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There are indeed many environmental advocacy organizations that use the Internet as a means of communicating their message and spreading their word. In this relatively recent "digital age", the use of a web site is proving to be an invaluable tool, and possibly more effective than sending out literature, because after all, does anybody know how to read anymore? Browsing through a variety of larger environmental advocacy/activism groups such as Greenpeace, National Wildlife Conservation, and the Sierra Club, it is easy for smaller, less well know (and funded) groups to be noticed. One such group calls themselves EnviroWatch (www.EnviroWatch.org). (Not to be confused with EnviroWatch.com)
From the information that can be gathered on their web site, it appears they are based in Hawaii, which is also where most of their concern lies, and activities take place. Upon entering the site, one is first presented with their mission statement: "Our mission is to assist you in putting an end to environmental injustice by way of investigating and exposing environmental degradation, habitat destruction, poaching, clear cutting, pollution, animal cruelty, and government waste and abuse." To the right of the page is a picture of a bird staring forward and underneath that in caps "WE ARE WATCHING". After reading this one gets a true sense that EnviroWatch is looking out for the environment, almost like earth-friendly detectives.
The design of their web site is very conducive to quick and easy access. This is definitely a plus for any newcomer who is browsing through the site to get a feel for the organization. On the homepage, there are a series of 7 "links" running down the left margin of the page, each which brings you to another page containing a separate issue. The final link is an archived page containing information from previous years/months, which is useful in learning what projects they EnviroWatch has worked on in the past. Clicking on the first link, "ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE at it's worst", brings up two pictures of sewage run-off in Waimanalo, Hawaii. Underneath is a press release which details their petition for review by the Federal Courts of past suit (originally filed in 1992 by the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund). They are upset that the city is "not producing any significant improvements in water quality for the community."
The next section of EnviroWatch's site is one detailing the activity of "shark finning", where the fins are cut off and the rest of the shark goes to waste. Again they are using pictures to invoke a particular response from the viewer, as on the top of the screen is a dock with a couple hundred shark fins of various sizes. Also on this page is another link to a few pages which describe in step-by-step fashion the shark finning process. They accomplish this through the use of cartoons that are accompanied by their corresponding real life pictures. Of more important note is another page which gives the testimony presented before the Hawaii State Senate Committee which proved effective. Through the use of pictures and convincing testimony, they were apparently able to get the bill for the ban on shark finning passed.
A third link ...
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