What they’re saying about

Environmental Defense:

“Environmental Defense isprobably the best nongovern-mental organization to findthe intersection betweenprofit and planet.”

—Bob Langert, McDonald’s seniordirector of social responsibility

SolutionsVol. 38, No. 1 January-February 2007

When the 110th Congress convenes,one of the fresh faces on Capitol

Hill will be Jerry McNerney. A windenergy entrepreneur, he soundly defeatedRepresentative Richard Pombo (R-CA),the powerful chairman of the HouseResources Committee.

Pombo was unrelenting in hisefforts to dismantle the EndangeredSpecies Act and other treasured environ-mental legislation. His attempts to rollback this legacy of conservation finallycaught up to him.

The environment emerged as a fac-tor in the midterm elections. At least 20pro-environment challengers unseatedanti-environment incumbents. And Cali-fornia Governor Arnold Schwarzeneggerwon crucial voter support by signing thecountry’s toughest carbon emissionsreduction law.

“In the new political landscape, theenvironment will move up on the agenda,”

Will Congress heed the public’scall to act in 2007?

says Environmental Defense presidentFred Krupp, “but getting good policiesadopted will still require a lot of work.”

No issue is more important thanglobal warming. Barbara Boxer (D-CA)replaces James Inhofe (R-OK) as chairof the Senate Environment and PublicWorks Committee. Inhofe, who callsglobal warming a “hoax,” routinelyblocked climate legislation. Boxer, on theother hand, says passing a mandatory capon greenhouse gas emissions is one ofher chief goals. Senator John McCain(R-AZ) also says he will “absolutely”push for a Senate floor vote this session.

In the House, where global warm-ing has barely been mentioned, SpeakerNancy Pelosi (D-CA) has committed tomake climate change legislation a “criti-cal part” of her agenda. “The windowhas opened on the Hill for meaningful

10 triumphsfor the planet

Yahoo!for green cars

No place for toxicwaste

A new day for fishermen

Glimpsesof thefuture

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Global warming. This could be amake-or-break year for winning anationwide cap on greenhouse gasemissions. Passage of a strong mar-ket-based bill is our top priority.

Farm policy. In the Farm Bill, we aimto slash harmful subsidies and shiftdollars to conservation, helping morefarmers and the environment.

Oceans protection. Congress reautho-rized Magnuson-Stevens legislationincorporating our tools to make fish-eries more sustainable. We will workto establish a fund to help fishingcommunities manage the transition.

The task ahead: Legislative priorities for 2007

2006

Where we stand 2

Regional update 4

In Brief 9

Defense is reform of U.S. farm policy.With more than 70% of the land in thelower 48 states managed by farmers andranchers, the Farm Bill represents themost powerful economic tool for conser-vation. Yet three out of four farmers whooffer to improve conservation on theirland are denied federal help.

“Our goal is to double conservationfunding in 2007,” says our farm specialistScott Faber. Although Congress facesstrong pressure to protect the $20 billionin harmful subsidies that go to the

biggest commodityproducers, thisyear’s legislationcould be different:The new chairmenof the Senate andHouse agriculturecommittees, TomHarkin (D-IA)and Colin Peterson(D-MN), havestrong conservation

records, and districts that have beenunderrepresented on those committees—especially from the Northeast, Californiaand Florida—will have a greater voice.

“We see tremendous opportunitiesahead,” says Thompson. “Many of thebattles in recent years have been rearguardefforts to protect core principles. Now,with so many new faces in Congress, wecan set out to make real progress.”

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New faces, new agenda on Capitol Hill

steps on climate,” says our legislativedirector Elizabeth Thompson. “We’ll bepushing as hard and fast as we can.”

Many companies would prefernational climate legislation to the currentproliferation of state actions. “From Shell’spoint of view, the debate is over,” says JohnHofmeister, president of Shell Oil. “When98% of scientists agree, who is Shell to say,‘Let’s debate the science’? We cannot dealwith 50 different policies. We need anational approach to greenhouse gases.”

Another priority for Environmental

mental priority for the new Congress.The litmus test is whether legislationcaps and cuts global warming pollution.

There’s a real risk that bills willfeature the words “global warming”but fail to require adequate reductions.Some in Washington have proposedreducing only the “intensity” or “rate of

growth” of emissions, which meansemissions could keep rising.

Passing a weak law would providecover for politicians and forestall moremeaningful action. The law must couplea strict cap with a market to stimulatecost-effective reductions.

Such a market has emerged inEurope, kick-starting the development of

technologies that reduce emissions.There will be similar profit-makingopportunities for Americans, whetherfarmers practicing no-till agriculture,entrepreneurs installing solar panelsor utilities finding cleaner ways togenerate electricity.

