News & Commentary

Congress Responds to the Biden Administration’s Commonsense LNG Decision

February 15, 2024 Expert BlogUnited States, International, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, TexasAlexandra Adams

Not long after the administration’s pause on permits, the fossil fuel industry—and its supporters in Congress—pulled out all the stops to oppose the decision and spread misinformation. 

Organic Needs a Boost in the Farm Bill

July 12, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, California, Iowa, Washington, D.C.Allison Johnson

Our public investments in organic food production have not kept pace with the organic sector’s growth – and that’s a missed opportunity for domestic economic development. The Opportunities in Organic Act would help U.S. farms meet consumer demand by reducing…

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.

Iowa Group Protects Bee Habitat Amid ESA Battle

February 9, 2022 Expert BlogIowa, MidwestLucas Rhoads

While NRDC and our partners are in court fighting to win habitat protections for the endangered rusty patched bumble bee, the Bur Oak Land Trust is also taking matters into its own hands.

For Thousands of Years, Indigenous Tribes Have Been Planting for the Future

November 30, 2021 DispatchIowa, Canada, Pennsylvania, OklahomaSusan Cosier

With yields of biodiversity and a more climate-resilient food supply, a movement is sprouting in BIPOC communities across North America to save heirloom seeds and preserve culture.

Indy Passes Benchmarking Policy to Address Climate

July 13, 2021 Expert BlogIndiana, IndianapolisEmily Barkdoll

Indianapolis City Council passed Proposal 185, a Benchmarking and Transparency Ordinance which is a key priority in realizing Mayor Joe Hogsett’s commitment to making the city carbon neutral by 2050.

MISO and SPP Can Benefit from a More Connected Grid

March 3, 2021 Expert BlogTexas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Kansas, MissouriToba Pearlman

Electric grids across the Midwest, South, and in Texas failed a key resilience test during last month’s winter storm, and one key conclusion is clear: The grids connected via transmission lines fared significantly better than those isolated and on their…

In Landmark Victory for Indigenous Communities, Dakota Access Pipeline Ordered to Shut Down

July 7, 2020 Expert BlogNorth Dakota, South Dakota, IowaNRDC

The dangerous crude oil pipeline threatened the water supplies and ways of life for the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. The win underscores the power of dogged defense by Indigenous groups and conservationists, as well as the importance of the National…

Huge Win for Standing Rock and the National Environmental Policy Act

March 25, 2020 Expert BlogNorth Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, IllinoisDan West, Dr. Jennifer Sass

A federal court orders the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to write a full environmental impact statement for the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Indiana Dunes Finally Gets Its Due, but Conservationists Are Clamoring for More

November 7, 2019 DispatchIndianaSusan Cosier

After a century of advocacy, the Hoosier State has a national park, and its immense popularity is making a case for more protected lakeshore.

The Ohio River Defines the Borders of Five States—But Its Pollution Doesn’t Stop at State Lines

August 21, 2019 DispatchPennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, IllinoisSusan Cosier

In a move that could open the door to industrial waste and interstate squabbles, the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission is making its water quality standards voluntary.

This Mayor Puts the “Conserve” Back in Conservative

August 2, 2019 DispatchIndianaJeff Turrentine

Indianan Jim Brainard has been making the post-partisan case for building sustainable, resilient cities for more than 20 years.

After Children Began Getting Sick by the Dozens, Parents Took a Hard Look at Their Town’s Toxic Legacy

May 30, 2019 DispatchIndiana, Massachusetts, North CarolinaSusan Cosier

The carcinogen TCE has been lurking in the ground beneath Franklin, Indiana, for decades. Now families are demanding answers.

Could These Country Roads Be Toxic to Kids?

April 9, 2019 DispatchIowaSusan Cosier

A county in eastern Iowa has been replacing gravel with slag, a steel industry byproduct. It’s hard, sharp, and potentially a public health concern.

A Coal-to-Diesel Refinery Is the Last Straw for These Hoosiers

February 13, 2019 DispatchIndianaSusan Cosier

The air in southwestern Indiana is bad enough without the emissions from yet another proposed polluter.

Will Calling Out Indiana’s Super-Polluting Power Plants Lead to a Cleanup?

January 8, 2018 DispatchIndianaSusan Cosier

A recent study found that the state is home to four of the country’s most polluting power plants. But elected officials won’t even show up to hear their constituents’ concerns about it.

Farms on the Fringe: New Takes on America’s Farming Tradition

August 1, 2017 DispatchCalifornia, Colorado, Iowa, New York, Kentucky, New MexicoTracie McMillan

These six farmers have found innovative ways to grow plants in today’s climate, whether in corn country or coal country, with fish tanks or smartphones.

State Legislators Say Iowa Has Achieved Sustainable Farming (It Hasn’t) and Doesn’t Need More Research (It Does)

July 17, 2017 DispatchIowaSusan Cosier

The state’s lawmakers have cut funding for the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, leaving rural farmers in the lurch.

In East Chicago, Knowing Your Soil Is Toxic Is Only Half the Battle

May 23, 2017 DispatchIndianaSusan Cosier

Because it can take years before the government does anything about it.

Before Flint, Before East Chicago, There Was Smeltertown

November 29, 2016 DispatchFlint, Indiana, Texas, NewarkLauren Villagran

After a 1970s CDC study showed that the mostly Mexican-American population of this Texas town had dangerously high blood lead levels, its buildings were demolished and its residents were booted.