Union of Concerned Scientists
64
0
"Up" is the number of experts who agree that the nonprofit has had the most impact in the
field. "Down" is the number of experts who disagree that the nonprofit has had the most impact in field.
Headquarters Location: Cambridge, MA
Founded: 1969
Mission: The Union of Concerned Scientists is a nonprofit partnership of scientists and citizens combining rigorous scientific analysis, innovative policy development, and effective citizen advocacy to achieve practical environmental solutions. We seek to ensure that all people have clean air, energy, and transportation, as well as food that is produced in a safe and sustainable manner.
Tags:
national, climate change, research, advocacy, global warming, clean vehicles, clean energy, nuclear power, invasive species, food, agriculture, global security
Summary
Stories
Expert Reviews
Leadership
From the Nonprofit
Leadership
Kathleen Rest.
As UCS's executive director, Kathleen Rest manages the organization's day-to-day affairs, supervising all program departments on issues ranging from climate change to global security. Dr. Rest came to UCS from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), where she was the Deputy Director for Programs. Throughout her tenure at NIOSH, she held…
See full bio.
Financial Data
Overhead Ratio:
14.28%
Total Revenue:
$32,242,490
From the Nonprofit
|
Lynn Pallotta
Membership Manager Oct 21, 2010 |
The Union of Concerned Scientists seeks to apply the best available science to better understand the multifaceted challenges facing us, their potential solutions, and the complicated choices and trade-offs among policy pathways. We seek to identify and eliminate systemic obstacles…
Read More.
|
Contact Info
Address:
Two Brattle Square
Cambridge, MA 02238, USA
Twitter:
Story:
This is a brief snip-it about how UCS is trying to get the biofuels industry back on track.
Corn ethanol production has more than tripled in the last five years, driven by mandates for biofuel consumption, tax credits, and other programs. While this support has launched a major industry, it has also had unintended consequences. Most important is that the increased demand for corn is straining the agricultural system and environment. Food prices have gone up, water supplies have been put at risk, and habitat and biodiversity have been sacrificed, all without making any progress toward reducing the emissions responsible for global warming. Moreover, with almost a third of the U.S. corn crop now going to ethanol, the continued growth of biofuels can no longer rely on making food crops into fuel. Instead, growth depends on the successful and timely commercialization of the next generation of biofuels: cellulosic biofuels made from grass, wood waste, or even garbage. Unfortunately, this nascent alternative is stalled, a victim of inadequate policies and the global economic downturn, which have dried up investments.
UCS' Billion Gallon Challenge is an effort to build the support and policies needed to bring the fledgling advanced biofuels industry to maturity. It also seeks to ensure that the biofuels market maximizes taxpayer investment and helps to strengthen U.S. energy and environmental security. (Source: http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/clean_vehicles/Billion-Gallon-Challenge-Executive-Summary.pdf)
Expert Reviews of Union of Concerned Scientists
Evidence of Impact Summary:
Union of Concerned Scientists has an alliance of more than 250,000 citizens and scientists. They succeeded in getting landmark scientific integrity legislation introduced in the Senate and House of Representatives. They also played a key role in crafting the first multi-state effort to combat global warming.Organization Strengths Summary:
Climate Change experts believe that the Union of Concerned Scientists is a leader in merging high-quality science and policy work while giving credibility to advocacy. Additionally, they have an incredibly knowledgeable staff who produce great research and analysis.See expert comments.
Areas for Improvement Summary:
At the same time, some experts believe that the Union of Concerned Scientists needs to translate the work they do into language that a broader audience can understand. Additionally, they should find a way to become more independent from organizations like the Environmental Defense Fund and the Democratic Party, and yet still seek out strategic partnerships that will help them push for big changes.See expert comments.
Expert Comments: Organization Strengths
Select the boxes to display the results according to expert type.
