WWF

Note: After losing a court case in 2002 on the use of the initials WWF, the organization previously known as the World Wrestling Federation has rebranded itself as World Wrestling Entertainment.

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WWF - The Conservation Organization was formerly known as World Wildlife Fund and Worldwide Fund for Nature. It was founded on September 11, 1961 by, amongst others, the biologist Sir Julian Huxley, Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands and the naturalist and painter Sir Peter Scott who designed the original black and white panda logo. It is one of the world's largest environmental organizations. It has 28 national organisations.

In 1985, World Wildlife Fund formally affiliated with The Conservation Foundation (CF). The two merged in 1990, and in 1991 took the name of "World Wildlife Fund, Inc." (source (http://www.worldwildlife.org/defaultsection.cfm?sectionid=15&newspaperid=15&contentid=225)). Earlier, in 1986, it had been renamed "Worldwide Fund for Nature", but not in the US and Canada.

Probably the most famous name associated with the WWF is HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. The Duke was the first President of the World Wildlife Fund-UK from its foundation in 1961 to 1982, International President of WWF (1981-1996), and is now President Emeritus.

They support the Kyoto Protocol and maintain that governments should strengthen their efforts against global warming.

They are also dedicated to

• preserving genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity
• ensuring that the use of natural resources is sustainable both now and in the longer term, for the benefit of all life on Earth
• promoting action to reduce pollution and wasteful consumption to a minimum

See also:

• Global 200 (200 ecoregions defined by WWF as the most critical regions for conservation)
• ecoregion

External links For more information, see their web sites http://www.wwf.org/ and http://www.panda.org/.