News & Commentary

Illinois Holds Its First Bobcat Hunt in 40 Years—and Biologists Are Paying Close Attention

December 29, 2016 DispatchIllinoisSusan Cosier

Scientists may soon have a better grasp of how many of these elusive wild cats are out there.

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.

Let’s Go Swimming in the Chicago River! Save the Date: 2030

October 5, 2016 DispatchChicagoSusan Cosier

Within 15 years, the waters flowing through the midwestern metropolis could be clean enough for a dip.

This Origami Elephant Is as Fragile as the Real Ones

September 14, 2016 PerspectivesChicagoSusan Cosier

At this month’s Expo Chicago, one artist uses paper to convey how the African elephant’s future is unfolding.

Our Favorite National Parks

August 15, 2016 NRDC in ActionColorado, California, Minnesota, Alaska, New Mexico, Florida, Virginia, Arizona, Hawaii, Michigan, Montana, Tennessee

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, NRDC’s very own wilderness fanatics share their most treasured park memories.

Sometimes Art Has to Get Gritty—Especially When Big Oil Provides the Muse

August 10, 2016 PerspectivesChicagoSusan Cosier

A new exhibit displays the many forms of petcoke and the Chicagoans determined to rid it from their communities.

In This Forest, a Clean Bill of Health Comes with Blue Polka-Dot Salamanders

May 4, 2016 PerspectivesIllinoisSusan Cosier

To keep an invasive plant from poisoning amphibians, Illinois conservationists are cutting and burning the dreaded buckthorn.

Life on the Mississippi, Now

January 5, 2016 DispatchMissouri, Illinois, MidwestBarry Yeoman

We've spent billions of dollars on dikes, locks, and levees in a vain attempt to subdue what Mark Twain called "that lawless stream." Is it time to let the river have its way?

Our Man in Chicago

December 31, 2015 NRDC in ActionChicago, MidwestEmily Voigt

Henry Henderson knows that achieving energy independence and creating new jobs go hand-in-hand.

Climate Got Your Tongue?

September 25, 2015 Latest NewsColoradoPerrin Ireland

In the Rocky Mountains, long-tongued bumblebees are getting licked by warmer temperatures.

Hey, Congress, Quit Blaming the EPA

August 18, 2015 DispatchColoradoBrian Palmer

The Gold King mine accident is on you, too.

Up (and Down) a Creek

August 11, 2015 Latest NewsColoradoClara Chaisson

Here’s what you need to know about the EPA spilling three million gallons of wastewater into a Colorado river.

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (from Distant Flames)

August 7, 2015 ExplainerUnited States, Colorado, Alaska, CaliforniaAlisa Opar

Wildfires may be harming the health of people who live hundreds or thousands of miles from the flames.

Spreading Their Wings

June 24, 2015 DispatchChicagoSusan Cosier

Butterflies bred in a Chicago lab are fluttering their way back to Illinois swamps.

Blame It on the Rain

May 1, 2015 DispatchChicagoSusan Cosier

Chicago’s enormous drainage system will expand this summer, but it won’t be enough to handle climate change.

Bison Back East

December 29, 2014 DispatchIllinois, MississippiSusan Cosier

Wild buffalo now roam east of the Mississippi for the first time since the 1830s, playing a crucial role in restoring Illinois grasslands.

Say Hello to Your Next National Monument

November 20, 2014 Latest NewsChicago, United StatesSusan Cosier

It’s a neighborhood in Chicago.

Climate Change in Chicago: Startling Images of the River Darkening Lake Michigan

April 19, 2013 Expert BlogChicagoJosh Mogerman

Will the Chicago River Change Course and Flow Back Into the Great Lakes?

December 21, 2012 Expert BlogChicagoHenry Henderson

Solving the Carp Crisis: Moving from Courts to Collaboration

December 14, 2012 Expert BlogChicagoMeleah Geertsma