We’re mobilizing one million Americans this week to persuade the new Interior Secretary, Ken Salazar, to rescue the polar bear.

Please speak out now. It will only take you a few seconds and could save these imperiled creatures from extinction. — RFK

		Urge Interior Secretary Salazar to Rescue the Polar Bear NOW Help us build a national outcry to reverse the Bush Administration’s “polluters-first” policy. Send your Citizen Petition now — and tell the new Interior Secretary that you care more about polar bears than Big Oil’s profits. After eight years of suffering under the Bush Administration’s “polluters-first” policies, the polar bear is now hurtling headlong toward extinction. It’s up to the Obama Administration to slam on the brakes, put Bush’s dangerous policies in reverse, and give the green light to full-fledged endangered species protection for the polar bear. But that won’t happen unless millions of Americans speak out now. Why? Because President Obama’s Interior Department will be under tremendous pressure from the oil lobby to maintain the Bush policy that puts oil development first and polar bears dead last. We must make our voices heard if we are to persuade Interior Secretary Salazar to cancel Bush’s “polar bears be damned” approach. The stakes could not be higher. In the last year alone, the Bush Administration auctioned off a vast expanse of Alaska’s Chukchi Sea to Shell and other oil giants — exposing half of America’s polar bears to potential drilling and lethal oil spills. And only two months ago, Bush officials weakened the Endangered Species Act so badly that it no longer protects polar bears against the two deadliest threats they face: oil development and global warming. But Interior Secretary Salazar is unlikely to defy Big Oil — unless we mobilize a nationwide outcry that can’t be ignored. That’s why it’s so important that you send your own Citizen Petition right now and help NRDC ratchet up this next critical phase of our Polar Bear S.O.S. campaign. Let the new Interior Secretary know you care deeply about saving the polar bear. Remind him that the American people expect our government agencies to protect our country’s wildlife — not sacrifice them for corporate profits. Together, we can reverse eight years of relentless attacks on the polar bear — and finally give these magnificent Arctic creatures a fighting chance at survival. Sincerely, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Senior Attorney Natural Resources Defense Council P.S. After you send your own Citizen Petition, I will let you know about an easy way to spread the word to your friends and family. We need at least one million petitions to put the polar bear on the new administration’s radar screen, so rally everyone you know to speak out and say, “I Care More about the Polar Bear than Big Oil’s Profits.”
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“The days of Washington dragging its heels are over.” — President Barack Obama, January 26, 2009.

*** BREAKING NEWS *** BREAKING NEWS *** BREAKING NEWS ***

Dear Vaness,

I just witnessed history in the making.

This morning, President Barack Obama signed two executive orders that could be remembered as the critical turning point toward achieving real energy independence and stopping global warming.

President Obama directed the EPA to review the Bush administration’s denial of a waiver request by California to cut global warming pollution from automobiles. The president also ordered the Transportation Department to enact short-term rules on how automakers can improve the fuel efficiency of their new models.

Politically, what President Obama said was at least as important as what he signed.

The President’s powerful statement affirming his commitment to moving aggressively to cut global warming emissions and unleash America’s clean energy future laid out clear goals for action in the coming weeks and months.

The President’s plan—including the next step of a cap on carbon pollution—means more new jobs, a rebirth for the American auto industry, and less global warming pollution.

If today’s announcement is the start of a comprehensive policy like that, I’d say that’s pretty darn good for the first week in office.

I was deeply honored to be among those who attended the White House ceremony and witness history in the making. And, I couldn’t help but think that this is what change looks like.

For more on today’s news, here’s a good article from the Washington Post.

And, please feel free to offer your own comments on our Green Room blog.

We’ll keep you posted as we continue our efforts to support President Obama’s goal of capping and reducing America’s global warming pollution.

