World Wildlife Fund

View all press releases from:  2008    2007    2006    2005    2004    2003    2002

• Climate Change Likely To Add Fuel To Wildfires, Causing Greater Risk Of Respiratory Harm From Smoke Inhalation, U.S. Government Study Finds

  Wildfires, which have ravaged the Western United States to a record degree in recent years, are likely to become even more severe, frequent and widespread due to climate change, leading to an expected increase in respiratory illness from smoke inhalation, increased property damage, and significant disruption to communities throughout the West and South, warns a new government report issued today.

  July 17, 2008

• WWF Praises Gore For Climate-Smart Energy Vision

  Former Vice President Al Gore today called upon the United States to embark on a path toward energy independence by committing to generate 100 percent of its electricity from clean, domestic, non-emitting energy sources, such as solar, wind and geothermal. Dr. Richard Moss, vice president for climate change at World Wildlife Fund (WWF), issued this statement.

  July 17, 2008

• China approved for controlled ivory imports from Africa

  China has been approved as a buyer of legally stockpiled African elephant ivory under strict conditions. The decision was made today at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) meeting in Geneva, Switzerland.

  July 15, 2008

• Wal-Mart Joins WWF's Global Forest & Trade Network

  Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. joined the Global Forest & Trade Network (GFTN), World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) initiative to save the world’s most valuable and threatened forests, WWF announced today. By joining the GFTN, Wal-Mart has committed to phasing out illegal and unwanted wood sources from its supply chain and increasing its proportion of wood products originating from credibly certified sources – for Wal-Mart stores and Sam’s Clubs in the United States.

  July 14, 2008

• New Report From WWF Projects Stressed Water Resources In Southeast U.S. Due To Climate Change

  As the Southeast contends with the second consecutive year of exceptional drought, a new report commissioned by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) projects that climate change will increasingly stress water resources and affect water quality over a major portion of the region. The report, which was presented at a congressional briefing on Capitol Hill today, concludes that climate impacts on water resources are likely to be further exacerbated by population growth and land use changes. At risk are hundreds of unique, threatened, or endangered aquatic vertebrate species.

  July 10, 2008

• Dr. Patrick N. Halpin To Speak At World Wildlife Fund

  Dr. Patrick N. Halpin, a leading expert in marine conservation, will discuss “Protecting the Large Pelagics: New Technologies for Marine Conservation in the Open Ocean” at World Wildlife Fund on Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 4:30 p.m. The lecture is part of the Kathryn Fuller Science for Nature Seminar series, which brings distinguished scientists from a variety of fields to Washington, D.C. to present cutting edge research of central importance to international conservation.

  July 09, 2008

• WWF Briefing To Examine Impacts Of Climate Change On Southeast U.S. Watersheds

  Tomorrow, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Allianz Foundation for North America and the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will host a briefing on the results of a climate change vulnerability assessment of the Cumberland, Mobile, and Tennessee River Basins. The river basins are globally unique and ecologically important, and are vital sources of clean water. The assessment comes at a time when portions of the region are experiencing exceptional drought conditions for the second consecutive year.

  July 09, 2008

• World Wildlife Fund Confirms Attack On WWF Vehicle In Congo

  World Wildlife Fund (WWF) officials said today they have received confirmation that two people were killed and three injured in an attack on a WWF vehicle in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo on July 7. A WWF staff member was among those injured.

  July 09, 2008

• WWF Releases G8 Climate Scorecards, Urges Us Government To Strengthen Energy Efficiency And Energy R&D Efforts

  In advance of next week’s G8 summit in Japan, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has released a new report examining the progress of each of the G8 countries toward addressing climate change, a main focus of this year’s meeting.

  July 03, 2008

• Endangered Tiger Moved to Reserve in India in First-Ever Attempt at Relocation

  In a groundbreaking effort to preserve the species, an endangered Bengal tiger was relocated to the Sariska tiger reserve in India on June 28th—an area where the entire tiger population was wiped out a few years ago.

  July 03, 2008

• Impacts from Extreme Weather Events Made Worse Due to Lack of Conservation, Report Finds

  Environmental degradation is a key factor in turning extreme weather events and natural hazards, like floods, earthquakes, cyclones, forest fires and hurricanes into catastrophic natural disasters, according to a new report from World Wildlife Fund. In the wake of a series of recent devastating events, like the flooding in the Midwest, the massive earthquake in China and the typhoon in the Philippines, among others, this report illustrates how natural resource protection could have helped to mitigate the effects of these disasters and highlights the potential for conservation now to help alleviate impacts from future episodes.

