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.

California’s Climate Whiplash

ExplainerCaliforniaNicole Greenfield
The state broke snowfall records after three of its driest years ever. Now floods wreak havoc. These swings are the new normal—and they’re very hard to manage.

Reforming CA's Electric Rates for Decarbonization and Equity

Expert BlogCaliforniaSylvie Ashford, Mohit Chhabra
NRDC and The Utility Reform Network submitted an electric rate design proposal to the California Public Utilities Commission to promote equity and encourage beneficial electrification. This is the first stage in a regulatory process to implement income-based fixed charges.

Rate Increases and Blackouts: Duke Energy’s Strategy for 2023

Expert BlogNorth Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, EastLuis Martinez
Duke failed to keep the lights on last December, but it is now pursuing enormous rate increases of more than 30 percent to help pay for fossil fuels and huge executive salary raises.

Holding Interior to Account on Gulf Oil and Gas Leasing

Expert BlogAlabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, TexasIrene Gutierrez
Continuing to extract oil and gas in the Gulf of Mexico will have a steep price for the environment and coastal communities in the region. That's why NRDC and our partners took BOEM to court.

New Program Will Help Ensure Reliable Electricity in the West

Expert BlogCanada, Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, WestKelsie Gomanie
The Western Resource Adequacy Program (WRAP) is designed to provide benefits for customers, utilities, and the environment.

Big Oil Sets Its Pants Aflame Fighting Setbacks

Expert BlogCaliforniaAnn Alexander
California's SB 1137, which established a health and safety setback buffer requirement to protect communities from oil drilling operations, is being attacked by Big Oil.

This Is Not Your Father’s Automobile Industry

Expert BlogUnited States, CaliforniaDavid Doniger
Seven automakers just filed a remarkable brief defending California’s leadership vehicle emissions standards in federal court.

Getting Smart About Transmission Lines: A Southwest Story

Expert BlogCalifornia, ArizonaCullen Howe
Ten West Link demonstrates how we can build infrastructure in a way that is Smart from the Start, a methodology that enables us to build the renewable energy projects we need while protecting wild spaces.

White House Poised to Carbon-Bomb Its Own Climate Progress

Expert BlogAlaskaAnn Alexander
The Willow oil drilling project—the largest single drilling project proposed on federal land—will cause roughly 280 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions over the course its lifetime.