News & Commentary

Evaluating Anaerobic Digestion for Municipal Organics Recycling

May 30, 2023 Expert BlogUnited StatesDarby Hoover

Anaerobic digestion (AD) can be an effective component of a municipal recycling system, ensuring that organic materials like food scraps are processed for use as soil amendments while also extracting energy as a secondary benefit. However, AD also has numerous…

A New ERA of Clean Energy for Rural America

May 30, 2023 Expert BlogUnited StatesJeff Slyfield, Jeffrey McManus

USDA pioneers the largest investment in rural electricity since the Great Depression.

Pollinators Notch Big Wins in Minnesota

May 26, 2023 Expert BlogSt. PaulLucas Rhoads

In a historic 2023 session, Minnesota reined in pesticide use, increased pollinator habitat, and built momentum toward additional protections. 

EPA Announces Detailed Framework for the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund

May 19, 2023 Expert BlogUnited StatesAdam Kent, Douglass Sims

NRDC's take on the latest from EPA's $27 Billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF)

COVER Act Will Modernize Crop Insurance

May 18, 2023 Expert BlogWashington, D.C.Lara Bryant

The COVER Act, led by Senator Brown (D-OH) and Representative Sean Casten (D-IL), is a bipartisan bill that offers farmers a $5 per acre good stewardship discount on crop insurance if they plant cover crops to improve their soil health.

House Agriculture Approps Bill Would Gut Key Farm Programs

May 17, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, PennsylvaniaAllison Johnson, Matthew Kaplan, Jeff Slyfield

Congress should go back to the drawing board and build a budget that supports a healthy food system, conservation, and rural energy

Newly released Food Waste Reduction State Model Policy Toolkit

May 17, 2023 Expert BlogUnited StatesAndrea Collins

Zero Food Waste Coalition toolkit outlines the gold standard for state policy to reduce food loss and waste, including model language for a dozen policies.

EPA: Neonics Likely Driving 200+ Species Toward Extinction

May 15, 2023 Expert BlogWashington, D.C.Lucas Rhoads

U.S. EPA's unprecedented findings confirm that widespread neonic pesticide use threatens critical pollinators, other wildlife, and whole ecosystems. 

The Farm Bill Needs Opportunities in Organic

May 11, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, Vermont, CaliforniaAllison Johnson

The Opportunities in Organic Act will put organic in reach for more producers and consumers.

World Bank’s Sector Notes Lack Sufficient Detail to Ensure Full Paris Agreement Alignment

May 10, 2023 Expert BlogInternationalJake Schmidt

The World Bank Group "Paris Alignment" methodology is a mixed picture that encourages the consideration of the needed sectoral transitions but will require more details to fully align with the Paris Agreement.

Expiring Confusion About Food Date Labels

May 9, 2023 Expert BlogUnited StatesAndrea Collins

The Food Date Labeling Act would standardize date labels on food packaging and reduce confusion about their meanings which is a leading cause of food waste.

NWF Poll: 78% of Farmers Support Crop Insurance Incentives for Cover Crops

May 4, 2023 Expert BlogWashington, D.C.Dr. Daniel Rath, Claire O'Connor, Lara Bryant

NRDC Pathways Report: Nature-Based Solutions Vital to Meeting Climate Goals

May 3, 2023 Expert BlogUnited StatesDr. Daniel Rath, Niel Lawrence, Claire O'Connor, Garett Rose

Climate hope remains alive, and the NRDC Pathways Report identifies ways forward for natural climate solutions.

Under “Food Apartheid,” Urban Farms Are More Important Than Ever

April 28, 2023 DispatchUnited States, Indiana, IndianapolisJeff Turrentine

But BIPOC urban farmers continue to face unique challenges—including inequitable access to land and loans.

Zero Food Waste Coalition to Accelerate Policy Action

April 26, 2023 Expert BlogUnited StatesAndrea Collins, Yvette Cabrera, Nina Sevilla

The Zero Food Waste Coalition has formed to accelerate action to meet our national goal to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030.   

U.S. Delivers for the Green Climate Fund and the World’s Most Vulnerable

April 20, 2023 Expert BlogInternational, United StatesJoe Thwaites, Brendan Guy

After a six-year hiatus, President Biden announced the United States is resuming its contributions to the Green Climate Fund with a new allocation of $1 billion.

Food Waste Prevention Week Across the Nation

April 13, 2023 Expert BlogUnited StatesAndrea Collins

Local, regional, state and national partners participate in Food Waste Prevention Week to educate and inspire culture change about food waste.

The Crypto Industry Circulates More Climate Misinformation

April 13, 2023 Expert BlogUnited StatesAlfonso Pating

Mining for Bitcoin uses more energy than most countries use annually and creates over 120 million pounds of electronic waste per year.

World Bank Group Paris Alignment Draft Methodology Needs Work

April 12, 2023 Expert BlogInternationalJake Schmidt

The World Bank Group draft "Paris Alignment" methodology needs to move from a principle of “do no harm” to “do the maximum possible” to deliver on the Paris Agreement. 

Using Energy Efficiency to Maximize Low-Income Solar at the EPA

April 12, 2023 Expert BlogUnited StatesMarissa Ramirez, Adam Kent, Stephen Walls

$7 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund for equitable solar goes further with efficiency.