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Culver City Votes to Phase Out Oil Drilling

Expert BlogCaliforniaDamon Nagami

The Culver City Council voted 4-1 last Thursday night to phase out oil drilling within its portion of the Inglewood Oil Field. This vote was a bold and unprecedented step that residents and advocates have been pushing toward for many…

Washington State Amps Up Controls on HFC Emissions

Expert BlogWashingtonChristina Theodoridi

Ambitious new law in Washington sets a maximum limit—or, global warming potential (GWP), threshold on the HFCs used in stationary air conditioning and refrigeration, and mandates that a refrigerant management program be created to combat HFC releases from large existing…

Victory in California

Expert BlogCalifornia, Chicago, IllinoisLauren P. Phillips
A court rules that California must stop exempting metal shredding facilities from hazardous waste laws, clearing a path to finally protect California communities from metal shredder pollution.

Stressed by Heat, Farmworkers Deserve Federal Protections

Expert BlogCalifornia, Washington, MinnesotaTeniope Adewumi-Gunn
Unprotected from many basic workplace rights and in the face of a growing climate crisis that threatens their well-being, farmworkers deserve federal safeguards from extreme heat and its dangerous effects.

Chance for a More Resilient and Equitable Food System in CA

Expert BlogCaliforniaLena Brook, Arohi Sharma
With AB 125, California has an opportunity to reshape our food and farming system to help protect workers in fields, kitchens, and grocery stores while providing our most vulnerable communities improved access to healthy, sustainably produced food.

Building for “a Climate Damn Emergency”

Expert BlogCaliforniaPierre Delforge
The California Energy Commission is working on its 2022 update to the state building code, which encourages all-electric new construction. NRDC and a broad coalition supports the CEC's direction, but asks it to go further to help fight the climate…

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…

A Tale of Two Grids: Texas and California

Expert BlogCalifornia, TexasRalph Cavanagh

Although both California and Texas recently faced traumatic weather events, the consequences for electric system reliability were dramatically different. 

Taking the Gloves Off in California Battle Over Oil

Expert BlogCaliforniaAnn Alexander

Armed with millions of dollars to pay lobbyists and a well-oiled astroturf machine to create the illusion of public support, the state's oil industry has successfully leaned on the state’s legislators to stay away from any meaningful reform efforts.

Cities Are Leading the Way: 2020 Wins & Look Ahead

Expert BlogUnited States, Charlotte, Honolulu, Pittsburgh, St. LouisJay Orfield, Kimi Narita
Cities made tremendous progress in their climate challenge goals throughout a difficult 2020. Now, cities are eyeing all that is possible in the new year.

Los Angeles Edges Closer to Phasing Out Urban Oil Drilling

Expert BlogLos AngelesDamon Nagami
The Los Angeles City Council’s Energy, Climate Change, and Environmental Justice Committee earlier this month voted unanimously to pass a motion to pursue a citywide phase-out of oil drilling.

A Catalyst for the Midwest’s Clean Energy Transition

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.

Biofuel Conversions: A Chance to Model Just Transition

Expert BlogCalifornia, United StatesAnn Alexander
While decommissioning of crude refining is both necessary and inevitable as California state moves toward clean energy, there is a right way and a wrong way for a transition like that to happen.

No More Climate Money for Fossil-Fueled Affordable Housing

Expert BlogCaliforniaMerrian Borgeson
It is time to end public investment in new buildings that burn fossil fuels for heating and cooking, locking residents into decades of pollution and undermining California’s climate progress.