Opportunity, as much as fear,should inspire action. More thanhalf of Americans in a Zogby pollsaid concern about global warmingmade a difference in how theyvoted. Americans are looking forleadership on this issue.

Will the new Congress deliver?I believe a strong climate law isachievable this year. It largelydepends on whether Speaker NancyPelosi and Majority Leader Harry Reidmake it a priority. There’s no time tolose.

Northern Siberia:

Scientists discoverthat methane, apotent greenhousegas, is bubbling outof “thaw lakes” ofmelting perma-frost. The studyestimates methane

releases increased 58% from 1974 to2000. This feedback loop, with warm-ing causing more warming, may trig-ger unthinkable consequences.

Washington, DC: Midterm electionsusher 60 new faces into Congress.

These seemingly unrelated eventspresent a warning and an opportunity.After the elections, leaders of majorenvironmental groups gathered toplan a unified strategy. We agreed thatglobal warming must be the environ-

Memo to Congress: Seize the opportunity on global warming

Environmental Defense Solutions

WHERE WE STAND

SolutionsEditor: Peter Klebnikov

Environmental Defense, 257 Park Avenue South,New York, NY 10010. Main number 212-505-2100.

Membership questions: Call 800-684-3322 oremail members@environmentaldefense.org

Mailbag: Mail to address above, call 800-927-6464 oremail editor@environmentaldefense.org

©2007 Environmental Defense. Publishedbimonthly at New York, NY. ASSN 0163-2566

New York • Washington • Oakland Boulder • Raleigh • Austin • Boston

Project offices: Los Angeles • Sacramento • Beijing

Online at www.environmentaldefense.org

By Fred Krupp, President

–––––There’s a risk of lip service

to global warming.

–––––

Out: Foe of endangered species Richard Pombo. In: Champion of climate action Barbara Boxer.

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In the final weeks of 2006,Environmental Defense membersfrom 49 states contributed to ourGlobal Warming Challenge Fund,providing a dollar-for-dollar match toencourage new members’ first-timegifts. The result: In just a few weeks,we raised more than $100,000 forour global warming work andrecruited nearly 1,000 new members.

We also asked our members toshare messages of inspiration. Hereare some of them:

It was 67 degrees on December 1 inBoston, MA. Obviously we need tochange our ways. Now.

Todd Bartel, Weston, MA

Great to be part of such a significantmovement! Hold the Democrats noless accountable than the Republicans!

Paul Chesen, Potomac, MD

Thank you, Environmental Defense!You have made it possible to speaktruth to power.

Peggy Hutchinson, Lapeer, MI

We live at a crucial time in history. Ouractions in the next years will define thefuture.

Jennifer Kendler, Chicago, IL

We who are scientists must make thepoliticians aware that global warmingmust be dealt with now.

Stephen Goldberg, New York, NY

See all the messages at our onlineWall of Appreciation: environmen-taldefense.org/go/comments.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

See addresses at left.

www.environmentaldefense.org

Environmental Defense257 Park Ave. SouthNew York, NY 10003

Member25 Main StreetAnytown, NY 11199

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that come out of its tailpipe. “This is themost rigorous and environmentally soundcalculation you can do,” said DeCicco.

He should know. A decade ago,DeCicco created the first U.S. green carrating, the Green Book, still publishedby the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. The Yahoo! guiderepresents a streamlined approach formainstream car buyers.

Yahoo! instantly saw the value.“According to a Yahoo! survey, one outof every two people is interested inlearning more about alternative fuelvehicles, which signals clear consumerdemand for a product like the GreenCenter,” said Jennifer Dulski, generalmanager of Yahoo! Autos.

“Many car buyers care about theenvironment,” added DeCicco. “We’vemade it easier for them to act on thatconcern when car shopping.”

Car counseling: A green car guide for all

“A much more refreshing andrealistic approach than youusually get from environmen-tal types.” That’s how theChicago Tribune described thenew green vehicle ratings thatEnvironmental Defenselaunched this fall with Yahoo!(See the Green Center atautos.yahoo.com.)

It’s part of our effort toinspire Americans to buycleaner cars. Yahoo!, a leadingInternet portal, is visited by more than100 million people each month, many ofwhom use the Yahoo! Autos section.

Rather than rating just a few cars,like hybrids, our Green Rating shows theenvironmental friendliness of any vehi-cle, even radical sports cars like theLotus Elise. “We wanted to help peoplemake a greener choice no matter whatclass of vehicle they’re buying,” said oursenior fellow Dr. John DeCicco, an auto-motive engineer.

Say you want a mid-sized SUV, butcan’t spring for the Toyota Highlanderhybrid. You might like to know that theNissan Murano’s Green Rating of 60edges out both the regular Highlanderand the Honda Pilot.

