News & Commentary

California's Clean Truck Rule: First of its Kind and Long Overdue

October 4, 2019 Expert BlogUnited States, CaliforniaPatricio Portillo

California is launching a new rule to tackle one of the largest sources of pollution: medium- and heavy-duty trucks.

Everyone Can Benefit from Electric Homes: Here’s How

October 3, 2019 Expert BlogUnited States, CaliforniaAlexis Cureton

Equitable Building Electrification: A Framework for Powering Resilient Communities helps California stave off the climate crisis.

Newsom Admin Faces Difficult Tests on California Water This Fall

September 30, 2019 Expert BlogUnited States, CaliforniaDoug Obegi

The Newsom Administration is expected to respond to upcoming tests of sustainable water management.

San José Adopts Strongest Building Code Among Large Cities

September 18, 2019 Expert BlogUnited States, CaliforniaMaria Stamas, Pierre Delforge

The San José City Council voted today to adopt requirements for builders that will provide San José residents with clean, affordable energy in buildings.

California Approves Novel Low-Income EV Charger Program

September 12, 2019 Expert BlogUnited States, CaliforniaMiles Muller

PG&E will launch a new program to reduce barriers to electric vehicle (EV) adoption in low- and moderate-income communities in Northern California.

Why the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and Other Agencies Oppose SB 1

September 9, 2019 Expert BlogCaliforniaDoug Obegi

If you like Trump’s rollbacks of environmental protections, you’ll love the water districts’ proposed amendments to "fix" SB 1.

Newspapers Support SB 1 to Protect Against Trump Rollbacks

September 5, 2019 Expert BlogCaliforniaAnnie Notthoff

The legislation, authored by Senate pro Tem Toni Atkins, would ensure that California’s own environmental and public health laws provide a backstop to federal environmental rollbacks. 

Why SB 1 Must Ensure that CESA Applies to the Federal CVP

September 3, 2019 Expert BlogCaliforniaKate Poole

The bill’s authors and proponents, including NRDC, have worked long and hard to resolve the vast majority of concerns raised during the legislative session. Now, some are arguing that the bill should be stripped of its longstanding provision applying the…

SLO Could Pass the Next Landmark Clean Energy Building Code

August 29, 2019 Expert BlogCaliforniaPierre Delforge

San Luis Obispo could become one of the first cities in the state to pass policy aimed at transitioning to zero-emission electric homes and businesses that are cleaner, safer, and more affordable for their occupants.

World Wildlife Conference: Last Chance for Vaquita

August 14, 2019 Expert BlogWest, California, MexicoZak Smith

The smallest porpoise species, found only in the northern Gulf of California, Mexico, has only around ten individuals left, making it the most critically endangered marine mammal on the planet.

Anti-Biodiversity Bill Gains Traction in California

August 5, 2019 Expert BlogInternational, CaliforniaElly Pepper

AB719 would allow the commercial import and sale of crocodile and alligator parts and products in California to continue until 2025, despite the fact that such activities are scheduled to be banned on January 1, 2020. 

CA's $1 Billion for Efficiency Now Open to Electrification

August 1, 2019 Expert BlogCaliforniaMerrian Borgeson

The California Public Utilities Commission unanimously voted to update an efficiency policy to allow access to funding if an appliance saves energy and reduces air pollution, regardless of the technology.

California Beckons the Gray Wolf—but Can’t Guarantee a Safe Journey There

July 8, 2019 DispatchWest, California, Oregon, WashingtonCorey Binns

The future of wolves in the West depends on collaborative cross-border commitments to protecting this icon of the wild.

A Big Step Forward in Debate Over LA’s Clean Energy Future

February 12, 2019 Expert BlogLos AngelesMichele Knab Hasson

Mayor Eric Garcetti reaffirmed Los Angeles’ commitment to securing a carbon- and pollution-free energy future for Angelenos in a groundbreaking announcement today that the nation’s largest municipal utility will not be moving forward with a controversial plan to rebuild three…

Facing Down the Ivory Sellers, Pangolin Poachers, and Giraffe Traders

December 10, 2018 NRDC in ActionNew York, California, Hawaii, United States, ChinaNicole Greenfield

Elly Pepper, deputy director of NRDC’s Wildlife Trade Initiative, says there’s much that U.S. advocates can do to end the illegal marketplaces endangering animals across the globe.

This Lawyer Is Fighting to Save Two of the World’s Most Endangered Species

September 10, 2018 NRDC in ActionOregon, CaliforniaNicole Greenfield

Oregon-based NRDC attorney Giulia Good Stefani is living her dream by working to protect orcas off her coast and vaquitas in the Gulf of California.

On the Horizon in the Cowboy State: Wind Turbines

September 4, 2018 DispatchWyomingHillary Rosner

Wyoming, the country’s top coal producer, is wrangling support for wind power—and not a moment too soon.

The Warning Lights Are Flashing for California’s Once-Glorious Salton Sea

August 6, 2018 DispatchCaliforniaStarre Vartan

Since this giant salty lake in the desert lost its water supply, its bird habitat has been shrinking and more toxic dust is wafting up from its dry lake bed. Can the Salton Sea be saved?

California Is Getting Tough on Wildlife Crime

August 1, 2018 DispatchCaliforniaCorey Binns

In a new forensics lab, state agents test samples of blood, saliva, tusks, and feathers in a quest to stem the illegal trade in exotic animal parts.

A Commitment to Equity—in the City, the Classroom, and Even the Jungle

June 12, 2018 NRDC in ActionCalifornia, San FranciscoNicole Greenfield

NRDC senior scientist Lara Ettenson is determined to bridge social, economic, and cultural divides by advancing clean energy in California.