Thanks for everything you help make possible,

David Yarnold
Executive Director
Environmental Defense Fund

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		Dear Vaness, Less than a week into office, President Obama announced monumental decisions this morning that show America and the world that he will lead our country in a bold new direction to protect the environment and fight global warming. The President directed his EPA to immediately review the Bush Administration’s denial of the right of California and other states to set global warming pollution standards for new cars. He also directed the Department of Transportation to set higher national fuel efficiency standards. What will that mean in the real world? If Obama’s EPA, as expected, approves the California program, new cars sold in that state and at least 13 others will have to reduce their global warming pollution by 30 percent between 2009 and 2016. And the Department of Transportation will require more efficient new cars to be on the road starting in 2010, and set a course for the average new car to achieve maximum feasible fuel efficiency by 2020. Simply put, President Obama is not just stepping up to the threat of climate chaos. His call for a fleet of cleaner cars will help reduce our dangerous dependence on oil and push automakers to make the cars that the world wants and needs in the 21st century. NRDC’s climate attorneys were present at the White House this morning, and you can imagine their elation at this historic breakthrough. Thanks to your support, NRDC led the fight in 2002 for California’s Clean Cars Law — the very first law to cut global warming pollution from automobiles. And when the Bush Administration and the automakers threw up roadblocks to that law, NRDC and our partners took the legal fight all the way to the Supreme Court — and won. But the Bush EPA persisted in its unlawful obstructionism until the bitter end. This morning, President Obama took America’s foot off the brake and put cleaner cars into high gear. The automakers should be lining up to thank him. This is just the kind of turbo-charged policy they need to start producing cars that are better for the planet, better for consumers, and better for the economy. What a difference a new President makes! But I also want to recognize your generous support and online activism that kept NRDC’s clean car campaign in drive through eight tough years and countless courtrooms. We were in the White House this morning representing you. And I truly believe this is just the beginning. If we seize this rare opportunity for environmental change, there’s no telling what we can do in 2009. Congratulations! Sincerely, Frances Beinecke President Natural Resources Defense Council

