donating $ to the environment

[gregm]

Ok I am getting really ticked off and feeling very powerless about our government's lack of concern for the environment. It seems we've gone from the previous administration's lip service to the current making a frontal assault. Read for instance the text of a Newsday story about a GIS mapmaker who got fired for posting on the web a map of caribou calving areas because Bush wants to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling:

http://www.maptricks.com/newsday.html

So I'd like to make myself feel a little better by donating a small amount of money (I'm not rich) to some environmental organization. Does anybody have any to recommend? I've heard making a small donation can make you the target of countless junkmail solicitations and that some of these orgs spend most of their money supporting themselves. I was wondering if anyone has any experiences / research to share.

Greg

[Alex]

Greg, in my experience you can do one of three things:

1) donate to politically vocal lobbies

2) donate to behind-the-scenes movers

3) donate to radical groups

All three depend on your personal agenda. Examples of all three include:

1) Wilderness Society, Sierra Club, various PIRGs, Greenpeace

2) The Nature Conservancy

3) Sea Shepards, EarthFirst, and the like

In my experience, the Nature Conservancy has always been the most professional, least invasive outfit, but they are also not nearly as powerful a political lobby as some of the others, and will not have as great an effect on the Bush budget.

[This message has been edited by Alex (edited 04-12-2001).]

[philfort]

If you donate to the Sierra Club, you will be inundated with "environmental" junk mail. They sell your name to everyone.

[Gerg]

With most organizations, including the Sierra Club, you can request that they do NOT give out (or more likely sell) your name to other organizations. Thus, no junk mail. I've done this and its worked wonderfully.

Greg

[Zenolith]

I would reccomend the Oregon Natural Resources Council (even if you live in Wa). I am an intern w/ them and am impressed at the hard and largely thankless work they do.