For Immediate Release:

Blacksmith Institute Announces Name Change to Reflect Vision for a Clean and Safe World – Pure Earth

March 10, 2015, New York, NY – Blacksmith Institute announced today that it is changing its name to Pure Earth effective immediately. For the past 15 years, the organization has worked to identify and clean up the poorest communities throughout the world where high concentrations of toxins have devastating health effects.  Pure Earth devises cleanup strategies, empowers local leaders and secures support from national and international partnerships.

As our work became more widely known, it became apparent that the name Blacksmith Institute did not immediately convey our mission. It took too long to explain its origin and meaning and did not immediately connect to our work of creating a clean, safe world where people can live healthy, productive lives.

”We held some workshops and plenty of discussions to choose a new name. In the end, it was Dev Patel, the brilliant actor who played the hero of Slumdog Millionaire, who pushed us to choose Pure Earth,” explains Richard Fuller, President of Pure Earth.  “He and Freida Pinto are passionate supporters of our work against pollution. Our new name tells the story of what we’re hoping to accomplish through our work in two words, and it’s what we’ll use moving forward.”

In the last 15 years, Pure Earth has completed 80 projects in 20 countries; cleaning the environment and improving the health of 4.2 million people worldwide. Cleaning up one community at a time brings us closer to a Pure Earth.

More information about the history of Pure Earth