Our work
Explore the work made possible by your support and activism.
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ANALYSIS
Air quality and health impacts of onshore oil and gas flaring and venting activities estimated using refined satellite-based emissions
Study led by researchers at EDF and academic partners finds that pollution from oil and gas venting and flaring results in $7.4 billion in health damages, more than 700 premature deaths and 73,000 asthma exacerbations among children annually.More on:
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REPORT
Practical pathways for port decarbonization and environmental justice (PDF)
EDF provides a guide for ports and their partners in the United States to set, plan, implement and achieve their decarbonization goals.More on:
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FACT SHEET
EPA vehicle standards will reduce harmful pollution and save thousands of lives
EDF fact sheet shows Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed pollution standards for new cars, buses and freight trucks would save more than 40,000 lives and prevent more than 25 million asthma attacks.More on:
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BLOG POST
Unveiling EDF’s Chemical Exposure Action Map
What’s New Today, we are excited to introduce the Environmental Defense Fund’s (EDF) latest initiative—the Chemical Exposure Action Map. This tool is designed to spur the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to transform the assessment of risks posed by toxic chemicals in our communities. Our map focuses on multiple high-priority chemicals—making visible the urgent and long-overdue […] The post Unveiling EDF’s Chemical Exposure Action Map first appeared on EDF Health.More on:
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INTERACTIVE TOOL
Chemical Exposure Action Map
EDF's map offers tools to encourage EPA to do better risk assessments of chemicals. Use this tool to see where facilities are polluting toxic chemicals into our air, water and land and how it’s putting our health at risk, then encourage EPA to take action.More on:
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BLOG POST
Why are four notorious carcinogens approved by FDA for food?
By Liora Fiksel, Project Manager, Healthy Communities, and Lisa Lefferts, Environmental Health Consultant What’s Happening? On December 21, 2023, FDA filed a food-additive petition and a color-additive petition submitted by EDF and partners that asks FDA to revoke its approval for four carcinogenic chemicals approved for use in food. There is broad agreement that benzene, […] The post Why are four notorious carcinogens approved by FDA for food? first appeared on EDF Health.More on:
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BLOG POST
A tale of two neighborhoods: How climate change affects communities differently
As the effects of climate change continue to unfold, all communities across the U.S. will face a wider range of risks. However, some communities will be more affected by those risks due to greater exposure and limited ability to recover from their effects. For two neighboring communities in Detroit, the U.S. Climate Vulnerability Index, a […]More on:
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BLOG POST
New tool equips community voices to spur a just energy transition
Our new website, Community Voices in Energy — a collaboration with Chicago-based Blacks in Green — equips frontline communities to participate as experts in climate and energy proceedings and influence energy investments. By ensuring that community members are able to share their direct experience on the record in public utility commission hearings, the site helps […]More on:
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WEBSITE
The U.S. Climate Vulnerability Index
Pulling in 184 sets of data to rank more than 70,000 U.S. Census tracts, the U.S. Climate Vulnerability Index helps you see which communities face the greatest challenges from the impacts of a changing climate.More on:
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EDF Comments on EPA's Proposed Updates to New Chemicals Regulations Under TSCA
EDF describes in detail in these comments why and how, instead of finalizing such problematic proposals, EPA can and should take this opportunity to rebuild a new chemicals program that truly serves the public’s interests even in the face of possible future efforts to do otherwise.More on:
ANALYSISOut of balance: conflicts of interest persist in food chemicals determined to be generally recognized as safe
EDF co-authored study published in the journal Environmental Health evaluated Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) notices that food manufacturers voluntarily submitted to FDA and found that 1) no GRAS notices followed FDA's draft guidance, and 2) there were high risks of bias and conflicts of interest.More on:
BLOG POSTBroken GRAS: Companies ignore FDA draft guidance; Bias & conflicts of interest prevail in safety determinations
By Tom Neltner, Senior Director, Safer Chemicals, Klara Matouskova, PhD, Consultant, and Maricel Maffini, PhD, Consultant What Happened? In our new study, we evaluated Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) notices—a total of 403 between 2015-2020—that food manufacturers voluntarily submitted to FDA for review. Our goal was to determine whether industry was adhering to FDA’s Guidance on Best Practices for […] The post Broken GRAS: Companies ignore FDA draft guidance; Bias & conflicts of interest prevail in safety determinations first appeared on EDF Health.More on:
ANALYSISHigher temperatures make fans less able to cool, putting communities at risk
Research co-authored by EDF uses hourly weather reanalysis data to examine the evolution of ambient climate conditions in the continental United States, focusing on high social vulnerability index (SVI) regions. Study finds that there are regions that experience hundreds to thousands of hours per year that are too hot for safe fan use.More on:
REPORTFarmworkers and heat stress in the United States
Report from EDF and La Isla Network details what is needed to protect farm labor from dangerous heat.More on:
WEBSITECleaning the air for everyone
Air pollution can be deadly. Learn how to combat it using scientific research and local emissions data to improve health where you live. Join us in securing cleaner air, climate action and healthier communities.More on:
BLOG POSTLandmark study reveals that millions of Americans live less than a mile from an orphaned oil and gas well
By Adam Peltz & Kate Roberts This week, the Department of the Interior announced nearly $660 million in grant funding to plug orphan wells across the U.S., adding to $560 million in initial funding from last summer. The news comes on the heels of new research led by researchers at McGill University and EDF experts […]More on:
REPORTLead Cable Investigation
Report prepared for EDF by Marine Taxonomic Services, Ltd. (MTS) seeks to understand the extent to which telecom and power cables running through rivers, streams, and lakes that serve as drinking water sources may have been constructed using lead pipe and which may now pose a public health risk.More on:
ARTICLEGame-changing partnership takes on air pollution in Latin America, the Caribbean
Sergio Sanchez talks about a groundbreaking new partnership with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) that aims to improve air quality across 33 Latin American and Caribbean countries.More on:
REPORTShining a Light on Warehouse Truck Air Pollution (PDF)
EDF paper demonstrates who is at risk from diesel trucks serving warehouses, summarizes the new science about health impacts from air pollution generated by these trucks, and points to solutions that can protect community health.More on:
Transportation is the fourth-largest source of global climate pollution from land, air, and sea. EDF is working to find clean transportation solutions.BLOG POSTAlternative Figures: FDA’s food chemical reports to Congress don’t add up
In its annual justification of budget estimates to Congress, FDA describes its activities and tracks its performance. One of those performance measures is the percentage of food- and color-additive petitions (FAPs/CAPs) the agency has reviewed and completed within 360 days of receipt.[1] We analyzed FDA’s reports to Congress published from 2016 to 2023 and found […] The post Alternative Figures: FDA’s food chemical reports to Congress don’t add up first appeared on Deep Dives: Environmental Health Policy.More on:
BLOG POSTHealth data needs to inform targeted environmental justice initiatives
Key Findings and Recommendations Air pollution results in a large burden of childhood asthma across the country, and this burden is disproportionately borne by people of color. More than $100 million in grants from the Environmental Protection Agency is available for environmental justice initiatives, but targeting programs to alleviate the health impacts of air pollution to […] The post Health data needs to inform targeted environmental justice initiatives first appeared on Deep Dives: Environmental Health Policy.More on: