friends of the earth · 2017-11-15 · summer 2009 friends of the earth newsmagazine summer 2009|...

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www.foe.org | Volume 39, Number 2 | Summer 2009 N E W S M A G A Z I N E

THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTALmovement is largely focusedon combating worldwide cli-mate destabilization. Andwith 77 member groupsaround the world, Friends ofthe Earth International hasmade climate change itsnumber one priority as wediscover that aspects of everyother program and campaignwe work on are underminedby climate disruption. Friendsof the Earth U.S. initiated aholistic solution to this chal-lenge when we proposed abroad-based energy tax in1998, with revenues going to reducepayroll taxes and thus promoteemployment.

Over the past decade, the nationalenvironmental movement has beenunable to substantially shift U.S.energy usage, while nations likeGermany, Denmark, and Spain pio-neer clean energy such as solar andwind power. Germany is smaller thanMontana, yet produces more solarelectricity than the rest of the worldcombined despite its far northernlatitude and overcast skies.

Recently, the U.S. House ofRepresentatives passed a giganticcap and trade bill drafted by twogreat environmental champions,Rep. Waxman (D-CA) and Rep.Markey (D-MA). Unfortunately, pres-sure from fossil fuel lobbyists led toserious weakening in the bill inorder to gain enough support to getthe legislation passed by the Energyand Commerce Committee. It made

the bill so bad that Friends of theEarth could not support it.

Friends of the Earth issued a reportentitled Subprime Carbon in March,warning that for a successful carbontrading approach to work, Wall Streetmust be prevented from gaming thesystem, as happened with the sub-prime housing market that precipi-tated a global financial collapse.Unfortunately this legislation fails toeffectively regulate Wall Streetmanipulation of carbon trading.

Furthermore, rather than auction100 percent of the permits, the billgives away 85 percent of the initialallowances to emit carbon, mostly toutilities, and perversely includes coal-mine waste and nuclear reactors inits handouts to “renewable energy.”

A number of national leadersexpressed concern about Friends ofthe Earth’s unwillingness to supportthe Waxman-Markey bill. Theyargued that while the bill is weak it’s

better than nothing and thatwe can amend it later. Theyalso point out that there isn’tany support for the carbontax that we are promoting.

But we know the truth,that there are other options.We don’t have to put all oureggs in one gigantic, badlyflawed carbon trading billbasket, especially a bill thatwill set a course for weak ini-tial action while subsidizingfossil fuel lobbyists who willfight tooth and nail so thattheir “entitlements” are noteliminated from future

amendments to the bill. First, the Obama administration

can take comprehensive actionunder the authority of the Clean AirAct, as reaffirmed by 2007’s SupremeCourt ruling. Obama has shown thathe can lead by moving forward withnew improved mileage standards forautomobiles.

Second, we need a reversal of theenvironmental policies of the previ-ous eight years. If you recall, in theInterior Department under Bush,Deputy Secretary Steve Griles wasgiving away oil and gas leases as fastas a slick poker dealer. We needObama officials to take as manydecisive actions to safeguard publichealth and our environments asBush officials did to underminethese protections.

P R E S I D E N T ’ S C O L U M N ■

Speaking Truth to Power on Global Warming Legislation

2 Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine | Summer 2009

Brent speaking at the Earth Day celebration on the National Mall in 2008.

E C O B I T E S ■

Recently California passed theworld’s first Low Carbon FuelStandard. Friends of the Earth wascrucial in ensuring that the lawincluded a provision for indirect land

use, which means the production offuels must not increase greenhousegas emissions through deforestationand destruction of wetlands andgrasslands.

Fueling Good in California

This spring the European Union issueda de facto moratorium on nanotech-nology in foods, heralding a huge vic-tory for our international partners and

emphasizing a need to expand theban to the U.S., given the serious yetpoorly understood health and environ-mental risks of nanomaterials.

Europe Says: “Not On My Plate!”

Friends of the Earth petitioned the EPAthis spring to update the rules govern-ing sewage dumping from cruiseships and other large vessels. Whilenewer, cleaner technology exists, the

law currently allows ships to use 30-year-old technology to treat waste-water – a huge oversight that has ledto polluted coastlines, marine contam-ination, and dead zones.

EPA Scolded for Outdated Sewage Regs

We value the opinions of each of ourmembers and were so pleased by thetremendous response we received tothe member survey included in our

fall edition of the newsmagazine. Tosee some of the results, please goonline to www.foe.org/survey-results.

You Told Us!

Oil giant Shell was due to stand trialin U.S. federal court this spring forcomplicity in the executions of KenSaro-Wiwa and eight other Nigerianactivists who fought Shell’s environ-mental devastation of their home-land. Friends of the Earth and allieslaunched a global campaign to hold

Shell accountable and demand that itstop gas flaring once and for all. A set-tlement was reached in June wherebyShell was forced to pay $15.5 million,including $5 million for a trust tobenefit communities in Ogoni territo-ry in Nigeria, the homeland of theexecuted activists.

Shell is Guilty

www.foe.org

Volume 39, Number 2

Summer 2009

FRIENDS EARTHOF T

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N E W S M A G A Z I N E

Summer 2009 | Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine 3

Get involved in issues and debates affecting human health and the planet by signing up for Friends of theEarth action alerts and monthly newsletters by email. Go to www.foe.org and enter your email address in the boxprovided in the left-hand navigation bar.

Ecobites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Spotlight on Our Friends: Norway . . . . . . 4

Behind the Movement: Rebecca Connors . . . . . . 5

Frey Vineyards . . . . . . . . 6

Celebrating pull-out

40 Years . . . . . . centerpiece

Green Ball . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

The Next Transportation Bill . . . . 8

Tribute to BrentBlackwelder. . . . . . . . . . . 9

Fighting Factory Farms . . . . . . . . 11

Gift Memberships . . . 12

Friends of the Earth released areport this spring finding thatbetween 2008 and 2022, the biofuelsindustry will receive more than $400

billion in subsidies from federal taxcredits and a federal mandate. Findthe report and more information atwww.foe.org/biofuelssubsidies.

Report Slams Biofuels Subsidies

SPOTLIGHT ON OUR FRIENDS ■

By Elizabeth Bast

BÅRD (PRONOUNCED ‘BORD’) is theclimate coordinator for Friends ofthe Earth Norway. He works on inter-national forest protection and cli-mate change.

How is Friends of the EarthNorway structured? Friends of the Earth Norway, orNorges Naturvernforbund, is one ofthe oldest and largest environmen-tal organizations in Norway. We haveabout 100 local groups in the coun-try with a total of 18,000 members.In addition, there is a very activeyouth group with 6,000 members.Local groups campaign on local envi-ronmental issues, from city planningto wildlife protection. At the nation-al policy level, we have two majorfocus areas: energy/climate changeand biodiversity.

What is the focus of yourclimate and energy campaign? We campaign to stop the building ofnew fossil fuel power plants, whichare mostly natural gas in Norway.With the country’s water resources,99 percent of the nation’s electricitycomes from hydropower, so there isno reason to build fossil fuel powerplants. We have successfully stoppedconstruction of several new gas-firedpower plants. This work grows out ofa long history of working on energyissues. Previously, the organizationalso fought the construction of bigdams, which harm ecosystems andalso threaten the livelihoods of theindigenous people in the north ofNorway, the Sami. While there arenow very few plans to expand largehydropower, we are examining small

dams as well, which can also be envi-ronmentally destructive.

