January's Sponsored Nonprofit: Union of Concerned Scientists

“We use science to make change happen.”

About. The Union of Concerned Scientists is a national nonprofit organization founded more than 50 years ago by scientists and students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Mission: to use rigorous, independent science to solve our planet's most pressing problems. Joining with people across the country, the Union of Concerned Scientists combines technical analysis and effective advocacy to create innovative, practical solutions for a healthy, safe, and sustainable future. Today, the Union of Concerned Scientists are a group of nearly 250 scientists, analysts, policy experts and strategic communicators dedicated to that purpose. Its founders knew science and evidence-based decision making was critical to solving many of the biggest challenges facing humankind. https://www.ucsusa.org/

Three Recent Accomplishments.  

• 1.) November 2023: UCS helped bring clean energy to Michigan, establishing a 100% clean energy portfolio goal for the state by 2040, expanding energy efficient programs, and creating jobs in the process. Read more here. 
• 2.) October 2023: UCS helped close loopholes in PFAS (aka “forever chemicals”) reporting. The lawsuit challenged loopholes that allowed facilities and military bases across the United States to avoid disclosing their releases of PFAS into the environment. “This designation means that reporting will not be subject to a “de minimis” concentration exemption that allows facilities to omit reporting small concentrations of PFAS in mixtures despite high volumes of PFAS.” The new rule will also require facilities to report the presence of these chemicals within their products even if the chemical concentration is low. Read more here. 
• 3.) July 2023: UCS helped lay the groundwork for a historic offshore wind commitment in Maine. The UCS helped to align disparate interests, testified at hearings, and engaged supporters to contact legislators. The legislation will help “procure 1,000 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind capacity by 2030 and 2,800 MW by 2035, enough to generate more than half of Maine’s electricity demand.” Read more here. 

Why ecobrands® supports UCS. Science puts opinions aside and uses systematic methods to arrive at facts. Facts make decisions easier and action more efficient. When applied to our planet, science effectively cuts through the b.s. of politics, creating a far more direct path to innovation and progress. With its roots at one of the greatest scientific institutes in the world, MIT, we know that our money is being put to use by some of the greatest minds on the planet, and that is precisely whom we want fighting for Mother Earth and humankind.

As always, thank you sincerely for reading. We wish you all the best on your path to sustainable living, as we continue on our own!