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.

A Veteran of Uphill Battles

NRDC in ActionWashington, D.C., United States, CanadaJordan Davidson
NRDC’s chief program officer, Susan Casey-Lefkowitz, knows that resistance takes persistence—and a lot of collaboration.

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).

Before Flint, Before East Chicago, There Was Smeltertown

DispatchFlint, Indiana, Texas, NewarkLauren Villagran
After a 1970s CDC study showed that the mostly Mexican-American population of this Texas town had dangerously high blood lead levels, its buildings were demolished and its residents were booted.

Why Build a Seawall When You Can Plant Some Grass?

DispatchAlabamaRobynne Boyd
As the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers considers including “living shorelines” among its preferred erosion controls, Alabama is already leading the way to healthier coasts.

California’s Last Nuclear Power Plant

Expert BlogCaliforniaRhea Suh

A plan to replace the state’s aging Diablo Canyon reactor with clean energy can be a model for fighting climate change across the country.

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.

Greening the Playing Fields

NRDC in ActionPhiladelphia, Seattle, San Francisco, Portland (Oregon), BostonAmanda MacMillan
How the sports industry became one of the planet's most powerful allies.

Healing the Anacostia's Troubled Waters

NRDC in ActionWashington, D.C., MarylandJeff Turrentine
After two centuries of neglect, NRDC is helping revitalize Washington, D.C.'s forgotten river.

The Fight Against Flame Retardants

NRDC in ActionCaliforniaAlexandra Zissu
Thanks to a long-overdue regulatory update and a new labeling law, shoppers can finally find safer furniture.

How California Will Weather Drought

ExplainerCalifornia, United States, West
Researchers outline four key actions the Golden State must take to ensure there's enough water to go around.

California Coast Guard

NRDC in ActionCaliforniaKim Castleberry
Find out how NRDC helped the Golden State protect its oceanfront and all the plants and animals that call it home.

Slip-sliding Away

Latest NewsCaliforniaAlisa Opar
Heavy El Niño rains could trigger mudslides in California this winter. These scientists are trying to figure out the whens and wheres.