ENN: Press Releases

129 Scientists Call on Secretary Salazar to Rescind Bush Policy Limiting Endangered Species Act

Washington— Scientists from around the country sent a letter Thursday to Interior Secretary Salazar calling for him to rescind a Bush-era policy that limits the scope of the Endangered Species Act by allowing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to ignore historic range when determining if species require protection as endangered and to limit protection for species to small portions of their ranges.

JANE GOODALL BRINGS HER MESSAGE TO COPENHAGEN
Conservationist to Emphasize Importance of Engaging Local Communities in the Efforts to Protect Forests
Scheduled to Participate in Events Hosted by Forest Trends/FAN, Avoided Deforestation Partners and Support REDD

Arlington, Virginia-Jane Goodall, Ph.D., DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace, has put her global tour on hold to travel to Copenhagen, Denmark, for the UN Climate Change Conference.

The Rainforest Alliance Certifies AbitibiBowater Forestland in Quebec to FSC Standards

Richmond, VT - The Rainforest Alliance announced that AbitibiBowater has received Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) forest management certification for forest management units 27-51 and 24-51 in the Lac Saint-Jean region in Quebec.

Enhesa Releases Battery Report 2009
Will Santa Clause break the law? The European Batteries Directive

December 2009: Enhesa publishes its 2009 Batteries Report December 9th. The report is a detailed comparative analysis of the regulatory requirements in nine European countries compared to the EU Batteries Directive 2006/66/EC.

Report: President Obama Has Authority to Make Binding Commitment for Emissions Reductions in Copenhagen

COPENHAGEN- The Center for Biological Diversity's Climate Law Institute released a report Tuesday demonstrating that President Obama has clear legal authority to commit the United States to reducing greenhouse gas pollution. The report, titled Yes, He Can: President Obama's Power to Make an International Climate Commitment Without Waiting for Congress, concludes that the President need not wait for Congress to act before taking strong action to reduce U.S. emissions.

Cutting Non-CO2 Pollutants Can Delay Tipping Points for Abrupt Climate Change

Washington, D.C., December 7, 2009 - At the opening of the UN climate negotiations in Copenhagen, a Special Feature on climate tipping points appearing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), presents compelling evidence that the world is edging ever closer to passing dangerous thresholds for abrupt and irreversible climate changes.

The Climate Scoreboard: A New, Easily Accessible Tool for Understanding and Tracking the Global Climate Change Negotiations
A new online resource reports the long-term climate implications of proposals to the United Nations negotiations in Copenhagen.

Hartland, VT, USA.Sustainability Institute today launched the Climate Scoreboard (www.climatescoreboard.org), an online tool that allows the public, journalists and other interested parties to track progress in the ongoing negotiations to produce an international climate treaty. The Scoreboard allows users to check, on a daily basis, whether proposals in the treaty process commit countries to enough greenhouse gas emissions reductions to achieve widely expressed goals, such as limiting future warming to 1.5 to 2.0�C (2.7� to 3.6�F) above pre-industrial temperatures.

400 Nonprofit Groups Plead With President Obama to Commute Okinawa Dugong Death Sentence

WASHINGTON- Representatives of conservation, animal protection, and peace and justice groups representing more than 10 million Americans hand-delivered a letter Thursday to the White House and State Department urging President Barack Obama to cancel plans to expand a U.S. military base near Henoko in Okinawa, Japan.

EPA Petitioned to Cap CO2 Pollution at 350 PPM Under the Clean Air Act

WASHINGTON- The Center for Biological Diversity and 350.org Wednesday petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency to set national limits for carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas pollution under the Clean Air Act. The petition seeks to have greenhouse gases designated as "criteria" air pollutants and atmospheric CO2 capped at 350 parts per million (ppm), the level leading scientists say is necessary to avoid the worst impacts of global warming.

Thousands of farmers in Kenya are first smallholder tea growers to receive Rainforest Alliance Certified™ group certification

Just over 12,500 smallholder tea farmers have become the first-ever group to achieve Rainforest Alliance certification, announced the international conservation organization today. The group certification is held by Momul Factory Ltd, which is part of the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) and has its green leaf tea supplied by the farmers through a network of collection centers.

Free Goods At Throwplace.com Help Others During Recession

At Throwplace.com, worldwide users list new and used goods to give away to others. Everything listed on Throwplace.com is free of charge. Each "Throw" and "Take" is recycled and/or reused, keeping countless goods out of landfills and helping people and nonprofits make ends meet during these tough economic times.

Earthbark Movement Empowers Eco-Friendly Dog Owners and Pet-Friendly Businesses
Earthbark Launches Web Site to Help You Reduce Your Carbon Pawprint

Seattle, WA, December 2, 2009 - The Earthbark Movement has officially kicked off and is bringing dog owners together to stand up for a more earth and pet friendly planet. Earthbark raises awareness of dogs' impact on our planet and gives dog owners the tools and information to reduce their carbon pawprint.

