Guide to the Environmental Action Foundation Records, 1970-1996 AIS.1996.13
Arrangement
Repository
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Title
Environmental Action Foundation Records
Creator
Environmental Action Foundation
Collection Number
AIS.1996.13
Extent
115 Linear Feet(93 boxes)
Date
1970-1996
Abstract
This collection documents the functions, activities, and research undertaken by the Environmental Action Foundation (EAF), a non-profit educational organization based in Tacoma Park, Maryland. The materials in this collection range from organization documentation to information files that represent issues of concern to the EAF. The main issues that the EAF advocated were energy efficiency, utility deregulation, solid waste management, and the reduction of toxic substances. The collection includes records of the foundation, research notes, newspaper clippings, articles, legal material, VHS tapes, and audio cassette tapes.
Language
English
.
Author
Alesha Shumar and Jennifer Nicol.
Publisher
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Address
University of Pittsburgh Library System Archives & Special Collections Website: library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections Contact Us: www.library.pitt.edu/ask-archivist URL: http://library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections
History
Millions of Americans displayed concern about pollution and related environmental problems at the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970. The national staff coordinating the event realized that maintaining awareness required sustained support from both citizens and activists. To provide this support, the Earth Day staff formed two organizations: Environmental Action (EA) a non-profit political organization, and the Environmental Action Foundation (EAF), its educational tax-exempt affiliate. These two organizations operated together as a collective. In keeping with this concept, members of the Coordinating Council (CC), a governing body that linked the EAF to the EA, made all important decisions.
The EAF, an environmental research and education organization, served as a resource to support the advancement of global solutions through research, education, litigation, and collective action. These goals were achieved through funding by government agencies, foundation grants, and individual members. The members were garnered through direct-mailing advertisements and telemarketing. The EAF also maintained a number of affiliates that share its goals. One of the most influential of these was the Energy Conservation Coalition (ECC), a body composed of twenty national public interest organizations including environmental, consumer, senior citizen, scientific, and religious constituencies.
The four major program areas of energy efficiency, utility deregulation, solid waste management, and reduction of toxic substances were the main focus of the EAF's efforts. It also promoted solar energy as a safe and economical alternative to nuclear power. Working towards change in utility pricing structures, the EAF promoted energy efficiency and protecting persons on low and fixed incomes. Recycling, source reduction, control of hazardous waste, energy efficiency, and renewable energy sources were also strong areas of advocacy.
Working closely with the EA, as well as other environmental, social justice, consumer, public interest, business, and government groups the EAF sought to achieve their goals. It promoted its policies through the dissemination of educational materials and resource information to students, teachers, and concerned citizens. Its bimonthly magazine, Environmental Action, provided continued awareness to these groups. It promoted environmental education through additional publications, fact sheets, and films. EnAct/PAC, an EAF-affiliated political action committee, created one of the foundation's most influential publications, the Dirty Dozen list, which spotlights the twelve members of Congress who have the worst environmental records. The EAF also maintained a Toxic Team teaching citizens about toxic hazards in their communities. The federal Right to Know Act (1986), which was passed as a part of the Superfund, was central to the Toxic Team's effort.
Despite promoting environmental education and recruiting new members, the EAF did not solicit its members' opinions on current and emerging issues. As a result, during the final years of the organization, membership declined annually at approximately thirty percent, while new members were not sufficiently embraced or retained. Combined with this, grants began to dry up and staff was forced to lay itself off. While there were once approximately twenty five activists staffing EA, by the dissolution of the organization there were only two or three. The board of directors convened in June of 1996 to dissolve both the EAF and its ties to EA. Since 1996, the EA was revived and continues to advocate environmental awareness.
Scope and Content Notes
The Environmental Action Foundation (EAF) maintained records throughout most of its history, which spans from 1970 to 1996. This collection contains material that illustrates the issues advocated and subjects researched by the EAF. There is also material that documents the collaboration between the Environmental Action Foundation and Environmental Action. Types of items contained in the collection include records of the foundation, research notes, newspaper clippings, articles, legal material, VHS tapes, and audio cassette tapes.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged into 16 series and is only described at the box level; there is no individual folder-level inventory for the collection at this time. Please contact the Archives Service Center for more information. The series arrangement is as follows:
Series I. EAF Material
Series II. Publications
Series III. Foundations
Series IV. Environmental Acts
Series V. Energy Conservation
Series VI. Solid Waste
Series VII. Recycling
Series VIII. Composting
Series IX. Energy, Fuel, Natural Gas
Series X. Nuclear Waste
Series XI. Political and Legal Issues
Series XII. Plastics and Packaging
Series XIII. Toxic/ Hazardous Substances
Series XIV. Water and Air Pollution
Series XV. Green Marketing and Industry Files
Series XVI. Media Material
Access Restrictions
No restrictions.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Jim Overton, EAF Board Chairman on December 9, 1996.
Preferred Citation
Environmental Action Foundation Records, 1970-1996, AIS.1996.13, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
Previous Citation
Environmental Action Foundation Records, 1970-1996, AIS.1996.13, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh
Environmental Action Foundation Records, 1970-1996, ais96:13, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh.
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Alesha Shumar and Jennifer Nicol in August 2008. Subsequently, 10 boxes were discovered in 2010, which were added to the collection by Wendy Pflug in November-December 2010. This is designated in the finding aid as "New Material Added" within each series.
Copyright
Permission for publication is given on behalf of the University of Pittsburgh as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
Related Material
Concerned Residents of the Youghiogheny Records, 1976-2001, AIS.2004.14, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
Allegheny County Health Department's EPA/SIP Air Quality Program Records, 1968-1985, AIS.1997.30, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
Henry T. Bernstein on Environmental History Collection, 1965-1989, AIS.1994.12, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
Wyona S. Coleman Papers, 1971-2005, AIS.2000.21, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
Existence and Location of Copies
Digital reproductions of the Environmental Action magazine are available online.
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