Liz Barratt-Brown's Blog
About
- Bio:
I came to NRDC in 1981 and have worked with NRDC’s International Program for the last 15 years. I left NRDC twice – once to work for Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and to attend law school and again in 2000 when my first child was born. But I am always thrilled and honored to come back to NRDC. A common thread in my work has been Canada. When I first came to NRDC, I worked with Canadians to stem acid rain. More recently, I have worked to protect its beautiful ancient forests – from the coastal rainforests of British Columbia to the Boreal forest that circles the top of the planet. I’ve helped turn our consumption into a campaign tool – thanks to NRDC members and activists, Home Depot and other major companies became advocates for protecting the Spirit Bear, NRDC’s icon, and five million acres of coastal rainforest. Right now I am working on the Alberta tar sands, an area of the boreal forest that is being torn up to produce oil to feed our relentless thirst for our cars, airplanes and trucks. Wish me luck. This is a tough one.
- Roots in:
- New England and Washington D.C.
- Favorite place:
- NRDC’s Canadian BioGems and whereever my two cute little kids can be found.
- Why "environmentalism" matters:
- What is bigger than the fate of the planet? I am so in awe of this planet. It is such a gift. I’ve always felt this, even as a little kid catching frogs in the local nature center pond. However tough the issues are that I have worked on, I have also had an amazing time – like sleeping on a boat in the middle of the Great Bear rainforest of British Columbia, in the heart of undisturbed nature, listening to wolves and knowing seals and salmon were just on the other side of the hull. I am grateful for these connections to our planet.
Recent Blog Posts
- Lead climate treaty scientist calls on Canada to put tar sands development on hold (September 21, 2009)
- We can't let the 800 (,000) pound gorilla set the standard (September 16, 2009)
- Beware Tarry Coattails: The Prime Minister of Canada is in town (September 15, 2009)
- Waxman-Markey bill ups the ante on tar sands and other dirty energy (May 15, 2009)
- California leads the nation in adopting the first low carbon fuel standard (April 24, 2009)
- "Earth Hour" gains momentum (March 28, 2009)
- No substitute for optimism (March 11, 2009)
- President Obama puts clean, renewable power in stark contrast to dirty fuels (February 24, 2009)
- A Turning Point in the tar sands (February 19, 2009)
- Does the U.S. need tar sands oil? Our analysis shows we don't (February 17, 2009)
Read more in Liz Barratt-Brown's Archives→
