Media Center

Water Board Implements First-Ever Mandatory Water Reductions Across California

May 5, 2015 Press ReleaseCalifornia

State Water Resources Control Board makes official plans to cut water use by 25 percent across the state

Energy Efficiency Saves Trillions of Dollars, Promotes Jobs, Cuts Pollution

April 30, 2015 Press Release

WASHINGTON (April 30, 2015) – Congress should strengthen energy efficiency programs and adopt policies that would save taxpayer dollars, promote job growth, and cut pollution, not delay or weaken them, a Natural Resources Defense Council efficiency expert told lawmakers today.

Governor Brown Announces 2030 Statewide Climate Pollution Limit

April 29, 2015 Press ReleaseCalifornia

LOS ANGELES (April 29, 2015) – Speaking before the annual Navigating the American Carbon World conference, Governor Brown issued a historic new executive order to reduce California’s carbon pollution to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. The order will…

NRDC Statement on Mayor de Blasio’s First Sustainability Plan

April 22, 2015 Press ReleaseNew York

NEW YORK (April 22, 2015) – Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration today released its first-ever sustainability plan for New York City, One New York: The Plan for A Strong and Just City (OneNYC). The plan builds and expands on former…

Mayor Eric Garcetti Announces Plans for a Sustainable Los Angeles

April 8, 2015 Press ReleaseCalifornia

LOS ANGELES (April 8, 2015) — Mayor Eric Garcetti today announced a comprehensive plan to address environmental, economic, and equity challenges across key aspects of life in the City of Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Sustainability Plan proposes solutions in…

Ohio TV Ad Criticizes Sen. Portman for Siding with Polluters

April 7, 2015 Press Release

WASHINGTON (April 7, 2015) – A new statewide television ad chastises Ohio Senator Rob Portman for leading the charge in Congress to let power plants keep fouling our air with pollution that contributes to “catastrophic climate change” and leads to…

First-Ever Mandatory Water Reductions for Urban and Agriculture Across California

April 1, 2015 Press ReleaseCalifornia

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (April 1, 2015) – In response to the ongoing drought and record low snow in California, Governor Jerry Brown today announced a statewide directive including mandatory water reductions, investment in new technologies, implementation of conservation pricing in water…

NRDC President: Mexico’s Climate Pledge Will Help Secure Global Agreement

March 27, 2015 Press Release

WASHINGTON (March 27, 2015) – Mexico, the 12th largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, announced today that it will peak its emissions by 2026 and reduce them 22 percent by 2030, an important pledge in the lead-up to…

New FEMA Requirements Will Better Prepare Communities for Climate Change Risks

March 13, 2015 Press Release

WASHINGTON (March 13, 2015) – The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Thursday it finalized new policy guidance requiring states to consider climate change’s projected effects when they plan and prepare for natural disasters.

Oregon Advances Climate Leadership with Clean Fuels Program

March 11, 2015 Press Release

SALEM, OR (March 11, 2015) – Governor Kate Brown signed into law today Senate Bill 324 extending Oregon’s Clean Fuels Standard. The standard requires the oil industry to cut carbon pollution from transportation fuels by 10% over the next ten…

Interior Secretary Announces Drought Funds for Smart Water Investments

February 6, 2015 Press Release

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (February 6, 2015) – United States Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today announced $50 million in drought funding to support much-needed smart water investments throughout the state. Despite today’s storm, all signs indicate that California is entering…

New Report: Climate Change Has Extreme Rain Storms in Michigan Trending Way Up

December 4, 2014 Press Release

CHICAGO (December 4, 2014) – The kind of deluges that flooded Detroit this year and Grand Rapids last year are part of a 50-year trend of increasingly frequent extreme storms in Michigan, according to a new study released today by…

Coalition Releases Comprehensive Recommendations to Help California’s Cities, Farms and Environment Weather the Drought

November 17, 2014 Press ReleaseCalifornia

SAN FRANCISCO (November 17, 2014) — As dreams of a wet, El Niño winter fade and California heads into a possible fourth consecutive year of drought, a coalition of 15 environmental, fishing and public policy organizations released a set of…

California Voters Approve Prop 1: Water Bond Funds 21st Century Clean and Reliable Water Solutions

November 4, 2014 Press ReleaseCalifornia

LOS ANGELES (November 4, 2014) — California voters today passed, by a very comfortable margin, Proposition 1, a new $7.5 billion water bond that will provide clean drinking water to disadvantaged communities and fund critical investments in regional water supply…

Severe Drought Triggers Aggressive Response from Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti

October 14, 2014 Press Release

LOS ANGELES (October 14, 2014) — In response to the severe California drought, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti today announced aggressive goals for reduced water use within the city. Among the plan’s topline goals is slashing L.A.’s per capita potable…

Conan O’Brien Urges Californians to Save Water During Historic Drought

August 5, 2014 Press ReleaseCalifornia

LOS ANGELES (Aug. 5, 2014) – Iconic comedian and television talk show host Conan O’Brien and sidekick Andy Richter may always be looking for laughs, but they’re taking California’s historic drought seriously by joining the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)…

Review Period for Deeply Flawed Bay Delta Conservation Plan Ends Today

July 29, 2014 Press ReleaseCalifornia

LOS ANGELES (July 29, 2014) – The opportunity for public input on the controversial, poorly-designed Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) ends today after a 228-day public review and comment period, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The proposed…

Governor Quinn Signs Clean Water Initiative

July 23, 2014 Press Release

CHICAGO (July 23, 2014) – Governor Patrick Quinn will sign into law today legislation that will help Illinois cities better prepare for the impacts of climate change. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) worked…

Report: Chicago’s World-famous Skyline is Crunching Carbon—and Your Town Can too!

July 18, 2014 Press Release

CHICAGO (July 18, 2014) – Chicago’s unique partnership to showcase energy efficiency efforts in the city’s biggest buildings is already delivering impressive savings and offers a replicable model for other municipalities according to a new report released today by the…

California Tackles Wasteful Outdoor Watering

July 15, 2014 Press ReleaseCalifornia

SACRAMENTO (July 15, 2014) – The State Water Resources Control Board today voted to adopt mandatory emergency drought measures to curtail wasteful uses of water outdoors and help safeguard our future water supply. The new statewide rules require city utilities…