Is there any good environmental NGO to donate to?

November 11, 2016 3:37 PM

I've seen the other "where should I donate to counteract Trump" threads, and I already plan to hit up PP and ACLU. But is there any effective environmental group I can give to, in light of his abhorrent plans there? I'm guessing political pressure will not do much in the current environment, so maybe one more litigation oriented?
posted by Chrysostom to Law & Government (12 answers total)

A friend of mine who works in the climate change policy community suggests looking up state-level organizations in your area, since much of the work on renewable energy is already being done at the state and local level, and certainly that's going to tilt even heavier in the state/local direction once Trump is president.
posted by rainbowbrite at 3:45 PM on November 11, 2016

My money's going to Earthjustice. The other two big players in this space are the Sierra Club and Environmental Defense Fund.
posted by another zebra at 3:48 PM on November 11, 2016

Realistically hunting and fishing based groups have a lot more sway with Republican legislators as they are often members. Trout Unlimited and Ducks Unlimited are two that will fight hard for the Clean Water Act and have the ear of sitting legislators. I think it will be far more effective to donate there than to Earthjustice.

Or donate to a local land trust that buys and sets land aside. That's ultimately the best thing you can do with land to conserve it.

If you want t do more than donate run for your local planning board. The decisions that get made at that level can be staggering in their implications. If nothing else you will have fascinating dinner conversation for years to come.
posted by fshgrl at 3:56 PM on November 11, 2016 [3 favorites]

I'd like to clarify. I worked in the fossil fuels lobby during the Bush administration. Lawsuits from Earthjustice and the Sierra Club were effective at hollowing out the coal industry. No one was listening to environmental lobbyists at the time...republican aligned or otherwise.
posted by another zebra at 4:14 PM on November 11, 2016 [3 favorites]

Environmental Defense Fund and Earthjustice.
posted by cocoagirl at 4:32 PM on November 11, 2016

I believe that it will be possible to act on climate under a Trump administration, but it will have to come from the business sector. Ceres (https://www.ceres.org/) is a very reputable non-profit that works with concerned investors to force their companies to address climate change.
posted by chevyvan at 4:37 PM on November 11, 2016 [3 favorites]

I'd like to clarify. I worked in the fossil fuels lobby during the Bush administration. Lawsuits from Earthjustice and the Sierra Club were effective at hollowing out the coal industry. No one was listening to environmental lobbyists at the time...republican aligned or otherwise.

True but you can only sue if the laws stay in place, which seems to be the current risk. And the environmental lobbyists are the most effective at that.
posted by fshgrl at 6:40 PM on November 11, 2016

Long term, the two crucial environmental issues will be biodiversity and habitat preservation. Given that, I contribute to Nature Conservancy and, in fact, put them in my will.
posted by Skipjack at 6:07 AM on November 12, 2016

Environmental Organizations to Donate to, to oppose Trump
posted by Sockpuppets 'R' Us at 7:31 AM on November 12, 2016

Rocky Mountain Institute has long promoted the approach that properly designed environment-friendly energy systems are profitable. I would expect this line to hold more appeal for Republicans than something based more on anything resembling ethics or morality.
posted by flabdablet at 8:35 AM on November 12, 2016 [1 favorite]

The Natural Resources Defense Council did a lot of good legal work fighting the policies of the George W. Bush administration, back when I was coming of age as an environmental scientist. I plan to become a regular contributing member for at least the next four years.
posted by dondiego87 at 3:57 AM on November 13, 2016 [1 favorite]

EIP is a group of legal ninjas and data analysts. Founded by EPA attorneys who stormed out during the Bush administration: http://environmentalintegrity.org/archives/8651
posted by crescendo at 4:09 PM on November 13, 2016