News & Commentary

America’s Failing Drinking Water System

October 5, 2023 ExplainerUnited States, Buffalo, Houston, Puerto Rico, California, FlintNicole Greenfield

First, Flint, Michigan; then, Jackson, Mississippi. Communities around the country wonder if their water quality problems will lead to the next national crisis.

After Decades, Tenants Are Still Fighting NYC Public Housing for Speedy Mold Relief

September 21, 2023 DispatchNew York, New York CityNicole Greenfield

In the 1990s, they organized. In 2013, they sued. In 2023, residents continue the fight for safe homes in NYCHA developments across the city.

Indoor Workers Need Protection from Extreme Heat Too

August 10, 2023 ExplainerUnited StatesNicole Greenfield

Warehouses, restaurant kitchens, factories, and schools can get dangerously hot—but without adequate safety standards, employees are having to just sweat it out.

Failing to Meet Our Climate Goals Is Not an Option

April 26, 2023 ExplainerUnited StatesNicole Greenfield

There’s more than one way the United States can nullify its climate emissions by 2050, but these strategies would make the journey a lot easier. 

The Lower Klamath River Will Soon Flow Freely Again

March 21, 2023 DispatchCalifornia, WestNicole Greenfield

Sparking hope for the West’s rivers and beyond, a decades-long battle leads to the world’s biggest dam removal project.

Colorado’s Religious Communities See Climate Action as a Moral Obligation

December 22, 2022 DispatchColoradoNicole Greenfield

Whether fighting for clean air or affordable housing, several of the state’s faith leaders are uniting around the notion of protecting “home.”

Advocates Are Sparking a Revolution in Louisiana's “Cancer Alley”

November 10, 2022 DispatchSt. James Parish, LouisianaNicole Greenfield

Residents of St. James Parish are fighting to boot harmful petrochemical plants from this majority-Black community—and hoping to usher in more sustainable industries like solar.

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.

Heat Stress Is Killing Workers. States Can Protect Them.

August 17, 2022 ExplainerUnited States, California, Oregon, FloridaNicole Greenfield

As climate change continues to progress, workers don’t have years to wait for federal rules. So local advocates are helping states create their own.

Mount Vernon: Where Environmental Injustice Became a Sewage Nightmare

June 27, 2022 NRDC in ActionNew YorkNicole Greenfield

For decades, residents of this majority-Black suburb of New York City have been dealing with a noxious infrastructure crisis with little recourse. Finally, they’re getting some relief.

A Mississippi Tribe Is Growing Its Own Organic Movement

May 16, 2022 DispatchMississippiNicole Greenfield

With programs for schools, elders, and diabetics across 10 counties, Choctaw Fresh Produce is making sure its tribal members have access to fresh, healthy food.

“Chemical Recycling” Isn’t Actually Recycling.

May 16, 2022 ExplainerGeorgia, United StatesNicole Greenfield

Companies are trying to sell communities on a toxic solution to the plastic pollution crisis. The people of Macon, Georgia, saw through it. Will others?

Climate Migration and Equity

May 9, 2022 ExplainerInternational, United StatesNicole Greenfield

Inequality influences who can stay in climate-vulnerable locales and who can leave and thrive elsewhere. The world needs a plan that supports those climate refugees who can’t do either.

Will Los Angeles Finally Put an End to Oil Drilling in Neighborhoods?

November 12, 2021 DispatchLos AngelesNicole Greenfield

For close to a decade, the STAND-L.A. coalition has been calling on the city to stop extracting oil near homes and schools. Victory, at long last, is within reach.

Latina Farmworkers Speak Out about the Hazards of Life in California’s Fields

October 4, 2021 DispatchCaliforniaNicole Greenfield

From farms to public hearings, the women of Líderes Campesinas are standing up against the pesticide exposure, COVID-19 risk, and other threats disproportionately impacting their community.

On the Island Where It Rained Oil, a Chance to Reimagine St. Croix

July 27, 2021 DispatchNicole Greenfield

Limetree Bay oil refinery recently announced its indefinite closure. As residents reckon with the harm it’s caused, they’re also envisioning a healthier, more prosperous home.

The Scientist Who Found Her Voice by Listening to Workers

June 29, 2021 NRDC in ActionCalifornia, United StatesNicole Greenfield

Teniope Adewumi-Gunn combines her scientific expertise with her mission to help keep workers—from hairstylists to day laborers—safe and healthy.

Blackfeet Nation Is Taking Back the Food System

June 21, 2021 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.

The Future Has Spoken: It’s Time to Shut Down DAPL and Stop Line 3

May 24, 2021 PerspectivesUnited StatesNicole Greenfield

Frontline Indigenous youth, who have been standing up against destructive oil pipelines for years, are imploring President Biden to join them in protecting their water, lands, and cultures.

Alaska Natives Lead a Unified Resistance to the Pebble Mine

April 20, 2021 DispatchAlaskaNicole Greenfield

The effort to stop a massive mine project in Bristol Bay, Alaska, has been a decades-long fight for the region’s Indigenous People. Five tribal leaders share their experiences.