We also fight greenhouse gasemissions from oil and gas produc-tion – almost a third of Norway’sgreenhouse gas emissions are fromoil and gas activities, including run-ning oil rigs. Since 1990, emissionsfrom the oil and gas sector havealmost doubled, causing total nation-al greenhouse gas emissions to riseby 10 percent since that time, eventhough emissions from land basedindustry have been reduced. Oil andgas operations continue to expandinto new areas, including the ArcticSea, moving into Barents Sea andalong the northern coast. In fact, oneof the biggest political fights leadingup to Parliamentary elections inOctober is going to be over the possi-bility of opening offshore areas for oiland gas activity off of the LofotenIslands. This is a well-known touristdestination with important locallybased fisheries and one of the largestremaining cod stocks in the world. It’s

also home to a number of small fish-ing communities who rely on thefragile ecosystem to make a living. It’ssort of like the Arctic National WildlifeRefuge of Norway.

Is the Norwegian government responsive toenvironmental issues? The paradox of working on environ-mental issues in Norway is thatwhile government wants to be per-ceived as environmentally friendlyand green, domestic policy is stillguided by oil and gas interests.

However at the UN climate talksin Bali in 2007 the Norwegian gov-ernment launched a climate and for-est initiative that actually stemmedfrom a proposal from Friends of theEarth Norway and RainforestFoundation Norway to start workingwith forest countries to put somemoney on the table to conserve trop-ical forests. Although we were happythey took on our proposal, it’s stillbeing developed and we are wary ofhow its implementation could betwisted into something destructive.There is a possibility that the moneywould go straight to the World Bankwith its poor record of implement-ing environmental initiatives. Wealso know that the Prime Minister isa big fan of carbon offsets. We areconcerned about the environmentaleffectiveness of including forests incarbon markets, as well as implica-tions of forest proposals forIndigenous Peoples’ rights, landrights, and biodiversity.


An Interview with Bård Lahn

For global, multilingual coverage of international events and activities,check out Real World Radio, an alternative news source sponsored byFriends of the Earth International: http://www.radiomundoreal.fm


When we reach the climate nego-tiations in Copenhagen thisDecember, we will be working tomake sure that Norway assumes itsfair share of emissions reductionsrequirements and contributions toadaptation and technology financ-ing as part of any climate agree-ment. In particular, we want to elim-inate any loopholes in the commit-ments made by the Norwegian gov-ernment to reduce greenhouse gasemissions from forests. For example,we want to make sure that Norwaydoesn’t use complicated accountingrules or rely on plantations to getout of making real reductions – fromforest protection – in an environ-mentally sound way. The fishing village of Reine in the Lofoten islands.

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B E H I N D T H E M O V E M E N T ■

REBECCA CONNORS runs internetoutreach operations for Friends ofthe Earth. She is behind the emailsin your inbox and manages our web-site. She has also directed our forayinto Web 2.0.

What is Web 2.0?Web 2.0 is the idea that the web shoulddo more than broadcast information; itshould allow visitors to contribute and

exchange ideas. Social media sites, likeFacebook, YouTube and Flickr, take it astep further because they are com-pletely made up of user-generated con-tent. Without the user-created profiles,photographs, or other content, thesewebsites would not exist.

What’s the Point for Friendsof the Earth?These websites create diverse portalsfor people to reach us. Someone onFacebook can post a link from oursite and then other users can com-ment on or share that link, whichspreads our message to more peo-ple. Plus, it’s another way for us tocommunicate with like-minded indi-viduals all over the world. Finally, itpersonalizes the organization – itallows us to show the public the

people behind the work and helpspeople to be more engaged with us.

Best Success?We shot a three-minute video ofcampaigner Michelle Chan talkingabout our new report, SubprimeCarbon. Carbon trading and deriva-tives are fairly dense subjects, butMichelle made it easy to understandand interesting. By posting it onYouTube we spread the word aboutthe issue without people having toread the report. The New York Times,NPR and aides on Capitol Hill haveall viewed it—generating publicityand spreading our message.

The links to all our social media sites are on ourhomepage. We encourage you and your friends tojoin us online!

Web 2.What? An Interview with Rebecca

SPOTLIGHT ON OUR FRIENDS ■


H E L P I N G H A N D S ■

By Marsha Mather-Thrift

WHEN JONATHAN FREY’S parents,doctors with 12 children, bought landin Mendocino County to raise a fam-ily, they didn’t envision plantinggrapes to prevent a dam projectfrom usurping their land. And evenwhen Jonathan, who planted thosegrapes at age 14, met his future wifeKatrina at Alan Chadwick’s leg-endary bio-intensive farming schoolin California in 1976, he didn’t fore-see that together they would runone of the country’s most innovativeorganic and biodynamic wineries.

But by 1980, when the Freys gaveup truck farming and began a win-ery, these influences, and new ones,formed the core of their decision tomake it organic. They had a youngdaughter and a watershed to protectfrom pesticides.

Shortly afterward, Paul Frey Jr.became Frey’s winemaker. He andJonathan perfected techniques formaking wine without synthetic sul-fite preservatives, which are linkedto allergies. Then in 1996, Luke Freyspearheaded the vineyard’s conver-sion to biodynamic cultivation, mak-ing Frey the first producer of certi-fied biodynamic wines in NorthAmerica. Since these methodsenhance soil, vines, and the vitaminand antioxidant content of grapes,by 2008, a handful of winemakers,including a small group ofEuropeans, had followed their lead.

To be biodynamic, a farm mustmeet its own fertility needs withinits boundaries, which limits the sizeof a farm and makes it more expen-sive to run (the estimated cost is 5-10percent higher). Labor is required tocare for animals, raise crops for com-post, and protect biodiversity. But

the method produces fine vines,excellent soil, and other benefits,including reducing global warming.Compost can help sequester carbonin the soil – in fact a recent studyprojected that if all of Australia’sarable land sported 1 1⁄2 inches ofcompost cover, it would have a sig-nificant carbon reduction impact.

Given the clear benefits organic andbiodynamic methods supply for farm,family, wines, health, and the planet,the Freys never regretted their deci-sions, despite the limited size of theirspectacular vineyards, or the extra cost.

But in 2004, trouble came to para-dise as Syngenta and Monsanto,under the guise of a group calledCroplife, began targeting regions togrow genetically modified (GM) crops.

Katrina Frey, concerned about theeffect of GM crops on Frey’s cropsand biodiversity, began workingwith researcher and local brewingcompany owner, Els Cooperidder.While Els spearheaded organizing,Katrina raised money to stop thejuggernaut. Croplife spent more

than $700,000 to influence the42,000 voters in the county. But withonly $140,000, Katrina and Elsmounted a non-stop education cam-paign, enlisted other wineries andmajor employers, and stoppedCroplife by passing a measure pro-hibiting cultivation of geneticallymodified crops in MendocinoCounty. Together they created aninspiring example of a community’sability to stop corporate domination.

Smitten with the idea of helpingothers produce wines that are chem-ical (and GMO) free, the Freys havecontinued the Chadwick legacy, help-ing others convert their land toorganic acres, teaching biodynamicmethods, sharing knowledge, andpurchasing organic fruit locally toexpand the market. They hope thattheir leadership will enhance lives,taste buds, and the happiness offuture generations.

Learn more about Frey Vineyards,organic and biodynamic methodsand find other useful resources atwww.freywine.com

Fine Wines That Live Off the Land

A typical biodynamic vineyard.

DAVID BROWER LAUNCHED FRIENDS OF THE EARTH in 1969 with theintent of continuing the effort he started at the Sierra Club to saveAmerica’s great heritage of rivers, parks, wilderness, and wildlife, butalso to expand advocacy efforts to tackle the growing horrors of mas-sive air and water pollution and chemical pesticides.

