Journalism that drives the discussion
We are a publication of Environmental Health Sciences, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to driving science into public discussion and policy on environmental health issues, including climate change.
We are an independent, reader- and foundation-funded organization that reports, publishes and curates journalism on environmental topics. We have two goals:
- Put events and science driving the day's news in a larger context
- Share our perspective as journalists and scientists with considerable expertise in the field.
We've been at this since 2002 and have published EHN.org continuously since Aug. 2, 2003.
Why do we publish news you don't like?
We get this question a lot.
We review and curate hundreds of stories and opinion pieces on vital issues every week involving health, pollution, nature, energy and more. Passions run high on these topics, and both science and politics can be contentious.
We have a high opinion of our readership; we don't believe that you need to be protected from exposure to news perspectives or opinions with which you may strongly disagree. Our assumption is that we do our job best by showing you a broad sampling of what's being written and reported on the topics we all care about. You may not like everything we post. But as journalists, we're committed to showing you the whole picture.
Commitments and beliefs
Environmental Health Sciences believes
- That high quality science should be the foundation of public health policy.
- That jointly with science, those whose health is affected by policy should have the driving voices in the creation of those policies.
- That our work needs to call out injustices, point to solutions and spur action leading to quantifiable, sustainable improvements to our health and environment.
- That science and journalism can objectively shape public discussion and activate people to make healthy, informed choices about their health and wellbeing.
- That forces pushing false anti-science, anti-civil society narratives stand to reap considerable economic and political rewards, and that an environment encouraging the public's open-minded, unbiased consideration of the best available scientific information does not exist by accident and in fact needs support.
- That progress is never a result of scientific discovery alone; it requires other forces: crusading journalism, advocacy, politics.
- the public and private sector policies governing the manufacture and use of chemicals encourage inherently safe materials;
- chemists use design tools to avoid synthesizing hazardous materials;
- the health costs of harmful chemicals are no longer externalized;
- the harmful effects of agricultural chemicals on soil fertility are eliminated thereby heightening food security;
- the neurological effects of chemical exposures no longer diminish intellectual and emotional intelligence and cease their contributions to other neurological maladies, including those of aging;
- chemical impacts on our immune systems no longer make us vulnerable to pathogens nor cause autoimmune disorders;
- communities take steps now to protect their citizens from potential disruptions of society resulting from large scale human impacts on the environment.
EHS' commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion
EHS brings an equity-rooted focus to its work contextualizing science, improving our health, and making our environment safer and more sustainable for all.
These following guiding principles are simply the beginning of our work to address social and environmental injustice and inequity. Special thanks to the Heinz Endowments for supporting this work and providing the foundation for this framework.
By focusing on equity, we aim to transform the root causes of structural environmental inequity, so we no longer have to remedy its symptoms.
Our values
EHS believes that equity work happens at the intersection of power and opportunity. We work with and within science and journalism to elevate power within communities and create opportunities so that race, gender, and/or ZIP code do not predict your health or environment.
We also believe that equity does not happen by chance, and EHS will act on and invest in efforts that measure, track and close outcome gaps. That requires looking in as well as out, and EHS will spend time and resources to expand more diverse leadership within its board, staff, partners and advisory bodies.
Equity is an intentional, urgent attempt to right historical wrongs through systems-building. Outcome gaps plague our country and region because of practices that harm underrepresented communities. This improved collective wellbeing is a shared right and shared responsibility. We believe that, jointly with science, those whose health is affected by policy should have the driving voices in the creation of those policies.
Our work & commitment
We recognize that structural environmental inequities must be relentlessly exposed, measured and disrupted. We do so using data, history and stories to explain the systems and structures supporting long-standing inequities.
We use science whenever possible, but we also recognize that our goal is to change people's lives and environments for the better. As we unwind the systems that created historic and ongoing inequities, we use stories and journalism to breathe life into tangible impacts of those inequities – and to highlight paths toward a more equitable future.
We further recognize that we have much work to do within our organization. While we operate from a perspective of urgency, we recognize that these inequities are endemic both within and without our spheres of influence.
We work urgently and believe in a growth mindset: We accept that moving in a new direction requires new navigation skills, disruption and sometimes setbacks. We need a mix of short- and long-term goals, keeping in mind always that progress is ours to accelerate.
Submissions
We are always looking to work with new reporters, thought-leaders and content producers.
We are interested in articles, op-eds and video pitches on the following topics:
- Toxic chemicals
- Plastic pollution
- Environmental injustice
- The petrochemical industry
- Solution-focused stories on the above issues
If you want to pitch an idea to EHN, reach out to senior editor Brian Bienkowski with a detailed pitch, including why you’re the person to cover this for us and links to past work.
