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

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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 East San José Residents Are Calling for Action

Expert BlogCaliforniaNatalia Ospina

NRDC has joined forces with our partners the Cassell Neighborhood Association, SOMOS Mayfair, Green Foothills, SURJ @ Sacred Heart, Community Health Partnerships, and LUNA to help ensure that every concerned resident can make their voice heard about the serious impacts…

In Chicago, Safe Water Is Still No Guarantee

PerspectivesChicagoKeith Mulvihill
“There are so many lead service lines in Chicago, but people aren’t talking about it,” says advocate Cheryl Watson. Now she and other frontline residents are changing the conversation.

Nurses Wanted in a City Long Plagued by Coal Plant Pollution

DispatchPeoriaMaudlyne Ihejirika
Through efforts to train a more diverse pool of nurses and create family-sustaining careers, workforce leaders in Peoria, Illinois, are jump-starting their economy and addressing the inequities of the past.

The Unlikely Takedown of Keystone XL

NRDC in ActionNebraska, South Dakota, Canada, MontanaCourtney Lindwall
The notorious tar sands pipeline was a lightning rod in the fight against climate change and the seemingly unstoppable oil industry. NRDC advocates were part of a broad coalition that helped stop Keystone XL—for good.

Sharing the Road: Safer Streets Means Safe for Everyone

ExplainerUnited States, California, Missouri, Atlanta, San Jose (California), St. Louis, GeorgiaDan Reed
As they incorporate equity into transportation planning, a number of U.S. cities are making room for bicyclists, pedestrians, scooters, and wheelchairs in every part of town.

Blackfeet Nation Is Taking Back the Food System

DispatchMontanaNicole Greenfield
A tribal-led plan to build a meat-processing facility on the Blackfeet Nation reservation in Montana will help invigorate the local economy, safeguard cultural traditions, and protect community health and the environment.

It’s Time to End Subsidies for New Gas Hook-Ups

Expert BlogCaliforniaMerrian Borgeson

California utility customers contribute over $100 million every year to subsidize gas connections for new customers. But it doesn’t make sense to keep extending gas pipelines as California moves away from using fossil fuels that add to the climate problem…

PeoriaCorps Green Infrastructure Training Increases Stipend

Expert BlogPeoria, IllinoisAlyssa Brown, Jared Knicley

This is the fourth in a series of blogs celebrating the grant projects funded through our Clean Air Act settlement with the owners of the E.D. Edwards coal-fired power plant outside Peoria, Illinois. The settlement provides for the plant to…

No More Secrets: CA Needs Community Pesticide Notification

Expert BlogCaliforniaMiriam Rotkin-Ellman

Living near fields where pesticides are applied is dangerous, particularly for children and pregnant women. However, the California communities who bear this burden are kept in the dark about poisons sprayed near their homes.

A New Customer Bill of Rights: Affordable Utility Services

Expert BlogIllinois, United StatesDeron Lovaas, Larry Levine
The vital need for uninterrupted utility service was evident before the coronavirus pandemic, but the COVID-19 public health emergency has reinforced the essential nature of utility service and the threats of energy and water poverty.