The Institute for Environmental Solutions

The goal of the IES Tree Project is to improve the urban environment and health through strategic tree planting. To achieve this, we facilitate collaboration among many community groups and individuals to find optimal solutions to urban environmental challenges with trees. Trees can have both positive and negative impacts on our environment and health. Every tree generates oxygen, improves air quality, recycles water, and controls soil erosion. But the wrong tree in the wrong place can reduce air quality, increase energy use in buildings, or die before returning any environmental or social benefit. It is important that communities make smart decisions when investing in trees.

IES's Chemical Footprint Project aims to reduce and prevent Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) from entering water and the environment. CECs are unregulated harmful chemicals widely used in personal care and household products that pose a threat to the environment and human health. Many CECs are endocrine disruptors, while others are toxic to wildlife. CECs enter the system from CEC-containing products used at home or in industry. They are not targeted for removal by wastewater treatment plants. We use community-based social marketing to reduce CEC concentrations entering wastewater and reduce human exposure to contaminants. We show adults and children how to make sound, science based decisions to reduce their use of personal care, food, and household products containing CECs.