Wake up daily to our latest coverage of business done better, directly in your inbox.
Get your weekly dose of analysis on rising corporate activism.
The best of solutions journalism in the sustainability space, published monthly.
Select Newsletter
By signing up you agree to our privacy policy. You can opt out anytime.
Help Stop the “Mother of All Anti-Environmental Bills”
Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) is well known for market-based environmentalism and its cooperative engagements with business. Through its relationships with companies like McDonald’s and Walmart, as well as its innovative Climate Corps program, the NGO has become a leader in proactive collaborations between the for-profit and the not-for-profit sectors. Certainly, such forward-thinking engagements are vital to achieve and sustain ecological and economic balance.
EDF’s concern for market-based solutions, however, does not negate the organization’s equally important commitment to advocacy and lobbying efforts. As EDF President Fred Krupp said in a 2007 article for the US News and World Report, "Don't mistake me for someone who thinks markets will solve problems without the government.” Today EDF is asking for your help.
According to the EDF Action Fund, the legislative arm of the organization, this week the U.S. House of Representatives is taking up an Interior Appropriations bill containing more than 40 anti-environmental amendments and policy riders. According to EDF, the four provisions listed below are the most alarming:
- Blocking EPA from regulating pollutants such as mercury, smog and soot from power plants and cement plants
- Opening up lands immediately next to the Grand Canyon to uranium mining
- Stripping Clean Water Act protections for the drinking water sources of 117 million Americans
- Preventing federal agencies from listing any species as endangered or protecting their critical habitats
Apparently, the bill will slash EPA funding by 20% in 2012 (in addition to the 15% cuts done earlier this year). Interior Department budgets would also be cut by about 7%.
I encourage all readers to visit the EDF site to learn more and decide for themselves if immediate, decisive action is needed. Your attention is appreciated and your willingness to publicly engage is applauded.
Leslie is a Sustainable MBA student at Green Mountain College. Study interests include sustainability, social responsibility and the power of corporate and non-profit partnerships to bring about positive change. Other areas of interest include social media, fundraising and public policy. She holds a Certificate in Nonprofit Management and is certified in the Global Reporting initiative for Sustainability Reporting. Additionally, she holds an MA in Organizational Management and a BS in Leisure Management. On the rare occasions when she is not studying, she enjoys writing, reading, running, nature walks and yoga. She hopes to use her skills, talents and education to make a positive impact with an environmentally and socially conscious organization. Feel free to connect with her on LinkedIn.
