Why don't environmental groups do something?

Question

Although I support them, There's something that bugs me about these big environmental groups. They keep pushing and pushing for renewable energy and clean cars and such, but i've yet to see any kind of product or concrete plan.

Between big groups like Audubon, sierra club and defenders, they get tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in donations from people. Shouldn't they get together and start some kind of green company or market a solar or hydrogen car?

So far all i've seen them do is exert political pressure and send out mailers. Granted it's probably "not their responsibility" or something, but it's pretty clear by now that the government is never going to do anything

Heck even I have several ideas i'd jump on if only i had some funds. why aren't THEY doing anything?

Answer 1

They cry to get your $contributions$ to their organizations so the leaders of these groups can get big salaries.  In reality, it's about lining their pockets and not about the environment.

Answer 2

write them and tell them how you feel..

if you want action you have to ask for it...

write letters.. phone them....

Answer 3

You are right that environment groups should do some constructive work instead of just opposing , but the money they get is not much. They do not get any support from people, oftentimes get veiled threats from powerful vested interests.

Also sometimes NGO's have people who are more into it to just get some name and fame and money and nothing else.

There are some NGO's which try doing constructive work and have shown good results.

See the links for some work done in Solar energy area, these are not NGO's though.

Answer 4

Sadly, I think all the larger groups are able and prepared to do is fight for change within "the system" ...and spread the word.  It will be up to small companies like Gaiam, Wild Oats, and grassroots local organizations to create change on any real level.  If you really want to find a way to create change, try plugging in sustainable or green and your local township into your browser and go from there.  We're going to be playing catch up for a long time, to get folks educated and MOTIVATED enough to really work things into "the system".  Also unfortunate is the fact that "the system" is political, and almost all the real pressure (money) is from big corporations who have no interest in anything but the bottom line.

Answer 5

Get them to tell you this.

I attended the Focus the Nation at Sierra College on 1-31-08. The event was the 2% Solution, a 2% reduction over 40 years to solve GW. Oil is a nonrenewable resource and we are running out-but not soon - $30 Gal for gas. The 2% Solution is ok for the USA for a 10 year plan to cut 20%. But over those 10 years, we have to be building renewable energy and about that time, we can cut an additional 20%. This should get us from importing any oil. We must have a pollution surcharge where we pay the real price (health effects, GW and cleanup) for oil, NG, coal, cigarettes, Cooling Towers, Cars, trains and airplanes. Humans have to put some of this nonrenewable into renewable energy like small hydro-electric dams, concentrating solar power plants, wind and wave machines, nuks, and geothermal. With the peak of oil in the 1970’s, peak NG in the 1990’s, having mined cheep coal, the peak of ocean fishing in the 1980’s, and the peak of uranium in the 1990’s, humans must stop procrastinating and make real changes to keep earth sustainable including in the energy debate, finance and regulation.

Many of mankind’s advancements cause earth surface to warm, destroy the ozone layer, kill off endanger species, heat cities, and in some way cause more dramatic destruction.  Blacktop and buildings (roads, roofs and parking lots-heat cities), deforestation (air pollution, soil erosion), duststorms (increase hurricanes and cyclones, cause lung diseases), fires (cause pollution, mud slides, and deforestation), refrigerants (like CFC's) and solvents (including benzene destroy the ozone layer raising skin cancer rates) and plastics; cars, airplanes, ships and most electricity production (causes pollution including raised CO2 levels and increased lung and other diseases); these human problems we must fix to keep life on earth sustainable! Humans have destroyed half of the wetlands, cut down nearly half of the rain forest, and advance on the earths grasslands while advancing desertification which increases duststorms.

The result is:  change is on the way, we just do not know what changes (where and when). Look beyond the hype, beyond the weather, beyond a quarterly report and beyond today. President Bush has made a choice of energy (ethanol) over food and feeding the starving people around the world; this is a choice China has rejected. The fact is Bush wants to buy your food to send to starving people since our is not available.

Over the next 90 years carbon dioxide is projected to skyrocket as human’s burn more fossil fuels. The problem is, the oil will be gone in 30 years at present rates of consumption without projected increases. We have to come up with what will take its place. Again we have to cleanup our mess. One of the big problems we have is at some time Yellowstone will blow its top again, as the magma move closer to the surface, creating a nuk winter. After that we will not have to worry about the destruction of the ozone layer.

But with that we must understand we have never seen what is now happening before. CO2 has never lead to temperature change, but temperature change has led to increases in CO2. The models have to be made as we go along with current evidence! But again adding a small amount of CO2 to the atmosphere enlarges the earths sun collection causing warming; increase water in the atmosphere and it forms clouds cooling earth but sometimes causing flooding. Even natural events are warming earth and causing destruction. The sun has an increased magnetic field causing increases in earthquakes (more destruction), volcanoes (wow, great destruction), and sun spots. Lighting produces ozone near the surface (raising air pollution levels). The USA Mayor's have taken a stand and I believe are on the right track, we can have control and can have economic growth. The sun is available to produce energy, bring light to buildings and makes most of human’s fresh water. Composting is the answer to desertification. New dams are the answer to fresh water storage, energy and cooling earth by evaporation, we need many small ones all over (California needs 100 by 2012 and has not even started).

That is why I founded CoolingEarth.org, a geoengineering web sight where you can learn more about earth, the atmosphere, and how to sustain life on earth’s surface.

Answer 6

It has a lot to do with money. Tens and hundreds of dollars a year is nothing compared to what it takes to put solar powered energy and hydrogen cars into action.

Hydrogen cars take platinum to make them work, which doesn't come cheap.

The city I live in now just got the chance to make one of it's major buildings solar powered... it's an 8 million dollar project to do it.

It's pretty expensive just to get people to be aware of how much we need these changes for our environment, and we're just getting to the point where hopefully it's starting to take place.

Answer 7

The lawyers the environmental groups hire to impede just about every construction  and forest rehabilitation project that the government has anything to do with are not free or cheap.

Look into how much money both side have to spend in regard to the Endangered Species Act.

Even if we get a Democratic President and Congress they will no go away.

Answer 8

I think their goal is to spred the word and invest in already made ideas/give funds or grants those that want to utilize green energy, but do not have the money to do so.  Like if familys that want solar power, but are too poor then those clubs start organizations to give them money for solar power.