The environment is in crisis everywhere you look; from the clouds of the most industrialized nations to the deserts of Africa. Man’s constant need to use the earth’s resources has led to the destruction of the environment around us. Industries are coming up each year and they constantly require raw materials from the earth. Factories in Asia, Europe and America produce huge amounts of industrial exhaust fumes that form dark hazardous clouds in the skies above them. Activities like mining and off-show drilling have dangerous effects to the surroundings. The lands are left bare and the oceans are contaminated with oil that spill from the drilling.
Deserts in the African plains are expanding, as more trees are cut for building, charcoal, and raw materials for industries. We depend on the environment yet we neglect its needs. Deserts will continue growing if more trees are not planted; the air will remain contaminated, if newer and safer industrial processes are not introduced. Environmental organizations are coming up but they will have no impact if the society does not support them to make the world a better place. We have organizations that fight for our human rights; it’s only fair to have organizations that fight for environmental rights. We depend on the earth to support our lives; it also needs us to take care of it (Adelson & Engel, 2008).
Two of the environmental organizations I am going to look at are the Alaska Wilderness League and Conservation International. These organizations are part of thousands of organizations that seek to conserve the world around us. The Alaska Wilderness League (AWL) was formed in 1993. It is a non-profit organization with its headquarters in Washington, DC. It was founded to protect the wildlife and wild lands of Alaska.
It is part of a larger organization called the Alaska Coalition. The organization’s mission is to engage people to preserve the wilderness, ensuring equitable distribution of resources and working with other organizations in voicing Alaska’s environmental concerns in Washington. The organization is not based in Alaska but has a network that goes to the grassroots. Everyone is involved in taking care of the 103,350,000 acres of the total Land of the state.
Conservation International (CI) was founded in 1987 in Washington. The organization has a staff of about 1000 people and offices in over 30 countries around the globe. It partners with over 1000 big and small business corporations like Starbucks and Wal-mart to spread the conservation message. Such businesses integrate environmental conservation into their policies, as part of their social corporate responsibility. CI’s mission uses the foundation of science and partnership to empower societies to live in harmony with nature. For instance, CI teaches people how to live within the jungles and deserts and while taking care of them.
It would serve no good if we destroyed the places we lived in and left to look for new homes. CI uses its scientific ability and field work expertise to undertake initiatives that are aimed at protecting and maintaining sustainable conditions for the various species of animals and plants, their habitats and the ecosystems. Alaska faces the challenges of industrial development and global climate change. This region is located in one of the most hostile places on the planet. It is an icy region, cold for most of the year. Changing global climate conditions have resulted in erosions of its coasts, leading to people losing their homes.
It is also home to off-shore drilling; resulting to oil leaks into waters and gas explosions. These elements cause health problems to the people around those areas, as they are exposed for longer periods of time. AWL is in a campaign called environmental justice, which seeks to promote human rights and promote the well being of its people. The AWL is working with the people to get rid of environmental disasters before they occur.
The major focus of Conservation International is maintaining the balance between the humans and nature. It takes a global approach to issues, working with different governments to promote a sustainable planet. This is perhaps the major difference between AWL and CI; as AWL only has its focus on issues facing Alaska while CI looks at the globe as its ground (Berg & Hassenzah, 2009).
Most environmental organizations have similar objectives. Their structural designs are also similar. They all focus on making the planet safer and productive for future generations. Although they are similar in most aspects, they also have differences in the way they conduct their activities, the platforms used, capital bases and accumulations, and reach (local, regional or global).
Conservation International has partners and offices around the globe. It gets its funding from partners and donations. An organization of its magnitude shows that, it has a huge base of capital and has capacity to fund activities globally. CI has worked with governments like China to find ways to deal with the issue of air pollution. CI uses scientific knowledge to help conserve habitats and ecosystems around the world. On the other hand, Alaska Wilderness League is a local organization, dealing with local issues. Although it advocates for issues facing Alaska, it also influences other organizations within the United States. Its reach is however limited to the locality of America.
There are numerous global environmental concerns and these two organizations only complement the collective efforts of other bodies that work to protect the planet. The earth is plagued with climate change problems, pollution, desertification and an ever growing human population. As the population grows, the demand for the limited resources also stretches thin. Global warming is fast becoming a reality and only a collective effort can prevent this potential disaster from coming true.
As countries introduce new technologies, measures should be taken to ensure that they are not harmful to the environment. Industrialized countries cause more damage to the areas around them, as they strive to dominate other economies. They should be in the front line to promote planet care. If I am asked which organization I would join; I would choose both organizations, because they impact the world in different ways. Anyone wishing to make an impact in conserving the environment should be able to join any organization, to offer his or her own contribution.
The earth is our home and it sick and needs help. We are the doctors who can provide that urgent support that is needed. If we ignore the earth, then we are only spelling doom for our future generations. This is the moment to make a change; it is the moment to take action. The global community should work together to try and heal the planet. It is time to give back to the earth what we have taken from it. Our success will ensure our future.
References
Adelson, G., & Engel, J. (2008). Environment: An interdisciplinary anthology. New York, NY: Integrated Publishing Solutions.
Berg, L. R., & Hassenzah, D. M. (2009). Environment. Florida: Harcourt College Publishers.