For the past 40 years Friends of the Earth has been a champion ofclean air and water, fought false solutions to global warming and pro-moted clean energy options. With the help of our Friends of the EarthInternational network in 77 countries, we have protected human rightsand precious natural resources abroad while here at home we chal-lenged the policies of corporations that prioritize profits over humanhealth. This year marks our 40th anniversary but likewise it signals atime of renewed hope and rising awareness of the value of life onearth. Here’s a look at what we’ve achieved, and what we have plannedfor a bright future.

Brent BlackwelderPresident

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“The greatestbeauty is organicwholeness, thewholeness of lifeand things, thedivine beauty ofthe universe, lovethat, not manapart from that…”

– Robinson Jeffers, The Answer(Not Man Apart was the orig-inal title of the Friends of theEarth Newsmagazine)

Brent at a rally for 50Years is Enough, a net-work founded on the50 year anniversary ofthe founding of theWorld Bank and dedi-cated to its reform.

IN 1970 FRIENDS OF THE EARTHlaunched its first major campaign –to halt the proposed supersonic com-mercial airplane, the Super SonicTransport (SST), which was backed byBoeing and the Nixon administra-tion. This was in essence the first cli-mate campaign, as the big bird wasdesigned to fly at the stratosphericlevel where commercial fleets coulddeplete the earth’s protective ozonelayer that safeguards us from ultraviolet radiation. Additionally theplane would waste massive amountsof fuel and cost an exorbitantamount of money. We rallied econo-mists, from conservatives like MiltonFriedman to liberals like JohnKenneth Galbraith, to criticize the

project and use their influence withCongress. At the same time we begana letter-writing campaign to swaythe vote. When the appropriationwent before Congress we were ableto force the vote time and again. Ourpersistence paid off when Congresscompletely cut out funding for theSST. Friends of the Earth’s first majorvictory was also a lesson in how acampaign can be won with a multi-pronged strategy – a tactic we stilluse today, incorporating a mix ofdirect lobbying, media, targeting cor-porations, grassroots organizing, andeconomics to reinforce environmentaland budget priority arguments.

More Than One Path To Victory4 0 T H A N N I V E R S A RY ■

OVER THE NEXT several pageswe highlight some of the mostsignificant victories and visiblecampaigns that Friends of theEarth is known for. This is not anexhaustive list of every achieve-ment, for Friends of the Earth’srich history cannot be fully cap-tured here. For a more detailednarrative, visit our website andclick on the 40th anniversarybutton in the column on the leftside of the homepage — hereyou can access success stories,links to our photo archive andour 40th anniversary video.

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What In the WorldThis timeline offers context through which to view Friends of the Earth’s campaigns.

1969

fMillions of gallons of oilspill in Santa Barbara;environmental advocacygroups spring up inunparalleled numbers – Friends ofthe Earth is founded by David Brower.

1970

f The National Environmental PolicyAct (NEPA), which requires federallyfunded projects be examined fortheir environmental impacts, is putto the test in 1971 when Friends ofthe Earth files the first lawsuit underNEPA to save the Alaskan wildernessfrom the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline;the pipeline is approved in 1973.

f Friends of the Earth International islaunched in Europe.

1971

f Congress kills funding for Super SonicTransport (SST) commercial airliner,chalking up the first major victoryfor Friends of the Earth.

1972

f Clean Water Act passes.

1973

f Oil crisis throws our nation into tur-moil; Friends of the Earth’s AmoryLovins begins work on ‘soft energypaths’ – a comprehensive energyplan based on energy efficiency andrenewable energy.

1975

f Browns Ferry nuclear reactor fireraises awareness of safety issues;

Friends of the EarthInternational ralliesaround nuclear issue.

1976

f First standoff over log-ging in Brazil’sAmazon region is ledby rubber tapperFrancisco ChicoMendez, who is assas-sinated in 1988.

1977

f Friends of the Earthforms coalition of citi-zen groups from coalmining regions thatleads to first law tocontrol practice ofstrip mining for coal.

In its first twodecades Friends ofthe Earth publishedmore than 20 exhibitformat books cele-brating in picturesthe earth’s wildplaces, hoping toinspire conservation.

PRIOR TO THE 1970s most nationalenvironmental laws were focused onconservation, and those states withlaws in place to regulate polluterswere thwarted when a corporationin one state would simply moveoperations to a different state toavoid complying with environmentalsafeguards. We needed nationallaws to fight nation-wide degrada-tion of air, water and land – and thedecade beginning in 1970 saw thepassage of 30 major laws protectingthe environment, including theClean Water Act. Over the decadesfailure to comply with this law led toincreasingly polluted waterwaysthat destroyed fish and wildlife habi-

tats and harmed human health. Inthe early 1990s we found out thatLaidlaw, a company in SouthCarolina, was dumping mercury intothe water, harming those who fishedor used the water. We sued the com-pany for failing to comply with theClean Water Act. The lawsuit tookseven years and went all the way tothe U.S. Supreme Court, but in 1999we won this important case by a 7-2vote. Contemporary law studentsstudy the landmark Supreme Courtvictory Friends of the Earth v. Laidlawfor the precedent it set confirmingcitizens’ right to sue to stop illegalwater pollution under the CleanWater Act.

Proactively Fighting Pollution4 0 T H A N N I V E R S A RY ■

Friends of the Earth ad in Men’s Journal, 2000.

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1978

f Friends of the Earth launches cam-paign to halt the Synthetic FuelsCorporation from developing syn-thetic fuels and strikes down thecorporation in 1983.

1979

f Three Mile Islandbecomes theworst nuclearreactor accidentin U.S. history striking a blow to theindustry, already scrutinized for con-struction cost overruns, safety prob-lems at other plants, and lack of dis-posal plans for radioactive waste.

1981

f Friends of the Earth stops the MXMissile, an intercontinental ballisticmissile system proposed to defendagainst Soviet nuclear attack, butthat in reality would cost more than$50 billion, affect 25,000 squaremiles and be impossible to hide fromthe public or Soviet spies.

f Interior DepartmentSecretary James Wattplans to lease pris-tine coastal areas foroff-shore drilling;Friends of the Earthdenounces the planwith a full-pagenewspaper ad (right)and Congress impos-es a moratorium onthe leases. Friends of the Earth andthe Sierra Club present to Congress amillion-signaturepetition to oustInterior SecretaryJames Watt; Wattresigns in 1983.

1983

f Reagan administra-tion plans to sell andlease federally ownedland and mineralresources; Friends ofthe Earth launchescampaign to stopresource giveaway.

f Friends of the Earth forces the firstcongressional oversight hearing ofdamage caused by World Bank proj-ects and joins with other groups ina campaign to reform lending prac-tices at U.S.-based internationalfinancial institutions.

1984

f Pesticide plant in Bhopal, India,leaks, exposing 500,000 people totoxic gases.

1986

f Chernobyl nuclearreactor explodesin Ukraine.President Yeltsin’senvironmentaladvisor, AlexeiYablokov, latersays 300,000eventually diedfrom exposure.

Membershipbrochure fromthe 1980s.

Years later nuclear reac-tors continue to get gov-ernment support – Friendsof the Earth Europe holdsa protest in commemora-tion of the lives lost.

f Friends of the Earth aligns withactivists to convince InternationalWhaling Commission to impose aglobal ban on commercial captureof baleen whales and sperm whales.

1987

fMontreal Protocolpassed; subsequentpressure by Friendsof the Earth suc-ceeds at phasingout ozone-deplet-ing CFCs within adecade.

1988

f IntergovernmentalPanel on ClimateChange (IPCC) estab-lished to assess the “risk of human-induced climate change.”

