Issue 209: 70 Years of Resources for the Future

A Note from RFF’s President about Resources issue 209:

Resources for the Future (RFF) was founded on October 7, 1952. On October 7, 2021, we celebrated our first annual “Founders’ Day” as an opportunity to honor our legacy. And this year, we celebrate our 70th anniversary—a milestone achievement for any organization.

Looking back at 70 years of this organization, I’m struck by the agility of RFF in adapting to meet the needs of a given moment. Time and again, we’ve responded nimbly to meet society’s needs, delivering solutions that move decisions in a positive direction, improving the environment, human health, and our broader economic well-being.

All in all, RFF has helped solve major environmental and resource challenges, and the classic Resources articles in this issue of the magazine demonstrate some of our landmark research. In the pages that follow, you’ll find reprints from the Resources magazine archive, alongside contemporary reflections on that established work. You’ll view various points in our “origin story” and follow along as we learn from our own history.

The next two issues of the magazine will look at the present and future of RFF, celebrating the people of our organization and the challenges we’ll tackle in the coming decades. And throughout the year, we will have much to celebrate, and many opportunities to invite you to join us—perhaps even in person.

Thank you for being here with us at this point in RFF’s 70 years. Thank you for all that you do in support of RFF. Our work is made possible by each of you who believes that today’s environmental challenges require the best independent research and effective, efficient, and equitable solutions to protect the climate, enhance nature, and advance our well-being. I’m optimistic about our collective ability to take truly transformative action.

Richard G. Newell
President and CEO, Resources for the Future

Editor’s note: Some grammatical edits and other minor changes may appear in the reprints of these archived articles.