News & Commentary

Biden Can Protect Communities, Halt Mountain Valley Pipeline

March 9, 2021 Expert BlogWest Virginia, Virginia, North CarolinaAmy Mall

We have new leadership in Washington under President Biden, and his administration should take action to send the Mountain Valley Pipeline right where it belongs—into the dustbin of history.

NOAA Pressured to Take Emergency Action for Right Whales

March 5, 2021 Expert BlogUnited States, EastDr. Francine Kershaw

The proposed rulemaking to protect North Atlantic right whales from entanglement fails to meet the legal requirements set forth by the Marine Mammal Protection Act and must be immediately withdrawn for substantial revision.

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.

Black Walden Came First. Thoreau, After.

February 1, 2021 DispatchMassachusettsCourtney Lindwall

A little-known community of formerly enslaved Black residents in Concord, Massachusetts, took up home in Walden Woods long before Henry David Thoreau arrived. Today, local activists are working to ensure the stories of Black Walden stay alive.

Trump Administration Loosens Protection for Florida Wetlands

December 21, 2020 Expert BlogFloridaAlison Kelly

2020 is ending on a very low note for the environment in Florida, but there is still hope.

Trump's Eleventh Hour Attacks on America's Natural Treasures

December 14, 2020 Expert BlogUnited States, Utah, Alaska, Minnesota, Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada, New MexicoSharon Buccino

In his final days, President Trump is selling our public lands and waters to the highest bidder to dig, drill and mine.

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.

Why Florida Needs an Offshore Drilling Ban—One That’s Permanent

December 9, 2020 DispatchFloridaRobynne Boyd

While the state can take solace in the recent moratorium extension, its waters are still at risk from the devastating impacts of seismic testing.

No Evidence Protecting New England Ocean Gem Harmed Fishing

December 8, 2020 Expert BlogEast, United StatesBrad Sewell

This past June, President Trump rescinded the Monument’s commercial fishing prohibition, citing significant impacts on commercial fishing.

House Doubles Down on Pebble Mine

November 25, 2020 Expert BlogWashington, D.C., United StatesTaryn Kiekow Heimer

Leaders of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure requested records about the proposed Pebble Mine to determine whether Pebble executives duped Congress, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the public about the size and scope of the project.

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.

NRDC Sues Trump Administration, Again, to Protect the Gulf of Mexico Whale

July 28, 2020 Expert BlogEast, United StatesSamuel Eisenberg

After two successful lawsuits, the whale is federally recognized as being at risk of extinction—but the administration has failed to designate critical habitat for the species.

Don’t Bomb the Bighorn

July 24, 2020 Expert BlogNevadaHelen O'Shea

Nevadans won’t stand by as the future of their public lands is hijacked by out-of-state interests.

House Climate Crisis Action Plan Gets a Lot Right on Biomass

July 9, 2020 Expert BlogNorth CarolinaSasha Stashwick

Established science now shows that burning biomass from forests for electricity is not a climate solution within timeframes relevant to addressing climate change. The Select Committee’s plan recognizes this science and squarely positions its policies in contrast to those of…

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.

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.

Alabama’s Waterways, Wildlife, and Recreation Are Up a Creek with Trump’s “Dirty Water Rule”

June 29, 2020 DispatchAlabamaRobynne Boyd

The rollback jeopardizes the streams that flow into the state’s rivers, lakes, and bays, millions of acres of wetlands across the country, and the drinking water supply.

It's Time for Offshore Wind to Advance

June 26, 2020 Expert BlogEast, United StatesAlison Chase

We need offshore wind—and we need to do it right. The Vineyard Wind supplemental analysis reveals offshore wind can be done in an environmentally responsible way and provide the clean energy that East Coast states are demanding.

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.