 Thousands of environmental causes
around the world deserve immediate action. No single web site could
list them all. Mankind's misuse of the natural environment has created
unforeseen effects everywhere, many of which threaten survival of life
on Earth as we know it. Fortunately, the cumulative action of citizens,
acting individually and through non-governmental organizations can
achieve significant results. Al Gore has said, 'Concern for the
environment must become the central organizing principle of
civilization.' We must view ourselves as responsible citizens of the
world and not as abused taxpayers deprived of some perceived right to
act wholly for our own interests.
The important thing is to take
action and work to make a difference. The outcomes we seek are
evolutionary and most will be achieved slowly. It is important,
therefore, to remain detached from the outcome from any specific action
and to work steadfastly. We must keep in mind that most participants in
the present extractive economy are not innately malicious but subscribe
to the view that mankind's economy is paramount to all things and that
there is a technological fix for any damage that is done--in other
words, they are simply unaware.
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The Natural Resources Defense Council |
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 (www.nrdc.org). The Natural Resources Defense Council's purpose is to safeguard the Earth: its people, its plants and animals and the natural systems upon which all life depends. NRDC works to restore the integrity of the elements that sustain life—air, land and water—and to defend endangered natural places. NRDC seeks to establish sustainability and good stewardship of the Earth as central ethical imperatives of human society. NRDC strives to protect nature in ways that advance the long-term welfare of present and future generations. NRDC works to foster the fundamental right of all people to have a voice in decisions that effect their environment. Ultimately, NRDC strives to help create a new way of life for mankind, one that can be sustained indefinitely without fouling or depleting the resources that support all life on Earth.
Each year, NRDC identifies 12 BioGems—places throughout the Americas in urgent need of environmental defense. These unspoiled wildlands are in grave danger from oil and gas drilling, mining, logging and other "development", but they are also placed where citizen activism can turn the tide.
Among the most egregious
projects being planned is Anglo American’s proposal to mine the headwaters of
the Bristol Bay drainage in western Alaska for gold and copper, creating a huge
open pit mine 2 miles long and 2000 feet deep.
The Iliamna/Bristol Bay drainage is the basis for a large tourism/sports
angling industry; Bristol Bay hosts the largest and most important sockeye
salmon left in the world. Anglo
American, which has a poor reputation for its environmental destruction through
similar projects worldwide, claims that the mine would provide 1000 jobs for
Alaskans—failing to mention that it would destroy ten time that many industries in the tourism and fishing industries. Anglo American has a reputation for such destructive projects worldwide, leaving the indigenous people of the exploited region with no reparation. Help stop Pebble Mine and preserve the Bristol Bay Fishery at www.savebiogems.org/bristolbay/pebble .
You can also find out more about Bristol Bay through Trout Unlimited at www.SaveBristonBay.org .
Take action for the other 11 Biogem sites by going to www.savebiogems.org!
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 (www.wilderness.org). In 1935. Aldo Leopold. University of Wisconsin professor of wildlife ecology and author of A Sand County Almanac. co-founded The Wilderness Society. The founding group declared that 'All we desire to save from invasion is that extremely minor fraction of outdoor America which yet remains free from mechanical sights and sounds and smell.' The Wilderness Society works to protect America's wilderness and to develop a network of wild lands through public education. scientific analysis and advocacy. The goal of the society is to ensure that present and future generations will have the invaluable benefits that pristine forests. rivers. deserts and mountains provide.
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 Sightline Institute is a not-for-profit research and communication center --a think tank--based in Seattle. Founded in 1993 by Alan Durning, Sightline's mission is to bring about sustainability, a healthy, lasting prosperity grounded in place. Sightline's focus is Cascadia, or the Pacific Northwest. It's a slow-motion revolution, but it's happening. Since 1993, Sightline has equipped northwesterners with the research and tools they need to make progress on a range of solutions, from creating a fair, efficient system for slashing global warming pollution to banning toxic chemicals that have shown up in our food and our bodies to defeating ruinous land-use ballot measures across the Northwest in 2006 and 2007. Sightline's Cascadia Scorecard is a pioneering attempt to assess life in the Pacific Northwest across a variety of measures yearly. Whether you live in Cascadia or not, Sightline provides a model for grounding sustainability in place. http://www.sightline.org
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Indigenous Environmental Network |
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 The Indigenous Environmental Network is a network of Indigenous Peoples empowering Indigenous Nations and communities towards sustainable livelihoods, demanding environmental justice and maintaining the Sacred Fire of Indigenous traditions. IEN advocates sustainability, works for environmental justice and opposes destructive practices by global corporations such as tar sand mining for oil. Visit http://www.ienearth.org.
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The Lazy Environmentalist |
 The Lazy Environmentalist is both a TV show on the Sundance Channel and a valuable resource for environmentally sound purchases. Go to www.Lazyenvironmentalist.com to find the best products vis-a-vis the environment. Josh Dorfman has created an extensive catalog of almost everything that you might need.
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 Conservation Northwest, based in Bellingham, Washington, is dedicated to keeping the Pacific Northwest wild by protecting old growth and other wild areas from the Washington State coast to the British Columbia Rockies. Columbia Northwest works to develop wildlife corridors, to connect habitats and to ensure that the region is wild enough for lynx, wolves, grizzlies and mountain caribou. www.conservationnw.org.