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January 2009 THE SAFE ROAD IN WINTER Salt’s not the best answer Ah, January. Up where I live, winter’s white mantle is back. I don’t mean snow, but the residue left on paved surfaces — and boots — by road salt. Applied to melt ice, road salt cracks pavement, undermines bridges, corrodes cars, seeps into groundwater, damages plants, endangers wildlife and alters habitat for aquatic species when washed into lakes and streams. It also hurts pets’ paws. My dog, for one, goes into a terrible limp if I accidentally walk him through a patch. Something this harmful must be a synthetic concoction cooked up in a lab, right? But no, it is usually just sodium chloride (NaCl), the same stuff that seasons your food, raises your blood pressure and makes you so much more buoyant in the ocean than you are in the pool. It only becomes troublesome when it is present at high levels where trace amounts should exist, such as freshwater ponds and the undersides of cars. First used to clear streets in the 1930s, road salt gained traction in the 1960s. Nowadays some 10 million tons or more are used to de-ice roads each year in the United States. It is the major use of salt in this country. Interestingly, salting roads may not result in fewer accidents. Conceivably, there would be even fewer crashes if roads were left icy and people stayed home. The research hasn’t been done. No matter. When roads are clear of ice, deliveries get delivered and workers get to work — and that’s the main motive for salting roads in the first place (“the economy, stupid!”). Of course, mobility can be important for other reasons, too, as I was reminded last week when I needed to get back and forth to my mother in the hospital during a snowstorm. Ambulances, among other emergency vehicles, depend on cleared roads to get through. Transportation professionals are not unaware of the problems caused by salt. The federal Department of Transportation even commissioned a study, completed in 1991 by the Transportation Research Board, a division of the National Academies, that compared the costs (all kinds, including environmental) of salt and a more benign alternative, calcium magnesium acetate, or CMA. The study concluded that a wholesale shift from salt to CMA was unwarranted, primarily because CMA was 20 to 30 times more expensive to purchase and use. Instead, it recommended pursuit of less expensive, targeted mitigation measures, including selective use of CMA in environmentally sensitive areas. Since then, transportation agencies have learned how to reduce salt usage through improved spreading techniques, better timing and the use of other substances to aid in de-icing and provide traction. Meanwhile, engineers have figured out methods to reduce the impact of salt on cars and infrastructure. But the engineering has not come without a cost, and the environmental impacts remain. There is also a human health risk that has often been raised but never properly explored — the effect of drinking water with higher salt concentrations on people with high blood pressure. As home and business owners, we contribute to the salt overload directly when we salt our driveways, walkways and stoops. While there’s no reason to leave the ice in place and risk a fall (or lawsuit), we can certainly learn better methods of de-icing. Here are the key ways: Shovel snow before it can accumulate. De-icers are more effective with less snow in the way. And it’s possible that by assiduous shoveling, you can avoid the need for de-icers altogether by preventing ice build-up. Use the least toxic de-icers you can afford. The best choice is CMA. Though pricey compared to salt, new production methods may soon make it cheaper. Potassium acetate (KA) is another promising alternative. It has not been studied as extensively as CMA but appears to be similarly benign and to work at colder temperatures than either CMA or salt. Next best is calcium chloride. Though a salt with similar impacts to sodium chloride, it can be used in smaller amounts — which is doubly good as it is also more expensive than sodium chloride. Urea is sometimes billed as a less toxic de-icer, but is a “nutrient” that can cause lakes to eutrophy — so do not use it. Many products are mixes of different de-icing agents. A mix of sodium chloride or calcium chloride and CMA or KA is better than one of the salts alone. Read the ingredients list on the label to know what you’re getting, rather than relying on claims of environmental safety. If you use sand for traction, collect it afterwards. Otherwise, it may end up causing sedimentation in wetlands and other water bodies, which could ruin habitat and impede water flow. It could also clog storm sewage systems. Do not bother with kitty litter or ashes. They are very messy and hard to sweep up. Apply de-icers early — and with restraint. Anti-icing (applying the de-icing agent in advance) is necessary with CMA and a good practice with salt as well. Do not use more than the amount recommended on the label. You will not get better or quicker results. Here’s hoping you won’t have many occasions to try this advice this winter! Sheryl Eisenberg, a long-time advisor to NRDC, posts a new This Green Life every month. Sheryl makes her home in Tribeca (NYC), where—along with her children, Sophie and Gabe, and husband, Peter—she tries to put her environmental principles into practice. No fooling. Subscribe to get This Green Life by email FREE. COMMENTS? QUESTIONS? Feed back at thisgreenblog.com. ONLINE RESOURCES ENVIROCAST Put Your Sidewalk and Driveway On a Low Salt Diet ABOUT.COM What Is the Best Deicer? GOVERNMENT ENGINEERING Roadway Deicing and the Environment CROTON WATERSHED CLEAN WATER COALITION Environmental Impacts of Road Salt and Alternatives in New York SALT INSTITUTE Uses & Benefits THE PARTNERHSIP FOR ANIMAL WELFARE Cold Weather Protection for Pets PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE Salt-Tolerant Roadside Plants Not news. Humans have known since ancient times that salt could be toxic to plants. Hence, combatants would “salt the earth” of their enemies — to prevent crops from growing. The most famous example (possibly apochryphal) is the salting of Carthage by the Romans in the Third Punic War. Examples can also be found in the Bible. Protect your pooch. If your dog’s paws have been exposed to de-icers on a winter walk, wash them when he returns home. Use a wet cloth or dunk them in a container of warm water. This is necessary not just to keep the paws in good condition, but to prevent ingestion of the de-icers through licking. Even better, equip your dog with booties before he goes out. Protect your lawn and garden. Avoid applying salt to paved surfaces near trees, shrubs, flowers and grasses that are sensitive to it. If you are considering new plantings near paved surfaces, pick salt-tolerant species. For instance, salt spray roses (top) tolerate salt whereas azaleas (above) don’t. Among trees, red oak would be a good choice, where red maple would not be. Your favorite nature spots and mine Been to any great nature spots lately? Add it to the This Green Life nature map. Here’s how: Go to the map on Google. SIGN IN to your Google or Gmail account. (You need an account to edit the map.) Click the edit button in the panel to the left of the map. DON’T CHANGE the map title or description! INSTEAD, click the balloon icon near the map zoom controls. Move the balloon to your favorite spot and click. Tell us why you love it—and link to a picture if possible. Click OK. Sheryl Eisenberg is a web developer and writer. With her firm, Mixit Productions (mixitproductions.com), she brought NRDC online in 1996, designed NRDC’s first websites, and continues to develop special web features for NRDC. She created and, for several years, wrote the Union of Concerned Scientists’ green living column, Greentips, and has designed and contributed content to many nonprofit sites. In between issues of This Green Life, she muses aloud on green issues at thisgreenblog.com.
		© 2008 Natural Resources Defense Council

