News & Commentary

Reflections on the First Earth Day and What’s Ahead for New York

April 21, 2020 Expert BlogNew YorkRich Schrader

On the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, NRDC's New York Political Director reflects on attending the first Earth Day event in New York City in 1970, and far the city has come thanks to New York's leadership on climate.

What Does the Plastic Bag Ban Mean for New Yorkers?

February 27, 2020 ExplainerNew York, United StatesCourtney Lindwall

Here’s everything you need to know before plastic carryout bags disappear from the Empire State on March 1.

NYC’s New Plan Would Let Massive Sewage Overflows Continue

February 24, 2020 Expert BlogNew York, New York CityLarry Levine

Almost every time it rains in New York City, raw sewage, pet waste, trash, and polluted runoff flow into waterways where people swim, fish, row, kayak, and boat.

Defender of Energy Efficiency—and Equity

February 3, 2020 NRDC in ActionGeorgia, Detroit, Michigan, Baltimore, Maryland, Norfolk, VirginiaKeith Mulvihill

Dawone Robinson, regional director of NRDC’s Energy Efficiency for All Project, works to create opportunities for low-income communities of color to save energy and money.

India Focus: What to Watch During Climate Week 2019

September 22, 2019 Expert BlogInternational, New York CityAnjali Jaiswal

World leaders are gathering in New York for the Climate Action Summit 2019 next week to discuss India’s ambitious actions to fight climate change.

Dorian, Florence, Etc: The World at One Degree of Warming

September 10, 2019 Expert BlogNorth Carolina, South CarolinaRob Moore

Recent flooding and hurricanes have made it clear that climate change is a clear and present danger.

Energy Efficiency Boosts Prospects of Low-Income Marylanders

August 19, 2019 Expert BlogMaryland, BaltimoreDeron Lovaas

There has been considerable attention from national pundits and political operatives pointing at Baltimore as a city that has not reached its full potential. While they fixate on problems, Energy Efficiency for All teammates write about a helpful solution in…

Dear Mr. Trump: Don’t Retraumatize Our Communities

August 14, 2019 Expert BlogBaltimore, MarylandStephanie Gidigbi Jenkins

Trump’s comments about Baltimore being dangerous and rat-infested hurts—not just the people of West Baltimore and other neighborhoods like it—but all of us who want a better, healthier, more sustainable and equitable future.

NY Explores a More Hands-on Role in Resource Adequacy Part 2

August 8, 2019 Expert BlogNew YorkJackson Morris, Cullen Howe

NY Explores More Hands-on Role in Resource Adequacy, Part 1

August 8, 2019 Expert BlogNew YorkJackson Morris, Cullen Howe

The New York Public Service Commission (PSC) is planning to launch a proceeding to explore whether the state should play a larger role in ensuring “resource adequacy,” which simply means having enough electricity to meet overall customer demand at any…

Cities Fight to Keep Courts Open for Claims Against Big Oil

August 1, 2019 Expert BlogCalifornia, Baltimore, Rhode IslandDavid Hawkins, Pete Huffman

Federal appeals courts will soon hear important cases brought by municipal governments grappling with the mounting costs of climate change.

2019: A Banner Year for the Environment in NYS

July 18, 2019 Expert BlogNew YorkRich Schrader, Jhena Vigrass

NRDC and our regional partners secured a broad array of environmental victories—from a statewide ban on plastic bags in grocery and retail stores to a far-reaching food waste recycling law to the most ambitious state climate law in the nation.

Justice Warrior on the Affordable Energy Front

June 12, 2019 NRDC in ActionVirginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New YorkKaren L. Smith-Janssen

Dawone Robinson is righting the inequities that low-income communities of color face in accessing the benefits of energy efficiency—like more comfortable homes and lower energy bills, for starters.

The Path to Climate Justice Is Intergenerational

January 30, 2019 DispatchNew York CityNicole Greenfield

And this team of Brooklyn-based grassroots activists helping to hold the world’s five largest investor-owned fossil fuel producers to account isn’t easily intimidated.

The Carolinas Face a Climate Trifecta: Floods, Fire, and Heat

January 28, 2019 DispatchNorth Carolina, South CarolinaRobynne Boyd

The National Climate Assessment’s outlook for the two coastal states is daunting, but local leaders are starting to dig in for a fight.

New York City Is Finally Cleaning Up Its Commercial Garbage Industry

October 17, 2018 DispatchNew York CityNicole Greenfield

A new waste equity law aims to remedy a decades-long injustice that has turned certain outer-borough neighborhoods into de facto dumping grounds.

This Is Not Your Grandfather’s Birding Club

August 29, 2018 DispatchNew York, New York CityKeith Mulvihill

A passion for women’s and LGBTQ rights is required in Molly Adams’s Feminist Bird Club; birding expertise is not.

How Can I Fix Mold and Lead Paint Issues in My House on a Small Budget?

July 9, 2018 ExplainerUnited States, New York City

Both problems pose significant health risks, but many people grappling with them can’t afford major renovations—and can’t move out. NRDC attorney Albert Huang shows us the range of solutions to consider.

Why Women Rule NRDC’s Science Center

March 27, 2018 NRDC in ActionSan Francisco, Washington, D.C., New York City, Ahmedabad, India, United StatesJenny Shalant

And why female leaders tend to be more attuned to issues of environmental equity.

New York’s Fossil Fuel Fight

March 15, 2018 DispatchNew YorkNicole Greenfield

The Empire State has adopted an innovative strategy to ward off an invasion of fracked-gas pipelines—and it’s working.