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Pressure Groups in the USA

Climate Change

In 2011, the USA had the second highest level of estimated carbon emissions in the world, with figures 5,420,000,000 tonnes. It also had the highest level of emissions per capita in the world, with each person emitting 17.3 tonnes of carbon emissions.

As a result of the USA on going contribution to global warming, hundreds of environmental groups have sprung up in the US and are actively campaigning to reduce the USA's carbon footprint and promote renewable energy sources.

Here are just a few examples:

41pounds.org

Abalone Alliance (historic)

Adirondack Mountain Club

African American Environmentalist Association

African Wild Dog Conservancy

Albatross Foundation USA

Allegheny Land Trust

Alliance for Climate Protection

Alliance to Save Energy

American Bird Conservancy

American Farmland Trust

Animal Protection and Rescue League (APRL)

Appalachian Voices

Arlington Coalition on Transportation (ACT)

Association of Environmental Professionals

Audubon movement

Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF)

Builders for the Bay

Center for a New American Dream

Center for International Environmental Law

Center for Biological Diversity

Center for Environmental Philosophy

Ceres

Chesapeake Bay Foundation

Citizens Campaign for the Environment

Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow

Conservation International

Conservation Law Foundation

Defenders of Wildlife

Earth First!

Earth Island Institute

Earth Policy Institute

Earth Liberation Army (ELA)

Earth Liberation Front (ELF)

EarthLab

Earth's Birthday Project

Ecotrust

Energy Action Coalition

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI)

Environment America

Environment California

Environmental Defense Fund

Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA)

Environmental Law Institute

Environmental Life Force (ELF)

Environmental Working Group

Earth Share

Forest Guardians

Global Water Policy Project

Green Zionist Alliance

Greenguard Environmental Institute

Hudson River Sloop Clearwater

Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IEER Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology

International Council on Nanotechnology (ICON)

Honor the Earth

Izaak Walton League

Keep America Beautiful

League of Conservation Voters

Montana Wilderness Association

National Audubon Society

National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE)

National Geographic Society

National Registry of Environmental Professionals (NREP)

National Wildlife Federation

National Wildlife Refuge Association

Native Forest Council

Natural Resources Defense Council

Nature's Classroom

NatureServe

Negative Population Growth

Neighborhood Parks Council

New York - New Jersey Trail Conference

Nicodemus Wilderness Project

Ohio Citizen Action

Pacific Environment

Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER)

Population Connection

Preserve Our Island

Rainforest Action Network

Resources for the Future (RFF)

Republicans for Environmental Protection

Rising Tide North America

Riverkeeper

Sand County Foundation

Save the Redwoods League

Science & Environmental Policy Project (SEPP)

Sea Shepherd

Sierra Club

Sierra Student Coalition

Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition

Student Conservation Association

Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC)

Surfrider Foundation

Sustainable Silicon Valley (SSV)

Tellus Institute

Texas Campaign for the Environment

The Big Green Bus

The Conservation Fund

The Marine Mammal Center

The Ocean Conservancy

The School for Field Studies

The Wilderness Society

TreePeople

Union of Concerned Scientists

Waterkeeper Alliance

West Harlem Environmental Action (WEACT)

WILD Foundation

Worldwatch Institute

Wyoming Outdoor Council

Not all environmental groups have the same impact...

Some are more influential than others...

Lets take a look at some specific groups and find out why?

The Sierra Club is one of the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organizations in the United States.

The Sierra Club's mission is:

To explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; To practice and promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources; To educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; and to use all lawful means to carry out these objectives.

National and local special-interest sections, committees, and task forces address particular issues.

The club has approximately 500 paid staff members. Many of them work at the national headquarters in San Francisco, California, but some work in the lobbying office in Washington, D.C. and in numerous state and regional offices.

In 2008, the Sierra Club endorsed Senator Barack Obama for President, citing "his strong record of support for clean air, wetlands protection, and clean energy."

The Climate Reality Project is a nonprofit organization founded and chaired by Nobel laureate and former Vice President Al Gore. The group is involved in education and advocacy campaigns related to climate change.

It was formed in 2010, from the merger of two nonprofit organizations, also chaired by Al Gore, the Alliance for Climate Protection and the Climate Project

In 2011, it organised the 24 Hours of Reality online event, which broadcast a multimedia presentation created by Gore, every hour, for 24 hours.

The purpose of the event was to educate the public about global warming and counter the arguments from fossil fuel industries that deny climate change science.

They stage protests and demonstartions to raise awareness on clean energy and solutions to global warming, protecting people from toxic and new, potentially harmful technologies, and promoting smarter, low-pollution transportation alternatives.

They also actively lobby members of Congress to achieve their policy aims.

So far, their tactics have worked. As a direct result of their influence the US government has:

  • Reduced Federal Giveaways for Nuclear Power
  • Remobilized America For a New Energy Future
  • Compelled Bush Administration to Produce Reports on Global Warming
  • Persuaded 10 of the world’s largest banks not to seek carbon offsets for nuclear power and large hydroelectric dams.

ExxonMobil has been a leading figure in the business world's position on climate change, providing substantial funding to a range of global-warming-skeptical organizations

It has also had a key influence in the Bush administration's energy policy, including on the Kyoto Protocol, supported by both $55m spent on lobbying since 1999, and direct contacts between the company and leading politicians.

Methods

The Issue

The End

Earth Policy Institute

The Earth Policy Institute functions as a think-tank, providing policy research and recommendations on sustainable development and living, as well as on environmental issues.

Climate Reality Project

Environmental Groups

Koch Industries

From 2005 to 2008, Koch Industries donated $5.7 million on political campaigns and $37 million on direct lobbying to support fossil fuel industries.

Between 1997 and 2008, Koch Industries donated a total of nearly $48 million to climate opposition groups.

Friends of the Earth

Sierra Club

Methods

Greenpeace

However, not all pressure groups are support to use of clean energy to reduce climate change.

Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth to nurture life in all its diversity" and focuses its campaigning on world wide issues such as global warming, deforestation, overfishing, commercial whaling, genetic engineering, and anti-nuclear issues. Greenpeace uses direct action, lobbying and research to achieve its goals.

ExxonMobil

Greenpeace is known for its direct actions and has been described as the most visible environmental organization in the world. Greenpeace has raised environmental issues to public knowledge, and influenced both the private and the public sector.

photo credit Nasa / Goddard Space Flight Center / Reto Stöckli

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