Interview with National Wildlife Federation
With:
-Alterra Robinson (Coordinator, Major Donor Stewardship)
-Kurt Zwally (Manager Global Warming Solutions)
-Tony Summers (Manager Cause Marketing)
-David Pierpont (Online Advocacy Manager)
Click here for the original issue
Lisa Selvaggio: First off, I want to thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview. For those who aren't very familiar with National Wildlife Federation, can you tell us how this non-profit originated and how it made itself so big?
Alterra Robinson: On March 1, 1934, President Franklin Roosevelt appointed political cartoonist Jay Norwood "Ding" Darling to be chief of the U.S. Biological Survey. Darling urged the president to convene a conference in Washington D.C. to bring together individuals, organizations, and agencies interested in the restoration and conservation of wildlife resources. Even then, America's land, water, and wildlife were threatened. Recognizing the link between the people's health, the environment, and our quality of life, conference participants set out to protect them all. They understood that it would take millions of informed, motivated people to do the job.
The conference took place from February 3-7, 1936 and was called the North American Wildlife Conference. Darling resigned his position with the Biological Survey just before the conference. At this conference an organization was created and was called the General Wildlife Federation. Darling was elected president. The first annual meeting was held March 3, 1937 in St. Louis, Missouri. The General Wildlife Federation became the National Wildlife Federation in 1938. Since then, and through the hard work of our dedicated Board members, staff, volunteers, and 4 million members, NWF has become one off the 'top ten' environmental organizations with over 70 years of saving wildlife.
LS: Does NWF work solely on environmental issues here in the States, or does it reach worldwide?
AR: National Wildlife Federation is a national organization so we do tend to focus on North American species. However, with that said we do much worldwide work as well. Let's face it though, global warming, the largest threat to North American species, is also the largest threat to international species. We also cannot separate the impact of global warming on nature worldwide to the impact of global warming on humans worldwide. Humans and nature are intricately related. Changing weather patters, drought, water pollution and scarcity, air pollution, wildfires, and food shortages affect humans and wildlife alike. Our DC congressional office has an international team. We run an expeditions program with international destinations. We participate in international conferences. And everything we do for effective change in the U.S. government inevitably offers leadership in environmental issues worldwide.
LS: What are the issues that NWF is currently pushing for change in, that people really need to become aware of and take action on right away?
AR: NWF as an organization is tackling the issue of global warming. Global warming, aka climate change, is the overarching threat to wildlife, habitat, and our children's future. The global warming issue, coupled with the 2008 elections, poses a unique opportunity for awareness and action. The recent caucuses' record turnout, especially in young voters, is most encouraging. More than ever we need people to go out and vote for candidates that support strong global warming legislation. Specifically NWF has created a 2% pledge that people can sign to promise to only vote for candidates that will decrease warming pollution by 2% per year through 2050. This is what scientists claim we need to do in order to reduce overall pollution by 80% and prevent irreversible damage to our environment. The pledge is available online at www.nwf.org/turnthetables or www.myspace.com/turnthetables911. When someone completes the pledge the system captures your zip code and sends it directly to your representatives on the hill. This is immediate and targeted action. In addition, if you are not already registered to vote, the pledge offers online voter registration capabilities to make sure you are ready to get out to the polls in Nov. '08. Voting, unlike other simple solutions such as recycling and public transportation, offers each individual a way to contribute to the larger solution. The U.S. must become a leader in the solution, not just a leader in the problem. (The U.S. is responsible for 25% of global warming pollution.) It's not enough for us to do the day to day simple solutions...we need to keep the broader picture of legislative change in focus. So to answer your questions and sum up: If you want to take action right away then sign the 2% pledge and go out and vote!
LS: Are there any issues that NWF foresees getting involved in the near future?
AR: This year is all about 2 things: The Tipping Point Campaign and Changing the Forecast for Wildlife. Both are global warming driven. The Tipping Point Campaign is National Wildlife Federation's effort to ensure that candidates who are elected in 2008 are committed to taking meaningful action on global warming and the best global warming legislation gets passed within the first 100 days of the new Congress and new presidency. We are calling it The Tipping Point Campaign because we are fast approaching a tipping point for the planet where inaction could trigger runaway climate change of catastrophic proportions. But it doesn't have to be that way. We are building a movement for change that can tip the scale in favor of the planet, by passing meaningful global warming legislation. Changing the Forecast for Wildlife is the fund-raising goal with an ambitious 16-month effort that seeks $35 million by the end of 2008 to help wildlife survive global warming and other threats.
