Species are going extinct at an alarming rate - approximately one every 20 minutes. And global warming is a big part of the problem. It’s changing the climate and ecosystems, forcing species to move, adapt - or die out.

Today I’d like to share a special opportunity to help protect species by taking action with Conservation International. CI’s projects are closely aligned with Environmental Defense Fund’s own work fighting global warming and protecting our planet.

Read on to see how CI is saving species from extinction, and learn how you can help.

Sincerely,

Sam Parry

Dear  People,

Ensuring the survival of all species is a cornerstone of Conservation International’s work. But it’s no small task.

Every 20 minutes, another species on our planet is pushed to extinction.

In that same time, more than 1,200 acres of forest are destroyed, releasing climate change-causing pollution into the atmosphere. That means fewer acres of habitat and more CO2 in the air, which further threatens species’ survival by altering the climate and ecosystems on which they rely.

It’s a catastrophe on a global scale - perhaps the Earth’s next major extinction event - but it’s solvable. And you can be a part of the solution. Sign CI’s petition to save forests and stop the clock on species extinction.

By signing the petition, you are telling government leaders to incorporate forest protection into their national policies on climate change - for the good of our species, our climate, and ourselves.

Take a moment right now and sign our petition to government leaders and help stop the clock on species extinction.

Your signature will bring us one step closer to protecting life on earth, and will help ensure that rare and threatened species survive. Please sign the petition today.

Sincerely,

Beth Wallace
Conservation International

Monkey © CI/Photo by John Martin
Children © CI/Photo by Critano Nogueira

Written by Darci Palmquist
Published on December 8th, 2009 in Animals, Asia Pacific, Climate Change, Cool Green Morning, Copenhagen, Forests, Green Living, Policy, Sustainable Livelihoods, United States

Copenhagen, EPA, Copenhagen, EPA… sound like a broken record? Don’t worry, we’ve got more news than just those two biggies for you today: palm oil and orangutans, the green movement and a few photos from COP 15 thrown in for good measure. Enjoy your daily dose of Cool Green Morning!

1. Yesterday’s ruling by the EPA that greenhouse gas emissions are dangerous to people – a decision that empowers the agency to regulate emissions — has everyone a-buzz. Could this be the push that gets the U.S. into the game at Copenhagen?
2. And more buzz: a report issued by Lord Nicholas Stern and the UN Environment Programme last week says there is hope for Copenhagen to succeed — at least, there’s a “50-50″ chance of avoiding change of more than 2 degrees Celsius.
3. Check out what you’ve been missing at Copenhagen with this slideshow of photos from day one of COP 15 from Treehugger.
4. And now for some non-Copenhagen news… what’s the link between Indonesia’s 40 richest men and the decline of orangutans in that country? Palm oil. The growing demand globally for palm oil is bringing wealth to a few and major habitat loss to orangutans.
5. We’re big fans of doing all we can to green our livelihoods here at Cool Green Morning, so this piece telling people to stop going green raised some ire. What do you think — is going green just a “distraction” as the author says, or does it help create some kind of change?

WOW! Is there anything else to say about this stunning photo of Elakala Waterfall in West Virginia by ForestWander Nature Photography? You tell us — what do you think of our “Nature Photo of the Week”?

And that’s a problem in a warming world.

Billions of people get their fresh water from mountain glacier meltwater flows. The trouble is the planet’s glaciers are receding at alarming rates.

Nowhere is this threat more acute than in China and India where huge populations rely on meltwater from rapidly thinning Himalayan glaciers.

Environmental Defense Fund is partnering with the Asia Society to highlight this threat in a full-page ad in tomorrow’s New York Times.

The ad is timed to coincide with President Obama’s trip to Asia, during which he is scheduled to meet with China’s President Hu Jintoa to discuss climate change, among other topics.

You can be one of the first to see the ad, which displays dramatic photos showing the extent of snow cap loss in the Himalayas:

Here are some sobering facts about climate and water to inspire you to take action:

7: Number of great rivers in Asia fed by meltwater from Himalayan glaciers (Ganga, Indus, Brahmaputra, Salween, Mekong, Yangtze and Huang He).

