Derek Brockbank's blog

Hunter Angler Fly-In a Success

Derek Brockbank — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 18:42:44 -0400

Twenty-seven hunters and anglers from 12 states flew in to Capitol Hill this week for a National Wildlife Federation hunter-angler lobby event. After two days and nearly 100 lobby visits (including a few personal meetings with Members of Congress), we can chalk this up as a big sucess.

Watch a video from the day.

Three representatives who are not currently signed on to strong global warming bills voiced their support for doing so. Congressional staffers also heard strong support for the inclusion of dedicated funding in these bills that helps fish and game species adapt to a warming climate.

A few notables...

David Crockett, former Chattanooga City Council president and descendent of legendary American frontiersman Davy Crockett.
Brett Fitzgerald, a former Special Forces paratrooper and current Florida Snook Federation board member.
Carol Rose of Michigan United Conservation Clubs, a regular brook trout fisher in Michigan's Tahquamenon River.
David Stoney, Jr., PhD, Director, Kitchen Table Climate Study Group, McClellanville, SC.

Thanks to all of the ground troops, who represented Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

Supreme Court Re-Ducks

Derek Brockbank — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 10:19:25 -0500

From the Boston Globe:

A Duck Hunt for Global Warming
By Derrick Jackson
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia needs to go duck hunting. It is the only way for him to understand global warming.

He made that clear in oral arguments this past week on whether states can sue the Environmental Protection Agency over the agency's refusal - with the backing of the White House and the auto industry - to regulate emissions of the greenhouse gases of global warming. Just moments after James Milkey, Massachusetts assistant attorney general, opened his statement on how the state "will be hit particularly hard" by rising oceans, Scalia pounced on him with: "I thought that the standing requires imminent harm. If you haven't been harmed already, you have to show the harm is imminent. Is this harm imminent?"

Read the full article.

Supreme Court Hears About Global Warming

Derek Brockbank — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 15:00:24 -0500

For the first time ever, the Supreme Court heard a case on global warming today. I was fortunate enough to attend the oral arguments and found the whole process fascinating. Never having taken a law class, some of the arguments went over my head, but I think I did understood most of it.

The case was Massachusetts v. EPA, where Massachusetts (and 11 others states) sued the EPA, saying that under the Clean Air Act, the EPA had to regulate carbon dioxide pollution from cars. Their basic premise was that rising sea levels would harm coastal states (essentially by shrinking them).

For more, check out these articles from the Associated Press and NPR.

Duck Tales...Woo-Hoo

Derek Brockbank — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 10:38:43 -0400

It's duck season and a number of folks at NWF seem to be slightly distracted. Our very own Marc Smith, regional represenative for MN, WI, IA and IL, bagged his very first duck this year (left).

While our regional representative for DE, VA, NC and SC, Dan Wrinn showed us why he's the resident duck hunting expert--for those who doubted his credentials as former staff at Ducks Unlimited (lower right).

But what of global warming? Ducks are probably the game species most affected by warmer average temperatures. From the drying up of the Prairie Pothole breeding ground in the Central Flyway to the lingering summers that run later into fall, duck populations and migration patterns are changing.

And you better believe that's going to affect the hunting. You can read all about it in "The Waterfowler's Guide to Global Warming." (pdf)

Where to go?

Derek Brockbank — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 14:40:42 -0400

Right now at the National Wildlife Federation we are in the process of deciding upon which states we will focus our global warming work. We will certainly be working everywhere at least a little bit, but with limited resources we have to narrow down our focus to a limited number of states for in depth organizing and education.

Saying the decision is difficult doesn't come close to describing it. What do you think? If you had some money and staff to devote to global warming and wanted to educate and mobilize hunters, anglers and politicians, what state(s) would you choose?