The House of Representatives recently passed the economic stimulus package which included more than $2 billion in job creating, ready-to-go national park projects. The Senate is expected to take up their version of the bill this week. Please write your Senators and urge them to support our economy and national parks.
This week, the U.S. Senate will vote on two critically important amendments to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (HR 1). These amendments will provide billions for ecosystem restoration, habitat restoration on wildlife refuges, and other critically important environmental projects, while putting Americans back to work and helping to put America's economy back on track.
E-mail your U.S. Senators and urge them to support a green economy.
If we don't act now, Congress could miss this historic opportunity to provide much needed funding to restore major ecosystems such as the Everglades, Long Island Sound, and Coastal Louisiana and to address the $3.5 billion operations and maintenance backlog that is crippling the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Please take a moment to urge your U.S. Senators to support the following amendments:
- Landrieu amendment: Would increase funding by $2 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers to restore priority ecosystems such as the Everglades, Long Island Sound, Great Lakes, and Mississippi River.
- Bingaman amendment: Would increase funding by $2.5 billion for habitat restoration on wildlife refuges, national parks, national forests, and other public lands and for State Wildlife Grants.
Don't miss this historic opportunity to help restore America's most important ecosystems and highest-value habitats that are critical to the survival of birds and wildlife! E-mail your Senators today!
Do you know someone else who cares about habitat conservation? Help us to spread the word:
Tell-a-friend!Please use Tell-a-Friend instead of forwarding the message. The links in this message have been personalized for you.
Trouble with the "Take Action" links in the message? Try cutting-and-pasting this link into your web browser: http://audubonaction.org/campaign/hr1_feb09
Florida's Freshwater Turtles Under Seige
January 27, 2009
by Julie Hauserman
The demand for freshwater turtle meat is threatening the population.© Kurt BuhlmannFlorida’s freshwater turtles are facing a new, widespread threat: hunters who prowl the state’s waterways, snag hundreds of wild turtles and export them to feed a growing world market for turtle meat and products.
Sidelined by falling turtle populations overseas, hunters have turned to the U.S. to keep pace with demand for the reptiles’ meat in the Greater China region. They’ve found fertile hunting grounds in Florida, one of the few turtle-rich states with no substantial restrictions on the trade.
Captured by the Thousands
The scale of the hunt is enormous. One pair of hunters in North Florida was spotted reeling in lines with 5,000 hooks that stretched for five miles along a river bottom. The capture can be especially cruel. Turtles swim down, bite the bait, and get snagged on the hooks, where they are often pinned underwater until the hunters come back to check the lines.
Florida’s commercial turtle hunters are not required to report the number of turtles captured, but a cursory Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission investigation in 2008 reported that 1,600 to 3,000 pounds of live freshwater turtles are shipped out of the Tampa International Airport weekly. State investigators reported similar shipments out of Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale, and Miami.
The investigation also reported that a Fort Lauderdale seafood company buys about 15,000 pounds of softshell turtles per week.
“Florida has more types of turtles than anywhere else in America,” said Jennifer Hobgood, Florida state director for The Humane Society of the United States. “These amazing creatures should be celebrated and protected—not hauled from our lakes and butchered.”
Scientists Sound Warning Bells
The turtles are snared when they bite the baited hooks.© Buhlmann
Last spring, 34 of the nation’s top scientists sounded an urgent alarm about the growing turtle hunt.
They urged Florida to immediately impose an emergency rule allowing people to remove no more than one freshwater turtle from the wild per day.
“For the same reasons it’s illegal to kill female sea turtles on a nesting beach, it is a very bad idea to take adult turtles in large numbers from any ecosystem,” the scientists wrote. “Turtles are extremely slow to reproduce.”
Regardless of the scientists’ plea, last September the commission set dangerously high limits that allow hunters to continue taking the state’s wild turtle populations.
Commercial hunters are allowed to take 20 wild softshell turtles a day, or 140 each week. But the state set no limit on the number of people who can hold permits, so the high-volume hunting continues in Florida.
Under the state rules, for example, a group of just five hunters could move into an area and collectively remove100 turtles a day. At that rate, it doesn’t take long to wipe out the turtles in a lake, especially because the trade targets large, breeding adults.
The HSUS has consistently called for a ban on the turtle hunt, and Hobgood and other animal advocates recently visited the offices of Gov. Charlie Crist, asking him to defend Florida’s wildlife against profiteers.