1989

f Exxon Valdez spill causes massiveecological destruction; Friends of the

Earth takes the lead in gettingCongress to pass the Oil SpillPollution Act in 1990, requiring dou-ble hulls on new tankers.

1990

f Friends of the Earth drives the suc-cessful fight for chemical safety pro-visions in the reauthorization of theClean Air Act.

1992

f Friends of the Earth works withLower Elwha tribe in WashingtonState to pass a federal law authoriz-ing the removal of two dams so as torestore historic salmon runs.

1993

f North American Free TradeAgreement debate pits environmen-tal groups against one another;Friends of the Earth opposes thetreaty for its creation of undemocra-tic secret tribunals with the powerto undermine environmental laws.

1994

f The first genetically modified foodcrop is released into the market.

f Friends of the Earth helps launch 50Years is Enough campaign to radicallyreform the World Bank andInternational Monetary Fund as theyplan their 50th anniversary.

1995

f Republicans control U.S. Congressfor the first time in decades andbegin attacking environmental pro-tections; provisions in the ‘Contractwith America’ threaten to weakenthe foundation of environmental,health and safety protections.

1998

f Friends of the Earthderails a proposedtrade deal on invest-ment (the MultilateralAgreement onInvestment) thatwould have under-

A brochure fromFriends of the Earth’scampaign with TheBody Shop to pre-serve the ozone layerthat shields us fromultraviolet radiation.

Brent Blackwelder andothers rally against theMultilateral Agreementon Investment.

4 0 T H A N N I V E R S A RY ■

Friends of the Earth Across the GlobeIn 2005 Friendsof the Earthgroups gather atthe internationalclimate negotiations held inMontreal.

Corporate respon-sibility campaignmaterials fromFriends of theEarth in the UK.

1970 – First FoE internationalgroup formed in France.

Belgium – Ourpartners in Europechallenge globaltrade and investmentthat leads to global poverty.

1995 – Friends of the Earthstops the World Bank fromfunding Nepal’s Arun Dam.

Friends of the Earth is fighting gas flaring inNigeria, a practice that threatens humanhealth and the environment.

1991 – Antarctic-Environmental Protocolpassed ending our 10-yearbattle to ban mineral explo-ration in Antarctica.

1996 – Friends of the Earth convinces the WorldBank to withdraw supportfor Shell’s new gas plant inNigeria.

2005 – Friends of the EarthInternational and BluewaterNetwork (which merged withFriends of the Earth that year)protested at the InternationalMaritime Organization, accus-ing shipping companiesof behaving like piratesin the control theyexert over regulationof toxic pollutants.

Photo credit: Mike J Wells

1987 – Friends of the EarthMalaysia and Penan forestcommunities organize block-ades and demonstrations tostop logging on the island ofBorneo.

FRIENDS OF THE EARTH HAS alertedthe public to the dangers posed byGenetically Modified Organisms(GMOs) since the late 1970s. In 1977our newsmagazine, Not Man Apart,published an article describing therisk of researchers accidentally creat-ing a dangerous new organism inthe lab and then allowing it toescape into the broader environ-ment. In the mid-80s Friends of theEarth published Altered Harvest, aninquiry into the emerging practice ofgenetically engineering crops, andpointed out that powerful compa-nies like Monsanto were buying upindependent seed companies.Friends of the Earth’s biggest exposécame in September 2000 when,through independent testing, we

discovered StarLink, a geneticallyengineered corn not approved forhuman consumption, in Taco Bellbrand taco shells, a Kraft product.Our team raised the red flag on Kraft– organizing demonstrations at gro-cery stores and Kraft manufacturing

locations to draw attention to theheath and environmental concernslinked to genetically engineeredfoods. The publicly scandalized Kraftwas forced to recall millions of boxesof taco shells. The recall reinforcedfor the public the threats posed byGMOs and the need for safety test-ing and accurate labeling so con-sumers can make informed choices.The magnitude of this victory wasput into perspective when MotherJones magazine revealed in 2008that after we blew the whistle onKraft, a private security firm washired to spy on Friends of the Earthand two other environmentalgroups – scouring dumpsters in themiddle of the night hoping to find‘enemy intelligence.’

Challenging New Technology

Friends of the Earth campaigner Larry Bohlen(right) and Skip Spitzer of Pesticide ActionNetwork (left) at a GMO protest in 1999.

mined environmental laws anddiminished public health standards.

1999

f Thousands ofactivists shutdown the WorldTrade Organization (WTO) tradenegotiations in Seattle; Friends ofthe Earth successfully pushes for anexecutive order that requires theU.S. government to conduct envi-ronmental impact assessments ofall future trade deals.

2000

f Friends of theEarth wins a land-mark case in theU.S. SupremeCourt, Friends ofthe Earth v.Laidlaw, whichconfirms citizens’right to enforcethe Clean WaterAct.

f Friends of the Earthexposes illegalStarlink corn inKraft taco shells,forcing a massiverecall of this geneti-cally engineeredcorn that had not been approved forhuman consumption.

2001

f President Bushreleases energyplan emphasiz-ing oil explo-ration and newconstruction ofnuclear reactorsand coal plants.

2002

f Friends of the Earth,with the BreastCancer Fund, estab-lishes a coalition to eliminate toxicchemicals from personal care prod-ucts called the Campaign For SafeCosmetics; more than 1,000 compa-

nies have now pledged to removechemicals linked to adverse healthimpacts from personal care products.

2003

f European Heat Wave results in pre-mature deaths of at least 35,000people; Friends of the Earth helpsdraft and pass the world’s first lawregulating the emission of green-house gas pollution from new pas-senger vehicles – the CaliforniaClean Cars Law.

f Bush administration givesmining companies hugevictory at the expense ofAppalachian mountainsby further relaxing envi-ronmental requirementson mountain top removal;Friends of the Earthexposes the ethics viola-tions of Department ofthe Interior deputy secre-tary Steven Griles, notorious for hand-ing out billions of dollars worth of gasleases on public lands. He resigns in2004 and is sentenced to jail in 2007.

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Friends of the Earthcampaign material.

The biannual Friends ofthe Earth Internationalmeetings bring togetherrepresentatives fromaround the world to cre-ate and reaffirm a sharedset of values and goalsfor environmental andglobal justice. This meet-ing was held in WestVirginia in 2000.

Friends of the Earthchronology of Bushadministration’s abhorrentenvironmental record.

IN 2002, Bluewater Network, whichmerged with Friends of the Earth in2005, drafted and helped pass theworld’s first law regulating green-house gas pollution from new pas-senger vehicles – the CaliforniaClean Cars Law. Automakers, ratherthan investing in cleaner vehicletechnology, chose to file lawsuits tostop California’s Clean Car law fromgoing into effect. After nearly fiveyears of litigation, automakers havelost every lawsuit they filed, withthe Courts upholding California’slaw across the board. Our success inthis lawsuit was helped by theSupreme Court’s 2007 ruling inMassachusetts v. EPA, a case filed by

Friends of the Earth and others in2006. In that case, the SupremeCourt found that the EPA hasauthority to regulate greenhouse

gases, dealing a blow to auto-makers’ ongoing legal challenge.This summer the EPA finally grantedthe waiver necessary for California’slaw to go into effect. California andthe 13 other states that have adoptedCalifornia’s mandate (which collec-tively make up more than 40 percentof the North American car market)can now begin enforcing the law’sgreenhouse gas reduction require-ments for new vehicles. Importantly,in May 2009, Obama announcedplans to expand greenhouse gasrequirements for vehicles to the restof the country – a major victory forFriends of the Earth.

