Rainforest Action Network
San Francisco, California | |
Executive Director | Ginger Cassady |
---|---|
Website | ran.org |
Rainforest Action Network (RAN) is an
History
Rainforest Action Network was founded in San Francisco, California in 1985 by Mike Roselle and Randy "Hurricane" Hayes.[2][1] Early on, RAN worked with Herbert Chao Gunther, the founder of the Public Media Center in San Francisco, a marketing firm exclusively on social justice and environmental issues.[2] This partnership with Gunther included new branding and campaigns against large multinational corporations in the 1990s, using grassroots activism and savvy media work.[1] They gained national prominence with a grassroots organizing campaign that in 1987 succeeded in convincing Burger King to cancel $31 million worth of destructive Central American rainforest beef contracts.[1]
In 1989, RAN called for a
Along with Global Exchange and the Ruckus Society, RAN played a central role in organizing the 1999 mass actions against the WTO (World Trade Organization) summit in Seattle. Although the organization once had RAGS (Rainforest Action Groups) around the country, today its operations are centralized in San Francisco.
RAN's executive director, Rebecca Tarbotton, drowned on December 26, 2012, at age 39, while swimming in the Pacific Ocean.[4] Lindsey Allen was subsequently named executive director on August 21, 2013.[5] Allen departed RAN in 2019 and on February 10, 2020, the board elected Ginger Cassady as the new Executive Director.[6]
About
Organizational mission
Rainforest Action Network preserves
Activities and structure
RAN drives change through grassroots organizing, media stunts, the use of non-violent civil disobedience, and inside-the-boardroom negotiations to confront and positively influence industry-leading corporations to publicly adopt environmental policies that address issues ranging from deforestation to climate change. Their corporate campaigning strategies have prompted a number of academic case studies reflecting on the relationship between activists and businesses.[7][8][9][10][11][12] RAN works in close alliance with an increasingly well coordinated movement of NGOs (non-governmental organizations).
The organization's board of directors includes André Carothers; Anna Hawken McKay; Allan Badiner, Anna Lappé of the Small Planet Institute; James Gollin, board president and a founding member of the Social Venture Network; and Jodie Evans, a founder of Code Pink Women for Peace. Honorary members of RAN's board include Ali MacGraw, Bob Weir, Bonnie Raitt, Chris Noth, John Densmore and Woody Harrelson.[when?]
Programs
Tropical Forests Program
RAN’s Tropical Forests Program focuses on stopping rainforest deforestation and degradation and the oppression of forest peoples in
Rainforest Agribusiness: palm oil
RAN's Rainforest Agribusiness campaign, The Problem With Palm Oil, centers around the
Energy and Finance program
The Energy and Finance campaign targets financial institutions involved in the financing of destructive forestry and fossil fuels projects. Historically, the campaign has succeeded in obtaining strong environmental policies from banks such as
We Can Change Chevron: toxic waste oil
Launched in December 2009, the We Can Change Chevron campaign targets the California-based oil corporation for their subsidiary Texaco's dumping of 18 billion US gallons (68,000,000 m3) of
Controversies
In 2003, the RAN organization was subpoenaed by the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means to hand over every document and piece of footage relating to all protests the organization participated in since 1993, in order to investigate whether they should be entitled to the tax-exempt status.[30] The organization’s then-Executive Director Michael Brune labeled this investigation "the latest attempt to intimidate RAN's supporters, and a part of a larger and more disturbing effort by corporate interests to stifle dissent and control free speech."[31]
The organization has come under fire from environmentalists opposed to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) for its membership in that group,[32] though RAN maintains that their engagement is necessary to push for stronger protection of forests and the rights of forest communities by the FSC.[33]
See also
- Amazon Rainforest
- Conservation ethic
- Conservation movement
- Environmental movement
- Environmental movement in the United States
- Glenn Switkes
References
- ^ a b c d Aronoff, Kate (2011-09-18). "U.S. activists stop Burger King from importing rainforest beef, 1984-1987". Swarthmore College. Archived from the original on 2013-06-25. Retrieved 2012-06-01.
- ^ a b Nosowitz, Dan (2019-09-16). "How the Save the Rainforest movement gave rise to modern environmentalism". Vox. Archived from the original on 2020-11-01. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
- ISBN 978-1-135-64857-2.
- ^ Yardley, William (2 January 2013). "Rebecca Tarbotton, Environmental Activist, Dies at 39". New York Times. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
- ^ "Rainforest Action Network Names Top Campaigner as New Executive Director". Rainforest Action Network press release. 21 August 2013. Archived from the original on 8 September 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
- ^ "Announcing our new Executive Director". YouTube. Archived from the original on 14 February 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
- SSRN 791006.
- .
