News & Commentary

Bad News: CVP and SWP Plan to Drain CA’s Largest Reservoirs

March 1, 2021 Expert BlogCaliforniaDoug Obegi

This would kill most or nearly all the endangered winter-run Chinook salmon this year and threaten the state’s resilience to continued dry conditions.

Texas Shows Us Our Water Future with Climate Change: It Ain’t Pretty

February 26, 2021 Expert BlogTexasErik D. Olson

Texas was just a glimpse of what’s to come. With increasing wildfires, drought, flooding, and sea-level rise, we must make sure our water systems can continue to operate during such events.

Fracking Banned in the Delaware River Basin!

February 25, 2021 Expert BlogNew York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, DelawareMarisa Guerrero, Kimberly Ong

The historic vote, made today by the Delaware River Basin Commission, signals a strong stance in favor of a fossil fuel–free future.

"We Are the Same as the Salmon": A Story of Suffering and Perseverance

December 17, 2020 DispatchWyoming, Idaho, Oregon, WashingtonNicole Greenfield

Thirty years ago, the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes led the effort to save Snake River sockeye salmon from extinction. Today, they’re still fighting for the fish’s survival—along with their own.

Why Florida Needs an Offshore Drilling Ban—One That’s Permanent

December 9, 2020 DispatchFloridaRobynne Boyd

While the state can take solace in the recent moratorium extension, its waters are still at risk from the devastating impacts of seismic testing.

Systems Based Ag Solutions Required for Systemic Ag Problems

October 29, 2020 Expert BlogCaliforniaArohi Sharma, Lena Brook

Now is the time for reimagining what our natural and working lands, and broader food and agricultural economy, looks like.

Nature Thrives with Diversity; California's Food Systems Can, Too

October 22, 2020 Expert BlogCaliforniaArohi Sharma

Our decisionmakers need to think long-term and tie economic recovery with support for our small- and mid-sized farmers, our essential workers, and climate-smart agriculture programs.

Local Leaders Are Failing to Protect L.A.’s Water

October 20, 2020 Expert BlogLos AngelesCorinne Bell

Every day, an estimated 100 million gallons of runoff contaminated with various pollutants flows through L.A.’s massive storm drain system to foul our rivers, creeks and, ultimately, our coastal waters.

Mussels Help Keep Watch on Pollution in Puget Sound

August 20, 2020 DispatchWashingtonStarre Vartan

The humble bivalves, which concentrate everything from heavy metals to cancer drugs in their tissues, provide an ideal way for scientists to monitor nearshore water health.

The Entrepreneurs Transforming Scraps Into a Fashion Statement

August 18, 2020 DispatchNew York CityLauren Evans

A new generation of designers and resource specialists is springing up around the textile waste created by the fashion industry—and taking it to market.

NYS to Cut PFOA/PFOS "Forever Chemicals" from Drinking Water

July 30, 2020 Expert BlogNew York, United StatesEric A. Goldstein

Public water suppliers across New York State will be required to test for and ultimately slash harmful levels of the synthetic organic chemicals PFOA and PFOS in drinking water, according to new rules just adopted by State Health officials.

Our Rivers Too Dam Hot for Salmon

July 29, 2020 Expert BlogWest, United StatesGiulia C.S. Good Stefani

Salmon need cool river temperatures to complete their migrations home.

EPA Tries to Sign Away Authority to Regulate Water-Polluting Uranium Mining

July 23, 2020 Expert BlogWest, United StatesNRDC

Every single instance of uranium mining leads to the contamination of the surrounding aquifer. Yet the agency is leaving the industry virtually unchecked.

New York State Assembly Passes Ban on Toxic Teflon Chemicals in Food Packaging

July 23, 2020 Latest NewsNew YorkCourtney Lindwall

Most Americans already have detectable levels of PFAS in their blood. Prevention through protections like these are key.

More Work Ahead to Protect California from Toxic Pesticides

July 21, 2020 Expert BlogCaliforniaAllison Johnson, Miriam Rotkin-Ellman

The state's Department of Pesticide Regulation and Department of Food and Agriculture must end the use of toxic pesticides and invest in diversified organic and regenerative agriculture.

In Landmark Victory for Indigenous Communities, Dakota Access Pipeline Ordered to Shut Down

July 7, 2020 Expert BlogNorth Dakota, South Dakota, IowaNRDC

The dangerous crude oil pipeline threatened the water supplies and ways of life for the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. The win underscores the power of dogged defense by Indigenous groups and conservationists, as well as the importance of the National…

Developers Abandon the Atlantic Coast Pipeline for Good

July 6, 2020 Expert BlogWest Virginia, Virginia, North CarolinaNRDC

The decision is a landmark win for those who saw the polluting project as a threat to waterways, wildlife, the climate, and vulnerable communities.

Three Lessons Learned from the Axed Atlantic Coast Pipeline

July 6, 2020 Expert BlogVirginia, West Virginia, North CarolinaGillian Giannetti

This is a significant and long-overdue victory for the landowners, community leaders, countless people across three states, and environmental advocates who have fought this project for years.

California-Chile Water Nexus 1: Urban Drought Solutions

June 30, 2020 Expert BlogCaliforniaAmanda Maxwell, Tracy Quinn

Though the two places are separated by thousands of miles, a quick glance at California and central Chile reveals striking similarities. Both share a long Pacific coastline, large agriculture economies, and similar Mediterranean climates perfect for wine growing, leading to…

Alabama’s Waterways, Wildlife, and Recreation Are Up a Creek with Trump’s “Dirty Water Rule”

June 29, 2020 DispatchAlabamaRobynne Boyd

The rollback jeopardizes the streams that flow into the state’s rivers, lakes, and bays, millions of acres of wetlands across the country, and the drinking water supply.