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.

The Desire to Stop Canadian Tar Sands Transcends Borders

NRDC in ActionAlberta, Canada, Nebraska, Chicago, IllinoisNicole Greenfield
For more than a decade, NRDC has worked with indigenous communities in Alberta, U.S.-based grassroots groups, and intergovernmental bodies to halt the expansion of dirty tar sands oil.

Will China Save the Planet?

NRDC in ActionBeijing, ChinaNicole Greenfield
Barbara Finamore, NRDC’s senior strategic director for Asia, witnessed the birth of China’s clean energy movement. Her new book considers its future.

Getting an Energy Efficiency Boost in Georgia

Expert BlogGeorgiaLamisa Chowdhury
Building owners—with a leg up from enlightened power companies—can make a difference in their residents’ health and quality of life through energy efficiency upgrades, especially when it comes to multifamily affordable housing.

This Is How We Stand Up to Trump

NRDC in ActionUnited States, Washington, D.C., Utah, Michigan, CaliforniaNicole Greenfield
Meet a handful of the NRDC staffers who resisted Trump’s attacks and defended our environment in 2017—and who won’t stop fighting anytime soon.

Keeping a Close Watch on China’s Climate Transition

NRDC in ActionBeijing, Shanghai, ChinaJeff Turrentine
JingJing Qian, senior strategic advisor for NRDC’s China program, is bearing witness to some truly remarkable changes taking place in her home country. She’s also helping to make those changes happen.

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.

Still No Approved Route for KXL in Nebraska

ExplainerUnited States, NebraskaBrian Palmer
Yes, Trump has green-lighted the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. But Nebraska’s got a slew of public hearings on the calendar, and legal challenges loom large.

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).

Status Check for African Elephants

ExplainerUnited States, Africa
Vulnerable here, endangered there, threatened over yonder. What do all these classification systems mean for the future of our largest living land animals?

The Petcoke Problem: Where to Store the Risky Tar Sands Refining By-Product

ExplainerUnited States, Canada, Chicago, Detroit, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Virginia
Petroleum coke, typically stored outdoors in big open piles, can blow right into nearby homes and cause serious health problems. Unsurprisingly, communities are fighting Big Oil to keep this noxious material out of their backyards.

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.

NRDC's Commitment to Green Starts with Its Offices

NRDC in ActionNew York City, Chicago, Santa Monica, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, BeijingMelissa Denchak
Each one of our six workplaces in the United States and China is a model of earth-friendly design.

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.

Save the Sage Grouse, Save the West

NRDC in ActionMontana, WyomingVirginia Sole-Smith
Why our success in saving the greater sage grouse is key to preserving millions of acres of habitat and hundreds of other species across the American West.

Killing KXL

NRDC in ActionCanada, Nebraska, Washington, D.C., United States
How an unlikely coalition of environmental activists stopped the destructive tar sands oil pipeline.