We got the look: our story in 40 pictures

Adam Bradbury

17 June 2011

Our photo guru Amelia has gone to lie down for a bit. She's been putting in some beyond-the-call-of-duty stints sorting out a scrapbook of Friends of the Earth's first 40 years. Happy birthday to us.

As I was editing the captions three things jumped out at me:

First, Johnny Morris. There, pictured at a demo against the Newbury bypass in the 1990s is Mr Animal Magic - outraged at the contempt for wildlife enshrined in that controversial stretch of tarmac.

And he's just one in an incredible range of people who've got involved in our work over the years. Everyone from switched-on MPs, like Joan Ruddock who sponsored doorstep recycling legislation; to Radiohead's Thom Yorke who helped make sure our climate change campaign got the attention it needed. And there are the countless untagged - people who simply care enough to turn up to face the rain, wind and planet-trashers. If you find yourself in one of these images we'd love to hear your story.

Second, toxic sludge. And acid rain, whales, roads, waste, corporate responsibility, climate change, the right to roam, rainforests, GM foods - the list goes on. The range of people seems matched only by the spread of things we've tackled. It reminded me that making links between apparently unconnected problems can be the difference between solving them and giving up. The case for home insulation is that much more powerful if you have Friends of the Earth and Age Concern working together.

Third, we're all environmentalists now. By that I mean over the decades, things Friends of the Earth pioneered have shifted from the margins to the mainstream. (I'm not just talking about the influence of early Friends of the Earth haircuts on the Shoreditch Look, which has clearly been profound.)

I guess you look back to look forward. And revisiting 40 years of campaigning is as much about where we're going to be in 2050 as it's about where we've come from.

I hope you'll be part of that picture.

Adam Bradbury, Publishing & New Media Team