Friends of the Earth (US)
Encyclopedia
Friends of the Earth U.S. is a part of Friends of the Earth International, the world's largest grassroots
environmental network.
Current campaigns focus on clean energy and solutions to global warming, protecting people from toxic and new, potentially harmful technologies, and promoting smarter, low-pollution transportation alternatives.
Friends of the Earth is led by Erich Pica, an environmental advocate for more than 10 years.
: Proposed amendments to the federal energy bill would have allowed unlimited federal loan support for the construction of new nuclear reactors. Friends of the Earth, working with a coalition of environmental groups, led a successful effort to preserve Congressional oversight over the nuclear loan program and limited the total amount of loan guarantees.
Compelled Bush Administration to Produce Reports on Global Warming: In a 2006 lawsuit, Friends of the Earth, The Center for Biological Diversity and Greenpeace
contended that the Bush Administration had failed to comply with a 1990 law requiring the production of scientific reports on global warming. The Federal District Court issued an order finding the Bush administration in violation of the Global Change Research Act of 1990 for failing to produce an updated Research Plan and a National Assessment as required by the statute. The Bush Administration ultimately released the report, endorsing for the first time what most scientific experts have long asserted: that greenhouse gases from fossil fuel combustion "are very likely the single largest cause" of Earth's global warming.
Remobilizing America For a New Energy Future: Friends of the Earth’s work on both the federal level and in California is aimed at getting government to stay one step ahead of the problems that plague our oil-driven economy. We secured provisions in several major climate change proposals for major expansions of public transportation and efficient smart growth
development, backed by hundreds of billions of dollars in federal support. We partnered with the California Air Resources Board to provide credit for plug-in hybrid vehicles in the state’s zero emissions vehicles regulations – increasing the number of plug-ins likely to be produced for sale in California by tens of thousands.
Banning Gene Doping
: Succeeded in getting the National Hockey League
(NHL), Major League Soccer
(MLS), and Major Lacrosse League (MLL) to adopt an open anti-gene doping policy. We are now working with other major sports organizations such as the USGA (Golf), Major League Baseball (MLB), and the National College Athletic Association (NCAA) to do the same.
Cut Marine Emissions Near Large California Cities: Friends of the Earth helped develop and enact a new California policy curbing marine emissions in highly populated areas. A California Air Resources Board
regulation now requires that dirty, older engines on ferries, excursion vessels, tugboats, and towboats be replaced with newer, cleaner engines. Friends of the Earth and partner organizations also achieved a new California policy requiring operators of large ships to shut down their diesel auxiliary engines while docked at the state's busiest ports, and instead use shore-based electrical power.
Achieved Environmental Improvements in the Peru Free Trade Agreement (FTA): Through public and policymaker education, Friends of the Earth and other environmental allies secured provisions in a bilateral free trade agreement to counter the globally pervasive problem of illegal logging. The Peru FTA includes measures to stop the flow of illegally logged timber, including endangered mahogany. The FTA also provides parity of enforcement between the environmental and commercial provisions.
Curbing Carbon Offsets: Friends of the Earth successfully persuaded 10 of the world’s largest banks not to seek carbon offsets for nuclear power
and large hydroelectric dams.
Grassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
environmental network.
Current campaigns focus on clean energy and solutions to global warming, protecting people from toxic and new, potentially harmful technologies, and promoting smarter, low-pollution transportation alternatives.
Friends of the Earth is led by Erich Pica, an environmental advocate for more than 10 years.
Programs
Friends of the Earth (US) has four program fields around which its work revolves. These are:- Climate and Energy Project, which seeks to eliminate subsidies for environmentally destructive activities that damage public health and natural resources at taxpayers expense; global warmingGlobal warmingGlobal warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
and false solutions to global warming such as "Clean CoalClean coalHistorically used to refer to technologies for reducing emissions of ash, sulfur, and heavy metals from coal combustion; the term is now commonly used to refer to carbon capture and storage technology...
", biofuels, and nuclear reactors; and transportation infrastructure reform. - Food and Technology Project, is working to ensure that food and personal care products are safe and seeks to educate the public about chemical and biotechnological safety issues;
- Ocean and Vessels Project is leading efforts to reduce environmental harm from commercial shipping, cruise ships, ferries, and cars and trucks in the State of California.
