Via the World Wildlife Fund:

Help save Australia’s ‘Galapagos’

Barrow Island is the second largest island in Western Australia, and is one of Australia’s oldest nature reserves. But this remarkable place, described as Australia’s ‘Galapagos’ because of its rare and endangered species, now faces unprecedented threats.

In December 2006, the Western Australian Government overruled the advice of its own Environmental Protection Authority and approved the development on the island of a huge gas plant by the energy companies, Chevron, Shell and ExxonMobil.

Risks to wildlife from the massive project include the introduction of invasive species and diseases in the thousands of tonnes of material and equipment needed to build the plant. The development would also require the construction of a port in a pristine tropical area previously
earmarked for inclusion in the surrounding marine park and the dredging of deep shipping channels in coral reef habitat.

You can help protect Barrow Island by signing our petition to the energy consortium (Chevron, Shell and ExxonMobil). Tell them to halt plans to locate the gas plant on the island and
instead look to alternative mainland locations.

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Tagged: environment environmental environmentalism environmentalist action+alerts wwf world+wildlife+fund galapagos australia gas+plant conservation wildlife endangered+species

UPDATE, 1/22/07:

As many of you know, HR6 passed the House on Thursday; you can read the full text of the bill here.

Says Ayinde O. Chase of All Headline News,

On Thursday the House of Representatives passed the CLEAN Energy Act (H.R. 6), which rolls back subsidies and tax breaks for Big Oil, by a vote of 264 to 163. The bill specifically aims to close certain tax loopholes available to big oil companies, and collect royalties from oil and gas produced in public waters. The legislation when enforced will shift more than $14 billion from certain subsidies to investments in clean energy, such as energy-efficient technologies and renewable power. […]

The monies collected could be directed to:

- spur the construction of wind and solar energy power generation facilities

- provide incentives for energy-efficient appliances, buildings and equipment

- enable more people to purchase gas-saving hybrid cars and trucks […]

An Apollo Alliance study discovered that a major investment in alternative energy technologies has the potential of adding more than 3.3 million new jobs to the nation’s economy, stimulating $1.4 trillion dollars in new Gross Domestic Product, and eventually paying for itself in a 10-year time span.

Sweet.

My favorite headline come from Salon: “Big Oil gets punked” (!).

Earthjustice recommends sending your rep a thank you, that is, if she or he is deserving of one. Otherwise, ignore the twit and vote against him/her in the next election cycle.

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With Congress slated to vote on the clean energy portion of their 100 Hours agenda later this week, the action alerts are coming at my inbox, fast and furious. Rather than post each individually, here’s a roundup of those that call on Congress to end subsidies for Big Oil, support clean energy, and/or vote yes on H.R. 6. I’ll add new ones to the top of the list as they arrive.

(more…)

Via the World Wildlife Fund:

Save Sharks, Whales, and Other Marine Life

The federal government is accepting public comments until January 5 on how best to manage three national marine sanctuaries located off the coast of California: Monterey Bay, Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank.

Together, the three sanctuaries encompass 7,100 square miles and support some of the world’s most diverse marine ecosystems. Giant kelp forests, wildlife breeding habitats, and deep submarine canyons are some of the special areas.

Unfortunately, these underwater treasures face serious threats. Many of the marine species are threatened by overfishing and destructive practices such as bottom trawling. And the nearby large and growing human population puts enormous pressure on the ecosystems.

National marine sanctuaries belong to us all and we all have a say in how they are managed. To help preserve these sanctuaries and all the riches they contain, let sanctuary managers hear your voice.

ACT NOW: Send a free letter supporting strong protection for the three marine sanctuaries.

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Tagged: animals animal+rights environment environmental environmentalism environmentalist action+alerts wwf world+wildlife+fund conservation sanctuaries California Monterey+Bay Gulf+of+the+Farallones Cordell+Bank marine ecosystem

Via the World Wildlife Fund:

Stop killing wolves in Switzerland

Thanks to conservation efforts wolves returned to Switzerland in 1995 after being driven to extinction throughout most of Western Europe at the beginning of the last century.

But the future of the species in Switzerland now hangs in the balance once again.

In late November a wolf, which was reported to have killed around 30 sheep, was shot dead in the Valais region in south western Switzerland. This was the second wolf killed this year, following the shooting of a female in October.

Although the wolf is classified as a ’strictly protected’ species in Europe, animals can still be killed legally under exceptional circumstances. Yet despite the fact that the Swiss region’s highest court ordered a halt to the cull until a formal decision could be made, the authorities carried out their threat and killed the wolf regardless.

The authorities in Valais have completely failed to promote prevention measures, which can drastically reduce attacks on livestock, and have even ignored advice from their own highest court.

This sets a terrible example, which unless it is challenged, could soon be followed by other regions in Switzerland.

Click here and call on the authorities in Valais to stop killing wolves.

Find out more information about this action here.

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Tagged: animals animal+rights action+alerts environment environmental environmentalist environmentalism wwf world+wildlife+fund switzerland wolves

Via the World Wildlife Fund:

Help save one of Norway’s last magical places

In its final session before Christmas, the Norwegian government will decide how much of Southern Scandinavia’s last remaining large old-growth forest is to be protected.