2 billion: Number of people, mostly in India and China, who rely on meltwater from Himalayan glaciers for their fresh water.

2035: Date by which the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and India’s Energy and Resources Institute predict that much of the Himalayas could be glacier free.

66%: Amount by which the July-September flows would be reduced in the Ganga River if we lose the Himalayan glaciers.

37%: Amount of India’s irrigated land is located in the Ganga region.

1 and 2: Respective rank of China and India as the world’s producers of wheat and rice, food staples for all of humanity.

You can help by emailing your Senators and urging them to support a climate bill.

Sources for the climate and water facts:

• http://assets.panda.org/downloads/glacierspaper.pdf
• http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20081111/main5.htm
• http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/10/05/himalayas.glacier.conflict/index.html
• http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/03/global-warming-melting-glaciers-shrinking-harvests.php

http://www.coalcountrythemovie.com/ check out this web site

This, from the Sierra Club

		There is a new film that speaks to an issue close to my heart—mountaintop-removal coal mining. Once you see this film, it will be close to your heart, too. Mountaintop-removal coal mining has destroyed close to 2,000 miles of Appalachian streams by blowing off the tops of mountains and filling the surrounding valleys and waterways with mining waste. Coal Country is a moving documentary that profiles the concerned residents and coal miners of Appalachia who are so deeply affected by the destruction from mountaintop-removal coal mining—people who must deal with polluted local water sources; the threat of asthma, cancer, and other health effects in their families; and the division of their communities on how to address the crisis. We need your help to ensure that as many people as possible see this powerful film. Hosting a Coal Country viewing party in your community is an easy and effective way to contribute to this growing national movement to end mountaintop-removal coal mining. Sign up to host today and we’ll send you your very own free sneak-peek DVD and a special host packet with everything you need to organize a successful event. As a party host, you and your guests are invited to join national call-ins with actress Ashley Judd, coalfield residents featured in the film, and leaders of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign as they talk about mountaintop-removal coal mining and how we can take action in our own communities. Sierra Club members and supporters have already planned more than 300 parties between November 10th and 14th—host or join one today!

What are the Threats to Fresh Water in your Neighborhood?

Explore this cool interactive feature

Here is a plug for the Natures Conservancy, cause I love all that they do.  This is some really good information I just had to share with everyone today…….Enjoy!!

to see how Natures Conservancy protects freshwater resources Worldwide.

This article from the pages of Natures Conservancy:  I have been a member for many years and believe very strongly in their world wide work.  If you are not already a member, please don’t hesitate to join and/or make a donation.  They need our help.

Did you know that deforestation affects an ecosystem’s ability to provide clean drinking water to the people who live there? Or that the location of a dam could determine the survival of migratory fish?

This interactive feature lets you explore the different threats that have an impact on watersheds around the world—and the strategies the Conservancy is using to address them. Click on the illustration above to actually see how different changes, such as the building of a dam, can affect a freshwater ecosystem.

In addition to learning about the different strategies the Conservancy uses to mitigate the impacts to threats such as invasive species, increasing water consumption, and agricultural runoff, you can read examples of how the Conservancy is implementing these strategies all over the world.

Deforestation
South America
The Mississippi River Valley

Dams
Magdalena River, Colombia
Penobscot River, Maine
Yangtze River, China

Agriculture
Mackinaw and Root Rivers, Illinois and Minnesota
Flint River, Georgia
Paraguay-Parana River, Brazil

Invasive Species
Q&A with Lindsay Chadderton
San Miguel River, Colorado

Reduced Water Consumption
Colorado River, CO and Murray Darling River, Australia
Great Lakes

Floodplain Conversion
Emiquon, Illinois
Klamath Basin, Oregon

Climate Change Strategy

Freshwater Conservation

Freshwater Conservation

What’s New

The Role of
Freshwater Ecosystems

Threats to
Freshwater Conservation

What You Can Do

What We Do

Dams
Floodplains
Watersheds
Environmental Flows
Agriculture
Coastal Rivers
Invasives
Climate Change

Interactive Feature:
How We Protect Watersheds

Where We Work

Practitioner Resources