Environmental Defense Fund

Environmental Defense Fund or EDF (formerly known as Environmental Defense) is a nonprofit United States–based environmental advocacy group. The group is known for its work on global warming, ecosystem restoration, oceans, and human health. It advocates using science, economics, and law to find environmental solutions that work. EDF is nonpartisan.

Headquartered in New York City, the group has offices across the US, and employs scientists and policy specialists worldwide.

Fred Krupp has served as its president since 1984.Hoover's Company Records – Basic and In-depth Records: Hoover ID: 130102. April 10, 2007 In May 2011, Krupp was among a group of experts appointed by the US Department of Energy who were charged with making recommendations to improve the safety and environmental performance of fracking from shale formations."Secretary Chu Tasks Environmental, Industry and State Leaders to Recommend Best Practices for Safe, Responsible Development of America's Onshore Natural Gas Resources". U.S. Department of Energy. Energy.gov. May 5, 2011.Kirkland, Joel (July 26, 2011). "U.S. Department of Energy Prepares to Take the Floor in the Nation's 'Fracking' Debate". New York Times. nytimes.com. Retrieved 2018-03-26.

The organization was ranked first among environmental groups in a 2007 Financial Times global study of 850 business-nonprofit partnerships."Trend to partnerships is positive," Financial Times, July 5, 2007, p. 14. Charity Navigator, an independent charity evaluator, has given EDF a four-out-of-four stars rating since 2012.

History The organization's founders, including Art Cooley,"Memories and More: Saving a species" (year-end obituary for Dennis Puleston). The New York Times, December 30, 2001. Retrieved 2017-0716. Robert Burnap,"DDT Wars: Rescuing Our National Bird, Preventing Cancer, and Creating the Environmental Defense Fund" Charles F. Wurster, June 1, 2015 Oxford University Press"DDT: Scientists, Citizens, and Public Policy" Thomas Dunlap 1981 Princeton University Press George Woodwell, Charles Wurster,"Fostering Clean Air through Environmental Law," The New York Times, May 14, 1995"Environmental Defense Fund member Dr. York Times, Page 11, Column 1, January 14, 1969 Dennis Puleston, Victor Yannacone and Robert Smolker, discovered in the mid-1960s that the osprey and other large raptors were rapidly disappearing. Their research uncovered a link between the spraying of DDT to kill mosquitoes and the thinning of egg shells of large birds, research related to the book Silent Spring by Rachel Carson about the dangers of DDT and the effects that it had on birds, published in 1962. Carson, who died in 1964, is noted as the scientist who inspired the environmental movement. The founders of EDF successfully sought a ban on DDT in Suffolk County, Long Island, New York. Next, they succeeded in banning DDT statewide, then took their efforts nationally.Bryant, Nelson (February 3, 1970). "Wood, Field and Stream: Environmental Defense Fund Warns Pollution From Pesticides Still Exists". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-12-17."DDT Ban Takes Effect" [EPA press release - December 31, 1972], site accessed 4/12/2007"DDT Regulatory History: A Brief Survey (to 1975)" (July 1975). Environmental Protection Agency. Excerpt from DDT, A Review of Scientific and Economic Aspects of the Decision To Ban Its Use as a Pesticide, prepared for the Committee on Appropriations of the U.S. House of Representatives by EPA, July 1975, EPA-540/1-75-022. Retrieved 2016-12-17.

In looking back at passage of the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, top EPA officials responsible for implementing the law recall that EDF published a statistical study that supported a link between organic contaminants and cancer rates in the City of New Orleans, a study that received a tremendous amount of media attention and contributed to the enactment of the law.EPA Alumni Association: Senior EPA officials discuss early implementation of the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, Video, Transcript (see p4).

On April 11, 2018, the group announced plans for MethaneSAT, a satellite to help identify global methane emissions, concentrating on the 50 major oil and gas regions responsible for 80% of methane production. The satellite launched on March 4, 2024. EDF says it will make the data public. The goal is to help reduce methane emissions by 45% by 2025. Funding for the project comes from The Audacious Project, an initiative of the worldwide TED conference group.

Areas of work Corporate partnerships – EDF receives millions in funding from organizations with strong corporate ties, such as the Walton Family Foundation (Walmart). Environmental economics – The organization promotes the use of markets and incentives to help solve environmental problems.EDF's Approach: Markets Examples of this approach at work include catch shares the cap-and-trade plan written into the Clean Air Act (United States)."A Debate: Are Enough Data in Hand to Act Against Acid Rain?", Week in Review Desk, The New York Times, November 14, 1982"An Acid Test for Acid Rain," Editorial Desk, The New York Times, December 26, 1984"Consensus Is Seen To Curb Acid Rain," by Philip Sabecoff, The New York Times, October 18, 1985"Acid Rain Is Called Peril for Sea Life on Atlantic Coast," by Philip Sabecoff, The New York Times, April 25, 1988"Economic Watch: Sale of Air Pollution Permits Is Part of Bush Acid-Rain Plan," by Peter Passell, The New York Times, May 17, 1989"Under Bush's Plan, Clean Air Becomes Profitable," by Peter Passell, Newsday, November 29, 1989"EPA Administrator Reilly Hails Signing of New Clean Air Act" [EPA press release – November 15, 1990], site accessed 4/16/2007"Clean Air Act Ahead of Schedule: Market Forces Quicken Emissions Reductions," by Casey Bukro, Chicago Tribune, March 27, 1996"The Environment: Ignore all doomsayers on EPA laws," by Gregg Easterbrook, Los Angeles Times, December 1, 1996"Clean Air Sale," by Boyce Rensberger, The Washington Post, August 9, 1999

Key accomplishments Key accomplishments of Environmental Defense Fund include:

