Friends of the Earth Australia
| Founded | 1974 |
|---|---|
| Focus | Human rights and Environment |
|
Area served
|
Australia |
|
Volunteers
|
4,000 (approximate) |
| Website | http://www.foe.org.au/ |
Friends of the Earth (FoE) Australia is a federation of independent local groups working for a socially equitable and environmentally sustainable future. Friends of the Earth Australia believes that pursuing environmental protection is inseparable from broader social concerns, and as a result uses an environmental justice perspective in its campaigning. It was founded in 1974 and is the Australian member of Friends of the Earth International.
Friends of the Earth considers environmental issues in their social, political and human rights contexts. Their campaigns stretch beyond the traditional arena of the conservation movement and seek to address the economic, social justice and development aspects of sustainability.
The current national campaigns and projects of FoEA are:
A climate justice perspective addresses global warming by looking at who is harmed by climatic change, and how, and who is responsible for the emissions that caused the warming. In practical terms this means FoEA campaigns for Australia to reduce its carbon emissions to a 'globally equitable' level whilst also agreeing to accept a quota of 'climate refugees'. In 2009 it launched the Coalition for Climate Displacement and also broadened its campaign work into state based activity against the expansion of coal mining and export.
The current main focus of its climate campaign is to oppose an expansion of Australia's reliance on coal and to promote a shift to low carbon sources of energy production.
Since its inception, FoEA has campaigned against all aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle. At present this includes the radioactive waste dump proposed for the Northern Territory and all existing uranium mines, including the Olympic Dam mine at Roxby Downs in South Australia. The co-ordinator of its national nuclear campaign is Jim Green.
FoEA is calling for a moratorium on the research, development and production of synthetic nanoproducts while regulations are developed to protect the health and safety of workers, the public and the environment from the impacts of nanotechnology.
FoEA campaigns on a range of industrial chemicals issues, particularly the use of Bisphenol A in consumer products and use of pesticides in drinking water catchments.
The FoEA Sustainable Food and Agriculture Project addresses issues of social justice and environmental sustainability in contemporary food and farming systems.
Many local FoE groups work in partnership with Indigenous communities. FoE acts as the secretariat for the Australian Nuclear Free Alliance (ANFA).
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