Caring for the environment is agreed that it is definitely something we should think about in our daily lives, through recycling, walking instead of driving and conserving water and the like when required.

On a larger scale events such as Earth Day every April, when a collaboration of countries across the globe endeavour to highlight environmental suffering through a series of activities such as an hour of darkness, when every home and business is required to turn off all of their electricity for one hour; and World Environment Day bring the world’s attention to just how important conserving our environment is.

The following charities and organisations have gone a long way in ensuring that the general population offer, at least some thought to our environment, involved in lobbying, advocacy or conservation, or all, or several of these:

Greenpeace

Greenpeace is a non-governmental environmental agency. Originating in British Columbia Canada in the early 1970’s, Greenpeace became Greenpeace on 15th September 1971, when it sent a chartered boat (named Greenpeace) to protest against nuclear testing in the Alaskan wilderness.

Since then Greenpeace has grown enormously, with offices in over 40 countries committed to campaigning for a number of causes including climate change, over-fishing, protecting the world’s forests and disarmament.

The most infamous environmental incident occurred when the Greenpeace boat, Rainbow Warrior which was in the South Pacific campaigning against French Nuclear Testing. The French Government bombed the vessel in Auckland Harbour, New Zealand, killing a Dutch photographer. After public outcry the French were ordered to pay the NZ government compensation.

Friends of the Earth

Friends of the Earth International is a group of international environmental organisations active in over 76 countries.

This non-governmental organisation campaigns for change in the most urgent environmental and social issues aiming to change to create environmentally sustainable and socially fair society.

Each country where FOE operate runs separately to other factions of the group and have a choice to affiliate to the international group, which generally they do, to increase their strength and impact with numbers.

World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)

The World Wide Fund for Nature is synonymous with the Giant Panda that is its logo, and was formerly known as the World Wildlife Fund (which remains its name in Canada and the United States. This NGO has been committed to conservation research and restoration of the environment for nearly 40 years.

It has 5 million supporters in over 90 countries and supports about 1300 conservation projects across the globe.

The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA)

The Environmental Investigation Agency was founded as an NGO in 1984 by three UK environmentalists. Its goal is to investigate and expose crimes against wildlife and the environment.

EIA investigators work undercover, gathering evidence of environmental and wildlife crime.

The evidence in film and photographic form, is presented to the media and government policy makers "to inform, and persuade that action must be taken in order to protect the planet's most precious species, habitats and vital ecosystems."