Category: World Wildlife Fund

Source: World Wildlife Fund – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: WWF Statement on the Agriculture Committee’s Passage of the Farm Bill

In response to the House Committee on Agriculture’s passage of H.R. 2, the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018, World Wildlife Fund released the following statement from Dr. Melinda Cep, senior director of policy for its Markets and Food program.

“The Committee missed an opportunity to strengthen H.R. 2. for wildlife, their habitats, and America’s farmers and ranchers. The farm bill affects all of us and is the single greatest source of federal funding for conservation on private lands. As currently written, this bill misses the mark, and it is critical that Congress get it right.

“There’s still a chance for bipartisan improvements to the bill on the House floor. Amending the bill to improve the programs and funding in the conservation title, better align commodity and crop insurance programs with conservation, and remove provisions that would roll back existing environmental protections will only make it stronger.

“Specifically, Congress should:

• Remove the dangerous environmental riders that undermine the Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, and National Environmental Policy Act;
• Restore nearly $800 million to the conservation title;
• Continue to support comprehensive voluntary working land conservation by maintaining support for practices and enhancements now funded by the Conservation Stewardship Program and Environmental Quality Incentives Program; and
• Expand Sodsaver nationwide and strengthen it by closing the ‘alfalfa loophole.’”

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Source: World Wildlife Fund – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: WWF Statement on Announcement of the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018

In response to the announcement of the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) issued the following statement from Melinda Cep, senior director for policy, food and markets:

“With specifics now on the table, it’s essential for the public conversation around the Farm Bill to prioritize investment in private land conservation programs and technical assistance critical for America’s grasslands and wildlife. WWF will be evaluating any potential changes to environmental protections and looking for better alignment of conservation in the crop insurance program.

“Millions of acres of intact grasslands across the Great Plains are plowed each year for crops, infrastructure, and development. Fortunately, previous Farm Bill funding has helped USDA’s conservation programs engage ranchers and farmers to produce food, fiber, and fuel while keeping grasslands intact. Farm Bill investments in programs like these can bolster environmental, social, and economic benefits and should continue to be readily accessible to producers. The bottom line is that this bill must promote successful conservation efforts, not undermine them.”

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Source: World Wildlife Fund – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Google and World Wildlife Fund Use Technology to Teach Students About the Environment

San Francisco, Calif (April 9, 2018) – Google and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) are working together to provide students around the world the resources to learn more about the environment and coding basics this Earth Day.

WWF recently launched a new educational resource, Wild Classroom, that connects educators and parents with the materials they need to help kids explore and understand the natural world around them. Wild Classroom includes a growing library of conservation-focused toolkits that interweaves engaging species-specific content with other conservation issues, including habitat loss, climate change, poaching and illegal wildlife trade.

“Instilling a love for science and nature in people beginning at a young age will help create a better future for our planet,” said Katy Fenn, head of Wild Classroom at WWF. “This exciting partnership brings to life wildlife and wild places so kids can create their own stories of our natural world and be inspired to help.”

Starting April 9, Google will also offer a new activity within its online CS First program. The popular Create your own Google logo activity will be specially customized for Earth Day, featuring new avatars that follow a Species and Sustainability theme. This activity will give teachers the opportunity to bring both a computer science and environmental lesson into their classrooms, as students will be able to customize their creations using the introductory coding language Scratch.

“We’re so excited to bring this activity to students interested in exploring computer science,” said Maggie Johnson, VP of Education Programs at Google. “It’s so important for kids to learn about their environment, and technology can help kids learn about the world around them in new and different ways.”

CS First is a free program that increases student access and exposure to Computer Science (CS) education through  in school and after school programs. The program gives teachers, students, and parents – with or without CS experience – the tools they need to grow and nurture a student’s interest in coding. Our research has found that students who have been encouraged by a teacher or parent are three times more likely to be interested in learning CS. 

The new CS First activity will be available to students everywhere starting on April 9. For more information about CS First, please visit g.co/csfirst.

About Google for Education
Google is committed to directing our resources — our products, programs, philanthropy and people — toward making education accessible for everyone. While technology alone won’t fix or improve education, it can be a powerful part of the solution, and we want to help ensure that all teachers and students are able to benefit from it. We’ll continue working toward a future where every student has access to the skills they’ll need and the quality education they deserve. For more information about our work in education, visit edu.google.com and follow along at @GoogleForEdu.

About World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
WWF is one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, working in nearly 100 countries for over half a century. With the support of more than 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, halt the degradation of the environment and combat climate change. Visit www.worldwildlife.org to learn more and keep up with the latest conservation news by following @WWFNews on Twitter.