Florida's Governor Defends Turtles
Upon learning of the turtles’ plight, Gov. Crist moved quickly, asking the wildlife commission to move toward a complete ban on the turtle hunt soon or “we could be in grave danger of irreparable damage to our turtle population,” he wrote.
“Governor Crist’s responsible stewardship may save the day for Florida’s turtles,” Hobgood said. “Given the vulnerability of turtle species, the commission should act quickly to end the turtle hunt.”
Florida’s wildlife commission is independent of the governor’s authority, but advocates hope the agency will heed the call to place a moratorium on the capture of the state’s wild freshwater turtle population.
Take Action
Florida residents can help make a difference by sending a quick e-mail to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commissioners asking them to ban the commercial turtle hunt, with a copy to Governor Crist to thank him for his leadership on this issue. It only takes a minute.
Audubon, in collaboration with other major environmental groups like the National Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club, and Natural Resources Defense Council, hopes to collect hundreds of thousands of signatures on our petition to President-elect Obama to repower America. We need a new energy policy that will revive our economy, end our dependence on fossil fuels, and solve the climate crisis. Over 100,000 people have already added their names—please add your name to the petition today!
/>Animals
Debbie
- 3 minutes ago - news.bbc.co.uk
Hi Debbie,
The belugas of Cook Inlet, Alaska, are in such trouble that they should be listed under the Endangered Species Act.
And the time to act is now, before the comment period ends on October 20 >>
Troubles come to Cook Inlet in many forms. Cook Inlet oil drill tailings spew into the sea unregulated. Unmanaged gas and coal industries pollute Cook Inlet. Single-hulled oil tankers are no longer escorted by the Coast Guard. And municipal sewage is untreated; rain and storm run-offs are unchecked.
The Cook Inlet beluga population has declined dramatically from 1,300 in the late 70s to only around 300 today.
It's imperative that we list the Cook Inlet beluga whale as an endangered species. Recognition will concurrently designate much of Cook Inlet as critical habitat and mandate comprehensive planning and management for this precious ocean region.
Add your comments to protect the beluga whale today! >>
Thank you,LiAnna
Care2 and ThePetitionSite Team
P.S. Care2 has been receiving scattered reports of problems with our email alerts, and we are trying to track down any errors. If you have any problems with this email, or signing petitions on our site, please let us know here >>
Protect Sage-grouse Today!
One of America's most spectacular birds—the Greater Sage-grouse—is imperiled. Its population has declined as much as 93% from presumed historic levels due to habitat loss, the invasion of exotic species in the sagebrush steppe ecosystem, the pressure of drought, and the upswing of West Nile virus. Now, a new threat—accelerated oil and gas development in the bird's shrinking habitat—has stressed the Greater Sage-grouse population almost to the point of no return.
The governor of Wyoming, in the heart of the sage-grouse's habitat, recognized the need to protect this bird and released an executive order to conserve Greater Sage-grouse on state lands. Unfortunately, similar protections are absent on federal lands in Wyoming and other western states. It is now up to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to follow Wyoming's lead and give the sage-grouse a fighting chance. Instead, the BLM is continuing to sell mineral leases in core sage-grouse areas without necessary protections.
The unbroken sagebrush country that provides crucial habitat for the Greater Sage-grouse is one of the most awe-inspiring landscapes of the Rocky Mountain West. Places such as the Red Desert, the Upper Green River Valley, and the Powder River Basin support the sage-grouse and numerous other sage-dependent species such as pronghorn, the pygmy rabbit, and the Long-billed Curlew. The unchecked energy development now gripping the intermountain West is exerting tremendous pressure on these species.
Based on months of work by community leaders and conservationists, the newly released executive order puts the BLM on notice that it must protect the grouse and the landscapes that support it. With the order's release, now is the best time to contact the Bureau of Land Management and urge the agency to step up to the plate and implement a conservation plan for the Greater Sage-grouse.
Please speak up for the Greater Sage-grouse and other wildlife dependent on the West's unique sagebrush habitat. E-mail the BLM director today.
Do you know someone else who cares about protecting one of America's most spectacular birds? Help us to spread the word: Tell-a-friend!
Please use Tell-a-Friend instead of forwarding the message. The links in this message have been personalized for you.
