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.

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 South Is Keeping a Closer Eye on Coal Ash

DispatchSouth Carolina, North CarolinaRobynne Boyd
Thanks to concerned citizens, the coal industry is making progress on how it handles its combustion wastes, but the toxic slurry is still a threat to groundwater.

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.

A Whale of a Win

NRDC in ActionCalifornia, HawaiiNicole Greenfield
How we got the U.S. Navy to finally agree to stop conducting harmful sonar testing in sensitive whale migration and breeding areas.

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.

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.

Il Primo Piatto

DispatchAfricaClara Chaisson
As the bushmeat trade drives the Bioko drill monkey toward extinction, some West Africans are realizing these animals are worth more in the woods than on the plate.

The Dirty Fight Over Canadian Tar Sands Oil

NRDC in ActionCanada, United StatesMelissa Denchak
For more than a decade, we've fought to keep this filthy fossil fuel from being dredged up and piped through the United States.

Polar Bears’ Other Threat

ExplainerUnited States, CanadaAlexandra Zissu
It’s not just climate change that’s killing this iconic endangered species. Hunting is on the rise, too.

The Latin Quarter

ExplainerInternational, Brazil, Mexico, Costa Rica, Peru, Colombia, PanamaBrian Palmer
Latin America is key to addressing climate change at the Paris conference. Why doesn’t it get more attention?

The Maple Leaf Lag

Latest NewsCanadaJeff Turrentine
Under Justin Trudeau, Canada has a chance to make amends for a decade of climate inaction. But if it’s ever to catch up, it needs to start right now.