The world’s ecosystems are in crisis.

More than 80,000 acres of rain forest are destroyed every day. Thirty percent of the world’s coral reefs are already lost. As these ecosystems disappear, so does the wildlife that calls them home. Tiger populations are hanging on by a thread. Poachers kill hundreds of great apes each year. Every sea turtle species is endangered or threatened by extinction. Scientists estimate that one-half to two-thirds of the world’s species could be driven to the brink of extinction by the end of this century.

Send a letter to your Senators and Representatives.

Write your congressional representatives and urge them to take action to conserve the world’s last remaining wilderness and stop the extinction of wildlife by supporting global conservation. Use or modify the  sample text below, or write a personal letter.  Click here to look up the names and mailing addresses of your congressional Representatives and Senators.

SAMPLE LETTER TEXT:

Representative [last name]
[address]
[city], [state]  [zip code]

Dear Representative [last name]:

I am writing to urge you to support the Global Conservation Act of 2012.  The Global Conservation Act calls on the U.S. government to strengthen its role within the international community of nations in conserving natural resources to further global prosperity and security.

Currently, several U.S. agencies provide some international conservation assistance, but the various efforts not as coordinated as need-be and lack clear or measurable benchmarks of success. The Global Conservation Act would require a comprehensive U.S. strategy, with a plan for how all of the country’s government agencies engaged in conservation abroad can achieve meaningful and measurable results.  The legislation also asks the United States to work with other developed nations to help implement this strategy.

Natural ecosystem destruction is accelerating around the world. Critical natural systems such as forests, wetlands, grasslands and coral reefs have been reduced by as much as one-half their original extent. The world’s developing nations have the highest rates of ecosystem destruction and species loss.  And these nations sorely lack the financial resources to protect them.  It’s time for the United States to step up its leadership role in addressing this crisis. Conserving natural areas across the globe benefits more than the environment.  Natural ecosystems underpin critical global industries generating billions of dollars a year through forestry, tourism, fishing and agriculture.  Every year, U.S. businesses lose $1 billion due to illegal logging in developing countries, and the global economy as a whole loses $23 billion due to forbidden fishing activities. Natural areas provide the original source material for countless prescription drugs, including lifesaving medications used to treat cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.  Protecting natural areas also helps women and girls, who often bear the responsibility for collecting increasingly scarce natural resources like fuelwood and water.  As forests are destroyed and water grows scarce, they must travel farther, limiting time for education, childcare, and economic, and community activities. Protecting ecosystems also helps ensure access to clean water, arable land, and food supplies for poor and rural populations.  Natural resource degradation also threatens our national security. The U.S. National Intelligence Council say that environmental destruction and scarcities of water, food, and land will increasingly cause international conflict this century.

I hope you will step forward as a leader in conserving global natural resources and protecting human health and welfare by supporting the Global Conservation Act of 2012.

Sincerely,

[your name]