Media Center

President Obama Makes Compelling, Impassioned Case for Combating Climate Change

April 18, 2015 Press Release

WASHINGTON (April 18, 2015) – President Obama today made an impassioned case for combating climate change. Below is a statement from Rhea Suh, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council:

Five Years After the BP Disaster, We’re Still Not Safe

April 16, 2015 Press ReleaseNew York

NEW YORK (April 16, 2015) – Next Monday, April 20, marks five years since the catastrophic BP blowout in the Gulf of Mexico that killed 11 workers and dumped millions of barrels of crude oil into the sea. Five years…

‘’Fast Track’’ Trade Bill Would Undercut Health, Environmental Safeguards

April 16, 2015 Press Release

WASHINGTON (April 16, 2015) – Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) today introduced “fast track’’ legislation that would allow President Obama to obtain expedited congressional approval of international trade agreements such as the…

South Asia’s First Lifesaving Plan to Protect Against Extreme Heat Expands

April 15, 2015 Press Release

AHMEDABAD (April 15, 2015) – South Asia’s first-ever early warning system and preparedness plan for extreme heat events is expanding today with the release of the 2015 Ahmedabad Heat Action Plan. The groundbreaking plan’s initial implementation proved successful in protecting…

House Committees Approving Two Major Anti-Environmental Bills

April 15, 2015 Press Release

WASHINGTON (April 15, 2015) – Two House committees are expected to report out bills today that would significantly damage the environment. The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure approved a bill that would block a proposed Clean Water Rule that would…

New Report: China’s Sustainable Fashion Leaders Save $14.7 Million Annually Through Major Cuts in Water, Energy & Chemical Use

April 14, 2015 Press Release

SHANGHAI (April 15, 2015) – Over 30 Chinese textile mills, many of which create clothing for major high-volume apparel brands and retailers including Target, Gap Inc., Levi Strauss and Company and H&M, are saving $14.7 million annually by adopting simple…

Groups File UNESCO Petition to Save Monarch World Heritage Site in Mexico

April 13, 2015 Press Release

WASHINGTON (April 13, 2015)--The monarch butterfly refuge in Mexico, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is winter home to tens of millions of migrating monarchs, should be declared “in danger” because the remarkable transcontinental migration it was established to protect…

Allowing Shell to Rush Back into Arctic Drilling Could Be Disastrous For Climate, Pristine Ocean

April 10, 2015 Press Release

WASHINGTON (April 10, 2015) – The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management today determined that Shell’s exploration plan for drilling in the Arctic Ocean is complete, clearing the way for a full review by the agency. BOEM now has 30 days…

China’s National Coal Cap Policy Could Save Nearly 50,000 Lives and $6.2 billion Every Year by 2020

April 8, 2015 Press Release

BEIJING (April 8, 2015) – China’s proposed national policies to curb coal use will provide enormous air quality and health benefits to the public and coal industry workers, saving 49,000 lives and $6.2 billion in 2020, according to a new…

The Mucky Mississippi: Algae Pollution Case Back in District Court

April 8, 2015 Press Release

CHICAGO (April 8, 2015) - A suit to force the Environmental Protection Agency to put limits on nutrient pollution dumped into the Mississippi River was sent back to District Court yesterday.

Report: Low-Income Americans Will See Major Health, Job, Cost Saving Benefits from Clean Energy, Reduced Carbon Pollution

April 8, 2015 Press Release

CHICAGO (April 8, 2015)—While climate change threatens the public health and economic well-being of everyone, low-income Americans are especially vulnerable to the extreme weather and dramatic increases in electricity costs associated with global warming, according to a new report released…

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…

President Obama is Right to Highlight Health Threats Posed by Dangerous Climate Change

April 7, 2015 Press Release

WASHINGTON (April 7, 2015) – President Obama today unveiled an unprecedented and sweeping array of actions to lessen climate change’s adverse impacts on human health.

New Jersey Settles for Fraction of Damages Originally Sought from Exxon Over Contamination

April 6, 2015 Press Release

TRENTON, N.J. (April 6, 2015) – The State of New Jersey and ExxonMobil today released the details of a proposed settlement over damages due for decades of soil and groundwater contamination across more than 1,500 acres of wetlands, marshes, meadows…

FRACKING’S MOST WANTED: Report Identifies Top 10 Oil & Gas Companies for Spills & Legal Violations

April 2, 2015 Press Release

WASHINGTON (April 2, 2015) – Only three out the 36 states with active oil and gas operations make information about companies’ spills and legal violations easily available to the public, according to a report by the Natural Resources Defense Council…

State Gives Big Oil and Gas a Free Pass to Continue Endangering California’s Dwindling Groundwater

April 2, 2015 Press ReleaseCalifornia

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (April 2, 2015) – The California Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) today announced a plan – developed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – to bring into compliance thousands of wells currently injecting potentially…

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…

Court Rules Navy War Games Violate Law Protecting Whales and Dolphins

March 31, 2015 Press ReleaseCalifornia

LOS ANGELES (March 31, 2015) —A federal court today announced that the U.S. Navy’s training and testing activities off the coast of Southern California and Hawaii illegally harm more than 60 whale, dolphin, seal, and sea lion populations. The U.S…

U.S. Formalizes Climate Commitment, Sends a Powerful Signal -- It's Time to Act

March 31, 2015 Press Release

WASHINGTON (March 31, 2015) – The United States today unveiled concrete plans, in a formal submission to the United Nations, to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by up to 28 percent below 2005 levels in 2025 as a part of…