River Action: Weigh in on Important Climate Adaptation Decision

We need your help today to protect rivers and clean water in the face of climate change. Tell the Council on Environmental Quality to protect rivers and communities as they develop their final plan for adapting to climate change impacts.

While we must work hard to stop climate change, we also need to prepare for the increased storms, droughts, and water pollution problems that are becoming more frequent and severe as temperatures rise. We have to protect both our communities and the health of our rivers from these threats. Fortunately, the Obama Administration is working on a strategy to help the nation prepare for climate impacts, and they need to hear from you.

An administration task force working on this effort is seeking public comments on a recent progress report. We need to tell them that their work is important and that they should promote solutions to help both rivers and communities adapt to the changing climate.

Please go to the web page for the Council on Environmental Quality and tell them to protect rivers and communities as they develop their final plan. Use the talking points below to write your own comments, or copy the letter provided below.

Talking points to use to write your own comments:

• I applaud the Council on Environmental Quality and the interagency task force for the essential climate adaptation work they are undertaking.
• Climate change poses an unprecedented threat to our communities and rivers, and we must begin adapting now.
• We must help both communities and rivers adapt to climate change by protecting and restoring the forests, wetlands and other natural landscapes that provide clean water and protect us from floods.

Or a letter you can copy and paste into the comment form:

I would like to commend you for the important work you are doing to help prepare the nation for the impacts of a changing climate. Climate change will have far-reaching impacts on people and the environment. The nation’s water resources will be especially hard hit as rainfall patterns shift, mountain snowpack declines, and storms grow more intense. Just as we must reduce carbon pollution to limit the severity of climate change impacts, we must also begin to adapt to the changes we are already witnessing. For this reason, the task force’s efforts to work towards a national adaptation strategy are timely and important.

As you move forward with this work, I urge you adopt an integrated approach that will help both human and natural communities adapt to the changing climate. Too often, adaptation proposals focus on strengthening and expanding the old, “gray” infrastructure systems of the past such as dams and levees that have harmed our environment, often fail, and cost billions of dollars. Instead we must ensure that our adaptation efforts embrace a 21st century approach that not only relies upon state of the art technology but seeks to protect and restore the forests, wetlands, and floodplains that provide us with clean water and protect us from floods. These green infrastructure solutions are more flexible and cost effective and will help us withstand a more volatile and uncertain climate. As you move forward, I urge you to focus on these low cost approaches that will help communities and ecosystems adapt.

Thank you for undertaking this important work.

• Go to the web page for the Council on Environmental Quality now.