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Dear Vaness, Take action to support a smart stimulus bill. The 111th Congress has now been sworn in and is already busy drafting an economic stimulus bill. The bill will include tens of billions of dollars in transportation investments, and hundreds of billions in other spending. We need your help to make sure Congress passes a smart stimulus bill. Please email House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid today. Saving and creating jobs is an urgent national priority. But there is a right way to do this and a wrong way. The right way is to invest in infrastructure and energy-efficiency projects that will offer a short-term economic boost and set us up for long-term growth with increased energy independence. The wrong way is to throw money at “bridges to nowhere” projects that will set back our efforts to create long-term, environmentally sustainable growth or to use the stimulus as an excuse to weaken long-standing environmental protections. We need to create jobs now by building the smarter, more efficient transportation and infrastructure system America will need in the 21st century. Please take action to support a smart stimulus package. Here are four simple steps Congress should take as they draft a bill: Prioritize the Next Generation of Transit: Investments in hybrid buses, light rail, and new train lines — as well as fixing our existing roads and bridges — all create more jobs per dollar spent than just building new roads. And they give us something we desperately need: an affordable and sustainable ride to work. What better stimulus than to get transit into our communities quickly, so we can get out of traffic jams and to our jobs? Give Your Community a Seat at the Table: There is a risk that cities, counties and metropolitan areas will be shortchanged in federal stimulus spending. Local and regional transit agencies buy the buses, build the light rail, sidewalks, and bike paths, and hire the transit operators. They need to be key funding partners. Be Transparent and Accountable: Spend money in ways the public can see and understand. To date, only 16 states have publicly released their lists of transportation projects submitted to Congress. Of these, at least nine proposals would spend 10% or less of stimulus funding on public transportation. Three-quarters of proposed spending on these lists would go towards expansion, not repair and restoration, of highways and bridges. Congress should oppose efforts to weaken core environmental protection laws in the stimulus. Offer Rebates for American Made Energy-Efficiency Products: Congress should provide strong rebates for purchase of energy-efficiency technology made by U.S. workers. Products that create U.S. manufacturing jobs while helping reduce energy use include: anti-idling equipment for trucks; energy-efficient windows for homes; high-efficiency boilers and water heaters for schools and commercial buildings; and energy-saving smart controls for older home boilers. Let’s Do it Right A smart stimulus bill will be good not just for the economy, but for public health and the environment. The U.S. transportation sector accounts for 70% of our oil consumption. Our modest public transportation, biking and walking networks already save hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil daily. Expanding public transit systems into new cities and towns, enlarging the ones we have, and ensuring that all remain operational and affordable would be a major step towards President-Elect Obama’s goal of reducing oil imports by 3.5 million barrels a day ten years from now. Take action today: Urge Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid to craft a smart stimulus bill. Thanks for your activism and support, Michael Replogle Transportation Director

 

 

 

