Dear NRDC Activist,

I wanted to let you know how NRDC is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As an organization rooted in science, we are closely following the
findings and guidance of the medical community. To start, we have quickly
changed our way of working to help limit the spread of the coronavirus and
protect the health of our communities:

* As of last week, we have closed all NRDC U.S. offices through March 31
in the interest of social distancing and flattening the curve of the
spread of COVID-19.
* NRDC's international offices — in Beijing and New Delhi — are also
closed. Our Beijing office has been closed since January, but I'm glad
to say our staff's spirits remain strong.
* We have also suspended all staff business travel and have postponed or
canceled upcoming NRDC events.

As someone who has dedicated her career to public health issues, I also
want to share how I've been thinking about the ways this is impacting
different communities. This crisis is not simply a public health issue. It
is directly related to social equity and environmental justice and our
fight for clean air, clean water, a healthy environment, and healthy
communities.

Indeed, COVID-19 is affecting all of us — our health and our way of life,
but low-income communities and communities of color may face added risk.
Consider this:

As critical as it is that people follow CDC guidelines like washing their
hands, I can't help but think of the people living in communities with
unsafe, unreliable or unaffordable water coming out of their taps.

As we all fear this airborne virus, I can't help but think of the many
communities where residents breathe polluted air that can lead to chronic
respiratory problems, cancer, and disease, which could make them more
vulnerable to the worst impacts of COVID-19.

As many of us stock our pantries with food and supplies, I can't help but
think of the many people who live in communities that lack even a single
grocery store to find fresh healthy food for their families, and may
struggle financially to support their families during this difficult time.

And as we move into a deeper public health crisis, we must remember that
these social and environmental injustices were here before, they are
exacerbated by COVID-19, and must be addressed within the response to this
pandemic and thereafter.

And all of this — the inadequate response to this COVID-19 pandemic and
the many environmental threats we're facing — is made worse by the Trump
administration's blatant disregard for science, as shown through its
dangerous and irresponsible defunding of programs in critically important
science-based agencies, including the CDC, NIH and EPA, that are designed
to protect our public health and safety.

Robust public health investment is critical. And we need honest, accurate
data and communication. Especially in a health emergency, what we all
deserve is concrete, consistent, science-based information. My colleague
Dr. David Wallinga, Senior Health Officer in NRDC's Healthy People,
Thriving Communities program, [ [link removed] ]drafted a very important blog post
earlier in the month. While the pandemic situation has changed
significantly since it was posted, the hard-earned public health lessons
that Congress and the White House should be paying attention to have not —
[ [link removed] ]it is worth a read.

In these unprecedented times, please know that your health and well-being
is on the minds of the entire NRDC family — and we are not going to stop
fighting for you.

NRDC has been fighting for and protecting the health of people and the
planet for 50 years, and we'll keep fighting as long as it takes. Toxic
pollution, industrial contamination and climate change have not paused in
the face of this virus, and neither has NRDC. We remain vigilant, our work
goes on and our shared advocacy is as important as ever.

Please take precautions to keep yourself, your family and community safe.
I encourage you to consult the [ [link removed] ]Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and
the [ [link removed] ]World Health Organization (WHO) websites for information on how to
take precautions against the COVID-19 threat.

Thank you and be well,

[1]Gina
Gina McCarthy
President, NRDC
[2]Gina McCarthy


Donations will be used to defend our air, water, wildlife, and wild places
in and out of court, and for other campaigns that allow NRDC to protect
the environment in the most effective way possible.

The mission of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is to
safeguard the Earth: its people, its plants and animals, and the natural
systems on which all life depends.

[1]Charity Navigator


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