Safe Harbor Fulfills Its Promise Kerry Russell Remembers the Day U.S

Vol. XXXII, No. 5 September 2001 Safe Harbor fulfills its promise Kerry Russell remembers the day U.S. Russell is rallying his neighbors Climate: Fish and Wildlife Service agents to join Safe Harbor and encouraging U.S. in the arrived at his ranch with a low-bid pur- his children to help conserve this hot seat 2 chase offer and the threat of confisca- unfragmented landscape. “I’d still be tion through eminent domain if he fighting the U.S. government if it refused to sell. Russell’s 130-acre weren’t for Environmental Defense,” Media blitz spread on the edge of Austin, TX, is he says. “Thanks to you guys, I’ve seen to save prime habitat for two endangered a huge change in how Fish and energy 3 birds, the golden-cheeked warbler and Wildlife works.” black-capped vireo. More than two million acres in Russell grew up on his land, seven states are now enrolled in Safe wanted to stay but distrusted the gov- Harbor, providing an ark for endan- A helping ernment. Then he discovered our Safe gered species. The program has been hand for Harbor program. This Environmental used by public and private organizations farmers 5 Defense initiative helps landowners including The Nature Conservancy, restore critical habitat voluntarily with- Ducks Unlimited, Amoco and West- out adding new federal restrictions on vaco, a forest products company. The Choosing their property. Safe Harbor is vital for Peregrine Fund used it to reintroduce healthy wildlife, since most endangered species the northern aplomado falcon into the food 6 inhabit private lands. wild. And on the island of Molokai, we “I prefer to help the birds on my are helping reestablish the nene goose, own terms,” says Russell. “You folks Hawaii’s state bird. help me do it the right way. Safe “This program buys desperately Oil giant Harbor is a breath of fresh air—the needed time for vanishing wildlife,” cuts first concerted effort to work with says our scientist David Wolfe. emissions 7 landowners by a national organization that I’ve seen.” Ted Turner Golden-cheeked to protect warblers are true Texas rare birds 8 natives. Because of urban sprawl and brush clearing, how- Stopping ever, their habitat has shrunk to a sliver of offshore the state. Six warblers drilling 8 live on Russell’s property, but now, he noted, “they’ve done Director’s message 2 nesting and are round- Regional news 4 ing up and heading to Lasley W. Greg Guatemala.” The golden-cheeked warbler: a Texas survivor. DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE Taking the long view Along with millions of other Americans, I went to a national park this summer. As I walked out onto the south rim of the Grand Brian Seirup Canyon and let my eyes roam over a magical world, I discovered that Has the U.S. missed the train on global warming? With America sidelined at the sixth the famous view had been clouded Conference of the Parties (COP 6) in Bonn, we worked with Japan and others. by a haze of particulates. Visibility in the canyon, I was told, is now A breakthrough on global warming only one-half to two-thirds of what it once was and should be. CLIMATE AGREEMENT PUTS U.S. IN THE HOT SEAT Constant vigilance is required to keep our national parks healthy. This summer, 178 nations hammered national emissions trading system that These fragile treasures depend on out an agreement setting in place the allows countries to achieve reduction an intricate and sometimes rules requiring industrialized countries targets cost-effectively. Although the obscure safety net of regulations. to cut emissions of greenhouse gases accord fails to address tropical defor- Without them, our parks would linked to global warming. The estation, it does provide a framework quickly deteriorate. eleventh-hour agreement in Bonn res- for partial crediting of carbon “sinks.” ––––– cued the Kyoto Protocol from collapse. “This agreement is a turning A cloudy future Six months ago, success seemed point,” said our attorney Joe Goffman. impossible. With the U.S. on the side- “It is now up to each country to ratify for national parks? lines, Environmental Defense worked the treaty.” Even though the U.S. is not ––––– behind the scenes with delegates from party to the agreement, there is new In 1999, Environmental Japan, Russia and the European momentum on Capitol Hill to pass leg- Defense helped achieve historic Union to reach consensus. “This islation calling for mandatory cuts in EPA regulations controlling haze in agreement is a monumental achieve- emissions of carbon dioxide, a main national parks. A park, we argued, cannot function without clean air. ment,” said our executive director Fred provision of the Kyoto treaty. Now these EPA regulations are Krupp, whose advice at a critical Many corporate leaders are con- under attack. Numerous electric