actionreport How NationalWildlife Federation Is Making a Difference


with theNationalTribal Environmen- talCouncil,NativeAmerican Rights Fund and IntertribalCouncil onUtility Policy, developed TheNewEnergy Future in Indian Country to showcase the opportunities tribes have to imple- ment renewable energy strategies and participate in the green economy.The report details case studies ofwind (CampoKumeyaayNation, left), solar, geothermal and biomass production. “Tribal households pay significantly


>>CLIMATE CHANGE


DEVELOPING CLEANER ENERGY Newreports focus on effectiveways to curbwarming and protect resources


Two newNWFreports issued this spring—one focusing on plant-based energy sources and the other on the potential for generating clean energy on Indian lands—suggest that


changes in policies could create jobs, curb globalwarming and protectwildlife. “We need a newroad map,” says Julie


Sibbing, anNWFconservation program director and coauthor ofGrowing a Green Energy Future.While harvesting plant materials to produce energy has long been recognized as an important strategy for helping the nationmove away from fossil fuels, current national policies have created an unsustainable first generation of biofuels, according to the report. Rather than subsidizing inef- ficient practices, the report recommends establishing standards that ensure bioen- ergy sources do not contribute to envi- ronmental degradation and creating incentives that reward innovation. “Successful, sustainable bioenergy


projects have started to take root in the United States, yet are not being ade- quately supported by current federal policies,” says Sibbing. Examples in the


| 42 | NATIONAL WILDLIFE


report include businesses that are pro- ducing energy using native grasses, woodwaste and even forest debris from Hurricane Rita. Perennial grasses grown onmarginal lands, studies sug- gest, can produce two to three times more energy per acre than existing grain crops—with fewer up-front costs. “As the nation turns to biomass crops


for energy, the capacity to reduce global warming pollution and the ability of the landscape to continue regenerating biomassmust be the foremost consider- ation,” says Sibbing. Find the full report at www.nwf.org/greenenergy. With 95million acres of land under


theirmanagement and centuries of experience conserving the natural world, Indian tribes can play a signifi- cant role in protecting natural resources fromclimate change, says SteveTorbit, director ofNWF’s RockyMountain RegionalCenter.NWF, in collaboration


more in home energy expenses than otherAmericans,” says BobGruenig of theNationalTribal Environmental Council. “The vast potential on tribal lands to generate clean energy from renewable resourcesmeans that Indian tribes can help to provide for their own energy needs.” See the report at www.nwf.org/newenergy.


EARLY WARNING FOR ALLERGY SUFFERERS Nine states risk facing large increases in allergenic tree pollen if global warming increases unabated, says an NWF study of the eastern United States, Extreme Allergies and Global Warming. Sevenmore statesmay suffermoderate increases. Tree pollen is the most common trig-


ger for spring hay fever allergies. “Cli- mate change could allow highly aller- genic trees like oaks and hickories to start replacing pines, spruces and firs that generally don’t cause allergies, exposing many more people to spring- time allergy triggers,” says Amanda Staudt, NWF climate scientist and lead author of the report. States at risk of high increases in tree pollen are Arkansas, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Ver- mont and West Virginia. Fall allergies, caused primarily by


ragweed, also are worsening. Read the report at www.nwf.org/allergies.


MYRAWILENSKY (NWF)


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