Will you Drop A Letter Tomorrow at a Fast Food Restaurant?

Will you be going past a fast food restaurant tomorrow? Join us!

Just a friendly reminder about the National Letter Drop for the Fast Food Packaging Campaign tomorrow, July 1st. Letter Drops are a tried and true method to get the attention of executive decision makers. We deliver the letters to the individual store managers all over the country, and then those store managers report about our letters to corporate headquarters. When they get reports in from all over the country, they'll know we've kicked off this campaign with a bang!

Sign up here, http://dia.dogwoodalliance.org/da/signUp.jsp?key=3449&t=nwTemplate.dwt, or email me at eva@dogwoodalliance.org.

We're all really excited about this campaign, since fast food packaging is one of the HUGE industries buying paper packaging from Southern Forests and fast food packaging is so extremely wasteful.

Please join us! It's easy. I'll send you everything you need to help make a difference:

a. Sample letter to be left with the store manger-try to print it on post-consumer recycled paper if you can, available at Staples and Office Depot
b. The addresses of the 11 Fast Food Junkies, so you can choose who to drop your letter with. Odds are there's a fast food restaurant near you, and you'll be able to take your pick. Just to name a few,Taco Bell, KFC, Long John Silvers, Pizza Hut, Bojangles, and Arby's are on the list of companies buying from unsustainably managed forests across the South.
c. Talking points for the Fast Food Packaging Campaign
d. Factsheet for the Fast Food Packaging Campaign.

Please let me know if you plan to drop off a letter so that we can keep track of campaign activities.

Again, sign up here: http://dia.dogwoodalliance.org/da/signUp.jsp?key=3449&t=nwTemplate.dwtor email me at eva@dogwoodalliance.org.

Onwards,

Eva Hernandez
Organizing Director
Dogwood Alliance

Read it and weep.

In the seven years since George Bush and Dick Cheney began a "Drill and Spill" rampage worthy of nineteenth century oil barons, the price of oil has skyrocketed 100 dollars and the price of gasoline has more than doubled.

But don't wait for them to admit failure. The White House is too busy exploiting our pain at the gas pump in order to hand Big Oil the ultimate prize: access to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and America's spectacular coastlines.

Their plan is simple and cynical. The President and his Congressional allies will sell America the big lie: If we'd only let the oil giants drill where they want, our problems at the pump will be over.

Tell your Senators and Representative you are not buying it. And tell them now, before they go home for the July 4th break and feel even more heat to sacrifice our natural heritage.

America cannot drill its way out of this energy mess. We simply don't have enough oil to move the world market.

President Bush's own Energy Department estimates that drilling in the Arctic Refuge would lower prices at the pump by less than four pennies per gallon -- and that would be 20 years from now!

Drilling off the spectacular coastlines of California, New England and Florida might produce a few weeks' worth of oil and lower prices by a few more pennies. Meanwhile, the price of gas has gone up 50 cents just this spring!

There's only one way to end our energy pain and that is by breaking our destructive dependence on oil. We need cars that get at least 40 miles per gallon. We need millions of plug-in hybrids that connect to a cleaner electric grid powered by renewables like wind and solar. We need more mass transit and better biofuels.

These are the real energy solutions that President Bush has sacrificed on the altar of oil addiction. Only the oil companies would want more of the same.

Tell your Senators and Representative to reject these shameless land grabs by Big Oil. Tell them to start kicking our national oil habit instead of emptying our wallets and destroying our last wild places.

And please, do it now . . . before the very worst bills come to a vote.

Sincerely,

Frances Beinecke
President
NRDC Action Fund

P.S. If you would like to expand our campaign to expose the Bush Administration's energy lies and stop Big Oil's latest land grab, please click here to donate.

Justice for Wildlife

Wildlife Hero

For Foster City, California seventh-grader Hallie Cohen, the plight of imperiled wildlife holds a special place in her heart. “I feel that I must do my part to be part of the solution and preserve our wildlife and their habitats for our future," she said.

Last month, Hallie turned her words into action. As part of her class Tzedakah research project on non-profit organizations, she sung the praises of wildlife and those who protect it. "Tzedakah means justice in Hebrew,” Hallie explained, “and Defenders of Wildlife means justice for those animals who need it most."

As part of the project, Hallie and her classmates raised a pool of funds for several of the organizations that the students researched, including more than $1,500 for Defenders programs. "Defenders of wildlife really stood out for me,” said Hallie. “I found a group of people who were dedicated to protecting our wildlife and saving endangered species."

Wildlife Updates

Warming & Water
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking steps to address the clean water challenges posed by global warming. The Agency’s National Water Program Strategy: Response to Climate Change strives to identify the impacts of a changing climate on water quality. Visit EPA’s website to find out more about the strategy that could help keep our waterways clean for sea otters, manatees and other marine life.
>>Learn More

Mexican Top 40
Our very own Juan Carlos Cantú has spent many years advocating for wildlife in Mexico. His tireless efforts have helped protect sea turtles, jaguars, parrots and other imperiled animals. Last month, the magazine Mexican Leaders recognized Juan Carlos as one of the countries top leaders in environmental conservation.
>>Read More about Juan Carlos's Work

Trash Talk
Defenders has partnered with Alaska Department of Fish and Game and local garbage company Alaska Waste to promote "Safe Neighborhood, Wild Bears.” So far, the program has placed nearly 200 bear-resistant containers in neighborhoods where bears roam, keeping curious bears and people safe.
>>Learn More

Landmark Listing Falls Short

Last month’s listing of the polar bear as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act marked the first time wildlife was listed primarily due to global warming. But the listing came with a major caveat. A proposed rule would essentially leave the struggling bears without new safeguards to ensure their survival -- allowing Big Oil to continue to invade vital polar bear habitat like Alaska’s Chukchi Sea.

Defenders and our partners have put federal officials on notice that we intend to challenge the new rule, and force the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to take real action to protect polar bears from vanishing habitat and climate change.

Turtle-rific Afternoon

Nearly 100 volunteers from Palm Beach and Broward counties attended a workshop last weekend at the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton. Their mission: to learn what they can do to save Florida’s struggling sea turtles. Participants found out all about these shelled swimmers and the threats they face -- including the challenges of increased development and a changing climate.

Defenders teamed up with Neighbors Ensuring Sea Turtle Survival (NESTS) to host this special event that builds community and helps provide homeowners, vacationers and business owners with the tools they need to save wildlife in their neighborhood. Visit the NESTS website for more information on this community-based organization.

Download our poster with five simple things you can do to help sea turtles! (PDF)

Will Wildlife Survive Global Warming?

This week, the Senate began debate on one of the most important pieces of legislation in recent memory: the first truly comprehensive global warming bill -- known as the Climate Security Act (S. 3036).

But a harmful amendment offered by Sen. Bob Corker (TN) would eliminate crucial funding to help wildlife survive the devastating effects of a changing climate.

Urge your Senators to oppose the Corker amendment and strengthen and pass the Climate Security Act.