Democratic Sens. Tom Udall of New Mexico and Michael Bennet of Colorado have introduced a resolution calling for a national conservation goal of protecting at least 30% of the country’s lands and waters by 2030. The “Thirty by Thirty Resolution to Save Nature” urges the federal government to set the conservation target to help fight climate change as well as improve access to nature for communities of color. The measure “recognizes that nature — like climate change — is reaching a tipping point,” said Udall in prepared remarks for an event later this morning at the Center for American Progress that will also feature Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.). “Many ecosystems and wildlife species are nearing the point of no return.” The resolution recommends that the government work with local communities, states, tribes, and private landowners to increase conservation efforts to sequester carbon and greenhouse gas emissions in land and water. Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin of Illinois, Cory Booker of New Jersey, and Kamala Harris of California are co-sponsors. The Trump administration has leased around 19 million acres of public lands to oil and gas drillers. The Wilderness Society estimates that the emissions from extracting and burning fossil fuels from the leased lands could equal the emissions of all the EU nations combined. To view the full article visit Resilience.
