AMAZING VICTORIES IN 2008

Let’s celebrate our victories for 2008 and may they serve as inspiration and motivation for the work to be done in 2009.

- Illegal Logging Ban Enacted. The United States became the first country in the world to prohibit the import and sale of illegally-sourced wood and wood products. Siberian tigers, orangutans and many other species dependent on forest habitat around the globe will benefit.
by WWF

- Clean Energy Tax Incentives Extended. The U.S. Congress extended tax incentives that encourage individuals and businesses to install renewable energy systems and build energy-efficient buildings.
by WWF

- Sumatran Elephant and Tiger Habitat Protected. Indonesia committed to doubling the size of a national park that is one of the last havens for endangered Sumatran elephants and critically endangered Sumatran tigers.
by WWF

- 50 Million People Switched Off Their Lights for Earth Hour 2008. WWF activists were among the estimated 50 million people around the world who turned off their lights for one hour on March 29, 2008, to demonstrate their commitment to slowing the effects of climate change. Sign up to join us for Earth Hour 2009
by WWF

There is still a lot of work to do and the WWF has a list of campaigns where we can all be a part of and help reach the ears and eyes of the world. Visit World Wildlife Fund.

- Donna Karan dumps fur! Thanks to the hard work of PETA’s staff, members, and volunteers and after nearly a year of pressuring designer Donna Karan to drop fur from her designs—by protesting outside her boutiques, crashing her runway show, and exposing her cruel use of fur online—Donna Karan has announced that all her Fall 2009 lines will be fur-free and that she has “no plans” to use fur in the future. Well done, everyone!
by Peta

For more ways to help and getting active visit Peta’s Action Center.

- Four years have passed since the devastating Asia tsunami of December 26, 2004 — the biggest emergency response in Save the Children’s history.

Today, our primary focus is on helping families become more self-sufficient and enabling children to succeed in school. Thousands of children affected by the tsunami are attending schools. And many of these children are also benefitting from our health, nutrition and child protection programs.
by Save the Children

The U.S. Department of the Interior has listed the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, which gives the bear important new protections. More than 16,000 WWF supporters spoke out for this icon of the North during the public comment period on the proposed listing. Thank you!

The polar bear was listed due to the threat from climate change-induced loss of its sea ice habitat. Based on current ice models and projections for polar bear populations, experts believe that two-thirds of the world’s polar bear population may be lost by 2050. While the Endangered Species Act listing is an important step forward, urgent additional action is needed by governments and societies to reduce our carbon footprint.

Please urge your friends and family to get involved as WWF activists. We are counting on your continued support as a part of our team. Thank you again.

Sincerely,

Margaret Williams
Priority Leader,
Bering Sea and Kamchatka
World Wildlife Fund

To give thanks is part of the process.
If you’re looking for some hopeful news about global warming, look no further than WWF’s “Climate Savers” companies. By 2010, these 15 major international companies will collectively cut their carbon emissions by some 13 million tons annually — the equivalent of taking more than 3 million cars off the road every year.

Please sign our petition to thank and encourage these businesses for leading the fight to stop global warming.

Climate Savers companies have partnered with WWF to establish ambitious targets to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions voluntarily. They include some of the biggest and best known companies on the planet, including Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Nike, Nokia and Sony.

Visit World Wildlife Fund for more details and to sign up to participate in other campaigns. Take Action, The Time Is Now.

Legislation to Curb Illegal Logging Advances: Legislation to stop U.S. imports of illegal wood was approved by the House Natural Resources Committee and many of the bill’s provisions were added to the Farm Bill passed by the Senate. That progress is great news because illegal logging, driven in part by the U.S. market for imported wood products, threatens some of the most biologically significant forests around the world.

Take Action: U.S. activists, please act now to protect Sumatran tigers and rhinos, Siberian tigers, orangutans and many other species that depend on forest habitat around the globe, if you haven’t already done so, by urging your representative to support the Legal Timber Protection Act.

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Senate Committee Votes for Law of the Sea Treaty: The prospects that the United States will join an international ocean protection treaty greatly increased when the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved the treaty last fall. Overfishing, wildlife trade, pollution, and climate change have combined to put our oceans and the plant and animal species they sustain in peril. The Law of the Sea promotes sustainable use of marine resources at the same time that it strengthens our sovereignty and security.

Take Action: Please help win full Senate approval.

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Big Increase in Biodiversity Protection Fund: The U.S. Congress approved $195 million for biodiversity conservation in developing countries for fiscal year 2008, a huge jump over last year’s $165.5 million and a far cry from President Bush’s budget request, which would have eliminated all dedicated funding for biodiversity. The funds will help conserve species and habitats around the globe. Learn More…

Senate Approves $4.8 Billion for Conservation in Farm Bill: Currently many farmers are turned away due to a lack of funding when they seek to participate in federal programs that compensate them for protecting the environment. The Senate’s Farm Bill funding levels came close to what is needed to meet this demand. Unfortunately, the House approved only $4.5 billion and the Bush administration has recommended vetoes of both versions of the bill because of the spending levels. House and Senate negotiators are working on a new proposal. Learn More…

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More Funds for International Species Conservation: Congress provided nearly $12.3 million for fiscal year 2008 for special funds to conserve rhinos, tigers, elephants, great apes, sea turtles and neotropical migratory birds. That’s the most ever allocated for these programs and a substantial increase over 2007 levels. Thanks to the support of committed activists who are willing to speak out each year for adequate funding for international conservation, we have achieved increases for the past 8 years. Learn More…

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Manatee Protections Maintained: The state of Florida was considering changing the status of the manatee from endangered to threatened on the state endangered species list, but decided instead to maintain the manatee’s current status while it conducts a review of the state’s endangered species classification system. The review could take months or years and our hope is that it will provide a much needed overhaul of the state’s system to make it compatible with the international system for classifying imperiled species. Learn More…

Message sent by:
Jason Patlis
Vice President and Managing Director
U.S. Government Relations
World Wildlife Fund

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Please join WWF’s Conservation Action Network and let’s love the planet together!
As one we can accomplish many wonders, our voices are heard louder, as one.