Generally speaking, environmental organizations need to turn their eye to the concept of climate justice and the wide range of diversity in the issue of global warming. This is not just about the affects on wildlife, and NWF realizes that. Water scarcity, widespread drought, and an increase in diseases, such as malaria, must be viewed also as a environmental issue. We are looking to continue to explore this side of the effect of global warming and attempt to get the international community and the U.S. government talking about how we can move international development to also be sustainable development. A great illustration of this in an industry is tourism. It's not just a vacation, it's sustainable tourism - traveling in a way that is conscious and aware of the destination's environment and the community.
LS: To be honest, I'm very much interested in one day starting my own non-profit organization to help animals in some way. How difficult is it for an individual to do so, and how hard is it to keep it going, especially if it's very small at first?
AR: Any non-profit needs basic components that can work well with each other to succeed. This is true whether the organization is small or large. The components include a specific mission, a strong leader, an active Board of Directors, dedicated staff and volunteers, and committed donors. With that said, it sounds like you have passion, which is the foundation of all the components I just mentioned. That means you are already off to a good start!
LS: Global Warming is one of the key issues featured on your website, and the site mentions that the U.S. government has made some strides toward combating it. But, honestly, do you think it may be too late to stop what's already begun with regards to Global Warming? What do you think needs to be done on a large-scale political level, and what needs to be done on a person-by-person basis, to stop the effects and put the Earth in balance again?
AR: Well, I must refer back to my earlier answer on signing the 2% pledge and getting out to vote. This is the most important way to show the U.S. government that we demand effective and sustainable change. On a large-scale political level we need to continue to work on passing important bills in congress such as the Farm Bill, the Energy Bill, and The Warner Lieberman Bill. These are all important bills to bring the issue of the environment and climate change to the forefront of U.S. politics. Person-by-person, the individual solutions are numerous, from major changes like buying a hybrid car or re-insulating your house, and others are smaller, such as changing light bulbs or appliances to energy efficient products, turning out your lights, turning down your heat, and of course, recycling. It's not too late to change. It is not too late to save our Earth and bring it back into balance. The President of NWF, Larry Schweiger, is a great leader and always knows what to tell us to keep us motivated. The other day in an address to his employees he was asked, "Larry, are you optimistic about the future of the Earth and our ability to reverse global warming?" His answer was, "You know, I don't think this is a matter of optimism or pessimism. I will answer your question this way: I am committed to the change. I am not optimistic. I am not pessimistic. I am stubborn." I think that is how we all feel at NWF. We are stubborn for change. We are stubborn to protect our children's future.
Recently Al Gore was at the Bali International Climate Conference. During that time, Al Gore said, "Instead of shaking our heads at the difficulty of this path and saying this is impossible, how can we do this, we ought to feel a sense of joy that we have work that is worth doing that is so important to the future of humankind." This quote flew around NWF HQ as it was such an eloquently put statement that summed up the feeling of so many of us actively in this fight. It's a good thought to keep in mind as we move into 2008.
LS: One of the great things that NWF is doing right now to get younger people involved and aware of ways to stop Global Warming is through events called Turn the Tables on Global Warming, in which DJs perform at clubs around the country to inspire people to take action. How did this idea come about?
AR: NWF realizes that in order for effective and sustainable change to occur we need to have a younger demographic involved than the typical NWF member. We have done great work with educational institutions such as Campus Ecology and Chill Out. However, we realized we were missing a key group of people, mainly young urban American voters who may, or may not, be accessible through a college campus. We also saw the success and energy that Live Earth brought to the issue of global warming. DJs offered a unique way to reach this demographic. First, because they were not fairly represented at Live Earth, a large group of people that listen to this demographic were left out. Secondly, DJs also offer a unique way to reach an international crowd, as global warming is truly an international issue. And thirdly, the DJs offered a setting larger than our typical events, but smaller than Live Earth. This offers the perfect opportunity for true grassroots action-based events. Music has traditionally been a way to express the political thoughts of the younger generation. We have an incredible amount of support of the Electronic Music Industry and we are very lucky to have them committed to this important cause.
