News & Commentary

Pebble Mine Submits Secret Mitigation Plan

November 20, 2020 Expert BlogAlaskaTaryn Kiekow Heimer

The proponents of the proposed Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay, Alaska promise that they can mitigate the project’s destruction of thousands of acres of pristine wetlands and more than one hundred miles of streams – but they refuse to say…

COVID-19 Has Exposed the Gross Exploitation of Meatpacking Workers

October 30, 2020 DispatchColoradoNicole Greenfield

The ongoing health and safety failures at the JBS meat-processing plant in Greeley, Colorado, highlight an industry-wide truth: It’s production over people, even in a deadly pandemic.

Committing to Healthy, Affordable & Carbon-Free Homes in Colorado

October 22, 2020 Expert BlogColoradoArjun Krishnaswami, Alejandra Mejia Cunningham, Ariana Gonzalez

Our homes, workplaces, and other buildings are often the foundations of our sense of comfort and community—they are also foundational to climate action.

In Oklahoma, “Yet Another Broken Promise” to Native Americans

October 21, 2020 PerspectivesOklahomaJeff Turrentine

How Governor Stitt teamed up with the head of the EPA to keep tribes from regulating fracking and industrial pollution on their own lands.

After the Local Coal Mine Shuts Down, These Navajo and Hopi Communities Seek a Just Transition

October 20, 2020 DispatchArizonaTim Vanderpool

A year after the Kayenta Mine was closed, both the energy company behind it and the federal government overseeing it have done little to restore the lands they’ve trampled.

Committing to Expanded, Equitable Energy Efficiency in Colorado

October 7, 2020 Expert BlogColoradoAriana Gonzalez, Arjun Krishnaswami

Every day energy efficiency quietly benefits every family across the state of Colorado, but today, on #EEDay2020, we celebrate out loud the dollars saved, the homes comfortably warmed and cooled, and the air cleaned thanks to smarter energy use.

Committing to Equitable Climate Action in Colorado

September 28, 2020 Expert BlogColoradoAriana Gonzalez, Arjun Krishnaswami

A new report outlines pathways for the state to achieve the greenhouse gas emissions reductions required by HB-1261—as well as the health and equity implications of statewide climate actions.

Like a Zombie, Reckless Pebble Mine Terrorizes Bristol Bay

July 13, 2020 Expert BlogAlaskaJoel Reynolds

Widely considered dead, massive mining scheme proposed for Bristol Bay headwaters by underfunded Canadian company is likely to be permitted this summer by Army Corps of Engineers despite unsolved technical, financial, and environmental flaws, deep opposition in Alaska, and blatant…

In Landmark Victory for Indigenous Communities, Dakota Access Pipeline Ordered to Shut Down

July 7, 2020 Expert BlogNorth Dakota, South Dakota, IowaNRDC

The dangerous crude oil pipeline threatened the water supplies and ways of life for the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. The win underscores the power of dogged defense by Indigenous groups and conservationists, as well as the importance of the National…

Three Lessons Learned from the Axed Atlantic Coast Pipeline

July 6, 2020 Expert BlogVirginia, West Virginia, North CarolinaGillian Giannetti

This is a significant and long-overdue victory for the landowners, community leaders, countless people across three states, and environmental advocates who have fought this project for years.

Developers Abandon the Atlantic Coast Pipeline for Good

July 6, 2020 Expert BlogWest Virginia, Virginia, North CarolinaNRDC

The decision is a landmark win for those who saw the polluting project as a threat to waterways, wildlife, the climate, and vulnerable communities.

Urban Innovator

June 30, 2020 NRDC in ActionCharlotte, North Carolina, St. Petersburg, Florida, St. Paul, Minnesota, Austin, TexasKeith Mulvihill

Through her work in the buildings sector, Wendy Lee helps propel cities into a fairer and more energy-efficient future.

How EV Charging Can Clean Up China's Electricity Grid

June 23, 2020 Expert BlogChinaBarbara Finamore, Hyoung Mi Kim

Shanghai has just completed an historic EV-Grid Integration pilot program, the first project in China to make use of electric vehicles (EVs) as a flexible energy resource for the power grid system. Since China’s electricity system is still primarily coal-powered…

Expand the DAPL? Only Illinois Stands in the Way

May 5, 2020 DispatchIllinois, North Dakota, South DakotaSusan Cosier

Environmental advocates are fighting a proposal to double the amount of crude oil flowing through the pipeline.

Huge Win for Standing Rock and the National Environmental Policy Act

March 25, 2020 Expert BlogNorth Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, IllinoisDan West, Dr. Jennifer Sass

A federal court orders the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to write a full environmental impact statement for the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Denver Wants to Zoom Past Its Car-Centric Street Design

February 6, 2020 DispatchDenverLucas High

City officials see dedicated bus corridors, scooter-share programs, and protected bike lanes as key to greening their transportation network.

Why Coloradans Must Defend NEPA

January 31, 2020 Expert BlogColoradoSam Gilchrist

The Trump administration is trying to undermine NEPA by exempting many government-approved and funded projects from the review process and excluding consideration of the cumulative impacts, which is especially important when considering how projects will influence and be influenced by…

NC's Missing the Big Picture on Climate Resilience

December 11, 2019 Expert BlogNorth CarolinaRob Moore

NC is applying for $168 million from HUD's CDBG-MIT fund. But NC is proposing to focus on a narrow range of projects and missing the larger opportunity to use these funds to make much-needed changes to a range of local…

Charlotte Is on Its Way to Becoming a Modern Transit Hub

December 11, 2019 DispatchCharlotte, North CarolinaJodi Helmer

The North Carolina city knows that as it grows, its residents will need (and want) to get out of their cars and catch the nearest bus, train, or streetcar.

July Was Hottest on Record—and Dangerous Heat Hits Home

August 20, 2019 Expert BlogUnited States, North CarolinaDr. Vijay Limaye

Fueled by climate change, extreme heat is causing more hospitalizations—and even deaths—across the country.