The Green Rating’s 1 to 100 scalereflects the total environmental impact ofmanufacturing and operating a vehicle,everything from its steel to the pollutants

To reach the widest possible audience, we teamed up withYahoo! and rated the environmental impact of every car.

Millions of Americans can now factor the environment into their car-buying decisions.

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Environmental Defense Solutions4

Regional update

The longleaf pine forest once spread across 92 million acres.

Echoes of an ancient forest

Breathing life back intoLake Erie, again

A new effort will help protect Lake Erie from farm chemicals.

signing up. So EnvironmentalDefense partnered with fed-eral and state agencies tocome up with a more attrac-tive package. “We gave farm-ers the right tools to improvethe landscape,” says our con-sultant Terry Noto.

The revised programoffers farmers $220 millionin incentives and more choicein how they practice conser-vation. Some 2,400 miles of

streams and tributaries willbe protected.

“Environmental De-fense was instrumental in thisproject,” says Todd Hester-man, a fourth generationfarmer in Napoleon, OH. “Itwill take environmentallysensitive cropland out of pro-duction and reward guys fordoing so.”

It’s been nearly four decadessince a tributary of LakeErie, heavily contaminatedwith petrochemicals, burstinto flames. So powerful wasthe image of burning waterthat Congress went on topass the Clean Water Act.

Lake Erie hasrebounded since then, andtoday is the centerpiece of a$7 billion recreational indus-try. But recently, dead zoneshave returned to the lake, asexcess nutrients pour into itfrom one of the most inten-sively farmed landscapes inAmerica.

Five years ago, the U.S.Department of Agricultureset up the Lake Erie Con-servation Reserve Enhance-ment Program to improvewater quality and restorewildlife habitat. The program,like similar ones around thecountry, encourages farmersto restore wetlands and natu-ral buffer zones near streamsto block runoff. But notenough Ohio farmers were

Longleaf pine trees oncedominated forests fromVirginia to Texas. Shaped byregular wildfires—to whichthe trees are resistant—longleaf stands delightedearly explorers, whodescribed “a vast forest ofthe most stately pine treesthat can be imagined, plant-ed by nature at a moderatedistance … enameled with avariety of flowering shrubs.”

Today only about 3% of the original longleafforests remain. They are essential for endangered speciessuch as the gopher tortoise and red-cockaded woodpeck-er, which is the only American woodpecker that drills itsnest in live trees. The longleaf can also be sustainablyharvested for timber.

Environmental Defense recently helped design afederal Farm ServiceAgency program that willprovide greater financialincentives for farmers torestore up to 250,000acres of longleaf pine for-est in nine Southernstates.

“This program will dramatically boost the restora-tion of the longleaf ecosystem,” says our forestry specialistWill McDow. “Mature longleaf pines are so important forwildlife conservation. They’re also great for a landowner’sbottom line.”

–––––Landowners will

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A red-cockaded woodpeckerat home.

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challenge the mine. Our strategy wasto “follow the money” and demandenvironmental protections as a condi-tion of public financing.

“We discovered shocking levelsof corruption,” says our scientist Dr.Stephanie Fried, who took part in theinvestigation. “There was a total lackof transparency, a fake public consulta-tion process and altered documentsthat changed scientific findings.”

Our report detailed the abusesand exposed the inadequacy of thecompany’s environmental impactassessment. A trip we helped organizefor activists to Paris led to a publicfinance tax credit contract in 2004 thatbound Inco to French and EuropeanUnion environmental standards,despite the fact that these standardsdid not yet apply in New Caledonia.The year’s successful lawsuits by Kanakleaders have delayed mine operationsuntil at least 2008.

China initiative helps farmers—and fights global warmingIn rural China, farmers are often forcedto migrate to already overcrowded citiesto survive. This year, EnvironmentalDefense began four projects in Xinjiangprovince that will financially benefithard-pressed farmers while also reducingglobal warming pollution, providing vil-lagers with sustainable energy and revers-ing the spread of deserts.

Located in China’s far west, Xin-jiang is a desert region and one of thecountry’s poorest areas.

Our agreement with Xinjiang’sEnvironment Protection Bureau is the firstof its kind. Wheat farmers will forego tra-ditional plowing and use “no-till” methodsto increase the storage of carbon in thesoils. By not plowing, they’ll also cut fueluse and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.Similarly, cotton farmers will adopt dripirrigation methods to reduce energy useand cut down on the release into the envi-ronment of nitrous oxide, a potent green-

house gas, from fertilizer.More than 150,000 acres offarmland will be included inthe two programs.