- Economic Policy Project is working to ensure that environmental concerns are a part of the emerging global system of trade and is using tools like shareholder resolutions to drive for more corporate accountability. the International Program is also involved in international climate negotiations, such as those with the UNFCC.
Recent achievements
Reduced Federal Giveaways for Nuclear PowerNuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
: Proposed amendments to the federal energy bill would have allowed unlimited federal loan support for the construction of new nuclear reactors. Friends of the Earth, working with a coalition of environmental groups, led a successful effort to preserve Congressional oversight over the nuclear loan program and limited the total amount of loan guarantees.
Compelled Bush Administration to Produce Reports on Global Warming: In a 2006 lawsuit, Friends of the Earth, The Center for Biological Diversity and Greenpeace
Greenpeace
Greenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...
contended that the Bush Administration had failed to comply with a 1990 law requiring the production of scientific reports on global warming. The Federal District Court issued an order finding the Bush administration in violation of the Global Change Research Act of 1990 for failing to produce an updated Research Plan and a National Assessment as required by the statute. The Bush Administration ultimately released the report, endorsing for the first time what most scientific experts have long asserted: that greenhouse gases from fossil fuel combustion "are very likely the single largest cause" of Earth's global warming.
Remobilizing America For a New Energy Future: Friends of the Earth’s work on both the federal level and in California is aimed at getting government to stay one step ahead of the problems that plague our oil-driven economy. We secured provisions in several major climate change proposals for major expansions of public transportation and efficient smart growth
Smart growth
Smart growth is an urban planning and transportation theory that concentrates growth in compact walkable urban centers to avoid sprawl and advocates compact, transit-oriented, walkable, bicycle-friendly land use, including neighborhood schools, complete streets, and mixed-use development with a...
development, backed by hundreds of billions of dollars in federal support. We partnered with the California Air Resources Board to provide credit for plug-in hybrid vehicles in the state’s zero emissions vehicles regulations – increasing the number of plug-ins likely to be produced for sale in California by tens of thousands.
Banning Gene Doping
Gene doping
Gene doping is defined by the World Anti-Doping Agency as "the non-therapeutic use of cells, genes, genetic elements, or of the modulation of gene expression, having the capacity to improve athletic performance". A complex ethical and philosophical issue is what defines "gene doping", especially...
: Succeeded in getting the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL), Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
(MLS), and Major Lacrosse League (MLL) to adopt an open anti-gene doping policy. We are now working with other major sports organizations such as the USGA (Golf), Major League Baseball (MLB), and the National College Athletic Association (NCAA) to do the same.
Cut Marine Emissions Near Large California Cities: Friends of the Earth helped develop and enact a new California policy curbing marine emissions in highly populated areas. A California Air Resources Board
California Air Resources Board
The California Air Resources Board, also known as CARB or ARB, is the "clean air agency" in the government of California. Established in 1967 in the Mulford-Carrell Act, combining the Bureau of Air Sanitation and the Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Board, CARB is a department within the...
regulation now requires that dirty, older engines on ferries, excursion vessels, tugboats, and towboats be replaced with newer, cleaner engines. Friends of the Earth and partner organizations also achieved a new California policy requiring operators of large ships to shut down their diesel auxiliary engines while docked at the state's busiest ports, and instead use shore-based electrical power.
Achieved Environmental Improvements in the Peru Free Trade Agreement (FTA): Through public and policymaker education, Friends of the Earth and other environmental allies secured provisions in a bilateral free trade agreement to counter the globally pervasive problem of illegal logging. The Peru FTA includes measures to stop the flow of illegally logged timber, including endangered mahogany. The FTA also provides parity of enforcement between the environmental and commercial provisions.
Curbing Carbon Offsets: Friends of the Earth successfully persuaded 10 of the world’s largest banks not to seek carbon offsets for nuclear power
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
and large hydroelectric dams.
See also
- SustainabilitySustainabilitySustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
- BiodiversityBiodiversityBiodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
- Global warmingGlobal warmingGlobal warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
- RecyclingRecyclingRecycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
- EcologyEcologyEcology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
- Earth ScienceEarth scienceEarth science is an all-embracing term for the sciences related to the planet Earth. It is arguably a special case in planetary science, the Earth being the only known life-bearing planet. There are both reductionist and holistic approaches to Earth sciences...
- Natural environmentNatural environmentThe natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....