News & Commentary

The Fight for Safe Drinking Water Doesn’t Start at the Top

October 24, 2023 NRDC in ActionChicagoShelia Hu

True activism begins with the people—and that’s where you’ll find policy advocate Chakena D. Perry.

Illinois Shows Us What the Road to Clean Energy Should Look Like

December 2, 2021 NRDC in ActionUnited States, IllinoisCourtney Lindwall

Here’s how a formidable clean energy coalition helped pass the most equitable climate legislation in the country—and developed a blueprint for other states to follow.

Sharing the Road: Safer Streets Means Safe for Everyone

June 25, 2021 ExplainerUnited States, California, Missouri, Atlanta, San Jose (California), St. Louis, GeorgiaDan Reed

As they incorporate equity into transportation planning, a number of U.S. cities are making room for bicyclists, pedestrians, scooters, and wheelchairs in every part of town.

A Catalyst for the Midwest’s Clean Energy Transition

December 1, 2020 NRDC in ActionKansas City (Kansas), St. Louis, Missouri, New York CityBrian Palmer

Ashok Gupta spent decades cleaning up New York’s grid and reducing its reliance on dirty fuels. Now he’s working to bring the clean energy future to the Midwest.

An Ally in the Fight for Safe, Affordable Drinking Water for All

November 30, 2020 NRDC in ActionDetroit, Illinois, Flint, Chicago, MichiganNicole Greenfield

Detroit native Jeremy Orr combines his personal experience and community organizing roots with his legal expertise to help communities of color in Michigan and Illinois dismantle environmental racism.

Voces for Climate Action

July 14, 2020 NRDC in ActionChicago, Illinois, CaliforniaNicole Greenfield

NRDC staffers are helping to build environmental equity and empower Latino voices for climate action—a cause that hits close to home.

The Revitalization of This Former Coal Town Starts Now

April 1, 2020 NRDC in ActionPeoria, IllinoisNicole Greenfield

Following a landmark settlement agreement, $8.6 million will be invested back into projects that uplift the community of Peoria, Illinois, where a dirty coal plant is scheduled to close by the end of 2022.

This Is What a Just Transition Looks Like

March 2, 2020 ExplainerUnited States, Peoria, IllinoisBrian Palmer

To help a community leave its dirty energy economy behind, advocates must fight for local representation, equity, and retraining that prepares workers for high-quality jobs.

The City Insider Proving that Mayors Can Lead on Climate

February 11, 2020 NRDC in ActionChicagoNicole Greenfield

Chris Wheat, who helped make Chicago a greener place from inside its city hall, is now helping empower city governments across the country to realize their many climate ambitions.

With Family Roots in the Mines, He’s Championing Illinois’s Clean Energy Future

January 31, 2020 NRDC in ActionMichigan, Illinois, Chicago, PeoriaNicole Greenfield

With grassroots groups and other partners, J. C. Kibbey is fighting for one of the country’s most ambitious climate bills—and a just transition away from coal.

The Desire to Stop Canadian Tar Sands Transcends Borders

January 10, 2019 NRDC in ActionAlberta, Canada, Nebraska, Chicago, IllinoisNicole Greenfield

For more than a decade, NRDC has worked with indigenous communities in Alberta, U.S.-based grassroots groups, and intergovernmental bodies to halt the expansion of dirty tar sands oil.

Making Art and Environmental Activism One and the Same

October 5, 2018 NRDC in ActionNew York, Illinois, ChicagoNicole Greenfield

Director of art partnerships Elizabeth Corr is the visionary behind NRDC’s artist-in-residence program, its museum collaborations, and its mission to fuse art and advocacy.

She Breathes In Pollution, and Fights It, in the Windy City

May 15, 2018 NRDC in ActionChicago, Illinois, Washington, D.C.Carmen Cusido

NRDC’s Gina Ramirez is helping to bring attention to the wafts of manganese dust that plague her family and neighbors on Chicago’s Southeast Side.

The Petcoke Problem: Where to Store the Risky Tar Sands Refining By-Product

November 1, 2016 ExplainerUnited States, Canada, Chicago, Detroit, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Virginia

Petroleum coke, typically stored outdoors in big open piles, can blow right into nearby homes and cause serious health problems. Unsurprisingly, communities are fighting Big Oil to keep this noxious material out of their backyards.

NRDC's Commitment to Green Starts with Its Offices

April 29, 2016 NRDC in ActionNew York City, Chicago, Santa Monica, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, BeijingMelissa Denchak

Each one of our six workplaces in the United States and China is a model of earth-friendly design.

EJ: Getting Us (All of Us) to Environmentalism 4.0

March 2, 2016 ExplainerUnited States, Flint, Michigan, ChicagoBrian Palmer

“Environmental justice” isn’t only about what is put in whose backyard—it’s the future of the environmental movement.

Our Man in Chicago

December 31, 2015 NRDC in ActionChicago, MidwestEmily Voigt

Henry Henderson knows that achieving energy independence and creating new jobs go hand-in-hand.

6 Cities That Are Ready for Climate Change

August 31, 2015 ExplainerNew York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, Portland (Oregon), San AntonioKim Castleberry

By embracing green infrastructure, these urban areas have a solid defense against increased drought or flood.

A Dirty Battle in Chicago's Backyards

August 13, 2015 NRDC in ActionChicago, Illinois, IndianaNicole Greenfield

Residents of the Windy City are fighting the tar sands industry from spreading its toxic petcoke around town.