Annual Report

Annual Report
A recap of our work for our members in 2011
To our members
“I’m proud to say that in this year of divisiveness,
Environment Florida helped unite citizens around
the places we love and the values we share.”
Dear Environment Florida members,
We’ve seen a lot of conflict this year—from coal companies
attempting to block progress on clean energy measures, to intense
partisanship that stymied meaningful environmental legislation in
Congress.
Elizabeth Ouzts
Regional Director
Paul Rolfe
Federal Field
Associate
But traveling around Florida, I once again discovered that most
people want clean air, clean water and natural space. That’s
why, as we head into 2012, I’m ready to continue Environment
Florida’s work to preserve the Everglades, curb pollution from
power plants, and restore Clean Water Act protections to all of
our rivers, streams and wetlands.
I’m proud to say that in this year of divisiveness, Environment
Florida helped unite citizens around the places we love and the
deeply held environmental values so many of us share.
I hope you’ll take a moment to read about our latest
accomplishments. Thank you for being at our side.
Sincerely,
John Rumpler
Senior
Environmental
Attorney
Environment Florida
Aliki Moncrief
Environment Florida State Director
Solar power
Too much of our energy comes from dirty sources that wreak havoc on
our environment. The good news? We are surrounded by an abundance
of clean energy options—especially the power of the sun. It’s time we
move to 100 percent clean energy that doesn’t pollute and never runs
out. Last year, we got to work bringing solar power to Florida. Restoring funds to solar energy
It just makes sense. Florida should be well on
its way to becoming a national leader in solar
power. But last year, our state leaders let a popular
solar rebate program run dry. This past winter,
Environment Florida launched a new campaign to
restore the program’s funding and bring solar power
to the Sunshine State.
• Environment Florida spoke with citizens from
Miami to Tallahassee and delivered thousands of
petition signatures to state leaders, urging action.
• Last December, in a move backed by
Environment Florida, the state Legislature finally
restored enough funding to the program to last
through the year. Environment Florida will
redouble efforts to permanently fund the rebate
program and position our state to be a leader
within the clean energy movement.
Bottom: A 25-megawatt
photovoltaic system in
DeSoto, Fla., generates
enough electricity annually to
power about 3,000 homes.
Photo credits: (cover) Sarah and Jason, Creative Commons, (page 1, background) Matt Keiffer, Creative Commons, (page 2, from top) S. Borisov, Shutterstock;
Tai Viinikka, Creative Commons; Florida Power and Light.
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Preserve the Everglades
We want the Everglades to thrive, so its diverse ecosystem—alligators
and all—can prosper, and so our drinking water can stay safe. After
years of research and advocacy by Environment Florida and coalition
partners, the Environmental Protection Agency took action to protect
the Everglades, and all our waters, from pollution. Now it’s time to
stop Congress from blocking the EPA’s work.
After years of effort, real progress to protect the Everglades
For nearly 40 years, the Clean Water Act has protected the streams and wetlands
that feed and clean the Everglades. But a pair of poorly reasoned, short-sighted
decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court have put the Everglades, and all our
waters, at risk. These gaping loopholes leave wildlife vulnerable and threaten the
drinking water for thousands of Floridians.
• In 2011, Environment Florida took decisive action to urge the EPA to
respond quickly. Together with affiliates across the country, Environment
Florida spoke with tens of thousands of people about the need to close
the legal loopholes that leave the Everglades vulnerable to pollution and
overdevelopment.
• Environment Florida staff submitted thousands of petition signatures to
the EPA and Congress, sending an unequivocal message that Floridians are
serious about clean water in the Everglades and across the state.
• Two weeks later, we issued a report showing the growing influence of
corporate agribusiness and its systematic efforts to roll back clean water laws.
Environment Florida
Thousands stand up to polluters
In a landmark decision last spring, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson announced a
plan to restore Clean Water Act protections to the Everglades and all of Florida’s
streams and wetlands. Unfortunately, polluters swung into action, urging
their allies in Congress to stop the EPA from doing its job. ExxonMobil even
threatened “legal warfare” if the EPA moved forward.
• By mid-July, the House of Representatives had passed three separate
measures attacking the EPA’s authority to protect the Everglades and waters
throughout the state and nation. Luckily, Environment Florida and our
sister groups across the country were prepared for this kind of assault—and
had already started building a campaign to defeat it.