We pay a competitive rate for freelance writers and producers.
For opinions/commentaries:
We run opinion pieces, commentaries and analyses from scientists, community members, organization leaders and others. Articles are generally 600 – 1,200 words and written for a lay audience — not academic in tone. We use AP Style, and submissions may be edited for clarity, organization or brevity, with all proposed changes and edits run by the contributor.
We do not pay for opinion pieces.
Pitch your idea or completed article to senior editor Brian Bienkowski, including who you are and why you’re an authority on the issue.Republishing our work
We are glad to share our original articles under the terms of Creative Commons' Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported license.
We ask that you attribute the author and Environmental Health News as the original source and provide a link back to our article at the beginning of your repost. You are also welcome to post just the beginning of an article with a link to EHN.org to continue reading.
We'd like to know if you are republishing our work. Please send an email to senior editor Brian Bienkowski (bbienkowski@ehn.org) or director Douglas Fischer (dfischer@ehsciences.org) with a link to the republished article.
Images, graphics and videos are not always included in this license. For questions related to republishing any of these visuals, please email either bbienkowski@ehn.org or dfischer@ehsciences.org.
Funding
Environmental Health Sciences is a 501(c)(3) corporation registered in Montana and recognized as a tax-exempt nonprofit organization by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.
Donations to Environmental Health News, The Daily Climate and Environmental Health Sciences are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Our EIN is 88-0663738.
Editorial independence and integrity is paramount. We are committed to practicing journalism according to its highest standards.
Funding comes from readers like you (donate here to support our journalism!), advertising and several foundations:
- Foundation for the Carolinas
- Marisla Foundation
- Broad Reach Fund
- Turner Foundation
- Forsythia Foundation
- Cornell Douglas Foundation
- The Heinz Endowments
EHS Governing Board
We are governed by a diverse group of distinguished leaders in their respective fields:
Dr. Pete Myers, chair, chair, founder and chief scientist, EHS
Julie Jones, co-founder, Advancing Green Chemistry
Marty Kearns, treasurer, founder, Netcentric Campaigns
Derrick Jackson, climate and energy fellow, Union of Concerned Scientists
Brian Johns, executive director, Virginia Organizing
More information about our board is available here.
EHS Editorial Board
The editorial board of Environmental Health News and The Daily Climate provides a voice for science-based public policy, a healthier environment, and a reduction in environmental injustices.
The editorial board champions those principles without regard to partisanship and beholden to no individual, scientific society or political organization.
While the editorial board is an institutional voice, it is not the voice of the institution as a whole. It does not speak for the newsroom of these two publications.
The board is made up of senior directors of Environmental Health Sciences, which publishes EHN.org and DailyClimate.org:
- Pete Myers, founder, board chair, and chief scientist
- Douglas Fischer, executive director
- Angela Marie Hutchinson, engagement director
- Matt Kayhoe, director of strategy and partnerships
Privacy policy
Our policy is simple: We value your privacy as much as ours. Read how we do so here.
Contact information
Douglas Fischer, executive director
Environmental Health Sciences
614 W. Lamme St.
Bozeman, MT 59715
406-600-8469
Meet our team
Staff Slideshow: Douglas Fischer, executive editor
Douglas atop Mt. Baldy, just outside Bozeman, Mont.
Click left or right to meet more of our team.
Regional reporting bureaus
In February 2018 we opened in Pittsburgh the first of what will be a string of regional reporting bureaus.
The hope is that, by bringing national attention and expertise to regional environmental health issues, we can raise awareness, spur public literacy, and move the needle locally on key issues involving our health and environment.
Pittsburgh makes a great test case given its national relevance on air quality, asthma, fracking, groundwater pollution and environmental justice. You can find our reporting on those topics and much more on our special Pittsburgh page. You can also get that news weekly in your inbox via our dedicated PGH newsletter, delivered every Friday.
Read more about the bureau, and our philosophy behind it, here.
We're scouting sites now for our second and third bureaus. If you have ideas, email executive director Douglas Fischer at dfischer@ehsciences.org
Legal information
Environmental Health Sciences is a 501(c)(3) corporation registered in Montana and recognized as a tax-exempt nonprofit organization by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. Donations to Environmental Health News, The Daily Climate and Environmental Health Sciences are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Our EIN is 88-0663738.
EHS was incorporated in 2022. Before that, for 20 years starting in April 2002, EHS was a project of an umbrella nonprofit, Virginia Organizing.
Virginia Organizing's federal 990 forms:
Virginia Organizing 2016 Form 990.pdf
