News & Commentary

That Summer When Climate Change Baked Alaska

August 9, 2019 DispatchAlaskaJeff Turrentine

An Anchorage-based wildlife biologist describes what life is like in our northernmost state—one that’s been dramatically altered by rising temperatures.

As Temperatures Soar in India, One City’s Efforts Are Saving Lives

July 23, 2019 NRDC in ActionAhmedabad, Hyderabad, New Delhi, IndiaNicole Greenfield

The western city of Ahmedabad is preparing residents to cope with the longer and more intense heat waves sweeping across South Asia—and inspiring other Indian cities and states to follow suit.

Hawaii Stands Up for Its Sharks With Fishing Ban

April 24, 2019 DispatchHawaiiStarre Vartan

The Aloha State is on track to become the first in the nation to ban shark fishing outright, creating a critical safe harbor for these threatened animals.

A Journey Through the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

March 22, 2019 DispatchArctic, AlaskaClara Chaisson

One of the world’s last pristine wild places is on the front lines of climate change—and threatened by fossil fuel development. These photos speak to why we must fight both.

From Egyptian Tombs to Toxic Corn, There’s More to Environmental Art Than What You See

March 5, 2019 PerspectivesMainePatrick Rogers

A sweeping exhibition of 2,000 years of artworks at Bowdoin College in Maine challenges viewers to reconsider the relationship between art and nature.

Army Corps Releases a Slapdash Environmental Review of Alaska’s Pebble Mine

March 1, 2019 Latest NewsAlaskaCourtney Lindwall

But the proposed gold and copper mine’s catastrophic threats to the waterways, salmon, and people of Bristol Bay haven’t changed.

We Made It Only Two Days Into the New Year Before a Species Went Extinct

January 24, 2019 Latest NewsHawaiiJason Bittel

Hawaiians will never again hear the song of George the Snail. The fate of Achatinella apexfulva is a cautionary tale of decorative gardens, imported cannibals, and snail sex (or lack thereof).

Minnesotans, It’s Your Turn to Stop the Flow of Tar Sands Oil

January 8, 2019 DispatchMinnesotaSusan Cosier

The Line 3 pipeline project has kept a low profile, but the stakes couldn’t be higher for the indigenous communities it threatens—and our climate.

A Tribe in Northern Minnesota Shows the Country How to Do Community Solar

December 12, 2018 DispatchMinnesotaSusan Cosier

Photovoltaic panels on the Leech Lake reservation are generating clean power—and revenue to help those who need it most.

Facing Down the Ivory Sellers, Pangolin Poachers, and Giraffe Traders

December 10, 2018 NRDC in ActionNew York, California, Hawaii, United States, ChinaNicole Greenfield

Elly Pepper, deputy director of NRDC’s Wildlife Trade Initiative, says there’s much that U.S. advocates can do to end the illegal marketplaces endangering animals across the globe.

When We Talk About Wolves, We Talk About People

November 1, 2018 Expert BlogMinnesotaDr. Jennifer Sherry

Separating our human-human conflicts from wolves and placing value on wolves interacting in nature as part of a larger ecosystem is perhaps the most ethical approach we can take in navigating the human-wolf relationship.

These Alaska Residents Are Watching Their Hometowns Slide Into Rising Waters

October 29, 2018 DispatchAlaskaAlisa Opar

At least 31 villages now face imminent threats from climate change and may have to relocate, at a cost of as much as $200 million each.

Just How Bad Was Hawaii’s Volcanic Eruption for Sea Turtles?

August 24, 2018 Latest NewsHawaiiJason Bittel

A video showing a sea turtle trapped by lava went viral. Now experts weigh in on the eruption’s potential impact on the endangered animals.

Good News for These Hawaiian Dolphins (That Look an Awful Lot Like Orcas)

August 8, 2018 Latest NewsHawaiiCourtney Lindwall

After years of fighting to protect their habitat, we did it! Hawaii’s false killer whales now have a chance to come back from the brink.

With Its New Sunscreen Law, Hawaii Aims to Set a Gold Standard for the World to Follow

July 5, 2018 DispatchHawaiiD. W. Gibson

On the heels of the longest coral bleaching event on record, Hawaii hopes that banning a chemical culprit in sunscreen will help save its reefs.

Race to Reduce Launched to Energize Saint Paul

June 12, 2018 Expert BlogMinnesotaKatharine McCormick

Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter has kicked off an energy efficiency challenge directed at the city’s largest buildings. Through the program, dubbed the “Race to Reduce,” buildings will be invited to join a cohort that will collectively strive to streamline…

A Village in Ecuador’s Amazon Fights for Life as Oil Wells Move In

April 4, 2018 DispatchEcuadorPeter Korn

Ecuador’s Yasuní National Park is home to indigenous people who live in near-total isolation from the rest of the world—and wish to remain that way

Like Wind Before It, Minnesota’s Solar Industry Is Booming

March 26, 2018 DispatchMinnesotaSusan Cosier

Rapid development and strong support in the state may help projects all across the country.

Alaska's Previously Defeated Pebble Mine Project Has a New Investor

February 23, 2018 Latest NewsAlaskaCourtney Lindwall

The proposed mine, resurrected by EPA administrator Scott Pruitt last year, now has financial backing from Canada's First Quantum Minerals.

Controversial New Pipelines May Slice Through the Southeast

January 16, 2018 DispatchVirginia, West Virginia, North CarolinaRobynne Boyd

The Atlantic Coast Pipeline—and the Mountain Valley Pipeline, with a similar path—could tear up land and negatively impact people throughout Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina.