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.

Delta Voluntary Agreements Are a “Plan to Fail” in Droughts

Expert BlogCaliforniaDoug Obegi
Rather than planning for droughts and ensuring that minimum water quality objectives are achieved in critically dry years, the proposed voluntary agreement appears to be a “plan to fail” to protect the Delta in future droughts.

Bay-Delta VA: A Sweetheart Deal to Subsidize Agribusiness

Expert BlogCaliforniaDoug Obegi
It’s not surprising, given who was in the room negotiating this backroom deal, that the VAs are a sweetheart deal that would subsidize the mitigation obligations of the state’s largest irrigation districts and industrial agribusinesses, undermining the Public Trust.

Let’s Help More California Farms Become Organic

Expert BlogCaliforniaLena Brook
The California Department of Food and Agriculture, along with the Office of the First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, recently released a roadmap for our state’s new and ambitious Farm to School Program.

New CA Program Can Deliver Organic School Lunches

Expert BlogCaliforniaLena Brook

By prioritizing procurement from organic farmers that avoid all or most pesticide use, our state’s farm-to-school program will also help reduce health risks faced by these especially vulnerable children. 

Will CA Finally End Subsidies for New Gas Connections?

Expert BlogCaliforniaKiki Velez, Merrian Borgeson

California is well overdue to cut the more than $100 million in annual subsidies for new gas connections to homes and buildings, which is currently under consideration at the Public Utilities Commission. 

Proposed Newsom Budget Doubles Down on Climate, Food, and Ag

Expert BlogCaliforniaLena Brook, Arohi Sharma
Governor Newsom’s newly released proposal rightfully recognizes the profound impact of climate change on our state’s food and agriculture system and the need for significant investment.

California Reps. Hold Fossil Fuel Industry to Account

Expert BlogCaliforniaValerie Cleland

House Democrats are working to hold the oil and gas industry accountable for its harm to the environment and public health. Over the last ten days, they’ve held a committee markup, a hearing, and a field hearing.

House Committee Hears Testimony on California Oil Spill

Expert BlogUnited States, CaliforniaLauren Kubiak

The only way to prevent future spills is to stop issuing new leases and ramp down offshore oil production. Every offshore spill begins with an oil or gas lease.

California Oil Disaster Brings New Urgency to Calls to Ban Drilling

Expert BlogCalifornia, United StatesValerie Cleland

We have to transition away from fossil fuels. That’s why it’s essential that Congress pass budget reconciliation with offshore drilling provisions—and enact President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda.

The Chlorpyrifos Ban Is a Win for Science—and Children

NRDC in ActionCaliforniaNicole Greenfield
NRDC advocates and our partners spent decades fighting against a highly toxic pesticide that harms kids, farmworkers, and their families. In August, the EPA finally banned it.