News & Commentary

Flint Drinking Water Settlement FAQ

March 28, 2017 ExplainerUnited States, Michigan, Flint, MidwestNRDC

The residents of Flint, Michigan, will finally get their lead pipes replaced and have access to safe drinking water. Here's what you need to know.

Cut Environmental Justice at the EPA, and We All Lose

March 17, 2017 ExplainerUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Trump likens our “inner cities” to war zones . . . then guts the programs geared to safeguard clean air and water for low-income communities of color.

Why We Need the EPA

February 14, 2017 ExplainerPuerto Rico, New York City, United States, ClevelandBrian Palmer

Let’s not forget what America looked like before we had the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Our rivers caught on fire, our air was full of smog, and it stank (literally).

Our Warming World on Her Shoulders

February 1, 2017 ExplainerInternationalBrian Palmer

With all the political, economic, and cultural barriers women face, how can we expect them to save us from climate change?

Scott Pruitt Wants to Take Us Back to the ’50s

January 13, 2017 ExplainerUnited StatesBrian Palmer

The incoming head of the EPA believes states should be in charge of their own environmental regulations. Been there, done that, got the oil-soaked T-shirt.

The Petcoke Problem: Where to Store the Risky Tar Sands Refining By-Product

November 1, 2016 ExplainerUnited States, Canada, Chicago, Detroit, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Virginia

Petroleum coke, typically stored outdoors in big open piles, can blow right into nearby homes and cause serious health problems. Unsurprisingly, communities are fighting Big Oil to keep this noxious material out of their backyards.

2,4-D: The Most Dangerous Pesticide You've Never Heard Of

March 15, 2016 ExplainerUnited StatesDanielle Sedbrook

This toxic herbicide comes with known health risks, but it’s still being used on crops, in parks, and maybe even in your own backyard.

Disaster in the Gulf

March 14, 2016 ExplainerUnited StatesNicole Greenfield

Years later, not much has changed—including the impulse to drill.

Is Water a Human Right?

March 3, 2016 ExplainerUnited States, Flint, New York, Jackson, Michigan, MississippiBrian Palmer

A look at what U.S. and international laws have to say about our right to clean drinking water.

EJ: Getting Us (All of Us) to Environmentalism 4.0

March 2, 2016 ExplainerUnited States, Flint, Michigan, ChicagoBrian Palmer

“Environmental justice” isn’t only about what is put in whose backyard—it’s the future of the environmental movement.

Lead by the Numbers

February 18, 2016 ExplainerFlint, Michigan, United StatesNicole Greenfield

This Harper’s-inspired index on lead puts the Flint Water Crisis into new perspective.

Go Easy on the Salt

February 11, 2016 ExplainerFlint, Michigan, United StatesBrian Palmer

Did road salt help cause the Flint water crisis?

How California Will Weather Drought

January 5, 2016 ExplainerCalifornia, United States, West

Researchers outline four key actions the Golden State must take to ensure there's enough water to go around.

Flexibility Test

December 23, 2015 ExplainerUnited States, New JerseyElizabeth Royte

Plastic-pouch food packaging is showing up everywhere—except at recycling facilities.

There’s No Such Thing as a Climate Change Refugee

November 16, 2015 ExplainerInternationalBrian Palmer

But there ought to be.

Hot Water

August 18, 2015 ExplainerWest, United StatesBrian Palmer

Uranium mining threatens aquifers that could provide the drought-stricken West with emergency water supplies.

The Impacts of a Tar Sands Oil Spill

August 17, 2015 ExplainerCanada

Tar sands oil is harder to clean up than conventional crude. Here are the reasons why.

Tuna Time Bomb

August 13, 2015 Explainer

A new study says the mercury levels in tuna are high—and getting even higher.

The Story of Silent Spring

August 13, 2015 ExplainerUnited States

How a courageous woman took on the chemical industry and raised important questions about humankind's impact on nature.

China Commits to Cleaning Up

August 13, 2015 ExplainerChinaNicole Greenfield

The planet's largest carbon emitter is taking steps to brighten their future—and the world's.