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.

New CA Lawn Sprinkler Standards = Huge Water & Energy Savings

Expert BlogCaliforniaEd Osann

California officials have adopted one of the most important and consequential water-saving measures ever implemented by any state, establishing an efficiency standard for new spray sprinklers that will reduce irrigation system misting and overspray that is common around urban landscapes.

Keeping Water Demand in Check

Expert BlogUnited States, California, Los AngelesEd Osann

A new tool is shedding light on a growing mismatch between the supply and demand of fresh water.

California Moves to Make Paying for EV Charging Easier

Expert BlogCaliforniaMiles Muller

California recently approved regulations for public charging stations to ensure people can pay for charging as easily as they pay for gasoline. However, a bill moving through the California Legislature would unwind those regulations, making charging less accessible and less…

CA's $1 Billion for Efficiency Now Open to Electrification

Expert BlogCaliforniaMerrian Borgeson

The California Public Utilities Commission unanimously voted to update an efficiency policy to allow access to funding if an appliance saves energy and reduces air pollution, regardless of the technology.

Midwest Floods May Lead Illinois to New Solutions

Expert BlogUnited States, IllinoisRob Moore

The Midwest floods of 2019 have caused hardship and loss but, Illinois has not seen much in the way of damages. Part of the reason is because Illinois has strong floodplain management regulations, something Governor Pritzker is expected to keep…

How to Do High Road Infrastructure: 10 Lessons from L.A.

Expert BlogLos AngelesDouglass Sims

In honor Infrastructure Week, guest blogger Dena Belzer, CEO of Strategic Economics reports out on her conversation with Cris Liban of LA Metro, on lessons learned for planning, designing, building and operating High Road infrastructure.

Will China Save the Planet?

NRDC in ActionBeijing, ChinaNicole Greenfield
Barbara Finamore, NRDC’s senior strategic director for Asia, witnessed the birth of China’s clean energy movement. Her new book considers its future.

IPCC 1.5°C Report: A Call to Transform Our Energy System

Expert BlogInternational, United States, ChinaHan Chen

The IPCC Special Report on 1.5C calls for immediate reductions in coal, oil and gas to avoid lockin-in high-carbon infrastructure, and calls for a rapid scaling up of renewable energy.

Saving Science in the Age of Trump

NRDC in ActionWashington, D.C., CaliforniaNicole Greenfield
The current administration’s suppression of data and information is unprecedented. But so are NRDC’s efforts to combat it.

Why Women Rule NRDC’s Science Center

NRDC in ActionSan Francisco, Washington, D.C., New York City, Ahmedabad, India, United StatesJenny Shalant
And why female leaders tend to be more attuned to issues of environmental equity.

Docking Diesel Pollution

NRDC in ActionLos Angeles, California, Long BeachNicole Greenfield
How NRDC is protecting the health of communities by helping clear the air at some of the world’s busiest ports.

The Long Road to Safer School Buses

NRDC in ActionWashington, California, New Jersey, TexasAmanda MacMillan
A landmark NRDC study showed that standard-issue diesel-spewing school buses could put kids at risk of cancer—and drove a national effort to clean the vehicles up.

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.

Our Man in Chicago

NRDC in ActionChicago, MidwestEmily Voigt
Henry Henderson knows that achieving energy independence and creating new jobs go hand-in-hand.