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Source: World Wildlife Fund – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: WWF Statement on Taiwan’s Announcement to Ban Ivory Trade

In response to Taiwan’s commitment to ban domestic ivory trade by January 1, 2020, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) issued the following statement from Jan Vertefeuille, senior director for advocacy and wildlife conservation:

“We hope this is a tipping point in the fight against elephant poaching and the insidious illegal ivory trade that claims the lives of more than 20,000 African elephants a year. After a joint agreement by the United States and China to shut down their ivory markets, made in 2015, governments around the world have rallied to end ivory sales and dry up the consumer demand that fuels this wildlife crime. It’s now time for countries that still have active elephant ivory markets helping fuel wildlife crime to join the international community and close them down.”

 

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Source: World Wildlife Fund – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Unprecedented Collaring Effort Aims to Protect Tanzania’s Threatened Elephants

DAR ES SALAAM – In Tanzania, the government, with support from World Wildlife Fund (WWF), has launched the country’s largest ever elephant collaring effort to protect its dwindling elephant population. With almost 90 percent of the elephants lost over the last 40 years in the Selous Game Reserve, a World Heritage site, enhancing rangers’ ability to guard the remaining ones from poaching is essential to rebuilding the population.

In a project spanning 12 months, 60 elephants are expected to be collared in and surrounding the Selous. This will enable reserve management and government rangers to track elephant movements, identify and act against threats in real-time. The use of satellite collars is a proven effective measure to monitor wildlife movements and provide enhanced security.

In the past 40 years, rampant poaching of elephants for ivory has seen the population in Selous decimated, with numbers plunging to around 15,200 from 110,000. In 2014, UNESCO placed Selous on its List of World Heritage in Danger due to the severity of elephant poaching.

“The collaring of elephants in Selous is critical to better protect them from poachers and retaliatory killings by communities as a result of human elephant conflict.  In a landscape of this magnitude, we need this kind of technology to better understand elephant movements,” said Bas Huijbregts, African species manager at WWF. “This helps to predict locations where elephants and communities may come into future conflict.  The information acquired is also vital for protecting the elephant herds from poaching gangs. Real time information on their whereabouts and movement patterns can also enable rangers and village scouts to respond quickly to poaching or human-elephant conflicts.”

WWF is working with the government to adopt a zero poaching approach using a tool kit to protect the country’s elephants and ecosystems in one of Africa’s last wilderness areas. Zero poaching involves not just tackling poaching incidents but identifying the signs of poaching activities like snares and poachers’ camps. On the ground, it involves action on several key areas; from ensuring there are enough properly equipped rangers to working closely with the local communities surrounding the protected area. It also includes working with prosecutors and judges to ensure that when poachers are brought to trial they face penalties that can act as a deterrent.

“Achieving a world free of poaching is an ambitious goal but just the kind of commitment we must deliver if we want to tackle the world’s biodiversity crisis and ensure our future generations know and admire elephants and other species in the wild,” said Margaret Kinnaird, WWF Wildlife Practice Leader. “Every year, on average, 20,000 elephants are killed for their tusks in Africa – this is unacceptable and must stop now.”

Last week, two elephants from the Selous Game Reserve population were collared in the adjoining Mikumi National Park. To collar an elephant, the animal is first sedated by an immobilisation dart. When the elephant is sedated, the team moves in to attach the collar while gathering health data about the elephant. This takes a total of up to 30 minutes, following which the elephant is given an antidote to revive and join its herd.

Ongoing since March 20, the elephant collaring activity will continue until November 2018.

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Source: World Wildlife Fund – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: WWF Statement on the Latest Pebble Mine Decision

In response to the federal government’s decision to begin a new environmental impact statement (EIS) for the potentially dangerous Pebble Mine, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) released the following statement from David Aplin, interim managing director of US Arctic programs:

“While the design plans may have changed, the risk this mine brings to Bristol Bay’s salmon fishery has not.

“Rather than rushing headlong into an environmental impact statement based on inadequate environmental and economic data, the Army Corps of Engineers should ensure the public has the information it needs to be part of the process.

“Like other mine applications, this one should contain an economic analysis demonstrating this design is economically feasible. Without proven economic viability, the government, local communities, and other stakeholders risk spending time and money analyzing a mine that may not generate enough income to even be built.

“Sound science and robust public involvement have long been part of discussions on the future of Pebble Mine. Those principles should not be sacrificed in the name of expediency.”

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Source: World Wildlife Fund – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: WWF: Reopening Beaufort Sea to Offshore Drilling a Huge Risk

In response to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s call for information and nominations covering a proposed lease sale in Alaska’s Beaufort Sea, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) released the following statement from Margaret Williams, managing director of US Arctic programs:

“Any step to open America’s Arctic Ocean to dangerous offshore drilling not only threatens the region’s marine wildlife and coastal communities, it also risks the ecological future of the Arctic itself.

“At a time when the world is embracing clean, renewable energy like never before, the last thing we need to do is intensify exploration for fossil fuels – especially in the unforgiving waters of the Arctic Ocean.”  

