News & Commentary

America’s Dairyland May Have a PFAS Problem

October 11, 2019 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.

The Ohio River Defines the Borders of Five States—But Its Pollution Doesn’t Stop at State Lines

August 21, 2019 DispatchPennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, IllinoisSusan Cosier

In a move that could open the door to industrial waste and interstate squabbles, the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission is making its water quality standards voluntary.

Latin America Can Be a Climate Leader with Better Land Use

August 21, 2019 Expert BlogBrazil, Chile, Mexico, ColombiaCarolina Herrera

One climate priority where Latin America can and must make critical progress and show leadership is land use.

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.

Could These Country Roads Be Toxic to Kids?

April 9, 2019 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.

How the Dairy Industry Is Fouling the Drinking Water of These Wisconsinites

March 6, 2019 DispatchWisconsinAustyn Gaffney

With the manure of one mega-dairy already contaminating the water supply and another operation on the drawing board, Central Sands residents have had enough.

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).

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.

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.

The Gulf of Mexico Is Sending Out an S.O.S.—a Message in a Plastic Bottle

June 4, 2018 DispatchKansas, Louisiana, MississippiRobynne Boyd

Thanks to the Mississippi River’s trash stream, the Gulf has some of the highest concentrations of plastic in the world.

The Impact a Wisconsin LCD Plant May Have on the Great Lakes Is Not Crystal Clear

April 23, 2018 DispatchWisconsinSusan Cosier

We know Foxconn wants to take water from Lake Michigan, but what might it leave behind?

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.

When a Rare Jaguar Attack Becomes a Conservation Opportunity

August 11, 2017 DispatchColombia, InternationalJason Bittel

Peaceful coexistence will be the key to a wildlife corridor for jaguars spanning 10 countries across the Americas.

Farms on the Fringe: New Takes on America’s Farming Tradition

August 1, 2017 DispatchCalifornia, Colorado, Iowa, New York, Kentucky, New MexicoTracie McMillan

These six farmers have found innovative ways to grow plants in today’s climate, whether in corn country or coal country, with fish tanks or smartphones.

State Legislators Say Iowa Has Achieved Sustainable Farming (It Hasn’t) and Doesn’t Need More Research (It Does)

July 17, 2017 DispatchIowaSusan Cosier

The state’s lawmakers have cut funding for the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, leaving rural farmers in the lurch.

Why America’s Wild Turkeys Are Thankful for Cannons (Yes, Cannons)

November 23, 2016 ExplainerUnited States, South Carolina, CharlestonJason Bittel

This is one of our country’s greatest conservation success stories.

Manure Is Spilling and Seeping into Wisconsin’s Waterways and Wells

November 17, 2016 DispatchWisconsinSusan Cosier

As the state’s dairy farms get bigger, cow poop is polluting Lake Michigan and people’s drinking water.

The Petcoke Problem: Where to Store the Risky Tar Sands Refining By-Product

November 1, 2016 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.