Trouble with the "Take Action" links in the message? Try cutting-and-pasting this link into your web browser: http://audubonaction.org/campaign/wysagegrouse
/>Environment
Debbie
- 1 minute ago - news.bbc.co.uk
As a child, did you spend hours outside the house, playing in your family's yard and neighborhood parks? Were camping and hiking always major vacation activities?
Unfortunately, today's kids are spending less time outdoors than ever before. Take action to change this trend >>
If your parents fostered an appreciation for the outdoors within you, this love of nature is likely part of the reason that you actively advocate for conservation on Care2. Our fight for the health of our planet and its inhabitants will not continue without the support of future generations, so it's critical that we get kids outdoors.
Not only will getting children outdoors help the planet, it also helps them. Indeed, studies show that when children have time for unstructured play and interaction with nature, they benefit immensely. It helps increase understanding of their connection to nature, in addition to improved physical, mental and emotional health.
Getting kids outdoors is so important that the surgeon general should issue a call to action that encourages children and their families to set aside time every day for a "Green Hour" - engaging in unstructured outdoor play and interacting with nature.
Urge the surgeon general to adopt the Green Hour to get kids outdoors >>
Thank you,LiAnna
Care2 and ThePetitionSite Team
P.S. Care2 has been receiving scattered reports of problems with our email alerts, and we are trying to track down any errors. If you have any problems with this email, or signing petitions on our site, please let us know here >>
Big Oil Presses Congress for More Drilling
Dear Claudia,
America's Arctic and other special places are on the chopping block. Emboldened by high gas prices, Big Oil's friends are back in Congress this week, mounting an aggressive attack on our coasts and the Arctic Refuge. They want to use our public lands and waters for their private profit, and permanently destroy America's natural treasures in the process.
We know drilling is not the answer. We want a clean energy proposal that closes royalty giveaways for Big Oil and increases our use of clean, renewable energy sources like properly-sited wind and solar and increasing transportation options. But with all the fervor for drilling these days, it's going to be a tough fight — we need your help.
Please make a quick phone call to your member of Congress. Ask for cleaner, cheaper, faster solutions — clean energy solutions — instead of new drilling.
You can reach your U.S. Representative—Rep. Kathy Castor—in Washington DC at (202) 225-3376 or by calling the Capitol Switchboard, (202) 224-3121.
We have provided a sample script and talking points at our easy-to-use call report form.
Big Oil has had a chokehold on the energy agenda in Washington for too long and they're closer than ever to getting what they want. But here are two facts that can stop them:
- Drilling won't mean a price drop at the pump. Drilling will cause permanent destruction to our natural treasures, in Alaska and around the country, without lowering today's high gas prices.
- We can't drill our way to energy independence. America uses 25% of the world's oil but has only 3% of the potential supply — we cannot be energy independent without investing heavily in clean, renewable energy.
Clean energy is the only responsible way forward. Make sure your member of Congress gets the message. Please call your House member today. It will only take a moment.
Thousands of activists just like you are calling and visiting Washington this week. Be a part of this incredible movement for clean energy, make your call now!
Do you know someone else who cares about protecting sensitive ecosystems from drilling? Help us to spread the word: Tell-a-friend!
Please use Tell-a-Friend instead of forwarding the message. The links in this message have been personalized for you.
Trouble with the "Take Action" links in the message? Try cutting-and-pasting this link into your web browser: http://audubonaction.org/campaign/offshore_callin
Environment 
Tracy
- 12 hours ago - saveourearth.co.uk
/>Thank you! You signed at 6:59 AM PDT, Jul 22, 2008
There seem to be quite a few environmental violations going on lately, don't there...?....and this...?....Bald and Golden eagles...? Particularly disgraceful, not to mention destructive. Thanks for this.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/StopMiningBanner
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has issued Capital Resources Development Company permit to operate a surface coal mine on 643.2 acres (Proposed Permit Area) of property south of and adjacent to the Village of Banner.
We believe that the IDNR issued this permit without due consideration of its ecological impact and that, if the mining proceeds as proposed, it will be in violation of Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
We are sending this petition to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to ask them to investigate and stop this mining activity before it destroys sensitive habitat between Banner Marsh State Fish & Wildlife Area and Rice Lake Conservation Area, and area, where Bald Eagles roost in the winter and nest in the spring and summer, where migratory birds, including thousands of Geese, Ducks, Coots, Cormorants, and Pelicans, stop over each spring and fall.
