The Natural Resources Defense Council to the Rescue

Saving the world, one lawsuit and initiative at a time

By Daiana Feuer
Published: Mar 05, 2008

Ever wonder who was responsible for getting CFCs out of aerosol cans? Who stopped steel and gas companies from polluting rivers? Or who saved the trees from Home Depot and Starbucks?

For 35 years and running, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) stakes a new success in environmental legislation annually. Starting with 1971's Clean Water Act to stopping George W. Bush's oil-drilling in the Arctic Refuge, the NRDC pursues green justice using law, science and good old-fashioned activism.

"We've really grown as an organization," says media manager Jennifer Powers. "Now, we work with the government and big corporations. We don't just sue them anymore. That's a rarity and a testament to the work we do."

"It's funny," she adds, in that corporate irony sort of way, "we're working closely with GE to get major federal legislation on global warming but at the same time we have any number of outstanding lawsuits against them for polluted rivers."

Whether collaborating with or suing Home Depot or GE, the NRDC relies on scientists and doctors studying everyday home products, pesticides and cleaning products to support them in court. They also keep an eye on developing technology. "They're involved in a lot of studies and working with different universities around the country, staying on top of all the issues so they can testify before the EPA and let them know you should really regulate this chemical," says Powers.

Endangered species and land preservation take up the other half of NRDC's attention. "For many years we've been committed to that old school environmental mission of protecting precious lands," Powers continues. "So we have these pristine regions that we help local groups try to protect and maintain." These 'bio-gems' include an area in Patagonia battling aluminum mining and a region off Baja, California, where endangered whales reproduce. Within U.S. borders, there's the awe-inspiring Yellowstone in Wyoming, the Emerald Coast of Florida, and the Arctic. (Visit biogems.org)

Although environmental protection requires major federal law, green living habits and people's involvement on the ground level also enriches progress. Powers boasts that NRDC's 1.2 million members and online activists are one of the organization's greatest assets. The NRDC delivers the issue and the solution straight to a member's inbox. With only a click, the 'online activists' can send a letter (or a million letters) to their representatives in Washington.

In addition to mass-mailing the White House, the NRDC encourages that simple, everyday changes—switching to CFL light bulbs, tap water instead of bottled, bringing a reusable bag to the grocery store—can really add up. As Powers puts it, "It's a matter of baby steps that snowball and before you know it you are doing a lot of things that are eco-friendly." To join the movement, go to nrdc.org. And visit simplesteps.org for ways to green your home.

Daiana Feuer is assistant editor at Dame. She received her MFA from California Institute of the Arts last May in Writing. Her thesis is an allegorical journey through "pristine regions" in search of brunch and the meaning of life. So she thanks the NRDC for all the road trips.

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