News & Commentary

The People of the Isle de Jean Charles Are Louisiana’s First Climate Refugees—but They Won’t Be the Last

September 23, 2019 DispatchLouisianaRobynne Boyd

Whether and how to uproot communities are difficult and painful questions, and we need to get better at answering them.

Arctic Refuge Is Top Priority as Congress Returns

September 9, 2019 Expert BlogArcticNora Apter

In its first days back from recess, Congress will vote on H.R. 1146 to prevent destructive oil and gas development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The floor vote comes at a pivotal point: The Trump administration is expected to…

A Lot to Lose: Images from the Vulnerable Arctic Refuge

September 6, 2019 Expert BlogArcticGarett Rose

Oil drilling would harm the Arctic Refuge's beautiful landscapes and wildlife.

Principles for Parks and Equitable Development

August 28, 2019 Expert BlogUnited States, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, MemphisSasha Forbes, AICP

Assets in our communities that offer us increased connectivity, shelter, and planned outdoor spaces can act as triggers that escalate land values which usually price out existing residents, often low-income and people of color, and more often renters. But communities…

California Moves to Make Paying for EV Charging Easier

August 12, 2019 Expert BlogCaliforniaMiles Muller

California recently approved regulations for public charging stations to ensure people can pay for charging as easily as they pay for gasoline. However, a bill moving through the California Legislature would unwind those regulations, making charging less accessible and less…

That Summer When Climate Change Baked Alaska

August 9, 2019 DispatchAlaskaJeff Turrentine

An Anchorage-based wildlife biologist describes what life is like in our northernmost state—one that’s been dramatically altered by rising temperatures.

Trump EPA Refuses to Ban Pesticide—Where’s California?

August 8, 2019 Expert BlogCaliforniaMiriam Rotkin-Ellman

California’s agricultural communities are continuing to sound the alarm for the health of their children, as a promised statewide ban on chlorpyrifos—a pesticide that harms children’s brains—has yet to go into effect.

Food Service Companies Must Act Following New Climate Report

August 8, 2019 Expert BlogInternational, United States, New York, New York City, CaliforniaSujatha Bergen

A new report released by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change today is the third in six months from the world’s leading experts to show that rising to the challenge of the climate crisis will require not only…

In Los Angeles, Renters Want Their Own Green New Deal

August 8, 2019 DispatchLos AngelesKaren L. Smith-Janssen

Residents of the city’s affordable housing units don’t normally get prioritized for energy efficiency upgrades. That’s about to change.

Valley Fever Spreads in California as Winter Rainstorms Intensify and Summers Heat Up

August 5, 2019 DispatchCaliforniaCorey Binns

From dusty fields in the San Joaquin Valley, fungal spores are wafting up, exposing more and more farmworkers to the disease.

California Lunchrooms May Soon Serve Up Organics

May 7, 2019 DispatchCaliforniaCorey Binns

A state bill promises organic food to students—and benefits for local farmers and farmworkers, too.

A Journey Through the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

March 22, 2019 DispatchArctic, AlaskaClara Chaisson

One of the world’s last pristine wild places is on the front lines of climate change—and threatened by fossil fuel development. These photos speak to why we must fight both.

Overcoming an Industrial Legacy in L.A.’s Pacoima District

March 18, 2019 DispatchLos AngelesCorey Binns

Local environmental justice groups get a boost from the city’s Clean Up Green Up policy, which brings green zoning to three heavily polluted communities.

Army Corps Releases a Slapdash Environmental Review of Alaska’s Pebble Mine

March 1, 2019 Latest NewsAlaskaCourtney Lindwall

But the proposed gold and copper mine’s catastrophic threats to the waterways, salmon, and people of Bristol Bay haven’t changed.

These Alaska Residents Are Watching Their Hometowns Slide Into Rising Waters

October 29, 2018 DispatchAlaskaAlisa Opar

At least 31 villages now face imminent threats from climate change and may have to relocate, at a cost of as much as $200 million each.

In Long Beach, Touring a Toxic Neighborhood on Bike

October 24, 2018 DispatchLong Beach, CaliforniaCorey Binns

Residents who live near the country’s busiest ports are getting a new lens on the pollution in their backyards, and new tactics to help fight it.

In These Brightly Colored Landscapes, the Sharp Edges of Industry Collide with Nature’s Curves

July 31, 2018 PerspectivesCalifornia, United StatesPatrick Rogers

Judith Belzer’s oil paintings of bridges, dams, canals, and ports both romanticize and question humanity’s efforts to tame our natural systems.

California Hasn’t Come Clean About Its Water Use During the Drought

July 11, 2018 DispatchCaliforniaCorey Binns

Farms drink up a majority of the state’s water supply, but the details are murky. Most of the largest irrigation districts aren’t reporting how much water they delivered to farmers.

Report: CA Ag Water Data Leaks through Mismanagement Cracks

June 18, 2018 Expert BlogCaliforniaArohi Sharma

California’s agricultural water suppliers—also called irrigation districts—are not complying with laws that require them to report on their water use. The lack of accurate water use data from our farms threatens the state’s ability to properly manage those water supplies.

A Commitment to Equity—in the City, the Classroom, and Even the Jungle

June 12, 2018 NRDC in ActionCalifornia, San FranciscoNicole Greenfield

NRDC senior scientist Lara Ettenson is determined to bridge social, economic, and cultural divides by advancing clean energy in California.