My Nonprofit Reviews
Canary in the Toxic Mine
Review for Natural Resources Defense Council Inc, New York, NY, USA
Unfortunately the NRDC has been on the wrong side of battles over toxics for a long time.
Most notably, they supported NAFTA, one of several international trade agreements being used to impose industry-friendly regulations about toxic emissions, and to push pesticides and genetically modified crops, on other countries.
Their name really says it all: Natural Resources Defense Fund. They take money ('Fund') to defend natural resources. But how was it determined that nature is a 'resource', to be managed, controlled, and used by humans, rather than something that exists for its own reasons, and with its own priorities?
Some other explicit examples of NRDC not supporting environmental justice:
They refused to oppose the pesticide program against the light brown apple moth (aka. LBAM), which injured at least hundreds, if not thousands of people in California, and killed hundreds of birds in the Monterey Bay. They questioned the validity of the claims of the injured, and stubbornly defended the use of the injurious synthetic 'pheromones' pesticides, to eradicate a moth which even the agency involved in the program admitted had not done any crop damage:
http://www.sfdph.org/dph/files/EHSdocs/ehsLBAM/NRDC.pdf
http://www.dontspraycalifornia.org/lbam.html
Currently they are defending the electricity, gas, and water utilities' installation of digital 'Smart' meters, which have been injuring and displacing many residents with pulsing emissions of radio-frequency radiation and dirty electricity from the meters' switching mode power supply:
http://stopsmartmeters.org/2011/07/26/the-green-sheen-wearing-thin-how-corporate-environmental-organizations-are-providing-cover-for-the-mounting-ecological-catastrophe-of-the-%E2%80%9Csmart-grid%E2%80%9D/
http://www.kpfa.org/archive/id/75265
NRDC has also been linked to wetlands developers:
http://www.nonprofitwatch.org/nrdc/
The organization is included in an important expose about 'green' groups that are involved in greenwashing:
http://www.thenation.com/article/wrong-kind-green
And I also echo others who shared their opinions in the archived comments of this site (see link at the bottom of the reviews page), that it is inappropriate for a 'nonprofit' to pay anyone a 6-digit salary.
There is really no more doubt. The NRDC is corrupt. There are far better groups to support, who need donations far more urgently to continue their work to defend communities under assault from toxic corporate greed, than the NRDC.
More Feedback
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
betraying the efforts of grassroots movements that defend their communities from toxic assault, by stubbornly ignoring peer reviewed science and supporting the toxic nightmare being imposed on our neighborhoods.
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
shut it down. There's not much salvageable, when you have overpaid bureaucrats, and support for government projects that are destructive to the earth, and staff scientists who ignore peer reviewed science about environmental health concerns, as well as thousands of people getting sick. Start over with something that serves the people, not industry.
Will you volunteer or donate to this organization?
No
How much of an impact do you think this organization has?
Some
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2011
How did you learn about this organization?
Forwarded self congratulatory mailings that misrepresent struggles, and the organization's role in them.
Review for Ecological Options Network, Bolinas, CA, USA
EON makes government hearings and community forums more accessible by posting videos of them on the internet. This is a tremendous service, particularly for people who are unable to attend due to disability, or work and parenting schedules. Their videos help the public hold government agencies acountable. Their footage of communities speaking out amplifies the voices of many, who are too often censored and silenced. By documenting movements of social and political change, they help extend the reach of such movements beyond regional boundaries that might otherwise keep us isolated. Their focus on public and ecological health, as well as social and environmental justice, is urgently important in these increasingly toxic times, and global climate change.
More Feedback
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
their documentation of our statewide opposition to a toxic and ecologically devastating government program to eradicate a species of moth, simply because it's not originally from here. EON gave voice to many of the people who were injured by that program.
What I've enjoyed the most about my experience with this nonprofit is...
that they are part of the community. They are not like some nonprofits that are working more towards personal careers, than for the issues they were set up to tackle. In contrast, EON's work is based on a deep commitment to real justice and integrity.
The kinds of staff and volunteers that I met were...
caring and compassionate people, who are open and honest in their interactions with others, and always interested in learning more about the bigger picture, passing on everything they learn in a true spirit of sharing.
If this organization had 10 million bucks, it could...
upgrade technical equipment, travel to document relevant events and movements elsewhere, publish the work in different formats, and distribute it widely to individuals and for community screenings.
How frequently have you been involved with the organization?
About every week
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2010
