Today is the 39th anniversary of Earth Day, a time that should make us think hard about the environment and pollution. The new presidential administration is taking the day to introduce goals for environmental reform and tackling global warming, through such initiatives as cap and trade regulations designed to reduce green house gases, and promoting cleaner energy sources. Curbing global warming should be especially important to sportsmen because it will affect the fish and game we pursue. As Mark T. Sullivan reported for F&S in "A Change in the Weather," these are some of the key places and animals at risk if temperatures continue to rise:

* Ducks: Higher temperatures can dry up and ruin waterfowl nesting habitat in Alaska and Northern Canada. And along the Atlantic seaboard, rising sea levels would erode and inundate channels, islands, and marshes with saltwater, ruining habitat.

* Moose in the northern forests: Already elk and deer migration routes are changing, moving north. What that means for moose and the boreal forests is getting replaced by those animals and by nut trees.

* Bobwhite quail: droughts and high temperatures in the South will not help the already hurting quail in that region, not to mention the trout.

* The marshlands of Louisiana and Mississippi: Increased flooding could actually result in a temporary up-tick in fishing and waterfowling, but an unsustainable one. Both sports would suffer not long after.

* Texas and Oklahoma: Higher temperatures can increase pests like fire ants, which can kill quail and cause deer to suffer outbreaks of disease.

* Sagebrush ecosystems in the Southwest will die off in the heat, disease in whitetail herds will increase, mule deer and elk will migrate higher, and trout will disappear.

* The West Coast: We've already seen the worst crash in salmon stocks off of California and Oregon in recorded history. If water temperatures continue to rise, things will get much worse.

* Drought in the prairies will cause waterholes to dry up, and lead to fewer upland game birds.

So what can we do? Besides getting involved in political debates, sportsmen can plant trees, create more fish habitat in rivers and upland bird habitat in the country, and become active in local environmental issues where outdoors and environmental groups need the help of hands-on volunteers. Water pollution issues persist all over the country. Development near rivers and streams that are spawning grounds for steelhead, salmon, and trout often leads to a lack of natural habitat along the shorelines, resulting in less shade and cover for the fish, higher water temperatures, and increased flooding, which in turn washes out eggs and decimates fish populations in places like the Northwest. A little bit of habitat building and repair can go a long way. Even picking up litter and insisting on buying recycled goods helps—and these products are available for sportsmen. Polartec, for instance, now uses recycled materials to make much of its fleece. Let's use this day to make tangible progress.