News & Commentary

An Advocate for Building Equity into Michigan’s Climate Goals

August 4, 2021 NRDC in ActionMichiganBrian Palmer

NRDC’s Derrell Slaughter sees climate justice as one of the foremost civil rights issues of our time.

A Catalyst for the Midwest’s Clean Energy Transition

December 1, 2020 NRDC in ActionKansas City (Kansas), St. Louis, Missouri, New York CityBrian Palmer

Ashok Gupta spent decades cleaning up New York’s grid and reducing its reliance on dirty fuels. Now he’s working to bring the clean energy future to the Midwest.

This Is What a Just Transition Looks Like

March 2, 2020 ExplainerUnited States, Peoria, IllinoisBrian Palmer

To help a community leave its dirty energy economy behind, advocates must fight for local representation, equity, and retraining that prepares workers for high-quality jobs.

Cut Environmental Justice at the EPA, and We All Lose

March 17, 2017 ExplainerUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Trump likens our “inner cities” to war zones . . . then guts the programs geared to safeguard clean air and water for low-income communities of color.

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).

Adios, Diablo Canyon

June 21, 2016 NRDC in ActionCaliforniaBrian Palmer

A huge California utility is closing the state’s last nuclear reactors—proving to the rest of the country that we can transition to clean energy.

Why Is it So Easy for Officials to Cover Up Drinking Water Scandals?

March 8, 2016 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Vague regulations let government officials hide drinking water contamination from the public.

Is Water a Human Right?

March 3, 2016 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.

EJ: Getting Us (All of Us) to Environmentalism 4.0

March 2, 2016 ExplainerUnited States, Flint, Michigan, ChicagoBrian Palmer

“Environmental justice” isn’t only about what is put in whose backyard—it’s the future of the environmental movement.

Go Easy on the Salt

February 11, 2016 ExplainerFlint, Michigan, United StatesBrian Palmer

Did road salt help cause the Flint water crisis?

The Final Fifth

February 2, 2016 ExplainerUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Current regulations will achieve 80 percent of the country’s climate goal. Where will the rest come from?

Watered Down

January 26, 2016 Latest NewsFlintBrian Palmer

Flint made many mistakes, but its haphazard lead monitoring system was the worst of them.

As India Goes, So Goes Civilization

January 22, 2016 Latest NewsIndiaBrian Palmer

How India builds its energy grid could decide the fate of humanity. Maybe we should help the country out.

What to Watch for in 2016

January 6, 2016 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

The new year offers some interesting environmental subplots.

Hotter = Drier

August 19, 2015 Latest NewsCaliforniaBrian Palmer

A new study shows how climate change is making the California drought worse.

Hot Water

August 18, 2015 ExplainerWest, United StatesBrian Palmer

Uranium mining threatens aquifers that could provide the drought-stricken West with emergency water supplies.

More for Less

August 13, 2015 ExplainerUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Understand energy efficiency, and you’ll understand how the Clean Power Plan works.

Will the Clean Power Plan Make Any Difference?

August 10, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Uh, yeah.

Does Home Weatherization Pay for Itself?

June 29, 2015 ExplainerUnited States, MichiganBrian Palmer

Let’s take a deeper look into last week’s energy efficiency bombshell.

Angry Birds

June 12, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

The GOP attacks a venerable bird protection law in the name of wind energy.