climate change.

Flooding after Hurricane Katrina

As pointed out in several analyses of the Hurricane Katrina tragedy, the hurricane was no natural disaster – it was a disaster created by ineffective institutions before, during and after the storm.

Some of the most important decisions that left New Orleans vulnerable to an event like Katrina were made by the Army Corps of Engineers, the nation’s lead agency on levee construction and flood control.  Studies show New Orleans was at risk to flooding and storm surge from hurricanes prior to the storm hitting, yet the Corps and many other political players and agencies failed to take those warnings into account when designing, building and maintaining the hurricane protection system.

“The Homeland Security Committee’s investigation of the Hurricane Katrina disaster showed the catastrophic consequences of being ill-prepared for a natural disaster. Our more recent hearing revealed that federal programs have not taken climate change into account in their underwriting or budgets.  It is absolutely critical that the Army Corps prepare for the potential impacts of global climate change, which are expected to include increased droughts, floods, and more intense hurricanes.” –Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), 2007

The Army Corps has instituted many reforms since Katrina.  One, its “Responding to Climate Change” program, seeks to help the Corps be science-based and forward-looking to anticipate future natural disasters and climate risks like sea level rise.  But in the third installment of its reckless attacks on the federal government preparing for climate risks, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a rider to the 2012 Energy and Water spending bill that strips funding for this critical program.  Given the Army Corp’s responsibilities for flood and coastal protection, this amendment puts communities at increased risk of flood and storm damage.

Rep. Rob Woodall (R-GA), who sponsored the amendment, charged that climate change was not in the Army Corps’ mission. Yet climate change directly threatens the agency’s mission – to “Provide vital public engineering services in peace and war to strengthen our Nation’s security, energize the economy, and reduce risks from disasters.”  Apparently Rep. Woodall and the 218 other representatives who approved the rider don’t think the Army Corps should be thinking about how we prepare for future Hurricane Katrinas.

The Woodall rider will cost us in dollars and lives.  The Senate should reject it outright.

Learn more about the importance of a broad, comprehensive strategy to preparing for the impacts of climate change.