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The Environmental Defense Fund is a nonprofit that partners with many businesses to achieve their goals, and they’re committed to solving climate change issues through an economic lens. They’ve worked with FedEx to create low-emission, fuel-efficient delivery trucks. They’ve also worked with IKEA to develop sustainable supply chains. In return, the supply companies are able to reduce costs by using alternative energy sources. The nonprofit has also had a long-term partnership with Walmart, and has been helping them reach their sustainability goals since 2005. By working with these companies, the EDF is able to aid their cause, while the companies benefit financially. The companies also benefit marketing-wise, as they’re able to advertise to the public that they’re dedicated to helping the environment. 

Nonprofits can benefit the economy, and certain nonprofit causes, such as climate change, can further aid the economy. The World Resources Institute estimates that the economic damages from climate change will increase the longer we delay action. Low-carbon technologies are becoming more efficient and affordable than fossil fuels. Climate change will bring crop yields and extreme weather will damage infrastructure. 

In an effort to persuade policymakers to create climate friendly policies, the Sierra Club has started its Green New Deal. This economic stimulus approaches climate change from an economic perspective, arguing that environmental policies would aid the climate crisis, create more high-paying jobs and fight racial, economic, and gender inequity. It’s a great example of how policy areas coincide, and how a nonprofit can aid the economy.

Sources: https://www.sierraclub.org/trade/growing-green-new-deal

Oil and gas companies have historically contributed millions of dollars to lobbying against climate action. Opposing renewable, clean energy benefits them because it allows them to continue oil and gas production, both of which have devastating effects on the environment. They often spend far more than groups lobbying for climate action do. For instance, in the 2017-2018 midterm election, the fossil fuel industry spent $265,773,915 in lobbying, compared with the $26 million that renewable energy companies spent. Among the groups spending the most are Energy Transfer LP, Koch Industries, Chevron Corp. and Marathon Petroleum. Although spending doesn’t always translate to influence, the vast disparity between the amount spent by these two groups likely favors the oil and gas companies. Many believe their spending is the main reason that climate action efforts have stalled for so long.

Sources:https://www.newsweek.com/climate-action-lobby-groups-greta-thunberg-1461292

https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2020/01/fossil-fuel-political-giving-outdistances-renewables-13-to-one/

https://www.opensecrets.org/news/issues/energy-and-climate-change

As a 501(c)4 nonprofit, the Sierra club is allowed to engage in political activity, and exists mainly to lobby. The group organizes lobby efforts to push legislation they believe in, such as anti-oil legislation. They also endorse environmental conscious candidates, and offer a volunteer lobby team program. Through this program, members can meet with state legislators to discuss Sierra Club priorities. As an reputable organization that has lobbied for many years, the Sierra club exercises a lot of influence on environmental politics. The club’s efforts helped pass the National Environmental Policy Act and the Water Pollution Control Act in the 70′s. Today, the club lobbies for legislation proposing clean, renewable energy. The club’s Beyond Coal campaign, which encourages 100 U.S. municipalities to commit to clean energy,  is among the most successful environmental initiatives in history.

Sources: https://www.sierraclub.org/accomplishments

Keep America Beautiful is the leading community improvement nonprofit organization in the nation. On March 20, it had its annual Great American Cleanup, in which volunteers pick up litter, plant vegetation, and clean nature trails and parks. This year, the organization had to run things a little differently due to the pandemic. Volunteers were encouraged to gather under small-scale, distant conditions. Also, events were only planned in areas that allowed it under COVID-19 restrictions. Overall, cleaning up around the community is a great example of volunteering that can be done while socially distancing. It’s also a good way to build social capital within a neighborhood or community. 

With COVID-19 making in-person volunteering and protesting difficult, many environmental advocates have turned to digital methods. One example is the Digital Climate Strike that will take place on April 5. To join in on this campaign, users add the #climatestrikeonline or #digitalstrike to a post with a photo of them holding a climate strike sign. The aim of the strike is to raise awareness of climate justice. This event is going to occur weekly, on Fridays called “Fridays for the Future”. This type of strike is a great way to reach a broad audience and encourage activism during a time when many people are afraid to gather. It originally began in September, with many supporters choosing to walk out of their homes or workplaces in support of the movement. The strike had such a huge impact that 10,000 websites joined the strike and 30,000 people signed up for the strike movement around the globe. 

The Wildlife Conservation Society is a nonprofit devoted to protecting animals and their habitats. Technology has enabled members of the society to connect and engage with each other more quickly than ever before. As stated on a video from their youtube channel, “the global issues we are facing require a global community to address them”. With technology, nonprofits like this society have a broader reach and can communicate quickly with constituents when needed. Members are encouraged to make posts on Facebook and donate online to the WCS.

When a highway in Nigeria was being built that would threaten a mountain gorilla habitat, the WCS started an online petition in opposition to its construction. That petition ended up garnering 100,00 petitions, and the highway was re-routed. This example demonstrates the power that technology gives nonprofits, and the ability for them to produce change within a moment’s notice.

Sources:https://www.salesforce.org/blog/reimagining-nonprofit-crm-towards-building-a-movement/

As one of the country’s largest environmental organizations, the Sierra Club has built a large amount of social capital over the years. The club has chapters in every state and over 1 million members. Like most nonprofits, the club relies heavily on volunteers. Members pay dues and are granted access to member-only events and voting privileges.

