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.

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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.

Controversial New Pipelines May Slice Through the Southeast

DispatchVirginia, West Virginia, North CarolinaRobynne Boyd
The Atlantic Coast Pipeline—and the Mountain Valley Pipeline, with a similar path—could tear up land and negatively impact people throughout Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina.

Drilling for Tax Cuts: The Devastating Alaska Provision

Latest NewsAlaskaJeff Turrentine
Most Americans, including many congressional Republicans, are strongly opposed to oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. So why is it attached to the tax bill?

The Fight to Keep Oil and Gas Rigs Out of Our Waters. For Good.

NRDC in ActionAlaska, Florida, California, Washington, United StatesMelissa Denchak
NRDC played a key role in banning offshore drilling in the Arctic and Atlantic. Once again, it’s fighting to protect those oceans—and the rest of America’s waters.

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).

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.

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?