News & Commentary

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.

This Tiny North Carolina Town Is Sick of Being a Dumping Ground for Pollution

August 21, 2017 DispatchNorth CarolinaRobynne Boyd

The largely African-American community of Dobbins Heights hopes to protect its health—and its trees—from the biomass industry.

Offshore Drilling in the Atlantic? “That’s Not Who We Are.”

July 24, 2017 DispatchEast, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, GeorgiaRobynne Boyd

Southern communities prefer their coastlines sandy, beautiful, and bountiful—not filled with rigs and air guns blasting ships or covered in oil.

An Uphill Battle, and Persistence, in Flint

July 11, 2017 NRDC in ActionFlint, MichiganNicole Greenfield

These four NRDC lawyers would finish each other’s thoughts—at any odd hour of the day or night—in their quest to help victims of the city’s lead crisis.

Flint Drinking Water Settlement FAQ

March 28, 2017 ExplainerUnited States, Michigan, Flint, MidwestNRDC

The residents of Flint, Michigan, will finally get their lead pipes replaced and have access to safe drinking water. Here's what you need to know.

Words of Flint’s Anguish Flow Like Water Through These Pipes

March 14, 2017 PerspectivesFlintClara Chaisson

High-school students share their experiences of the city’s water crisis in this powerful art installation.

Kill the Renewable Energy Industry? The Midwest Says “NO!”

January 17, 2017 DispatchIllinois, Chicago, MichiganSusan Cosier

Since the election, Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio have been keeping their clean power progress strong.

Status Check for African Elephants

December 22, 2016 ExplainerUnited States, Africa

Vulnerable here, endangered there, threatened over yonder. What do all these classification systems mean for the future of our largest living land animals?

The South Is Keeping a Closer Eye on Coal Ash

November 30, 2016 DispatchSouth Carolina, North CarolinaRobynne Boyd

Thanks to concerned citizens, the coal industry is making progress on how it handles its combustion wastes, but the toxic slurry is still a threat to groundwater.

Before Flint, Before East Chicago, There Was Smeltertown

November 29, 2016 DispatchFlint, Indiana, Texas, NewarkLauren Villagran

After a 1970s CDC study showed that the mostly Mexican-American population of this Texas town had dangerously high blood lead levels, its buildings were demolished and its residents were booted.

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.

To Save These Rare Giraffes, Uganda Built an Ark (of Sorts)

October 26, 2016 DispatchAfricaTim Sohn

As poachers and oil drills threaten a recently war-torn national park, a team of rangers and scientists send an endangered herd on an epic journey.

Rhino Horns Are Basically Just Giant Toenails. And These Images Won’t Let You Forget It

September 22, 2016 PerspectivesAfricaClara Chaisson

Artists offer a clever—and disgusting—perspective on poaching (which is also disgusting).

A Smuggler’s Fridge Is No Place for the Weird and Wonderful Pangolin

September 21, 2016 ExplainerAfrica, ChinaJason Bittel

The world must crack down on the pangolin trade or risk losing these animals for good.

Our Favorite National Parks

August 15, 2016 NRDC in ActionColorado, California, Minnesota, Alaska, New Mexico, Florida, Virginia, Arizona, Hawaii, Michigan, Montana, Tennessee

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, NRDC’s very own wilderness fanatics share their most treasured park memories.

You Have More Fingers on One Hand Than There Are Addaxes Left in the Wild

May 25, 2016 Latest NewsAfricaJason Bittel

A recent survey says just THREE of these African antelope remain.

One of the Worst Places for a Pipeline? Under the Great Lakes

May 19, 2016 DispatchCanada, Michigan, WisconsinSusan Cosier

The strong, erratic currents of the Straits of Mackinac could make an oil spill disastrous for two lakes and a whole lot of coastline.

War and Poverty Are Eating Away at Grauer’s Gorillas

April 28, 2016 Latest NewsAfricaJason Bittel

To save these rare great apes in the Congo, you must first save the people.

Getting the Lead Out of Gasoline Around the Globe

March 24, 2016 NRDC in ActionUnited States, AfricaPatrick Rogers

How NRDC spearheaded the solution to an “impossible” environmental problem and protected the health of millions of children.

Is Water a Human Right?

March 3, 2016 ExplainerUnited States, Flint, New York, Jackson, Michigan, MississippiBrian Palmer

A look at what U.S. and international laws have to say about our right to clean drinking water.