2. Friends of the Earth International are the world's largest grassroots environmental network in 77 countries and they campaign on today's most urgent environmental and social issues. They challenge the current model of economic and corporate globalization, and promote solutions that will help to create environmentally sustainable and socially just societies. It is structured as a confederation each member organization being autonomous. In turn the national groups are composed of grassroots local groups working in their own areas.
3. The groups which make up Friends of the Earth conduct their own campaigns and coordinate their activities through the umbrella body Friends of the Earth International (FOEI). Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) is supported by a secretariat based in Amsterdam, and an executive committee known as ExCom. The ExCom is elected by all member groups at a general meeting held every two years, and it is the ExCom which employs the secretariat. At the same general meeting, overall policies and priority activities are agreed.
4. In addition to work which is coordinated at the FoEI level, national member groups are free to carry out their own campaigns and to work bi- or multi-laterally as they see fit, as long as this does not go against agreed policy at the international level
5. HISTORY Friends of the Earth was founded in 1969 in the United States by David Brower after his split with the Sierra Club based in part on their reluctance to challenge the construction of nuclear power plants. It became an international network in 1971 with a meeting of representatives from the U.S., Sweden, the UK and France.
6. VISION Our vision is of a peaceful and sustainable world based on societies living in harmony with nature. We envision a society of interdependent people living in dignity, wholeness and fulfillment in which equity and human and peoples' rights are realized. This will be a society built upon peoples' sovereignty and participation. It will be founded on social, economic, gender and environmental justice and free from all forms of domination and exploitation, such as corporate globalization, neo-colonialism and militarism. We believe that our children's future will be better because of what we do.
7. MISSION To collectively ensure environmental and social justice, human dignity, and respect for human rights and peoples' rights so as to secure sustainable societies. To halt and reverse environmental degradation and depletion of natural resources, nurture the earth's ecological and cultural diversity, and secure sustainable livelihoods. To secure the empowerment of indigenous peoples, local communities, women, groups and individuals, and to ensure public participation in decision making. To bring about transformation towards sustainability and equity between and within societies with creative approaches and solutions. To engage in vibrant campaigns, raise awareness, mobilize people and build alliances with diverse movements, linking grassroots, national and global struggles. To inspire one another and to harness, strengthen and complement each other's capacities, living the change we wish to see and working together in solidarity.
8. OBJECTIVES Friends of the Earth Limited is committed to the Conservation, Protection and Improvement of the environment. They do this through Influencing political policies and businesses. Inspiring people to take action. Stimulating wide and intelligent debate.
9. Friends of earth defend the natural world and promote peace by investigating, exposing and confronting environmental abuse, and championing environmentally responsible solutions. WHAT THEY DO……………….
10. Climate change Preventing climate catastrophe by ending our addiction to polluting fuels and promoting clean, renewable and efficient energy. Forests Ending illegal and destructive logging of the world's ancient forests and protecting the rights of the indigenous peoples and species that rely on them.
11. Oceans Defending the world's oceans and the life that depends on them by ending whaling and destructive fishing practices, and working for global marine reserves. Toxic chemicals Eliminating persistent, toxic chemicals from the world and working for a toxics free future. Nuclear power Bringing an end to nuclear power, nuclear reprocessing and nuclear waste dumping.
12. Member organizations Friends of the Earth Australia Friends of the Earth Malta Friends of the Earth Middle East Friends of the Earth Canada Friends of the Earth Scotland
13. THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF BUSINESS Business play a fundamental role in generating environmental problems. The vast majority of energy and materials consumed in the modern world are used by businesses. In a capitalist market economy this may be inevitable, but it means that business activities lie at the heart of environmental degradation worldwide.
14. Throughout the world, businesses, meeting the demands of the relatively wealthy 'consumer class', have gained control of environmental resources - minerals, forests, land, water - and depleted them in quantity or quality. The overall effect has been that environmental resource use now exceeds sustainable levels for most resources.
15. ENVIRONMENTAL RISK The environmental impacts of business are not entirely predictable, and thus we have to deal with risk. Much risk arises from lack of knowledge. Despite decades, and in some disciplines, centuries of research, we still know very little about environmental systems and how they respond to disturbance by human activities. For example the cumulative loss of primary forests leads to reduced biological diversity and species extinction, but we cannot tell exactly which, if any, species will be lost as a result of logging a specific area.
16. These factors can be of particular significance for human health. Humans vary widely in their reaction to exposure to individual toxic chemicals. In the real world we are increasingly exposed to a cocktail of chemicals in our drinking water, food, and environment. Measuring and managing risk in such circumstances is a major challenge.