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Featured Image Huli Wigmen of Papua New Guinea. Photo © Mark Godfrey/TNC Download as Wallpaper How You Can Help You can help expand our conservation efforts in 2009 by becoming a member today. Make a Tax-Deductible Gift Today! Other Ways to Give Make friends while you make a difference this New Year — join The Nature Conservancy’s cause on Facebook. Share your support for nature with 48,000 new Conservancy friends! Make a New Year’s resolution to get involved. Join Our Cause on Facebook Scientific American Earth 3.0 This special issue of the monthly magazine examines the environment, economics and policy from a scientific perspective. Normally $5.95 on newsstands, it’s complimentary for Nature Conservancy supporters like you! Download Your Free Copy Today! Visit Our Marketplace! Buy green! Visit our new Marketplace for eco-friendly and nature-inspired gifts! Conservancy members will receive a 10 percent discount off all purchases. Shop Now! Nature ConservancyMagazine Every issue of our magazine includes great articles about fascinating outdoor places, gorgeous photography from around the world, timely and informative book reviews, and exciting nature travel ideas. Read Our Winter Issue Great Places January 8, 2009 Volume 9, Issue 1 You are receiving this message at vaness@vaness.ws (change your address) as part of your membership with The Nature Conservancy and our Great Places Network. If this issue was forwarded to you and you would like to begin receiving a copy of your own, you may wish tojoin Great Places yourself. To ensure that this message doesn’t get trapped in your bulk mail folder, don’t forget to add The Nature Conservancy (newsletter@tnc.org) to your address book / safe senders list. If you’d rather not receive this newsletter in the future, please visit our unsubscribe page.		Lyon Mountain. Photo © Carl Heilman II New York: Sable Highlands Success in the Adirondacks An area seven times the size of Manhattan was purchased for protection in 2004, thanks to an innovative deal between the Conservancy and Lyme Timber Company. Now, four years later, the project has reached completion: the state of New York has protected 104,000 acres of the Sable Highlands. It’s a Deal! Studying plant life in Colorado. Photo © Mark Godfrey/TNC Become a Monthly Giver Did you resolve to help protect the natural world this year? Then check out this easy and safe way of making a big contribution — become a monthly giver to The Nature Conservancy. Make a Difference for Nature “The Hudson: America’s River” by Frances Dunwell Join Us in New York City! The fabled Hudson River has been central to the history of New York and the United States. In her new book, Frances F. Dunwell presents a rich portrait of the Hudson and of the visionary people whose deep relationship with the river continues to inspire changes in American history and culture. Join Us in New York City for an Evening with Frances Dunwell Long Island Grassland ©TNC New York: Fallow Field or Healthy Habitat? Long associated with abandoned farm fields and other “wasted” parcels of land, Long Island’s grasslands actually provide habitat to an array of unique plants and animals, including short-eared owls, bobolinks and meadowlarks. Discover the importance of this misunderstood and mysterious habitat. Explore Long Island’s Grasslands Pine cones. Photo © Alden Warner Capping Carbon in New York December 17 marked New York’s first auction of carbon permits under RGGI (Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative), the region’s landmark carbon-reducing program that is widely expected to influence U.S. climate change legislation in 2009. Get the Facts About RGGI and How it Can Help Fight Climate Change Nature Conservancy President Mark Tercek. Photo © Mark Godfrey/TNC Dear President-Elect Obama What recommendations is the Conservancy making to the new Obama administration? Find out in this open letter to the president-elect from Conservancy president and CEO Mark Tercek. Read Our Ideas for a Greener Future Green sea turtle in the Caribbean. Photo © C.J. Crowley Tracking Turtles At a Conservancy preserve in St. Croix, the number of nesting green sea turtles is on the rise — the result of 30 years of protecting turtles and their habitat. Learn more about this amazing comeback and the researchers who are helping the recovery effort. Watch the Audio Slideshow!  Garcia River Forest, California. Photo © John Birchard Year in Review 2008 From Montana to New York and Australia to South America — the Conservancy worked around the world to protect nature and preserve life in 2008. Check out this year’s conservation highlights. See What We’ve Been Up to in 2008! Legacy Club member Judy Smith. Photo © Simon Williams/TNC Celebrating Natural Legacies Our Legacy Club is 15 years old! Read the inspiring stories of 15 Legacy Club members who are making a difference for nature. Be Part of a Natural Legacy   Conservancy lead scientist Sanjayan. Photo © Erika Nortemann/TNC Wild Life: The View From Above Satellites allow us to look at every corner of the planet — but can they help us be better conservationists? Conservancy lead scientist Sanjayan contemplates the view from above in this month’s “Wild Life.” Read Sanjayan’s Latest Column Stream in Ecuador. Photo © Bridget Besaw Everyday Environmentalist: Saving Water Are you doing your part to conserve water? Let us know about it! We’re gathering readers’ tips for saving water and will publish the best on World Water Day in March. Send Us Your Water-Saving Tips! Polar bear. Photo © Lindsey P. Martin Ask the Conservationist: Changing Climate, Changing Habitats How important is habitat conservation in the face of climate change? And are certain habitats more important to save than others, because they harbor more species? Find out in this month’s “Ask the Conservationist.” Read…and Then Submit Your Question Photo of the Month “…it seemed to be tracking something in the snow…” Read More and Download the Photo as Desktop Wallpaper Red fox in winter, Wisconsin.  Photo © Robert A. Kleppin Podcasts Each week, our Nature Stories podcast brings you unexpected tales of people’s connections with the natural world. You may subscribe to the series or download the individual stories through the links below. Ice Wrangler  A former cod fisherman finds a new line of work: harvesting “bergy bits” for bottled water. Producer: Chris Brookes and Janna Graham Surf School  Journey along as one reporter learns how to ride the waves in Hawai’i. Producer: Scott Carrier with Hearing Voices Flight of Fancy  Be inspired by the impressive 4,000-mile migration of the monarch butterfly. Producer: Chris Brookes Lobster Diver  Along the Mosquito Coast, Honduran men risk their lives to support their families. Producer: Claudine LoMonaco with Homelands Productions Photo Credits (from top): Photo © Glory Rumour/Creative Commons; © Richard Herrmann; © Janet Haas; © Erika Nortemann/TNC.
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JAN ‘09 – IN THIS ISSUE

Take Action: Support a Smart Stimulus

Innovation Exchange

Transition Report

Historic Oceans Victory

Share Your Views

Earth: The Sequel

TAKE ACTION

Take Action: Share Your Views

INNOVATION EXCHANGE

EDF Launches New Site to Promote Best Practices for Green Businesses

This week, we launched the Innovation Exchange, a first-of-its-kind online resource that helps businesses to quickly identify ways to improve their environmental performance and reduce costs.

