News & Commentary

Cities Respond to COVID Needs by Rescuing Surplus Food

July 9, 2020 Expert BlogMadeline Keating, Andrea Collins

When businesses closed to help control the spread of the pandemic and millions of people flocked to food pantries and emergency food distributors, Baltimore, Denver, and several cities across the country were well-prepared to respond to the needs of their…

Protests: A Racial Reckoning in Suburbia

July 9, 2020 PerspectivesUnited StatesDan Reed

Most of the country’s Black Lives Matter protests are happening outside of cities—in communities exclusively designed for middle-class whites but increasingly diverse and grappling with policies that foster segregation.

GAO: Flood Mitigation Isn’t Keeping Up with Climate Change

July 9, 2020 Expert BlogUnited StatesAnna Weber

The federal government has paid to reduce the flood risk of tens of thousands of homes in the past 30 years—but it hasn’t been enough.

Federal Energy Efficiency: Promoting Equity and the Planet

July 9, 2020 Expert BlogUnited StatesKhalil Shahyd, Lara Ettenson

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to disproportionately affect low-income communities of color and threatens to plunge our economy deeper into a recession at a time when many families and communities are already struggling to meet basic needs. The federal government should…

Health on Center Stage in House Climate Crisis Action Plan

July 9, 2020 Expert BlogUnited StatesJuanita Constible

The House Climate Crisis Action Plan is a clear-eyed recognition of the need to address the present-day health harms of climate change.

Clean Energy Standards: Why We Like Them & What to Look For

July 8, 2020 Expert BlogUnited StatesDerek Murrow, Ben Longstreth, Sam Krasnow

The power sector has the potential to deliver much of the solution to the climate crisis if we can clean the grid and electrify many other sources of emissions.

2020 Benchmarking: Progress and Opportunity

July 8, 2020 Expert BlogUnited StatesStarla Yeh

The trends show that, as the U.S. economy recovers, there are significant opportunities ahead to push for a more prosperous clean energy future that prioritizes emission reductions and investments in the communities that have borne disproportionate pollution burdens.

Pritzker, Lightfoot: Stop Passing the Buck on Enviro Justice

July 8, 2020 Expert BlogChicagoMeleah Geertsma

On June 25, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (“IEPA”) granted an air permit that will enable the relocation of a notorious metal shredding operation from Chicago’s wealthy and largely white Lincoln Park to the Southeast Side environmental justice community. In…

California Moves Toward Smart and Efficient Water Heating

July 8, 2020 Expert BlogCalifornia, United StatesPierre Delforge

California has just adopted an energy code specification for grid-friendly and super-efficient water heaters that will help decarbonize buildings and the electric grid while saving Californians money on their utility bills.

Why Illinois Needs a New “Normal”

July 8, 2020 Expert BlogIllinoisJ.C. Kibbey

Illinois can’t go back to the old “normal,” but as we recover from coronavirus, we can chart a new path forward that centers equity and sustainability.

The Potential Eviction Crisis Could Create a Debt Time Bomb

July 7, 2020 Expert BlogUnited StatesKhalil Shahyd

If Congress doesn’t urgently act, U.S. households that are most vulnerable to the health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic face the increasing threat of evictions at the worst possible time—and America risks a consumer debt time bomb.

Green Windows as Instruments of Green Recovery in India

July 7, 2020 Expert BlogIndiaSameer Kwatra

Green Windows can be instrumental in growing private investment in India’s clean energy markets and guiding the country on a path to a green recovery

New Jersey Can Lead on State Fleet Electrification

July 7, 2020 Expert BlogNew JerseyKathy Harris, Eric Miller, Rebecca Behrens

New Jersey’s transportation sector is responsible for 42% of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions, making it the state’s largest source of climate pollution; achieving the state’s climate goals will only be possible if New Jersey aggressively tackles transportation emissions head…

In Landmark Victory for Indigenous Communities, Dakota Access Pipeline Ordered to Shut Down

July 7, 2020 Expert BlogNorth Dakota, South Dakota, IowaNRDC

The dangerous crude oil pipeline threatened the water supplies and ways of life for the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. The win underscores the power of dogged defense by Indigenous groups and conservationists, as well as the importance of the National…

House Climate Plan Calls for Community-Focused Adaptation

July 6, 2020 Expert BlogUnited StatesAnna Weber

The Select Committee's report is the most detailed, robust congressional plan that we have seen on climate adaptation.

Three Lessons Learned from the Axed Atlantic Coast Pipeline

July 6, 2020 Expert BlogVirginia, West Virginia, North CarolinaGillian Giannetti

This is a significant and long-overdue victory for the landowners, community leaders, countless people across three states, and environmental advocates who have fought this project for years.

CA Refineries Are Driving Our Addiction to Oil Imports

July 6, 2020 Expert BlogCaliforniaAnn Alexander

If California truly means business about moving away from fossil fuels, it’s going to have to tackle the refinery problem—which puts surrounding communities at risk every day from pollution and frequent accidents.

Developers Abandon the Atlantic Coast Pipeline for Good

July 6, 2020 Expert BlogWest Virginia, Virginia, North CarolinaNRDC

The decision is a landmark win for those who saw the polluting project as a threat to waterways, wildlife, the climate, and vulnerable communities.

Three Key Takeaways from House Climate Crisis Action Plan

July 6, 2020 Expert BlogUnited StatesRoland Hwang

The House of Representatives’ Special Select Committee on the Climate Crisis has finally released its long-awaited plan to tackle the climate crisis. It’s a 547-page roadmap for an “all hands-on deck” approach to putting the U.S. on a path to…

The Road to Recovery with India’s First Green Window

July 3, 2020 Expert BlogIndiaSameer Kwatra, Anjali Jaiswal, Douglass Sims

As India prepares its recovery from the COVID-19 induced slowdown, a huge strategic opportunity lies in revitalizing the economy with investment in green infrastructure.