South Carolina Wildlife Federation Climate Change Program

The South Carolina Wildlife Federation’s Climate Change Program works to promote awareness of global warming issues in South Carolina, aids in research of impacts to wildlife and habitat, and coordinates with our affiliate, the National Wildlife Federation, to advocate for national climate change legislation. One of the ways we accomplish our goals is through careful coordination with other conservation organizations in the state.

Working With Others

There are a number of conservation organizations working on climate change in South Carolina. Since each entity has their own unique set of capabilities, organization and resources, each approaches the problem from a slightly different perspective. In addition, each has a unique constituency that can be called upon to advance the cause of climate change awareness and legislation. This presents a wonderful opportunity to combine resources and ensure that all are as effective as possible. Efforts are under way, with the leadership of the SCWF, to ensure that this coordination does occur.

Focused Effort

While all of the various conservation organizations in South Carolina have their own agendas, the climate change effort of the SCWF is focused primarily on advocating for national climate legislation. It is generally recognized that our country lacks a coherent energy policy. The need for such a policy to guide development of a clean energy future, transitioning away from fossil fuels and onto renewable energy, is daily becoming more apparent. Only the federal government can supply such oversight and leadership. In order to further this goal, we are focusing on mobilizing support for legislation within our congressional delegation. We are doing this by meeting with members of congress and their staff, mobilizing grassroot support and engaging the media. With our other partners in the state, we have identified a number of “grasstops” organizations that we are actively reaching out to in order to enlist their support for national legislation. We believe this is the most effective way to get the attention of our congressmen and to let them know that the issue is important to the people of South Carolina.

Other Activities

Our climate change program is also working to promote awareness among the general public. We are available to give talks on climate change science, policy and personal strategies. In addition we are in contact with a number of state agencies and universities who are researching impacts of climate change on South Carolina’s wildlife. We stand ready to assist in advising on the research if needed, and in helping to make the all-important transition from scientific knowledge to readily accessible information for the lay reader. We believe the more the public knows about the impacts of climate change in our state, the more they will be in favor of strong action at both the state and federal level. While not a direct part of our climate work, the SCWF also works closely with the General Assembly of South Carolina and promotes strong environmental stewardship among its members. In support of action on climate issues over the last few years we have lent our voice for passage of state legislation mandating better energy efficiency measures and in favor of tax credits for renewable energy.
Like the work our organization has been engaged in since its founding in 1931, our activities on climate change are geared towards promoting understanding of the problem and advocating for solutions.

To learn more about SCWF’s Climate Change Initiative, contact:
Steve Moore
Director of Climate and Energy
1781 Clark Hills Circle
Charleston, SC 29455
843.559.1999
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

News to share

Climate Bill Summary
Kerry/Graham Op-Ed in NYT
SC Carbon Foot Print in Post and Courier
Climate and Jobs in Beaufort Gazette
Hunters, Anglers Weigh In on Reuters
Green Economy in Greenville News
Global Warming is a threat to SC Brook Trout