Activist Resources

by | Jul 5, 2009 | Lifestyle, RESOURCES | 1 comment


ActivismNoticing the problem is no longer enough. Choose to be an agent for change, in whatever form that takes, no matter how large or small. Here are some resources to get you started.


A Citizen’s Guide to Corporate Charter Revocation Under State Law
Grassroots litigation support provided by the CELDF.

Activist Resources at RAN
RAN (Rainforest Action Network)’s activist resources, for dealing with media, outreach, fundraising, nonviolent direct actions, organizing, and more!

Ban Corporate Chemical Trespass in Your Town
The “Corporate Chemical Trespass” ordinance was developed by the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF), a Pennsylvania non-profit law firm. CELDF is making this model ordinance available to anyone interested in mobilizing their communities to confront chemical trespass by chemical corporations and the directors of those corporations.

Disability and Legal Issues
Helpful page from Informed Choices for Healthier Living’s website with lots of links to disability-related legal/activism sites.

Free Interactive Press Release Builder
Canada One’s free interactive press release builder helps you build your own press release, step by step.

Getting Your Message to the Media
Beyond Pesticide’s helpful tips on how to interest reporters and get coverage, create public service announcements, give and get interviews, work with editorial boards, develop an effective media strategy or campaign and more.

Green Media Toolshed
Opening the door to successful communications campaigns for the environmental movement.

How to Stop Being Manipulated
Chris Gupta shares two articles that he considers a must read “if we are to be able to deal with corporations and other bureaucrats.”

How to Write a Press Release
Press release tips from PRWeb.com.

Media in the United States
Article by Anup Shah on the distortions and bias created by mainstream media in the US.

Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law: Gaining Access to Public Records
Grassroots admin and tech support provided by the CELDF.

Proceeding in the Environmental Hearing Board without an Attorney
Grassroots litigation support provided by the CELDF.

Project Michaux: A Guide to Group Participation
Sustainable communities project, from the CELDF.

Public Participation Part I
Article by Maria B. Pellerano about community participation.

Public Participation Part II
Part 2 to the article about community participation.

Sunshine Act Violations and Remedying Them in County Court
Grassroots litigation support provided by the CELDF.

Tips for Activism
Article with great activism resources, created by Informed Choices for Healthier Living.

Tips for Sending Faxes and Certified Mail
Legalities of sending faxes and certified mail.

Tips on Taping
Information on legalities of videotaping others.

Tips on Writing a Letter to the Editor
From the ACLU: Letters to the editor are great advocacy tools. After you write letters to your members of Congress, sending letters to the editor can achieve other advocacy goals because they: reach a large audience, are often monitored by elected officials, can bring up information not addressed in a news article, and create an impression of widespread support for or opposition to an issue.

Tools for Organizers, Activists, Educators, and other Hell-Raisers
Excellent site packed with info and resources on grassroots activism.

Virginia Town Bans Chemical and Radioactive Bodily Trespass
A municipality takes precautionary action against chemical exposures without informed consent (“chemical trespass”): Halifax, Va. joins the growing list of communities recognizing the rights of nature.

What the Chemistry Industry Fears
Article by Monique Harden and Nathalie Walker about their experience attending a conference sponsored by the American Chemistry Council (ACC), called “Communicating in a Volatile World.” ACC is the trade association for the 180 largest manufacturers of chemicals in the U.S.


sample letters
Anti-Corporate Waste Hauling Ordinance
An Ordinance of St. Clair Borough, Schuykill County, Pennsylvania, prohibiting persons from using corporations or syndicates to engage in certain waste hauling and disposal activities; prohibiting certain corporations from claiming legal rights and protections; and providing for enforcement and penalties for violation of this ordinance.

