News & Commentary

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Explainer

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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.

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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 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.

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.

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 We Learned from the BP Oil Disaster

ExplainerUnited States, LouisianaPatrick Rogers
The resulting loss to life, livelihoods, and the environment hasn't slowed offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. But it should.

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?

Hold the Applause

Latest NewsArcticBrian Palmer
Shell has left the Arctic for now, but the region isn’t safe from oil drills until the president locks the door.

Kotzebue Calling

DispatchAlaska, ArcticBruce Barcott
President Obama’s trip to the Arctic will reveal some cold, hard truths about the fossil-fuel industry’s impact on Alaskans.

Not-So-Vacant Lots

DispatchNew Orleans, LouisianaAlisa Opar
From birds to trees to rats, post-Katrina New Orleans is a study in “disaster ecology.”

Northward Ho!

Latest NewsArctic, AlaskaAlisa Opar
Obama is headed to the Arctic. Here are five things the president should put on his must-do-in-Alaska list.

Bringing the Noise

Latest NewsArcticAlisa Opar
How will Shell’s Arctic drilling affect marine mammals in the Chukchi Sea?

Gone Fishing

PerspectivesLouisianaSarah Craig, Rocky Kistner
Come to the best sportfishing resort in the bayou (if only the trout would start biting again).

Empty Nests

PerspectivesLouisianaSarah Craig, Rocky Kistner
A Louisiana oysterman wants to pass on his trade to his grandkids—if only there were any oysters left to catch.

A Recurring Nightmare

PerspectivesLouisianaSarah Craig, Rocky Kistner
After a decade of catastrophes—Katrina, BP—this family is saying good-bye to a beloved bayou home.