In addition, 30,000acres of desert will beplanted with native shrubsto stop desertification andsandstorms. And more than25,000 households inXinjiang villages will trans-form the way they lighttheir homes and cook theirfood. Traditionally depend-ent on coal, they will burnbiogas from householdmethane digesters that break down bio-logical wastes from animals and fields.The digesters save money and reducegreenhouse gas emissions.

The reductions in heat-trappinggases will be quantified based on a sys-tem we developed with Duke University.

The resulting credits will then be sold onthe international carbon market withprofits going to the farmers.

“The idea is help get the marketgoing and let the people take it fromthere,” says Dr. Zach Willey, our econo-mist who helped design the program.

Made in China: The world’s largest producer of cotton movestoward climate-friendly practices.

With its vivid forests and gleaminglagoons, the South Pacific island terri-tory of New Caledonia (also known asKanaky) has been identified by scien-tists as one of the world’s top ten “bio-diversity hotspots.” Ironically, thisexotic place is also home to nearly one-quarter of the planet’s nickel reserves.

Standing up to a destructive mine in New CaledoniaIn 2001, Canada’s

Inco company (recentlytaken over by Brazil’sCVRD) started building a$3 billion nickel-cobaltmine in New Caledonia’sGoro region. Withoutsecuring permits, the com-pany planned a vast open-pit mine that would utilizean unproven acid-leachingtechnology powered by acoal-fired plant. Amidsteight protected botanicalreserves and adjacent tofragile reef systems that

have been proposed as a WorldHeritage Site, Inco’s original plancalled for dumping toxic mining wastesdirectly into a lagoon where indigenouscommunities fish.

Environmental Defense, workingwith a coalition of local environmentaland indigenous groups, stepped in to

Environmental Defense blocked financing that wouldhave destroyed a unique biodiversity hotspot.

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Environmental Defense Solutions6

The nation’s first statewide cap on

greenhouse gas emissions

Faced with the growing threat of heat waves, wildfiresand water shortages, California’s Republican governorand Democratic legislature agreed in August to a historicbill to reduce heat-trapping gases anestimated 35% by2020. EnvironmentalDefense proposed theidea, then cospon-sored and helpeddraft the measure.Though outspent tento one by industryopponents, we builtan unprecedentedcoalition of environ-mental, religious, health, labor and business groups tosupport the bill. In down-to-the-wire negotiations, wehelped maintain consensus around the measure. Saysour attorney Jim Marston: “Ten years from now we’ll lookat this as a pivotal moment when America finally decidedto tackle global warming.”

Eight Northeast states join forces to cut

heat-trapping gases

The first multi-state cap-and-trade program will cutemissions from powerplants 10% by 2019. Usinga plan conceived anddesigned by EnvironmentalDefense, the program willcreate competition amongutilities to find the bestpollution-reduction meas-ures, guaranteeing the highest impact for the lowest cost.

A plan to cut pollution in half

at America’s busiest ports

The Los An-geles and LongBeach portsare SouthernCalifornia’slargest sourceof air pollution.Guided by ourattorney

Jerilyn Lopez Mendoza, vice chair of theL.A. harbor commission, the portsagreed to slash emissions 50% withinfive years, the most comprehensive portcleanup in U.S. history.

–––––Environmental Defense receives ‘Grade A’

(the highest rating of any environmental

group).—Wired Magazine

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Ten victories 2006

The world’s largest marine reserve

Stretching 1,200 miles from Honolulu,the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands arehome to Earth’s most remote coral reefsand more than 7,000 species, includingendangered Hawaiian monk seals. Toprotect this biological jewel, our staffworked for nearly a decade with NativeHawaiians, fishermen, divers, scientistsand local activists. Our president FredKrupp took the case for the islands’ pro-tection directly to President Bush. Soonafter their April 2006 meeting, the President declared the area a nationalmonument, safeguarding more than 84 million acres—an area larger than allof America’s national parks combined.

Partnership with Defense Department to

help a rare species recover

At the country’s largest Armybase in Fort Hood, Texas, Envi-ronmental Defense created a wayfor the military to protect anendangered songbird withoutrestricting the ability to train sol-diers. Home to the world’slargest nesting population of thegolden-cheeked warbler, FortHood will restore warbler habitat

off base, on private lands critical to the bird’s recovery. TheFort can tap the “conservation credits” it earns should on-base habitat be harmed. Now the Pentagon wants to try theapproach at other installations, which are home to moreendangered species than our national parks.

A few of the results made possible by your support

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Cleaner coal plant becomes reality

With our partners at Western Resource Advocates, we per-suaded Xcel Energy in Colorado tocommit to build the nation’s firstcoal plant that will capture green-house gases and store themunderground, dramatically reduc-ing global warming pollution. Theproject raises the bar for the 150new coal plants proposed acrossthe nation.