  July 02, 2008

• Tigers Disappear From Himalayan Refuge

  World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is alarmed by the dramatic decline of at least 30 percent in the Bengal tiger population of Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve in Nepal, once a refuge that boasted among the highest densities of the endangered species in the Eastern Himalayas. The recent survey of April 2008 showed a population of between 6-14 tigers, down from 20-50 tigers in 2005.

  July 02, 2008

• Who Will Save Pacific Tuna?

  Faced with declining populations of bigeye and yellowfin tuna, the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) concluded its annual meeting last week in Panama City and failed to produce a binding conservation agreement. This was the IATTC’s fourth attempt in the past year to adopt conservation measures to combat overfishing and launch the recovery of certain tuna populations in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Once again negotiations failed.

  July 02, 2008

• A Bitter Pill to Swallow

  Two reports from TRAFFIC, the world's largest wildlife trade monitoring network, on traditional medicine systems in Cambodia and Vietnam suggest that illegal wildlife trade, including entire tiger skeletons, and unsustainable harvesting is depleting the region’s rich and varied biodiversity and putting the primary healthcare resource of millions at risk.

  July 01, 2008

• Philippine President Gloria Arroyo Meets with NGO’s, Public and Private CEOs and Officials to Discuss Global Food Security and Sustaining the Resources of SE Asia’s “Coral Triangle”

  WWF Enlists President’s Support for Coral Triangle InitiativeWashington, D.C. - On Monday, June 23rd President Gloria Arroyo of the Philippines, together with World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy and Conservation International held a luncheon with CEOs and top officials of various public and private organizations, to enlist their support of Coral Triangle Initiative, which the President and her country are founding members of.

  June 30, 2008

• Senior WWF official Urges Congress to Embrace Global Approach to Species Conservation

  In testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives today, Tom Dillon, senior vice president for field programs at World Wildlife Fund (WWF), urged a new paradigm in international species conservation, comprised of a globally based strategic vision and greater funding for conservation efforts.

  June 24, 2008

• WWF Applauds Passage of Legislation to Curb Illegal Fishing

  World Wildlife Fund (WWF) applauded the passage of legislation today by the Senate Commerce Committee that would significantly improve fisheries monitoring and enforcement.

  June 24, 2008

• Ecosystem and Resource Managers Must Prepare for Climate Change, New Government Study Finds

  A key government report issued today concludes that climate change is having a significant and irreversible impact on sensitive ecosystems and resources and urges the immediate implementation of ecosystem adaptation strategies on federally protected and managed lands and waters. World Wildlife Fund (WWF) officials called on Congress and the administration to provide the leadership, funding and reforms that federal managers require to implement the report’s recommendations.

  June 20, 2008

• Climate Change Fueling Extreme Weather Events, Government Study Finds

  Climate change is altering the frequency and severity of many extreme weather events, such as floods, droughts and hurricanes, according to a government report issued today. In the wake of devastating flooding throughout the Midwest – for which President Bush is seeking nearly $2 billion in emergency aid – the report illustrates the nation’s economic vulnerability to climate change and reinforces the urgency of developing a national preparedness strategy for climate change impacts, said a senior World Wildlife Fund (WWF) official.

  June 19, 2008

• Tuna Populations at Risk

  A historic meeting next week may decide the fate of tuna in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, one of the world’s most important marine resources.

  June 19, 2008

• WWF-Supported Timber Provision Becomes Law

  The import, purchase, sale and transport of products made from illegally harvested wood will for the first time become a federal crime under legislation passed today by the U.S. Congress.

  June 18, 2008

• Update: Pandas have been safely relocated

  The unspeakable human tragedy resulting from the massive earthquake in China and the major reconstruction efforts ahead have been very much in the news lately.  As you are aware, this is a critical region for WWF because of our work to protect giant pandas and panda habitat and I wanted to update you on the current state of our efforts. The situation in the field is still very fluid, with sometimes contradictory reports being issued. Thankfully, all WWF staff and volunteers in China are now reported safe.

  June 12, 2008

• Monumental Debt-for-Nature Swap Provides $20 Million to Protect Biodiversity in Madagascar, WWF Announces

  The largest debt-for-nature swap agreement in Madagascar’s history was signed today between the Government of Madagascar and the Government of France, allocating roughly $20 million (13 million Euros) to preserve Madagascar’s rich biodiversity, WWF announced today.

  June 11, 2008

• WWF Statement on Senate Climate Bill

  The Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act (S. 3036) today failed to garner a 60 vote supermajority necessary to advance the legislation in the U.S. Senate. However, the 48-36 vote in favor of proceeding marked a significant shift in political support for addressing climate change, said Dr. Richard Moss, vice president of climate change at World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

  June 06, 2008

• Rarest Rhinos Make Video Trap Debut

   

  June 02, 2008