Friends of the Earth

Description

Friends of the Earth is the U.S. voice of an influential, international network of grassroots groups in 70 countries. Founded in San Francisco in 1969 by David Brower, Friends of the Earth has for decades been at the forefront of high-profile efforts to create a more healthy, just world. Our members were the founders of what is now the world's largest federation of democratically elected environmental groups, Friends of the Earth International.

In March of 2005, Friends of the Earth finalized a merger with Bluewater Network. Bluewater is a dynamic organization with creative campaigns to combat global warming, air and water pollution and damage to public lands by thrill vehicles such as snowmobiles and jetskis. The merger has added to our capacity and enabled us to broaden the scope of our work in a number of areas.

Among our present efforts are successes that draw headlines nationwide and international and local efforts that make a difference in your backyard and those of people a world away.

• We conducted lab tests that confirmed our suspicion that genetically engineered corn not approved for human consumption was in products on supermarket shelves across the nation.
  
• We also exposed the fact that Enron received $2.5 billion in taxpayer loans funneled through international financial institutions.
  
• In Indiana, we are working with local groups to fight the destructive new-terrain I-69 project. This 140-mile, $1.8 billion highway would demolish thousands of acres of farms and forests and bisect an Amish community.

Over the years, our efforts and those of our supporters mean we have been able to: stop over 150 bad dams and water projects worldwide; ban international whaling; oust infamous James Watt; press for landmark regulations of strip mining and oil tankers; reform the World Bank; and eliminate billions in taxpayer subsidies to corporate polluters.