- ^ Asmus, Peter; Cauley, Hank; Maroney, Katharine (Fall 2006). "Case Study: Turning Conflict into Cooperation" (PDF). Stanford Social Innovation Review. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-02-02. Retrieved 2012-12-04.
- ^ Baron, David P.; Yurday, Erin (2004), "Strategic Activism: The Rainforest Action Network", Archived copy, Stanford Graduate School of Business, archived from the original on 2010-07-18, retrieved 2012-06-01
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: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Baron, David P.; Barlow, David S.; Barlow, Ann M.; Yurday, Erin (Jun 1, 2004), "Anatomy of a Corporate Campaign: Rainforest Action Network and Citigroup (A)", Archived copy, Stanford Graduate School of Business, archived from the original on March 6, 2016, retrieved June 1, 2012
{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Baron, David P.; Barlow, David S.; Barlow, Ann M.; Yurday, Erin (Jun 1, 2004), "Anatomy of a Corporate Campaign: Rainforest Action Network and Citigroup (B)", Stanford Graduate School of Business
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(help) Baron, David P.; Barlow, David S.; Barlow, Ann M.; Yurday, Erin (Jun 1, 2004), "Anatomy of a Corporate Campaign: Rainforest Action Network and Citigroup (C)", Archived copy, Stanford Graduate School of Business, archived from the original on March 6, 2016, retrieved June 1, 2012{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ World Bank (2007), "Indonesia and Climate Change: Current Status and Policies" (PDF), Archived copy, archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-12-27, retrieved 2012-04-12
{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Higgins, Andrew (November 19, 2009). "A climate threat, rising from the soil". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2019-10-24. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
- ^ Richardson, Jill. "Worst Food Additive Ever? It's in Half of All Foods We Eat and Its Production Destroys Rainforests and Enslaves Children". Archived from the original on 2012-01-05. Retrieved 2010-10-25.
- ^ Jan Willem van Gelder, Greasy Palms: European Buyers of Indonesian Palm Oil, Friends of the Earth, 2004.
- ^ "Statement on responsible palm oil sourcing". General Mills. September 22, 2010. Archived from the original on 2013-01-22. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
- ^ Koch, Wendy (2010-09-24). "General Mills boycotts palm oil that destroys rain forests". Archived from the original on 2010-11-26. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
- ^ Walsh, Bryan (May 31, 2011). "Making Girl Scout Cookies Better for the Planet". Time. Archived from the original on June 2, 2011. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
- ^ "2011 Award Winners". Brower Youth Awards. Archived from the original on 2012-05-24. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
- ^ "Mountaintop Removal Mining Environmental Due Diligence Process". Citigroup.com. Archived from the original on 2012-07-20. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
- ^ "Credit Policies". Bank of America. Archived from the original on 2012-07-05. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
- ^ "Environmental Sustainability at JPMorgan Chase". JPMorgan Chase. Archived from the original on 2013-01-16. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
- ^ Cooper, Dave (2009-09-09). "Boulder from Mountaintop Coal Mine Smashes Into Kentucky Home". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 2009-09-17. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
- ^ "Success Stories". Rainforest Action Network. Archived from the original on 2016-11-03. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
- ^ "BofA must come clean on coal". Charlotte Business Journal. February 24, 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-04-14. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
- ^ a b Llana, Sara Miller (2009-05-29). "Chevron fights massive lawsuit in Ecuador". Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on 2009-12-26. Retrieved 2009-05-29.
- ^ "History of Texaco and Chevron in Ecuador". Archived from the original on 2010-11-24. Retrieved 2010-12-13.
- ^ Gomez, Victor (January 3, 2012). "Ecuador court upholds $18 billion ruling against Chevron". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2016-03-10. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
- ^ Doyle, Jim (2004-12-17). "Eco-warriors / Co-founder of Rainforest Action Network and activist spouse take fight for environment one step at a time". SFGATE. Archived from the original on 2020-11-17. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
- ^ "Action Alert". Rainforest Action Network. Winter 2004. Retrieved 2012-12-30.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Barry, Glen. "Old-Growth Carbon Findings Cause Forest Protection Schism". Archived from the original on 2008-09-14. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
- ^ Rainforest Action Network. "Rainforest Action Network Statement on the FSC". Archived from the original on 2013-04-01. Retrieved 2012-04-05.
External links
- Rainforest Action Network
- Rainforest Action Network blog
- RAN's Tar Sands Campaign
- RAN's work to protect Grassy Narrows First Nation, in Kenora, Ontario
- RAN's activism to prevent deforestation to make way for palm oil plantations
- Rainforest web - World Rainforest Information Portal
- Conservatives target the Rainforest Action Network at SourceWatch
- Guide to the Rainforest Action Network Records at The Bancroft Library