Environment

The philanthropic community can have a lasting and deep impact on our environment by protecting, mitigating, and restoring our natural environment and wildlife ecosystems.

Introduction

Natural disasters and manmade tragedies can devastate our environment. They put our landscape, coastline, wildlife, agriculture, energy and utilities, and water and sewage filtration systems at risk, and amplify public health issues related to land and water contamination from toxins.

Our climate continues to change, and as a result, tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, floods, landslides and earthquakes will increase in intensity, frequency and ferocity.

The philanthropic community can have a lasting and deep impact on our environment by protecting, mitigating, and restoring our natural environment and wildlife ecosystems.

Red Knot Horseshoe crab feeding—New Jersey

Innovative Practices

Philanthropic organizations have:

supported research that has illuminated vulnerabilities associated with land management use; infrastructure (including sanitation, energy, and transportation issues connected to environmental concerns); endangered coastal habitats; climate change and sea level rise; and toxic exposure and the spread of infectious disease;

encouraged the formation of coalitions, task forces and cross-sector partnerships in order to take a multi-disciplined approach to environmental resiliency initiatives;

educated communities on the biggest environmental concerns facing their region in order to effectively and comprehensively prepare for future disasters and mitigate loss in delicate environmental habitats and communities-at-risk.

Ella Delio, of the Greater New Orleans Foundation, talks about starting small before going big and the importance of environmental initiatives for all funders.

FUNDER-SPECIFIC INNOVATIVE PRACTICES

Key Takeaways

Philanthropic organizations have a powerful platform to convene environmentalists, scientists, biologists, researchers, climatologists, geo-physicists, academics, government officials, local elected leaders, community activists, and journalists.
Coalitions and Task Forces can:

foster a dialogue around environmental challenges;
ensure that the community at-large has developed and instituted policies and procedures to mitigate environmental damage in the event of a disaster;
educate its community through a preparedness awareness campaign.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability 2014

Environment

Introduction

Natural disasters and manmade tragedies can devastate our environment. They put our landscape, coastline, wildlife, agriculture, energy and utilities, and water and sewage filtration systems at risk, and amplify public health issues related to land and water contamination from toxins.

Innovative Practices

Key Takeaways

Further Reading

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