LS: How many shows can we expect to see come out of this? And where do you foresee these shows taking place?
AR: We just did our first show in our own backyard in Washington, DC. The evening was fabulous with proceeds going to NWF, and hundreds of individuals signing the 2% pledge. Further, we were able to get some important messages to our attendees about the impacts of global warming and importance of voting for change. We are currently planning to do the next one in Miami. Florida is important politically, environmentally, and offers an opportunity to reach many individuals in the urban American dance scene. We need to give special thanks to DJs Leama and James Davis (Grafiti), DJ Monk, Delphi (Will Hetzel and Ross Lara), Neekola, and lastly, BT. Further we need to offer special recognition to iKY Clothing for their promotional help and support. These individuals have been with us since the concept, always 100% on board, always willing to help, and, most importantly, always willing to be leaders in the global warming fight.
LS: I understand that tickets will be on sale for those who wish to attend. Will these events generate donations as well? If so, what will the money be used toward?
AR: These events are more awareness and action driven than a fundraising drive. With that said, though, all proceeds from Turn the Tables events go to NWF to be used toward our overall initiative of fighting the effects of global warming. We do hope to raise some money with these events and we also hope to develop some long-term relationships with key donors along the way. Also, this group of urban voters are important to us in a very special and unique way. They have the power to help us now, today. By changing their actions, going to vote, talking about the issues, and signing the 2% pledge, they are becoming leaders in their demographic on this issue. This is as good as gold to NWF. This is as good as gold to wildlife. Further, this is a group of people that may not have high giving capacity today, but will hopefully become NWF's future donors. We want the younger generations to remember us as an organization that cared about their voice.
Robert Acocella: Is there any competition between non-profits? On one hand, you're all out to spread a positive message and promote change, but on the other hand, you do need the monetary donations to keep going, so is there any conflict between larger groups, or is there a sort of brotherhood?
AR: There is always competition among non-profits of every cause. NWF is unique, and environmentalism in general, because we work fairly well on our common goals. We may disagree on a few details along the way, but the overall effort is a united one. This can be easily shown in our affiliation and regional model. NWF has state affiliates that are autonomous statewide organizations which support the purposes and objectives of NWF. Affiliates operate on the grassroots level by working to educate, encourage, and facilitate the conservation efforts of their distinct bases of members and supporters. Affiliation is a voluntary relationship between the state organization and NWF, and there is only one NWF affiliate per state. NWF's nationwide network of 48 state affiliates is also responsible for electing key members of NWF's leadership and setting NWF's conservation policy priorities through an annual resolution process. We also have nine regional offices that do not operate autonomously: Alaska, Great Lakes, Gulf State, Northeast, Norther Rockies, Rocky Mountain, Southeast, Western, and Federal and International Affairs. In addition, we have 'like-minded' green groups we work with including: American Rivers, Environmental Defense, National Environmental Trust, Friends of the Earth, National Parks Conservation Association, Center for Int'l Environmental Law, Greenpeace, Nat'l Religious Partnership for the Enviro, National Tribal Environmental Council, Defenders of Wildlife, League of Conservation Voters, Earthjustice,National Audubon Society, Native American Rights Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, The Wilderness Society, The Ocean Conservancy, World Resources Institute, Oceana, Sierra Club, World Wildlife Fund, The Trust for Public Land, Population Action International, Union of Concerned Scientists, Population Connection, and U.S. Public Interest Research Group (Just to name a few!).
LS: What advice can you give to those aspiring to get into animal careers and organizations like yours? What do they need in terms of educational background, contacts, skills, experience, etc.?
AR: It is definitely a combination of all of that. Education is a must; I think that the contacts, skills, and experience come from that. Education can come in the way of a degree or just going out and learning as much as possible about an issue. I think the second best thing you can do is volunteer. There is no better way to learn your passion than to be in the trenches. As with any career it takes patience and persistence.
LS: Be honest: Is there money in doing the kind of work that NWF does/working for an organization like NWF? The cost of living is going up by the day and its getting more difficult to survive on low income. Do you think a lot of people that would love to work with animals and conservation turn away from it because they cant afford it? What advice can you give?
