Friends of the Earth

Outreach and membership - the outreach program educate members and activists as well as the greater public about significant threats to the environment, and encourages them to participate with Friends of the Earth to achieve positive outcomes including protecting pollinators from toxic pesticides, protecting public lands from pollution, and preventing industrial projects that would harm communities and ecosystems. This is done through online action alerts, online advertising, mailings inlcuding print newsletters (to members), as well as communications on social media sites like facebook, x and youtube. Foe also seeks opportunities to educate the public through tv and radio interviews. the communications directly reached over one million people who took more than 6.3 million actions in the 2024 fiscal year. These actions contributed to accomplishments like securing a pause on new liquified natural gas export terminals, protecting Wyoming's public lands from fossil fuel drilling, and passing the birds and bees protection act in new york to restrict agricultural use of toxic pesticides.

Economic policy:the economic policy team aims to create a more environmentally sustainable and socially just world by transforming financial and economic systems. Activities include efforts to end subsidies for polluting industries and encourage investments in clean alternatives. During the last year, it worked to alter lending practices at large financial institutions that fund fossil fuels and harm communities and biodiversity in the us and abroad. It encouraged institutional investors to adopt policies to defund deforestation, particularly related to palm oil production.

Food and technology:the food and technology team conducts market campaigns, scientific research and policy advocacy to promote a more just and sustainable food system. In the past year, the team campaigned to convince garden stores and grocers to stock more bee-friendly and organic products and advocated for public policies to phase-out bee-killing pesticides. It also helped institutions such as schools to adopt more climate-friendly purchasing policies, encouraged financial institutions to divest from factory farms, and advocated for better regulation of products made with synthetic biology.

Oceans and vessels program - the oceans and vessels team works to stop air and water pollution from ocean-going vessels, cruise ships, ports and oil development in order to protect human health and the environment. In the last year, it helped adopt and implement policies in the pacific northwest to protect the marine environment and issued its annual cruise ship report card. It expanded efforts to prevent the build-out of new plastics facilities, supported portside communities' in advocating for cleaner air and fought for stronger international shipping regulations at the imo.

Climate and energy:the climate & energy team promotes clean energy and conservation and fights to end our dependence on dirty, harmful sources of energy including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear. In the last year, the team healped lead efforts to prevent fossil fuel subsidies and resisted attempts to open up public waters and lands to fossil fuel development. It continued campaigns efforts to promote energy efficiency and/or renewable energy in nc.