Each chapter hosts meetings as well as outdoor activities, such as hikes, to promote membership. Through these meetups, individuals can build interpersonal relationships and contribute to social capital.

Critics argue that the nation’s supply of social capital could be eroding due to larger organizations like the Sierra Club, in which “the only act of membership for most of these groups’ members is paying dues or reading newsletters” and “most members do not know each other”. 

I could see this being true in chapters which have hundreds or thousands of members. My dad is a member of the Sierra Club, and made some great connections because he was part of a smaller chapter. However, I could see how a larger chapter would have trouble fostering interpersonal relationships and I definitely think these larger nonprofits should require members to attend a certain amount of events in order to maintain and build their social capital.

Sources: https://www.cga.ct.gov/PS96/rpt/olr/htm/96-R-0109.htm

WWF

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is the leading organization in wildlife conservation and endangered species. They are a nonprofit organization that focuses on climate and food issues in addition to wildlife conservation. They work closely with governments and local communities in order to bring about policy change. For instance, they’re currently working on implementing the goals of the Paris Agreement. They can do this by “building a coalition of non-federal actors in the U.S. who remained committed to the Paris Agreement” and “collaborating with US Latino leaders and communities to raise awareness of climate risks from Latin American to North America.” Non-federal actors, like everyday citizens, can get involved with WWF by participating in their pledges or adopting an animal.

Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is one of the leading environmental nonprofit organizations in the country with 3.8 million members. It originally was founded to focus on the conservation of the Sierra Nevada mountains, but has since expanded to focus on larger environmental issues such as clean air, water, and pollution prevention. 

The club includes a community of grassroots activists who advocate for passage of environmental legislation and protection of national parks. They also work with other organizations and nonprofits such as Seventh Generation. Their work has historically influenced environmental policy, as they helped pass the Clean Air and Endangered Species Acts.

Biden’s Top-Down approach to Climate Change

The Biden Administration said it will take a “whole of government” approach to climate change. President Biden has already enacted several executive orders regarding climate change, which signifies a top-down approach because he has clear goals and the policies are coming from him. With his executive orders, such as bringing the U.S. back to the Paris climate accord, he is making decisions for the whole country. He isn’t leaving the details of these decisions up to individual states or counties, which would indicate a bottom-down approach or a combined approach. The Paris agreement itself, however, uses more of a bottom-down/combined approach because implementation is left up to the countries involved.

Sources: https://www.pri.org/stories/2021-02-10/biden-vows-take-whole-government-approach-climate-change

Social policy learning and climate change

Climate change has been an issue for many years, and everyone is aware of it. People know they should recycle, conserve energy, and save water. But why haven’t we made progress if we know how bad it's becoming?

This video provides a great example of social policy learning regarding climate change. It argues that in order for society to reverse the disastrous effects of global warming, a cultural shift is needed. It explains that climate change (and policy surrounding it) must be taught as a social issue, rather than just a political one. It will take more than a few environmental policies for things to change, and these environmental policies should be amended/created to address the root of the problem--society’s actions.

Focusing Events of 2020

In addition to political actors, other drivers of policy change are focusing events. These are major occurrences, often rare and unexpected, that bring awareness to an issue. There have been plenty of examples of focusing events surrounding climate change, and many of them brought about significant policy changes, such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

In 2020, a major focusing event was the wildfires in Australia. These fires lasted months, and were deemed some of the worst in history. Extensive media coverage of the event brought attention to the warming climate, and the Australian government was criticized for its response and lack of action.

Another focusing event was the oil spill in the Arctic region of Russia. 125,000 barrels of oil were spilled from a tank, flowing into nearby bodies of water. Thawing permafrost due to warming temperatures was cited as a cause of the spill. The accident will likely have disastrous effects on the environment, and environmentalists emphasized the need to address the root cause of it as a result.

Sources: https://www.carbonbrief.org/media-reaction-australias-bushfires-and-climate-change

Agenda Setting

Agenda setting is the process in which issues gain or lose public attention. Though climate change is not a new policy area by any means, it has gained more attention in recent years than ever before. According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, a majority of Americans in 2019 believed that climate change should be a top priority--the first time in 20 years. 

Like any policy area, political power has historically had a large impact on climate change and its agenda. President Trump brought attention to climate change when he rolled back many environmental policies, including removing the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accord. His climate change policies differed vastly from the Obama era, and also from Biden’s plans. Trump’s policies are reflected in partisan views about climate change. Republicans are much less likely to view climate change as a priority, according to another study by the Pew Research Center.

Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/02/20/climate/climate-change-polls.html

SEI-The Stockholm Environment Institute aims to “bridge science and policy” through climate change solutions. It particularly focuses on climate, air, water, and land-use issues.

C2ES-The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote clean energy, and also reduce emission costs. It was founded in 1998, and continues to be praised for business leadership.

On his first day in office, President Biden made several changes regarding climate change, in an effort to reverse the Trump-era policies. Most notably, he rejoined the Paris agreement and revoked the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. Biden also plans to reduce pollution from oil and gas by implementing new policies regarding fuel economy for cars.