Overview

EDF began in 1967, as a scrappy group of scientists and a lawyer on Long Island, New York, fighting to save osprey from the toxic pesticide DDT. Using scientific evidence, our founders got DDT banned nationwide.

Today, EDF is one of the world's leading environmental organizations. In the U.S., Fortune magazine called our board one of the country's most influential nonprofit boards. And science still guides everything we do.

Without action, we may face 7ºF of warming with catastrophic consequences for health, coastal communities, food, ecosystems and more. Each year, 80% of people may endure heat waves. Several hundred millions risk losing homes from sea level rise. Around half of cropland could lose the ability to produce food. A billion acres of habitat could become unsuitable for most plants and animals—half the size of the contiguous.

With the help of more than 2.5 million members and activists, EDF takes a pragmatic approach that benefits people and nature.