California Clean Car Law

2004

f Friends of the Earth wins ten-yearcourt battle against Chevron over thechemical company’s 65 violations ofthe Clean Water Act at a Texas plant;as part of the settlement, in 2007Chevron agrees to fund the additionof more than 1,600 acres to the BigThicket National Preserve.

2005

f Hurricane Katrinatakes more than1,300 lives, dis-places hundredsof thousands anddevastates 217square miles ofcoastline.

f Friends of the Earth convinces theNational Park Service to ban recre-ational use of snowmobiles in RockyMountain National Park.

f Friends of the Earth and local activistspressure the Washington, DC CityCouncil to pass emergency legislation

banning shipmentsof highly toxic chem-icals through thecity; in 2007President Bush signsinto law hazardousmaterials re-routinglegislation to protect46 cities from toxicterrorism.

2006

f Friends of the Earth wins a caseagainst the EPA, ensuring that pol-lution levels in the District ofColumbia are measured on a dailybasis reducing sewage dischargesinto the Anacostia River.

f Congress responds to Friends of theEarth’s Green Scissors campaign byeliminating oil royalty give-aways forcompanies drilling on federal landsor in federal waters, saving taxpayers$20 billion over the next 25 years.

f The EPA responds to pressure fromFriends of the Earth and revises itsflawed methods for calculating fuel

economy of new cars, not updatedsince the 1970s.

f Friends of the Earth is one of thefirst groups to petition the EPA toregulate greenhouse gases emittedfrom automobiles; in the subse-quent legal battle the SupremeCourt rules in our favor.

f House Republicansannounce a drillingbill as a solution to theenergy crisis; Friendsof the Earth and itsmembers protest the proposal.

2008

f Congress debates flawed legislationto tackle climate change; Friends ofthe Earth fights the Lieberman-Warner climate bill for being tooweak to meet the drastic challengesof global warming; cuts bill’s give-aways to polluters in half.

f Protesters gatheroutside the WorldBank headquartersin Washington, DC,

Friends of the Earthad placed in DC areaMetro trains.

Highly toxic chemi-cals are transportedthrough DC, withinsight of the Capitol.


DAVID BROWER ONCE SAID, “We areto hold fast to what we believe isright, fight for it, and find allies andadduce all possible arguments for ourcause. If we cannot find enough vigorin us or them to win, then let some-one else produce the compromise. Wethereupon work hard to coax it ourway. We become a nucleus aroundwhich the strongest force can buildand function.” Over the decadesFriends of the Earth has kept true tothis ideal. When the Senate consid-ered the most substantial globalwarming bill ever in 2007 and 2008,the Lieberman-Warner ClimateSecurity Act, Friends of the Earth pro-vided a detailed analysis showing thatthe bill had serious flaws. More than$1 trillion was being given to the fossil

fuel industry and proposed reductionsin greenhouse gas emissions fell shortof scientifically-required targets. Muchto the dismay of a number of senatorsand other environmental groups, whowere willing to see a climate bill moveforward regardless of its shortfalls, welaunched the “Fix It or Ditch It” cam-paign, calling on senators to fix or

ditch the bill. We managed to substan-tially change the debate, convincingother groups and legislators of the needto rethink their approach to solvingglobal warming. Friends of the Earthcontinues to lead and redefine thedebate over solutions to global warm-ing. In 2009 we published a ground-breaking report entitled SubprimeCarbon (www.foe.org/subprimecarbon)showing how Wall Street could exploita cap and trade system (a potentialmeans of addressing global warming),leading to a repeat of the financialmess we saw this year. The author ofthe report, Michelle Chan, testifiedbefore Congress, sounding the alarmand moving the dialogue towards realclimate solutions.

Leading the Global Warming Debate

Michelle Chan testified before Congress in 2009.

to call attention to the institution’smassive increase in lending for coalprojects.

f Friends of the Earth wins a legal bat-tle against the National Park Service,demanding that they more aggres-sively penalize violations to off roadvehicle use regulations in parks.

f Dike breaks at the Tennessee ValleyAuthority (TVA) Kingston Fossil Plantcoal ash pond and 1.1 billion gallons oftoxic sludge seep into tributaries andwatersheds of the Tennessee River,wiping out aquatic life and contami-nating drinking water; Friends of theEarth mobilizes activists to demandan immediate moratorium on theconstruction of new coal plants, aswell as a rapid phase-out of plantsthat already exist.

f Fire retardant chemicals linked toautism and cancer are pervasive ineverything from household furni-ture, baby products and electronics;Friends of the Earth thwarts thechemical industry by achieving a

ban on the use of toxic fire retar-dants in electronics sold worldwide.

f Friends of the Earth saves some of thenation’s most pristine marine habi-tats when it achieves a ban on cruiseship sewage discharges in California’sNational Marine Sanctuaries.

2009

f Friends of theEarth and alliesfinally stop Bushplan to sink $18billion in taxpay-er money on anuclear wastedump at YuccaMountain, Nevada; Friends of theEarth launches “Nuclear Lie” cam-paign to keep Yucca Mountainclosed to nuclear waste.

f Friends of the Earth settles adecade-long legal battle with theExport-Import Bank and OverseasPrivate Investment Corporation,forcing these agencies to evaluate

global warmingimpacts of theprojects theyfinance.

f Friends of theEarth helps leadthe movement todenounce Shell forits complicity inthe Nigerian gov-ernment’s execu-tion of activist(and GoldmanPrize winner) KenSaro-Wiwa andeight environ-mentalists in1995; a settlementwas reached shortly before Shellwas due to stand trial; Shell forcedto pay $15.5 million, including $5million for a trust to benefit com-munities in the homeland of theexecuted activists.


Friends of the Earth useswell-placed ads, like thisvideo, to influence thepublic and legislators.

Friends of the Earth joins aprotest against DukeEnergy’s plans for a massivenew coal-fired plant calledCliffside in North Carolina.

Protesters gathered outsidethe New York City court-house where Shell wasscheduled to stand trial.

FOR 40 YEARS, Friends of the Earthhas been a leader in aggressivelyconfronting the root causes of cli-mate change, in stopping destruc-tive federal and international invest-ment, and in stemming damagingcorporate exploitation that placesprofit above human and environ-mental wellbeing.

Today we are promoting cleanand sustainable energy, clean trans-portation, climate justice for poorand vulnerable populations, respon-sible use of technology, and protec-tion of the earth’s natural treasures.

Friends of the Earth Priorities Include:• Obtaining aggressive climate

change legislation in the UnitedStates that quickly reduces — andeventually ends — our country’semissions of heat-trapping gasses.We are also participating inFriends of the Earth International’sefforts to bring the internationalcommunity together behind astrong global climate agreement,

without which this problem can-not be solved.

• Securing regulation of nanotech-nology and synthetic biology whilebanning the patenting of humangenes, cloned meat and harmfulchemicals such as brominated fireretardants. Corporations often seekprofit from scientific develop-ments, with little regard forhuman health. Friends of the Earthis a fierce advocate of scientificprogress, but people come beforeprofits, and we must take precau-tion to ensure new technologiesdon’t do more harm than good.

• Holding elected officials account-able and working to exposeunnecessary funding for environ-mentally destructive projects—saving taxpayers’ money and theplanet. This is our Green Scissorsprogram.

• Promoting conservation and theuse of clean energy such as solarand wind power, and fighting toend our reliance on harmful ener-gy sources such as corn ethanol,tar sands, coal, and risky nuclearreactors.

• Fighting for alternatives to petro-leum-based modes of transporta-tion. In the short-term, we areworking to bring ultra-efficient,plug-in electric vehicles to themarket and develop networks ofsolar-powered charging stationsfor these vehicles to charge from

renewable energy for zero emis-sions driving. We are also workingto increase access to public trans-portation, passenger rail andother clean transportationoptions, including walking andbiking.

