Newt Gingrich, Big Oil Strike Out at Polar Bears

From: Marcia Lesky, Defenders of Wildlife

Speak Out for Polar Bears

A recent White House report predicts that climate change could cause Alaska's polar bears to disappear from the wild within 75
years. [1]

Please call your senators and urge them to support decisive action to reduce carbon emissions and help our wildlife survive the
impacts of global warming:

* Sen. Bill Nelson - (202) 224-5274 - http://billnelson.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm

* Sen. Mel Martinez - (202) 224-3041 - http://martinez.senate.gov/public/?p=EmailSenatorMartinez

Fast Facts on Wildlife and Global Warming

* Scientists warn that mid-range climate warming could cause 20-30 percent of the Earth's plants and animals to go extinct between
now and 2050. [2]

* One out of every 20 jobs in America is linked to wildlife related activities. [3]

Backed by Big Oil's money, far-right media star Newt Gingrich is using scare tactics and misinformation to mobilize hundreds of
thousands of his supporters in opposition to common-sense efforts to address global warming -- the single greatest threat that
America's wildlife faces today.

Before your senators leave Washington, DC for the August recess at the end of the week, I need your help to counter Gingrich's
Big-Oil-funded efforts and provide a voice for polar bears and other animals in the debate on climate change.

Please contact your senators today and deliver this message:

Climate change poses an unprecedented threat to human communities, fish and wildlife habitat and the natural resources we depend on
-- resources like clean air and water -- and recreational opportunities such as fishing, hunting, boating and hiking.

As someone who cares about wildlife and the irreplaceable value of our natural world, ask your senator to pass climate change
legislation that will:

* Significantly reduce greenhouse gas emmissions in the U.S., and

* Provide 5% dedicated funding from the funds generated under the bill to safeguard fish, wildlife and the natural resources that we
need to survive.

Please fill out this quick survey to let me know that you called your senators.
http://action.defenders.org/site/R?i=Q0ndjXPgiDR3G3L7mgo_tQ

Based on your feedback, I will be following up with high-priority senate offices to remind them that you called and that you care
about global warming and wildlife.

Newt Gingrich is putting the full weight of his multimillion-dollar organization behind efforts to derail action on climate change.
and he's getting plenty of help from his buddies in Big Oil.

In the first six months of this year, Gingrich's deceptively-named group, American Solutions for Winning the Future, accepted at
least $460,000 dollars in contributions from oil interests, according to a report filed with the Internal Revenue Service on Friday.
[4]

During that same time period, Gingrich's group lobbied against the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 and led the charge
for more offshore oil drilling, oil shale extraction and other dirty drilling schemes.

Newt Gingrich has Big Oil. And Big Oil has Newt Gingrich. Now our wildlife needs you.

Please call your senators now.
http://action.defenders.org/site/R?i=uyNv7yuBtilVN4pUXHaU7g

With Gratitude,
Marcia Lesky

Director of National Outreach
Defenders of Wildlife

Notes

[1] http://www.globalchange.gov/images/cir/pdf/ecosystems.pdf

[2] United Nations Environmental Programme 2007. "IPCC Synthesis Report: Risks And Rewards Of Combating Climate Change."; Sagarin,
Raphael. 2002. "Historical Studies of Species' Response to Climate Change." In: Wildlife Responses to Climate Change: North American
Case Studies. Ed. Terry L. Root and Stephen H. Schneider. Washington DC: Island Press. Pg. 39.

[3] Outdoor Industry Foundation. 2007. "The Active Outdoor Recreation Economy. A $730 Billion Annual Contribution to the U.S.
Economy." Available from: http://www.outdoorindustry.org/images/researchfiles/RecEconomypublic.pdf?26

[4] http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0709/25666.html

C Copyright 2009 Defenders of Wildlife.

Defenders of Wildlife is a national, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to the protection of all native wild animals and
plants in their natural communities.

Defenders of Wildlife can be contacted at:
1130 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036