BEFORE GIVING TUESDAY ENDS:
YOUR MATCHED GIFT IS NEEDED TO PROTECT OUR OCEANS, COMMUNITIES AND EARTH 

Brace yourself, friend, this is serious. Last year, almost ONE-SIXTH of Florida’s manatee population was DECIMATED by starvation and pollution. 2023 is on track to be another deadly year for these gentle creatures, with over 400 manatees having already perished since January. 

Mega-polluting industries like Big Cruise fuel this tragedy with reckless dumping and massive quantities of CO2 emissions. Cruise ships are STILL allowed to dump filthy, contaminated wastewater – including toxic, acidic wastewater – directly into ocean habitats that are critical for vulnerable species! This harmful pollution feeds destructive algae blooms that kill manatees' primary food source, seagrass. No wonder manatee deaths are spiking from painful starvation! 

But it gets worse. Cruise ships never stop running, even when they dock – and they’re powered by some of the dirtiest heavy fuel. Every day, a mid-sized cruise ship emits as much particulate pollution as ONE MILLION CARS. Coastal communities are trapped, breathing in this harmful pollution and suffering higher rates of respiratory diseases as a result. 

We MUST hold cruise companies and other Big Polluters accountable for the damage they cause. That’s why Friends of the Earth urgently needs your support before Giving Tuesday ends. That's because right now, a generous group of donors is MATCHING every gift up to $200,000 – and we’re counting on supporters like you to make the most of this match before it expires at midnight TONIGHT.

Please, before midnight: Will you make a membership gift of $27 or more – and have it DOUBLED – to help Friends of the Earth fight corporate greed and protect our oceans, our people and our only Earth?

With pandemic travel restrictions lifted, the cruise industry is BOOMING. That means more ships – the size of city blocks – speeding through coastal waters and spewing their endless pollution. The industry has grown so fast that governments have struggled to regulate it. Greedy cruise companies have taken advantage of this situation, going beyond the huge quantities of LEGAL pollution to illegal dumping. 

Worse, some companies have SUED to block coastal communities from exercising their rights and protecting themselves from emissions-induced diseases! No company should be able to take away our right to fight for our health and the health of our neighbors. For the sake of our oceans, our people and our planet, we MUST fight back. 

Friends of the Earth is standing up against the greedy cruise industry that prioritizes profits over human lives, helpless wildlife and the health of our planet. We are working to make sure proper regulations exist and are enforced for massive cruise ships. Reaching our Giving Tuesday goal is critical to continuing this planet-saving work, and stopping ocean-wrecking, climate-destroying pollution from entering our ecosystems. But we rely on support from people like you, who understand how high the stakes are right now.

Please: We need your help to hit our goal and make the most of our rare Giving Tuesday match. Will you make your membership gift of $27 or more now – it will be MATCHED dollar for dollar – to help Friends of the Earth hold corporate polluters accountable and protect our oceans, our people and the only Earth we’ll ever get?

Thank you for your urgent support,

Marcie Keever 
Oceans and Vessels Program Director
Friends of the Earth