• Along with our national federation, we delivered 150,000 signatures to the
EPA, urging Administrator Jackson to stand strong for clean water. The
battle raged on into the fall, and we continued to send a clear message to
Congress: Don’t mess with the Everglades.
More than half of the historic Everglades has already been drained or paved over, and nutrient pollution
plagues a quarter of what’s left.
Photo credits: (background) Sebastian Bergmann, Creative Commons, (page 4, from left) Patrick Rasenberg, Creative Commons; Beth Roberts, Creative Commons.
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Save our Shores
From Amelia Island to Key West, our beaches are still safe from BPstyle oil disasters, thanks to the Obama administration’s decision to
drop plans to drill off our coast. It was a victory for anyone who loves
our coastline and barrier islands—but now that the administration
appears to be wavering, we won’t rest until these safeguards are
made permanent.
Drilling ban capped months of advocacy
In December 2010, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced the Obama
administration’s intention to protect the Atlantic coast, Pacific coast and eastern
Gulf of Mexico from new oil and gas drilling. This year, Environment Florida
staff and supporters built on this success, mounting a strong campaign to keep rigs
off our shores—permanently.
• In the run-up to the announcement, we joined our allies across the
nation and helped deliver more than 400,000 comments to the Obama
administration, calling for a moratorium on drilling along the Atlantic and
Pacific coasts.
• Meanwhile, our research showed that clean beaches inject $4 into the
economy for every $1 that could be earned from offshore drilling.
• Soon after the president dropped plans to drill off Florida’s coasts, Big Oil
and their allies in Congress launched a concerted effort to re-open the
Atlantic coast to drilling, and the president began to backtrack. In the
weeks and months ahead, Environment Florida will continue our work to
send President Obama a clear message: Hands off our shores.
Environment Florida
Joining hands to protect our coast
Last year, as oil from the sunken BP rig washed ashore at Pensacola Beach,
Environment Florida organizers and members turned out to Hands Across the
Sand rallies to show support for clean beaches and green energy. This summer,
amidst new discussions of drilling in Atlantic waters, 10,000 Floridians flocked to
their beaches once again, in protest of offshore drilling.
• Participants were encouraged to come wrapped in black plastic, to symbolize
the crude oil that could once again wash ashore on Florida beaches in the
event of another accident like the Gulf Oil spill of 2010. But even absent a
tragedy like that, oil dependence is taking a heavy toll on Florida.
• Environment Florida advocates for policies that tap into American ingenuity
to create the cars, trucks and transportation systems that will allow our
country to get off oil. We must provide people with the choices that will
protect our families from the impact of rising oil prices while preserving our
oceans and beaches, cleaning our air and stabilizing our climate.
Environment Florida released the report “Too Much at Stake: Don’t Gamble with Florida’s Coast” in West
Palm Beach with Reps. Lori Berman and Joseph Abruzzo.
Photo credits: (background) Staff, (page 6, from left) Kris Krug, Creative Commons; Staff.
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Clean air, healthy families
Families should be able to breathe clean air and drink clean water—
without worrying about mercury in our bloodstream or soot in our lungs.
Yet coal-fired power plants and other industrial polluters spew hundreds
of thousands of tons of pollutants into our atmosphere every year. We
need to protect our air by requiring polluters to clean up their act.
EPA to cut mercury, save 25,000 lives
In 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency moved ahead with efforts to
significantly reduce mercury, soot and smog pollution from power plants. We
expect these standards to save more than 25,000 lives every year. Environment
Florida’s staff, and its sister organizations throughout the country, built support
nationwide to ensure these rules were adopted.
• Air pollution from U.S. power plants causes thousands of premature deaths
each year and tens of thousands of heart attacks, asthma attacks, emergency
room visits, hospital admissions and lost workdays.
• Thanks to our efforts, together with allied organizations across the country,
more than 800,000 people sent comments to the EPA in support of strong
action on mercury—no other single EPA rule has ever received so much
public support.
• Our staff released two reports on the health impacts of smog and mercury
pollution. We also detailed how much pollution is emitted by power plants
nationwide.
Environment Florida
Congressional attacks voted down
Unfortunately, polluters and their allies in Congress launched a coordinated
attack to block these critical safeguards. But after working closely with allies,
lobbying key senators and rallying thousands of our online activists to speak out,
we held the line against some of the worst attacks: • In March, the U.S. Senate rejected a bill that would have blocked standards
for soot, mercury and carbon pollution.
