Want to know what National Wildlife Federation was up to this week? Here is a recap of the week’s NWF news:
New guide addresses parents’ weather-related concerns around letting kids enjoy outdoor playtime
March 27 – The new weather guide emphasizes the growing disparity between kids and outdoor play time, some of which is brought about by misguided weather concerns. The Forecast Calls for Play (pdf) reports that 61 percent of parents cite weather as the number one reason their kids do not get outside. According to the guide, parents’ aversion to letting their kids play outside in less-than-perfect weather is depriving them of the many physical and mental benefits outdoor play can provide.
“This guide shows that children are safe to play outside in most kinds of weather barring the extremes,” said Lindsay Legendre, manager of NWF’s Be Out There program. “Regular outdoor play is so important to kids’ healthy development and a little rain shouldn’t stop them from being out there. Parents might enjoy puddle jumping again themselves.”
For more information about fun outdoor activities, please visit our Be Out There page
National Blueprint for Addressing Climate Change Impacts on Wildlife and Habitats
March 26 – National Wildlife Federation welcomes the release today of a long-awaited national strategy for tackling the impacts of climate change on the nation’s plants, animals, and ecosystems. Developed collaboratively by federal, state, and tribal governments the National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy lays out a blueprint for safeguarding wildlife in the face of climate change and increases in extreme weather.
“Climate change is now the most serious threat facing wildlife,” said Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of National Wildlife Federation. “In addition to the urgent need to reduce the carbon pollution driving global warming, we must begin preparing for and addressing the climate impacts already hurting our wildlife heritage and local communities.”
For more on climate adaption, visit our Climate-Smart Conservation page
NWF-Led Coalition Calls for Stronger Tar Sands Pipeline Standards
March 26 – A coalition of landowners, former and current government officials, environmental, renewable energy and sportsmen’s groups filed a petition today with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) asking the agencies to develop stronger safety standards for tar sands oil pipelines.
“As the Kalamazoo River spill and ongoing cleanup show, current standards are failing to protect wildlife, habitats, and water supplies against the unique risks of pipeline transit of sticky, corrosive tar sands,” said Jim Murphy, senior counsel at the National Wildlife Federation. “It’s clear we need tough new standards to protect wildlife, our natural resources and public health. Until the right standards are put into place, we shouldn’t be exposing more communities and resources to tar sands risks.”
The petition effort is spearheaded by the National Wildlife Federation and includes 29 national, state and local organizations as well as 36 landowners from states across the country impacted by existing and proposed tar sands pipelines. It requests a halt to new or expanded tar sands pipelines until adequate rules are in place.
For more on Tar Sands Oil, visit our Climate and Energy page
And now here are highlights from NWF in the news:
- The Huffington Post: Five Ways to Celebrate National Wildlife Week
- Wall Street Journal: New Requirements for Ballast Water Dumped By Ships
- Washington Post: Keystone Fears Resonate Among New England
- Today Show: Bird Call Girls: Hoda and Molly Ringwald chat with a kookaburra
- Public News Service: Mainers Join to Petition U.S. on Tar Sands Regs
- The Houston Chronicle: Funds to Restore the Gulf
For more visit www.nwf.org/news