About NRDC

In 2010, NRDC marked its 40th anniversary. Four decades is a powerful testament to NRDC's staying power, but what is more extraordinary is what we have accomplished in that time. Our work has made the air safer, water cleaner, and landscapes better protected.

Using a range of tried, tested and constantly evolving tools, NRDC continued to make progress on each institutional priority. From the local to international levels, these victories are evidence that NRDC remains a relentless advocate for the environment.

But none of it would have been possible without the tremendous generosity and loyalty of our supporters. We thank our 1.3 million members and online activists for an amazing year, for the 40 years that came before it -- and we look forward to our next four decades of safeguarding the Earth, its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends.

Key Victories in 2010

Pioneered energy, water and fuel efficiency strategies saving resources from televisions to tailpipes.

Using robust research and strong advocacy, NRDC helped California draft and approve standards that will slash power use of new flat-screen TVs in half, lowering electricity bills by $1 billion a year. We provided technical and policy guidance to the U.S. Department of Energy on additional new energy efficiency measures, including federal standards for home water heaters that will save consumers $10 billion over 30 years and reduce carbon emissions by 160 million tons. And we reached an agreement with the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers to recommend new federal water efficiency standards for major home appliances, including washing machines and dishwashers that will save more than 500 million gallons of water each day when the new machines replace old machines -- reducing consumer water and sewer bills by $1.5 billion annually. NRDC also helped set the first-ever fuel efficiency standards for heavy trucks that will save consumers billions of dollars at pump.

Mobilized an unparalleled response to the BP oil disaster in the Gulf.

NRDC was central to the national response to the Gulf catastrophe. NRDC was the first organization to urge President Obama to appoint a national commission to study the Gulf disaster; Obama created the panel and appointed NRDC President Frances Beinecke to serve as one of seven commissioners. NRDC Executive Director Peter Lehner wrote the first book on the Gulf oil spill to diagnose why the blowout occurred and what we can learn from it. Our top experts brought decades of collective experience to ensure a well-coordinated and effective response. Whether it was filing suit over the misuse of sonic exploration in the Gulf or working closely with government agencies to strengthen seafood risk assessments and provide real-time information to local communities on potential health effects of the spill or making sure that local voices were heard in nation press by establishing a flagship Gulf Resource center, NRDC led the response from the Mississippi Delta to Capitol Hill.

Stopped drilling in one of only two "Polar Bear Seas" and promoted national oceans policy.

NRDC's legal acumen once again trumped the powerful, well-funded oil and gas companies. Racing to court time and time again, we blocked proposed drilling in sensitive habitat for polar bears, whales, and other imperiled wildlife all over the world. We waged a long-term campaign with our 1.3 million members and online activists to attempts to persuade the White House to stop Shell from drilling near the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge -- and in a major court victory in 2010, we halted plans to drill in millions of acres spanning Alaska's Chukchi Sea, one of the United States' two "Polar Bear Seas." And we helped lead the effort to establish America's first national ocean policy.

Protected more than 90 million acres of southern forests from destructive logging.

The result of six years of engagement between Atlanta-based Georgia-Pacific and environmental groups led by NRDC, was an announcement in November 2010 that Georgia Pacific will not purchase trees from endangered forests and special areas, or from new pine plantations established at the expense of natural hardwood forests. As a first step in implementing its commitment, 11 endangered forests and special areas totaling 600,000 acres in the mid-Atlantic coastal Eco-Region and 90 million acres of natural hardwood forests in the Southern region will be protected.

Helped defeat an attack by big oil to roll back a landmark global warming law.

In 2006, NRDC helped pass a first-of-its-kind law to reduce California's carbon emissions by 25 percent by 2020: the Global Warming Solutions Act (AB32). But in 2010, a well-funded effort by the oil companies tried to roll back this progress, so NRDC tapped our partners in California's business, clean tech, and public health communities to show that fighting global warming is good for the state's economy. Californian voters upheld the state's groundbreaking climate law by more than 22 percent, helping seal the largest public referendum in history on climate and clean energy and affirming support for similar policies across the country. In particular, NRDC was instrumental in strategic direction and fundraising to defeat the attack. We built a mighty coalition that beat back big oil again.

Protected people from two harmful toxic chemicals by removing them from use.

