News & Commentary

Iowa Group Protects Bee Habitat Amid ESA Battle

February 9, 2022 Expert BlogIowa, MidwestLucas Rhoads

While NRDC and our partners are in court fighting to win habitat protections for the endangered rusty patched bumble bee, the Bur Oak Land Trust is also taking matters into its own hands.

One Year After Hunger Strike to Stop General Iron

February 8, 2022 Expert BlogChicagoGina Ramirez

This time last year, Chicago Southeast Siders vowed not to eat until the city denied a permit for General Iron. Now it’s time to deny the permit.

MI’s Climate Plan Must Deliver Affordable, Efficient Homes

February 3, 2022 Expert BlogMichiganValeria Rincon, Sam Whillans, Laura Goldberg

The Michigan Healthy Climate Plan includes notable recommendations to reduce emissions but it simply does not go far enough in focus and ambition.

NYC Must Enact a Universal Food Waste Composting Law

February 1, 2022 Expert BlogNew York CityEric A. Goldstein

One of the top environmental challenges for Mayor Eric Adams and the City Council is to establish a sensible program for collecting and sustainably disposing of household organics—food scraps, yard waste, and food soiled paper.

Michigan's Climate Plan

January 31, 2022 Expert BlogMichiganDerrell E. Slaughter

It is going to take all of us to engage in solving the climate crisis. We here in Michigan now have a great opportunity to be part of the solution. Don’t wait: Weigh in on MI Healthy Climate Plan today!

Preventing Fire Deaths Demands Confronting Energy Insecurity

January 26, 2022 Expert BlogNew York City, United StatesSam Whillans

The horrific fires in Fairmount and the Bronx are a wake-up call: We need to take bold action to confront energy insecurity.

New Jersey Enacts Groundbreaking Neonic Legislation

January 19, 2022 Expert BlogNew JerseyLucas Rhoads

New Jersey has enacted legislation that significantly curtails use of neonicotinoid pesticides, or "neonics," insect-killers that are a leading cause of mass bee losses, contribute to declines in birds and other wildlife, and pose risks to human health.

Food Waste Generators Now Required to Recycle in New York

January 13, 2022 Expert BlogNew YorkMargaret Brown, Yvette Cabrera

New York's law adds to the growing drumbeat of adoption of these laws, and we look forward to seeing similarly robust programs in other states in the years to come.

2022: Big Plans for Tackling Climate Change in New York!

January 12, 2022 Expert BlogNew YorkSamantha Wilt, Donna De Costanzo

Governor Kathy Hochul gave New York a lot to look forward to in 2022 in her State of the State address.

New York Adopts ACT Rule Bringing Clean Trucks to the State

December 31, 2021 Expert BlogNew YorkPatricio Portillo, Kathy Harris

New York is closing out 2021 with a big climate and clean air win—becoming the fifth state in the country to adopt the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) rule.

Pebble Mine 2021 Year in Review: Back to the Future at EPA

December 22, 2021 Expert BlogAlaskaJoel Reynolds

Destructive Bristol Bay mega-mine is all but dead following EPA’s re-start in 2021 of Clean Water Act 404(c) process for region’s lasting protection, long sought by Bristol Bay tribes and communities.

A Look Back on Another Year Fighting General Iron

December 21, 2021 Expert BlogChicago, IllinoisGina Ramirez

And where things stand today.

Clean Trucks Rules Are NJ’s First Step

December 20, 2021 Expert BlogNew JerseyKathy Harris, Patricio Portillo

By adopting the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) rule—which requires an increasing number of zero-emission truck sales each year in the state—New Jersey took a major step to reduce harmful air pollution.

Albany Environmental Roundup: 2021 Victories and 2022 Agenda

December 14, 2021 Expert BlogNew YorkMarisa Guerrero, Rich Schrader

New York State secured several key environmental and public health victories in 2021—and that momentum is continuing into 2022, as we push for bills to expand the use of electric vehicles, improve energy efficiency, promote food security, and reduce toxic…

Illinois Shows Us What the Road to Clean Energy Should Look Like

December 2, 2021 NRDC in ActionUnited States, IllinoisCourtney Lindwall

Here’s how a formidable clean energy coalition helped pass the most equitable climate legislation in the country—and developed a blueprint for other states to follow.

Gibbstown Ends, Not with a Bang but with a Whimper?

November 30, 2021 Expert BlogNew JerseyKimberly Ong

While the Department of Transportation proposed rescinding the LNG by rail rule, the Department must still adopt this proposal.

For Thousands of Years, Indigenous Tribes Have Been Planting for the Future

November 30, 2021 DispatchIowa, Canada, Pennsylvania, OklahomaSusan Cosier

With yields of biodiversity and a more climate-resilient food supply, a movement is sprouting in BIPOC communities across North America to save heirloom seeds and preserve culture.

Despite Climate Dangers, Offshore Leasing Continues in Gulf

November 17, 2021 Expert BlogUnited States, Louisiana, Florida, Texas, Mississippi, AlabamaValerie Cleland, Lauren Kubiak

This morning, the Biden administration held the largest offshore oil and gas lease sale in U.S. history. Though the Biden administration has been bold on climate in other ways, this latest action is profoundly disappointing.

New York Must Act on Clean Trucks

November 17, 2021 Expert BlogNew YorkKathy Harris, Patricio Portillo

The future of clean, zero-emission trucks is now in the hands of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. Following a robust comment period, the State must decide whether to move forward with the Advanced Clean Truck (ACT) rule. 

Senator and WA Governor Join Forces to Tackle Snake Dams

November 1, 2021 Expert BlogWashington, WestGiulia C.S. Good Stefani

U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Washington Governor Jay Inslee answered advocates’ calls to energize the decades-long push to save our iconic salmon from extinction.