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.

Crushing Alaska’s Pebble Mine

NRDC in ActionAlaskaNicole Greenfield, Jeff Turrentine
The EPA’s decision to veto the project is fantastic news—but the fight to save Bristol Bay isn’t over yet.

Sharing the Road: Safer Streets Means Safe for Everyone

ExplainerUnited States, California, Missouri, Atlanta, San Jose (California), St. Louis, GeorgiaDan Reed
As they incorporate equity into transportation planning, a number of U.S. cities are making room for bicyclists, pedestrians, scooters, and wheelchairs in every part of town.

A Fearless Defender for Our Future

NRDC in ActionBoston, Washington, D.C., United StatesJeff Turrentine
President and CEO Gina McCarthy started out as a public health agent in small-town Massachusetts, rose to become head of the EPA under Obama, and now guides NRDC into its next chapter.

Fighting the Tide of Watered Down Justice

NRDC in ActionFlint, Michigan, Newark, New JerseyNicole Greenfield
Nearly three years after winning a $97 million legal settlement that required the city of Flint to replace its lead water service lines, NRDC is still on the ground holding officials accountable, and using similar tactics as we demand clean…

What Can We Do to Fix the Drinking Water Problem in America?

ExplainerUnited States, Flint, Newark, Michigan, New Jersey
Seth Siegel, author of the new book “Troubled Water: What’s Wrong with What We Drink,” says we must change people’s mind-sets and get to the root of the issue to ensure safe drinking water for everyone.

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

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.

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).

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.

The Battered Belugas of Cook Inlet

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

What We Learned from the BP Oil Disaster

ExplainerUnited States, LouisianaPatrick Rogers
The resulting loss to life, livelihoods, and the environment hasn't slowed offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. But it should.

The Long Road to Safer School Buses

NRDC in ActionWashington, California, New Jersey, TexasAmanda MacMillan
A landmark NRDC study showed that standard-issue diesel-spewing school buses could put kids at risk of cancer—and drove a national effort to clean the vehicles up.

Why Are Our Waters Turning Green?

NRDC in ActionLouisiana, Toledo, Ohio, Des Moines, IowaNicole Greenfield
Toxic algal blooms are suffocating waterways from the Gulf of Mexico to Lake Erie.