News & Commentary

Minnesota Advances to Become First Midwest Clean Cars State

May 7, 2021 Expert BlogMinnesotaDr. Simon Mui

The proposal to adopt a Clean Cars Minnesota program was given a greenlight today, which would mean Minnesota will become the first Midwest state to adopt a Clean Cars program to introduce more electric vehicles together with cleaner internal-combustion engine…

Idaho Legislature Defies Experts in Mad Dash to Kill Wolves

April 27, 2021 Expert BlogIdahoDr. Jennifer Sherry

The Idaho Legislature is fast tracking a bill to kill up to 90% of Idaho's wolves based on misinformed political rhetoric.

The Kansas Energy Story—and Opportunity

April 22, 2021 Expert BlogKansasGabrielle Habeeb, Ashok Gupta

Kansas may not be the first state that comes to mind when you think “renewable energy powerhouse”—but it has become one.

How Cities Are Centering Equity in Benchmarking Policies

April 20, 2021 Expert BlogDenver, Colorado, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Seattle, WashingtonCaroline Keicher

A new resource from the City Energy Project—Incorporating Equity into Energy Benchmarking Requirements: Guidance for Policy and Program Practitioners—helps cities understand the opportunity to leverage benchmarking and transparency policies to address racial and social equity.

NRDC's Statement on the Derek Chauvin Verdict

April 20, 2021 Expert BlogMinneapolis, MinnesotaNRDC

Today, a Minnesota jury found Derek Chauvin guilty of the murder of George Floyd, the man who cried out for his mother as Chauvin dug his knee into his neck until he couldn’t breathe.

Fighting Inequity with Solar Power

March 30, 2021 DispatchMinneapolis, St. PaulSusan Cosier

Minneapolis’s 4d program to boost energy efficiency and affordable housing in the city is kicking it up a notch.

Stressed by Heat, Farmworkers Deserve Federal Protections

March 26, 2021 Expert BlogCalifornia, Washington, MinnesotaTeniope Adewumi-Gunn

Unprotected from many basic workplace rights and in the face of a growing climate crisis that threatens their well-being, farmworkers deserve federal safeguards from extreme heat and its dangerous effects.

Spraying an Antibiotic on Citrus Groves Will Harm Worker Health

March 25, 2021 Expert BlogFloridaAllison Johnson

NRDC and our partners are suing to reverse the EPA’s dangerous decision to expand the use of medically important streptomycin as an unproven solution to citrus greening.

South Florida’s Dirty Secret Is Oil

March 18, 2021 Expert BlogFloridaAlison Kelly

As many city dwellers flee states with cold winters and expensive costs of living looking to quarantine in this paradise, there is a dirty little secret lurking in the Florida swamp—impending oil development.

The Celilo Wy'am Are Still Here

March 10, 2021 DispatchOregonNicole Greenfield

Matriarch Lana Jack continues a decades-long fight for federal recognition of her band—and the right to continue living on the lands of her ancestors.

MISO and SPP Can Benefit from a More Connected Grid

March 3, 2021 Expert BlogTexas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Kansas, MissouriToba Pearlman

Electric grids across the Midwest, South, and in Texas failed a key resilience test during last month’s winter storm, and one key conclusion is clear: The grids connected via transmission lines fared significantly better than those isolated and on their…

High-Road Clean Energy Jobs: The Key to Building Back Better

February 25, 2021 Expert BlogBoston, Charlotte, St. PaulMaria Stamas, Caroline Keicher

Forward-thinking cities should aim to build back better—and more inclusively—by supporting strategies for a more equitable and sustainable future.

Orlando's Tiny Green Home Reimagines Climate Change Outreach

February 9, 2021 Expert BlogUnited States, Florida, OrlandoEloisa Portillo-Morales

An innovative exhibit engages residents to fight climate change, alleviate stress on their aquifers, and divert waste streams from the landfill.

Performance Art Worthy of 2020—the Hottest Year on Record (Wrapping Up the Hottest Decade on Record)

January 14, 2021 PerspectivesFloridaClara Chaisson

Watch these wax sculptures melt under the Florida sun to reveal important messages about climate change.

Trump Administration Loosens Protection for Florida Wetlands

December 21, 2020 Expert BlogFloridaAlison Kelly

2020 is ending on a very low note for the environment in Florida, but there is still hope.

"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.

Trump's Eleventh Hour Attacks on America's Natural Treasures

December 14, 2020 Expert BlogUnited States, Utah, Alaska, Minnesota, Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada, New MexicoSharon Buccino

In his final days, President Trump is selling our public lands and waters to the highest bidder to dig, drill and mine.

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.

Lancet: What’s Needed to Protect Health from Climate & COVID

December 3, 2020 Expert BlogUnited States, LouisianaJuanita Constible

We need a holistic response to protect our health from the collision of climate change, COVID-19, and racial injustice.

A Catalyst for the Midwest’s Clean Energy Transition

December 1, 2020 NRDC in ActionKansas City (Kansas), St. Louis, Missouri, New York CityBrian Palmer

Ashok Gupta spent decades cleaning up New York’s grid and reducing its reliance on dirty fuels. Now he’s working to bring the clean energy future to the Midwest.