News & Commentary

Latin America at the Leaders Summit on Climate

April 23, 2021 Expert BlogArgentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, MexicoCarolina Herrera, Jessica Carey-Webb, Marilyn Kunce, Amanda Maxwell

The five Latin American countries that participated in the Leaders Summit on Climate – Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico – displayed a broad range of ambition. Once again, some countries demonstrated their willingness to be climate action leaders while…

Feed People and the Soil, Starve Landfills and Incinerators

March 15, 2021 Expert BlogBaltimore, MarylandYvette Cabrera, Darby Hoover

At a time when one in four American adults face hunger, it is imperative that we look for ways to ensure food is eaten, not disposed.

Hydro-Highway Robbery

December 4, 2020 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

December 3, 2020 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.

Food Systems Analyst

July 14, 2020 NRDC in ActionBaltimore, Nashville, Denver, Maryland, Tennessee, ColoradoJeff Turrentine

Andrea Spacht Collins is working to minimize food waste by changing the way we think about what we eat—and what we don’t eat, where it comes from, and where it ends up.

A Translator for the Climate Crisis, Grief Included

May 4, 2020 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.

Toledo’s Blooming Algae Crisis

April 2, 2020 DispatchToledoJodi Helmer

A toxic algae outbreak that left Toledo without drinking water for several days in 2014 served as a wakeup call for responsible farming in the region. Efforts have been made to prevent algae blooms in Lake Erie, but a changing…

Chile’s Ongoing Water Crisis: Threats and Needed Actions

September 9, 2019 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.

The Ohio River Defines the Borders of Five States—But Its Pollution Doesn’t Stop at State Lines

August 21, 2019 DispatchPennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, IllinoisSusan Cosier

In a move that could open the door to industrial waste and interstate squabbles, the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission is making its water quality standards voluntary.

Survey Looks at Food Donation Client Experience

August 15, 2019 Expert BlogMaryland, BaltimoreMargaret Brown, JoAnne Berkenkamp

Latin America’s Air Pollution Impacts Climate and Health

June 5, 2019 Expert BlogChile, Columbia, InternationalAmanda Maxwell

Air pollution is the biggest environmental risk for health in the Americas, according to the World Health Organization. The theme of World Environment Day this year is Air Pollution, and this opportunity to highlight the seriousness of the problem could…

Ohio Gains Ground on a Hidden Hazard: More Than a Century’s Worth of Abandoned Oil and Gas Wells

March 26, 2019 DispatchOhioAustyn Gaffney

Forgotten, derelict, and often leaky, these so-called orphan wells could number in the thousands.

Baltimore Is Poised to Put a Major Dent in Its Food Waste Stream

December 13, 2018 DispatchBaltimore, MarylandNicole Greenfield

The city has developed a bold new food waste management and recovery strategy to protect residents from harmful air pollution, boost its economy, and help feed those most in need.

Ohio Communities Are Becoming a Dumping Ground for the Fracking Industry

December 3, 2018 DispatchOhioAustyn Gaffney

Earthquakes, spills, and groundwater contamination—wastewater wells come with many risks and few rewards for Trumbull County residents.

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.

It’s the 21st Century—Alabamans Shouldn’t Have to Worry About Hookworms

July 30, 2018 DispatchAlabamaNicole Greenfield

In Lowndes County, raw sewage is backing up into homes, flooding yards, and giving rise to long-eradicated parasites.

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

Why We Need the EPA

February 14, 2017 ExplainerPuerto Rico, New York City, United States, ClevelandBrian Palmer

Let’s not forget what America looked like before we had the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Our rivers caught on fire, our air was full of smog, and it stank (literally).

One of America’s Great Rivers Fights for Its Life

July 5, 2016 DispatchGeorgia, Florida, AlabamaRobynne Boyd

The Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river system brings precious water to three southern states. If only they could all get along.

Why Are Our Waters Turning Green?

March 14, 2016 NRDC in ActionLouisiana, Toledo, Ohio, Des Moines, IowaNicole Greenfield

Toxic algal blooms are suffocating waterways from the Gulf of Mexico to Lake Erie.