In response to NRDC advocacy and litigation, the Environmental Protection Agency announced the complete ban of a notorious and long-lasting neurological and reproductive toxic called endosulfan that is found in body fat -- even in the Arctic where the pesticide has never been used. The EPA also announced the removal of cancer-causing carbaryl from pet collars, a use which is particularly dangerous to children. These victories will be added to the more than 30 million pounds of dangerous and antiquated pesticides that NRDC has removed from the market over the last four decades.

And furthermore...

NRDC secured more marine protected areas in California. In 1999, NRDC sponsored and helped win enactment of California's landmark Marine Life Protection Act, a law that calls for a statewide network of safe havens designed to protect and restore beleaguered ocean wildlife. On December 15, 2010, the state adopted a necklace of protected biological gems along the state's south coast -- the third (of four) coastal region to be completed. The new network is the nation's first science-based network of marine protected areas adjacent to a major urban center. NRDC helped design a similar network that took effect in the north central region earlier this year. In the coming year we will be work to win approval of a protected area plan for the north coast, completing the statewide network.

NRDC helped restore federal protection to wolves across the Northern Rockies. NRDC, Earthjustice, and 13 other conservation groups restored Endangered Species Act protection to wolves following the Obama administration's decision to strip Montana and Idaho wolves of federal protection in 2009. We mobilized our members and online activists, worked tirelessly as a credible, science-based voice on every front where the battle over the wolf's future was playing out -- from rancher meetings to regional news outlets to the offices of wildlife agencies -- and led a 21st-century communications campaign.

NRDC took strides to establish a clean energy economy by persuading more states to embark on the regulatory reform needed to put energy efficiency on a level playing field with power plants. Over the last four years, NRDC has encouraged more than half of the states to adopt so-called decoupling policies, doubling total utility investments in efficiency to $5.4 billion from $1.9 billion. In New York City, we helped shape and implement the most aggressive green building program in the country. In China, after a decade of NRDC advocacy, the central government enacted rules requiring all electricity companies to develop and implement efficiency programs, the largest energy efficiency program now in the world.

NRDC stopped dirty fuels in its tracks when we won a significant victory in the heart of coal country: American Municipal Power-Ohio decided to cancel its proposed $4 billion coal plant in southeast Ohio, in part because of our litigation challenges and our economic analysis. Over its anticipated life, the plant would have emitted 7 million tons of greenhouse gases and more than 10,000 tons of other harmful air pollutants, and would have required the mining of millions of tons of coal every year for the next 40 years.

NRDC reduced two major sources of mercury pollution in the United States and China. The EPA finalized stringent limits on mercury pollution from cement plants, reducing emissions by more than 90 percent. This work is the culmination of years of effort investigating pollution from cement kilns, working with a coalition of public health and environmental justice organizations, and submitting detailed legal and technical comments. And as part of China's heavy metal regulatory reform initiative, the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will reform phase out mercury use in alkaline manganese button cell batteries by 2013.

NRDC advanced clean renewable energy when we led the effort to site the country's largest solar projects in the southern California desert while ensuring that environmental and wildlife concerns are fully addressed. We did the same for , helping make renewable power a reality.

NRDC is helping revolutionize urban development with green infrastructure solutions. Runoff from urban and agricultural land is the largest source of water pollution today; the most effective way to address it uses natural systems: preserved wetlands, grass swales, pocket parks, permeable pavement, and roof gardens. In 2010, NRDC advanced pioneering on-the-ground projects across the United States and successfully litigated to protect new green infrastructure standards in urban areas, including reaching an agreement with New York City to protect Jamaica Bay from runoff and sewage and securing land acquisition safeguards for New York City's water supply.

NRDC successfully fought pollution across the country. In the East, thanks in large part to NRDC advocacy, including pressure from the country music stars, and scientific analysis, the federal government announced stricter rules for mountaintop removal mining and vetoed the largest proposed mine. In addition, after over 20 years of pressure from NRDC and others, the federal government issued a strong plan to clean up the Hudson River and GE agreed to implement it. In the West, we won a lawsuit forcing major feedlots to significantly reduce discharges.

NRDC helped launch LEED Neighborhood Development. Working closely with the private sector to incorporate smart-growth principles in a large-scale way led to the launch of LEED-Neighborhood Development in April 2010 and its acceptance as federal policy -- arguably the biggest development in smart growth in a decade. The initiative is the outcome of years of intense work on several fronts: smart-growth planning in California, the recently launched LEED certification program for neighborhood development, transportation reform, environmental justice, and community revitalization.

last revised 4/5/2011