• Exposing and fighting pollutionand exploitation of our ecosys-tems. Our Clean Vessels campaignis cleaning up the cruise shipindustry, protecting marine sanc-tuaries, and reducing air pollutionfrom ocean-going vessels.

• Demanding leadership in forgingequitable solutions to the climatecrisis. For the poorest countries onour planet, the global economicsystem has been an underlyingcause behind environmentaldegradation and disruption ofpeople’s livelihoods, and we workto change unjust global financialinstitutions and trade rules.

Our Present Campaigns4 0 T H A N N I V E R S A RY ■

1717 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 600 • Washington, DC 20036-2008 • www.foe.org

Friends of the Earth is printed with soy ink on 100% recycled paper, 100% post-consumer content. Bleached without chlorine.

UNIONBUG


E V E N T S ■

By Hillary Blank

MORE THAN 300 SUPPORTERS joinedFriends of the Earth on May 15 to cel-ebrate our spectacular GreenAwards ceremony, preview a newfilm about Friends of the Earth’swork, and participate in a live auc-tion featuring eco-friendly packages.

The historic Conservatory ofFlowers provided a gorgeous tropicalbackdrop, underscoring Friends ofthe Earth’s ongoing work to stop thedestruction of tropical forests tofeed the American appetite for envi-ronmentally harmful biofuels.

The highlight of the evening wasthe appearance of actress andactivist Daryl Hannah, who receiveda Green Hero Award for her workencouraging sustainable living andfor her commitment to social justice.She spoke of her admiration forFriends of the Earth’s victories, suchas stopping companies like Planktosfrom dumping iron filings into thewaters off the Galapagos Islands.

Joan Blades, co-founder ofMoveOn.org, and founder of Moms

Rising, receivedthe GreenProgress Awardfor her outstand-ing work buildingpublic supportfor sound policy inenvironmental and women’s issuesthrough online advocacy. RachelBarge received the Green InitiativeAward for creating The GreenInitiative Fund (TGIF), a revolving $2million green fund to improve ener-gy use and other infrastructure at UCBerkeley. Economist, social analyst,

and author of Blessed Unrest, PaulHawken, presented the award.

Guests enjoyed gourmet local andorganic cuisine, organic and biody-namic wine and other delicaciesthroughout the evening. Hosts JayniChase and local television star DougMcConnell introduced portions ofthe program and the film, whileCalifornia Senator Mark Leno andAssemblyman Jared Huffman assist-ed in honoring the awardees.

Amid the glow of the beautifuldécor, provided by Blueprint Studios,guests danced the night away tomusic by Lord Loves a Working Man.Proceeds from the event will supportFriends of the Earth‘s vital environ-mental campaigns.

For information on supportingnext year’s Green Ball or upcomingevents in your area, please contactHillary Blank at [email protected] or 415-544-0790 ext-219.

The Green Ball 2009 – CelebratingBiodiversity Among the Orchids

Event Sponsors

As You Sow FoundationAutodesk Inc.BardessonoBlueprint StudiosBlue Ice Organic VodkaBrewery Gulch InnEarthbound FarmEpi Center Med SpaFrey VineyardsGarrett Loube and Marcia

RodgersGraphic FactsHotel VitaleJean-Michel Cousteau Fiji

Islands Resort

Jim and Linda KuhnsJoe Digital Katz Family FoundationLa Rocca VineyardsLila B. DesignMavericks Surf

Ventures, IncMr. Jay Wallace and Ms.

Myra ChowMr. Larry RussoPhilip and Patricia WilliamsMrs. Shirley LoubeLinda S. Gordon, Sotheby’s

International RealtyOCSC Sailing

Peeled SnacksPortland Fashion WeekPohaku FundPomega5Royal ImpexStephen and Jan McDougalStowe Mountain LodgeStuart and Julie RudickStuart Horne and Margaret

MitchellThe Fred Gellert Family

FoundationU.S. Pure Water Corp.

TV show host Doug McConnell, Board ChairMike Herz and Brent Blackwelder.

Actress Daryl Hannahaccepts her GreenHero Award.

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T R A N S P O R TAT I O N ■

By Kate McMahon

THIS FALL THE Surface TransportationBill will be debated in Congress and theoutcome will determine the wayAmericans move around the country. Inthe past this bill has been known as“The Highway Bill” because that is pret-ty much what it did: build highways.

Each year federal transportationfunding goes toward building newhighways and widening existingroads, encouraging more drivingand sprawl while contributing toglobal warming pollution. Yet evenas billions are spent to build newroads, existing roads are crumbling.In addition, the alternatives to driv-ing, such as public transportation,passenger rail, bicycling and walk-ing, are all but disregarded indirecting federal spending.

But as the bill comes up for re-authorization this year, environmen-tal and low income activists from allover the country are calling for a newtransportation vision. Instead ofbuilding new roads, we should fixthe ones we have. We must provideaffordable and accessible transporta-tion options for all people, includingthe elderly and lower income individ-uals. We need to build communitieswhere people can sleep, eat, workand play without having to rely onmotorized transportation.

The opportunity and desire forchange are there, but making thisinto a reality is more difficult than itshould be. This was exemplified lastwinter in the stimulus bill. Despiteintense campaigning by Friends ofthe Earth and others to limit thefunding in the stimulus bill for high-way construction and to insteadfund new public transportationinfrastructure, the final bill was still

heavily weighted toward new high-way construction as compared topublic transit. And now, public trans-portation programs across the coun-try are facing budget shortfalls,resulting in service cuts. But the newtransportation bill could provide apathway for change. Instead of dis-tributing funds to mostly road proj-ects, as our transportation policycurrently does, funds should be dis-tributed based on performance stan-dards, such as carbon-intensity, withaffordable low-carbon infrastructureat the top of the list.

As people gear up for summervacations, their transportation choic-es can signal support for change andinfluence how Congress shapes thetransportation bill. Fortunately, low-carbon and low-cost travel optionscurrently exist, even if these choicesare limited. Last spring, the Union ofConcerned Scientists released a

report entitled Getting There Greenerthat shows the best way to travel vari-ous distances based on the size of thegroup. The surest way to cut your car-bon footprint this summer is tochoose a vacation spot that is close tohome and is accessible by bus. If youare traveling by yourself or with oneother person, it is more efficient totake the train than it is to drive. If atrain or a bus isn’t an option, andyou’re going somewhere less than500 miles from home, it is still moreecologically and economically effi-cient to drive than to take a plane.

The point is, if we want to havemore options, we need to start utiliz-ing the ones we already have. Makingsmart decisions now about whatmodes of transportation we use willshow that there is support for changeand will help influence what your rep-resentatives in Congress choose to docome fall.

The Path to a New Transportation Bill

Atlantic Station in Atlanta is an example of a walkable community that combines retail, commercialand residential properties.


T R I B U T E ■

By John PassacantandoGreenpeace USA Executive Director,2000-2008

TELLING THE STORY of BrentBlackwelder’s career requires a size-able book. It deserves one too. Sothink of this as a pitch to a publisher:beginning with Earth Day 1970 a bril-liant philosophy and math majoressentially goes AWOL from acade-mia and becomes one of the environ-mental movement’s greatest war-riors. For 39 years!

An old boss of Brent’s told me thatBrent throws off more ideas in a daythan most activists have in a career.He’s blocked Army Corps dam projectsthat most environmental activistsnever even heard were threats – morethan 200 dams and water projects. Infact, by defeating the Cache RiverChanellization project, he helped pro-tect the habitat that is likely the reasonthe Ivory-Billed Woodpecker came back.He convened the annual dam fightersconference from 1976 to 1986 to coordi-nate efforts to halt destructive projects.

