News & Commentary

Let’s Commit to Saving Workers from Heat, Not Killing Them

April 24, 2024 Expert BlogUnited States, California, Texas, FloridaJuanita Constible

Recent actions by state government officials increase the urgency for a federal workplace heat standard.

Farm-to-Glass Supports Organic Farming

November 16, 2023 Expert BlogWashington, D.C., Ohio, Illinois, Maryland, New York, Michigan, Maine, CaliforniaAllison Johnson

Cheers! NRDC and our partners toasted a good cause on Capitol Hill: growing organic!

Renewables and Storage Hold Their Own in the Texas Heat Dome

July 5, 2023 Expert BlogTexasJohn Moore

No fossil fuels, no problem? Texas investments in wind and solar pay off, generating record-breaking renewable power to meet all-time high electricity demand during nearly 10-day heat dome—despite fossil fuel plant failures.

Cover Crops for Every Climate

February 17, 2023 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.

Equitable Building Decarbonization Across the Country: 2022

December 14, 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.

Celebrating Mid-Atlantic and Southeast Food Matters Cohorts

December 9, 2022 Expert BlogBaltimore, Jersey City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C.Madeline Keating, Darby Hoover

This month, we mark the successful completion of our two-year partnerships with the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast cohorts. Our work with Great Lakes cities will continue in 2023.

Memo to Maryland: Start Over on Workplace Heat Protections

November 16, 2022 Expert BlogUnited States, MarylandJuanita Constible

Maryland needs to shelve its weak and unenforceable proposal for workplace heat standards and start over again.

The Heat Was On and Our Power Grid Held: But Will It Next Time?

October 4, 2022 Expert BlogCalifornia, TexasChristy Walsh

It wasn’t easy, but the U.S. power grid defied record-breaking heatwaves and doomsday warnings to survive the summer without major service interruptions.

Solar Helps Keep the ACs Humming in Texas

July 21, 2022 Expert BlogTexasJohn Moore

In a month that has seen Texas sizzle under record-breaking heat, solar, and wind power have been key to helping keeping the lights on—and air conditioners humming.

Solving Problems—Not Pointing Fingers—in Texas

July 13, 2022 Expert BlogTexasChristy Walsh

Blaming any one power source is a mistake. We can’t make any one source of power foolproof, but we can make a grid that’s nimble, resilient, and reliable.

Toward a Renter's Right to Heat-Safe Housing

June 9, 2022 Expert BlogNew York City, Maryland, United StatesSam Whillans

Everyone deserves to stay safe and cool during extreme heat waves.

The Texas Storm That Proved the Need for Grid Investments

February 9, 2022 Expert BlogTexas, United StatesChristy Walsh

It has been a year since Winter Storm Uri left millions of people without power. The United States cannot wait any longer to invest in its aging transmission system.

Celebrating Year One of the Food Matters Regional Initiative

August 30, 2021 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.

Feed People and the Soil, Starve Landfills and Incinerators

March 15, 2021 Expert BlogBaltimore, MarylandYvette Cabrera, Darby Hoover

At a time when one in four American adults face hunger, it is imperative that we look for ways to ensure food is eaten, not disposed.

School Districts Commit to Responsibly Raised Turkey

March 11, 2021 Expert BlogNew York City, New York, Los Angeles, California, Dallas, TexasLena Brook

Urban School Food Alliance sets new responsible antibiotics use standard for turkey in school meals.

MISO and SPP Can Benefit from a More Connected Grid

March 3, 2021 Expert BlogTexas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Kansas, MissouriToba Pearlman

Electric grids across the Midwest, South, and in Texas failed a key resilience test during last month’s winter storm, and one key conclusion is clear: The grids connected via transmission lines fared significantly better than those isolated and on their…

What Went Wrong in Texas? Why We Need to Investigate.

March 2, 2021 Expert BlogTexasAnna Weber

The deadly winter storms and power outages in Texas last month are just the latest example of why the United States needs a National Disaster Safety Board.

A Tale of Two Grids: Texas and California

March 2, 2021 Expert BlogCalifornia, TexasRalph Cavanagh

Although both California and Texas recently faced traumatic weather events, the consequences for electric system reliability were dramatically different. 

Texas Shows Us Our Water Future with Climate Change: It Ain’t Pretty

February 26, 2021 Expert BlogTexasErik D. Olson

Texas was just a glimpse of what’s to come. With increasing wildfires, drought, flooding, and sea-level rise, we must make sure our water systems can continue to operate during such events.

What Texas Teaches Us About Good Governance

February 23, 2021 Expert BlogTexasMitchell Bernard

The extreme cold snap and the disaster it brought to the state is a reminder of the importance of good governance in a modern society—and the danger we court when we pursue policies untethered to the public interest.