How Can We Safeguard America's Natural Resources From Global Warming?

First, it's necessary to understand how strong global warming legislation should be crafted.  Strong legislation should meet the following three criteria:

1) Reduce pollution. Require polluters to buy a permit, or allowance, for every ton of global warming pollution they emit. Limit the number of pollution allowances that are available each year, lower that number by at least 2% each year, therefore lowering pollution by 2% each year.

2) Invest in clean energy technology. Invest some of the money raised from the sale of pollution allowances in developing the technology that will be part of the new clean energy future - ie. solar and wind power, more efficient cars and trucks.

3) Deal with impacts of global warming. Invest some of the money raised from these allowances to help communities, people and natural resources cope with the impacts of global warming. This includes providing support for developing nations and US states and cities to address changing climate patterns and rising seas; helping Americans' reduce their energy costs; and investing in protecting and restoring natural resources.

Conservationists of all stripes - hunters, anglers, kayakers, businesses and parents - have come together to demand that global warming legislation protects wildlife and natural resources. View the resources below to learn more, or to find out other ways to get invovled  e-mail Derek Brockbank .

Reports, Fact Sheets, and Other Resources

Investing In America's Natural Resources

This report highlights in great detail the challenges and threats to our natural resources put forth by global warming.  It includes sections on the impacts of the Great Lakes, Coastal Estuaries, Coral Reefs, and Hemlock Forests.

How It Works

This short fact sheet briefly explains the "cap-and-invest" system and how it's allowances can be utilized in protecting natural resources from global warming.  It includes a chart that explains how funds would have been distributed between federal, state, and tribal wildlife agencies under the 2008 Climate Security Act.

Letter to the Obama Administration

This letter from January 2009 was signed by over 350 national and local organizations in an effort to remind the incoming administration of the promises made by then candidate Obama to help safeguard natural resources as a part of any climate solution policy.