Our 2021 Annual Report: Environment, health, science & impact

An update from the front lines of climate change and environmental health

What a time of change and growth!

We are pleased to share Environmental Health Sciences' 2021 Annual Report, highlighting the many activities we undertook last year that set EHS up for a strong 2022.


Download our annual report here:

EHS-2021-Annual-Report.pdf

Environmental impact

Agriculture and environmental health

2021 was a year of excitement and challenge for our small nonprofit.

  1. We launched EHN en Español,
  2. Doubled down on our commitment to the groundbreaking early career science program Agents of Change, and
  3. Saw significant gains on both the toxics and climate fronts.

And we watched readers – like you! – get engaged in ways that continually surprised us.

Our work continues

PFAS in cosmetics

In just the first three months this year EHS staff has been a hive of activity:

  • Partnered with wellness community Mamavation.com to investigate PFAS contamination in sports bras, cosmetics and other products.
  • Driven a global campaign around groundbreaking BPA limits in Europe – and why the same scientific standards should be applied in the U.S.
  • Published 10 Agents of Change essays & podcasts exploring everything from new pathways into science to workplace chemical exposures.

Take a look at the work EHS did last year and be proud that you, as a reader, are moving it forward.

We certainly are grateful to you!

PS: Just today we published a look at impacts one year after publishing "Fractured," our groundbreaking investigation into spillover pollution from fracking fields in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Check it out!

Banner photo art by David Ryder for EHN.org

a group of white corals on a coral reef

Podcast: Will coral reefs be gone by 2050?

Twenty-five years ago, a landmark paper warned that the world’s coral reefs could vanish by 2050. Now, halfway to that projected date (and amid ever more frequent coral bleaching events), that grim prediction feels increasingly close to reality.

A red sailboat in the water near icebergs

Climate change in the Arctic: How melting ice is causing Greenland to ‘shrink’

New research shows that Greenland is slowly “shrinking” and shifting northwest as melting ice reduces pressure on the land beneath it, causing the island’s bedrock to twist, stretch, and rise.

An aerial view of a whale with a school of fish

Drone surveys offer early warnings on whale health and survival

Scientists are using drones and photogrammetry to track how climate change is affecting whales’ health, growth, and reproduction. By analyzing aerial images, researchers can spot pregnancy trends and size changes in right whales and orcas, providing critical early insights into population declines.

Sun setting behind a power plant smoke stack emitting pollution

The strategy behind Trump's climate catchphrase, the 'Green New Scam'

Donald Trump’s use of the phrase “Green New Scam” has evolved from a rally insult to a central talking point in his administration’s efforts to dismantle climate science and erode public trust in environmental policy. Experts say the slogan is part of a propaganda strategy linking language to pro-fossil fuel policies.

An aerial view of the long beach port with a cruise ship in the background

California governor vetoes bill that would have limited air pollution regulation

California Governor Gavin Newsom has rejected legislation that would have restricted local air regulators’ authority over pollution at the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports, citing the need to preserve tools for combating air and climate impacts.

A pile of British pounds

How a ‘pro-climate’ charity channelled cash to a Koch-funded think tank

A UK charity that portrays itself as a climate leader facilitated a £830,000 donation to the Mercatus Center, a conservative think tank heavily funded by U.S. oil billionaire Charles Koch.

A hat that reads "Make America Great Again"
Credit: Photo by Natilyn Hicks Photography on Unsplash

Trump cuts climate-friendly Energy office jobs

The Energy Department offices impacted by Trump administration layoffs include those focused on climate-friendly energy sources amid the administration’s broader crackdown on renewables.

From our Newsroom
Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

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