Millions of Americans are unemployed, scientists warn that 30 percent of our wildlife are at heightened risk of extinction, and climate change is fueling increasingly severe hurricanes, floods, fires, and storms. Recent reporting showed that 1 in 3 Americans were affected by climate change this summer — and that number will only grow.
We need to act, and nature — our planet’s best engineer — can help.
The Build Back Better Act currently being crafted by Congress needs to invest in in restoring our natural systems and bolstering climate resilience. This approach will: naturally sequester greenhouse gases, protect communities against climate-fueled disasters, and create millions of jobs.
A recent study in Science shows that over 20% of the greenhouse gas emissions reductions we need to slash this decade can be achieved through nature alone.
That means we have the opportunity to put millions of people to work on our forests, grasslands, ranches, farms and coastlines not only to make our communities safer but our planet healthier.
A $200 billion investment — a fraction of the overall price-tag of the bipartisan infrastructure and reconciliation deals — is a wise investment that will have immediate returns, and it’s a down-payment on the well-being of future generations.
For more information, see National Wildlife Federation reports on:
- The Protective Value of Nature, which summarizes the latest science on the effectiveness of natural infrastructure in lowering the risks to communities from weather- and climate-related hazards. Evidence suggests that both natural and nature-based approaches for hazard mitigation can be equally or more effective than conventional structural approaches, and they are often more cost-effective.
- Jobs, Restoration and Resilience for the 21st Century, a plan highlighting how best to invest in restoration and resilience to address the twin climate and biodiversity crises.