Founded in 1967 as the Environmental Defense Fund, the organization now represents more than 500,000 members. We achieve ambitious results through our tradition of working with market leaders, relying on rigorous science and harnessing economic engines. In this way, people can look forward to a future where we and the planet flourish together. Find out more about our approach.
A history of results
Here’s a selection of accomplishments that illustrate how we work.
1967: Joining science and law. A small group of scientists formed our organization to fight for a U.S. ban on DDT, which harmed wildlife and tainted mother’s milk. In a move that was unusual at the time, the scientists teamed up with lawyers and went to court on behalf of the environment. They helped launch the modern environmental movement.
1974: Connecting chemicals and cancer. In 1974, an Environmental Defense Fund study suggested that chemical contamination in Mississippi water was linked to high cancer rates in some Louisiana parishes. Our findings prompted a federal study of contaminants in drinking water nationwide. This led to the passage of the Safe Drinking Water Act.
1989: Using economic forces to protect water. In 1989, Environmental Defense Fund tapped the power of the market to prevent new dams and water diversions across the West. By giving farmers who conserve water the right to sell water they save, we created new supplies for growing cities and new profits for farmers, while protecting rivers and riparian ecosystems throughout the region.
1990: New trading market slashes acid raid pollution. When our research showed that acid rain pollution travels long distances and crosses state lines, we developed a new market structure that was incorporated in the 1990 Clean Air Act. The market gave power plant owners powerful incentives to cut emissions. They did so dramatically, with an explosion of new technologies and at a fraction of the predicted cost.
1991: Pioneering partnership reduces waste. It wasn’t the usual back-and-forth between an environmental group and a major company. A joint project team studied McDonald’s operations, looking for opportunities to reduce waste without hurting the firm's bottom line. McDonald’s accepted the recommendations, eliminating more than 300 million pounds of packaging waste, and proving that this kind of partnership can work.
1995: Putting landowners and wildlife on the same side. After the Endangered Species Act became law, some private landowners so feared federal restrictions on their land that they began destroying wildlife habitat. We pioneered an approach that gives landowners incentives to protect wildlife habitat instead. Called the Safe Harbor Program, it now protects more than 3.6 million acres of land.
2003: Using financial stakes to recover fisheries. In California, the Gulf of Mexico and Cape Cod, fishermen have embraced our proposals to transform fisheries in crisis. Instead of racing to catch the last fish, fishermen will have a financial stake in conserving and growing the fish stocks. Congress removed the barriers to this novel approach, and a model "catch share" program for red snapper in the Gulf is showing remarkable success.
2007: Eight dirty coal plants scrapped, ushering in a new era of clean energy. We fought utility TXU’s fast-track plans to build 11 dirty coal plants in Texas. In February 2007, two top private equity firms enlisted our help in a bold bid to acquire the utility. We hammered out a buyout deal that scrapped plans for eight new plants and yielded other environmental benefits. The deal helped "block a new wave" of dirty coal-fired power plants, according to a July 2007 Wall Street Journal article.
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