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 Rachel's Friends Breast Cancer Coalition is an advocacy organization dedicated to lowering the incidence of breast and other cancers by reducing exposure to environmental carcinogens. We do this through education, legislative action and local organization.
"For those for cancer is already a hidden or visible presence, efforts to find cures must of course continue. But for those not yet touched by the disease and certainly for the generations yet unborn, prevention is the imperative need. The chief public health threat has ceased to be infectious disease. Now it is a hazard that we ourselves have introduced into the world." Rachel Carson
(http://rachelsfriends.org)
YOU CAN RACE FOR THE CURE BUT YOU CAN'T RUN FROM THE CAUSE!
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 (www.bioneers.org). Bioneers offers visionary and practical solutions for restoring the earth. Bioneers' mission is to disseminate environmental solutions and strategies to national and global audiences. to develop and spread model economic strategies and practices that conserve biological and cultural diversity. to promote understanding of the human-nature relationship and to revitalize our cultural and spiritual connection with the natural world. Bioneers stresses positive and workable solutions. |
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 (www.naturalstep.org). The Natural Step (TNS) is a non-profit environmental education organization working to build an ecologically and economically sustainable society. TNS offers a framework that is based on science and serves as a compass for businesses. communities. academia. government entities and individuals working to redesign their activities to become more sustainable. The Natural Step was founded in Sweden in 1989 by Dr. Karl-Henrik Roberts. who. with the help of 50 Swedish scientists. developed a consensus document (iterated 21 times) that describes the basic knowledge of the biosphere's functions. how society influences natural systems and how to change the situation into an attractive sustainable society. Hundreds of municipalities. schools. organizations and businesses are using the framework of The Natural Step's "Four System Conditions" to develop a sustainable society.
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 (www.livinglandsandwaters.org) Chad Pregracke grew up on the banks of the Mississippi and Illinois rivers. While attending high school and college he worked as a commercial shell diver and saw, first-hand, the enormous amount of garbage and junk that littered the shores and bottom of these rivers. In 1997 he decided to take action; physically and by himself, he began to remove junk and debris from the rivers-one old tire or discarded refrigerator at a time. In 1998 Chad founded Living Lands & Waters, a non-profit organization dedicated to waterway cleanup and restoration, as well as environmental education. Chad has been awarded an honorary doctorate from St. Ambrose University for his work in environmental education and, among many other honors, has been awarded the Jefferson Award for Public Service. Chad and Living Land & Waters are proof that one person can make a big difference!
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 (www.removedams.org). This coalition is
working for removal of 4 dams on the Snake River. These dams are thought to be the major cause of the drastic decline (approaching extinction) of salmon runs in the Snake and Columbia rivers. This issue is pivotal because it represents the realization that. in many cases. environmental benefits outweigh economic considerations and that the best course of action is to undo past mistakes. The Pacific Northwest is at the epicenter of a paradigm shift that. hopefully. will lead from the present anthropocentric era to an ecocentric era. Supporting dam removal on the Snake acknowledges that harmful human constructions can and should be reversed. American Rivers (www.americanrivers.org) is active in this effort.
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Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility |
 (www.peer.org). PEER is a national alliance of local. state and federal resource professionals that supports government employees who are charged with protecting the environment. Public employees stand as defenders of the public interest within their agencies and are the first line of defense against the exploitation and pollution of the environment. PEER supports a high standard of ethics and scientific integrity within environmental agencies and protects whistle blowers who expose the failure of their agencies to enforce compliance with environmental regulations. In the setting of a hostile administration. dedicated and honest employees in regulatory agencies are of vital importance to the environment. |
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 (www.worldwatch.org).
Worldwatch publishes State of the World each year (e.g. 'State of the
World 2001'). updating the reader as to the current status of major
worldwide environmental problems. Provides an overview and highlights
'hot spots.'
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Northwest Earth Institute |
 (www.nwei.org). NWEI offers courses in Deep Ecology. Voluntary Simplicity and Choices for Sustainable Living. If you live in the Pacific Northwest. you can host one of these courses or. if you live elsewhere. NWEI will help you organize a similar program suitable for your region.
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Center for Earth Leadership |
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 The Center for Earth Leadership (
http://www.earthleaders.org ) trains and motivates Northwest citizens to assume a leadership role in forging a sustainable culture. Started by Dick and Jean Roy, who also founded the Northwest Earth Institute, has a singular vision:
Citizens must provide the true leadership to a sustainable future. Center programs recognize the immense potential of each individual to assume an expanded role in daily life by : (1) reducing personal impact on the earth, (2) by being an agent of change, and (3) being an assertive advocate for the earth.
Classes and workshops include:
1. Agent of Change in Your Circle of Influence (5-session class)
2. Assessing Your Ecological Footprint (6-session class)
3. The Local Organizer's Toolkit (3-hour workshop).
4. Home Eco-Party (gathering).
Learn more about being an active influence for ecological sustainability at:
http://www.earthleaders.org /
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 (http://www.engenderhealth.org/). EngenderHealth is a nonprofit organization founded in 1943. that has been working internationally for over 30 years to support and strengthen reproductive health services for women and men worldwide. Since its inception. its work has improved the health and lives of more than 100 million individuals in 90 countries. |
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