News & Commentary

He’s Leading D.C.’s Movement for Climate Action—and He’s a High School Senior

January 30, 2020 DispatchWashington, D.C.Karen L. Smith-Janssen

Jerome Foster II is the 17-year-old helming the Fridays for Future strike in Washington, D.C., the founder of the OneMillionOfUs movement to mobilize young voters, and the voice of a generation demanding climate action now.

A Fearless Defender for Our Future

January 6, 2020 NRDC in ActionBoston, Washington, D.C., United StatesJeff Turrentine

President and CEO Gina McCarthy started out as a public health agent in small-town Massachusetts, rose to become head of the EPA under Obama, and now guides NRDC into its next chapter.

A Roadmap for Frontline Communities

December 15, 2019 NRDC in ActionWashington, D.C., United StatesJeff Turrentine

To address the growing climate impacts on low-income people and communities of color, NRDC signed on to a historic platform that seeks to create a future that benefits all.

Needing Water, Georgia Stirs Up a 200-Year-Old Dispute With Its Northern Neighbor

October 29, 2019 DispatchGeorgiaAustyn Gaffney

As droughts parch the Southeast, interstate squabbles heat up over the Tennessee River (and the Chattahoochee . . . and the Flint . . . and the Apalachicola).

Congress Considers Protections for New Mexico’s Chaco Canyon

October 16, 2019 Expert BlogUnited States, New MexicoAlison Kelly

New Mexico Has a Methane Cloud Visible by Satellite. It Also Has Bold Climate Plans.

October 2, 2019 DispatchNew MexicoTim Vanderpool

As greenhouse gasses fill the sky, a progressive governor and worried residents take on oil and gas—the state’s most powerful industry.

Albuquerque Commits to 100% Clean Light-Duty Fleet

September 9, 2019 Expert BlogNew Mexico, AlbuquerqueEloisa Portillo-Morales

Mayor Tim Keller pledged that any eligible new vehicles purchased for the city’s light-duty fleet will be electric, hybrids, or powered by alternative fuels. 

Principles for Parks and Equitable Development

August 28, 2019 Expert BlogUnited States, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, MemphisSasha Forbes, AICP

Assets in our communities that offer us increased connectivity, shelter, and planned outdoor spaces can act as triggers that escalate land values which usually price out existing residents, often low-income and people of color, and more often renters. But communities…

From Farms to Dollar Stores, One Woman’s Fight for Justice

August 23, 2019 DispatchAlbuquerque, New MexicoNicole Greenfield

In her long history as a community organizer and environmental justice activist, Helga Garza has advocated for clean water and nontoxic toys. Her current mission: making fresh, local produce accessible.

Campaign Pushes for Fresh, Local Food at Dollar General

June 12, 2019 Expert BlogAlbuquerque, New MexicoSara Imperiale, Margaret Brown

A delegation from the Campaign for Healthier Solutions attended the 2019 Dollar General shareholder meeting to insist that Dollar General phase out toxic chemicals from its consumer products and source locally grown, fresh produce to better protect the health of…

American Cities Climate Challenge PACE Roundtable in NYC

June 5, 2019 Expert BlogGeorgia, Atlanta, Ohio, Columbus, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Texas, San AntonioPhilip Smith

Riding a strong tailwind from recent climate and sustainability legislative successes, earlier this month, the Bloomberg American Cities Climate Challenge brought its PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) Financing Cohort to New York for an intensive, dialogue-driven Roundtable with the four…

Albuquerque Is Wiring Up Millennials to Work With the Sun

April 15, 2019 DispatchAlbuquerque, New MexicoBecca Cudmore

With its plan to source all city energy needs from renewable power by 2022, Albuquerque, a winner of the Bloomberg American Cities Climate Challenge, is also jump-starting its solar workforce.

These Farmers Are Sowing Seeds of Diversity in the U.S. Food System (and Have Been for Quite Some Time)

April 8, 2019 DispatchGeorgiaRobynne Boyd

A movement to preserve the cultural heritage and organic practices of African American farmers is growing in the Southeast.

A Fracking Boom Ransacks the Four Corners

March 20, 2019 DispatchNew MexicoTim Vanderpool

Native American activists in northwest New Mexico are putting up a firm resistance as the U.S. Bureau of Land Management hands over their homeland to allies in the oil and gas industry.

Monarch Butterflies Get a Head Start in the Schoolyard

March 12, 2019 NRDC in ActionGeorgiaCourtney Lindwall

NRDC joins with Monarch Watch to distribute free milkweed plants to schools across the country and turn students into butterfly gardeners.

Robby Astrove’s Vision for Atlanta Is Delicious

November 26, 2018 DispatchAtlantaRobynne Boyd

This visionary green thumb is bringing food justice, and heirloom fruit trees, to low-income communities in Atlanta where grocery stores are few and far between.

Who Is David Bernhardt? (And Why Every Environmentalist Should Care.)

November 14, 2018 ExplainerUnited States, Washington, D.C.Jeff Turrentine

The man who’s likely to replace Ryan Zinke as Interior secretary is a seasoned Washington insider—and (surprise!) a former lobbyist for Big Oil and Big Ag.

New Mexico Isn’t Welcoming Nuclear Waste With Open Arms

October 31, 2018 DispatchNew MexicoLarry O'Hanlon

The problem of how to dispose of nuclear waste has haunted the United States for six decades. It’s now landed on New Mexico’s doorstep.

Getting an Energy Efficiency Boost in Georgia

October 5, 2018 Expert BlogGeorgiaLamisa Chowdhury

Building owners—with a leg up from enlightened power companies—can make a difference in their residents’ health and quality of life through energy efficiency upgrades, especially when it comes to multifamily affordable housing.

To Understand the Growing Wildfire Threat, Look to the Tree Rings

July 9, 2018 DispatchNew MexicoLarry O'Hanlon

As New Mexicans brace for a potentially catastrophic fire season, forest ecologists explain how we got here—and why the problem isn’t going away.