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.

Black Walden Came First. Thoreau, After.

DispatchMassachusettsCourtney Lindwall
A little-known community of formerly enslaved Black residents in Concord, Massachusetts, took up home in Walden Woods long before Henry David Thoreau arrived. Today, local activists are working to ensure the stories of Black Walden stay alive.

Food Systems Analyst

NRDC in ActionBaltimore, Nashville, Denver, Maryland, Tennessee, ColoradoJeff Turrentine
Andrea Spacht Collins is working to minimize food waste by changing the way we think about what we eat—and what we don’t eat, where it comes from, and where it ends up.

Defender of Energy Efficiency—and Equity

NRDC in ActionGeorgia, Detroit, Michigan, Baltimore, Maryland, Norfolk, VirginiaKeith Mulvihill
Dawone Robinson, regional director of NRDC’s Energy Efficiency for All Project, works to create opportunities for low-income communities of color to save energy and money.

A Fearless Defender for Our Future

NRDC in ActionBoston, Washington, D.C., United StatesJeff Turrentine
President and CEO Gina McCarthy started out as a public health agent in small-town Massachusetts, rose to become head of the EPA under Obama, and now guides NRDC into its next chapter.

A Roadmap for Frontline Communities

NRDC in ActionWashington, D.C., United StatesJeff Turrentine
To address the growing climate impacts on low-income people and communities of color, NRDC signed on to a historic platform that seeks to create a future that benefits all.

America’s Dairyland May Have a PFAS Problem

DispatchMidwest, Wisconsin, MaineSusan Cosier
The toxic chemicals have been showing up in milk around the country, prompting midwestern farmers to take a closer look at their land.

From Farms to Dollar Stores, One Woman’s Fight for Justice

DispatchAlbuquerque, New MexicoNicole Greenfield
In her long history as a community organizer and environmental justice activist, Helga Garza has advocated for clean water and nontoxic toys. Her current mission: making fresh, local produce accessible.

Could the Climate Crisis Spell the End for Maine Lobster?

DispatchMaineNicole Greenfield
The state’s thriving lobster industry owes a lot to smart fishery conservation measures implemented over the past three decades. But given the Gulf of Maine’s rapid warming, how far can these interventions go?

Justice Warrior on the Affordable Energy Front

NRDC in ActionVirginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New YorkKaren L. Smith-Janssen
Dawone Robinson is righting the inequities that low-income communities of color face in accessing the benefits of energy efficiency—like more comfortable homes and lower energy bills, for starters.

Albuquerque Is Wiring Up Millennials to Work With the Sun

DispatchAlbuquerque, New MexicoBecca Cudmore
With its plan to source all city energy needs from renewable power by 2022, Albuquerque, a winner of the Bloomberg American Cities Climate Challenge, is also jump-starting its solar workforce.

Could These Country Roads Be Toxic to Kids?

DispatchIowaSusan Cosier
A county in eastern Iowa has been replacing gravel with slag, a steel industry byproduct. It’s hard, sharp, and potentially a public health concern.