News & Commentary

What's on the Horizon for California's MPA Petitions

June 17, 2024 Expert BlogUnited States, CaliforniaRobert Vergara

As state agencies begin their evaluation of the 20 petitions proposing changes to California's MPA network, it is crucial to strive for ambitious ocean conservation actions.

Offshore Wind Plan Propels California’s Clean Energy Future

May 16, 2024 Expert BlogCaliforniaLara Ettenson, Lauren Kubiak

Offshore wind is a crucial part of California’s transition to a clean energy future, bringing significant benefits like cleaner air and economic opportunities.

California’s Entanglement Regulations: The Stronger the Better

May 16, 2024 Expert BlogCaliforniaDr. Francine Kershaw

To protect endangered whales and sea turtles from entanglements in California, several regulatory improvements are necessary.

New Rule Ups Big Oil’s Financial Responsibility for Offshore Clean-up

April 24, 2024 Expert BlogCaliforniaRebecca Loomis

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s new rule takes a meaningful step towards holding industry accountable for the true costs of oil and gas drilling. 

The Biden Administration Protects Millions of Acres of Arctic Alaska

April 19, 2024 Latest NewsArctic, AlaskaJenny 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.

The Long, Long Battle for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

March 15, 2024 ExplainerAlaskaBrian Palmer, Nicole Greenfield

For decades, politicians have vacillated between protecting Alaska’s refuge as one of the last unspoiled places on earth and plundering it for oil.

California Funds Major Expansion of Pop-Up Fishing Gear Library

February 29, 2024 Expert BlogCalifornia, WestDr. Francine Kershaw

State funding for an expanded library of pop-up fishing gear will dramatically increase access for fishers and support critical testing efforts.

State Funding Urgently Needed to Support Pop-Up Testing in California

February 24, 2024 Expert BlogCaliforniaDr. Francine Kershaw

Twenty fishers waiting to test pop-up gear to reduce entanglements in the commercial California Dungeness crab fishery risk being overlooked by state funders.

Adaptive Management Should Anchor California’s Ocean Conservation Goals

February 12, 2024 Expert BlogUnited States, CaliforniaRobert Vergara

A prime opportunity to bolster California's MPA network is close at hand. State decision makers should move to ambitiously conserve our state's vulnerable seascape.

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.

Why the Willow Project Is a Bad Idea

November 13, 2023 Latest NewsAlaskaJeff Turrentine

The oil drilling proposal would be disastrous for Alaska and the planet (not to mention President Biden’s climate legacy). 

Taxpayers Still on Hook for Oil and Gas Clean-up, Despite New Rule

September 25, 2023 Expert BlogTexas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, AlaskaRebecca Ramirez

BOEM's proposed rule falls short in requiring oil and gas companies to demonstrate they are financially able to fully remove and clean up platforms & pipelines.

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.

Connecting Youth to Nature Supports Equity and Climate Change Goals

June 29, 2023 Expert BlogCaliforniaChris Clark

Helping youth overcome barriers and connect to blue spaces supports current equity goals and lays the foundation for a bright future in the climate movement

A Healthy Ocean Future Depends on Protected Areas

April 20, 2023 Expert BlogCaliforniaAnupa Asokan

Trophy fish can be an ecosystem's savior.

On International Day of Forests, the Global North Must Show Leadership

March 21, 2023 Expert BlogInternational, Canada, United States, AlaskaElly Pepper, Carolyn Ramírez

On International Day of Forests, the Global North must show leadership on forest protection and acknowledge its own role in forest loss.

Environmental Groups and Fishers Collaborate to Reduce Entanglements, Gear Loss in Southern California

February 17, 2023 Expert BlogCaliforniaDr. Francine Kershaw

Pop-up fishing systems virtually eliminate entanglement risk and enable fishing to continue in areas that would be otherwise closed to fishing to protect endangered species.

Alaska’s Tongass National Forest Gets the Protections It Deserves

February 17, 2023 NRDC in ActionAlaskaCourtney Lindwall

After a decades-long fight, the newly reinstated Roadless Rule will safeguard these wildlands from road construction and logging.

MPAs Work, Let’s Make Them Work for Everyone

February 16, 2023 Expert BlogCaliforniaAnupa Asokan

If California is to remain a leader in marine protection, we as advocates, scientists, and state agencies must adapt our perspectives on who values our ocean and its resources.

Crushing Alaska’s Pebble Mine

February 13, 2023 NRDC in ActionAlaskaNicole Greenfield, Jeff Turrentine

The EPA’s decision to veto the project is fantastic news—but the fight to save Bristol Bay isn’t over yet.