It’s Getting Hot In Here

ANCHORAGE – Hundreds of indigenous people from around the world are gathering in Anchorage this week to discuss climate change and solutions to a warming planet. The Indigenous Peoples’ Global Summit on Climate Change, a five-day United Nations-affiliated conference, will run through Friday, with about 400 people from 80 nations expected to attend.

On the first full day of the conference on Monday, reports on climate change will be presented covering seven regions around the globe.

“Indigenous peoples have contributed the least to the global problem of climate change but will almost certainly bear the greatest brunt of its impact,” said Patricia Cochran, chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, an organization representing approximately 150,000 Inuit of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Chukotka in Russia.

The council is hosting the event. While indigenous people are often “on the front lines” of the problem, Cochran said their voices are often not heard when discussing climate change. The summit intends to change that, she said.

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You might not agree with the National Wildlife Federation’s stance on the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act, but you don’t have to take it out on Ranger Rick!

There’s a lot of debate going on right now about the Climate Act, and I think it’s important for people to be informed, so I’m glad that we are addressing this bills strengths and weaknesses on this blog. But the fact remains that there is no realistic alternative to this bill right now. Do we want to pass a bill that will start taking the right steps (even if they are baby steps) towards addressing climate change, or do we want to shoot it down and continue on doing nothing at the federal level?

Unfortunately, even within the environmental community, we are probably never going to all agree on everything. But we can also get our message across without attacking each other. Ultimately, we all care about this Earth and are invested in how we can minimize our impact on the planet. We might not agree on which direction to go in, but we are all passionate about our own individual beliefs and that is part of what makes this movement so unique. And maybe we can all agree not to do anymore raccoon bashing!

Chill Out is shaping up to be even better than last year! With over 215 sites in 5 countries, Chill Out will reach thousands of students and faculty members! It’s not to late to host Chill Out on your campus – visit www.campuschillout.org to find all the information you’ll need to watch this interactive broadcast featuring student videos, an interactive panel of experts, and awards for the schools that are finding solutions to global warming!

Here’s a sneak peek at one of the student videos you will see on the broadcast tomrrow!

Don’t miss Chill Out this year! Sign up to host the National Wildlife Federations groundbreaking webcast today!

We’re less than a week away from the second annual Chill Out: Campus Solutions to Global Warming webcast! This FREE webcast will feature colleges from around the country that are leading the fight against global warming. Ask our panelists questions, learn more about what you can do to confront global warming on your campus, and watch student videos, like this one from Cy-Fair college in Texas:

Chill Out is next Wednesday, April 16 at 7pm Eastern. Sign up today to host this FREE webcast on your campus!

The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968

There are few speeches that people remember. Most of us know at least the first few lines from the Gettysburg Address, or FDR’s ‘a date which will live in infamy’ response to the attacks on Pearl Harbor. And who hasn’t heard a politician quote from JFK’s inaugural ‘ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country’ speech? But no speech is more powerful or symbolic of a movement than the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’.

On this fortieth anniversary of King’s assassination, I feel that it is important for all of us to stop and take a minute to appreciate all the amazing strides the civil rights movement made in the 60’s. Dr. King and other civil rights leaders laid the groundwork for the social justice movements going on today. As we continue to strive for equality and we work to improve our environment, take some time to remember how far we have come and be inspired by the changes we have already made.

The National Wildlife Federation is hosting our second annual national competition called Chill Out! Campus Solutions to Global Warming. The purpose of the contest is to spotlight solutions to global warming on your campus and to share these with a national audience.

Chill Out is looking for the best, most innovative campus-based projects in clean energy, energy efficiency, transportation, habitat restoration, waste reduction and more.

Enter Chill Out by November 30 and you’ll have a chance to win grant money, prizes and national publicity. All you need to do is send your 500-word essay or three-minute video describing your campus’ efforts to Chill Out by November 30. Winning campuses will also be featured in a national broadcast viewed by thousands of students, faculty, and staff on April 16, 2008.

Colleges and universities are leading the fight against global warming. Are you? Let the world know what you’re doing to reduce carbon emissions and protect the future by entering Chill Out: Campus Solutions to Global Warming.<For more information and to enter the contest, please visit: www.campuschillout.org.

The National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Ecology team is now hiring! We are seeking a dynamic and dedicated worker to join the award-winning education team as our eNews Coordinator.

Job Duties

• helping NWF deliver state-of-the-art news and information for campus decision-makers on reducing the carbon footprint by producing a semi-monthly e-newsletter focused on climate stewardship geared to higher education audiences;
• leading web-based earned media and related promotional efforts;
• coordinating the production of web-based courses and guides.

Qualifications:

• College graduate with demonstrated interest in environment practical solutions to global warming, especially in a campus setting.
• Two-years minimum experience in journalism
• Research and writing skills

NWF is an equal opportunity employer committed to workplace diversity. Please apply online at http://www.nwf.org/careergateway.

Are you tackling global warming on campus?  Then you need to Chill Out! National Wildlife Federation’s Chill Out: Campus Solutions to Global Warming competition is back and its bigger than ever!  Win prizes and get noticed with the nation’s only annual global warming solutions contest.

Global warming is a solvable problem.  How do we know?  Because we’ve seen what colleges and universities are doing to solve it.

Now get recognized for your work by entering Chill Out: Campus Solutions to Global Warming.  We’re looking for the best, most innovative campus-based projects aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions.  Send us your 500-word essay or three-minute video describing your campus’ effort and you’ll hve a chance to win grant money, prizes and national publicity (not to metion a lot of good karma from sharing your ideas with other).

To enter and read contest rules, go to: www.nwf.org/chillout

We know you’re out there. Help us find you.  Enter Chill Out today!!

LORETO, Italy – Pope Benedict, leading the Catholic Church’s first ’eco-friendly’ youth rally, on Sunday told up to half a million people that world leaders must make courageous decisions to save the planet “before it is too late.”

“A decisive ’yes’ is needed in decisions to safeguard creation as well as a strong commitment to reverse tendencies that risk leading to irreversible situations of degradation,” the 80-year old Pope said in his homily.

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My parents were not really hippies. My mother never burned her bra and my father never torched his draft card. They did not smoke pot, hitchhike, or go to Woodstock. They did, however, listen to Simon and Garfunkel. A lot. And they did grow up during the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and Watergate. My parent’s generation also pioneered the environmental movement. They organized the first Earth Day and went on to found companies like Patagonia and Whole Foods. The visionaries of the sixties reshaped the way we think about our relationship with the Earth.

Growing up, my parents taught my sisters and me the importance of recycling. Coffee grounds and egg shells were always set aside for the compost pile and in the summer dinner would include tomatoes, rhubarb, or zucchini from our garden. Our family vacations were always done with tents. They understood the beauty of nature. And recently, they did something huge to help fight global warming. My parents just bought a Prius. And they are not alone. The typical Prius driver is over 50. This December, the Prius turns 10, and hopefully the demand for hybrids will continue to grow.

Not everyone can afford to buy a hybrid car. But there are many other ways we can individually reduce our impact on the world. NWF’s Campus Ecology members are constantly embracing new technologies to aid in the fight. From Ball State University’s tireless efforts to bring biofueled hybrid buses to campus, to 2006 Campus Ecology Fellow Scot Miller’s online interactive guide to all of the environmentally friendly companies on and around Harvard, students today are making a difference. All of us can impact the world around us. For ideas on what you can do, check out our website and get involved today!