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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The Mission to Save Florida’s Reefs

September 23, 2021 Latest NewsFloridaCourtney Lindwall

Here’s how a sweeping reef restoration plan in the Florida Keys hopes to transform an ecological disaster into a great American comeback story.

A Race to Track the Southern Seas

May 13, 2021 Latest NewsInternationalBrian Palmer

To help prepare coastlines for the worsening effects of the climate crisis, scientists need more historical sea level records from the Global South—and they’re looking everywhere, from libraries to attics.

Fossil Fuel Air Pollution Kills One in Five People

February 19, 2021 Latest NewsInternationalClara Chaisson

The global toll of premature deaths attributed to the burning of coal, gasoline, and diesel is breathtakingly high, with new research doubling previous estimates.

How to Start Saving the Planet in 100 Days: the Joe Biden Edition

January 25, 2021 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

Here’s what we want to see from our new president on the environmental front between now and May.

A Massive Surge in Plankton Has Researchers Pondering the Future of the Arctic

September 9, 2020 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Phytoplankton blooms are growing faster and thicker than ever seen before—with potential consequences for climate, wildlife, and the fishing industry.

Air Quality Is Worsening for Half of the World’s People

July 2, 2020 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

A new study shows that most of us humans are likely inhaling more air pollution each year.

How Plastic Bottles Become Death Traps for Hermit Crabs

February 3, 2020 Latest NewsInternationalJason Bittel

Each year on two far-flung Australian islands, more than half a million hermit crabs die after becoming trapped inside our plastic waste.

The Surprise Middleman in the Illegal Shark Fin Trade: The United States

November 20, 2019 Latest NewsUnited StatesJason Bittel

A new report finds that huge shipments of shark fins are smuggled through U.S. ports on the way to their final destinations.

The EPA Says It Wants “Scientific Transparency.” What It Really Wants Is Control Over Research.

November 15, 2019 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

A newly proposed rule would let Andrew Wheeler decide what kind of science is—and isn’t—allowed to inform our country’s public health protections.

The Fate of This Coral Species Rests in a Dark Room in Tampa

October 28, 2019 Latest NewsFloridaJason Bittel

Scientists have coaxed Atlantic pillar corals to spawn in captivity for the first time—a breakthrough that could save the species from extinction.

The Fight to End Offshore Drilling Is Bipartisan

September 9, 2019 Latest NewsUnited StatesCourtney Lindwall

Because everyone can stand behind clean beaches, thriving coastal economies, and healthy fisheries.

Japan Goes Rogue and Resumes Commercial Whaling

July 18, 2019 Latest NewsInternationalJason Bittel

The nation’s departure from the International Whaling Commission was followed immediately by the slaughter of two minke whales.

U.N. Report: A Million Extinctions and Ecological Collapse Are on the Way

May 13, 2019 Latest NewsUnited StatesCourtney Lindwall

We got ourselves into this mess. It’s high time we got ourselves out of it.

When Your Planet Calls 911

May 10, 2019 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

The systems that allow life on earth to exist are breaking down. We’re responsible. But we also have the power to turn things around.

Trump Hatches a New Plan to Attack Science

May 3, 2019 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

In the administration’s ongoing war on environmental laws, the tactics can be subtle but the strategy is straightforward: Give corporate polluters every chance to fight the rules they don’t like.