Friends of the Earth

Oceans and Forests

The world's oceans support countless forms of life, as do our forests. Unfortunately, oceans and the tens of millions of people who live near them are under threat from oil spills, air pollution, sewage releases, aquaculture and unnatural ocean noise, and around the world, resource extraction and deforestation are destroying forests and displacing the people who live in them.

Friends of the Earth has won regional, national and international limits on air, water and oil pollution from cruise ships, cargo ships, oil tankers, ferries and recreational water craft. We were instrumental in achieving the upcoming establishment of air pollution limits for ships near the coasts of the U.S. and Canada, which will prohibit them from using dirty bunker fuel. And we are working within in international climate negotiations to ensure that forest preservation policies are effective and protect forest residents.

Cruise ships

We are advocating for laws and regulations to stop cruise ships from dumping waste into our oceans, polluting our beaches, contaminating our coral reefs, and destroying our valuable marine ecology.

Oceangoing vessels

We are working at the local, state, national and international level to strengthen port regulations to protect local communities and waters, to enact health-protective national and international shipping standards, and to achieve global warming reductions from ocean-going vessels in order to attain pollution reductions worldwide.