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Expert Blogs

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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…

NYS to Cut PFOA/PFOS "Forever Chemicals" from Drinking Water

Expert BlogNew York, United StatesEric A. Goldstein

Public water suppliers across New York State will be required to test for and ultimately slash harmful levels of the synthetic organic chemicals PFOA and PFOS in drinking water, according to new rules just adopted by State Health officials.

Arvind Kumar: Cool Roofs and Other Solutions During COVID-19

Expert BlogIndiaAnjali Jaiswal

Cool roofs and other solutions: Pandemic has sharpened need to make right choices for sustainable urban growth In the short-term, it’s crucial to ascertain how to respond to extreme heat and urbanisation challenges during a major pandemic.

Financing Climate Action: Montreal Protocol Highlights

Expert BlogIndia, InternationalAnjali Jaiswal
Countries discuss the amount of funding for the Montreal Protocol's phase down of heat-trapping HFCs for 2021 to 2023, with current funds ending this December. Sustainable cooling is the hot topic in side discussions, especially in light of COVID-19.

NY Legislature Passes Bill to Close Fracking Waste Loophole

Expert BlogNew YorkRob Friedman
After years of deadlock, key legislation that regulates oil and gas waste passed the New York State Legislature this week. The legislation closes a longstanding and dangerous loophole that exempts dangerous oil and gas industry waste from New York’s existing…

The Road to Recovery with India’s First Green Window

Expert BlogIndiaSameer Kwatra, Anjali Jaiswal, Douglass Sims
As India prepares its recovery from the COVID-19 induced slowdown, a huge strategic opportunity lies in revitalizing the economy with investment in green infrastructure.

NRDC and Partners Win Ashden Award for Heat Action Plans

Expert BlogIndiaAnjali Jaiswal
The winners of the 2020 Ashden Awards have been announced this week. NRDC is deeply honored to have received on behalf of esteemed partners for the award for Cool Cities for our work on Heat Action Plans and Cool Roofs…

China Leveraging Green Finance for a Green Economic Recovery

Expert BlogChinaAlfonso Pating
China’s decarbonization can leverage assets owned by its commercial banks, with total outstanding loan balance of Chinese commercial banks is approaching 120 trillion RMB, to stimulate a green economic recovery.

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…

NYC Council Must Restore Funds for Community Composting

Expert BlogNew York CityEric A. Goldstein
Restoration of $7 million to preserve community composting and related recycling outreach and education won’t solve every waste problem in New York. But it will throw a lifeline to one of the most significant, untapped anti-pollution strategies available to local…

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.

Life in the Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands

Expert BlogTexas, New MexicoJessica Carey-Webb

90 percent of the grassland bird species that breed on the Great Plains in the United States and Canada winter in the grasslands of the Chihuahuan Desert, which encompasses the northwestern region of Mexico, spreading into the states of Arizona…