Science and Environmental Health Network (SEHN)

In 2024, the SEHN joined 400 left-of-center groups to sign a petition that called on oil company Energy Transfer to drop its lawsuit against Greenpeace for actions related to its role in funding and organizing the Dakota Access Pipeline protests in 2016 and 2017. ²

Background

The Science and Environmental Health Network is an environmentalist nonprofit organization that aims to combine scientific expertise with legal and ethical advocacy on behalf of the climate activism movement. It was first established by a coalition of North American environmentalist groups in 1994, and was formally incorporated with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in 1999. ¹

Activities

The Science and Environmental Health Network runs a carbon capture and storage (CCS) advisory campaign under its Energy Policy Program which employs figures with backgrounds in the sciences to “evaluate and address new technologies” as part of a “national and international” struggle against traditional energy sources, such as oil and gas. In 2023, the group compiled and published the 9th edition of the Compendium of Scientific, Medical, and Media Findings Demonstrating Risks and Harms of Fracking and Associated Gas and Oil Infrastructure to be used as a reference by “activists and health professionals.” That year, the SEHN expended a total of $400,846 on the Energy Policy Program. ³

As part of its Legal Program, the SEHN provides legal and scientific advisory services to climate groups engaged in environmentalist activism. In 2023, it expended $141,922 on this program. ⁴

In 2024, the SEHN became one of 400 groups to sign a petition which called on oil company Energy Transfer to drop its lawsuit against Greenpeace for acts related to its role in funding and organizing the Dakota Access Pipeline protests in 2016 and 2017. By referring to Greenpeace’s actions as “legitimate,” the petition defended the environmental organization’s controversial tactics during the protests. As of December 2025, the suit was still ongoing, with Greenpeace vowing to appeal it and launching a countersuit of its own. ^{2 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12}

Financials

In 2023, the Science and Environmental Health Network reported revenues of $829,712, expenses $770,785, and net assets of $692,997. ¹³

The Science and Environmental Health Network has received funding from Health Care Without Harm, the Fine Fund, the Minneapolis Foundation, the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and Network for Good. ¹⁴

Leadership

As of 2025, the Science and Environmental Health Network was a purely online organization with five staff members and six board members from across the United States. ¹

As of 2025, Carolyn Raffensperger was the executive director of the Science and Environmental Health Network. A former archeologist, Raffensperger left the profession to work for the Sierra Club. She went on to obtain a law degree to litigate on behalf of conservation efforts. ¹