News & Commentary

Holding Interior to Account on Gulf Oil and Gas Leasing

March 6, 2023 Expert BlogAlabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, TexasIrene Gutierrez

Continuing to extract oil and gas in the Gulf of Mexico will have a steep price for the environment and coastal communities in the region. That's why NRDC and our partners took BOEM to court.

Cover Crops for Every Climate

February 17, 2023 Expert BlogWest, Midwest, East, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Idaho, New Mexico, TexasLara Bryant, Dr. Daniel Rath

Cover crops are adaptable, valuable, and effective enough that farmers can benefit from them in every region of the United States—even cold or dry areas.

Alaska’s Tongass National Forest Gets the Protections It Deserves

February 17, 2023 NRDC in ActionAlaskaCourtney Lindwall

After a decades-long fight, the newly reinstated Roadless Rule will safeguard these wildlands from road construction and logging.

New Program Will Help Ensure Reliable Electricity in the West

February 16, 2023 Expert BlogCanada, Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, WestKelsie Gomanie

The Western Resource Adequacy Program (WRAP) is designed to provide benefits for customers, utilities, and the environment.

North Carolina Advances Right to Know Flood Disclosure

February 15, 2023 Expert BlogNorth CarolinaJoel Scata

Smart action by the North Carolina Real Estate Commission will empower home buyers to make fully informed decisions about where to live and how to best protect their families.

Crushing Alaska’s Pebble Mine

February 13, 2023 NRDC in ActionAlaskaNicole Greenfield, Jeff Turrentine

The EPA’s decision to veto the project is fantastic news—but the fight to save Bristol Bay isn’t over yet.

White House Poised to Carbon-Bomb Its Own Climate Progress

February 8, 2023 Expert BlogAlaskaAnn Alexander

The Willow oil drilling project—the largest single drilling project proposed on federal land—will cause roughly 280 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions over the course its lifetime.

US Faith Leader to Visit UK, Urging: Cut Carbon Not Forests

February 2, 2023 Expert BlogInternational, South CarolinaElly Pepper

"Instead of harming vulnerable communities of color in the U.S., the U.K. should be rapidly shifting to secure, cheap, clean renewable energy like wind and solar.”

New Jersey Adopts First-of-a-Kind Low Carbon Concrete Law

January 31, 2023 Expert BlogNew JerseySasha Stashwick

The passage of the law is the end result of an unwavering awareness-raising and advocacy campaign.

North Carolina’s First Carbon Plan is a Dud—What Now?

January 30, 2023 Expert BlogNorth CarolinaLuis Martinez

The North Carolina Utilities Commission tries to make a decision without making any decisions in its new North Carolina Carbon Plan.

The Race to Organize Energy Markets in the Western U.S. Is On

January 13, 2023 Expert BlogArizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, WyomingKelsie Gomanie

A western regional transmission organization would spur the development of clean electricity sources and lower costs for consumers.

NRDC and Partners Sue to Stop Oil Leasing in Cook Inlet, AK

December 21, 2022 Expert BlogAlaskaJulia Forgie

We're challenging Interior's decision to lease nearly a million acres of this vibrant ocean ecosystem for oil production without looking more carefully at the environmental harms that will result.

Delaware River Commission Further Guards Basin from Fracking

December 19, 2022 Expert BlogDelaware, New Jersey, New York, PennsylvaniaSahana Rao

The Delaware River Basin Commission has moved to further protect the 13,579 square-mile watershed by finalizing new rules that, among other things, ban the discharge of fracking wastewater.

Equitable Building Decarbonization Across the Country: 2022

December 14, 2022 Expert BlogCalifornia, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, OregonCaroline Keicher, Joe O'Brien-Applegate

Policies and programs aimed at new construction and existing buildings continue to gain traction as communities and elected officials realize the feasibility and benefits of ambitious and equity-centered action.

Celebrating Mid-Atlantic and Southeast Food Matters Cohorts

December 9, 2022 Expert BlogBaltimore, Jersey City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C.Madeline Keating, Darby Hoover

This month, we mark the successful completion of our two-year partnerships with the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast cohorts. Our work with Great Lakes cities will continue in 2023.

Beyond Pledges: Solidifying Climate Action in Latin America

November 17, 2022 Expert BlogBrazil, Mexico, Colombia, InternationalMarilyn Kunce

Climate change and associated extreme events are amplifying factors in migration and displacement while exacerbating social, economic, and environmental burdens. Latin America is among the regions with the greatest documented need for the strengthening of early warning systems.

A $3 Billion Milestone for the Western Grid

November 16, 2022 Expert BlogUnited States, California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Idaho, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, WestKelsie Gomanie

After a year of record-breaking heat waves, drought, and flooding, add to that list some good news for the Western United States: The Western Energy Imbalance Market (WEIM) is positioned to surpass $3 billion in cumulative benefits by the end…

NY and NJ: Centers of Action on Low Carbon Concrete Buying

October 13, 2022 Expert BlogNew York, New York City, New Jersey, EastSasha Stashwick

This has been a breakout year for policies aimed at reducing embodied carbon in the built environment, with Buy Clean and other public procurement initiatives emerging as among the most critical platforms for decarbonizing heavy industry. 

It’s Time to Transition Away from Offshore Oil Leasing

October 6, 2022 Expert BlogAlaska, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, FloridaIrene Gutierrez

Mutual Aid and Disaster Justice: “We Keep Us Safe”

October 6, 2022 ExplainerUnited States, Puerto Rico, Louisiana, Mississippi, FloridaNicole Greenfield

As climate-fueled disasters become more frequent—from Mississippi to Puerto Rico and beyond—relief efforts by communities, for communities, could become increasingly critical.