News & Commentary

FEMA to Release a Flood of Insurance Data

June 6, 2019 Expert BlogAnna Weber

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will publicly release 50 million records from the National Flood Insurance Program.

World Environment Day: Confronting the Climate Crisis

June 5, 2019 Expert BlogAnjali Jaiswal, Dr. Kim Knowlton, Dr. Vijay Limaye

NRDC works with partners in India to strengthen and scale climate resilience.

Disaster Zones Solar Panel Exemption Would Hurt Homeowners

June 4, 2019 Expert BlogPierre Delforge

During workshops on rebuilding in Paradise, community members overwhelmingly expressed support for adhering to current building standards that require solar panels on most new homes. As well they might – rooftop solar is a cost-effective tool for creating safer, more…

Expanding Resilience to Fight Brutal Heat Across India

June 3, 2019 Expert BlogAnjali Jaiswal, Dr. Kim Knowlton, Dr. Vijay Limaye

Brutally hot weather is a major health threat in India and many other parts of the world because climate change is fueling more frequent, intense, and longer heat waves. In response to this mounting threat, cities and regions across India…

After Children Began Getting Sick by the Dozens, Parents Took a Hard Look at Their Town’s Toxic Legacy

May 30, 2019 DispatchIndiana, Massachusetts, North CarolinaSusan Cosier

The carcinogen TCE has been lurking in the ground beneath Franklin, Indiana, for decades. Now families are demanding answers.

Is National Heat Awareness Day 2019 Coming Too Late?

May 30, 2019 Expert BlogJuanita Constible

National weather safety campaigns need to keep pace with the reality of the nation's altered climate.

No More Poisons on Pets: The EPA Must Act

May 29, 2019 Expert BlogUnited StatesMiriam Rotkin-Ellman

The science shows that TCVP flea control products harm developing brains—yet the EPA is allowing them to stay on the market. So NRDC is taking the agency back to court.

Inaction on Climate Change Will Leave Us Lost at Sea

May 24, 2019 Expert BlogUnited StatesRhea Suh

New projections suggest sea level rise could exceed 6.5 feet by 2100. But we can halt that tide by stopping runaway carbon pollution.

EPA’s Proposal for Limiting Rocket Fuel in Drinking Water Is Dangerous to Public Health

May 24, 2019 Expert BlogNRDC

The toxic chemical perchlorate has already been detected in drinking water systems that serve millions of Americans.

Organic Farming Keeps Toxic Pesticides Off Our Plates

May 22, 2019 Expert BlogAllison Johnson

It’s not unusual for residues of toxic pesticides to be found on our food. Organic offers a safer option.

Is Climate Fiction a Subset of Science Fiction—or Something Else Entirely?

May 17, 2019 PerspectivesUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

A new novel imagines what life in Bangkok would be like if nearly half the city were underwater—which some experts say is a real possibility.

Opportunity Zones Can Assist Just & Equitable Transitions

May 16, 2019 Expert BlogUnited StatesJulia Prochnik, Roger Baneman

Opportunity zones can offer access to new streams of capital investment in communities experiencing job loss due to fossil fuel plant closures, enabling these communities to develop new businesses and employment opportunities.

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

May 15, 2019 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.

L.A. Takes a Fresh Look at Recycled Water

May 13, 2019 DispatchLos AngelesLauren Evans

Facing dwindling freshwater supplies, the city is ready to stop dumping millions of gallons into the Pacific—and to follow Orange County’s lead.

California to Ban Pesticide Toxic to Kids

May 8, 2019 Expert BlogMiriam Rotkin-Ellman

In a groundbreaking win for children in California—and across the United States—Governor Newsom’s administration started the process to ban the pesticide chlorpyrifos.

Cues from the Midwest Floods: Is Your Community Prepared?

May 7, 2019 Expert BlogJuanita Constible

As we think about the kind of future we want, we should be asking our elected officials this critical question: What are you doing to prepare for the present-day impacts of climate change?

Govs. Murphy and Cuomo: Block the Williams Pipeline

May 3, 2019 Expert BlogKimberly Ong

Pressure is building for New Jersey and New York State to block a controversial fracked gas pipeline known as the Northeast Supply Enhancement, or Williams, pipeline. NRDC sent comments to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Conservation, urging them to…

Chicago Riverwalk Flooding Is a Climate Change Reminder

May 2, 2019 Expert BlogJosh Mogerman

An important, if unintended, benefit of the Riverwalk is that it allows Chicagoans to see how one of the systems their city is built around has failed.

House Passes First Climate Bill in a Decade

May 2, 2019 Expert BlogNRDC

The Climate Action Now Act would ensure the United States makes good on its Paris Agreement promises.

Health Solutions a Major Theme of National Adaptation Forum

May 1, 2019 Expert BlogJuanita Constible

The cascading health impacts of climate change—and how to address them—were woven through last week's National Adaptation Forum in Madison, Wisconsin.