By Adaina, Maya and Millie

Background Friends of the Earth has been in existence for over 40 years. The organization was founded in 1969 an incorporated in the District of Columbia, headquartered in Washington, D.C. Since 1969, the organization has distinguished itself as a coalition of environmental fighters dedicated to standing up for the hard long-term solutions, rather than compromising or settling for what is feasible or popular here and now.

Aims To ensure environmental and social justice, human dignity, and respect for human rights and peoples' rights Reverse environmental ruin and depletion of natural resources Nurture the earth's ecological and cultural diversity, and secure sustainable livelihoods. To secure the empowerment of indigenous peoples and to ensure public participation in decision making To bring about transformation towards sustainability Equity between and within societies with creative approaches and solutions. To engage in vibrant campaigns, raise awareness, mobilize people and build alliances with diverse movements

Success Factor With 2 million members world wide, Friends of Earth is an organisation that cannot be ignored. Court cases such as "Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief" to the courts against the United States Department of State, the Friends of Earth are able to hold US congressmen accountable for their actions. With climate change becoming a key issue, the Friends of Earth are continuously growing in influence, as more and more become aware of their carbon footprint and want to help the world we live in. The headquarters of Friends of Earth are situated within Washington DC, enabling them to have easy access to Congress thus influencing policy.

Access Points The organization has a reputation of fearlessness when addressing big business and big issues. For example, Friends of the Earth brought a "Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief" to the courts against the US Department of State regarding the Keystone XL tar sands crude oil pipeline under the Freedom of Information Act. The coalition works to promote transparency in big business, to affect policy change at the highest levels of government, and to demand accountability from those in positions of legal, economic, and academic power.

Extent of impact Being an international organisation with an accumulation of 2 million members in 74 countries, the extent of impact on the US political system is great. By using access points such as the judiciary and contacting key officials in the executive and Congress, Friends of Earth continue to exert great influence on policy making in the USA.