Our vision: To build a dynamic community where businesses can turn knowledge into actions that are good for the environment and the bottom line.

Read our press release to learn more.

Do you know an office manager or corporate environmental officer? Please send them the Innovation Exchange url: innovation.edf.org.

TRANSITION REPORT

Time to Help Them Stand and Deliver

With Barack Obama’s inauguration next week, the clock starts on our efforts to move global warming legislation this year.

In the House, two climate action advocates, Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Ed Markey (D-MA), have assumed leadership roles on the critical Energy and Commerce Committee. They are pledging their determination to get a bill moving.

Read more in our final Transition Report.

HISTORIC OCEANS VICTORY

Three New Marine Monuments Declared

We made marine conservation history last week when President Bush announced that he will create three new marine national monuments in the Pacific Ocean.

The announcement establishes one of the largest protected areas on earth, spanning 195,280 square miles—an area larger than California. It protects some of the most ecologically-rich areas of the world’s oceans.

The areas were nominated by EDF, the Marine Conservation Biology Institute, and the Pew Environmental Group.

Read more about this amazing victory.

SHARE YOUR VIEWS

What Are Your Hopes for Environmental Victories in the Obama Administration?

Everyone knows about the economic crisis facing America and the world. But, we have many environmental crises facing the planet as well.

From global warming to ocean depletion to diminished habitat for endangered species, and more, the Obama team will have its work cut out to protect our planet.

What’s your take? What are your hopes for environmental victories over the next four years?

Share you views in the Green Room.

EARTH: THE SEQUEL

Best-Selling Book on Green Energy Will Air as a TV Series on Discovery

The EDF online community helped make Earth: The Sequel a best-seller and one of the hottest environmental and technology books of the year.

Producers at The Discovery Channel noticed and are in production on a television series that will highlight many of the green energy breakthroughs featured in the book.

The schedule has not been finalized, but we expect the series to air sometime in the next 2-3 months. We’ll keep you posted.

Also due out this March, the paperback version of Earth: The Sequel.

the numbers

CO2 Emissions by Country and County

Have you ever wondered how the world’s carbon dioxide emissions break down by country?

Here’s a new map that does just that.

And, here’s another map that breaks down America’s CO2 emissions by county.

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	Resolution: A Green Revolution What’s on your list for the new year? How about protecting children from toxic chemicals, supporting green jobs and restoring the health of the world’s oceans. Oops, sorry, those are from ourlist — but you can help! See what our lawyers, scientists and policy experts have resolved to make happen in 2009.  Our resolutions on Switchboard   Ideas from Simple Steps
	Guide to Greener Living Whether you’re on the road, working at the office or just sitting around the house, there are plenty of ways that you can make 2009 the greenest year yet.  Get advice
	Tennessee Coal Disaster See photos, videos and first-hand accounts of the devastating coal ash spill on Greenlight, the home of citizen journalism from NRDC’s award-winningOnEarth magazine.   Read Greenlight

Visions for Transforming America President-elect Obama takes office this month vowing to fight climate change, tackle oil dependency and revive the U.S. economy. Smart growth and transit are part of the solution. AsNew York Times columnist David Brooks wrote recently, we can’t rebuild America without thinking about how we build our streets, cities and neighborhoods. NRDC’s new web feature shows how it can be done.   Picturing Smart Growth   Kaid Benfield on Switchboard  One of the nation’s leading smart growth advocates writes almost daily about development, community and the environment on NRDC’s blog.  Obama’s “Green Team” Frances Beinecke says the president-elect’s choices show that he means business on energy and the environment.  Bush’s Midnight Machinations  NRDC trustee Robert Redford writes about fighting the Bush’s administration’s final moves as it leaves office.

Danger in the Nursery Millions of migrating birds are threatened by dirty fuel development in the Canadian forests where they nest each spring.  Read the report Christmas Tree Recycling You picked live over fake this year. Good call. Now make sure that your faithful tree gets the earth-friendly end it deserves.  Get advice

 

 

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