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.

Latest News

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.

Mountain Valley Ruptures, Yet Claims It's Gas Ready

Expert BlogVirginia, West Virginia, North CarolinaGillian Giannetti, Amy Mall

On May 1, Mountain Valley suffered a major rupture during safety testing. But it still wants to start flowing gas next week.

Rate Increases and Blackouts: Duke Energy’s Strategy for 2023

Expert BlogNorth Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, EastLuis Martinez
Duke failed to keep the lights on last December, but it is now pursuing enormous rate increases of more than 30 percent to help pay for fossil fuels and huge executive salary raises.

Colorado River Carbon Bomb: Utah's Uinta Railway Project

Expert BlogUnited States, UtahJosh Axelrod
Backers of a proposed crude-by-rail project in northeastern Utah—which would unleash a carbon bomb potentially larger than the controversial Willow Project—want taxpayer support to the tune of $2 billion.

The Clean Energy Future: How We Get There Matters

Expert BlogNorth Carolina, United StatesDr. Anna Reade, Dr. Katie Pelch

A clean and sustainable energy future is needed for addressing climate change, but how we get there matters. In the midst of global efforts to clean up and eliminate the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”), Chemours is doubling…

Compost, Rodents, and Bears—Oh My!

Expert BlogNorth CarolinaDarby Hoover

As officials in Asheville, NC worked to develop the city's food scraps drop-off pilot program, they needed to take bear-proofing into close consideration.

Advancing Environmental Justice - Forty Years Later

Expert BlogNorth CarolinaDawone Robinson

EPA Administrator Michael Regan hosted an event in Warren County, North Carolina and announced the creation of a new national office dedicated to the advancement of environmental justice across the country.

Duke Energy’s Actions Matter More Than Its Words

Expert BlogNorth CarolinaLuis Martinez, Jossie Steinberg
Given Duke Energy’s track record and current actions, we have to look behind the curtain on its clean energy claims in the Carolinas Carbon Plan.

Celebrating Year One of the Food Matters Regional Initiative

Expert BlogChicago, Cincinnati, Detroit, Madison, Ohio, Baltimore, Jersey City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, North Carolina, Memphis, OrlandoMadeline Keating, Darby Hoover

A year after the launch of the Food Matters Regional Initiative, we are pleased to report considerable progress and accomplishments from the 15 regional initiative participants.

Energy From Pig Poop: Industry’s Recent Dupe

Expert BlogUnited States, North CarolinaPaloma Sisneros-Lobato

Pork producer Smithfield Foods, in partnership with Dominion Energy under the new name Align RNG, have focused their corporate agribusiness agenda on building a network of directed biogas to generate energy from methane gas, rather than investing in cleaner waste…

US Climate Finance Plan Restricts Fossil Fuel Finance

Expert BlogUnited States, BrazilJake Schmidt, Han Chen
This is a clear signal the United States will move away from financing coal, oil and gas projects overseas. Now is the time to make sure the details deliver on that necessary drive to urgently shift public financing from dirty…

Latin America at the Leaders Summit on Climate

Expert BlogArgentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, MexicoCarolina Herrera, Jessica Carey-Webb, Marilyn Kunce, Amanda Maxwell
The five Latin American countries that participated in the Leaders Summit on Climate – Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico – displayed a broad range of ambition. Once again, some countries demonstrated their willingness to be climate action leaders while…

Brazil LNG Expansion Undermines Decarbonization

Expert BlogBrazil, United StatesHan Chen, Jessica Carey-Webb
Beyond jeopardizing the energy transition and crowding out renewable energy development in Brazil, the recent introduction of LNG in the Brazilian energy mix will create unnecessary technological lock-in. The U.S. should both discourage these developments and support the deployment of…