News & Commentary

Poll: People Want Action on Plastics for Health and Wildlife

April 15, 2024 Expert BlogInternational, Canada, United States, Ohio, PennsylvaniaDaniel Rosenberg

New poll results show overwhelming public support for government action to address the plastic crisis, including a strong global plastics treaty.

In Planning for Climate Change, Native Americans Draw on the Past

March 11, 2024 ExplainerUnited States, CanadaTim Vanderpool

Across North America, Indigenous tribes and nations are consulting their traditional ecological knowledge to help prepare for a warming world.

Questions Answered on Canadian Wildfires—a Public Health Threat Linked to Climate Change

June 12, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, CanadaDr. Vijay Limaye

Here is some key information that may help us prepare for the future and address the fossil fuels at the root of the problem.

Water Crisis in Philly Highlights Our Broken National System

March 27, 2023 Expert BlogPhiladelphia, Jackson, Ohio, United StatesErik D. Olson

An industrial chemical spill upstream of the city’s water intakes is poised to contaminate the water supply. If you feel like you’ve seen this movie before, it’s because you have.

Mutual Aid and Disaster Justice: “We Keep Us Safe”

October 6, 2022 ExplainerUnited States, Puerto Rico, Louisiana, Mississippi, FloridaNicole Greenfield

As climate-fueled disasters become more frequent—from Mississippi to Puerto Rico and beyond—relief efforts by communities, for communities, could become increasingly critical.

Jackson Water Crisis Highlights Race, Disinvestment & Poor Oversight

September 9, 2022 Expert BlogJacksonErik D. Olson

The new Bipartisan Infrastructure Law could help, but must be implemented right by states and EPA.

A Mississippi Tribe Is Growing Its Own Organic Movement

May 16, 2022 DispatchMississippiNicole Greenfield

With programs for schools, elders, and diabetics across 10 counties, Choctaw Fresh Produce is making sure its tribal members have access to fresh, healthy food.

For Thousands of Years, Indigenous Tribes Have Been Planting for the Future

November 30, 2021 DispatchIowa, Canada, Pennsylvania, OklahomaSusan Cosier

With yields of biodiversity and a more climate-resilient food supply, a movement is sprouting in BIPOC communities across North America to save heirloom seeds and preserve culture.

Environmental Injustices Plague Parchman Prison, Mississippi

September 16, 2021 Expert BlogMississippiSarah Tallman, Natalia Ospina, Marisa Guerrero, Sara Imperiale

For years, the people incarcerated at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman have reported a host of problems relating to drinking water and sewage. Now, an investigation confirms repeated and likely ongoing environmental violations at the notorious Parchman prison.

The Unlikely Takedown of Keystone XL

June 29, 2021 NRDC in ActionNebraska, South Dakota, Canada, MontanaCourtney Lindwall

The notorious tar sands pipeline was a lightning rod in the fight against climate change and the seemingly unstoppable oil industry. NRDC advocates were part of a broad coalition that helped stop Keystone XL—for good.

More Than 2 Weeks, No Safe Water in Jackson, Mississippi

March 3, 2021 Expert BlogJackson, MississippiErik D. Olson

Residents of Jackson are fed up, living without safe water for more than 2 weeks. Here's what needs to happen to fix the problem.

How Shareholders Can Hold P&G to Account on Forests

October 9, 2020 Expert BlogCanada, United StatesShelley Vinyard

Read more here on the choice P&G shareholders have before them.

Ontario Takes an Axe to Environmental Protections

October 7, 2020 Expert BlogCanada, OntarioJennifer Skene

Ontario is rapidly ushering in an era of laissez-faire logging, ceding its forests, wildlife, and public health to the whims and interests of industry.

Alberta Invests Billions to Build Polluting Keystone XL

March 31, 2020 Expert BlogCanadaNRDC

Despite efforts to prop up the dirty tar sands pipeline with subsidies, our court battle to stop the project is far from over.

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.

Can the Great Lakes Become Fishable, Drinkable, and Swimmable Again?

January 29, 2018 DispatchMidwest, Canada, Ohio, IllinoisSusan Cosier

A joint United States–Canada report maps out the way to clean up the world’s largest freshwater ecosystem

A Veteran of Uphill Battles

March 13, 2017 NRDC in ActionWashington, D.C., United States, CanadaJordan Davidson

NRDC’s chief program officer, Susan Casey-Lefkowitz, knows that resistance takes persistence—and a lot of collaboration.

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.

Is Water a Human Right?

March 3, 2016 ExplainerUnited States, Flint, New York, Jackson, Michigan, MississippiBrian Palmer

A look at what U.S. and international laws have to say about our right to clean drinking water.

The Dirty Fight Over Canadian Tar Sands Oil

December 31, 2015 NRDC in ActionCanada, United StatesMelissa Denchak

For more than a decade, we've fought to keep this filthy fossil fuel from being dredged up and piped through the United States.