News & Commentary

When in Rome: Good News but More to Do for Montreal Protocol

November 19, 2019 Expert BlogMontrealAlex Hillbrand

Blueprint of a Buyout: Blue Acres Program, New Jersey

September 26, 2019 Expert BlogUnited States, New JerseyAnna Weber

One state-run program has achieved faster timelines than most FEMA-funded buyouts, but this has required extensive resources, staff time, and experience.

A Lack of Balance: Runoff and Harmful Algal Blooms

September 9, 2019 Expert BlogCalifornia, Los Angeles, New JerseyCorinne Bell

There’s a lot local agencies and regulators can do to help prevent algae blooms that threaten public health.

The Ohio River Defines the Borders of Five States—But Its Pollution Doesn’t Stop at State Lines

August 21, 2019 DispatchPennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, IllinoisSusan Cosier

In a move that could open the door to industrial waste and interstate squabbles, the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission is making its water quality standards voluntary.

As Temperatures Soar in India, One City’s Efforts Are Saving Lives

July 23, 2019 NRDC in ActionAhmedabad, Hyderabad, New Delhi, IndiaNicole Greenfield

The western city of Ahmedabad is preparing residents to cope with the longer and more intense heat waves sweeping across South Asia—and inspiring other Indian cities and states to follow suit.

Industry Surrounds Newark’s Ironbound Neighborhood—But These Residents Won’t Let It Define Them

April 1, 2019 DispatchNewark, New JerseyCaroline Craig

The tireless efforts of locals are reshaping one of New Jersey’s most polluted areas.

Salt of the Earth, Courtesy of the Sun

January 30, 2019 NRDC in ActionGujarat, India

By powering their pumps with solar energy instead of diesel, Indian salt farmers are investing in their own brighter futures.

The Desire to Stop Canadian Tar Sands Transcends Borders

January 10, 2019 NRDC in ActionAlberta, Canada, Nebraska, Chicago, IllinoisNicole Greenfield

For more than a decade, NRDC has worked with indigenous communities in Alberta, U.S.-based grassroots groups, and intergovernmental bodies to halt the expansion of dirty tar sands oil.

Minnesotans, It’s Your Turn to Stop the Flow of Tar Sands Oil

January 8, 2019 DispatchMinnesotaSusan Cosier

The Line 3 pipeline project has kept a low profile, but the stakes couldn’t be higher for the indigenous communities it threatens—and our climate.

A Tribe in Northern Minnesota Shows the Country How to Do Community Solar

December 12, 2018 DispatchMinnesotaSusan Cosier

Photovoltaic panels on the Leech Lake reservation are generating clean power—and revenue to help those who need it most.

When We Talk About Wolves, We Talk About People

November 1, 2018 Expert BlogMinnesotaDr. Jennifer Sherry

Separating our human-human conflicts from wolves and placing value on wolves interacting in nature as part of a larger ecosystem is perhaps the most ethical approach we can take in navigating the human-wolf relationship.

This Exhibit Examines Nature and Environmental Justice in Three Centuries of American Art

October 30, 2018 PerspectivesUnited States, New JerseyPatrick Rogers

Princeton is displaying iconic paintings, photography, and furniture in a new light (and it’s not always flattering).

Oklahoma Takes Its Backyard—and Roadside—Butterflies Seriously

September 4, 2018 DispatchOklahomaNatalie Gould Tomko

Situated along the monarch’s migration corridor, the Sooner State is coming up with creative ways to save the imperiled pollinators.

These New Jerseyans Want to Bring “Bomb Trains” to a Halt

July 23, 2018 DispatchNew JerseyNicole Greenfield

Trains carrying combustible crude oil barrel on rickety rails through the Garden State, threatening the safety of millions of people—and their drinking water—every single day.

Race to Reduce Launched to Energize Saint Paul

June 12, 2018 Expert BlogMinnesotaKatharine McCormick

Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter has kicked off an energy efficiency challenge directed at the city’s largest buildings. Through the program, dubbed the “Race to Reduce,” buildings will be invited to join a cohort that will collectively strive to streamline…

The Gulf of Mexico Is Sending Out an S.O.S.—a Message in a Plastic Bottle

June 4, 2018 DispatchKansas, Louisiana, MississippiRobynne Boyd

Thanks to the Mississippi River’s trash stream, the Gulf has some of the highest concentrations of plastic in the world.

Why Women Rule NRDC’s Science Center

March 27, 2018 NRDC in ActionSan Francisco, Washington, D.C., New York City, Ahmedabad, India, United StatesJenny Shalant

And why female leaders tend to be more attuned to issues of environmental equity.

Like Wind Before It, Minnesota’s Solar Industry Is Booming

March 26, 2018 DispatchMinnesotaSusan Cosier

Rapid development and strong support in the state may help projects all across the country.

Controversial New Pipelines May Slice Through the Southeast

January 16, 2018 DispatchVirginia, West Virginia, North CarolinaRobynne Boyd

The Atlantic Coast Pipeline—and the Mountain Valley Pipeline, with a similar path—could tear up land and negatively impact people throughout Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina.

The “Sioux Chef” Shares His Roots (and the Midwest’s, Too)

September 22, 2017 DispatchMinneapolis, Minnesota, MidwestSusan Cosier

Sean Sherman wants to show the world another type of North American cuisine: indigenous food.