NRDC

NRDC (The Natural Resources Defense Council) works to safeguard the earth—its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. We combine the power of more than three million members and online activists with the expertise of some 700 scientists, lawyers, and policy advocates across the globe to ensure the rights of all people to the air, the water, and the wild, and pinpoint the areas where action will accelerate change and amplify results.

More than 80% of Americans live in cities and suburbs—and this number is skyrocketing. NRDC programs help create strong, just, and resilient communities—making cities healthier, more sustainable places to live.

Expanding clean energy protects our health, air, climate, and last wild places.

Few everyday decisions are more important to our health—or the health of our planet—than choosing what we eat. NRDC pushes corporations and policymakers to reduce harmful chemicals in our food. We fight for stronger pollution controls on industrial farms and help small farmers safeguard their crops against climate change. We also develop initiatives to reduce food waste and promote sustainability from farm to fork.

Getting rid of toxic chemicals in our environment—in the food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the products we buy—helps protect the health of millions of people. When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Food and Drug Administration fail to protect Americans, workers, and children from dangerous chemicals, NRDC takes them to court. We fought for reforms that took millions of pounds of the most harmful pesticides off the market. And we team up with communities to wipe out indoor health hazards, including mold in public housing.

Oceans help feed the world, provide a living for millions of people, and are home to most of the life on the planet. NRDC works to protect our seas from pollution and exploitation. We help implement laws that allow overfished species to rebound, and we fight to protect coastal communities from offshore drilling. We work to ban destructive fishing practices, conserve ocean treasures, and improve stewardship of the world’s shared oceans, which generate trillions of dollars in economic activity.

Clean water sustains our communities, economies, ecosystems, and health. In the early 1970s, NRDC helped win passage of the Clean Water Act, our nation’s bedrock water-pollution law. Since then, we have continued to fight for a clean, safe, and sufficient water supply. We push the federal government to strengthen protections for drinking-water sources, and we find ways for cities to keep pollution out of rivers, lakes, and coastal waters—both for our benefit and the benefit of fish and wildlife.

We rely on wilderness not only to inspire and enjoy but also to protect our watersheds, clean the air we breathe, and provide a home for the diverse species that enrich our world. NRDC protects wildlife and unspoiled lands from the threats of industrial development, commercial exploitation, pollution, and climate change.