The proposed mining plans include blasting the coal from the ground during the winter months, when eagles would be roosting nearby. The blasting will surely disturb them. Eagles begin their nesting activities in the winter. The blasting at the proposed mining site would surely disturb nesting eagles.
Please help us stop the destruction of Eagle Nesting and Roosting habitat. Sign this petition and then, for even greater impact, send a letter directly to the regional USFWS office:
Field Supervisor: Richard Nelson
e-mail: RockIsland@fws.gov or MidwestNews@fws.gov
1511 47th Avenue
Moline, IL 61265
Phone: 309-757-5800
Fax: 309-757-5807
TTY: 1-800-877-8339
Send the letter certified for even greater impact. Thank you for helping to call attention to this important issue.
MORE INFORMATION
The Bush administration announced plans today to propose a change in the regulations under Endangered Species Act to eliminate the requirement for consultation with federal biologists on projects that could affect imperiled animals and plants. The proposal would allow action agencies to decide for themselves whether projects they permit or license might harm endangered species.
While details are still unknown, Audubon expects the proposal could be the most significant, detrimental change to the ESA program in years. According to news reports, the proposal will be subject to a very short, 30-day comment period, after it is published in the Federal Register. Audubon will be filing a letter with the Department of Interior protesting the short time period for comment and urging a substantial extension of the comment period. Audubon's activists will also mobilize to resist the change.
The strongest federal safeguard against the extinction of bird species in the United States is the ESA. Enacted in 1973, the ESA has helped save some of America's most critically imperiled birds and wildlife, including species like the Bald Eagle, the Peregrine Falcon, the Gray Wolf, the Grizzly Bear, and the Whooping Crane.
11:19 pm PDT, Aug 20, Debbie Hogan, California
Reckless , ignorant disregard for the natural order of things has far too often seemed a cornerstone of government as of late. This is but a small example. Please...Just use a bit of common sense. Thank you.
This was for the ignorantly destructive prairie dog poisoning petition but it could certainly apply to both, couldn't it? 
Thank you once again, for your excellent, crucial petitions. Signed and forwarded.
This post was modified from its original form on 20 Aug, 23:24
The Bald Eagle. The Grizzly Bear. The American Alligator. These are just three of the dozens of species that have been saved by the Endangered Species Act.
Yet now, in another attempt to destroy our environmental protections, the Bush Administration is proposing massive changes that will gut this important law.
And they've given us just 30 days to weigh in. Please take a minute right now, and tell them you want the Endangered Species Act to stay as it is.
http://www.environmental-action.org/enviroaction.asp?id=2647&id4=ES
Their proposal would remove much of the scientific review from the listing process, in addition to giving experts a mere sixty days to weigh in on proposals.
We've got until September 15th to weigh in against this terrible proposal. And they're not accepting email comments. So, we're working to collect 10,000 comments that we will hand deliver on the fifteenth.
So please, add your comment, and help us protect this great environmental law. Click the link below to add yours.
http://www.environmental-action.org/enviroaction.asp?id=2647&id4=ES
And if we're going to get 10,000 comments, I need you to forward this to your friends and family, and ask them to take part.
Thank you for your work.
Sincerely,
Dan Stafford
Environmental Action Organizer
DanS@environmental-action.org
http://www.environmental-action.org
Federal Policy Change Could Harm Seabirds and Should be Abandoned
Bill ScholtzAudubon and partner groups say Bush administration changes to the National Environmental Policy Act would harm oceans and coasts and the wildlife they support. Click here for details and audio/>.
This post was modified from its original form on 12 Aug, 20:10
Welcome, Brianna. I have to apologise for the host approval message. Had a run of spammers at one point. Got so bad I felt I had no alternative....but I've since removed that particular function as it appears Care2 has fixed the problem so...enjoy your stay. 
...and Gerry, thanks again for being so supportive. 
Hope all's well. Have a good weekend. 
for the card.
SAVE OCEAN ECOSYSTEMS AND THEIR SEABIRDS!
Dear Claudia,
The White House has recently proposed a new rule for oversight of marine fisheries. The new rule would gut the protections that the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) has long provided ocean ecosystems and the seabirds and other wildlife that depend on them. Under the new rule, the ability of the public to have input into the future of our oceans would be severely limited and oversight of marine fisheries would be largely given over to regional fishery management councils — the equivalent of having the fox guard the hen house.
