The cause is a simple but vital one - the right for us all to drink clean water and breathe clean air in the face of industrial pollution and environmental degradation.

The music is soulful and inspiring and comes from such great artists as BOB DYLAN, TOM WAITS, NORAH JONES, WILLIE NELSON, BONNIE RAITT, LOU REED and a dozen others on tracks specifically donated to the cause. Although it is not a record that in any way preaches, the songs were all chosen to reflect a commitment to the well-being of our earth and its people, standing up for our rights and staying strong.

First and briefly, the cause. Earthjustice is a non-profit environmental law firm that acts without charge against government and corporations when environmental laws are being broken...

• Learn more about "Where We Live" campaing at wherewelive.org >>

• Learn more about EarthJustice at earthjustice.org >>

• Buy "Where We Live CD" at amazon.com >>

TRACKS

1. “Peace” - Norah Jones - A version of a Horace Silver song not on her multi-platinum album, Come Away With Me, which was originally included on an EP she sold from the stage at her early gigs. "She was on tour in Asia when we asked her and she came back immediately saying ‘yes’ to the project and suggesting this track," says compiler Mike Kappus.

2. “I Shall Not Be Moved” - Pops Staples (with Ry Cooder) - A long time supporter of Earthjustice, Ry Cooder was one of the first artists to come on board. "I Shall Not Be Moved" features the voice of Pops Staples accompanied by some typically stunning slide guitar. The track originally appeared on the Grammy nominated Peace To The Neighborhood, Pops Staples’ first solo album released in 1992 at the age of 77.

3. “What's Going On” - Los Lobos - Marvin Gaye's classic song could almost be Earthjustice’s theme song. Los Lobos' stirring version was performed in October 1992 at a live amphitheater show and recorded for WXRT radio in Chicago. The track appeared on the band's box set, Just Another Band From East LA: A Collection.

4. “Watching The River Flow” - Bob Dylan - Released as a single in 1971 and produced by Leon Russell, "Watching the River Flow" never appeared on a Bob Dylan studio album. But it was subsequently included on the compilation Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits Vol. 2.

5. “It’s A Blessing” - Maria Muldaur (with Bonnie Raitt) - Bonnie Raitt had worked with Earthjustice before and was the first artist to agree to support Where We Live. The traditional "It’s a Blessing" is a duet with Maria Muldaur on the latter’s 2001 album, Richland Woman Blues.

6. “Estampa" - Rubén Blades - "Estampa" is a specially edited version from the Grammy winning 2002 album, Mundo, by superstar musician and actor, Rubén Blades. The song was chosen not only for the beauty of the music but also for its lyric, which contains the line: "The planet does not belong to a group of people/It is created for all of us to walk on it."

7. “What A Wonderful World” - Dan Zanes & Friends (with Lou Reed & The Rubi Theater Company) - Somebody had to do "What A Wonderful World" on an album like this. And who better than Dan Zanes, the former singer with the legendary Del Fuegos. The recording features Lou Reed as well as The Rubi Theater Company adding the chilling spoken word segment in Spanish and English.

8. “Yes I Will” - Michael Franti & Spearhead - "Yes I Will" comes from Songs From The Front Porch: An Acoustic Collection from maverick hip-hop singer – poet and activist Michael Franti and his extraordinary Spearhead ensemble. The album is not commercially available but is on sale from the stage at Franti’s live gigs.

9. “Living In The Promiseland” - Willie Nelson - "Willie just made perfect sense and so did this song with the unique perspective on America," says Kappus. "Living in the Promiseland" originally appeared on Willie’s Country chart topping 1986 album, The Promiseland.

10. “Sister Rosa” - The Neville Brothers - Environmental law grew out of the strong traditions of the civil rights movement in the United States. "Sister Rosa" pays tribute to the courage of Rosa Parks, the young girl who in 1954 refused to give up her place on a segregated Mississippi bus to a white man and helped to launch the civil rights struggle. The song first appeared on the Neville Brothers’ album, Yellow Moon, which was produced by Daniel Lanois.

11. “More Than A Paycheck” - Sweet Honey In The Rock - Few groups have been more vocal in their support of civil rights and environmental causes over the years than Sweet Honey In the Rock Formed by activist Bernice Johnson Reagon in Washington, DC in 1973. "More Than A Paycheck" comes from their 1982 album, Good News.

12. “Two Little Feet” - Karen Savoca - The least-known name on the album, the American singer-songwriter Karen Savoca recorded "Two Little Feet" for an all-female tribute album to Greg Brown called Going Driftless, that benefited breast cancer research. The track also features guitarist Pete Heitzman, with whom she has worked for 20 years.

13. “Getting There” - Mose Allison - Mixing blues and jazz, the great Mose Allison made his first recordings in the mid-1950s. "Getting There" first appeared on the 1987 album Ever Since the World Ended, produced by former Steve Miller Band keyboardist and songwriter, Ben Sidran.

14. “A Change Is Gonna Come” - Tina Turner (with Robert Cray) - Sam Cooke's memorable song, which is a metaphor for the civil rights struggle, was long a staple in Tina Turner's live shows. This version first appeared on Tina Turner’s Grammy winning Live In Europe, recorded in 1988 with Robert Cray.

15. “I Know I’ve Been Changed” - John Hammond (with Tom Waits) - Tom Waits is another who has supported Earthjustice in the past and was keen to contribute to this project. "I Know I’ve Been Changed" comes from acoustic blues man John Hammond's album Wicked Grin and was also produced by Waits.

16. “Happy Earthday” - Captain Beefheart - It may only be 35 seconds long, but "Happy Earthday" represents a major coup since it is the first new music recorded by Captain Beefheart since 1982. He sung it over the phone to the album's compiler Mike Kappus, whose laugh (along with Beefheart’s) can be heard at the end.