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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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.

Wildfires Can Spark Widespread Contamination of Public Water Supplies

October 22, 2020 Latest NewsUnited StatesJodi Helmer

In communities devastated by fires, scientists have found extremely high levels of toxic chemicals, like benzene, in tap water.

New York State Assembly Passes Ban on Toxic Teflon Chemicals in Food Packaging

July 23, 2020 Latest NewsNew YorkCourtney Lindwall

Most Americans already have detectable levels of PFAS in their blood. Prevention through protections like these are key.

The Trump Administration Wants to Set Water Safety Back 50 Years

January 31, 2020 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

With their latest rollback, the president and the EPA chief show that they either don’t understand how water pollution works—or simply don’t care.

A Federal Court Revokes Construction Permit, Delivering a Blow to the Mountain Valley Pipeline

October 3, 2018 Latest NewsUnited StatesCourtney Lindwall

The Trump administration’s slapdash approval process for fossil fuel projects just isn’t standing up to legal review.

Bucking Trump Agenda, Court Reinstates Clean Water Rule in 26 States

August 21, 2018 Latest NewsUnited StatesCourtney Lindwall

Here’s why this environmental and public health win is so important.

Win! Court Pulls Key Permit for Massive (and Dirty) Atlantic Coast Pipeline

May 21, 2018 Latest NewsUnited StatesCourtney Lindwall

Here’s why we’re celebrating.

Tires: An Emerging Threat to Our Waterways, Our Seafood, and Ourselves?

March 29, 2018 Latest NewsUnited StatesJason Bittel

The United States produces two million tons of tire particles each year, and we know very little about what they do to the environment.

Alaska's Previously Defeated Pebble Mine Project Has a New Investor

February 23, 2018 Latest NewsAlaskaCourtney Lindwall

The proposed mine, resurrected by EPA administrator Scott Pruitt last year, now has financial backing from Canada's First Quantum Minerals.

Why Nobody Likes Trump’s Infrastructure Plan

February 16, 2018 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

For starters: It would endanger the environment, imperil water systems and other public assets . . . and then make states pay extra for it all.

Why We Need to Improve the Sex Lives of Mussels

December 8, 2017 Latest NewsUnited StatesJason Bittel

The United States has the greatest freshwater mussel diversity on the planet, but some populations haven’t reproduced in 100 years. This is bad news for humans, too.

The Disgrace of Scott Pruitt

October 27, 2017 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

Muzzling scientists, scrubbing websites, attacking journalists: all in a shameful day’s work for our bought-and-paid-for EPA administrator. It’s time to stop him.

These Species Have Hung On for Millions of Years. Will the Trump Administration Push Them to Extinction?

September 21, 2017 Latest NewsUnited StatesJason Bittel

The president’s terrible policies could leave an indelible mark on the country’s biological heritage.

Oil Shouldn’t Have to Spill to Get Us to Fight for the Environment

March 24, 2017 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

In Donald Trump’s war on the environment, Americans’ complacency is his greatest ally.

Want to Make America Great Again? Don’t Let Its People Breathe or Drink Poison.

March 10, 2017 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

The cruel and un-American folly of shutting down the EPA’s environmental justice program.

Hey Congress, Don’t Roll Out the Welcome Mat for Invasive Species

June 9, 2016 Latest NewsUnited StatesSusan Cosier

A sneaky provision in this year’s defense act loosens regulations on ballast water—and all its stowaways. If it passes, the Great Lakes could suffer serious consequences.