Research Reports

Indoor radon exposure is responsible for an estimated 21,000 lung cancer deaths in the U.S. every year. Radon gas can move from the ground to the air inside a building through cracks and other openings in the foundation. The only way to know the radon level in a particular building is to test the air in that building. Because elevated indoor radon levels have been found in all states, every state can benefit from establishing policies to promote radon testing and mitigation in child care facilities and other buildings.  

Smoke from residential wood burning is composed of many substances, including particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and toxic chemicals such as benzene, formaldehyde, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. A wide range of serious health effects are associated with exposure to these pollutants – most prominently fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), which is linked to cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, cancer, and other systemic health effects. 

Nature-based strategies are actions that use the conservation or restoration of nature, such as ecosystems like wetlands, or green infrastructure projects, to address the risks from natural hazards.  Nature-based mitigation strategies can help reduce the likelihood of future hazards occurring and minimize negative impacts when they do occur.

Actions such as illegal wildlife trade, deforestation, mining and pollution are often responsible for huge and diverse harms to the environment—including particular impacts on threatened species. Faced with growing concern about the biodiversity crisis, including reports that at least one million species are at risk of extinction, there are growing demands for social and environmental justice. This includes redoubling efforts to hold responsible parties accountable, and to deter future harmful actions.