News & Commentary

Meet the activists and NRDC staff propelling change, read our expert analysis, and learn about the latest challenges and solutions to advancing a healthier, more sustainable, and equitable world.

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Stay on top of the latest research, policy updates, publication releases, and environmental news. 

Explainer

Get a breakdown of complex climate, public health, nature, and equity topics to inform your activism.

Dispatch

Read about activists tackling climate justice and other environmental causes in their communities and beyond.

Perspectives

Discover intersectional viewpoints from activists and artists on the environmental issues of the moment.

NRDC in Action

Find out how NRDC protects people and the planet by learning about some of our key fights.

Expert Blogs

Hear from our policy advocates, scientists, and litigators about the challenges and solutions for building a healthier and more just world.

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Should You Buy Carbon Offsets?

ExplainerUnited States, InternationalBrian Palmer
A practical and philosophical guide to neutralizing your carbon footprint.

Should I Become a Poll Worker?

ExplainerUnited StatesBrian Palmer
Yes, please! By helping others to vote, you’ll be safeguarding our democracy when it needs it the most.

This Is What a Just Transition Looks Like

ExplainerUnited States, Peoria, IllinoisBrian Palmer
To help a community leave its dirty energy economy behind, advocates must fight for local representation, equity, and retraining that prepares workers for high-quality jobs.

Environmental Advocacy Is a First Amendment Right

ExplainerUnited StatesBrian Palmer
Industrial polluters have gone to great lengths to stifle environmental advocacy, but their expansion of censorship laws has finally crossed a line for some federal judges.

Is America Actually Out of the Paris Agreement?

ExplainerUnited StatesBrian Palmer
The agreement’s authors built in a time line for withdrawal that President Trump will have to follow—slowing him down from irreparably damaging our climate.

Still No Approved Route for KXL in Nebraska

ExplainerUnited States, NebraskaBrian Palmer
Yes, Trump has green-lighted the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. But Nebraska’s got a slew of public hearings on the calendar, and legal challenges loom large.

Why We Need the EPA

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).

Shake-Up for the Federal Coal-Leasing Program

ExplainerUnited StatesBrian Palmer
Trump is pushing a fossil fuel–heavy energy agenda, but in the final days of the Obama administration, the Bureau of Land Management left a hurdle in his path.

Our Warming World on Her Shoulders

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

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.

Trump’s Cabinet of Horrors

ExplainerUnited StatesBrian Palmer
Congressional hearings kick off for those who will lead our government’s top agencies. Earth has reason to worry.

To Save Orcas, First Save Salmon

ExplainerUnited StatesBrian Palmer
Southern Resident orcas face many threats in the Northwest, but giving them more salmon could remedy most of them.