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.

Every State Should Have a Right to a Healthy Environment

Expert BlogNorth Carolina, Pennsylvania, Montana, Massachusetts, CaliforniaCorinne Bell
A few states currently have a constitutional right to a healthy environment and several more are working to enshrine such rights.

MISO and SPP Can Benefit from a More Connected Grid

Expert BlogTexas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Kansas, MissouriToba Pearlman

Electric grids across the Midwest, South, and in Texas failed a key resilience test during last month’s winter storm, and one key conclusion is clear: The grids connected via transmission lines fared significantly better than those isolated and on their…

Just Transition Milestone: Solar Power for Peoria’s ART Inc.

Expert BlogPeoria, IllinoisSelena Kyle, Alyssa Brown
Peoria, Illinois has hit a new milestone in its efforts to transition away from fossil fuels. One of the projects funded through our Clean Air Act settlement with the owners of the E.D. Edwards power plant is done!

Pepco Advances Climate Action in DC

Expert BlogWashington, D.C.Ben Longstreth
Local energy distribution companies like Pepco are critical to helping their customers reduce pollution and save money by supporting energy efficiency measures for their homes and businesses, helping customers switch to electric vehicles, and promoting electric space and water heating.

EPA Declines to Limit Deadly Soot Air Pollution

Expert BlogUnited States, Washington, D.C.Emily Davis, John Walke, Dr. Vijay Limaye
On its way out the door, the Trump Administration undermines the Clean Air Act and public health in a profound way.

Job for Day 1: Restore & Expand Efficiency Standards Program

Expert BlogUnited States, Washington, D.C.Kit Kennedy
When President-elect Joe Biden takes office, he’ll lead the United States in a time in which our country faces intertwined crises related to climate change, COVID-19 and its related economic effects, and racial injustice. Ambitious, cross-cutting and well-designed climate action…

Chicago Takes a New Step Toward Renewable Energy

Expert BlogUnited States, Illinois, ChicagoStefan Schaffer, Jay Orfield

Chicago is taking an exciting step toward renewable energy for the city’s buildings by announcing a Request for Proposals.

Illinois’ Recovery Starts with the Clean Energy Jobs Act

Expert BlogIllinoisJ.C. Kibbey
The Clean Energy Jobs Act is an essential part of Illinois’ economic recovery. It protects public health and creates good-paying jobs, while ensuring that the people most in need of good jobs and clean air are at the front of…

What Does a Just Recovery Look Like for Illinois?

Expert BlogIllinoisJ.C. Kibbey
Our economic recovery will ask this unavoidable question: will we double down on the old system—a fossil-fueled, profoundly unequal system that leaves many of us sick and impoverished, and leads us towards climate catastrophe? Or will we learn from our…

Why Illinois Needs a New “Normal”

Expert BlogIllinoisJ.C. Kibbey
Illinois can’t go back to the old “normal,” but as we recover from coronavirus, we can chart a new path forward that centers equity and sustainability.

Pollution Strikes Again on the Southeast Side

Expert BlogChicagoGina Ramirez
The EPA has begun remediation of another nearby ballfield, this time because of shockingly high levels of lead and arsenic in the soil that require immediate removal.