Cook Inlet Beluga Whale to Gain 3,000 Square Miles of Critical Habitat Protection

ANCHORAGE- The National Marine Fisheries Service today took an important step toward protecting critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act for the Cook Inlet beluga whale in Alaska by proposing to designate more than 3,000 square miles of the imperiled whale's habitat for protection.

Best of 2009: New GMO Labeling Website Showcases Hard-to-Find Product Comparisons

Today the Institute for Responsible Technology (IRT) launched a new website www.nonGMOShoppingGuide.com that takes the guesswork out of how to avoid genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and gene-spliced food products.

The Localization of Agriculture

"In the United States, there has been a surge of interest in eating fresh local foods, corresponding with mounting concerns about the climate effects of consuming food from distant places and about the obesity and other health problems associated with junk food diets," says Lester R. Brown, President of the Earth Policy Institute, in a recent release, "The Localization of Agriculture" "This is reflected in the rise in urban gardening, school gardening, and farmers' markets."

Membership Opens for EMPOWER Wildlife Rescue Network

This week membership has opened for EMPOWER, a pan-European network of organisations that have joined forces to improve the professionalism and capacity of responses to marine wildlife emergencies. EMPOWER will support wildlife rescue organisations, veterinarians and scientists to work effectively with their authorities in cases where large numbers of seabirds, marine mammals or marine turtles suddenly wash ashore with health problems.

Protection Sought for Rare Alabama Fish Under the Endangered Species Act

Huntsville, Ala.- The Center for Biological Diversity and fisheries biologist Mike Sandel petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Tuesday to list the spring pygmy sunfish as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. The sunfish is limited to a small stretch of Beaverdam Creek and is threatened by urban sprawl from metropolitan Huntsville, poor agricultural practices, and streamside vegetation clearance.

In California, Conservationists and Cattle Ranchers Work Together for Habitat Biodiversity

(Washington) A unique partnership in California is benefitting both the cattle industry and wetlands. The California Rangeland Coalition is bringing together unusual allies-conservationist and cattle ranchers-to highlight the benefits of managed grazing and land stewardship for habitat biodiversity on California's vast rangelands.

Protection Sought for Colorado River Cutthroat Trout Under the Endangered Species Act

Denver- The Center for Biological Diversity filed suit today challenging a June 13, 2007 decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service denying the Colorado River cutthroat trout protection under the Endangered Species Act. The decision relied on a flawed Bush-era policy that allowed the agency to look only at current range when considering whether the trout is endangered.

Avoiding Catastrophic Costs of Climate Change Requires Fast-Action Strategies

Washington D.C., November 23, 2009 - A new report by Dr. Tim Lenton and colleagues published today by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Allianz, a global financial service provider, puts a dollar value on the damages the world faces from passing fast-approaching tipping points for abrupt climate changes.

Idaho Black Bear Rehab, Inc. Celebrates 20 Years of Successful Rehabilitation and Release of Black Bears; Photo Op of Cubs Being Readied for Release

What:

Utah cubs ready for release are being picked up by Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
Sally Maughan, IBBR president and rehabilitator will provide information regarding black bear rehabilitation & 20 years of IBBR's successful work.
Photo op - Utah cubs readied for transport to Utah for release.

Where/When:

Monday, November 30, 2009, 8:00 a.m.*
6097 Arney Lane, Garden City, Idaho, U.S.A.

Green Lifestyle Certification Reaches Milestone
First of its kind, PineMark.com, rewards you for living "greener".

San Diego, CA - November, 23rd 2009 - PineMark (www.PineMark.com), the first green lifestyle certification program, announced that it offers exclusive discounts from more than 30 eco-conscious companies. PineMark provides incentives to individuals for reducing their impact on the environment while rewarding those who have committed to living a sustainable life.

Center for Biological Diversity Warns of Lawsuit Over Delay in Mexican Wolf Protection

SILVER CITY, N.M.— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a formal 60-day notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today over the agency's failure to respond to a scientific petition to list the Mexican gray wolf as "endangered" separate from other gray wolves nationwide.

Inferno on Earth: Wildfires Spreading as Temperatures Rise

"Future firefighters have their work cut out for them.," says Janet Larsen, Director of Research for the Earth Policy Institute, in a recent release, "Inferno on Earth: Wildfires Spreading as Temperatures Rise".

Conservation Organizations Join Legal Effort to Protect Endangered Blue Whale

SAN FRANCISCO— Friends of the Earth, Pacific Environment, and the Center for Biological Diversity, national and international conservation organizations with a combined membership of more than 120,000 people, today joined a notice of intent to sue the National Marine Fisheries Service (submitted by the Environmental Defense Center in August) for the agency's failure to implement the 1998 Blue Whale Recovery Plan. Among other actions, the recovery plan mandates that the Fisheries Service identify and implement methods to eliminate or reduce blue whale mortalities from ship strikes. The agency has failed to take this required action for more than a decade, despite the ship-strike deaths of at least five blue whales in Southern California in 2007, and two additional ship-strike mortalities along the California coast in October 2009.