Namaste
The ThinkActUnity Team

WHAT DO LIONS AND THE WORLD’S OCEANS HAVE IN COMMON?

Lions and the world’s oceans both saw important progress in Congress recently. Thank you to everyone who spoke out on these two issues and participated in these campaigns.

Learn more about these positive developments.

House Holds Hearing on Bill to Protect Wild Cats and Canids

Members of Congress recently heard from nearly 13,000 WWF activists who encouraged them to support a bill that would protect lions, snow leopards, cheetahs, African wild dogs and other wild cats and canids. Tigers have been protected under a similar program since 1994, and this new law would help many other species of wild cats and canids. The Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Oceans of the House Committee on Natural Resources subsequently held a hearing which demonstrated widespread support for the measure. WWF’s senior scientist was among those testifying. If you haven’t already done so, tell your members of Congress to cosponsor the Great Cats and Rare Canids Act.

United States Moves Closer to Joining Ocean Protection Treaty

More than 200 WWF supporters took the time to call Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, urging him to hold a hearing on the international Law of the Sea Convention. They succeeded — Sen. Biden held two hearings recently. At the first, the Bush administration strongly supported ratification of the treaty. Private sector and nongovernmental organization representatives testified at the second. The Foreign Relations Committee must approve the treaty before it can be ratified by the Senate. The Law of the Sea Convention fosters sustainable ocean use and serves as a dynamic, living constitution for the world’s oceans. Learn more about the Law of the Sea treaty.

Thanks again for all you do.

Sincerely,

Jason Patlis
Vice President and Managing Director
U.S. Government Relations
World Wildlife Fund

by World Wildlife Fund

Last month, the Chinese media reported that a local businessman in Tongling City in east China’s Anhui Province filmed “a big white animal” with his digital camera. The footage was later confirmed to be a Baiji dolphin–the first Baiji sighted in the Yangtze since a scientific expedition last year, during which no Baiji were spotted. This reported sighting of a Baiji, or Yangtze River dolphin, means there is a chance for people to take further action and protect the cetaceans in the Yangtze from extinction. “This sighting presents a last hope that the Baiji may not go the way of the dodo bird,” said Karen Baragona, WWF’s Yangtze River Basin program leader. “Other species have been brought back from the brink of extinction, like the southern right whale and white rhinos, but only through the most intensive conservation efforts.” WWF has been actively involved in the protection of cetaceans and their habitat in the Yangtze River.

World Wildlife Fund

From coastal East Africa to the Bering Sea, from the Congo to the Amazon to the Heart of Borneo, this past year has been focused on working with local peoples to demonstrate that preserving natural habitats can enhance human livelihoods. As WWF President & CEO Carter Roberts described, WWF’s depth and breadth of projects in 2006 “represent the essence of conservation, incorporating the needs of people with the needs of nature while sustaining both.” Explore this year’s accomplishments and discover how WWF has become the most broad-reaching and effective conservation organization in the world.

2006 WWF Highlights

- Amazon: Closer To Home Than You Might Think
- Preventing the Demise of Wild Tigers
- Coastal East Africa: The Nature of Poverty
- Coral Triangle: Peace Park on the Tuna Highway
- Solving Crimes Against Nature

At a ceremony last month, Nepal’s Government turned over conservation of the wildlife and habitats surrounding Kangchenjunga–the world’s third highest mountain–to a coalition of local communities. The Kangchenjunga Conservation Area is known for its rich biodiversity, spectacular scenery and vibrant cultural heritage. Since 1998, WWF has invested $1.5 million in the Kangchenjunga Conservation Area Project (KCAP), successfully decreasing pressure on local forests while increasing the positive attitude of locals toward wildlife conservation. In addition, wildlife poaching and illegal harvesting of valuable medicinal plants have decreased and committees have been formed to monitor wildlife movement and illegal activities. WWF will continue to support the KCAP for the next five years as part of its Sacred Himalayan Landscape and help to ensure habitats for animals such as the rare red panda.

Visit WWF for the full story.

Students Contribute to Conservation in Africa

Fifteen outstanding young student environmental leaders traveled from the United States to Pilanesberg National Park and Mankwe Game Reserve in South Africa to participate in field research on the endangered brown hyena. While much of this incredible expedition was spent researching in the bush, the students also visited a wetlands restoration project in Soweto where they discovered the link between social and environmental issues in the developing world and put a human face on poverty. This invaluable experience was part of the new Nissan-WWF Environmental Leadership Program, which also included a $5,000 cash award and an intensive environmental leadership training program in Washington, D.C. One participant, Greg LeFevre, said upon his return to the United States, “The experience has ended physically, but will be woven into my soul, adding texture, color and warmth like the dyed wool threads of a Navajo blanket.” This was the first year that Nissan and WWF combined their resources to conduct such a program.

Visit WWF for the full story.