moment helped Japan’s efforts on the vinced the United States will eventu- utilities and mining companies, compromise. ally join the fight against global claiming distress, have filed suit to The final agreement, adopted warming, and would prefer to begin overturn them. We’re spearhead- unanimously, allows industrial nations making capital investments now, ing a coalition of 15 groups helping with the highest emissions of green- before the job becomes more expen- the government fight off this chal- lenge in federal court. house gases to achieve their cuts with sive. Eight major U.S. corporations, Why, you might ask, are we greater flexibility, something the including BP and DuPont, have vol- assisting the federal government? United States has long advocated. “It untarily pledged to cap their green- Simple. Our involvement helps is a sad irony that the U.S. was absent house emissions through our Part- ensure that the government at its own victory party,” said our chief nership for Climate Action. defends our national treasures scientist Dr. Michael Oppenheimer. “It’s not too late for the Bush with the utmost vigor. We’ll be The Bonn agreement incorpo- administration to reengage in the keeping you posted. rates several ideas championed by process,” said Goffman. “If we fail to —Fred Krupp Environmental Defense, including a act, the global climate—and American firm compliance regime and an inter- competitiveness—will suffer.” 2 Get Green tips save cash and the planet New TV and radio ads will urge Americans to use energy more effi- ciently at home and on the road, saving money and reducing pollution. The campaign, called Get Green for its environmental and economic bene- fits, expands our 14-year partnership on recycling with The Advertising Council. Last year the media donated more than $100 million of ad time and space to our recycling campaign, ranking it first among the Ad Council’s 30 major What began as a hobby of painting and observing wildlife grew into a calling that campaigns like “Take a bite out of inspired the modern environmental movement. crime,” Smokey Bear and “Friends don’t let friends drive drunk.” Dennis Puleston, 1905 - 2001 The humorous Get Green ads HE LEFT THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE draw people’s attention to simple energy-saving steps like adjusting your Dennis Puleston never forgot a sky- encounters with cannibals, pirates, thermostat at home, having your car lark that began singing amidst the buried treasure, a pet boa constrictor serviced regularly and keeping tires terror of the invasion of Normandy. and capture by the Japanese during properly inflated. For more tips, view- For the rest of his life he repaid that the Sino-Japanese war. Puleston’s cap- ers are directed to getgreen.com. bird. Puleston, the founding chair- tors were so impressed by a handwrit- McCann-Erickson, the world’s man of Environmental Defense, died ten thank-you note from the emperor, largest ad agency network, generously June 8, at 95, having dedicated his to whom he had given his pet cocka- donated its services in creating the Get life to environmental protection. too, that they released him. Green campaign. Additional support An expert naturalist and bird In 1941, Puleston settled on came from the Alliance for Clean Air painter, Puleston was a close observer Long Island. He helped design the and Transportation, the Federal of Long Island’s osprey colony. In the DUKW amphibious landing craft Highway Administration and EPA. 1960s, he noted an alarming decline that brought troops ashore in World in osprey chicks because DDT War II. For this President Truman thinned eggshells. He joined other gave him the Medal of Freedom. scientists in legal action to stop local At an age when most people DDT spraying, pioneering the use of retire to a rocking chair, Puleston science and law to protect the envi- began leading expeditions to acquaint ronment and spurring the creation of people with the urgent need for inter- our organization, then called the national protection of Antarctica. His Environmental Defense Fund. In last environmental victory, over a pro- 1972, DDT was banned nationwide. posed mall, came last year at age 94. An old-style adventurer born in Nearly 350 people gathered at England, Puleston grew up in a fish- his home to celebrate his achieve- ing village on the Thames estuary, ments. Many recounted how their where he developed a love for the nat- lives intertwined with this modest, ural world and a curiosity about far- gentle, and compassionate man. “He Tim Connor away places. In 1931, at 25, he set off persevered,” said our executive direc- in a 31-foot yawl to sail around the tor Fred Krupp. “He cared so deeply Underinflated tires threaten safety and waste more than two million gallons of world.

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