–––––“With a creative approach, Environmental

Defense demonstrated how a strong

Endangered Species Act benefits both rare

species and people.”

—E. O. Wilson, Research Professor of Entomology, Harvard University

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–––––“In terms of the cost-bene-

fit ratio, this regulation

ranks up there among the

top actions EPA has taken in

its history.”

—John Millett, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, on the new diesel rule

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that made a difference

Endangered species find ‘Safe Harbor’ on

four million acres

Most endangered species depend on private land for sur-vival, but landowners once shunned rare plants and ani-mals because of the accompanying federal limits on landuse. To resolve the conflict, we pioneered Safe Harbor in1995. The cooperative program encourages landownersto welcome endangered species without fear of addedrestrictions. Ten years later, hundreds of landowners

nationwide have signedon to restore habitat formore than 45 rarespecies, from thenorthern aplomado fal-con to the stunningSchweinitz’s sunflower.These successeshelped us defend theEndangered SpeciesAct, which came underattack in Congress.

New rules dramatically lower diesel pollution nationwide

Diesel exhaust is among the most dan-gerous and pervasive sources of air pollu-tion, but Americans can breathe a littleeasier thanks to a new EPA rule thatEnvironmental Defense helped secureand then defend in court. It requires alldiesel trucks and buses built in modelyear 2007 or after to be equipped withmodern pollution controls. A second rulecuts by 97% the sulfur allowed in mostdiesel fuel nationwide. EPA estimates that the new rules will bring $70 billionin health benefits annually, more than 17 times their cost.

New law uses market tool to revive oceans

In December, Congress passeda law that endorses giving fish-ermen a direct financial stakein conserving. We helped shapethe new Magnuson-StevensAct, which makes the mostsweeping changes to fisheryrules in a decade. The law for

the first time requires fishery managers to set catch limits forall fisheries. It also authorizes the use of tradable “catchshares” developed by Environmental Defense. With each fish-erman owning a share of the catch, there’s incentive to con-serve: As stocks recover, the value of each share increases.

Poultry producers curtail antibiotics

An estimated 70% of all antibiotics inthe United States are fed to healthyfarm animals, undermining the drugs’power to protect people. Environmen-tal Defense persuaded major meatbuyers, including McDonald’s, to pur-chase only from poultry suppliers thatdon’t routinely feed medically impor-tant drugs. In January, four of the nation’s top poultry produc-ers said they had ended the harmful practice.

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It’s hard to fathom a world without fishand chips. But according to an exhaus-

tive study published in Science, globalfisheries—including cod, tuna andsalmon—could totally collapse by 2048 ifcurrent trends continue. The findingsecho earlier studies documenting a 90%decline in some commercially importantspecies due to overfishing.

Fortunately, this does not have to bethe future. Environmental Defense is atthe forefront of an effort to replace out-moded regulations and improve manage-ment of fisheries. This month marks thelaunch of a market-based catch-shareprogram that we helped develop to revivered snapper, the Gulf of Mexico’s mostimportant reef fish.

“I used to believe in open access,”says Florida fisherman and seafood busi-ness owner David Krebs, “but we’ve got adisaster on our hands.” With Gulf redsnapper populations at 3% of historiclevels, Krebs teamed up with us to advo-

cate catch shares. “Frankly, this is ouronly hope for survival,” he adds.

The new program allows profitable,year-round fishingwhile strictly limit-ing the total catch,assigning each fish-erman a percentageshare. It replaces oldrules that restrictedfishing to certaindays without regardto weather, demandor fish prices.

The systemwill reduce wasteand give fishermen afinancial stake inconserving. “Whenstocks recover andthe catch limitsincrease, so does thevalue of each share,”explains our fisheriesbiologist Pam Baker.

The idea,which has beenendorsed by TheNew York Times andThe Wall StreetJournal, is catchingon. We now are pro-moting similar mar-ket reforms for theGulf grouper andshrimp fisheries. In

December, Congress reauthorized thenation’s principal fisheries law, theMagnuson-Stevens Act, allowing flexi-bility to implement catch-share pro-grams nationwide.

In California, we presented a busi-ness plan to the Ocean ProtectionCouncil for a loan fund to finance pilotprojects to reform fisheries. In addition tohelping develop catch-share programs,loans could be used to finance innovationssuch as flash-freezing capacity on boats orcustom processing plants on the dock.

“The fund would help fishermenbecome entrepreneurs, and ultimatelyresult in higher-value seafood,” says ourmarine ecologist Dr. Rod Fujita. “Thrivingfisheries depend on a healthy ocean. Witha little innovation we can have both.”