Show:
Show:
X
Foundation Professionals (F)
X
Researchers and Faculty (R)
X
Nonprofit Senior Staff (N)
X
Other (consultants, journalists, policy makers) (O)
Merge Science and Policy |
|||
|
F
|
It has good scientific reasoning behind its policy choices. | ||
|
F
|
They do good science and are policy-savvy. | ||
|
F
|
They do great research. | ||
|
F
|
They do strong research linked to policy. | ||
|
R
|
They merge science and policy, giving credibility to advocacy. | ||
|
N
|
Their analysis is good, their science is good, and they are internationally respected. | ||
|
N
|
They do excellent analysis on science impacts and solutions. | ||
|
N
|
They have a science base. | ||
|
N
|
They have built an evidence base for policy arguments. | ||
|
N
|
They provide some real science analysis. | ||
|
O
|
They are good at effectively getting scientists to take a more active role in the policy and solutions realm. | ||
|
O
|
They have a strong scientific base. | ||
|
O
|
UCS is particularly active and effective in the US climate policy arena. | ||
Merge Science and Policy Well |
|||
|
F
|
They have strong scientific information matched with solid advocacy. | ||
|
N
|
There are lots of skeptics, and the scientific evidence of climate change is crucial in order to make decisions on how to address the issue. | ||
|
N
|
They provide public education that is science-based and worked to get realistic mileage numbers on new cars. If they push for something, it is carefully analyzed; they err on the conservative side. | ||
|
O
|
They have an excellent staff, offer credible analysis, and are tireless in blending science with policy. | ||
Good Lobbyists and Advocates |
|||
|
R
|
They do honest analysis supporting advocacy. | ||
|
R
|
They have an excellent track record of clear communication of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) results. | ||
|
N
|
They bring top-notch scientists to DC and state legislatures -- and to the media -- to educate and lobby for climate protection. | ||
|
N
|
They provide objective information with advocacy which is accessible, responsive, and helpful to local organizations. | ||
|
N
|
They provide practical technical information to inform and convince decision makers. | ||
|
N
|
It organizes the voice of the scientific community and is an excellent source of factual information about climate and other issues. | ||
|
O
|
The quality of their research and advocacy is very high. | ||
|
O
|
They lobby for science-based public policy re: climate. | ||
|
O
|
They advocate for science-based public policies here in the US, where the per-capita greenhouse gas emissions rate is the highest in the world. | ||
|
O
|
They are outstanding because of their good analysis and organizing. | ||
High-Level of Credibility |
|||
|
R
|
They have a high level of credibility. | ||
|
R
|
They produce excellent and dependable reports. | ||
|
N
|
It has good scientific credibility. | ||
|
N
|
They are a credible and effective source of information and media. | ||
|
N
|
They have a well-earned reputation for being objective and level-headed. | ||
Implementation and Impact |
|||
|
R
|
They are focused on implementation. | ||
|
R
|
They are focusing on impacts with scientific credibility. | ||
|
O
|
They make superb geographic impacts and work. | ||
High Level of Credibility |
|||
|
R
|
They have highly credible science and related expertise; outstanding reports and white papers; and a strong, visible presence in the national and international forum. | ||
|
N
|
They provide the most bombproof data and factsheets on climate science, and use scientists to advocate effectively at a high level. | ||
|
O
|
They are independent, knowledgeable, and influential. | ||
Great, Knowledgeable Staff |
|||
|
N
|
Alden Meyer has a long history of knowledge on international climate change. | ||
|
N
|
They have long-time, top experts. | ||
|
N
|
They have smart and respected people/staff. | ||
|
N
|
They have high integrity, are science-driven, have a great blend of passion and brains, and are highly collaborative with modest institutional ego. | ||
|
N
|
They offer deep expertise and analysis. | ||
|
O
|
They have a very solid crew, with good technical analyses. | ||
|
O
|
They are outstanding because of their expertise, effectiveness, and leaders. | ||
|
O
|
They have put a lot of thought and effort over a considerable period of time into these issues . | ||
Translate Science to the Public |
|||
|
N
|
It brings scientific experts and their testimony to legislative decision-makers and (to a lesser extent) to the media and general public. | ||
|
N
|
They are highly effective at translating climate science for the public, thereby changing public opinion about taking action. | ||
Expert Comments: Areas for Improvement
Select the boxes to display the results according to expert type.
