News & Commentary

When You Poison Our Lands, You Poison Us

October 25, 2023 PerspectivesArizona, South DakotaHannah Throssell

The granddaughter of a Navajo uranium miner stands with the Standing Rock Sioux against DAPL.

Biden Administration Must Redo Its Assessment of Dakota Access Pipeline

October 24, 2023 Expert BlogNorth Dakota, South DakotaDr. Michele Bustamante, Amy Mall, Dr. Matthew McKinzie, Dr. Jennifer Sass, Dawn Woodard

The recent Draft Environmental Impact Statement ignores the threats to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s drinking water source and violates tribal treaty rights and sovereignty in a severe environmental injustice.

Water Is Life—from Standing Rock to Oaxaca’s Mixtecan Highlands

September 18, 2023 PerspectivesMexico, West, South DakotaElybeth Sofia Alcantar

A geographer sees a familiar pattern of government-backed energy projects devastating Indigenous communities and violating tribal sovereignty.  

From Dams to DAPL, the Army Corps’ Culture of Disdain for Indigenous Communities Must End

September 13, 2023 PerspectivesUnited States, MidwestTroy Pretends Eagle

The prophesied “Seventh Generation” is here—demanding justice for tribes and protecting what they have left. 

General Iron Looms Over the Return to School

August 11, 2023 Expert BlogChicagoGina Ramirez

As we gear up for another school year, there's a constant worry hanging over us: the possibility of the General Iron facility starting up just across the street from George Washington High School. 

Better Energy Options for Chicago: Clean and Affordable Buildings

July 12, 2023 Expert BlogChicago, Illinois, Midwest

A thoughtful transition toward clean and affordable buildings would help reduce high energy bills and indoor air pollution harming Chicago residents.

A Tale of Two Capacity Auctions—and Still Too Much Coal

July 10, 2023 Expert BlogMidwest, Illinois

A capacity price spike impacted Illinoisans’ electricity bills last June. What has MISO done to prevent it from happening again? It’s a mixed bag—with too many fossil fuels inside.

Midwest states need a modern grid to supercharge clean energy goals

June 15, 2023 Expert BlogMinnesota, Midwest, Illinois, Michigan

Midwest states are already leading on clean energy, but achieving their goals depends on the power grid's readiness. We need the electricity system to catch up.

Community Science Is Changing How People Can Fight Pollution

May 23, 2023 PerspectivesHouston, Texas, St. Louis, Missouri, Chicago, IllinoisCourtney Lindwall

Grassroots groups are collecting their own pollution data to increase accountability and demand environmental justice.

SPP Must Rework Rules That Penalize Wind and Solar Power

March 28, 2023 Expert BlogMidwest, United StatesCaroline Reiser, Natalie McIntire

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) rejection of Southwest Power Pool's (SPP) proposal gives SPP a new opportunity to create an accreditation process that does not discriminate against renewable resources.

"Natural" Gas Is Expensive and Dangerous. We Can Do Better.

February 18, 2023 Expert BlogIllinoisJ.C. Kibbey

Large gas utilities in Illinois are pushing for a historically large rate increase. Now is the time to make the switch to cleaner home appliances.

Fossil Fuel Fearmongering at PJM Threatens to Waste Millions and Delay Renewables by Years

December 7, 2022 Expert BlogEast, MidwestTom Rutigliano

Gas power plant developers are searching for ways to salvage their investments in unneeded power plants. Their last attempt at this was thwarted, but they’re trying again.

Chicago’s New Plan for Clean, Healthy, Affordable Buildings

October 13, 2022 Expert BlogIllinois, ChicagoValeria Rincon

Unprecedented Rain Highlights Deep Inequities in Centreville

July 28, 2022 Expert BlogIllinoisNatalia Ospina

Immediate and comprehensive action must be taken by government at all levels to address the flooding and sewage crises.

Ghost Pipelines: How Landowners Suffer, Long After a Project Gets Canceled

June 21, 2022 ExplainerUnited States, Virginia, Pennsylvania, NebraskaNicole Greenfield

The pipeline threat is gone, but the damage to their property and lives is already done.

One Year Later and Still Waiting for Change

June 2, 2022 Expert BlogIllinoisNatalia Ospina

In Centreville, Illinois, a majority-Black community has been left waiting for change.

Why Illinois Has a Power Supply Crunch, and How to Fix It

May 3, 2022 Expert BlogIllinoisJ.C. Kibbey

Market forces have driven a lot of coal power offline in the past decade—but regulatory barriers and outdated thinking by some utilities has led to missed opportunities to expand affordable clean energy resources.

Time to End Consumers Energy’s Use of Coal

April 13, 2022 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.

Biden Team Moves to Save the Boundary Waters

October 20, 2021 Expert BlogMinnesotaDavid Doniger

The Biden administration’s very welcome decision to block sulfide-ore copper mining on the edges of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is personal to me and my family. My in-laws have roots there going back more than a century, and…

NRDC Sets Region Specific Water Targets for Each Office

August 10, 2021 Expert BlogUnited States, New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Bozeman, Beijing, San Francisco, Santa Monica

NRDC has seen a steady decline in total water usage institution-wide and has taken steps to advance water stewardship.