Update: The EPA denies California's auto emissions waiver. States and environmental groups vow to sue.
The New York Times weighs in.

Scientists have been saying for years that human-caused warming of the globe is real. Only recently has the general public come to realize the grave consequences that a warmer planet would have and that climate change is truly one of the greatest challenges we have ever faced.

It begs the question: What can we do to stop it?

Part of the answer is right here in Oregon's towering old-growth forests. Scientists have found that the Northwest's giant trees are also giant carbon sinks, catching the pollution that causes the planet to warm.

Oregon Wild has been working to protect our ancient forests for three decades and recently we released a report on global warming and forests.

So the answer to the question: What can we do to stop global warming is:

Protect our old-growth forests that are the natural warriors, quietly fighting the global warming battle for us.

The Impacts

Oregon Wild is also keenly aware of the adverse impacts climate change could have on our natural treasures. From reduced snowpack, to changing habitat, global warming presents a threat to the special places we cherish in Oregon.

That's why we teamed up with multiple conservation groups and the Western Environmental Law Center to sue the federal government to allow for more stringent auto emissions standards. This is new territory for us, but global warming could impact so much of Oregon's wildlands, wildlife and wild rivers that we felt compelled to act.

Click here for the most recent news on global warming.

photo by John Waller