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Source: World Wildlife Fund – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Declaración de WWF sobre el segundo nivel máximo de hielo marino más bajo del que se tenga registro

En respuesta al anuncio de hoy del Centro Nacional de Datos de Nieve y Hielo sobre el segundo nivel máximo de hielo marino más bajo del que se tenga registro, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) emitió la siguiente declaración de David Aplin, Director General Interino del programa Ártico de WWF EE. UU.:

“Un Ártico que se derrite es la nueva norma- y sus efectos se sienten por todas partes, desde el ascenso del nivel del mar, a corrientes en chorro (jet streams en inglés) cambiantes, hasta en las temperaturas heladas y sequías en la parte continental de Estados Unidos. Un Ártico sano es vital para tener un planeta sano, y si continuamos en este camino precario habrá graves consecuencias, no solo para comunidades en el Ártico, su vida silvestre y ecosistemas, sino también para el mundo“.

“Es imprescindible que tomemos medidas ahora para reducir emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero, y transitar a una economía de bajo carbono, y a un mundo resiliente al cambio climático. Es nuestra responsabilidad compartida proteger el Ártico, y a nuestro planeta, de los efectos del cambio climático. No tenemos tiempo que perder”.

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Source: World Wildlife Fund – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Earth Hour 2018 – A New Generation of Leaders Turn Out to Turn Up Climate Action

This Saturday, March 24^th at 8:30pm local time, World Wildlife Fund’s Earth Hour will sweep the globe. Millions of people, cities and businesses across the world will switch off their lights for one hour to show support for taking action to fight climate change.

Iconic US landmarks, including the Empire State Building, the Space Needle, the Willis Tower and many of the bright lights of the Las Vegas strip will participate, providing a stunning visual backdrop for this crucial call to action.

Earth Hour 2018 comes at a critical moment. After the United States announced its intent to withdraw from the Paris Agreement—the world’s first truly global plan to address climate change—more than 2,600 leaders across America’s cities, states, companies and universities stepped up to say they are still committed to meeting America’s climate goals.

 “The world has shown it’s ready to tackle the climate crisis. In the United States, a new generation of leaders has taken up the banner of climate action,” said Lou Leonard, senior vice president for climate and energy at World Wildlife Fund. “These leaders herald from America’s state houses, city halls, board rooms and college campuses. And this Earth Hour, these leaders are uniting with Americans from all walks of life to build a more renewable, prosperous future.”

Earth Hour is a moment not just to turn off the lights, but to inspire meaningful action. By turning off their lights for one hour, millions of people are recommitting to the fight against climate change. After the hour, climate leaders will continue to rethink how we produce and consume energy, food and water while individuals find ways to cut their carbon footprints. Small actions like taking more public transportation or switching to renewable electricity are key to protecting the planet.

“The decisions we make today have the ability to stave off the most dire impacts of climate change,” said Leonard “Earth Hour reminds us that, together, we can ensure people and nature thrive for years to come.”

To learn more about Earth Hour visit www.worldwildlife.org/earthhour and join the conversation on social media using #EarthHour.

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Source: World Wildlife Fund – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: WWF Statement on Death of Sudan, the Last Remaining Male Northern White Rhino

The last remaining male Northern white rhino, Sudan, passed away in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya on March 19, 2017.  In response to this news, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) issued the following statements: 

“Sudan was moved from his namesake country in Africa to what was then Czechoslovakia in 1975 where he stayed in captivity until December 2009 when he was moved back to Africa, to the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. The conservancy played a critical role in providing excellent care for Sudan including 24/7 health support especially during his last days.

“I knew Sudan personally and supported efforts to rehabilitate him at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Although I am saddened by his death through euthanasia to save him from further suffering, I hope Sudan’s legacy will be a reminder of how failure to act is robbing us of culturally and ecologically important species at a rapid rate. All I can say is at least he died in Africa, where he was born.” – Martin Mulama, Rhino Program Coordinator, WWF-Kenya.

“The real fight for the survival of northern white rhinos in their natural habitat was lost over a decade ago. As conservationists, we must learn from the sad lessons of the past and ensure that we be bold and act decisively before this becomes a reality for any of the remaining five species of rhinos – or any other species. Large mammals, like rhinos, should be seen as symbols of large functioning ecosystems and we must focus our efforts and energy on their protection and ongoing survival within these vital landscapes around the globe.” – Jo Shaw, African Rhino Lead for WWF

“Sudan’s death not only marks the end of the road for the subspecies, it is also symbolic of the unacceptably high rate at which we are losing our planet’s biodiversity. It is a wake-up call for us to act now to halt staggering biodiversity loss and ensure the health and well-being of our planet its people and wildlife.” – Margaret Kinnaird, WWF Wildlife Practice Leader.

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