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
Global
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:
Blue Planet Project
The Blue Planet Project (no association with this website or Blue Planet Links Foundation) is an international campaign started by the Council of Canadians, aimed at "protecting the world's fresh water from the growing threats of trade and privatization" and preserving access to water as a fundamental human right.
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. DSF biologist Suzanne Tank authored a 2004 report on sustainable fisheries, "Seas of Change", downloadable free from this site.
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.
Greenpeace: Defending our Oceans
www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/oceans Greenpeace actively campaigns against threats to the ocean (industrialized fishing, global warming, pollution, unfair fisheries and over-fishing), and for national governments to recognize these threats and legislate to mitigate them.
Institute for Multi-track Diplomacy
http://www.imtd.org/current_water.htm
Water can create international conflict when it is restricted or bring about peace when it is supplied where needed. This agency works with a variety of groups on conflict resolution and diplomacy training.
International Rivers Network
http://www.irn.org
Fights to protect rivers and watersheds, including campaigns "to halt destructive development projects", including new dams, decommissioning of existing dams, and canals, and to search out alternative, equitable and sustainable means of meeting needs for water, energy and flood management. European Rivers Network is a sister group; its Rivernet web site (http://www.ern.org/) contains informative " WHAT IS A RIVER?"
Living Lakes Partnership
http://www.livinglakes.org/
A Global Nature Fund group: promotes voluntary international collaboration to enhance, restore and protect lakes, freshwater and catchment areas, ecologially, economically and socially, through sharing of information, news, technology, sponsorship of conferences. Major partners include lake organizations in Germany, Spain, the U.S., Greece and South Africa.
Mangrove Action Project
http://earthisland.org/map/
Mangrove forests, which grow in tropical intertidal areas and estuary mouths, constitute a critical habitat for a a diverse marine ecology, but are rapidly disappearing and degrading as a result of development, charcoal and timber industries, and a burgeoning, unregulated shrimp/prawn farming industry. MAP's 400 NGOs and 250 scientists from 60 nations are engaged in the restoration and protection of mangrove forests, in education, and in working towards a sustainable aquaculture through regulation and eco-friendly practices.
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.
Ocean Futures
http://www.oceanfutures.org
Ocean exploration and education. Among Jean-Michel Cousteau's aims are to "explore the connection between our actions and the health of the ocean... and to inspire people to act responsibly for its protection."
Pacific Whale Foundation
http://www.pacificwhale.org
Maui, Hawaii-based group works to protect the marine environment, particularly for whales, through public education, research and antipollution campaigns.
Polaris Institute
http://www.polarisinstitute.org
Polaris sees itself as a guiding star for citizens' movements for democratic social change, providing strategies and tactics to use against "the corporate power that is the driving force behind governments" concerning public policy. A major thrust is Operation Water Rights, which fights against a threatening for-profit water privatization agenda. Under OWR PUBLICATIONS, "Global Water Grab: How Corporations are Planning to Take Control of Local Water Services", describes models for different levels of privatization of public water systems and supplies, provides some history, claims that World Bank and IMF funds are often withheld pending privatization of public water systems. Recent items under OWR NEWS included the story of Johannesburg, which privatized its water system in hopes of profit, but earned less and cut off some of its poorer citizens. Director Tony Clarke is co-author of book "Blue Gold."
Rivers Day Sept. 30, 2012
Watch the Rivers Day website for programs, educational materials and information on this year's event, as people in more than 60 nations celebrate the world's rivers. Spearheaded as always by Mark Angelo of BCIT's Rivers Institute.
Seaweb
http://www.seaweb.org
Non-profit independent social marketing organization dedicated to conserving healthy seas and sustainable sealife. In Jan. 2006, CITES banned global trading in wild sturgeon caviar, partly a result of Seaweb's Caviar Emptor campaign.
Surfrider Foundation
http://www.surfrider.org/
American web site of non-profit environmental organization dedicated to protecting oceans, waves and beaches. 60 U.S. chapters, plus associates in Japan, Brazil, Europe. Australian web site: http://www.surfrider.org.au
The Katoomba Group
http://katoombagroup.org/
Katoomba is an international working group of experts from forest and energy industries, research institutions, the financial world, and environmental NGOs, all dedicated to facilitating strategic partnerships that can take an ecosystem approach and promote green products and systems that protect watersheds and biodiverse habitats in working forests.
The Nature Conservancy (marine)
http://www.nature.org/initiatives/marine
Initiatives of this environmental nonprofit organization include the Sustainable Rivers Project in the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean; marine initiatives to restore coral reefs and coastal ecosystems, and the Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation projects (http://www.freshwaters.org), one of which helped successfully restore to health Southern California's only undammed coastal river.
The Ocean Conservancy
http://www.oceanconservancy.org/dynamic...
A global organization with the vision of a world of healthy, protected oceans with wild and flourishing ecosystems, free of pollution, and filled with diverse and abundant marine wildlife. Nearly a million members, many of whom participate each September in the group's International Coastal Clean-up Day.
The World's Water
http://www.worldwater.org
Site of the Pacific Institute, an independent think tank studying "issues at the intersection of development, environment and security". Site offers the book "The World's Water", which has summarized fresh water data annually since 1999, as well as information on the history of water conflicts, two water to air models, and data on water and climate and water-related environmental law."
The World's Water
http://www.worldwater.org
Site of the Pacific Institute, an independent think tank studying "issues at the intersection of development, environment and security". Site offers the book "The World's Water", which has summarized fresh water data annually since 1999, as well as information on the history of water conflicts, two water to air models, and data on water and climate and water-related environmental law."
Pages
"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.