“ Conservation is a cause that has no end. There is no point at which we say, ‘Our work is finished.’” —RACHEL CARSON equal to the size of the entire state of Florida. “Energy development is a huge threat to wilderness, and the threat is not going away,” says Culver. “Putting more energy development on these lands is no small matter, but we actually have a chance right now to make sure it’s not spread thoughtlessly across the landscape. So, we can reshape both the energy we develop and how we develop it.” Culver agrees with Bahr regarding the important role that women play in conservation today. “Women can be very effective warriors for our planet. Plus, you figure there has to be something to the fact that every culture’s earth deity is a goddess, right?”
Safeguarding Biodiversity It is 2:00 a.m., yet Amy Atwood, Senior Attorney for the Endangered Species Program with CBD, toils away at her desk— preparing yet another case to challenge government actions helping to drive species extinct. “The media doesn’t talk about it, but the Earth is in the midst of a mass extinction and the first to be caused by mankind,” says Atwood. Experts estimate that over 40 percent of all living species on Earth are at risk of extinction, a fact linked to and complicated by human population growth and climate change. “This is a crisis, one that anyone who cares about our children’s future should be alarmed about. I am.” Atwood often works into the wee hours of the morning on gaining legal protection for species, fighting fossil fuel development, and raising the profile of these issues, because the fate of these species is intertwined with our own, she says. “Our existence depends on the web of life!” Numerous wins indicate that her dedication over the past 14 years has been worthwhile. She’s halted the Keystone XL pipeline because of endangered species impacts and she’s helped negotiate a landmark settlement with the federal government that will result in federal protection for hundreds of endangered species. “I always remember that the truth is on our side, and sometimes the truth helps you win a battle, which gives a much-needed reprieve for animals and plants that would suffer had we not done something for them.” Atwood grew up in Oregon during the spotted owl wars and she idolized environmental lawyers who fought through difficult political circumstances to protect old-growth forests. “They were like rock stars to me, and I wanted to grow up to be like them. They won the cases, and in the process, they won the issue. The work they did changed the way we value natural environments,” says Atwood. Thanks to an edgy approach and dogged determination, Atwood has also achieved rock star status in the environmental world. As a result, she serves as an inspiration to women aspiring to dedicate their lives to conservation work. Her advice? “Plan a course for your life that has you living life to your greatest potential, and do whatever you can to get involved. Examine your own life choices and create new cultural values to model for others. Plan your family carefully. If you want to get into the environmental
profession, there are many options—choose your educational path to optimize the chances that you’ll meet and work with the people who do what you want to do. Have faith.” One woman who has kept the faith longer than most is Fran Hunt, Director of Sierra Club’s Resilient Habitats Campaign. Over the course of her career, Hunt has testified before Congress over a dozen times, lobbied the White House, appeared on the Today show and Larry King Live, participated in public demonstrations, and walked around Washington, D.C. dressed up as a cow to draw attention to the impacts of grazing on habitat and wildlife. Now, in her thirtieth year of conservation work, Hunt focuses on protecting the lands and waters that animals and plants need to survive, in an effort to preserve biodiversity in the face of climate change. “The health and well-being of all living creatures, people included, is dependent on the decisions we make, or refuse to make, now, to address our energy use and to help safeguard living systems,” says Hunt. She gains strength from that fact that positive changes continue to happen slowly. For instance, she was part of the community effort that secured protection for 50 million acres of critical roadless lands and forced National Forest management to adopt new regulations that require the prioritization of climate change.
Amy Atwood
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