News & Commentary

Crisis to Opportunity: China Moves Fast to Protect Wildlife

April 21, 2021 Expert BlogChinaNing (Lisa) Hua

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, China accelerated the pace of wildlife protection over the last year, which included the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress adopting a decision to ban the trade of wildlife as food and to…

How Shareholders Can Hold P&G to Account on Forests

October 9, 2020 Expert BlogCanada, United StatesShelley Vinyard

Read more here on the choice P&G shareholders have before them.

Ontario Takes an Axe to Environmental Protections

October 7, 2020 Expert BlogCanada, OntarioJennifer Skene

Ontario is rapidly ushering in an era of laissez-faire logging, ceding its forests, wildlife, and public health to the whims and interests of industry.

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…

These NRDC Experts Show Us How We Can Slow the Spread of Zoonotic Diseases

May 14, 2020 NRDC in ActionChina, United StatesCourtney Lindwall

It will take the highest levels of international cooperation, but by working to curb wildlife trade and conserve vast swaths of disappearing habitat, we can minimize the interspecies interactions that spread viruses.

Alberta Invests Billions to Build Polluting Keystone XL

March 31, 2020 Expert BlogCanadaNRDC

Despite efforts to prop up the dirty tar sands pipeline with subsidies, our court battle to stop the project is far from over.

Farmers and Salmon Advocates Agree: It’s Time to Talk about the Snake River Dams

January 2, 2020 DispatchWashington, OregonJodi Helmer

What used to be an idea touted mainly by salmon fishers and environmentalists is bringing around some farmers who’ve long depended on barge shipping to get their crops to market.

Up in Smoke: Oregon Wildfires Cost Billions in Health Harms

October 2, 2019 Expert BlogUnited States, OregonJuanita Constible, Dr. Vijay Limaye

New research sheds light on the health costs of climate change.

Are My Denim Jeans Bad for the Environment?

August 27, 2019 ExplainerUnited States, ChinaCourtney Lindwall

Environmental reporter Tatiana Schlossberg, author of "Inconspicuous Consumption," says the American staple needs a 21st-century overhaul for the sake of our water, climate, and health.

Portland Makes Strides to Cut Emissions and Move Beyond Four Wheels

March 4, 2019 DispatchPortland (Oregon)Becca Cudmore

The Rose City, a winner of the American Cities Climate Challenge, will reduce emissions as it revamps its transportation system—part of a new strategic plan called Central City in Motion.

Will China Save the Planet?

November 27, 2018 NRDC in ActionBeijing, ChinaNicole Greenfield

Barbara Finamore, NRDC’s senior strategic director for Asia, witnessed the birth of China’s clean energy movement. Her new book considers its future.

Can the Great Lakes Become Fishable, Drinkable, and Swimmable Again?

January 29, 2018 DispatchMidwest, Canada, Ohio, IllinoisSusan Cosier

A joint United States–Canada report maps out the way to clean up the world’s largest freshwater ecosystem

Keeping a Close Watch on China’s Climate Transition

November 7, 2017 NRDC in ActionBeijing, Shanghai, ChinaJeff Turrentine

JingJing Qian, senior strategic advisor for NRDC’s China program, is bearing witness to some truly remarkable changes taking place in her home country. She’s also helping to make those changes happen.

A Veteran of Uphill Battles

March 13, 2017 NRDC in ActionWashington, D.C., United States, CanadaJordan Davidson

NRDC’s chief program officer, Susan Casey-Lefkowitz, knows that resistance takes persistence—and a lot of collaboration.

The Moss That Saved Portland

February 28, 2017 DispatchPortland (Oregon), OregonBecca Cudmore

Roadside plants helped officials trace the source of a public health crisis and led to new standards for clean air in Oregon.

The Petcoke Problem: Where to Store the Risky Tar Sands Refining By-Product

November 1, 2016 ExplainerUnited States, Canada, Chicago, Detroit, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Virginia

Petroleum coke, typically stored outdoors in big open piles, can blow right into nearby homes and cause serious health problems. Unsurprisingly, communities are fighting Big Oil to keep this noxious material out of their backyards.

Greening the Playing Fields

March 14, 2016 NRDC in ActionPhiladelphia, Seattle, San Francisco, Portland (Oregon), BostonAmanda MacMillan

How the sports industry became one of the planet's most powerful allies.

Fixing the Fashion Industry

January 5, 2016 NRDC in ActionChinaSarah Murray

The overseas textile mills that make our clothes are incredibly wasteful and polluting. NRDC's Clean by Design program is changing that.

The Dirty Fight Over Canadian Tar Sands Oil

December 31, 2015 NRDC in ActionCanada, United StatesMelissa Denchak

For more than a decade, we've fought to keep this filthy fossil fuel from being dredged up and piped through the United States.

6 Cities That Are Ready for Climate Change

August 31, 2015 ExplainerNew York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, Portland (Oregon), San AntonioKim Castleberry

By embracing green infrastructure, these urban areas have a solid defense against increased drought or flood.