Number: 2000-03
WHEREAS, the National Wildlife Federation previously adopted Resolution 10 in 1998, urging governments, corporations and others to respond to the scientific consensus on the threat posed by human-induced global climate change by adopting appropriate domestic and international policies to enhance scientific research and public education on this issue and result in activities that reduce emissions of greenhouse gases; and
WHEREAS, the traditional knowledge of Native Alaskans has documented changes in wildlife distribution and health, sea ice distribution and composition, and landscapes; and
WHEREAS, scientists and engineers have identified specific increased risks and costs of global climate change in the Arctic regions due to the warming and thawing of permafrost, which will affect many structures (e.g., roads, pipelines and buildings) underlain by permafrost, as well as traditional storage methods such as ice-caves; and
WHEREAS, the Arctic species that could be negatively affected by climate change are those associated with pack-ice, such as walrus, seals and polar bears; terrestrial species adapted to arctic conditions, such as caribou and many migratory birds; and many freshwater and marine fish; and
WHEREAS, Congress established national parks and Wildlife Refuges in Alaska to protect and manage specific resources, which could face significant changes in distribution and value as the climate shifts; and
WHEREAS, the majority of rural villages in Alaska are along the coast or waterways, have few resources for coping with change and are highly vulnerable to rising sea levels resulting from the melting of polar ice caps and thermal expansion of the oceans; and
WHEREAS, the National Wildlife Federation, as the nation’s leading environmental education organization, educates its members and the general public about the nature of the threat of climate change and its impact on human civilizations and wildlife, and how consumers contribute to the problem and can contribute to its solution in our everyday lives;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation in its Annual Meeting assembled March 16-18, 2000, in Seattle, Washington, hereby urges governments in and policy makers representing the Arctic regions, corporations who do business in Arctic regions, and others to respond to the scientific consensus and traditional Native American knowledge on the threat posed by climate change by supporting and enhancing ongoing efforts to include rural participation in dialogues and solution making, providing information to Alaska’s citizens about climate change, and developing effective communication between the scientific and rural communities; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation supports promoting appropriate domestic policies that will enhance scientific research on the effects of climate change on the Arctic regions, with the parallel goals of describing the potential types and extent of change and strategies for adapting to such changes, as well as activities that will result in reduced emissions of greenhouse gases, including: placing meaningful, nation-wide restrictions on carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions; supporting the development of clean, renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power; reducing the use of fossil fuels; promoting the development of infrastructure for alternatively fueled vehicles; promoting increased energy efficiency in all sectors of the economy; and developing programs to help foster an effective transition from fossil fuel use.