Green Corps
Encyclopedia
Green Corps, the field school for environmental organizing, is a non-profit organization that trains future environmental and social change activists. In its year-long, paid program, 35 recent college graduates go through a program involving direct field work on critical environmental campaigns punctuated by periods of intensive classroom training. Upon graduating from the program, the participant will have led 3 to 5 of these campaigns and will have the tools necessary to become important members of the movement.
The movement to form Green Corps was led by U.S. PIRG, the Federation of State PIRGs. Green Corps formed in response to the inertia created by Earth Day in 1990. Interest and desire to act burgeoned on university campuses around the country, producing graduates who were passionate and ready to contribute to the movement but who were faced with an obstacle—how do you find a position with one of these activist groups with minimal experience? This was where Green Corps came in, seeking to channel this valuable force directly into the causes that need it, through a training program involving direct fieldwork.
During the Green Corps year, participants work with veterans in the field to make progress on important campaigns. Through partnering with these other influential groups, the Green Corps member creates valuable ties and learns from those who have been on the frontlines. Upon graduating, Green Corps members pursue careers with these leading organizations.
; and safeguarding fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico.
Current campaigns include: advocating clean energy with 1Sky, a national non-profit working to influence bold clean energy legislation by 2010; campaigning with Food and Water Watch's Fair Fish Initiative; and targeting specific college campuses to move away from coal power sources in partnership with the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign.
History
Since its founding in 1992, Green Corps has trained more than 250 people. These graduates have since become leaders of the environmental and social change fields, holding positions with the Sierra Club, Greenpeace, and MoveOn.org.The movement to form Green Corps was led by U.S. PIRG, the Federation of State PIRGs. Green Corps formed in response to the inertia created by Earth Day in 1990. Interest and desire to act burgeoned on university campuses around the country, producing graduates who were passionate and ready to contribute to the movement but who were faced with an obstacle—how do you find a position with one of these activist groups with minimal experience? This was where Green Corps came in, seeking to channel this valuable force directly into the causes that need it, through a training program involving direct fieldwork.
During the Green Corps year, participants work with veterans in the field to make progress on important campaigns. Through partnering with these other influential groups, the Green Corps member creates valuable ties and learns from those who have been on the frontlines. Upon graduating, Green Corps members pursue careers with these leading organizations.
Campaigns
Recent campaigns include: fighting global warming; exposing the abuses of the bottled water industry; protecting the Arctic Wildlife Refuge; stopping ocean dumping; protecting forests in the southern United States; fighting water privatizationWater privatization
Water privatization is a short-hand for private sector participation in the provision of water services and sanitation, although sometimes it refers to privatization and sale of water resources themselves . As water services are seen as such a key public service, water privatization is often...
; and safeguarding fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico.
Current campaigns include: advocating clean energy with 1Sky, a national non-profit working to influence bold clean energy legislation by 2010; campaigning with Food and Water Watch's Fair Fish Initiative; and targeting specific college campuses to move away from coal power sources in partnership with the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign.
See also
- SustainabilitySustainabilitySustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
- BiodiversityBiodiversityBiodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
- Global warmingGlobal warmingGlobal warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
- RecyclingRecyclingRecycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
- EcologyEcologyEcology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
- Earth ScienceEarth scienceEarth science is an all-embracing term for the sciences related to the planet Earth. It is arguably a special case in planetary science, the Earth being the only known life-bearing planet. There are both reductionist and holistic approaches to Earth sciences...
- Natural environmentNatural environmentThe natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....