He’s pushed golf courses to lay offthe pesticides and at the same time hecan go a year without playing a round,walk out cold and shoot par. But you’dnever know. It’s like he keeps his talentsa secret. Most leaders will brag aboutthe groups they founded, so much sothat the birth of these groups seem tohave hundreds of founders. Brent is notoften thought of as a “founder,” yetthere he was in the shadows whenFriends of the Earth was emerging in1969, again in 1972 when theEnvironmental Policy Center was born.

He founded American Rivers, aninterest that drove him to expand theNational Wild and Scenic RiversSystem from eight rivers in 1973 toinclude more than 200 rivers today. Hewas again in the wings when the

League of Conservation Voters was cre-ated in 1969. And he may have beenthe first environmentalist to exposehow federal budgets and tax codesdrive environmental destruction.

Yet he’s not just an activist. Hecanoes on the Potomac River. Heknows every bird and wildflower in theWashington, DC Metro area. You caneven go on a tour that he gives in thespring in Rock Creek Park. He was bornhere. He knows and loves this place.

He’s political too. He went door-to-door for House candidate BarbaraBoxer in California almost 30 years agoand then punished her publicly in2008 when she backed a weak, pol-luter-gutted shadow of a global warm-ing bill. I was in Boxer’s office when shetongue-lashed the two of us in front ofour fellow environmental group lead-ers. He was cool, polite, completely un-intimidated and then as soon as wegot out of the meeting he wanted toplot ways to put more pressure on theSenator. And he did all this withoutexpressing any anger whatsoever.

Speaking of politics, last year Brentplayed the green endorsement gamethe best it’s ever been played. He wrotethe environmental platform for presi-dential candidate Senator Edwards in2008, endorsed him, which then forced

candidates Hilary Clinton and BarackObama to match it.

But I first spent intimate time withBrent when we were hidden under atarp, in a box affixed to the roof of agiant rented U-Haul truck that, in thespring of 2000, was driven in front ofthe World Bank and locked in place (bypeople locking themselves to theaxles) on Pennsylvania Avenue. Wepopped out of the box to take turnsblasting anti-Bank messages on its oil,gas and mining projects with a bull-horn. We couldn’t help but chuckle atthe giant mess we had caused. It wasour follow-up to the Battle in Seattle,protests that have followed WorldBankers around the world to this day.Shackled and locked into a policetruck and then rushed off to a jail cell,Brent kept making the case againstthe Chad/Cameroon pipeline, a classicWorld Bank environmental debacle.He was telling the officer who bookedus about it. He made the case again tothe guy who led us to our cell. Oncethe two of us were locked awaytogether, he started in on me. I said,“Brent, it’s just us in here. Stop talkingabout the damn pipeline.”

He’s still involved with DukeUniversity, his alma mater and his son’stoo. He serves on the board of visitors ofthe Nicholas School (Duke’s environ-mental school). My sense is that havingBrent around gives Duke enormouscredibility amongst the never sell-out-wing of the environmental movement,while keeping the money and policysafely within the hands of the moder-ates. But I’ll be betting on Brent to moveit, and to keep moving the environmen-tal movement to where it needs to be,even in his so-called retirement. It hasbeen an honor to work alongside thisman who taught me so much for all myyears in this struggle.

A Tribute to Brent Blackwelder

Brent helping clean up Rock Creek Park inWashington, DC, in 2007.

FA C T O RY FA R M S ■


By Kate McMahon of Friends of theEarth and Jessica Culpepper of TheHumane Society of the United States

IN AN ERA OF GREEN LIVING weoften overlook one of the simplestways to fight global warmingcaused by carbon emissions – criti-cally examining the food we eat. Anideal low-carbon diet consists ofplant-based foods that are locallyand organically grown. Meat con-sumption, particularly from ani-mals raised on factory farms, alsoknown as Concentrated AnimalFeeding Operations (CAFOs), is amajor contributor to a person’s car-bon footprint.

The waste created from theseconcentrated facilities produce anoverwhelming amount of methane(a potent greenhouse gas). In addi-tion, unlike smaller farms, theseindustrial facilities bring feed andwater to the animals rather thangrazing them, and require exten-sive energy use to operate themany automated systems, fromwaterers and feeders to manurescrapers and egg removal belts toheaters, coolers, and ventilators.

Most animals on factory farmsare fed diets primarily made fromgrains, including corn and soybeans.Corn and soybean farming are high-ly destructive to the environment,requiring large amounts of fertilizerand pesticides, which pollute our airand water, and relying on petrole-um in production. Then the feed istransported to the factory farms,adding another element to thegreenhouse gas portfolio of the ani-mals that eat it.

Perhaps most startling is notwhat goes into feeding the animals,but what comes out – methane and

other air and water pollutants thatstem from manure. At many factoryfarms, manure sits in pools, emit-ting air pollutants and leaching tox-ins into ground water. According tothe U.S. Department of Agricultureand the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency, confined farmanimals generate approximately500 million tons of manure annual-ly, amounting to about three timesas much waste as humans producein the United States.

The Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nationsestimates that the animal agricul-ture sector is responsible for 18 per-cent of greenhouse gas emissionsglobally, more than the global pollu-tion share contributed by the trans-portation sector.

Currently, greenhouse gases andother pollution from factory farmsare not regulated, and the vastmajority of meat, eggs, and milkproduced in the U.S. today are fromthese factory farms. This summer,Friends of the Earth and theHumane Society of the UnitedStates have joined forces to get thispollution under control.

So while we can’t help you cutdown on carbs, we can help cut yourcarbon footprint: opt for a veggieburger or for local and pasture-raised meat instead of meat fromfactory farms. Check outwww.eatwild.com for a list of pasture-raised animal farms in your stateand www.humanesociety.org/recipes forgreat meatless recipes.

Cutting Back on Carbon from Factory Farms

Over the last several decades, increasing numbers of animals are being raised in fewer, but larger,farm operations where animals are crowded in small spaces in industrial factory settings.

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G I V I N G ■

DURING THE PAST 40 YEARS mem-bers like you have put the environ-mental movement on the map.Without your passion, activism andgenerosity we’d still be sufferingfrom acid rain and a growing hole inthe ozone layer. By working together,we have won some amazing victo-ries for the planet and for ourfriends and families.

But there is more to do. Given thechallenges we face, we must engageothers in protecting our fragile plan-et and the life it supports.

Our earth needs a new genera-tion of environmental activists andit needs them now.

That is why we’re launching a newinitiative — The Next GenerationCampaign — to reach out to workingAmericans, parents, college studentsand others who our movement willneed in the next 40 years.

Do you know others who, like you,enjoy the outdoors, value wildernessand wildlife, or are just concernedabout our planet?

If so, here’s how you can help: Givea gift membership to your childrenand grandchildren, your family andfriends, your neighbors and col-leagues — everyone has a stake inthis fight.

Gift memberships make greatpresents for holidays, birthdays orany occasion. We will inform therecipient of your thoughtful gift, andgifts of just $15 or more mean theywill receive a one year subscriptionto this newsmagazine.

Include an email address andwe’ll invite them to join our networkof online activists — giving them theopportunity to take action on urgentenvironmental issues.

If you’re not already part of ouronline community, you can getinvolved too by including your ownemail address.

Thank you for helping build the next generation of environmentalists!

