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.

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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.

Black Walden Came First. Thoreau, After.

DispatchMassachusettsCourtney Lindwall
A little-known community of formerly enslaved Black residents in Concord, Massachusetts, took up home in Walden Woods long before Henry David Thoreau arrived. Today, local activists are working to ensure the stories of Black Walden stay alive.

Hydro-Highway Robbery

Expert BlogChileJessica Carey-Webb
The Reguemos Chile project would benefit agribusinesses at the expense of the environment, small farmers, and Indigenous peoples.

Compost Matters—But Food Matters More

Expert BlogBaltimore, United StatesYvette Cabrera
With food waste reduction in mind, the Baltimore Food Matters team created a resource that could serve as a reminder to be cognizant of food waste, what we can do to prevent it, and how anyone can compost locally.

Katrina, Climate, and Justice: A Future in Foreshadow?

PerspectivesNew Orleans, LouisianaZaria Howell
After Hurricane Laura hit Louisiana just days before the Katrina remembrance, photojournalism from 15 years ago reminds us that disaster preparation isn’t just about wind and water.

Defender of Housing Justice

NRDC in ActionNew Orleans, United States, LouisianaJenny Shalant
Energy efficiency and social safety net advocate Khalil Shahyd explains why supporting affordable housing is intrinsic to the climate fight.

Connector of the Gulf South, 15 Years and Counting

DispatchNew Orleans, LouisianaKaren L. Smith-Janssen
Colette Pichon Battle is getting the conversation going—and the preparations moving—for Black and Indigenous communities of Louisiana who are still healing from Hurricane Katrina, even as they stand on the frontlines of climate change.

To Support Recovery, Protect Environmental Agency Budgets

Expert BlogNew MexicoNoah Long, Drevet Hunt
The legislature will face many tough decisions in this special session. Whether to retain as much funding as possible for environmental and natural resources agencies is not one of them.

A Translator for the Climate Crisis, Grief Included

NRDC in ActionNew York City, New York, Birmingham, AlabamaKaren L. Smith-Janssen
Writer, editor, teacher, and podcast host Mary Annaïse Heglar uses the art of storytelling to help people feel less alone in facing the climate crisis—and to build the movement for climate justice.

Defender of Energy Efficiency—and Equity

NRDC in ActionGeorgia, Detroit, Michigan, Baltimore, Maryland, Norfolk, VirginiaKeith Mulvihill
Dawone Robinson, regional director of NRDC’s Energy Efficiency for All Project, works to create opportunities for low-income communities of color to save energy and money.

A Fearless Defender for Our Future

NRDC in ActionBoston, Washington, D.C., United StatesJeff Turrentine
President and CEO Gina McCarthy started out as a public health agent in small-town Massachusetts, rose to become head of the EPA under Obama, and now guides NRDC into its next chapter.

Chile’s Ongoing Water Crisis: Threats and Needed Actions

Expert BlogChileCarolina Herrera
From too much water to not enough, this critical resource presents unique challenges in the Metropolitan Region (MR) of Chile, the hub of the country’s bustling capital and nearly half of the Chilean population.

From Farms to Dollar Stores, One Woman’s Fight for Justice

DispatchAlbuquerque, New MexicoNicole Greenfield
In her long history as a community organizer and environmental justice activist, Helga Garza has advocated for clean water and nontoxic toys. Her current mission: making fresh, local produce accessible.

Energy Efficiency Boosts Prospects of Low-Income Marylanders

Expert BlogMaryland, BaltimoreDeron Lovaas

There has been considerable attention from national pundits and political operatives pointing at Baltimore as a city that has not reached its full potential. While they fixate on problems, Energy Efficiency for All teammates write about a helpful solution in…