Non-profit

Green Science Policy Institute

Website:

greensciencepolicy.org/

Location:

BERKELEY, CA

Tax ID:

20-5571185

Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2017):

Revenue: $1,257,906
Expenses: $1,161,896
Assets: $1,017,987

Formation:

2008

President:

Arlene Blum

President's Compensation:

Gross Salary: $143,7691

References

  1. Green Science Policy Institute, Return of Organization (Form 990), 2018, Part VII Section A
Former Project of:

Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs

Contact InfluenceWatch with suggested edits or tips for additional profiles.

The Green Science Policy Institute (GSPI) is an environmentalist advocacy organization that opposes the use of various chemicals. Founded by Arlene Blum in 2008, it was formerly a fiscally sponsored project of Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs. 1

History

Arlene Blum founded the Green Science Policy Institute in 2008 after chlorinated Tris, a flame retardant, was again used being used in furniture and baby products despite having been removed from children’s pajamas in the 1970s. The Institute’s founding board of directors included a former chairman of the American Chemical Society, and a former president of Stanford University. 2

Present Activities

GSPI markets its primary program as “Six Classes,” in an attempt to reduce the use of entire groups of chemicals, instead of phasing out chemicals one at a time. The Six include highly fluorinated chemicals, antimicrobials, flame retardants, bisphenols and phthalates, and certain solvents and metals. GSPI employs in-house scientists and pushes for outside research studies in order to publish findings encouraging regulators to target use of these products and industry to discontinue their use. 3

Funding

Green Science Policy Institute has received financial support from a number of major left-of-center funding institutions. Tides Foundation, Stephen M. Silberstein Foundation, and Marisla Foundation have all provided grants to GSPI. 4

People

Staff

Arlene Blum is the founder and executive director of GSPI, and also serves on its board of directors. Blum is a biophysical chemist, author, and mountaineer, and Research Associate in Chemistry at UC Berkeley. 5

Tom Bruton is a senior scientist, and leads the GSPI’s research and policy work on highly fluorinated chemicals (PFAS). Bruton is scheduled to speak at the Sustainable Packaging Coalition’s “Impact 2020” conference. 6

Joe Charbonnet is a staff scientist, and leads GSPI’s research and policy work on flame retardant chemicals. 7

Rebecca Fuoco is the science communications officer at GSPI, and is a media specialist for the climate change program at the Center for Biological Diversity. 8

Anna Soehl is a science and policy consultant for GSPI. Soehl has previously worked for the Great Lakes Commission and the Maryland Department of the Environment. 9

Board of Directors

Amy Coty is the Director of Finance and Operations at the Berkeley School. 10

Brandon Brown is Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of San Francisco. 11

David Hochschild is a California Energy Commissioner, an environmental advocate, and a co-founder of Vote Solar. Hochschild formerly served as special assistant to former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown (D); he led an initiative to put solar panels on public buildings and formerly served as a commissioner at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. 12

Gretta Goldenman is the co-founder of the European Centre on Sustainable Policies for Human and Environmental Rights (ECOSPHERE) and Pesticide Action Network International. 13

Joan Blades is a liberal activist and co-founder of MomsRising and MoveOn.org. 14

Michael Lipsett in the former Chief of the Environmental Health Investigations Branch at the California Department of Public Health. 15

Advisors

Dr. Donald Lucas is a scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, an affiliate of the Energy and Resources Group at UC Berkeley, and a researcher at the School of Public Health at UC Berkeley. Lucas has performed research funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Superfund Research Program, the Western States Petroleum Association, Texaco, Chevron, the Department of Energy, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the California Air Resources Board, and the California EPA. 16

Dr. Vytenis Babrauskas is the founder of Fire Science and Technology, Inc. Babrauskas is a former fire protection researcher at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (formerly the National Bureau of Standards). 17

David Rich is a founding partner of Reax Engineering, a peer reviewer for the City of San Francisco, specializing in fire safety systems, and formerly worked with the San Francisco Fire Department as a Rescue Captain and paramedic. 18

References

  1. “About.” Green Science Policy Institute, 2019. Accessed January 4, 2020. https://greensciencepolicy.org/about/.
  2. Slater, Dashika. “Arlene Blum’s Crusade Against Household Toxins.” The New York Times, September 6, 2012. Accessed January 4, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/09/magazine/arlene-blums-crusade-against-household-toxins.html.
  3. “Six Classes.” Green Science Policy Institute, 2019. Accessed January 4, 2020.  https://greensciencepolicy.org/topics/six-classes/.
  4. Data compiled by FoundationSearch.com subscription service, a project of Metasoft Systems, Inc., from forms filed with the IRS. Queries conducted January 7, 2020.
  5. “About.” Green Science Policy Institute, 2019. Accessed January 4, 2020. https://greensciencepolicy.org/about/.
  6. “Dr. Tom Bruton.” Sustainable Packaging Coalition, 2020. Accessed January 4, 2020. https://sustainablepackaging.org/people/dr-tom-bruton/.
  7. “About.” Green Science Policy Institute, 2019. Accessed January 4, 2020. https://greensciencepolicy.org/about/.
  8. “Bio.” RebeccaFuoco.com. Accessed January 4, 2020. https://www.rebeccafuoco.com/.
  9. “About.” Green Science Policy Institute, 2019. Accessed January 4, 2020. https://greensciencepolicy.org/about/.
  10. “About.” Green Science Policy Institute, 2019. Accessed January 4, 2020. https://greensciencepolicy.org/about/.
  11. “About.” Green Science Policy Institute, 2019. Accessed January 4, 2020. https://greensciencepolicy.org/about/.
  12. “About.” Green Science Policy Institute, 2019. Accessed January 4, 2020. https://greensciencepolicy.org/about/.
  13. “About.” Green Science Policy Institute, 2019. Accessed January 4, 2020. https://greensciencepolicy.org/about/.
  14. “About.” Green Science Policy Institute, 2019. Accessed January 4, 2020. https://greensciencepolicy.org/about/.
  15. “About.” Green Science Policy Institute, 2019. Accessed January 4, 2020. https://greensciencepolicy.org/about/.
  16. “Bios.” CluIn.org. Accessed January 4, 2020. https://clu-in.org/conf/tio/bios/lucas.htm.
  17. “About.” Green Science Policy Institute, 2019. Accessed January 4, 2020. https://greensciencepolicy.org/about/.
  18. “Our Team.” Reax Engineering, 2020. Accessed January 4, 2020. https://reaxengineering.com/our-team/.

Directors, Employees & Supporters

  1. Arlene Blum
    Founder and Executive Director
  See an error? Let us know!

Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: November 1, 2006

  • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2017 Dec Form 990 $1,257,906 $1,161,896 $1,017,987 $45,333 N $732,244 $524,737 $925 $132,346 PDF
    2016 Dec Form 990 $1,217,628 $1,155,073 $932,490 $55,846 N $514,915 $699,275 $1,191 $125,008
    2015 Dec Form 990 $1,122,204 $458,026 $814,089 $0 N $1,086,977 $30,915 $162 $60,172 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990EZ $140,853 $476 $140,377 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2012 Dec Form 990EZ $10,500 $11,000 $776 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990EZ $31,500 $34,733 $1,276 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Green Science Policy Institute

    PO BOX 9127
    BERKELEY, CA 94709-0127