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.

Crushing Alaska’s Pebble Mine

NRDC in ActionAlaskaNicole Greenfield, Jeff Turrentine
The EPA’s decision to veto the project is fantastic news—but the fight to save Bristol Bay isn’t over yet.

Canada’s Boreal Forest: Why It’s So Important

ExplainerCanada
Protecting the boreal is not only about saving trees and wildlife, says NRDC’s Jennifer Skene. It’s also about the people who’ve been living on the land for millennia and the urgent fight against climate change.

A Translator for the Climate Crisis, Grief Included

NRDC in ActionNew York City, New York, Birmingham, AlabamaKaren L. Smith-Janssen
Writer, editor, teacher, and podcast host Mary Annaïse Heglar uses the art of storytelling to help people feel less alone in facing the climate crisis—and to build the movement for climate justice.

This Is How We Stand Up to Trump

NRDC in ActionUnited States, Washington, D.C., Utah, Michigan, CaliforniaNicole Greenfield
Meet a handful of the NRDC staffers who resisted Trump’s attacks and defended our environment in 2017—and who won’t stop fighting anytime soon.

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.

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.

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.

Reducing the Nuclear Threat

NRDC in ActionPennsylvaniaMelissa Denchak
Since the 1970s, NRDC has been fighting to protect the earth—and its citizens—from the serious risks that come with nuclear power.

The Battered Belugas of Cook Inlet

NRDC in ActionAlaskaNicole Greenfield
Only a few hundred beluga whales remain in Alaska’s Cook Inlet, and they’re facing threats from every direction.

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?

6 Cities That Are Ready for Climate Change

ExplainerNew York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, Portland (Oregon), San AntonioKim Castleberry
By embracing green infrastructure, these urban areas have a solid defense against increased drought or flood.