News & Commentary

My Pursuit of Happiness in Afro-Environmentalism

August 11, 2020 PerspectivesUnited StatesZaria Howell

Not wanting to buy into the exploitations of racial capitalism, I find freedom in living with less stuff—but more nature, more time, and more joy.

At 59 Million Tons, Our E-Waste Problem Is Getting Out of Control

July 24, 2020 PerspectivesUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

Every year, we blithely discard billions of phones, laptops, TVs, and other electronics that can end up poisoning communities around the world.

A Place of Freedom and Belonging in the Great Outdoors

July 16, 2020 PerspectivesMardi Fuller

From Jamaica to New Hampshire, a Black activist discusses her wilderness legacy and efforts to create new cultural memories and rituals out on the trail.

The Deadly Chicago Heat Wave Is As Relevant to Racial Justice Today As It Was 25 Years Ago

July 15, 2020 PerspectivesChicagoKeala Uchoa

The documentary “Cooked: Survival by Zip Code” examines the unnatural disasters of environmental and structural racism.

Voces for Climate Action

July 14, 2020 NRDC in ActionChicago, Illinois, CaliforniaNicole Greenfield

NRDC staffers are helping to build environmental equity and empower Latino voices for climate action—a cause that hits close to home.

Food Systems Analyst

July 14, 2020 NRDC in ActionBaltimore, Nashville, Denver, Maryland, Tennessee, ColoradoJeff Turrentine

Andrea Spacht Collins is working to minimize food waste by changing the way we think about what we eat—and what we don’t eat, where it comes from, and where it ends up.

Protests: A Racial Reckoning in Suburbia

July 9, 2020 PerspectivesUnited StatesDan Reed

Most of the country’s Black Lives Matter protests are happening outside of cities—in communities exclusively designed for middle-class whites but increasingly diverse and grappling with policies that foster segregation.

Public Transit Just Helped Save America. Now America Needs to Return the Favor.

July 2, 2020 PerspectivesUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

The Moving Forward Act could put more than $100 billion into our ailing bus, subway, and train infrastructure—promoting equity and strengthening public safety along the way.

Dear Congress: If You Don’t Understand Climate Urgency, Let Us Draw You a Picture

June 30, 2020 PerspectivesUnited StatesCourtney Lindwall

The illustrated letters of hundreds of young artists are demanding action on climate change in the hopes of helping shape the country’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Urban Innovator

June 30, 2020 NRDC in ActionCharlotte, North Carolina, St. Petersburg, Florida, St. Paul, Minnesota, Austin, TexasKeith Mulvihill

Through her work in the buildings sector, Wendy Lee helps propel cities into a fairer and more energy-efficient future.

Remembering Eeyou Pimatseewin, the Cree Life

June 18, 2020 PerspectivesCanada

Allan Saganash Jr. grew up in the bush, living off the land—then watched as industry shrank and changed his beloved boreal forest home. He’s determined to save what’s left.

The Fight for Equitable Access to Water and Electricity Has Never Been More Urgent

June 3, 2020 NRDC in ActionDetroit, Michigan, United StatesCourtney Lindwall

In the midst of a pandemic, NRDC advocates are stepping up their work to prevent the risk of mass utility shutoffs, now and for the long-term.

These Fanciful Sea Creatures Were Carried in on the Tide

June 2, 2020 PerspectivesOregonPatrick Rogers

An Oregon community is making spectacular statues out of ocean plastic to raise awareness about a crisis at sea.

Clean Energy Has Struggled During the Current Economic Crisis—but It’s Strong Enough to Recover

May 28, 2020 PerspectivesUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

Despite job losses and open hostility from the Trump administration, renewables are still poised to lead the way in our country’s recovery.

We Speak on Behalf of the Multitudes in the Margins

May 20, 2020 PerspectivesUnited StatesNRDC

NRDC staff reflect on Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month, and their work creating a more compassionate, more inclusive, and more just future.

These NRDC Experts Show Us How We Can Slow the Spread of Zoonotic Diseases

May 14, 2020 NRDC in ActionChina, United StatesCourtney Lindwall

It will take the highest levels of international cooperation, but by working to curb wildlife trade and conserve vast swaths of disappearing habitat, we can minimize the interspecies interactions that spread viruses.

The Forgotten Essential Workers

May 13, 2020 PerspectivesUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

The laborers who harvest our fruits and vegetables are heroes, although they’re rarely treated that way. Now climate change threatens their safety—and our food supply.

A Translator for the Climate Crisis, Grief Included

May 4, 2020 NRDC in ActionNew York City, New York, Birmingham, AlabamaKaren L. Smith-Janssen

Writer, editor, teacher, and podcast host Mary Annaïse Heglar uses the art of storytelling to help people feel less alone in facing the climate crisis—and to build the movement for climate justice.

Mobilizer for Change

May 1, 2020 NRDC in ActionNew York CityCourtney Lindwall

Community manager Tejal Mankad is working to amplify the voices of today’s younger, more diverse environmental movement and to foster more awareness and action among NRDC’s 2.2 million social followers.

When a Virus Exposes Environmental Injustice

April 17, 2020 PerspectivesUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

Reducing air pollution isn’t just something to strive for. COVID-19 is illustrating why it’s a moral imperative.