AR: No one at NWF, or in any non-profit for that matter, does it for the money. A famous environmentalist said, "I've never wanted to kneel in front of a model or an actor or actress or a corporate billionaire, but I want to bow myself before people who are activists or who work for the common good. That's honor. Money is not honor. Doing something of real value with one's life is honor."
LS: I get extremely frustrated when I try to push important issues and convince my friends and family that its important to care and make a difference. I seem to be surrounded by indifferent people and I get pretty upset and downhearted. Its got to be just as difficult, if not worse, when you're working for a place like NWF, pushing issues and trying to get laws created but sometimes to no avail. How do you cope with situations like that; what keeps your morale up?
AR: Our mission is Protecting Wildlife for our Children's Future. Our children are still there and our future is still there. Back to what our President, Larry Schweiger, said earlier: "I am stubborn." It is not about optimism or pessimism, it is not about the difficulty or ease, rather, it is about being stubborn and committed to your cause and your goal.
LS: What are the major hardships NWF faces on a day-to-day basis? What do you think have been some of the organizations greatest accomplishment?
AR: Oh my gosh, this is a hard question to answer. Both are so numerous! But hopefully some of the other answers to your questions can give you an idea. I agree with you that indifference is one of the greater challenges.
LS: Since this past summer, it seems that a lot of people have been going green, and Ive been seeing more advertisements for large corporations claiming theyve gone green. You have an insiders view how sincere are these claims? We know all too well how corporations can lie and manipulate the truth to make themselves look good and generate more sales...
AR: We need to applaud corporation for making the attempt. Even if the attempt is only a small step, it is a step nonetheless. If the consumers respond to changes than the corporations will continue to incorporate the changes. It is about the demand of the consumer....yes, the sales...we as consumers have the power to drive the corporations' social responsibility through our response in purchase choices. Also, governments, not just the U.S., need to demand more from these corporations through legislation. Between consumers and legislation the corporations will change.
LS: In terms of powering cars and/or factories, what does NWF believe to be the best, cleanest, most sustainable solution?
Kurt Zwally (Manager Global Warming Solutions): There's no single solution to get us to a clean energy future, but instead lots of opportunities available today and emerging tomorrow. Specifically, increasing the efficiency in which we use energy in our cars, factories, and homes is often the most cost-effective option. Using energy smarter saves money and reduces pollution. To generate electricity more cleanly there are a growing number of alternatives such as wind, biomass, and other renewable energy. Wind power, for example, is cost-competitive with coal in many parts of the country. Up to 15% biomass (crop- and wood-waste and other plant material) can be used in existing coal power plants without any modifications. In addition to more efficient cars, cleaner power systems offer important opportunities to reduce global warming and other pollution. Two examples include plug-in hybrids and next-generation biofuels produced from native species (e.g. switch grass). Since most people drive less than 40 miles per day, plug-in hybrids will be an attractive option for many Americans. For longer drives, filling these vehicles with next-generation biofuels can reduce global warming pollution 60-80% over gasoline. In the long-term, emerging technologies such as solar and those to take the carbon out of the coal before it is burned can achieve further reductions. Together these technologies will enable the U.S. to reduce global warming pollution 2% per year and lead the way in solving the problem.
RA: I have a Mastercard in your name and I was wondering, how much of the money that I spend do you actually see?
Tony Summers (Manager Cause Marketing): We get $.20 for every $100. This overall contribution is significant.
LS: I want to thank you again, and I really hope that we can do follow-up interviews with you in the future. Thank you for all the work you do! Is there anything else you'd like to say to our readers that wasnt already mentioned?
David Pierpont (Online Advocacy Manager): As you know the Turning the Table event was a new push to get younger adults engaged with one the most important issues in human history. Since global warming will affect the younger generations the most, we felt NWF could do more to reach them and start a dialogue. As part of that engagement NWF is building and testing a new online community of those interested in learning, talking about solutions, and taking actions in their community to help stop global warming and protect wildlife. The DJs were given a presentation on global warming and its effects, but also given an opportunity to learn about the new online community. The DJs were enthusiastic about being part of the community. Be on the lookout for it in early 2008.