Tell the National Marine Fisheries Service that you oppose the new rule and want to keep the National Environmental Policy Act and citizen input strong.
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires government agencies to analyze the likely environmental effects of their actions and to seek public input into their decisions. The proposed rule would exempt certain categories of fisheries from environmental review altogether and weaken the requirements for environmental reviews of fisheries across the board. The proposed new rule would also severely limit the ability of the public to give input into any decisions made.
NEPA's review process has successfully protected ocean ecosystems in the past. By mandating that impacts to birds and other ocean wildlife be considered when fishing regulations are made, NEPA can help birds and other wildlife while creating a more sustainable ocean system. Nineteen of the twenty-two species of albatross are already threatened with extinction due to long-line fishing techniques that accidentally catch and drown the birds. On the East Coast of the United States, the rufa Red Knot is threatened by overfishing of its main food source, horseshoe crabs. It is vital for our seabirds that we do not weaken environmental oversight of the fishing industry.
Submit a public comment opposing adoption of the new, weakened rule by the National Marine Fisheries Service.
Do you know someone else who cares about protecting seabirds? Help us to spread the word:
Tell-a-friend!Please use Tell-a-Friend instead of forwarding the message. The links in this message have been personalized for you.
Trouble with the take actionslinks in the message? Try cutting-and-pasting this link into your web browser: http://audubonaction.org/campaign/seabirds
/>
Francis
- 7 minutes ago - iyor.org 
Say NO to California offshore oil drilling
The enduring image of nearly every oil spill is a dead or dying bird lying on a blackened beach, its feathers covered with oil. We don’t want to see any more of that in California.
Audubon California needs you to make a clear statement to your elected officials that you do not support new oil drilling off our coasts that would endanger millions of shorebirds and their irreplaceable habitat.
Earlier this month, President Bush removed an executive order banning oil drilling off America’s coastlines, and has been applying increasing pressure on Congress to lift its 27-year ban so that drilling can commence. Oil companies and their friends in government are clearly hoping to take advantage of the pain that many Americans are feeling at the pump to exploit our most precious coastlines.
We need you to help our elected leaders see through the double-talk on this issue. Attempts to lift the offshore drilling moratorium could be attached to several different bills and come up for a vote at any time. Make your voice heard now.
To learn more, click here.
To learn more about Audubon California, visit our website.
Above photo taken of a sea bird found on the beach near Santa Barbara shortly after the 1969 oil spill. Photy by Dick Smith/UCSB.
Send a letter to the following decision maker(s):
Your Congressperson
Your Senators
Below is the sample letter:
Subject: Say NO to offshore oil drilling
Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],
I am writing to urge you to vote against any legislation that would remove the coutnry's ban on offshore oil drilling. California's precious shorebirds and coastline habitats are simply too important to risk.
Here in California, we remember all to well the disastrous Santa Barbara oil spill of 1969 that prompted many of the restrictions on drilling that exist today. And last November's oil spill in San Francisco Bay -- an ecological disaster that killed thousands of birds and poisoned many ecosystems -- proved that the oil industry is still far from safe.
While I too am very concerned about high gas prices, it is clear that allowing drilling near our coastlines and beaches is not the answer. Even the Administration's own energy experts at the Energy Information Administration have concluded that drilling in these special places will have an "insignificant" effect on gas prices.
Our country needs real solutions to these problems, not more giveaways to the oil industry. Energy conservation, renewable energy sources, and increased efficiency measures will benefit consumers now, not years down the road. It is time for Congress to lead the way to a more secure energy future with more affordable energy prices, not to perpetuate America's addiction to oil without helping consumers hurting at the gas pump.
I urge you to vote against drilling off our shores, which are so important to wildlife and tourism economies, and find real solutions to America's energy challenges.
Sincerely,
Debbie Hogan
Tell your representatives to vote NO on California oil drilling
Tell-A-Friend:
Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this. Tell-a-Friend!
Trouble with the "Take Action" links in the message? Try cutting-and-pasting this link into your web browser: http://audubonaction.org/campaign/No_offshore_drilling
Tell your representatives to vote NO on California oil drilling
Fantastic website, Edie. Thank you.
Group History Fight OHV Use on Cape Hattaras 6:58 AM
We need to get the message to members of Defenders of Wildlife and the National Audubon Society that these people are doing a heavy internet campaign to bomb Senators with PRO motorized vehicle access to Cape Hatteras. Tomorrow is the DAY!