Anti-Mining Ordinance
An Ordinance to Protect the Health, Safety, and General Welfare of the Citizens and Natural Environment of Blaine Township By Banning Corporations from Engaging in Mining Within the Township; By Banning Corporate Ownership of Land and Mineral Estates Used for Mining Within the Township; By Banning Persons From Using Corporations to Engage in Mining; By Banning the Exercise of Certain Powers by Mining Corporations; By Recognizing the Rights of Ecosystems and Natural Communities, and By Providing for Enforcement of Those Rights.

The Armchair Activist
Barbara Rubin’s blog of her letters to the editor dating back to 1999. Rubin was disabled by pesticides and now advocates for public safety from the largely unregulated sale and use of toxic chemicals.

Chemical Trespass Ordinance
This “Corporate Chemical Trespass” ordinance was developed by the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF), a Pennsylvania non-profit law firm. CELDF is making this model ordinance available to anyone interested in mobilizing their communities to confront chemical trespass by chemical corporations and the directors of those corporations.

Corporate Land Development Ordinance
An Ordinance of Blaine Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania, prohibiting persons from using certain corporations or syndicates for land development; providing for certain limited exceptions to the prohibition on persons using certain corporations or syndicates for land development; and providing for enforcement and penalites for violation of the ordinance.

Corporate Rights Ordinance
An Ordinance by the Second Class Township of Blaine Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania, Eliminating Legal Powers and Privileges from Corporations Doing Business Within Blaine Township to Vindicate the Right to Democratic Self-Governance.

Genetically Modified Crops Ordinance
Ordinance Banning Genetically Modified Crops, and Vindicating Local Self-Government.

Local Ordinance Drafting by the CELDF
The Legal Defense Fund continues to provide a Local Ordinance Drafting service for municipal governments in Pennsylvania. This project has been immensely successful at bringing progressive ordinances into local governments. The two most popular ordinances drafted by the Fund are: (1) The Southampton Township Farm Ownership Ordinance – modeled after the statutes of eight mid-western states (Anti-Corporate Farming Laws in the Heartland) which prohibit corporate ownership of farms; and (2) The Wayne Environmental Protection Ordinance – which grants the power to the Township Supervisors to exclude corporations with criminal histories from operating within the Township.

Model Legal Brief to Eliminate Corporate Rights
CELDF and Richard Grossman are making this “Model Legal Brief to Eliminate Corporate Rights” available to help citizen groups create winning organizing strategies–by stripping constitutional protections from corporations and preventing them from governing their communities.

National Animal Identification System Ordinance
This Ordinance has been prepared as a “model” Ordinance for jurisdictions that wish to nullify animal identification and premises registration laws. The ordinance vindicates people’s bill of rights’ and Pennsylvania constitutional protections, and protects farm privacy and profitability by nullifying all mandated federal and state livestock tracking and premises identification laws and regulations.

Pesticide Spraying Danger Letter from Dr. Rea
A template letter from Environmental Medicine physician William J. Rea, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.A.E.M. on the dangers of pesticides and the need for natural alternatives.

Rights of Nature Ordinance
An Ordinance by the Second Class Township of ________, _________ County, Pennsylvania, Acknowledging the Rights of Natural Communities and Ecosystems and Establishing a System of Enforcing and Protecting Those Rights Against Corporations and Other Business Entities.

Sustainable Energy Ordinance
An Ordinance of Mahanoy Township, Schuykill County, Pennsylvania, prohibiting unsustainable energy production within the township; mandating a transition to sustainable energy systems within the township; providing for the enforcement of the ordinance and the rights of residents and nature; and providing for financial assistance for the conversion to sustainable energy systems.

1 Comment

  1. jack

    bad web link

    Sunshine Act Violations and Remedying Them in County Court
    Grassroots litigation support provided by the CELDF.

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

You May Also Like…

My experience with an Earthing sheet

My experience with an Earthing sheet

I had an immediate, powerfully positive response to the Earthing bedsheet during a recent stay at a retreat center that offers all its guests an Earthing experience. I ordered my own sheet online the very next day.

read more

empowering the environmental illness community