Climate Change: 360:

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Today's climate action blueprint opens the door for legislation
in 2009.

Check out Climate 411 for more on today's events:
http://action.edf.org/ct/p7_dLn91rXCK/
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Dear Auntie Nanuuq

Barack Obama has not yet been inaugurated, but climate
legislation buzz is already building in Washington. Take that as
a good sign!

On Capitol Hill today, the United States Climate Action
Partnership (USCAP) -- a coalition of industry and environmental
groups co-founded by EDF -- unveiled a detailed blueprint for
climate action to jumpstart economic recovery with a cap on
global warming pollution.

This breakthrough agreement opens the door for global warming
legislation in 2009.

In a press statement, EDF President Fred Krupp celebrated the
USCAP announcement:

"This is an Obama Era blueprint -- business and
environmentalists working together for a bold, practical
solution, and that solution is cap and trade."

Two years in the making, the USCAP blueprint represents a
consensus agreement among a diverse group of American companies
and leading national environmental groups on the design of
comprehensive climate legislation.

The centerpiece of the USCAP blueprint is a mandatory and
declining economy-wide cap on global warming pollution from
electric utilities, transportation fuels and industrial
facilities. It calls for aggressive greenhouse gas emissions
reductions with targets and timelines consistent with
President-elect Barack Obama's proposals.

The global warming pollution cap is the key. It sets a hard
limit and guarantees reductions in global warming emissions. And
it mobilizes private capital to build the clean energy
technologies here in the U.S. that will solve climate change.

Moments after the blueprint was released, Congressman Henry
Waxman (D-CA), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce
Committee, convened the first major climate hearing of the year.

Fred Krupp joined CEOs of the USCAP coalition to deliver
testimony and offer details about the blueprint.

You can get the latest news and updates of today's events on our
Climate 411 blog: http://action.edf.org/ct/p7_dLn91rXCK/

Your support is making a difference. Today's announcement brings
us one giant step closer to winning climate action this year.

Thank you for all you help make possible,
David Yarnold
Executive Director

Green Jobs

Concerned about the economy? Here's a way we can help create Green Jobs to Protect Lands and Wildlife and put thousands of Americans to work!

America could put nearly 60,000 people to work within 90-180 days by funding important conservation projects on public lands -- projects like restoring wetlands, combating harmful invasive species, repairing damaged watersheds and making facilities and buildings more energy efficient.

These projects would have tangible benefits for imperiled wildlife like wolves, river otters and grizzly bears and could keep local construction, electrical, landscape and other companies working throughout 2009 and provide the next generation of workers with the skills they need to lead a green revolution in our economy. Many of these projects also would help lands and wildlife adapt to climate change and reduce global warming pollution through energy efficiency.

Please encourage President-elect Obama and your U.S. Representative and Senators to support Green Jobs to Protect Lands and Wildlife. Take action online now at:

http://action.defenders.org/wildlifejobs

Over the last few years, our national wildlife refuges, forests, monuments and other public lands across America have fallen into disrepair as a result of chronic underfunding and neglect.

These public lands provide jobs, economic benefits to local economies and vital habitat for endangered wildlife. For example, our national wildlife refuges are economic engines for local communities, each year attracting 40 million visitors who spend more than $1.7 billion each year, resulting in employment for more than 27,000 Americans.

Unfortunately, many of these treasured places have been effectively shuttered as essential construction, maintenance and upkeep projects were left unfunded and vital wildlife conservation staff positions were left vacant.

Transportation projects can also provide great benefits to wildlife and local economies. Done properly, they can create jobs and reconnect wildlife habitat across highways to allow safe passage and help animals migrate in response to climate change and other pressures.

For example, building wildlife crossings like those proposed in Washington State's Snoqualmie Pass will help animals like wolves, grizzly bears, cougar, elk and bobcats move safely through their habitat without endangering their lives -- and those of motorists -- by crossing the highway.

The upcoming debate over an economic stimulus package offers a golden opportunity for lawmakers to put Americans to work to protect our nation's amazing wildlife and wild places for future generations. Please encourage your elected officials to seize this opportunity and support significant funding in the stimulus package to create Green Jobs to Protect Lands and Wildlife.

Thanks for helping!

360: Choices-Elders' Meditation: January 3, 2009

"We don't have to say or think what we don't wish to. We have a choice in those things, and we have to realize that and practice using that choice."

--Rolling Thunder, CHEROKEE

Having choices makes us fully accountable. No one can make us think anything we don't want to think. No one can determine our behavior and how we act. It's not what's going on but how we look at what's going on. If someone does something and we get upset, we can change how we look at it any time we want. We can tell ourselves in the morning that the day is going to be beautiful and that we have expectations that great things will happen. Doing this daily sets our mind to look for the joy and the excitement of each day.

Great Spirit, help me to choose my thoughts with Your wisdom.

Yeah, so see..it's all up to ourselves...it's our attitudes....

What do we want in our lives? What do we want for ourselves? What do we want for our children & grandchildren? Well, it's time to stand up and take responsibility.... Do we want to get "better" or do we want to get "Well"? There is a huge difference in getting better and getting well.

Therefore No MORE Stinkin' Thinkin'!

Mi Takuye Oyacin

360: Equality-Elders' Meditation: December 15, 2008

"People are equal partners with the plants and animals, not their masters who exploit them." --Haida Gwaii, Traditional Circle of Elders As human beings, we are not above anything nor are we below anything. Because of being equal, we need to discuss a little about the value of respect. Not just respect when it comes to human beings, but respect when it comes to everything. We are not masters over things; we are caretakers for the Great Spirit. We need to treat all things with respect. Great Spirit, let me accept and see all things as equal. There is an ongoing theme with these past three meditations......It's like I read once a very long time ago in the bible "man was given 'dominion' over the animals" Not Domination...dominion is to care take...domination is ruination. We have to respect all living beings...that includes the plants, trees, animals, minerals...all non-two legged beings. Think of it this way: If all the humans were to get off the earth tomorrow...the wild ones as well as the green ones would still survive... However, should all the non-two leggeds and green ones perish tomorrow, well we two-leggeds wouldn't be able to make it at all. So in the scheme of things it seems as we are the lowest of the living beings. Hmm...just food for thought!