Show:
Show:
X
Foundation Professionals (F)
X
Researchers and Faculty (R)
X
Nonprofit Senior Staff (N)
X
Other (consultants, journalists, policy makers) (O)
Other Suggestions |
|||
|
F
|
They might want to take into consideration that developing countries are very different than developed countries and that they should have better, more responsible positions vis-a-vis equitable, sustainable development in poor countries. | ||
|
R
|
They should get more politically engaged. | ||
|
N
|
UCS should elevate its clean energy, clean vehicles, and agricultural policy/climate work. | ||
Better Communication with Broad Public |
|||
|
F
|
They should have a better communication strategy. They are too focused on environment community. | ||
|
R
|
They should bring in more people at the grassroots level. | ||
|
R
|
UCS should improve its outreach and communication. | ||
|
N
|
They should set up a speakers' bureau for churches and community groups, nationwide. | ||
|
N
|
They should develop school related publications and web sites. | ||
|
N
|
They should use their communications and scientist network to build a public constituency for an international deal. | ||
|
N
|
They should become stronger on the grassroots front. | ||
|
N
|
They should make their work even easier for lay people to understand. They need to have scientists speak truth to power. Jim Hansen can't do it alone. | ||
|
O
|
They could make themselves more visible in the debate. | ||
|
O
|
They should explain more scientific issues, but in layman's terms. | ||
|
O
|
UCS should have a place on its web site where non-scientists could learn more about the science and thereby become more comfortable with it. | ||
Balance Independence and Strategic Partners |
|||
|
N
|
They should stick to science instead of promoting Democratic Party policies. | ||
|
N
|
They should get more independence from Environmental Defense Fund and green groups’ mainstream thinking. | ||
|
N
|
They could use their influence to push for greater change. I think they are at times overly cautious about recommending change, going instead for small steps in the right direction. | ||
|
O
|
They should reduce the level of ego involvement a bit and solicit more input from strategic partners. | ||
The Role of Scientists |
|||
|
N
|
They should recruit more scientists into active roles in the climate debate. | ||
|
O
|
They should keep working to get scientists to get out of the lab. | ||
Leadership
Kathleen Rest
Executive Director
Executive Director
From the Nonprofit
|
Lynn Pallotta
Membership Manager Oct 21, 2010 |
The Union of Concerned Scientists seeks to apply the best available science to better understand the multifaceted challenges facing us, their potential solutions, and the complicated choices and trade-offs among policy pathways. We seek to identify and eliminate systemic obstacles to the progress we need, and address emerging dangers in ways that connect with people’s lives—thus building support for strong and decisive action.
Specifically, we will: • Expand our work safeguarding the integrity of science in federal policy making to encompass inappropriate corporate influence on government science • Prioritize phasing out conventional coal-fired power plants to improve human health and reduce global warming emissions • Clean up smog-forming pollution and global warming emissions from big-rig trucks and dirty fuels • Apply our scientific expertise to better understand the complex challenges of sustainable land use in the agriculture, forestry, energy, and conservation sectors, and promote choices that will protect our water resources, climate, and the long-term health of our agricultural soils • Underscore the growing risks of nuclear terrorism, as well as the urgency of reducing stockpiles of nuclear weapons We will amplify our work by engaging and expanding our networks of scientists, engineers, economists, and other experts, and bolster our relationships and engagement with the public health and medical communities. We will provide our staff with the tools they need to communicate more effectively with decision makers and the public. And, we will provide our members and supporters—the lifeblood of our organization—with the means to become more knowledgeable about our work and make meaningful contributions toward achieving our mission. The UCS approach combines independent science, practical solutions, compelling communications, effective engagement, and persuasive advocacy to achieve our goals. We have for more than forty years advanced innovative solutions to some of the greatest challenges facing humankind. We are deeply grateful for the support of members who make this work possible as we all work toward a healthier and safer planet. |