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.

Why the West Is Best (for Clean Energy)

DispatchColorado, Utah, New MexicoBecca Cudmore
Solar and wind power are booming in Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico. Here are some secrets to their success.

The Woman Who Loves Orcas

DispatchAlaska, WestTed Genoways
Scientist, poet, and cancer survivor Eva Saulitis says that orcas saved her life. If only she could return the favor.

Life on the Mississippi, Now

DispatchMissouri, Illinois, MidwestBarry Yeoman
We've spent billions of dollars on dikes, locks, and levees in a vain attempt to subdue what Mark Twain called "that lawless stream." Is it time to let the river have its way?

Stop, Drop, and Roll

DispatchChicagoSusan Cosier
Every week, barrels upon barrels of volatile crude oil crisscross Chicago by rail, endangering tens of thousands of schoolkids.

The Soil Savior

DispatchTexasJeff Turrentine
A Texas farmer is bucking tradition by putting soil health above all else. The result? Water-retaining, nutrient-rich pay dirt.

Kotzebue Calling

DispatchAlaska, ArcticBruce Barcott
President Obama’s trip to the Arctic will reveal some cold, hard truths about the fossil-fuel industry’s impact on Alaskans.

The Great Oyster Crash

DispatchOregon, WestEric Scigliano
Ocean acidification hits the Pacific shellfish industry.

Spreading Their Wings

DispatchChicagoSusan Cosier
Butterflies bred in a Chicago lab are fluttering their way back to Illinois swamps.

Not-So-Secret Gardens

DispatchChicagoSusan Cosier
Uncovering Chicago’s gardens—and planting their locations on a map—could help sow the farming movement.

Toxic Two-Step

DispatchTexasJeff Turrentine
When politicians and corporate polluters step onto the dance floor in Texas, the state’s environmental agency provides the music.

Blame It on the Rain

DispatchChicagoSusan Cosier
Chicago’s enormous drainage system will expand this summer, but it won’t be enough to handle climate change.

Rat Pack

DispatchNew York CityAlisa Opar
New York is the city that never sleeps—and neither do its rat researchers.

Let's Get Wasted!

DispatchNew York CityClara Chaisson
A pop-up restaurant gives trash-bound food a place at the table.

The Dusty City

DispatchChicagoSusan Cosier
Chicago is trying to limit how much petcoke the tar sands industry moves (and spreads) around town.