UN study: Climate change killing corals, costing billions

Sept 2, 2009 — AFP — The United Nations report "The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity” concludes, "We face the imminent loss of coral reefs due to climate change, with all the serious ecological, social and economic consequences this will entail." Download the report here.

Sites of interest

ClimateWire, the Politics and Business of Climate Change (subscription site)

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (reports)

National Wildlife Federation global warming page

 
hunters and dogs
Photo: Covey Rise magazine

Climate Action Partnership offers recommendations
US Climate Action Partnership presents five reasons why a financial commitment to funding adaptation to climate change in both domestic and international contexts must be supported. Read USCAP’s recommendations and the cover letter sent to leaders of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Sportsmen’s groups send a letter to the Senate on climate change
On behalf of millions of organized sportsmen and women and conservation professionals from across the country, twenty sportmen's organizations are urging the Senate to pass comprehensive climate and energy legislation this year. Download the letter.

Dept. of Interior launches climate change response strategy
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has signed an order launching the Department of the Interior’s first-ever coordinated strategy to address current and future impacts of climate change on America’s land, water, ocean, fish, wildlife, and cultural resources. Download the order.

On Energy, Obama finds broad support
Washington Post poll shows backing for reform efforts, but cap-and-trade bill is harder sell

Commerce secretary approves Arctic fisheries plan
Plan prohibits expansion of commercial fishing in regions of the Arctic hit hard by rising sea temperatures

Obama admin breathes new life into long-delayed Great Lakes Restoration
At President Obama’s urging, the U.S. House of Representatives approved $475 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to address the most pressing ecological challenges in the Great Lakes. Senate action on the initiative is expected this fall

Letter supports fish and wildlife adaptation provisions
Labor Unions promote conservation measures in climate change legislation

Time line for climate bill
Washington Times article details current time frame for passing climate bill through senate.

National Wildlife Federation analyzes ACES Act
NWF examines proposals in the "cap-and-trade" bill to fund protection of wildlife and natural resources from climate change.

Bill funds resource protection
H.R. 2454 proposes dedicated funds for protecting wildlife and natural resources from effects of climate change.

State fish, wildlife agencies on Waxman-Markey plan
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies praise champions of dedicated funding for wildlife and natural resource adaptation to climate change in clean energy bill.

Allocations of funds for wildlife in the American Clean Energy Security Act
The Energy and Commerce Committee released their "Proposed Allowance Allocation" under the American Clean Energy Security Act (ACES). Early estimates put the dollar figure around $500 million in 2012, increasing to $4.5 billion in 2030.

House bill shifts focus to climate change adaptation
Article on House Bill American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009.

Summary, House Bill American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009
Summary of bill introduced March 31, 2009

House Bill American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009
Complete document, introduced March 31, 2009

Natural Resources Bulletin, NWF
- Obama outlines conservation priorities
- NWF coalitions gather on Capitol Hill
- Maine faces habitat shifts due to global warming
- Ocean prey species dwindling

President's budget and state climate change adaptation strategies
From subsection on the DOI: a highlight says the president's budget "Assists State and Federal land management agencies with over $130 million in additional funding to monitor, adaptively manage and assess the impacts of climate change on the Nation's lands, fish and wildlife..."

Environmentalists' letter to U.S. Senate
More than 170 environmental organizations signed this letter supporting the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act's natural resources' adaptation programs.

NWF, CSA's natural resources adaptation provision
Analysis by the executive director of the National Wildlife Federation of proposals in the Climate Security Act funding natural resources adaptation activities.

Sportsmen's letter to U.S. Senate
The nation's leading hunting and fishing organizations sent this letter supporting the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act to all members of the United States Senate. The proposed legislation will be considered by the Senate in early June.

 

Climate legislation update 

On October 27, Senators Bingaman (D-NM), Baucus (D-MT), Whitehouse (D-RI) and Udall (D-NM) introduced the Natural Resources Climate Adaptation Act (S. 1933), a bill that would create a dedicated funding mechanism to safeguard wildlife and natural resources threatened by global warming and ocean acidification. Read an analysis developed by the National Wildlife Federation of the bill here.

On October 23, 2009, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) released the Chairman's
mark of S. 1733, the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act of 2009. Along with the climate-change bill passed by the House in June, S. 1733 sets forth the most comprehensive program ever contemplated in legislation for protecting and restoring U.S. species, habitats, and ecosystems threatened by climate change and ocean acidification. 
Read an analysis developed by the National Wildlife Federation of the bill here.

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