Motherhood: A Nest-full of Possibilities Waiting to Hatch

Ken has finally wrapped up Songbird ReMix Motherhood; a collection of Eggs, Nests and Nestlings for the Songbird ReMix series. The long awaited Motherhood project should be in a DAZ store, a long with the revised first 10 volumes of the series, towards the end of April to coincide with John James Audubon's Birthday.  There will be a 50% off sale of all my Songbird ReMix related products on that day, followed by a week of 30% off.  Ken is donating 25% of the proceeds from the sale to Audubon California which is directly responsible for protecting many of the birds featured in the Songbird ReMix series.

Also, the DAZ artist, DigiPort, noted for his pose sets, ventured into the Songbird ReMix world and will soon be releasing a set for the series with Ken's blessings.

Audubon and other conservation groups have said the current design amounts to an impenetrable concrete wall that would prevent wildlife from migrating and fragment habitat. Among the 30-some laws being waived are the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. Audubon President John Flicker called the action "unprecedented and extreme."

Unfortunately, in addition to the implications of the border fence for wildlife and environmental law, Audubon's own Sabal Palm Audubon Center and Sanctuary in Brownsville, Texas may find itself entirely on the Mexico side of the fence. The Department of Homeland Security is currently considering plans to erect the border fence just north of the sanctuary, effectively trimming it from the rest of the country and probably forcing its closure. The situation inspired the New York Times on April 7 to call Audubon's sanctuary "a natural treasure that may end up without a country."

National Audubon Society and Audubon Texas are working tirelessly to try to stop the border fence and save Sabal Palm Sanctuary. Stay tuned to learn what you can do to help.

Bill to Help Invasive Species on Wildlife Refuges to Be Introduced in Senate
Capitol Hill insiders report that Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) plans to introduce a bill, the Refuge Ecology Protection and Immediate Response (REPAIR) Act, which would establish a new grant program that would allow the Fish and Wildlife Service to address the number one threat to America's national wildlife refuges: invasive species.

Audubon has worked for months to negotiate with animal rights groups to address concerns, and have successfully included in the bill several major provisions that came out of that negotiation, including language that would require the Fish and Wildlife Service to use non-lethal methods where practical, and to use humane methods when lethal control is necessary.

Please stay tuned to learn how you can help this much-needed legislation move forward and help our wildlife refuges.

Climate Change Legislation on the Horizon in the Senate
Last December, the Senate Environment & Public Works (EPW) Committee passed the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act (S 2191), a bill that seeks to reduce U.S. global warming pollution by regulating major polluters such as coal burning power plants and oil refineries. The bill establishes a national cap and trade system that places a limit on pollution emissions that steadily decrease over time. As written, the bill would reduce emissions by roughly 62-66% by 2050.

In creating a cap-and-trade system, the bill establishes a market for carbon emissions that will spur innovation and increase the use of clean technologies that reduce global warming pollution. Emission allowances, or permits to pollute, are either auctioned or distributed directly to various entities on an annual basis. The proceeds from these allowances, estimated to be as much as $100 billion per year, will be used to cut costs through energy efficiency, promote new low-carbon technologies, provide assistance to consumers and impacted people around the world, and provide funding to protect wildlife and natural resources threatened by global warming.

Since passing out of the EPW Committee, Committee Chair Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Senators Lieberman (I-CT), Warner (R-VA), and other Senate leaders have been laying the groundwork to bring the bill to the floor for a full debate. Recently, Senate leadership indicated that the bill will likely come up for a vote in early June.

The Lieberman-Warner bill is a significant step forward, and presents the first real opportunity for Congress to take strong and bold action aimed at solving global warming. However, the bill could be stronger. In the coming months, Audubon will be working to build support in the Senate for not only moving forward with a debate on the Lieberman-Warner bill, but also for strengthening the bill. Specifically, Audubon will be working to tighten up the long-term 2050 target for emissions reduction, increasing assistance for consumers, reducing unneeded assistance for polluting companies, and ensuring that the cleanest, cheapest, and safest technologies receive the greatest amount of financial investments.

International Conservation on the Hot Seat
Audubon has long recognized that our mission—to conserve and restore natural ecosystems for the benefit of humanity and earth's biological diversity—requires a global effort. As the House and Senate put together their appropriations bills for US government spending in Fiscal Year 2009, Audubon will urge Congress to continue its legacy of supporting critical biodiversity conservation programs around the world, like the Biodiversity Program of the US Agency for International Development (USAID). This effective and far-reaching program has led important conservation efforts to protect species and habitats in more than 50 countries, including initiatives that protect habitats in Central and South America that our backyard birds rely on during winter migration. Unfortunately, the Administration has proposed a 35% cut to USAID's biodiversity program. Audubon staff and activists will continue to reach out to key decision makers to ensure that funding is restored for these critical global conservation efforts.