Forest Service Chief Tidwell Urges Stronger Conservation Partnerships at Land Conservation Policy Symposium in New Haven

On climate change, the Obama administration seems to be finding its voice.

That was not always the case: because President Obama was not about to let climate change disrupt his second-term chances, during his first term he sat quietly as Republicans vociferously attacked anyone trying to construct an effective climate-change policy for the nation.

These assaults, Anthony Leiserowitz of Yale's School of Forestry and Environmental Studies told Bill Moyers recently, were part of a larger "disinformation campaign" that the fossil-fuel industry has funded: "I mean, they're very happy, thank you very much, with the status quo," delighted with the results of their actions "to get people to believe that the experts do not agree."

Among those who deferred was the Obama administration, and that's still true to some extent. In mid-February more than 40,000 climate activists rallied around the White House as part of the nation's largest such fossil-free rally ever, but the president was a no-show. Instead, he was on a Florida golf course, shooting a sunny round with oil-and-gas executives.

This tone-deaf moment aside, off the links President Obama and the executive branch are starting to speak about the urgent need to protect life on Earth.

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Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell spoke to WNPR about the centennial of the Weeks Act from the Pinchot Institute's Symposium, "Forest Land Conservation in the 21st Century" at Yale University's School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.  Listen to the interview here or learn more about the symposium and the Weeks Act Centennial here.