News & Commentary

Forest Degradation Increases Community Vulnerability to Extreme Floods

May 9, 2024 Expert BlogCanadaDr. Julee Boan

Extreme flooding events are increasing with climate change. Research shows how clearcut logging increases risks to communities and ecosystems. 

Reducing Water Loss Requires Upgrading Aging Ag Water Infrastructure

April 5, 2024 Expert BlogCaliforniaArohi Sharma

California’s ag sector will continue to struggle with unsustainable water use until it addresses broader inefficiencies across its aging water delivery system. Upgrades to California’s water delivery system, such as lining canals to reduce seepage, pressurizing water delivery pipes, installing…

Removing Forest “Waste” Degrades Ecosystem Structure and Function

April 3, 2024 Expert BlogCanadaDr. Julee Boan

Canada, as a signatory to the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use, must halt and reverse deforestation and land degradation by 2030.

Canaries in a Coalmine: Birds and Forest Degradation in Canada

March 14, 2024 Expert BlogCanadaDr. Julee Boan

Canada, as a signatory to the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use, must halt and reverse deforestation and land degradation by 2030.

Progress in CA on Protecting People and Wildlife from Toxic Neonics

March 14, 2024 Expert BlogCaliforniaLena Freij, Allison Johnson

Just in time for spring, we’re seeing movement in California to curtail harmful and unnecessary uses of neonicotinoid insecticides, or “neonics.” 

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.

The U.K. Is Burning Canadian Forests for Fuel

February 28, 2024 Expert BlogCanada, InternationalCourtenay Lewis

Twenty-three environmental organizations stress that the U.K. government funding the incineration of imported Canadian wood pellets threatens climate progress.

Why Wood Pellets Won’t Solve California’s Wildfire Problem 

February 1, 2024 Expert BlogCaliforniaRita Frost

GSNR's project will not only waste time and drain critical funding but may even worsen wildfires.

Studies Expose Reality of Logging-Driven Forest Degradation in Canada

January 25, 2024 Expert BlogOttawaJennifer Skene

New publications on the impact of industrial logging in Canada reveal pervasive forest degradation and significant climate consequences,

We Need Healthy Farm Ecosystems – Not Harmful Pesticides

December 14, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, Washington, D.C., Florida, CaliforniaAllison Johnson

EPA should do more to protect pollinators – and we need to ramp up resources to help farmers build healthy ecosystems themselves.

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!

CA’s Transformative Food & Farm Campaign Will Continue in 2024

November 7, 2023 Expert BlogCaliforniaArohi Sharma, Lena Brook

The California Legislature adjourned in September, officially turning the Food & Farm Resilience Coalition's climate bond campaign into a two-year effort. The bill proposes $3.65 billion for infrastructure that would reduce agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions while bringing healthier food options…

Wahkohtowin Development: Creating an Indigenous Conservation Economy

October 12, 2023 Expert BlogCanadaDr. Julee Boan

Using a collaborative approach, Chapleau Cree, Missanabie Cree and Brunswick House First Nations are advancing a new paradigm of sustainability.

Nick Offerman "Face Plants" to Show Benefits of Cover Crops

September 20, 2023 Expert BlogLos AngelesArohi Sharma

Nick Offerman's quirky new video concludes with the tagline, "Don't treat soil like dirt," and is a key part of NRDC's campaign to promote cover crops in the next Farm Bill.

The Issue with Tissue Fifth Edition

September 19, 2023 Expert BlogCanadaAshley Jordan

Five years in, laggards remain far behind a growing number of sustainable tissue brands.

CARB Must Reform LCFS Program

August 23, 2023 Expert BlogCaliforniaKiki Velez

Will CARB listen to the community voices calling for change to the LCFS Program?

Walking the Talk: How Will Canada Halt and Reverse Biodiversity Loss?

July 19, 2023 Expert BlogCanadaDr. Julee Boan

NRDC is working with Canadian and international environmental non-governmental organizations to provide recommendations for how Canada can develop a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan that aligns with its commitments to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.

Golden State Natural Resources’ Biomass Boondoggle

July 19, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, CaliforniaRita Frost

Community leaders, environmental groups, and residents oppose greenwashed biomass production and export scheme in California.

Organic Needs a Boost in the Farm Bill

July 12, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, California, Iowa, Washington, D.C.Allison Johnson

Our public investments in organic food production have not kept pace with the organic sector’s growth – and that’s a missed opportunity for domestic economic development. The Opportunities in Organic Act would help U.S. farms meet consumer demand by reducing…

Canada’s Caribou Protection Delays Bring More Forest Degradation

June 19, 2023 Expert BlogOntario, CanadaDr. Julee Boan

Canada gives Ontario another year to degrade at-risk caribou habitat, taking it further away from international promises to halt and reverse biodiversity loss.