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Expert Blogs

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Winter Storm Elliott Report Highlights the Risk of Natural Gas Failures

Expert BlogUnited States, East, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, TexasDana Ammann
PJM’s report on Winter Storm Elliott found that gas generators were responsible for 70 percent of forced outages during December 2022. Climate change will only intensify future severe weather. 

Pollinators Notch Big Wins in Minnesota

Expert BlogSt. PaulLucas Rhoads

In a historic 2023 session, Minnesota reined in pesticide use, increased pollinator habitat, and built momentum toward additional protections. 

Rate Increases and Blackouts: Duke Energy’s Strategy for 2023

Expert BlogNorth Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, EastLuis Martinez
Duke failed to keep the lights on last December, but it is now pursuing enormous rate increases of more than 30 percent to help pay for fossil fuels and huge executive salary raises.

Cover Crops for Every Climate

Expert BlogWest, Midwest, East, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Idaho, New Mexico, TexasLara Bryant, Dr. Daniel Rath
Cover crops are adaptable, valuable, and effective enough that farmers can benefit from them in every region of the United States—even cold or dry areas.

Time to Fast-Track Africa’s Clean & Equitable Energy Future

Expert BlogInternational, AfricaShruti Shukla

The Biden administration must prioritize – at COP27 and beyond – providing the necessary tools for Africa to equitably decarbonize and sustain its economic potential in the face of rising climate impacts. At COP27 and beyond, leaders need to show…

US Energy Secretary Must Raise Climate Concerns with Mexico

Expert BlogMexico, United StatesCarolina Herrera
It's critical for Secretary Granholm to emphasize the importance of climate change for the U.S. and urge her Mexican counterparts to work toward a just energy transition based on sustainable renewable sources.

Celebrating Year One of the Food Matters Regional Initiative

Expert BlogChicago, Cincinnati, Detroit, Madison, Ohio, Baltimore, Jersey City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, North Carolina, Memphis, OrlandoMadeline Keating, Darby Hoover

A year after the launch of the Food Matters Regional Initiative, we are pleased to report considerable progress and accomplishments from the 15 regional initiative participants.

Minnesota Advances to Become First Midwest Clean Cars State

Expert BlogMinnesotaDr. Simon Mui

The proposal to adopt a Clean Cars Minnesota program was given a greenlight today, which would mean Minnesota will become the first Midwest state to adopt a Clean Cars program to introduce more electric vehicles together with cleaner internal-combustion engine…

Latin America at the Leaders Summit on Climate

Expert BlogArgentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, MexicoCarolina Herrera, Jessica Carey-Webb, Marilyn Kunce, Amanda Maxwell
The five Latin American countries that participated in the Leaders Summit on Climate – Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico – displayed a broad range of ambition. Once again, some countries demonstrated their willingness to be climate action leaders while…

How Cities Are Centering Equity in Benchmarking Policies

Expert BlogDenver, Colorado, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Seattle, WashingtonCaroline Keicher
A new resource from the City Energy Project—Incorporating Equity into Energy Benchmarking Requirements: Guidance for Policy and Program Practitioners—helps cities understand the opportunity to leverage benchmarking and transparency policies to address racial and social equity.

Stressed by Heat, Farmworkers Deserve Federal Protections

Expert BlogCalifornia, Washington, MinnesotaTeniope Adewumi-Gunn
Unprotected from many basic workplace rights and in the face of a growing climate crisis that threatens their well-being, farmworkers deserve federal safeguards from extreme heat and its dangerous effects.

Memphis & Pittsburgh Make Proclamations to Reduce Food Waste

Expert BlogMemphis, Tennessee, Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaNina Sevilla
Cities participating in the Food Matters Regional Initiative are making public commitments to reduce food waste, and building leadership, credibility, and community buy-in throughout the process.

Mexico Energy Law Goes Against North American Climate Action

Expert BlogMexicoCarolina Herrera

The bill is a major setback for climate action and renewable energy investments in Mexico that will likely raise trade disputes under Mexico’s trade agreements with the U.S. and other nations.

Monarch Butterflies Struggle as Feds Delay Protection

Expert BlogMexico, United StatesDr. Sylvia Fallon
In the last six years, many voluntary efforts have been made to help boost monarch populations. Now the butterflies will have to wait even longer to receive more help.

Race to Reduce Launched to Energize Saint Paul

Expert BlogMinnesotaKatharine McCormick

Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter has kicked off an energy efficiency challenge directed at the city’s largest buildings. Through the program, dubbed the “Race to Reduce,” buildings will be invited to join a cohort that will collectively strive to streamline…

Tackling Food Waste at the City Level: The Nashville Food Waste Initiative

Expert BlogTennessee, NashvilleDarby Hoover

NRDC has partnered with stakeholders in Nashville, Tennessee to build on the good work that's already being done in the city, bringing together people from across the community to document great initiatives already underway, identify new approaches to reducing the…