The Trillemarka-Rollagsfjell area in Norway covers low-land forests with broadleaved deciduous trees, herb-rich spruce forests, dramatic river canyons and miles and miles of undulating forested hills covered by spruce and pine - all overlooked by majestic mountains.

Within the forest scientists have discovered over 100 species that are endangered and threatened in Norway. The three-toed woodpecker, golden eagle and Siberian jay are just a few of the examples of the rich wildlife thriving in the old trees, where rare lichens and fungi conjures up a uniquely magical atmosphere.

If the government fails to protect the whole of Trillemarka-Rollagsfjell in the coming weeks then the area’s unique environment and precious wildlife will be under threat.

Please go to mail.panda.org/inxmail/url?vhq2q00d4gi0q0ts53a3 and send an email now to the Norwegian government, urging them to do the right thing and protect all of Trillemarka-Rollagsfjell!

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Tagged: environment environmentalist environmentalism action+alerts wwf world+wildlife+fund Trillemarka-Rollagsfjell Norway Scandinavia forest old-growth+forest endangered+species

Via the World Wildlife Fund:

Boost International Conservation Funds

President Bush is in the midst of preparing his federal budget for fiscal year 2008 and the levels he selects will frame the budget debate in Congress next year.

Please ask your members of Congress to urge the president to propose increased funding for international affairs, which includes international conservation.

The 1.2 percent of all federal spending that our nation allocates for international affairs reaps us huge rewards in terms of increased U.S. and global security and sustainability.

Because of the changes currently taking place in Congress, this is a critically important time to take action. Legislators will be facing enormous budget pressures next year and they will have to make difficult choices. Your voice is essential to ensure that the international conservation budget isn’t cut!

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Tagged: environment environmentalist environmentalism action+alerts wwf world+wildlife+fund conservation international budget

Via World Wildlife Fund:

Provide Adequate Funds for Global Environmental Protection

Although the federal fiscal year for 2007 began last September, Congress has yet to finalize some aspects of the 2007 budget, including the U.S. contribution for the Global Environment Facility (GEF), a little known but extremely important international institution that supports conservation projects around the world. Businesses, universities, governments, and nonprofits partner with the GEF and provide significant additional funds. Since 1992, the GEF has allocated $6.1 billion in grants, leveraging more than $20 billion in additional financing, to more than 1,750 projects. Unfortunately, the United States has repeatedly underpaid what it has pledged to the GEF.

Also still pending is the level of funding for implementation of the Tropical Forest Conservation Act and for the international biodiversity conservation programs of the U.S. Agency for International Development. […]

U.S. activists: Urge your senators to provide sufficient funding for programs that protect wildlife and habitats across the globe.

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Tagged: environment environmentalist environmentalism action+alerts wwf world+wildlife+fund Global+Environment+Facility gef

Via the World Wildlife Fund:

Help Sardinia turn over a new leaf

Sardinia, the second largest island in the Mediterranean, is known throughout the world for the beauty of its sea, its coastline and its wildlife.

Yet despite being home to such magnificent and rare species as the Sardinian red deer and the bearded vulture, the island has long suffered from damaging and uncontrolled development.

Now Sardinia’s Regional Council has decided to protect its coastline through new legislation and bring to a halt the steady, decades-long process of unsustainable building that has been slowly eroding this magical place.

Thanks to the work of the President of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia, Renato Soru, the council’s decision is now officially law. But opponents of the law - who want to keep destroying the island’ coastline - are now trying to overturn it.

Read more and take action here.

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Tagged: environment environmentalist environmentalism action+alerts wwf world+wildlife+fund Sardinia sustainable development

Via the World Wildlife Fund:

Time running out to save bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean

As stated by scientists and ecologists alike, the prized Atlantic bluefin tuna is being fished to extinction.

Fuelled by high global demand for sushi and the unsustainable expansion in tuna farming, the fishery sees huge illegal and unregulated activity – especially by EU fleets. Catches by traditional fishermen are down by some 80% on what they used to be, and six tuna farms have now closed due to lack of fish.

A strict recovery plan must be adopted by ICCAT in Croatia this November – before it is too late.

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Tagged: animals animal+rights action+alerts wwf world+wildlife+fund fish fishing bluefin+tuna conservation environment environmentalism

Via the World Wildlife Fund:

Stop massive brown bear hunt in Slovenia

One of the first European countries to protect the brown bear, Slovenia, now threatens to start one of the biggest hunts of all time and decimate its bear population through an unscientific and unsustainable kill.

Action is urgently needed as the hunting season will reach its peak in only a few weeks time. So please click here take action now.

Before Slovenia joined the European Union (EU) around 50 bears were killed each year by hunters. But in 2002, the government drastically increased the quota to 100 individuals. However, following international protests and criticism by neighbouring countries and the EU, the quota was reduced in subsequent years.

But now the government has once again announced that it will increase the hunting quota to 100 bears. This is in addition to many that are killed each year on roads and railway lines.

Supporters of the hunt claim that quota needs to be increased because of damage to farming caused by bears and the risk to local communities. But killing more bears is not the answer and jeopardizes existing conservation programmes.

Send an email now to the Slovenia environment minister and urge him to suspend this unsustainably high quota.

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Tagged: animals animal+rights action+alerts wwf world+wildlife+fund hunting brown+bears slovenia