WiserEarth

WiserEarth is a website-based project of the Natural Capital Institute cataloging non-profit organizations involved in environmental and justice issues. It was begun by author, businessman and environmentalist Paul Hawken as part of writing his 2007 book titled Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming.

In the appendix to his book, Hawken writes that he "needed to do more than assert the existence of these organizations, and I had to define what is meant by the words 'the environment, indigenous rights, and social justice.' ... To begin to solve the problem, my colleagues and I at the Natural Capital Institute ... created a database of civil society organizations from around the world directed to the issues of the environment and justice. ... Along with the database of organizations the Natural Capital Institute created a Web site to accelerate public awareness and to increase the ability of the movement to connect and collaborate. This is called WiserEarth, with WISER standing for 'World Index of Social and Environmental Responsibility (www.wiserearth.org ) ... You are invited to list your own organization, add one you know of that is not listed, or modify and improve existing listings."

In addition to WiserEarth, Hawken's project has also created WiserBusiness (www.wiserbusiness.org) and WiserGovernment (www.wisergovernment.org), believing that "the success of this [environment and justice] movement will be defined by how rapidly it becomes a part of all other sectors of society. It if remains singular and isolated, it will fail. It if is absorbed and integrated into religion, business, and government, there is a chance that humanity can reverse the trends that beset the earth."

Advisory Council

Accessed September 2009:

• Paul Hawken - Founder
• Peggy Duvette - Executive Director
• Michael Kwan - WiserEarth Editor
• Deborah Phelan - WiserEarth Editor
• Danielle Brigida - Wildlife Advocate

Vision Statement and Financial Plan

On the www.NetSquared.org website the Natural Capital Institute describes WiserEarth's mission this way in May, 2007: "It is an international directory and networking forum that maps, links and empowers the largest movement in the world, the hundreds of thousands of organizations within civil society that address social justice and the environment. WiserEarth provides tools to help organizations and individuals find each other, collaborate, share resources and build alliances. ... WiserEarth provides the tools and a platform for this movement to see itself and become better connected. WiserEarth is scalable and doesn't require extensive ongoing funding once built. Data will be user-generated as opposed to centrally managed, requiring few staff after public launch. Most of its expenses are in technical development and hardware costs. NCI is committed to raising money for these costs so that WiserEarth is always able to serve the community for free."

Contact Details

Website: http://www.wiserearth.org/

From the website: "Have other questions about WiserEarth? Contact project director Peggy Duvette at duvette[AT]naturalcapital.org [1]"

Resources

SourceWatch Resources

• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Crocodyl
• Green Media Toolshed
• Natural Capital Institute
• Natural Capitalism
• Paul Hawken
• Peace, Justice and Environment Project
• WiserBusiness
• WiserGovernment

External Articles

• Jessica Guynn, Call it "Socially Responsible Idol", San Francisco Chronicle, May 9, 2007.
• Felicia Tomasco, Paul Hawken Speaks about Social Change: The New Global Movement, Santa Barbara Independent, May 10, 2007.
• John Stauber, Blessed Unrest for a Wiser Earth: John Stauber Interviews Paul Hawken, PRWatch.org, June 19, 2007.

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