Environmental Defense Solutions8

Triumph of an idea: A new model for fisheries

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An ancient occupation is adapting to 21st century realities.

Kid-friendly seafood

Did you know that chunk-light tuna is lower in mercurythan albacore tuna? Or that most fish are not tested forcontaminants?

Parents seeking a healthy diet for their children nowhave some help, thanks to a new collaboration of chefs,pediatricians and experts called KidSafe Seafood.Launched by SeaWeb and Disney, with help from us, theinitiative includes kid-friendly recipes and information on

what parents need toknow about omega-3fatty acids, mercury,PCBs and more.

“As a pediatrician,I find that many par-ents are confusedabout which fish arebest for kids,” says Dr.James Sears. Thecampaign web site,

KidSafeSeafood.com, is a great tool to find out about thenutritional benefits of seafood while limiting contaminantsthat are particularly harmful to children’s growing bodies.

“This initiative underscores the connection betweenhuman health and the environment by highlighting seafoodthat is caught or farmed in an environmentally preferablemanner and is low in contaminants,” says our scientist Dr.Becky Goldburg.

Through a rigorous assessment process that analyzedthe 65 most commonly eaten seafoods, the program hasidentified the best choices for children.

Among the healthiest choices: wild Alaskan salmon,tilapia and U.S. farmed shrimp.

Empty net syndrome

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One of the last stretches of undevelopedcoastline in Puerto Rico got a reprievefrom mega-resort development when theU.S. territory’s House of Representativespassed a bill last fall to designate a3,200-acre nature reserve on the island’seastern shore. Environmental Defensemembers helped secure passage by send-ing 11,000 letters to lawmakers.

Our scientists worked with localgroups on strategies for protecting thearea’s extraordinary resources, whichinclude a bioluminescent lagoon and akey nesting site for the endangeredleatherback sea turtle. “This victory wouldnot have been possible without concertedefforts by a coalition of groups, includingEnvironmental Defense,” says Luis JorgeRivera-Herrera of Puerto Rico’s Coalitionfor the Northeast Ecological Corridor.

But the struggle isn’t over. Devel-opers could still build two resorts andfour golf courses unless Puerto Rico’ssenate and governor approve the Housebill. The bill would preserve the area’sresources while promoting ecotourism,bringing revenue to local communities.

Urge Puerto Rico’s senate and gover-nor to support House Bill 2105 andprotect the island’s ecological wealth at

environmentaldefense.org/action.

Quick work by Environmental Defensestaff and allies blocked an attempt bySouthern California cities to dodge alandmark global warming law that tookeffect January 1. The state law requiresout-of-state power suppliers to meetCalifornia’s stringent new standards forgreenhouse gas pollution. The law fol-lowed our report, California’s Coal Shadow,which revealed the huge amounts of pol-lution caused by power purchases fromdirty coal-fired plants in the Rockies.

Anaheim, Burbank, Glendale,Pasadena and Riverside, which buy up totwo-thirds of their power from theIntermountain Power Agency, had beenrushing to extend contracts to 2044,locking in three more decades of majorpollution. U.S. Senator Dianne Feinsteinand State Senator Don Perata, the archi-

tect of the state law, worked with us topersuade the cities to find cleaner sourcesof energy. The decision may acceleratedevelopment of wind and desert solar. Atthe urging of Governor Schwarzenegger,the Lake Tahoe town of Truckee alsorejected a long-term contract with a pol-luting Utah coal plant.

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IN BRIEF

9

Environment Defense is a key player inwhat has been described as, “one of themost important environmental casesever.” The issue: Should the federal gov-ernment regulate greenhouse gas emis-sions from vehicles?

Fed up with federal inaction, wejoined with allies and 12 states to sue theU.S. Environmental Protection Agencyfor failing to do its job under the Clean

Air Act. The case, Massachusettset al. v. EPA, made its way tothe Supreme Court, markingthe first time the high court hasaddressed global warming.

During oral arguments,the Court appeared deeplydivided. “On the merits, themajority of the justices seemedinclined to decide that, yes,indeed, greenhouse gases are airpollutants that can be regulatedunder the Clean Air Act,” saysour attorney Vickie Patton.

The ruling, expected byJune, will have immediate con-

sequences on a parallel case on emis-sions from power plants. It also coulddetermine whether California can pro-ceed with its first-in-the-nation lawrestricting vehicle emissions of green-house gases, set to take effect in 2009.

Whatever the outcome, both sidesagree that Congress faces increased pres-sure to act on global warming. SaysPatton: “This case underscores the need

Decision time: The Supreme Court and global warming

Fast action in California closes a windowto pollute

Saving a pristineCaribbean coastline

We want to ensure that the nation’s highest courtdoesn’t turn a blind eye to climate change.

