Environmental Defense (formerly known as the Environmental Defense Fund or EDF), is a US-based nonprofit environmental advocacy group. The group is known for its work on issues including global warming, pollution prevention, habitat restoration and market-based solutions to environmental problems. Global mean surface temperatures 1856-2004 Global warming is a term used to describe an increase over time of the average temperature of Earths atmosphere and oceans. ... Pollution is the release of harmful environmental contaminants, or the substances so released. ...

The organization advocates using sound science, good economics and good law to find solutions that work.

Some of the key accomplishments of Environmental Defense include:

• Initiating the campaign to ban DDT in the US and developed world, thereby helping to save the American Eagle, osprey, peregrine falcon, pelicans and many other large birds

• Preparing and advocating the 1990 Clean Air act which used market base approaches to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions, leading to significant reductions in acid rain

• Helping to develop the Kyoto Protocol, the global greenhouse gas reductions market framework

• Working with Hawaiian NGO's to place half of all coral reefs in the US

• Working with McDonalds to help them reduce more than 60% of their solid wastes, including the styrofoam hamburger containers.

• Working with Fedex to develop hybrid trucks to reduce fuel consumption and pollution

• For contributions to the Endangered Species Act, including inventing the Safe Harbor concept

• For initiating the recent campaign to remove the Hetch Hetchy dam in the California Sierras

• For work on regional and global oceans issues and policies. Regional offices include Austin, Texas; Oakland, California; Washington, D.C.' Raleigh, North Carolina; Boston, Mass.

The founders of Environmental Defense, Art Cooley and Charles Wurster, discovered in the mid 1960's that the peregrine falcon and other large raptors were rapidly disappearing. Their research uncovered a link between the spraying of DDT to kill mosquitos and weakening egg shells of the large birds. They started Environmental Defense to seek a ban on DDT in Suffolk County, Long Island, New York. They were successful. They then campaigned to ban DDT statewide and succeded as well. They then took their efforts national. Kyoto Protocol Opened for signature December 11, 1997 at Kyoto, Japan Entered into force February 16, 2005. ... Some of the biodiversity of a coral reef. ... McDonalds Corporation (NYSE: MCD) is the worlds largest chain of fast-food restaurants [1]. Although McDonalds did not invent the hamburger or fast food, its name has become nearly synonymous with both. ... Hetch Hetchy Valley is a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in California. ... Binomial name Falco peregrinus Tunstall, 1771 The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) is a medium-sized falcon about the size of a large crow: 38-53 cm (15 to 21 inches) long. ...

The group is headquartered out of New York, in a building designed by green architect William McDonough, with offices nationwide, and scientists and policy specialists working worldwide. Green building is the practice of: increasing the efficiency with which buildings and their sites use and harvest energy, water, and materials, and reducing building impacts on human health and the environment, through better siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal — the complete building life cycle. ... William A. McDonough (1951, Tokyo, Japan - ) is an American architect whose career is focused on designing environmentally sustainable buildings and transforming industrial manufacturing processes, with the twin goals of eliminating pollution and increasing the profits of his clients. ...

More information can be found at www.environmentaldefense.org or by calling 212-505-2100.