News & Commentary

New Yorkers—Vote Yes for Clean Air and Water!

September 16, 2021 Expert BlogNew YorkCorinne Bell, Joan Leary Matthews

On November 2nd, New Yorkers can lead a new wave of state environmental rights amendments if they decide that the state should officially recognize everyone’s right to clean air and water.

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.

NRDC Sets Region Specific Water Targets for Each Office

August 10, 2021 Expert BlogUnited States, New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Bozeman, Beijing, San Francisco, Santa MonicaMaria McCain

NRDC has seen a steady decline in total water usage institution-wide and has taken steps to advance water stewardship.

NRDC Sues to Challenge Seismic Testing in the Gulf of Mexico

July 22, 2021 Expert BlogTexas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, FloridaMichael Jasny

Among the animals at greatest risk from the impacts of seismic testing is the Gulf of Mexico whale—one of the most endangered marine mammals on the planet.

In NY, a Chance to Create a Model Policy to Green Concrete

June 9, 2021 Expert BlogNew YorkSasha Stashwick

Decarbonizing concrete and, by extension, cement, is a key opportunity for climate action. We can’t hit our climate targets without policies to zero out emissions from this sector. 

Canadian Trade Group Opposes U.S. Anti-Deforestation Bills

April 20, 2021 Expert BlogCanada, New York, CaliforniaAnthony Swift

The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) claims that applying proposed anti-deforestation legislation in California and New York to the boreal forest would threaten its business model.

UPDATED: Science, Polling Support NY Bill to Save Bees

March 3, 2021 Expert BlogNew YorkDaniel Raichel

Senator Brad Hoylman introduced new language today for the Birds and Bees Protection Act, a bill that would make the state a national leader in safeguarding its bees, birds, water, and people from widespread neonicotinoid pesticide contamination.

Fracking Banned in the Delaware River Basin!

February 25, 2021 Expert BlogNew York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, DelawareMarisa Guerrero, Kimberly Ong

The historic vote, made today by the Delaware River Basin Commission, signals a strong stance in favor of a fossil fuel–free future.

A New York Climate Justice Activist with Roots in the Blue Ridge Mountains

December 11, 2020 DispatchNew York City, Washington, D.C.Carmen Cusido

WE ACT’s director of environmental health and education, Taylor Morton, who found their path to environmental justice work through a childhood spent in nature, wants to help the next generation get outside without fear.

The Story of Colonialism and Climate Change Told Through Centuries of Indigenous Artworks

November 24, 2020 PerspectivesNew York CityIngrid Abramovitch

Two exhibits at the Brooklyn Museum explore Native perceptions of nature and themselves.

In Oklahoma, “Yet Another Broken Promise” to Native Americans

October 21, 2020 PerspectivesOklahomaJeff Turrentine

How Governor Stitt teamed up with the head of the EPA to keep tribes from regulating fracking and industrial pollution on their own lands.

NY Legislature Passes Bill to Close Fracking Waste Loophole

July 22, 2020 Expert BlogNew YorkRob Friedman

After years of deadlock, key legislation that regulates oil and gas waste passed the New York State Legislature this week. The legislation closes a longstanding and dangerous loophole that exempts dangerous oil and gas industry waste from New York’s existing…

Report Finds Neonics Pose Big Risks to Bees as Losses Mount

June 25, 2020 Expert BlogNew York, United StatesDaniel Raichel

Summertime is normally a great time for bees, but last summer saw record bee losses. A new report from Cornell may shed light on why.

Take Action to Protect Bees During National Pollinator Week

June 22, 2020 Expert BlogNew York, New JerseyDaniel Raichel, Lucas Rhoads

This Pollinator week, let’s heed the science and skip the fluff. Here’s how you can take action now to protect pollinators and human health.

The Art of Agnes Denes May Be as Big (and Long-Lasting) as Her Legacy

March 10, 2020 PerspectivesNew York CityPatrick Rogers

In her mixing of art, mathematics, and environmentalism, Denes has been making “future works” since the 1970s.

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.

An Artist Who Finds Uncommon Meaning in Common Trees

August 21, 2019 PerspectivesNew York CityPatrick Rogers

Hugh Hayden’s exquisite wooden sculptures and installations comment on race, immigration, and the American environment.

NYS Paint Waste Bill Awaits Cuomo’s Finishing Touch

August 13, 2019 Expert BlogNew YorkEric A. Goldstein

Leftover paints—one of the more problematic items in the municipal waste stream—are likely to be fished out of millions of garages and basements from Montauk to Niagara Falls and disposed of properly, thanks to a forward-looking law recently passed by…

Giant Wooden Birds Are Flocking to Broadway

August 2, 2019 PerspectivesNew York CityCourtney Lindwall

Nicolas Holiber’s reclaimed-wood sculptures highlight the threat of climate change to avian city-dwellers.

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.