It is the Americans For Responsible Recreational Access e-activism campaign. If you go to the URL below you can check out what is at stake and send your own message directly to the relevant decision makers. But you should probably not send it from their site or it might get incorrectly counted as PRO OHV.
http://www.arra-access.com
Group History Please help the stateles Baluch, birds 7:01 AM
By signing this petition:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/stop-nuclear-tests-in-baluchistan
Signed. Thank you .
Group History BAN PLASTIC BAGS IN CANADA 7:12 AM
Dear Friends, I have just started and signed the petition: "BAN PLASTIC BAGS IN CANADA!".
Plastic never breaks down entirely. Instead, potentially carcinogen plastic fragments mix in with our water, soil and food, making its way into our bodies.
Please take a moment to read about this important issue, and join me in signing the petition. It takes just 30 seconds, but can truly make a difference. We are trying to reach 30,000 signatures - please sign here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/11/ban-plastic-bags-in-canada Once you have signed, you can help even more by asking your friends and family to sign as well. Thank you! Kati
Kati. Signed.
Trees are more than what most people seem to see....Trees are history....Trees are shelter....Trees are life. Respect them....Protect them.
Signed.
Group History SAVE THE ANGEL OAK 6:49 AM
LEASE SIGN PETITION, AT http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/save-the-angel-oak-on-johns-island-sc
The Charleston city council has just approved a plan to put up 600 family homes and a shopping center on the property surrounding the Angel Oak, on Johns Island, SC.
No one knows the actual age of the tree, because the only way to determine the age of a live oak is to cut it open and count the rings. It is rumored to be over 1400 years old.
Whatever its actual age, the tree is colossal, and it is ancient. It stands proudly in an obscure wooded area on Johns Island. It stands sixty-five feet tall; with the longest limb extending eighty-nine feet long and the tree's canopy shading an area of 17,100 square feet.
Imagine the things this amazing live oak tree has lived to see. It is a truly remarkable natural wonder that inspires people daily.
When developing their new community so close to the Angel Oak, builders will have to cut down many trees in the wooded area surrounding the historic tree. In doing so, the Angel Oak will be left unprotected against natural elements it has not been exposed to. The tree will be extremely vulnerable and mostly likely die.
In a town that is so well known for preserving its past and protecting its natural beauty and charm, I find it incredibly surprising and tragic that the Charleston City Council would approve this project.
More than 700 scientists are attending a major conference to draw up an action plan to protect the world's wetlands.
Organisers say a better understanding of how to manage the vital ecosystems is urgently needed.
Rising temperatures are not only accelerating evaporation rates, but also reducing rainfall levels and the volume of meltwater from glaciers.
Although only covering 6% of the Earth's land surface, they store up to an estimated 20% of terrestrial carbon.
Co-organised by the UN University and Brazil's Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, the five-day Intecol International Wetlands Conference in Cuiaba, Brazil, will examine the links between wetlands and climate change.
"Humanity in many parts of the world needs a wake-up call to fully appreciate the vital environmental, social and economic services wetlands provide," said conference co-chairman Paulo Teixeira.
These included absorbing and holding carbon, regulating water levels and supporting biodiversity, he added.
Konrad Osterwalder, rector of the UN University, said that people in the past had viewed the habitats as a problem, which led to many being drained.
"Yet wetlands are essential to the planet's health," he explained. "With hindsight, the problems in reality have turned out to be the draining of wetlands and other 'solutions' we humans devised."
Under pressure
Scientists warn that if the decline of the world's wetlands continued, it could result in vast amounts of carbon being released into the atmosphere and "compound the global warming problem significantly".
It is estimated that drained tropical swamp forests release 40 tonnes of carbon per hectare each year, while drained peat bogs emit between 2.5 to 10 tonnes.
Data shows that about 60% of wetlands have been destroyed in the past century, primarily as a result of drainage for agriculture.
"Lessening the stress on wetlands caused by pollution and other human assaults will improve their resilience and represents an important climate change adaption strategy," explained Wolfgang Junk from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Germany.
"Wetlands act as sponges and their role as sources, reservoirs and regulators of water is largely underappreciated," Professor Junk added.
"They also cleanse water of organic pollutants, prevent downstream flood inundations, protect river banks and seashores from erosion, recycle nutrients and capture sediment."
The conference organisers said the ecosystems, many of which have biodiversity that rivals rainforests and coral reefs, were in need of complex long-term management plans.
