Descriptions of organizations come largely from their own websites. Any group's views and actions in their entirety do not necessarily represent the opinions of Blue Planet Links Foundation. BPL's mission is to promote sustainably healthy ocean and fresh water, and to the best of our knowledge, the listed organizations share this objective.
© 2012 Blue Planet Links
General Environment, water
Links to organizations promoting healthy
oceans and fresh waters
Look around: we are deliberately (or thoughtlessly) turning our water sources, shorelines and fish habitats TOXIC. We're ignoring climate change, using water like crazy, thinking short-term.
But some people are fighting back, thinking ahead, spreading the word, and winning battles that can make our children's world will better. Find out more below:
Canadian Nature Federation
http://www.cnf.ca
More than 40,000 members and 100 affiliates, many of them naturalist organizations. Mission is to protect nature, its diversity and the processes that sustain it. Publishes colorful Nature Canada magazine, "the national magazine on nature and the environment". Spring 2003 issue features articles and facts about water.
Clean Water Fund
http://www.cleanwaterfund.org/
Based in Washington, DC, CWF is a national nonprofit research and educational organization, with locally staffed environmental and health protection programs serving communities in over 20 states. CWF’s mission is to develop strong grassroots environmental leadership and to bring together diverse constituencies to work cooperatively for changes that improve their lives, focused on health, consumer, environmental and community problems.
David Suzuki Foundation
http://www.davidsuzuki.org
DSF works to find definable solutions to the planet's most pressing environmental problems, and to provide useful information, thought-provoking communications, and plans for a truly sustainable society. Founded and led by renowned scientist/environmentalist (and television personality), David Suzuki. Marine Scene is a free monthly online newsletter. Under OCEANS AND FISHING, you'll learn that farm fishing has been carried out for centuries, possibly starting with China's carp ponds, and that some shellfish farming can be beneficial to ocean waters.
Earth Share
http://www.earthshare.org
Umbrella organization for leading American environmental and conservation groups. Organizes or assists with workplace fund-raising campaigns: donations or pledges can go to Earthwatch (to be distributed among its member groups) or designated to one or more specific environmental organizations.
Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup
http://www.vanaqua.org/
Each September, some 10,000 volunteers work removing man-made debris from shorelines in every province and the Yukon. Now that's a beach party!
Greenpeace
http://www.greenpeace.org/homepage/
Long-established non-profit environmental activist organization, with a presence in 40 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific.
Living Oceans Society
http://www.livingoceans.org
Canada's largest organization devoted to marine conservation, tackling such issues as oil tankers on the coast, marine biodiversity, sustainable fisheries, ocean planning through ecosystem-based management, ocean acidification. The Living Reef was a project to conduct a census of British Columbia's reef sealife by enlisting the help of divers and snorklers. And LOS produced Fish for Thought, an Eco-cookbook, including fish-friendly (no endangered species here) recipes from stars such as Sara McLachlan and restaurateur Umberto Menghi. Easy facts and figures.
National Geographic
http://news.nationalgeographic.com
Search WATER for general info on water and water issues around the world. Also http://environment.nationalgeographic.com: Freshwater and Oceans lead you to opportunities to support healthy waters, as well as lots of water-topic news and information.
National Wildlife Federation
http://www.nwf.org
Environmental organization, one of whose focuses is on fighting water and air pollution to revive and preserve the Great Lakes and Great Lakes Basin ecosystems. CWF (Canadian Wildlife Federation: http://www.cwf.ca) is also funding research into the impact of fish farming on West Coast waters.
Natural Resources Defense Council
http://www.nrdc.org
Works the legal route to protect drinking water, create marine protected areas, strengthen environmental protection regulation, enforce water-rights laws.
Planet Ark
http://www.planetark.org
Australia-based, funded by the public, business councils, businesses and community groups. Reports on water, politics and economics. Recycling and educational information, national environmental events.
Society Promoting Environmental Conservation (SPEC)
http://www.spec.bc.ca
Established in 1969, SPEC is British Columbia based. focusing primarily on the Lower Mainland and Georgia Basin. Click CAMPAIGNS for Water, and find such current hot topics as safe drinking water, water privatization, off-coast oil exploration, liquid waste management.
The Land Conservancy
http://www.conservancy.bc.ca
Non-profit purchases important natural areas, habitats, buildings and recreation sites in order to protect and conserve them. Gift catalog allows you to contribute to the preservation of salmon spawning grounds along British Columbia's Horsefly River for $35CDN.
Waterkeeper Alliance
http://www.waterkeeper.org
Collective of 114 groups around the world (Bolivia, Costa Rica, U.S.A., Czech Republic), pledged to protect watersheds.
Watershed Sentinel
BC-based bimonthly magazine offers environmental news with a "bioregional and global perspective", focusing on issues that will move us towards a sustainable society. For water, items on privatizaion, bottled water, ocean acidification, pollution etc.
Wilderness Watch
http://www.wildernesswatch.org
Environmental watchdog group has been active in protecting wilderness areas.
World Wildlife Federation (WWF)
http://www.wwf.org
WWF's Endangered Seas Programme focuses on human activities which threaten the oceans. WWF Canada (http://www.wwfcanada.org) has a Marine Conservation Program, and campaigns against bycatch waste. WWF U.S.A. (http://worldwildlife.org) has programs to encourage protection of America's coastlines.
"My own contribution is
just a drop in the bucket
–but together our drops
make a flood"
A single person can make a difference, but sometimes it takes a group.
More voices, more money, more workers can influence a government to change its policies... can produce materials that will make people think... can galvanize public opinion to stop habitat devastation or prevent water quality degradation.
Some groups have a particular focus: surfers want clean beaches; marine biologists and fishers alike want thriving ocean habitats; canoeists want clear, clean lakes; broad-based environmental groups may concentrate on a specific location.