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We’ve spent fifty proud years tackling the world’s most pressing issues.
The Union of Concerned Scientists was founded in 1969 by scientists and students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. That year, the Vietnam War was at its height and Cleveland’s heavily polluted Cuyahoga River had caught fire. Appalled at how the United States government was misusing science, the UCS founders, including Henry Kendall and Kurt Gottfried, drafted a statement calling for scientific research to be directed away from military technologies and toward solving pressing environmental and social problems.
We remain true to that founding vision. Throughout our history, UCS has followed the example set by the scientific community: we share information, seek the truth, and let our findings guide our conclusions.
It’s a powerful formula.
By mobilizing scientists and combining their voices with those of advocates, educators, business people, and other concerned citizens, UCS has built a reputation for fairness and accuracy and amassed an impressive history of accomplishments.
Founding documents
Major accomplishments
Millions of Midwesterners Benefit from Milestone Clean Energy Investment
California Passes First-in-the-Nation Bidirectional EV Charging Bill
New EPA Rules Offer $370 Billion in Climate and Health Benefits
After UCS Advocacy, >13 Million People Protected By New Ethylene Oxide Regulation
7 Billion Tons of Climate Pollution Avoided Thanks to New UCS-backed Vehicle Standards
More Than 12,000 Chemical Facilities Better Prepared for Disasters
UCS Helps Bring Clean Energy to Michigan
UCS Research Points Finger at Big Oil for Western Wildfires
UCS and Partners Move Toward Environmental Justice in Minnesota
Decades of UCS Work Reflected in White House Guidance
