News & Commentary

Pebble Mine Permit DENIED!

November 25, 2020 Expert BlogAlaskaTaryn Kiekow Heimer

The Army Corps is finally acknowledging the very real risks the proposed gold and copper mega-mine poses to the cherished Bristol Bay.

Pebble Mine Owner Expects Billions in Public Funding, Bail-Out

October 30, 2020 Expert BlogAlaskaJoel Reynolds

Latest “Pebble Tapes” document Canadian mining company’s plans for $1.5 billion subsidy from Alaskans for infrastructure costs and, if project is stopped, expects claim against U.S. Treasury for $700-800 billion in compensation.

Pebble Mine: Open Letter to Cantor Fitzgerald

October 6, 2020 Expert BlogAlaskaJoel Reynolds

Bristol Bay leaders urge lead underwriter for Northern Dynasty Minerals to cut ties, cease raising funds for widely condemned open pit copper and gold mine that risks world’s greatest wild salmon fishery and communities that it sustains in Bristol Bay…

Think You Know What Water Looks Like? Take a Look at This.

December 5, 2019 PerspectivesArcticAlisa Opar

Photographer Roger Fishman goes airborne to capture a unique perspective on rapidly changing Arctic landscapes.

Another Forest, This Time Alaska’s Tongass, May Be Destroyed—All for Profit

October 15, 2019 Expert BlogUnited States, AlaskaNRDC

On October 28, 2020, the Trump administration announced it will open the state’s pristine old-growth rainforest—the largest in the United States—to the logging industry.

Pebble Mine: Conservation Groups Sue Trump Administration

October 9, 2019 Expert BlogUnited States, AlaskaTaryn Kiekow Heimer

Trump administration violated the law by reversing proposed protections for Bristol Bay, Alaska.

A Lot to Lose: Images from the Vulnerable Arctic Refuge

September 6, 2019 Expert BlogArcticGarett Rose

Oil drilling would harm the Arctic Refuge's beautiful landscapes and wildlife.

Latin America Can Be a Climate Leader with Better Land Use

August 21, 2019 Expert BlogBrazil, Chile, Mexico, ColombiaCarolina Herrera

One climate priority where Latin America can and must make critical progress and show leadership is land use.

That Summer When Climate Change Baked Alaska

August 9, 2019 DispatchAlaskaJeff Turrentine

An Anchorage-based wildlife biologist describes what life is like in our northernmost state—one that’s been dramatically altered by rising temperatures.

A Journey Through the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

March 22, 2019 DispatchArctic, AlaskaClara Chaisson

One of the world’s last pristine wild places is on the front lines of climate change—and threatened by fossil fuel development. These photos speak to why we must fight both.

Army Corps Releases a Slapdash Environmental Review of Alaska’s Pebble Mine

March 1, 2019 Latest NewsAlaskaCourtney Lindwall

But the proposed gold and copper mine’s catastrophic threats to the waterways, salmon, and people of Bristol Bay haven’t changed.

The Fight to Keep Oil and Gas Rigs Out of Our Waters. For Good.

October 3, 2017 NRDC in ActionAlaska, Florida, California, Washington, United StatesMelissa Denchak

NRDC played a key role in banning offshore drilling in the Arctic and Atlantic. Once again, it’s fighting to protect those oceans—and the rest of America’s waters.

What’s It Like to Be the Artist-in-Residence at America’s Least Visited National Park?

March 1, 2017 PerspectivesArctic, AlaskaClara Chaisson

“Awful,” says writer and painter Ben Shattuck―but in the good way.

Our Favorite National Parks

August 15, 2016 NRDC in ActionColorado, California, Minnesota, Alaska, New Mexico, Florida, Virginia, Arizona, Hawaii, Michigan, Montana, Tennessee

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, NRDC’s very own wilderness fanatics share their most treasured park memories.

The Battered Belugas of Cook Inlet

April 21, 2016 NRDC in ActionAlaskaNicole Greenfield

Only a few hundred beluga whales remain in Alaska’s Cook Inlet, and they’re facing threats from every direction.

His Ancestors Hunted Them—Now This Man Is on a Mission to Save Arctic Whales

April 13, 2016 DispatchArctic, AlaskaJason Bittel

As climate change and oil drilling threaten the northern seas, John Morrison is carving out biodiversity hot spots for conservation.

Yellowstone's Grizzlies Aren't Out of the Woods Yet

March 14, 2016 NRDC in ActionWyoming, Montana, IdahoJeff Turrentine

The park's threatened bears are on the road to recovery. But without continued federal protection, they'll be back on the path to extinction.

The Woman Who Loves Orcas

January 20, 2016 DispatchAlaska, WestTed Genoways

Scientist, poet, and cancer survivor Eva Saulitis says that orcas saved her life. If only she could return the favor.

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (from Distant Flames)

August 7, 2015 ExplainerUnited States, Colorado, Alaska, CaliforniaAlisa Opar

Wildfires may be harming the health of people who live hundreds or thousands of miles from the flames.

Bringing the Noise

July 13, 2015 Latest NewsArcticAlisa Opar

How will Shell’s Arctic drilling affect marine mammals in the Chukchi Sea?