News & Commentary

A New Pathway to a Western Grid

May 31, 2024 Expert BlogWest, Colorado, Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Montana, Utah, WyomingKelsie Gomanie

Pathways Initiative approves two-step approach to create independent governance for a west-wide electricity market.

Poll: People Want Action on Plastics for Health and Wildlife

April 15, 2024 Expert BlogInternational, Canada, United States, Ohio, PennsylvaniaDaniel Rosenberg

New poll results show overwhelming public support for government action to address the plastic crisis, including a strong global plastics treaty.

Columbus Signs Milan Urban Food Policy Pact

February 5, 2024 Expert BlogUnited States, Ohio, ColumbusAnya Obrez

Columbus Signs Milan Urban Food Policy Pact

Industry Bids on 1.7 Million Acres for New Offshore Drilling

December 20, 2023 Expert BlogTexas, Louisiana, Mississippi, AlabamaRebecca Loomis

BOEM's offshore oil and gas lease sale offered nearly 73 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico to the fossil fuel industry.

Risky Realities—Recognizing the Harms of Global LNG Expansion

December 4, 2023 Expert BlogInternational, United States, Africa, MexicoJamie Lee, Mima Holt

Liquefied natural gas should be phased out in tandem with other fossil fuels, paving the way for renewable energy to meet international climate and sustainable development goals.

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!

Holding BOEM Accountable for Offshore Leasing Reform

November 3, 2023 Expert BlogTexas, Louisiana, Mississippi, AlabamaRebecca Loomis

New offshore leasing proposed by BOEM would cause unacceptable harm to our climate, ocean, and Gulf communities. But agency reforms can help lessen the impacts.

Solar Gets Backing Before the Ohio Supreme Court

October 24, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, OhioDaniel Sawmiller

The Ohio Supreme Court has received written arguments in a case that could decide the future of large-scale solar projects in Ohio.

P&G Shareholders Signal Discontent Over Forest Failures

October 23, 2023 Expert BlogOhio, Washington, D.C.Shelley Vinyard

At P&G's October 10th annual shareholder meeting, shareholders with tens of billions of dollars' worth of shares voted against company leadership over its failure to address risks associated with its forest sourcing.

Biden Administration Expands the Gulf's Waters to Oil and Gas Drilling

October 3, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, TexasAndrew Wetzler

The region's communities and marine life will continue to be exposed to the catastrophic risk and ongoing damage of these inherently hazardous industrial operations at sea.

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.

Water Is Life—from Standing Rock to Oaxaca’s Mixtecan Highlands

September 18, 2023 PerspectivesMexico, West, South DakotaElybeth Sofia Alcantar

A geographer sees a familiar pattern of government-backed energy projects devastating Indigenous communities and violating tribal sovereignty.  

Advancing Sanitation Equity in the 2023 Farm Bill

July 27, 2023 Expert BlogAlabama, United StatesBecky Hammer

Increased and better-targeted USDA funding could help rural communities address sanitation challenges that threaten public health.

Winter Storm Elliott Report Highlights the Risk of Natural Gas Failures

July 20, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, East, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, TexasDana Ammann

PJM’s report on Winter Storm Elliott found that gas generators were responsible for 70 percent of forced outages during December 2022. Climate change will only intensify future severe weather. 

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…

Oregon Must Do More to Reduce Entanglements

July 10, 2023 Expert BlogOregon, United StatesDr. Francine Kershaw

Help our West Coast marine life and ask the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission to require stronger management measures.

Study Shows 14,000 Unplugged Oil and Gas Wells in Gulf of Mexico

May 23, 2023 Expert BlogTexas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, FloridaRebecca Loomis, Rebecca Ramirez

Industry has neglected thousands of unused oil and gas wells in the Gulf of Mexico. They will cost an estimated $30 billion to plug and decommission.

The Proposed Colorado River Deal: A Short-Term Band-Aid for a Long-Term Problem

May 23, 2023 Expert BlogWest, California, Arizona, Nevada, MexicoDr. Mark Gold

The Colorado River conservation proposal from Arizona, California, and Nevada reduces diversions by 1 million acre feet a year. Is this enough to make river management sustainable?

Western Electricity Grid Is Entering Its Day-Ahead Market Era

April 28, 2023 Expert BlogWest, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, WashingtonKelsie Gomanie

NRDC is working with stakeholders to safeguard consumer interests and environmental protections as utilities from California to the Great Plains weigh proposals to share energy resources through an organized market.

Under “Food Apartheid,” Urban Farms Are More Important Than Ever

April 28, 2023 DispatchUnited States, Indiana, IndianapolisJeff Turrentine

But BIPOC urban farmers continue to face unique challenges—including inequitable access to land and loans.