Once upon a time ...
We pulled ourselves back from the brink.
It doesn't have to be a fairy tale.
Protecting nature supports our climate.
The climate crisis is growing more dire every day. Intense storms, frequent forest fires, and rising sea levels pose a growing threat to humanity and wildlife globally.
Contributing to this crisis is the destruction of ecosystems that keep climate change in check. Deforestation, land use, and pollution are devastating natural environments that keep carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and provide habitats for wildlife.
The time to act is now.
Protecting nature isn't just the right thing to do—it's what we have to do to fully address climate change.
Nature has a way of keeping climate change in check by absorbing carbon.
Nature-based solutions, including protecting intact forests and restoring coastal ecosystems, can achieve
30% of the action needed to keep global temperature rise to
to 1.5°C by 2050
What can we do?
The U.S. and other countries need to step up to ensure the future of our planet for generations to come. We need to protect and restore natural environments that keep carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, keep wildlife thriving, and safeguard human health.
Congress's proposed U.S. Foundation for International Conservation would leverage private funding to implement projects around protected and conserved areas in the most vulnerable parts of the world in order to avert the looming crises facing our planet.
It would provide many benefits, including:
— Conservation of forests, freshwater, and biodiversity
— Sequestering carbon
— Supporting food and water security, tourism, and other essential ecosystem services
Blue Carbon
Coastal and marine ecosystems such as mangrove forests, seagrass beds and tidal marshes capture and store a huge amount of carbon. This is called blue carbon.
Forests
Intact forests are extensive swaths of primary forest that are free of significant damage. They are vital to our planet.
By sponging up some of the carbon dioxide we spew into atmosphere, forests help keep Earth’s climate at least 0.5° C cooler than it would otherwise be.
Peatlands
Peatlands are freshwater wetlands that accumulate organic matter. They are often characterized by specialized forms of plant life and deep, water-logged soils. Despite occupying a fairly small area of the planet, peatlands store a vastly disproportionate quantity of carbon.
Join the Wildlife Conservation Society in supporting change today
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