Expert Blog

NRDC Responds to COVID-19

This unprecedented public health crisis requires bold, equitable, and science-based action.

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NRDC

The Pandemic at Work

NRDC is answering this call alongside our partners, which include scientists, health experts, lawyers, and other supporters, as well as the low-income communities and communities of color that are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis.

Hundreds of thousands of people are sick; many have lost loved ones. The economic fallout has left tens of millions without jobs. Essential workers’ health is at risk. On top of it all, many families across the country living with polluted air and without access to clean water are more vulnerable to COVID-19. The paramount importance of social equity and environmental justice has been brought out into the spotlight.

NRDC—which has, for 50 years, fought for clean air, clean water, and healthy communities for all—will continue to be relentless in our defense of clean air and water protections both in and out of the courts.

No one, regardless of race, gender, income, or geographic location, should go without the needs of utility and housing services during the time of a global pandemic.

Alexis Cureton, California State Lead, Clean Energy and Equity, NRDC

Together with our partners, we’re calling on governors across the nation to declare a moratorium on water shutoffs during the crisis. We’re keeping an eye on which communities are hardest hit by the crisis and elevating these disparities in our advocacy. We’re working internationally to strengthen wildlife protections to prevent future pandemics. And we’re demanding that federal leaders provide stimulus packages to provide relief for people—not polluters—as well as smart investments in public health and environmental safeguards. Finally, we’re keeping a watchful eye on policy proposals to ensure that efforts to address the COVID-19 crisis today do not make the climate crisis worse tomorrow.

The world will move forward from COVID-19. When we do, we must set ourselves on a path built on equity, on science-based solutions and evidence-based decisions, and on international cooperation. Together, we will help build that path.

 

NRDC on COVID Stimulus Legislation

Americans Desperately Need Help. The Latest Coronavirus Stimulus Package Is a Good Start.

But future packages need to make sure that polluting industries aren’t treated with more deference than average citizens.

COVID 4 Stimulus Bill Must Recognize: Water Is Life

COVID response legislation should include provisions to protect public health; ensure protection of economically distressed people, communities, and water systems; and help provide jobs and economic stimulus for the flagging economy.

A worker standing between CSX coal cars at a coal shipping terminal in Newport News, Virginia on March 6, 1992.

Congress: Abandon Fossil Fuels, Not Fossil Fuel Workers

Here are five ways the economic stimulus can help fossil fuel workers and communities transition into new industries.

NRDC Letters to Congressional Leadership

3/20/20 NRDC Stimulus Letter to Congressional Leadership (PDF)

4/10/20 NRDC Stimulus Letter to Congressional Leadership (PDF)

3/23/2021 Equitable and Just National Climate Platform Letter to Congressional Leadership (PDF)

Learn More

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COVID-19 Has Exposed the Gross Exploitation of Meatpacking Workers

DispatchColoradoNicole Greenfield
The ongoing health and safety failures at the JBS meat-processing plant in Greeley, Colorado, highlight an industry-wide truth: It’s production over people, even in a deadly pandemic.

These NRDC Experts Show Us How We Can Slow the Spread of Zoonotic Diseases

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It will take the highest levels of international cooperation, but by working to curb wildlife trade and conserve vast swaths of disappearing habitat, we can minimize the interspecies interactions that spread viruses.

Pandemic Puts Eviction Crisis Front and Center

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With pressure mounting, NRDC advocates are calling on lawmakers to step up protections for renters in the next relief package while also pushing for systemic changes that will help affordable housing stay that way.

Taking Care of the Food Workers Who Take Care of Us

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The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the inequities faced by food- and farmworkers who put their health in danger just by coming to work each day. NRDC is pushing to change that.

We Can’t Go “Back to Normal.” We Have to Get to Someplace Better.

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As the world slows down in response to COVID-19, we’re being given the chance to recalibrate our systems toward justice, equity, and planetary health.

Even in Our Isolation, COVID-19 Reminds Us That We Are One

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It’s frightening to see just how fragile our societal ecosystem is. But we have the chance to prove how resilient it is, too.

How to Keep the Environment in Mind While You Stay Home

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How Healthy Is America’s Public Health Infrastructure?

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COVID-19 is revealing strengths—and weaknesses—that deserve our attention.

The Fight for Equitable Access to Water and Electricity Has Never Been More Urgent

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In the midst of a pandemic, NRDC advocates are stepping up their work to prevent the risk of mass utility shutoffs, now and for the long-term.
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