Glendale is one of the cities that rejecteddirty energy.

Leatherbacks, the world’s largest turtles,need open beaches to nest.

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for national leadership in addressingglobal warming.”

What if someone told you thatwithin a decade they could supply

20% of America’s energy at less than halfthe price of coal—with no new smoke-stacks, oil imports or nuclear waste—anddeliver deep cuts in air pollution?

That seeming pipe dream is thevery real promise of energy efficiency, theessential first step toward a clean energyeconomy. Put simply, efficiency meansusing less energy to get the same, or bet-ter, quality of life.

Though the benefits of efficiency—for climate, energy security and health—haven’t been discussed much inWashington lately, the technologies forgetting more work out of energy areproven. California now uses half as muchenergy per person as Texas, saving fami-

lies and businessesmoney. While it costs 8to 12 cents to generateand deliver a kilowatt-hour from new coal ornuclear plants, freeingup that same amount ofenergy through efficien-cy costs just 3 cents.

Efficiency pro-vides power withoutglobal warming pollu-tion. In fact, it represents the biggestchunk of greenhouse gas reductionsavailable in America. In the electricitysector alone, using California-style pro-grams nationwide would reduce carbondioxide emissions 20% by 2020, provid-ing one U.S. “wedge” to help stabilize the

global climate (seebox). Some of thebiggest opportu-nities lie in theMidwest, whichcould reducegrowth in energydemand by two-thirds over thenext 15 years,eliminating theneed for dozensof new coal-firedplants.

You wouldnot know suchopportunitiesexisted, however,if you listenedonly to TXU, thebiggest utility inTexas. Warningof an energyemergency, TXUis leading a rushby Texas compa-nies to build 19

The crucial role of energyefficiency in solving globalwarming was made clear in a2004 Science article by ournewest trustee, Princetonprofessor Dr. Stephen Pacala.While others awaited tech-nologies not yet invented,Pacala and colleague Dr.Robert Socolow proved it pos-sible to stabilize greenhousegas emissions now with whatmight be called “silver buckshot”—a portfolio of existingtechnologies such as solar and wind energy, along withreduced deforestation and increased energy efficiency. Tocompare options, Pacala and Socolow created a commonunit, a “stabilization wedge,” representing 25 billion tons ofgreenhouse gases avoided over the next 50 years.

For Pacala, a researcher on the ecology of vegetation,it was the beginning of his fulfilling what he calls “thesocial contract: that a scientist must repay society for theluxury of following one’s curiosity.” He has joined ourboard, he says, because, “If you took EnvironmentalDefense out of the picture and ran the tape again, youwould see it has made a critical difference in the world.”

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coal-fired plants to generate 13,000megawatts of power. That’s ten timeswhat Texas would need if it simplyexpanded its efficiency programs.

Texas spends only one-eighth asmuch as California on efficiency; if itupped that investment to just 2% of elec-tricity sales, it would nearly erase the needfor new plants and spare the planet mostof the 110 million tons of carbon dioxidethey would emit each year (enough to

swamp the gains from California’s land-mark new global warming bill).

Because the climate stakes are sohigh, and because TXU dismissed ourrecommendations for cleaner technology,Environmental Defense is leading acampaign to block the plants. We’remounting legal challenges to TXU’s fast-track permits and highlighting thefinancial liabilities of ignoring globalwarming pollution.

We’re also helping to lead anationwide effort to advance efficiency.As part of an efficiency leadershipgroup created by the U.S. Departmentof Energy and EPA and chaired byDuke Energy CEO Jim Rogers,

The search for a cureENERGY EFFICIENCY IS THE BEST MEDICINE

FOR A FEVERED WORLD

Making better use of the energy we have would eliminate theneed for scores of new power plants.

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Climate’s ‘Mr. Fixit’

–––––California uses half as much

energy per person as Texas

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A glimpse into the future

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Environmental Defense has promoted energy efficiencysince the 1970s, when we persuaded California to shelveplans for ten new coal and nuclear plants in favor ofefficiency investments that launched the state on itstrailblazing path.

Still, most of the country lags behind, due largely tomisplaced economic incentives. Where utility profits are

linked to sales, for instance, the company wins by increas-ing demand. Some states are now correcting thoseskewed incentives: by “decoupling” profits from electricitysales, using smart meters and variable pricing to switchconsumers off peak hours, and upgrading building codesand appliance standards to reduce energy waste.

Here are the three biggest areas of opportunity:

Environmental Defense has helped 50utilities and regulators draft a nationalaction plan, winning commitments in33 states to cut electricity demand up to25% by 2020. That will save Americans$20 billion a year, create half a millionjobs and render unnecessary dozens ofproposed plants. Participants includepublic utility commissions and majorcorporations such as Dow Chemical,

Entergy and Exelon.

