News & Commentary

Meet the activists and NRDC staff propelling change, read our expert analysis, and learn about the latest challenges and solutions to advancing a healthier, more sustainable, and equitable world.

Latest News

Stay on top of the latest research, policy updates, publication releases, and environmental news. 

Explainer

Get a breakdown of complex climate, public health, nature, and equity topics to inform your activism.

Dispatch

Read about activists tackling climate justice and other environmental causes in their communities and beyond.

Perspectives

Discover intersectional viewpoints from activists and artists on the environmental issues of the moment.

NRDC in Action

Find out how NRDC protects people and the planet by learning about some of our key fights.

Expert Blogs

Hear from our policy advocates, scientists, and litigators about the challenges and solutions for building a healthier and more just world.

Viewing 1 - 20 of 33

Risky Realities—Recognizing the Harms of Global LNG Expansion

Expert BlogInternational, United States, Africa, MexicoJamie Lee, Mima Holt

Liquefied natural gas should be phased out in tandem with other fossil fuels, paving the way for renewable energy to meet international climate and sustainable development goals.

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. 

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.

Equitable Building Decarbonization Across the Country: 2022

Expert BlogCalifornia, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, OregonCaroline Keicher, Joe O'Brien-Applegate
Policies and programs aimed at new construction and existing buildings continue to gain traction as communities and elected officials realize the feasibility and benefits of ambitious and equity-centered action.

Energy Efficiency: Key to Affordable Energy in Michigan

Expert BlogMichigan, MidwestLaura Goldberg, Valeria Rincon, Derrell E. Slaughter

Today, October 5, marks Energy Efficiency Day, an important day to reflect on the many benefits energy efficiency provides year-round. 

Kalamazoo's Affordable All-Electric New Homes Pilot

Expert BlogMichigan, MidwestValeria Rincon
Kalamazoo's Affordable All-Electric New Homes Pilot showcases how new homes in Michigan and the Midwest can be built to be clean, healthy, and affordable.

Time to End Consumers Energy’s Use of Coal

Expert BlogMichiganDerrell E. Slaughter
Consumers Energy wants to speed up the retirement of its remaining coal plant—the J.H. Campbell Power Plant, located just outside of Grand Rapids—as part of its plan to become carbon-neutral by 2040.

Michigan's Climate Plan

Expert BlogMichiganDerrell E. Slaughter
It is going to take all of us to engage in solving the climate crisis. We here in Michigan now have a great opportunity to be part of the solution. Don’t wait: Weigh in on MI Healthy Climate Plan today!

Communities to Coal Plants: Clean Up Your Mess Before You Go!

DispatchTennesseeAustyn Gaffney
Distrust in the TVA runs deep in eastern Tennessee, and as the utility shutters two power plants—Bull Run and Kingston—local activists fear it will close up shop without safely containing its leaky pits of toxic sludge and ash.

Michigan's Gas Giveaway

Expert BlogMichiganAmulya Yerrapotu

The Michigan Legislature is currently considering a massive giveaway to gas utilities, tucked away in the state budget. This proposal would allocate $250 million of taxpayer money towards paying for gas utility infrastructure expansions, with no specification on how many…

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…

US Climate Finance Plan Restricts Fossil Fuel Finance

Expert BlogUnited States, BrazilJake Schmidt, Han Chen
This is a clear signal the United States will move away from financing coal, oil and gas projects overseas. Now is the time to make sure the details deliver on that necessary drive to urgently shift public financing from dirty…

Brazil LNG Expansion Undermines Decarbonization

Expert BlogBrazil, United StatesHan Chen, Jessica Carey-Webb
Beyond jeopardizing the energy transition and crowding out renewable energy development in Brazil, the recent introduction of LNG in the Brazilian energy mix will create unnecessary technological lock-in. The U.S. should both discourage these developments and support the deployment of…

The Consumers Energy IRP and the Future We Want for Michigan

Expert BlogMichiganSamantha Williams, Gabrielle Habeeb
Consumers Energy has an important regulatory filing coming up that is going to impact every single person living in Michigan. In the coming months, the utility will file their next long-term energy plan—known as an Integrated Resource Plan or “IRP”.