News & Commentary

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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.

Renewable Rikers Island: NYC Planning Commission Testimony

Expert BlogNew York CitySara Imperiale

NRDC provided testimony to the New York City Planning Commission in support of an amendment to the City Map establishing the entirety of Rikers Island as a Public Place, a designation that would prohibit Rikers Island from being used for…

A Mentor for Diversity in the Environmental Movement

DispatchChicagoStephanie Valera
Through his work with the RAY Clean Energy Diversity Fellows, Charlie Espedido is helping to change the face of the movement and create pathways for young environmental leaders of color.

Illinois’ Recovery Starts with the Clean Energy Jobs Act

Expert BlogIllinoisJ.C. Kibbey
The Clean Energy Jobs Act is an essential part of Illinois’ economic recovery. It protects public health and creates good-paying jobs, while ensuring that the people most in need of good jobs and clean air are at the front of…

What Does a Just Recovery Look Like for Illinois?

Expert BlogIllinoisJ.C. Kibbey
Our economic recovery will ask this unavoidable question: will we double down on the old system—a fossil-fueled, profoundly unequal system that leaves many of us sick and impoverished, and leads us towards climate catastrophe? Or will we learn from our…

Voces for Climate Action

NRDC in ActionChicago, Illinois, CaliforniaNicole Greenfield
NRDC staffers are helping to build environmental equity and empower Latino voices for climate action—a cause that hits close to home.

Pritzker, Lightfoot: Stop Passing the Buck on Enviro Justice

Expert BlogChicagoMeleah Geertsma
On June 25, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (“IEPA”) granted an air permit that will enable the relocation of a notorious metal shredding operation from Chicago’s wealthy and largely white Lincoln Park to the Southeast Side environmental justice community. In…

Why Illinois Needs a New “Normal”

Expert BlogIllinoisJ.C. Kibbey
Illinois can’t go back to the old “normal,” but as we recover from coronavirus, we can chart a new path forward that centers equity and sustainability.

Pollution Strikes Again on the Southeast Side

Expert BlogChicagoGina Ramirez
The EPA has begun remediation of another nearby ballfield, this time because of shockingly high levels of lead and arsenic in the soil that require immediate removal.

NRDC Sues FERC Over Orders that Threaten NY Clean Energy

Expert BlogNew YorkChristopher Casey
The FERC orders undermine New York’s State efforts to achieve landmark clean energy targets and also compromise efforts to replace dirty peaker plants in New York City with renewable energy and battery storage solutions, which is vitally important for reducing…

New York Bans Utility Shutoffs during COVID-19 Emergency

Expert BlogNew YorkJoan Leary Matthews
New York is the first state to act via legislation to establish a statewide moratorium on all utility shutoffs—water, gas, electric, and telephone, including both publicly- and privately-owned utilities.

Chicago River Flooding a Clear Sign of Bigger Issues to Come

Expert BlogChicagoKaren Hobbs

Who says you can't see climate change? Flooding all over Chicago, including rivers running backwards and bringing huge volumes of sewage to Lake Michigan, are a troubling reminder of growing infrastructure stresses that threaten the region.

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.

Mobilizer for Change

NRDC in ActionNew York CityCourtney Lindwall
Community manager Tejal Mankad is working to amplify the voices of today’s younger, more diverse environmental movement and to foster more awareness and action among NRDC’s 2.2 million social followers.

The Revitalization of This Former Coal Town Starts Now

NRDC in ActionPeoria, IllinoisNicole Greenfield
Following a landmark settlement agreement, $8.6 million will be invested back into projects that uplift the community of Peoria, Illinois, where a dirty coal plant is scheduled to close by the end of 2022.