Birds need our action

You’ve seen the headlines: Domestic cats kill between one and four billion birds a year in the lower 48 states. Collisions with buildings and wind turbines claim millions more. Three billion birds lost in one generation. According to a recent National Audubon Society scientific study, two-thirds of North American bird species are at risk of extinction from our changing climate. Human actions are taking their toll on our treasured birdlife. Birds reflect the health of the places where we live and they are telling us we must act.

Despite these dire numbers, we can reverse these trends. Each of us can do our part. Climate change is the number one threat to birds, and transportation is the leading source of carbon pollution. Just look at our hazy skies.

We can reduce energy use in our homes and communities, we can ask elected officials to expand clean-energy alternatives and champion conservation strategies, we can protect natural habitats including forests, farms, and wetlands, we can reduce our reliance on dangerous pesticides, we can ask federal lawmakers to pass the Bird-Safe Buildings Act, and we can decrease our carbon footprint (drive less, use public transportation, purchase fuel-efficient vehicles). Let’s not wait until all the birds stop singing.

Lisa Langelier

Cheney