News & Commentary

California Beckons the Gray Wolf—but Can’t Guarantee a Safe Journey There

July 8, 2019 DispatchWest, California, Oregon, WashingtonCorey Binns

The future of wolves in the West depends on collaborative cross-border commitments to protecting this icon of the wild.

After Children Began Getting Sick by the Dozens, Parents Took a Hard Look at Their Town’s Toxic Legacy

May 30, 2019 DispatchIndiana, Massachusetts, North CarolinaSusan Cosier

The carcinogen TCE has been lurking in the ground beneath Franklin, Indiana, for decades. Now families are demanding answers.

Five Years In, Flint’s Water Crisis Isn’t Over

April 25, 2019 Expert BlogFlintSarah Tallman

Rev. Allen Overton and Melissa Mays, co-plaintiffs in the lawsuit that led to the ongoing replacement of Flint’s lead pipes, describe lessons learned—and a community that’s determined to better its future.

The Future of Seattle’s Ferries Is Electric

December 26, 2018 DispatchSeattle, WashingtonStarre Vartan

The largest ferry system in the United States prepares to stop using diesel fuel to help Washington achieve its climate action goals.

Trump Is Trying to Pull the Wool Over Our Eyes About Climate Change—These Knitters Aren’t Having It

December 19, 2018 PerspectivesWashington, United StatesClara Chaisson

The Tempestry Project invites you to spin a colorful yarn about rising temperatures.

Cape Cod’s Gray Seal and White Shark Problem Is Not Black-and-White

November 9, 2018 ExplainerUnited States, MassachusettsJason Bittel

After a rare shark bite takes a life, some in this beach region want to go after the seals.

In the Pacific Northwest, Testing Out New Wildfire Defenses on the Front Lines

October 30, 2018 DispatchWest, Washington, OregonLora Shinn

Where quick-spreading fires are the “new normal,” some state officials and communities are willing to try whatever it takes to prevent—or better prepare for—the next big blaze.

Ethereal Fog Sculptures Are Rolling Through Boston’s Parks

September 11, 2018 PerspectivesBoston, United StatesClara Chaisson

Fujiko Nakaya’s vaporous creations respond to wind, humidity, temperature, and dew point, making visible the invisible forces all around us.

Another Huge Drinking Water Fail Surfaces in Michigan

August 24, 2018 DispatchMichiganSteve Friess

For years the state has ignored its foamy rivers and water supplies contaminated with chemicals called PFASs.

In the Columbia–Snake River Basin, Salmon Are Losing Their Way

July 18, 2018 DispatchWest, Washington, OregonJodi Helmer

As the fish disappear, native peoples are looking for solutions lest they lose a way of life too.

Can We Save the Midwest’s Only Rattlesnake?

July 16, 2018 DispatchMidwest, Michigan, IllinoisSusan Cosier

As the region’s wetlands disappear, so may the swamp rattler.

Wolves Get a Second Chance on a Great Lakes Island

June 27, 2018 DispatchMichiganSusan Cosier

In Isle Royale National Park, the Park Service makes a rare move to reverse a consequence of climate change.

Michigan Moves to Eliminate Lead Drinking Water Pipes

June 14, 2018 Expert BlogMichiganCyndi Roper

Michigan's new lead in drinking water protections can never make up for the disaster in Flint, but they help ensure that other communities will be better protected in the future.

Getting the Lead Out—Michigan’s Ahead of EPA, Other States

June 14, 2018 Expert BlogMichigan, United StatesErik D. Olson, Mae Wu

In Washington, a Coal-Fired Power Plant Will Put Its Money on the Sun

June 11, 2018 DispatchWashingtonStarre Vartan

Ten percent of the state’s greenhouse gases come from a single coal-fired power plant—which will soon trade coal for solar.

Nestlé’s Ice Mountain Bottled Water Leaves Nothing for Michigan’s Trout

June 1, 2018 DispatchMichiganSusan Cosier

The company wants to increase its groundwater withdrawals to 400 gallons a minute—but the community’s citizen scientists say enough is enough.

This Spring, Fish Will Migrate Up This Massachusetts River for the First Time in 200 Years

April 30, 2018 DispatchMassachusettsClara Chaisson

The dams on Mill River are gone . . . Run, herring, run!

The Wait Begins: Will Snyder Get the Lead Out of Our Water?

March 21, 2018 Expert BlogMichiganCyndi Roper

We hope that we can stand with Michigan’s water utilities and local governments to educate the public about the threats to their drinking water from lead and other contaminants and how we’re unable to fully address those threats due to…

This Is How We Stand Up to Trump

December 20, 2017 NRDC in ActionUnited States, Washington, D.C., Utah, Michigan, CaliforniaNicole Greenfield

Meet a handful of the NRDC staffers who resisted Trump’s attacks and defended our environment in 2017—and who won’t stop fighting anytime soon.

This Leader of the (Legal) Resistance Has Never Felt More Ready

December 7, 2017 NRDC in ActionWashington, D.C., Flint, Michigan, MaineJeff Turrentine

NRDC Chief Counsel Mitch Bernard takes on big polluters, climate deniers, and their powerful allies—including those who sit in the West Wing.