News & Commentary

Meet the activists and NRDC staff propelling change, read our expert analysis, and learn about the latest challenges and solutions to advancing a healthier, more sustainable, and equitable world.

Latest News

Stay on top of the latest research, policy updates, publication releases, and environmental news. 

Explainer

Get a breakdown of complex climate, public health, nature, and equity topics to inform your activism.

Dispatch

Read about activists tackling climate justice and other environmental causes in their communities and beyond.

Perspectives

Discover intersectional viewpoints from activists and artists on the environmental issues of the moment.

NRDC in Action

Find out how NRDC protects people and the planet by learning about some of our key fights.

Expert Blogs

Hear from our policy advocates, scientists, and litigators about the challenges and solutions for building a healthier and more just world.

America’s Failing Drinking Water System

ExplainerUnited States, Buffalo, Houston, Puerto Rico, California, FlintNicole Greenfield

First, Flint, Michigan; then, Jackson, Mississippi. Communities around the country wonder if their water quality problems will lead to the next national crisis.

An Ally in the Fight for Safe, Affordable Drinking Water for All

NRDC in ActionDetroit, Illinois, Flint, Chicago, MichiganNicole Greenfield
Detroit native Jeremy Orr combines his personal experience and community organizing roots with his legal expertise to help communities of color in Michigan and Illinois dismantle environmental racism.

The Desire to Stop Canadian Tar Sands Transcends Borders

NRDC in ActionAlberta, Canada, Nebraska, Chicago, IllinoisNicole Greenfield
For more than a decade, NRDC has worked with indigenous communities in Alberta, U.S.-based grassroots groups, and intergovernmental bodies to halt the expansion of dirty tar sands oil.

Facing Down the Ivory Sellers, Pangolin Poachers, and Giraffe Traders

NRDC in ActionNew York, California, Hawaii, United States, ChinaNicole Greenfield
Elly Pepper, deputy director of NRDC’s Wildlife Trade Initiative, says there’s much that U.S. advocates can do to end the illegal marketplaces endangering animals across the globe.

Making Art and Environmental Activism One and the Same

NRDC in ActionNew York, Illinois, ChicagoNicole Greenfield
Director of art partnerships Elizabeth Corr is the visionary behind NRDC’s artist-in-residence program, its museum collaborations, and its mission to fuse art and advocacy.

Why We Need the EPA

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).

Status Check for African Elephants

ExplainerUnited States, Africa
Vulnerable here, endangered there, threatened over yonder. What do all these classification systems mean for the future of our largest living land animals?

What It Took to Create the Atlantic’s First Marine National Monument

NRDC in ActionConnecticut, Massachusetts, United StatesMelissa Denchak
After years of work by NRDC and its partners, about 5,000 square miles of ocean—with massive canyons, majestic underwater mountains, and more than 1,000 species—have received permanent protection.

Going Deep to Save Our Ocean Treasures

NRDC in ActionNew York, New JerseyLora Shinn
How NRDC helped form an unlikely alliance to help protect 38,000 square miles of unique habitat in the Atlantic.

Is Water a Human Right?

ExplainerUnited States, Flint, New York, Jackson, Michigan, MississippiBrian Palmer
A look at what U.S. and international laws have to say about our right to clean drinking water.

The Battle for Jamaica Bay

NRDC in ActionNew York City, New YorkNicole Greenfield
Pollution was killing one of New York City’s greatest natural treasures—until NRDC stepped in.

Our Man in Chicago

NRDC in ActionChicago, MidwestEmily Voigt
Henry Henderson knows that achieving energy independence and creating new jobs go hand-in-hand.