The Chance of Our Lifetime by Larry Schweiger

(National Wildlife Federation)

Thanks to all of you who attended National Wildlife Federation’s Affiliate Executive Director Retreat in Louisiana.  I’m so inspired by your good conservation work.   Together we are making real progress.

A special thanks to Louisiana Wildlife Federation and National Wildlife Federation Board member Greg Smith for arranging the tour of coastal Louisiana.  As we heard the powerful determination of the residents of Grand Bayou to flourish in spite of salt water intrusion, threat of sea level rise from global warming, and other significant challenges, I was struck by how similar their commitment is to that of the communities in my home of western Pennsylvania.

Similar to Grand Bayou, communities around the country are facing loss of forest and farmland, increased pollution of our waters, a lack of connection to the natural world as we and our children spend ever more time in front of a screen, and economic challenges that make our way of life seem uncertain.

In addition, we are facing the biggest threat ever to wildlife, natural resources, and our communities – climate change.  If we don’t adequately address this challenge, our conservation achievements and our communities are in jeopardy.

The climate crisis has achieved the final moment of truth.   As National Atmospheric and Space Administration scientist Jim Hansen recently told congressional leaders, this is our “last chance” to change course.

Unbridled carbon emissions are currently increasing at a speed that outpaces even the worst-case climate forecasts of the 4^th Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report in 2007.

If carbon emissions remain unchecked, 40-70% of plant and animal species worldwide will face significant extinctions.  Clearly, global warming is the single biggest threat facing the earth’s natural systems today.

We have at most two years to sign into law a bold federal Climate Security Act that reduces carbon emissions and provides resources to help wildlife and ecosystems adapt.

As climate change legislation moves forward, Congress will consider whether to invest in natural resources protection and restoration to help resources adapt to climate change at funding levels that far exceed any amounts ever considered before.  The Climate Security Act, recently debated by the Senate, sets the standard against which future bills will be measured.  It provides for approximately $140 billion to be dedicated to U.S. natural resources protection and restoration in its first 19 years.

Pending climate change legislative proposals provide conservationists a once-in–a-lifetime opportunity to confront climate the climate crisis, rescue species from extinction, protect ecosystems from severe degradation, and help our communities thrive.

To seize this opportunity and achieve these objectives, we must transform the way we do business.  By reaching people where they are and recasting our focus from conservation to community, we will demonstrate that what is good for our natural resources is good for our communities.

When I was President and CEO of Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, we expanded our traditional land and science work to include community-based sustainable economic development programs in our high priority conservation areas, engaged volunteers throughout the region, and established a watershed assistance center.  By expanding our work in ways that engaged others and were relevant to their communities, we built enduring support for our conservation objectives and increased our ability to attract financial resources.

Today, by emphasizing community engagement, emphasizing the need protect our natural resources from global warming, and holding each of our lawmakers accountable for responsible action on climate change, we have the opportunity to reclaim our conservation heritage, secure our conservation achievements, and set the path for tomorrow.

This is the chance of our lifetime.  Working together we will get the job done.