They hope the scientific meeting, which ends on Friday, will highlight the range of measures needed, such as agreements that covered the entire catchment areas of the wetlands.
Important issue , that one. The reefs are in pretty bad shape these days....to put it quite mildly...
Signed and forwarded, James. Thanks very much .
Group History SOS for Saemangeum 12:53 AM
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/an-appeal-for-world-migrating-birds-restore-the-saemangeum-wetland
Maria . Signed .
Treasured Songbirds Need Our Help
The Western Tanager, Wood Thrush, and Bobolink are all birds that spend their summers in North America and their winters in the warmer climates of Central and South America—
art of a group of more than 300 bird species known as "neotropical migrants." More than 43% of neotropical migrants have experienced significant declines since systematic population surveys began in 1966. To save these songbirds, we need to support conservation efforts protecting their habitats in all the countries where they make stops along their migratory routes. Urge your U.S. Representative to cosponsor HR 5756 to reauthorize the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act.
The Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act supports conservation programs protecting migratory birds through habitat preservation, education, and research programs. The program is a cooperative, international conservation effort in Canada, the United States, and Latin America. Each year, the number of applicants far exceeds the available funds. Congress needs to renew and expand this vital and cost-effective conservation program.
We need to act now to save our declining songbirds. The longer we delay, the more irreplaceable habitat will be lost. Please urge your representative to support the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act and work to preserve the habitat of America's songbirds.
Do you know someone else who cares about protecting songbirds? Help us to spread the word:
Tell-a-friend!Please use Tell-a-Friend instead of forwarding the message. The links in this message have been personalized for you.
Trouble with the "Take Action" links in the message? Try cutting-and-pasting this link into your web browser: http://audubonaction.org/campaign/nmbca
Join thousands of Audubon supporters across the country in the fight to protect the fragile environment along the U.S./Mexico border, including the Sabal Palm Audubon Center & Sanctuary. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently decided to waive more than 30 critical environmental and public health laws, including the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and the Safe Drinking Water Act, to construct a border fence that will jeopardize the economy, quality of life, and environment of communities throughout Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.
What will the border fence mean for the environment and for bird watching in some of the most spectacular birding hot spots in the world? Find out more.
On Kuiu and Admiralty Islands in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, there is a kind of animal that exists nowhere else in the world. And these bushy-tailed forest dwellers -- a unique type of coastal marten -- need plenty of undisturbed habitat to survive.
Unfortunately, the Bush/Cheney Administration is working to lock in place a plan that would allow timber companies to destroy important parts of the old-growth forest habitat for these coastal martens with clearcuts and new logging roads.
The Bush plan sets the stage for logging 5 times the timber currently cut on the Tongass -- including habitat for martens and many of the undisturbed old-growth stands that form the heart of the Tongass’s still trackless expanses.
Logging deals a severe blow to martens, which cannot live in fragmented forests or cleared areas. Marten experts believe that these special forest mammals cannot live in areas without at least 50-60% canopy cover -- a far cry from what would be left after a clearcut.
But these unique coastal martens aren’t the only species threatened by the Bush plan for the Tongass. Giant grizzly bears, thriving salmon runs, bald eagles, Queen Charlotte goshawks, and the elusive Alexander Archipelago wolf would all lose important habitat under the plan.
Speak out for wildlife in the Tongass. Send your message to the Forest Service now.
Defenders and its environmental partners have filed appeals asking the Forest Service to reconsider the Tongass plan, include protections for old-growth forests and roadless areas and acknowledge the impacts of climate change. The public comment period for demanding these protections ends on Tuesday, July 15th. That means we have just four days to oppose the Bush/Cheney Administration’s awful logging plans for the Tongass National Forest and protect the forest home of martens and other wildlife, so please take action today!
Thanks for taking the time to help martens and other forest wildlife…
Rodger Schlickeisen
President
Defenders of Wildlife
Join thousands of Audubon supporters across the country in the fight to protect the fragile environment along the U.S./Mexico border, including the Sabal Palm Audubon Center & Sanctuary. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently decided to waive more than 30 critical environmental and public health laws, including the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and the Safe Drinking Water Act, to construct a border fence that will jeopardize the economy, quality of life, and environment of communities throughout Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.