1967 – A group of scientists forms the organization and sets out to ban DDT (succeeding in 1972). (See DDT ban.) 1970 – Efforts to ban whale hunting.List of Marine Mammal Species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), web site accessed 4/12/2007: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/esa/mammals.htm"S. McVay, chmn Com on Whales, Environmental Defense Fund, hails NY Times for backing efforts to conserve whales…", The New York Times, Page 34, Column 5 – September 1, 1970 1974 – An Environmental Defense Fund report on potential health risks of Mississippi River water"EPA and Environmental Defense Fund studies revealing carcinogenic chem in drinking water… ", The New York Times, Page 32, Column 2, by Harold M. Schmeck, Jr. – November 17, 1974 based on EPA analytical studiesJoseph Cotruvo, Victor Kimm, Arden Calvert. “Drinking Water: A Half Century of Progress.” EPA Alumni Association. March 1, 2016. helps pass the Safe Drinking Water Act,"HR passes Safe Drinking Water Act authorizing EPA to set minimum Fed standards for drinking water … ", The New York Times, Page 21, Column 1, by Richard D. Lyons. – November 20, 1974 establishing the first comprehensive health standards for water nationwide. 1985 – Helped convince federal regulators to phase out lead from gasoline,"EPA Scraps Plan To Ease Standards On Lead in Gasoline," by Sandra Sugawara, The Washington Post, August 2, 1982"EPA Orders 90% of Lead Cut From Gasoline by Jan. 1," by Zack Nauth, The Los Angeles Times, March 5, 1985 leading to a dramatic decline in childhood lead poisoning."EPA Takes Final Step in Phaseout of Leaded Gasoline" [EPA press release – January 29, 1996], site accessed 4/16/2007 1986 – Pushed McDonald's to institute biodegradable food-packaging containers."The Nation: Environmentalists Try To Move the Markets," by John Holusha, The New York Times, August 22, 1993 1987 – Played a key role in the treaty to phase out the use of CFCs, chemicals that many researchers believe damage the Earth's ozone layer, although CFC-22 was continued to be allowed, renamed H-CFC-22 to avoid banning."Business Forum: Saving the Earth's Ozone Layer; Industry Needs Incentives Not To Pollute" by Daniel J. Dudek, The New York Times, November 16, 1986"The Hole at the Bottom of the World," Editorial Desk, The New York Times, September 19, 1987 1990 – Designed Title IV of the Clean Air Act, which incorporates market-based methods to cut air pollution and acid rain."The Nation: An Emergence of Political Will on Acid Rain," by Philip Sabecoff, The New York Times, February 19, 1989 The measures reduced sulfur dioxide pollution faster than expected, and at a fraction of the cost."Report on Acid Rain Finds Good News and Bad News," by Carol Kaesuk Yoon, The New York Times, October 7, 1999 1990 – Improved McDonald's packaging, reducing solid waste in a groundbreaking corporate partnership, which came after dozens of other groups had protested McDonald's use of styrofoam packaging and the corporation was looking for a way to "save face" by claiming EDF's advocacy was the reason for the shift. The Citizens Clearinghouse on Hazardous Waste, founded by Lois Gibbs, helped coordinate the protests of McDonald's."Packaging and Public Image: McDonald's Fills a Big Order," New York Times, November 2, 1990. McDonald's: The first corporate partnership 1993 – EDF was one of seven foundation-funded environmental groups to endorse the NAFTA Treaty. 1995 – Designed the Safe Harbor plan"Deal Gives Woodpeckers Golf Habitat," by Tom Kenworthy, The Washington Post, March 2, 1995."Giving animals 'safe harbor,' op-ed by Robert Bonnie, economist at Environmental Defense Fund, The Washington Times, October 15, 1996. that gives landowners new incentives to help endangered species on their property. 2000 – Seven of the world's largest corporations join Environmental Defense in a partnership to address global warming, setting firm targets to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.Big firms Join to Share Greenhouse-Gas Cuts," by Peter Behr, Washington Post, October 18, 2000."7 Companies Agree to Cut Gas Emissions," by Andrew C. Revkin, The New York Times, October 18, 2000 2001, 2004, 2008 – Won measures resulting in cleaner vehicle exhaust from trucks, ships and other vehicles.EDF: Cleaning up dirty diesel exhaust 2002 – Initiated the campaign to remove the O'Shaughnessy Dam in Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park."Dam Dispute Losses a Flood of Emotions," by John M. Glionna, The Los Angeles Times, August 11, 2007."An Effort to Undo an Old Reservoir," by Dean E. Murphy, The New York Times, October 15, 2002. "Bring Back Hetch Hetchy?" The New York Times, October 19, 2002. 2004 – Culmination of four-year partnership with FedEx to develop and deploy hybrid electric trucks. The new vehicles cut smog-forming pollution by 65%, reduce soot by 96%, and move 57% farther on a gallon of fuel. 2006 – Co-authored the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 with Natural Resources Defense Council. 2006 – Led adoption of catch shares, a science-based method to manage fishing and control fish population decline."Report: Guaranteed fish shares may prevent overfishing," USA Today, Updated 9/18/2008. 2007 – Co-founded United States Climate Action Partnership (US-CAP), a coalition of major corporations and environmental groups supporting action on global warming, including a market-based carbon emissions cap. Corporate participants include GE, DuPont and Duke Energy; non-profit groups involved are Pew Center on Global Climate Change, Natural Resources Defense Council and the World Resources Institute, a co-founder."A Coalition for Firm Limit on Emissions," by Felicity Barringer, The New York Times, January 19, 2007."The Executive: David Yarnold," Environmental Defense Fund website, posted 2008-02-02, retrieved 2012-02-07 http://apps.edf.org/article.cfm?contentID=7656