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.

Aerial view of the National Petroleum Reserve in northwestern Alaska

The Biden Administration Protects Millions of Acres of Arctic Alaska

April 19, 2024 Latest NewsAlaskaJenny Shalant

The new Special Areas Rule in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska could boost biodiversity and empower Indigenous Peoples to defend the lands they’ve relied on for generations.

Two adults and a child walk along a sandy shoreline

“Forever Chemicals” Called PFAS Show Up in Your Food, Clothes, and Home

April 10, 2024 ExplainerUnited StatesMolly M. Ginty, Courtney Lindwall

These toxic chemicals are so common in consumer products and manufacturing that they’re everywhere—including inside our bodies.

A river with green trees on either side, with yellow hills in the background

In Planning for Climate Change, Native Americans Draw on the Past

March 11, 2024 ExplainerUnited States, CanadaTim Vanderpool

Across North America, Indigenous tribes and nations are consulting their traditional ecological knowledge to help prepare for a warming world.

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“Forever Chemicals” Called PFAS Show Up in Your Food, Clothes, and Home

April 10, 2024 ExplainerUnited StatesMolly M. Ginty, Courtney Lindwall

These toxic chemicals are so common in consumer products and manufacturing that they’re everywhere—including inside our bodies.

America’s Failing Drinking Water System

October 5, 2023 ExplainerUnited States, Buffalo, Houston, Puerto Rico, California, FlintNicole Greenfield

First, Flint, Michigan; then, Jackson, Mississippi. Communities around the country wonder if their water quality problems will lead to the next national crisis.

How Exactly Does Lead Exposure Harm the Brain?

September 28, 2023 ExplainerUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

The metal is highly toxic to neural development in children. Here’s why—and what the country can do to prevent it.

What Are “EnergyGuide” and “Energy Star” Anyway?

September 14, 2023 ExplainerUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

A guide to decoding the government’s tip sheets for buying the most energy-efficient appliance.

What Are Heat Pump Air Conditioners?

August 25, 2023 ExplainerUnited StatesAlejandra Mejia Cunningham, Alex Hillbrand

They’re way more efficient and cost-effective than standard ACs. Even better, they double as carbon-slashing heating systems.

What’s the Most Energy-Efficient Water Heater?

August 22, 2023 ExplainerInternational, United StatesPatrick Rogers

The new generation of eco-friendly heat pump water heaters will reduce your home’s emissions while also shrinking your utility bills.

Failing to Meet Our Climate Goals Is Not an Option

April 26, 2023 ExplainerUnited StatesNicole Greenfield

There’s more than one way the United States can nullify its climate emissions by 2050, but these strategies would make the journey a lot easier.

Decarbonization: Why We Must Electrify Everything Even Before the Grid Is Fully Green

December 1, 2022 ExplainerUnited StatesCourtney Lindwall

To decarbonize and fight climate change, electrification and clean energy development must happen together—and fast.

Three Ways We Can Make Schools Healthier This Year

August 24, 2022 ExplainerUnited StatesNicole Greenfield

From lead plumbing to a lack of air-conditioning, schools across the United States are jeopardizing the health and safety of students, teachers, and staff.

How the Energy Grid Works (Well, Most of the Time)

June 22, 2022 ExplainerUnited StatesBrian Palmer, Jeff Turrentine

Clean energy isn’t responsible for blackouts, brownouts, and rolling outages—no matter what the coal industry would have you believe.

Who’s to Blame for Higher Heating Costs This Winter?

December 8, 2021 ExplainerUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

Despite what the fossil fuel industry would like you to believe, rising natural gas prices have nothing to do with pro-climate policies.

Eight Ways Biden’s Plan Could Build Equity into Our Infrastructure

September 7, 2021 ExplainerUnited StatesCourtney Lindwall

From the workplace to the streets to the kitchen, the administration’s agenda could build back better for all. Here’s how.

What Can We Do to Fix the Drinking Water Problem in America?

October 7, 2019 ExplainerUnited States, Flint, Newark, Michigan, New Jersey

Seth Siegel, author of the new book “Troubled Water: What’s Wrong with What We Drink,” says we must change people’s mind-sets and get to the root of the issue to ensure safe drinking water for everyone.

We Could Do a Lot More to Regulate Fracking

July 18, 2018 ExplainerUnited States

Lax monitoring of the country’s fracking boom does little to allay concerns about the air, water, and health impacts of this oil and gas extraction method.

Cut Environmental Justice at the EPA, and We All Lose

March 17, 2017 ExplainerUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Trump likens our “inner cities” to war zones . . . then guts the programs geared to safeguard clean air and water for low-income communities of color.

Why We Need the EPA

February 14, 2017 ExplainerPuerto Rico, New York City, United States, ClevelandBrian Palmer

Let’s not forget what America looked like before we had the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Our rivers caught on fire, our air was full of smog, and it stank (literally).