What will the border fence mean for the environment and for bird watching in some of the most spectacular birding hot spots in the world? Find out more.
http://audubonaction.org/campaign/sabalpalm
Audubon California helps craft historic conservation pact
Up to 240,000 contiguous acres of spectacular and ecologically significant California wildlands will be protected under a precedent-setting 
agreement brokered by Audubon California and five other environmental groups with the Tejon Ranch Company. The agreement will protect approximately 90 percent of Tejon’s rich natural habitat from development and open new opportunities for Californians to enjoy this tremendous landscape firsthand.
“If you look at a map of California, you can see just how big a victory this is for Californians,” said Graham Chisholm, conservation director for Audubon California. “The protected area is immense – 375 square miles – and the only place in North America where four distinct ecoregions meet on one property.”
Tejon Ranch encompasses more of California’s natural beauty and diversity than any undeveloped area of the state. Located at the junction of the Mojave Desert and the Sierra Nevada, central and coastal mountains, the enormous parcel is home to precious native grasslands, oak woodlands, Joshua tree woodlands and conifer forests. It is home to the endangered California Condor and more than two dozen state and federally listed plant and animal species.
Audubon California and its partners in the environmental community have secured a hard fought victory for California’s environment through intense negotiations. Ultimately, these negotiations presented a unique opportunity to settle the ranch’s future and avoid decades of piecemeal legal wrangling with little likelihood of gaining the extensive habitat protection and funding for long-term restoration and management that this represents.
In exchange for major conservation concessions, Audubon California and its partners will agree not to oppose three development projects on 10 percent of the Tejon Ranch. These developments will still be subject to public review and applicable federal and state environmental protection laws.
“This comprehensive negotiated solution is a window of opportunity to preserve the ecological integrity of the Tejon Ranch,” said Dan Silver, chief executive officer of the Endangered Habitats League.
Learn more about this exciting victory for Audubon California:
Feature story: An Audubon victory
Maps of the conservation site are available here.
To learn more about Audubon California, click here.
Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this. Tell-a-friend!
Sign the Fix Our Parks Pledge October 24, 2007 8:38 AM
http://ga1.org/campaign/fixourparks
Sign the Fix Our Parks Pledge visit site
Environment (tags: conservation, environment, animals, forests, protection ) 
Cory F.
Cory
- 27 seconds ago - ga1.org
America's national parks are in crisis-- underfunding, traffic congestion, and pollution are all taking their toll. But NPCA has launched a major campaign to fix these problems before the National Park System's 100th birthday in ten years.
Thanks again, Cory , for this entry. Pledge signed.
More than five years in the making, the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which contains billions in funding to restore ecosystems passed Congress September 24, 2007 by a staggering margin, well over the 2/3rd needed to override the President’s veto. A longtime Audubon priority, the bill would provide unprecedented ecosystem restoration funding in areas like the Everglades, the Great Lakes, coastal Louisiana, and the Mississippi River. In total, the $21 billion piece of legislation authorizes navigation, flood protection, and more than $5.5 billion in ecosystem restoration funding.
Click here to read the details in Audubon's press release.
Key Senate Chair Calls for Veto Override
Audubon Asks President Bush to Support WRDA
Take action on this issue . Let your own voice be heard :
For over a century, Audubon has been a leading voice encouraging conservation of precious habitat and wildlife for future generations. Audubon's earliest noted success came in 1900, when members urged Congress to pass legislation making interstate trafficking of illegally killed birds and animals a crime, while prohibiting the importation of non-native and potentially invasive species. Today's environmental challenges are far more profound, and Audubon's collective voice is more essential than ever.
In the recent past, Congress had increasingly focused on rolling back environmental protections, often at the behest of special interest and industry groups. This has been especially true on key issues, such as protecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and retaining legal protections for threatened and endangered species. Many expect the new leadership of the 110th Congress to bring much-need change that will reverse this defensive trend. Audubon is meeting our most pressing environmental challenges by supporting positive energy solutions that reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, lessen the harmful effects of global warming, and protect special places from harmful energy extraction.
Audubon is also making progress protecting habitat on-the-ground; for example, restoring ecosystems, and funding critical conservation projects. In 2007, Audubon will be actively involved in developing a Farm bill that emphasizes conservation.
Audubon's public policy office in Washington, D.C. connects Audubon with Congress, the executive branch, courts, and mass media to ensure our great natural heritage endures for generations.
Please feel free to post any issues, actions or petitions pertaining to wildlife and/or the environment here