YOUName: __________________________________________________________________________________________________

Email: __________________________________________________________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip: ______________________________________________________________________________________________

GIFT RECIPIENTName: __________________________________________________________________________________________________

Email: __________________________________________________________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip: ______________________________________________________________________________________________

■■✓ YES, I want to give a Gift Membership in the amount of:

■■ $15 ■■ $25 ■■ $35 ■■ $50 ■■ Other $ ____________

Card Number __________________________________________________ Exp. Date ____________________________

Signature ________________________________________ Phone ______________________________________________

Environmentalists for the Next 40 Years

Visit www.nextgeneration.foe.org to give your gift online.✃

V39-2NG

PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID ATWASHINGTON, DCAND ADDITIONALMAILING OFFICESSummer 2009 | Volume 39, Number 2

1717 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 600Washington, DC 20036-2008

A copy of the latest Financial Report and Registration filed by this organization may be obtained by contacting us at Friends of the Earth, 1717 Massachusetts Ave. NW Suite 600, Washington DC 20036-2008. Toll-free number:877-843-8687. Or, for residents of the following states, by contacting any of the state agencies: CALIFORNIA – A copy of the Official Financial Statement may be obtained from the Attorney General’s Registry of Charitable Trusts,Department of Justice, P.O. Box 903447, Sacramento, CA 94203-4470 or by calling 916-445-2021. FLORIDA - A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVI-SION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE, WITHIN THE STATE, 1-800-435-7352. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. Florida registra-tion # CH960. KANSAS Annual financial report is filed with Secretary of State #258-204-7. MARYLAND For the cost of copies and postage: Office of the Secretary of State, State House, Annapolis, MD 21401. MICHIGANMICS 10926. MISSISSIPPI – The official registration and financial information of Friends of the Earth, Inc. may be obtained from the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office by calling 1-888-236-6167. Registration by the Secretaryof State does not imply endorsement by the Secretary of State. NEW JERSEY INFORMATION FILED WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL CONCERNING THIS CHARITABLE SOLICITATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE ATTOR-NEY GENERAL OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY BY CALLING 973-504-6215. REGISTRATION WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT. NEW YORK Office of the Attorney General, Department ofLaw, Charities Bureau, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271. NORTH CAROLINA FINANCIAL INFORMATION ABOUT THIS ORGANIZATION AND A COPY OF ITS LICENSE ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE STATE SOLICITATIONLICENSING BRANCH AT 1-888-830-4989. THE LICENSE IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT BY THE STATE. PENNSYLVANIA – The official registration and financial information of Friends of the Earth may be obtained fromPennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free within the state 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement. UTAH – Permit #C495. VIRGINIA State Division of Consumer Affairs, Department of Agricultureand Consumer Services, P.O. Box 1163, Richmond, VA 23218; 1-800-552-9963. WASHINGTON - Charities Division, Office of the Secretary of the State, State of Washington, Olympia, WA 98504-0422; 1-800-332-4483. WESTVIRGINIA West Virginia residents may obtain a summary of the registration and financial documents from the Secretary of State, State Capitol, Charleston, WV 25305. Registration does not imply endorsement.

Friends of the Earth (ISSN: 1054-1829) is published quarterly by Friends of the Earth, 1717 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC20036-2008, phone 202-783-7400, fax 202-783-0444, e-mail: [email protected], website: www.foe.org. Annual membership dues are $25, which include asubscription to Friends of the Earth. The words “Friends of the Earth” and the FoE logo are exclusive trademarks of Friends of the Earth, all rightsreserved. Requests to reprint articles should be submitted to Lisa Matthes at [email protected]. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, DC.

Our Mission: Friends of the Earth defends the environment and champions a healthy and just world.Board of DirectorsMichael Herz, Chair; Harriett Crosby, Vice Chair; Clarence Ditlow, Secretary; David Zwick, Treasurer; Jayni Chase; Marion Edey; Dan Gabel; Jeffrey Glueck;Douglas Legum; Russell Long; Patricia Matthews; Avis Ogilvy Moore; Arlie Schardt; Doria Steedman; RickTaketa; Peyton West.

StaffBrent Blackwelder, PresidentElizabeth Bast, International Program DirectorNick Berning, Director of Public Advocacy and Media RelationsHillary Blank, Major Gifts OfficerMichelle Chan, Senior International Policy AnalystHugh Cheatham, Chief Financial OfficerTom Clements, Southeastern Nuclear Campaign CoordinatorRebecca Connors, Internet Outreach ManagerMichael Despines, Climate Resilience Campaign CoordinatorWill Driscoll, Director of Foundation RelationsDanielle Fugere, Regional Program DirectorDavid Hirsch, Program & Operations DirectorKate Horner, International Climate & Energy CampaignerIan Illuminato, Health & Environmental CampaignerJohn Kaltenstein, Marine Program AssociateMarcie Keever, Clean Vessels Campaign DirectorNeesha Kulkarni, Legislative AssociateStephanie Lozano, Development AssociateGillian Madill, Genetic Technologies Campaigner Marsha Mather-Thrift, Director of Development &

West Coast OperationsAdina Matisoff, China Sustainable Finance CampaignerLisa Matthes, Publications Manager; Executive Assistant

to the PresidentKate McMahon, Energy & Transportation Policy CampaignerKaren Orenstein, International Finance Campaign

CoordinatorErich Pica, Director of Domestic ProgramsDan Riedel, Manager of Information TechnologySara Schedler, Plug-in Hybrid Campaign AssociateBenjamin Schreiber, Climate and Energy Tax AnalystPeter Stocker, Donor Services ManagerChris Weiss, Director of D.C. Environmental NetworkCandice Wills, Accountant

Publications StaffLisa Matthes, EditorDesign by JML Design

Consultants/AdvisorsRobert AlvarezBart BruilJim CorbettFred FellemanFenton CommunicationsJen HolzerJohn W. JensenBoshen JiaDorothee KrahnFred MillarAndrianna NatsoulasShems Dunkiel Kassel & Saunders PLLCElinor TaoCori TraubDavid WeinmanJames Winebrake Yang Yang

Member GroupsArgentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh,Belgium, Belgium (Flanders), Bolivia, Brazil,Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, Chile,Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Curacao,Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, ElSalvador, England-Wales, Northern Ireland,Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany,Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti,Honduras, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy,

Japan, Latvia, Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia,Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico,Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria,Norway, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru,Philippines, Poland, Scotland, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, SouthAfrica, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Sweden,Switzerland, Tanzania, Timor Leste, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda,Ukraine, United States, Uruguay.

AffiliatesAfrica: Earthlife Africa; Australia: Mineral Policy Institute;Australia: Rainforest Information Centre; Brazil: Amigos daTerra Amazonia - Amazônia Brasileira; Brazil: Grupo deTrabalho Amazonico; Canada: Blue Planet Project; CzechRepublic: CEE Bankwatch; Japan: Peace Boat; Middle East:Friends of the Earth Middle East; Netherlands: Action forSolidarity, Equality, Environment and DevelopmentEurope; Netherlands: Stichting De Noordzee (North SeaFoundation); Netherlands: Corporate Europe Observatory;Netherlands: WISE Europe; United States: Corpwatch;United States: International Rivers Network; United States:Rainforest Action Network

Friends of the Earth is printed with soy ink on 100% recycled paper, 100% post-consumer content. Bleached without chlorine.

Friends ofthe EarthInternational

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Earth Share giving campaigns allow you to designate a donation to Friends of theEarth. Federal employees can donate through the Combined Federal Campaign bymarking #12067 on their pledge forms. To set up an Earth Share campaign at yourworkplace, contact Peter Stocker at 866-217-8499, ext. 216 or [email protected].

friends of the earth · 2017-11-15 · summer 2009 friends of the earth newsmagazine summer 2009|...

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