[Coral-List] Marine conservation solutions to climate change
Steven Lutz
stevenlutzmail at yahoo.com
Fri Mar 5 14:36:43 EST 2010
http://www.sunherald.com/2010/03/01/1992206/nine-us-senators-endorse-marine..html
Nine
U.S. Senators Endorse Marine Conservation Solutions to Climate Change
Miami,
FL - An international coalition today, thanked the nine U.S. Senators
who sponsored the Clean Energy Partnerships Act for advancing marine
conservation as part of the solution to climate change.
The Act
is focused on mitigating climate change and making the transition to a
clean energy economy, through offsetting greenhouse gas emissions..
The
legislation advances marine conservation by including the restoration
and conservation of certain coastal and marine ecosystems, which capture
and store atmospheric carbon, in the list of eligible mitigation
projects. Other mitigation projects include sustainable agriculture and
forestry practices.
Recent reports produced by the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) found that, when healthy, mangrove
forests, saltwater marshlands and seagrass meadows are extremely
effective at storing atmospheric carbon, thereby mitigating climate
change. The reports are titled ‘Blue Carbon’ and ‘The Management of
Natural Coastal Carbon Sinks,’ respectfully.
"Restoring seagrass,
mangroves and salt-marshes is a win-win strategy, because they
contribute to mitigate climate change through their carbon sink
potential, that rivals with the Amazonian forest in intensity, but at
the same time help recover fisheries and protect shorelines" said Prof
Carlos M. Duarte, co-author of the UNEP report and Director of the
International Laboratory for Global Change at the Spanish Council for
Scientific Research.
"For too long we have focused solely on
terrestrial habitats such as forests, peatlands and certain soil types
as effective ways to manage natural carbon sinks. I am delighted that
this important introduction in the U.S. Senate provides long-awaited
recognition to these coastal habitats" Prof Dan Laffoley, editor of the
IUCN report and Marine Vice Chair of IUCN’s World Commission on
Protected Areas commented.
"These habitats are shown to lock
away significant amounts of carbon and this move demonstrates that the
world-wide loss of such features is not just a significant concern for
wildlife and coastal communities dependent on them, but also for
effective management of our carbon sinks and emissions," he added.
The
Secretary of Commerce is given a role administering the rules for
marine offset programs in the Act.
The Clean Energy Partnerships
Act was introduced by Senator Debbie Ann Stabenow (MI), and co-sponsored
by Max Baucus (MT), Mark Begich (AK), Sherrod Brown (OH), Robert Casey
(PA), Thomas Harkin (IA), Amy Klobuchar (MN), Bill Nelson (FL), and
Jeanne Shaheen (NH).
"Our oceans are critically important to
climate and the global carbon cycle. This is the first time healthy
coasts and oceans have been introduced into legislation as part of the
solution to climate change," said Steven J. Lutz, Executive Director of
Blue Climate Solutions, the group that organized the coalition effort.
"The Blue Climate Coalition commends the sponsoring Senators for
demonstrating strong environmental and climate change leadership."
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