Design by Vernan Kee
Protecting public lands will be critical in the fight against climate change. By protecting public lands, we can drastically reduce greenhouse emissions and conserve these places for future generations. Scientists tell us that in order to fight climate change, we must protect 30% of lands and waters in the U.S. by 2030. With only 12% of our country’s lands currently protected, the Sierra Club is driving a campaign for more neighborhood green space, more wilderness, and everything in between. We are following the lead of Native and other front-line partners, in coalition with communities to make this a top priority.
Fossil fuels drilled and mined from public lands contribute greenhouse gases equivalent to 20% of our total national emissions.
Public lands should be a source of health, prosperity, and pride -- not a playground for fossil fuel companies. If we protect these lands, we can also help fight climate change and species extinction. In National Forest lands, forests already store the equivalent of seven times our country’s annual emissions. Enhancing this type of natural conservation could offset a fifth of US greenhouse gas emissions.
We are working to make public lands a part of the climate solution. Protecting wild places will keep drilling and logging from polluting our environment air, and suck existing climate pollution out of the air . These lands provide protection from extreme weather, homes for wildlife, and opportunities for people to enjoy the outdoors together. The Sierra Club is committed to our legacy of safeguarding lands, water and wildlife for all as we work to protect 30% of our lands and waters by 2030.