• In April, the Senate defeated four more bills that would have blocked the
EPA from reducing pollution that causes global warming.
Clockwise from left: Environment Florida’s Sarah Bucci speaking with U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch on the
Capitol steps; Environment Florida supporters deliver prop inhalers to U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart’s office; Big
Bend Power Station in Tampa Bay.
Photo credits: (background) Kristi Kirschner, Creative Commons, (page 8, clockwise from left) Staff; Staff; jennaandjon, Creative Commons.
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Environment Florida support
Citizen support is the cornerstone of Environment Florida.
Thousands of Florida citizens supported Environment Florida and the
Environment Florida Research & Policy Center by making membership
contributions in fiscal year 2011. The members listed below were
particularly generous in backing the organizations’ research and
advocacy. Names that appear in italics denote Monthly Supporters.
These members provide stability to the organizations’ resources
through our monthly giving program.
Development Committee
The following members supported Environment Florida and/or Environment
Florida Research & Policy Center with contributions of $1,000 or more in Fiscal
Year 2011:
Rafael Aguirre • Christian Chiari • Michael Crowley • Jeffrey Fernyhough •
Lakhbir & Jasbir Hayre • Charles McMurray • Douglas H. Phelps
Patrons
The following members supported Environment Florida and/or Environment
Florida Research & Policy Center with contributions between $500 and $999 in
Fiscal Year 2011:
Robert Burns • Sarah Couper & Felix Queredo • Isabel S. de Blufstein • Antonio
Diaz • Freddy Funes • Julie Gabriel • Rick Hoe • Jorge Leisera • Marilyn Morris &
David Heath • David Morrison • Lydia Reid • Rafael Retes • Linda Schuch • John
Sheldon • Bradley Solyan • Charmaine Spence • Sita Whitaker
Sponsors
The following members supported Environment Florida and/or Environment
Florida Research & Policy Center with contributions between $350 and $499 in
Fiscal Year 2011:
Alexandra Bailey • David Balletti • Brendan Britto • Nicholas Buraglia • Michael
Capponi • Marcio Carelli • Riko & Adrienne Carrion • Alexander Charner •
Justin Clementi • Gianina Dragoi • Michelle Estlund • Alex Froom • Hector
Garcia • Kevin Gonzalez • Oscar & Veronica Gonzalez • Blanchelle Guzman •
Jim Heffernan • Rodger & Linda Hendricks • Kathryn Howd • Kathleen Hubbard •
Richard Huggins Jr • Rosemary Jennings • Christopher Johnson • Christian Lanser •
Environment Florida
Sponsors (continued)
Jay L. Levine • Lynnette & Rick Mackenzie • Dellys Marichal • Robert Martinez •
Nicole Masters • Tricia Maynard • Omar & Kimberlyn Mena • Roger Miller •
Diana & Herman Morrison • Betty Jane Ochoa • Barbara Peterson-Males • Tony
Phom • Kimberly Pierce • Guido Reichstadter • David Sach • Mark Sanger • William
Selig • Phillip Spurger • Dylan Steen • Ben Strassberry • Mike Templet • John H.
Tidy • Tomas Torres • Anastasia Vlanowicz • Newell Walls • Aileen Zeigen
Foundation support
The Environment Florida Research & Policy Center is a 501(c)(3)
organization and conducts research and public education on emerging
environmental issues. Contributions to the Environment Florida Research &
Policy Center are tax-deductible. To find out more, contact Aliki Moncrief at
(850) 224-5944. The Environment Florida Research & Policy Center would like
to thank the Prentice Foundation, the Elizabeth Ordway Dunn Foundation, and
the Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation for supporting our work in 2011.
Financial information
The charts below represent the combined financial information for Environment
Florida and Environment Florida Research & Policy Center for Fiscal Year 2011.
FY11 Income
Citizen Members 90%
Foundation Grants 10%
FY11 Expenses
Program 66%
Fundraising 30%
Administration 4%
Building a greener future
Environment Florida and the Environment Florida Research & Policy Center gratefully
accept bequests, beneficiary designations of IRAs and life insurance, and gifts of
securities to support our work. Your gift will assure that we can continue to protect
Florida’s air, water and open spaces for future generations. For more information, call
1-800-841-7299 or send an email to: [email protected].
Photo credits: (background) Lilith121, Creative Commons, (back cover) Willy Volk, Creative Commons.
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Environment Florida
310 N. Monroe St.
Tallahassee, FL 32301
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2011 Annual Report
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