Richard Liroff

Richard Liroff is the Executive Director of the Investor Environmental Health Network.

Richard A. Liroff, Ph.D., is founder and director of the Investor Environmental Health Network (IEHN). IEHN is a collaboration of investment managers that advocates for safer corporate chemicals policies to grow long-term shareholder value and reduce financial and reputational risks to companies. The business case for corporate safer chemicals policies, a list of shareholder resolutions on safer chemicals policies, and a roster of participants can be found on the IEHN website, www.iehn.org.

Models for Scaling Up Green Chemistry Design
By Richard Liroff, April 28, 2010
Two landmark private sector initiatives are models for the development green chemistry -- and demonstrate how a robust federal initiative could speed the realization of a green chemistry...
How Policy Change Can Spur Green Chemistry Design
By Richard Liroff, April 27, 2010
Changes in regulatory policy can go a long way to speed transition to a future of green chemistry. Today's post, Part 3 of a four-part series on green chemistry, looks at moves to strengthen laws...
A Game Plan for Accelerating Green Chemistry
By Richard Liroff, April 26, 2010
The case for increased, organized, public and private sector investment in green chemistry is compelling. This post, the second of a four-part series, lay out a game plan for accelerating...
A Formula for Building a Green Chemistry Future
By Richard Liroff, April 23, 2010
Green chemistry and biomimicry are powerful tools for reducing the toxic, energy and waste components of companies’ environmental footprint. This post is the first of a four-part series...
The Chemicals That Should Be on Your Radar ... but Probably Aren't
By Richard Liroff, February 25, 2010
Endocrine disruptors have been linked to cancers, reproductive disorders and other health issues, and as more research exposes their dangers and more companies take action on them, companies of...
What Does the FDA's BPA Decision Mean for Companies?
By Richard Liroff, January 25, 2010
When the Food and Drug Administration earlier this month expressed for the first time some concern about bisphenol A, it no doubt caused some panic among potentially impacted firms -- but it also...
The Benefits of Coming Clean on Your Company's Toxic Footprint
By Richard Liroff, December 04, 2009
Facing risks from toxic toys to questions about nanomaterials, smart companies have begun to take dramatic steps forward in disclosing potentially toxic ingredients to investors, customers and...
Getting a Grip on Your Company's Toxic Footprint
By Richard Liroff, December 02, 2009
At first glance it seems an impossible task to take on the hundreds or thousands of chemicals in your company's supply chain, but a number of companies have developed useful approaches to...
How Companies Are Committing to Reduce Toxic Footprints
By Richard Liroff, November 30, 2009
The first of a three-part series about developing a benchmark to help companies embrace green chemistry and toxic reductions explores which firms are leading the charge, and how they benefit from...
Nanomaterials: Why Your Company Should Sweat the Small Stuff
By Richard Liroff, September 09, 2009
Nanomaterials are an industrial revolution in a microcosm with the potential to yield extraordinary health, environmental and other global social benefits. But they're substantially unregulated,...

Knocking Out Toxics: Why Companies Are Being Pressed to Use Safer Chemicals Design
By Richard Liroff, November 10, 2006
Companies are facing accelerating pressures to adopt safer chemicals principles and practices and to cajole, encourage, or force their supply chains to join them. The demands stem both from...

Why the Adage 'the Dose Makes the Poison' Can Be Toxic to Corporate Chemicals Policy
By Richard Liroff, June 24, 2009
There probably are lots of senior execs who've been comforted when their chief scientist has told them that since "the dose makes the poison," they shouldn't sweat some new study about a chemical...
Don't Know Your Company's Toxic Footprint? Ignorance Will Not Be Bliss
By Richard Liroff, May 13, 2009
The noose continues to tighten around toxic chemicals in products and corporate supply chains. Notwithstanding the protestations of some trade associations about their products' safety, it's...
Reducing Pesticide Use: How to Cut Costs and Be a Green Hero
By Richard Liroff, April 27, 2009
It's a myth that reducing pesticide use has to mean higher costs and fewer choices. Leading companies have been systematically reducing pesticide use, thereby cutting costs while also lowering...
When the 'FDA Approves Salmonella,' How Should Your Company Respond?
By Richard Liroff, March 16, 2009
The satirical newspaper The Onion recently reported the FDA has approved salmonella and included a mock quote declaring salmonella "not nearly as destructive or fatal as you'd think." The piece...
Is Your Company Ready for CPR?
By Richard Liroff, February 17, 2009
That’s Chemical Policy Reform -- a long overdue, systematic and fundamental overhaul of the basic approach the U.S. federal government takes to managing hazards from chemicals in products. Richard...
Going Beyond Compliance to Manage Business Risks from Toxic Products
By Richard Liroff, March 02, 2008
Facing a lack of leadership from Washington, states from coast to coast and forward-looking companies like Wal-Mart and Consorta are creating business-led solutions to help industry getting out in...

FEATURED

Green Confidence Index

Green Confidence Index A monthly snapshot of Americans’ attitudes about and confidence in their leaders and institutions, nationally and locally, as well as in their own understanding of issues and their willingness to make green purchasing choices.