A REVOLUTION IN RETAILIn a flagship effort, EnvironmentalDefense is opening an office inBentonville, AR, where we aim to helpthe nation’s largest private purchaser ofelectricity, Wal-Mart, cut its in-storeenergy use by 20 to 30%. The company’stwo experimental stores, in Texas and

Colorado, already have cut energy usenearly in half.

Other companies are sure to follow,because the potential savings areimmense. Just changing to more efficientbulbs in ceiling fan displays already hassaved Wal-Mart $6 million. Puttingdoors and motion sensitive lights onrefrigerated display cases and turning offidling trucks will save millions more.

Buildings: Energy used inbuildings is the biggestsource of global warmingpollution. Advanced windows,more efficient heating andcooling systems and naturallighting can cut energy use by40% or more.

Individual action: Homeownerscan reduce their global warm-ing impact—and energy bills—by 30% ($600 a year on aver-age) by sealing leaks, addinginsulation, buying efficientappliances and switching tocompact fluorescent bulbs,which use 75% less electricity.The new $25 “Kill-A-Watt” canhelp you find the biggest moneywasters at home.

Transportation: Transportationaccounts for one-third of U.S. green-house gas emissions. A 60% improve-ment in vehicle efficiency by 2020 wouldcut fuel demand by 2.3 million barrelsper day, as much as we now importfrom the Persian Gulf. Reducing trafficcongestion with tolls and improvedtransit could save $63 billion a year intime and fuel conserved.

mental Defense in1995 and now pro-tects critical habitaton four millionacres nationwide.

Only about50 to 100 of the“painted leopards”remain, most ofthem living aroundthe Laguna Ata-scosa NationalWildlife Refuge.“This agreementwill create a mosaicof new habitat,” says our wildlife ana-lyst Karen Chapman. “By the end of2007 we hope to restore 1,000 acres.”The cats are wide-ranging, mostly soli-tary creatures: 500 acres will provideenough space for one male, twofemales and their kittens.

Ocelots once ranged fromArkansas into Mexico, but their num-bers plummeted as they were heavilyhunted for their exotic pelts and theirhabitat was converted to ranchlandsand subdivisions. Collisions on theroads that bisect their remaining rangestill claim many of the animals.

Under our agreement, propertyowners commit to rejuvenate thorn-scrub habitat for the secretive felinesfor at least 20 years. In return, theywill receive financial and technicalsupport to replant native vegetationand for other land management.

Laack’s involvement with SafeHarbor has taken her beyond field sci-ence. She is now deploying her con-tacts in the region to spread the wordamong conservation-minded landown-ers. “I find this active management

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South Texas landowners to welcome a rare feline

Will the ocelot survive? It depends on us.

For 20 years, wildlife biologist LindaLaack studied ocelots in South Texas.

Using remote cameras, she identifiedindividual cats by their distinctive, finger-print-like spot patterns and tracked themwith radio collars. She learned the cat washovering on the brink. “I often felt I wasdocumenting the ocelot’s decline, ratherthan helping reverse it,” she said.

Hidden amid ever-shrinking patch-es of thick, tangled thornscrub, the last ofAmerica’s ocelots struggle to survive. Butwith a landmark Safe Harbor agreement,private landowners will now aid in theendangered cat’s recovery—and Laack isworking to recruit them.

Under the 30-year agreement,signed last fall by Environmental Defenseand the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,local property owners will allow previous-ly altered land to return to its wild,thorny state. “The primary objective of aSafe Harbor agreement is to encourageprivate landowners to voluntarily createand restore habitat where none previouslyexisted or where development threatensthe ocelot’s livelihood,” said Dr. BenjaminN. Tuggle, the Service’s regional director.Safe Harbor was pioneered by Environ-

much more rewarding than the research,”she says. “The future of ocelots in Texasdepends on their ability to expand theirrange onto private lands. Fortunately, wehave found a way for landowners to setout the welcome mat for them.”

Beset from all sides, ocelots have found refuge in rugged thorn scrub.

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From wildliferefuges toprotectedwaters andunspoiled vis-tas, so muchof what wetreasure todayis the result ofthe passionand investment of prior generations.

You too can leave a legacy thatwill preserve land, water, wildlife andother environmental treasures.Bequests to Environmental Defensemade as part of your personal estateplanning are a powerful way to makecertain that your values endure.

To learn more, contact Anne Doyle atEnvironmental Defense, 257 ParkAvenue South, New York, NY 10010;877-677-7397; ospreys@environmen-taldefense.org

Imagine a legacy asspectacular as this