I grew up in New York City but spent my summers canoeing and hiking in Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire and Canada. I went to law school with the intention of working in the environmental movement and have been with NRDC since 1998--first in NRDC's Los Angeles office and later in Columbus, Ohio. My primary focus is on wildlife conservation. Among other things, I've worked with NRDC to protect whales from Naval sonar, California condors from lead poisoning, and polar bears from global warming.
Posted February 27, 2013 by Andrew Wetzler in Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
Today is International Polar Bear Day and around the world, zoos, educational institutions, and wildlife advocates are celebrating one of the most magnificent animals to still walk our earth. A lot of the focus centers on climate change and...continued→
Posted February 10, 2013 by Andrew Wetzler in Saving Wildlife and Wild Places, The Media and the Environment
Anyone who is fascinated by wolves, as I am, will know the name Dutcher. Specifically, Jim and Jamie Dutcher, who brought wolves into the lives of millions of people through their film Wolves at Our Door. It’s often easy to...continued→
Posted February 6, 2013 by Andrew Wetzler
In what can only be described as a growing consensus within the Continent, today the European Parliament passed a resolution which included language endorsing the United States’ proposal to ban the international commercial trade in polar bear parts. A vote...continued→
Posted February 4, 2013 by Andrew Wetzler
The Netherlands, an important and influential country in the European Union, has announced its support for the United States’ proposal (also endorsed by the Russian Federation) to end the international commercial trade in polar bear parts. The Dutch State Secretary...continued→
Posted January 30, 2013 by Andrew Wetzler in Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
Yep, you read that right. An overwhelming majority of Canadians -- a full 85% -- support the United States’ proposal to ban the international commercial trade in polar bear parts, according to a poll released yesterday. If you’re wondering why...continued→
Posted January 27, 2013 by Andrew Wetzler
Polar bear advocates got some very good news on Sunday as the U.K.’s Minister of the Environment, Richard Benyon, announced that the U.K. is now “actively working with the U.S. and other countries for a ban on trading of polar...continued→
Posted January 22, 2013 by Andrew Wetzler
Every time I go to Alaska I’m struck by the State’s sheer size. Alaska is one of the most beautiful places in the world, no doubt, but for me what Alaska is, is big. Like, really, really big. To someone...continued→
Posted January 14, 2013 by Andrew Wetzler
Today in London's Sloane Square, a lovely life-sized statue of a polar bear by artist Adam Binder was unveiled by Stanley Johnson, the father of London's Mayor Boris Johnson, and an author and environmental campaigner. The unveiling is part of...continued→
Posted December 21, 2012 by Andrew Wetzler in Saving Wildlife and Wild Places, U.S. Law and Policy
Today President Obama nominated Senator John Kerry to be Secretary of State. Senator Kerry has a long and a distinguished record of protecting our environment, no place more consistently or forcefully then when it comes to safeguarding polar bears. Senator...continued→
Posted December 16, 2012 by Andrew Wetzler in Saving Wildlife and Wild Places, Solving Global Warming
Now that the world’s delegates have returned home from climate negotiations in Doha, many ministries are turning their attention to other international environmental agreements – and the consequences of climate change that echo in their implementation. One of those agreements...continued→
Posted October 12, 2012 by Andrew Wetzler in Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
In a sobering announcement, top Russian polar bear scientists are now predicting that polar bears could completely disapear from the Russian arctic within the next twenty-five years: “It is worse for Russian polar bears than the bears in Canada or...continued→
Posted October 6, 2012 by Andrew Wetzler in Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
Yesterday the United States – backed by the support of the Russian Federation – proposed listing the polar bear on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). If approved by the international community this March,...continued→
Posted October 4, 2012 by Andrew Wetzler in Living Sustainably, Saving Wildlife and Wild Places, The Media and the Environment
Have you noticed a little less munching on your garden by rabbits and squirrels this year? If you have, it could be that a family of coyotes has taken up residence near your home. Coyotes, foxes, and other predators play...continued→
Posted October 1, 2012 by Andrew Wetzler in Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
Things are moving fast in the fight to protect polar bears from the international commercial fur trade. Last Friday, in a major development, the Russian Federation officially confirmed that if the United States submits a proposal to increase polar bear...continued→
Posted September 13, 2012 by Andrew Wetzler in Saving Wildlife and Wild Places, U.S. Law and Policy
As people are becoming increasingly aware, buried within the federal government lies an obscure agency known by the deceptive name “Wildlife Services.” Every year, Wildlife Services spends tens of millions of dollars shooting, poisoning, and trapping wolves, coyotes, mountain...continued→
Switchboard is the staff blog of the Natural Resources Defense Council, the nation’s most effective environmental group. For more about our work, including in-depth policy documents, action alerts and ways you can contribute, visit NRDC.org.
