News & Commentary

Meet the activists and NRDC staff propelling change, read our expert analysis, and learn about the latest challenges and solutions to advancing a healthier, more sustainable, and equitable world.

Aerial view of the National Petroleum Reserve in northwestern Alaska

The Biden Administration Protects Millions of Acres of Arctic Alaska

April 19, 2024 Latest NewsAlaskaJenny Shalant

The new Special Areas Rule in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska could boost biodiversity and empower Indigenous Peoples to defend the lands they’ve relied on for generations.

Two adults and a child walk along a sandy shoreline

“Forever Chemicals” Called PFAS Show Up in Your Food, Clothes, and Home

April 10, 2024 ExplainerUnited StatesMolly M. Ginty, Courtney Lindwall

These toxic chemicals are so common in consumer products and manufacturing that they’re everywhere—including inside our bodies.

A river with green trees on either side, with yellow hills in the background

In Planning for Climate Change, Native Americans Draw on the Past

March 11, 2024 ExplainerUnited States, CanadaTim Vanderpool

Across North America, Indigenous tribes and nations are consulting their traditional ecological knowledge to help prepare for a warming world.

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Discover intersectional viewpoints from activists and artists on the environmental issues of the moment.

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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.

Why the West Is Best (for Clean Energy)

October 5, 2016 DispatchColorado, Utah, New MexicoBecca Cudmore

Solar and wind power are booming in Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico. Here are some secrets to their success.

Cowboying Up

September 26, 2016 NRDC in ActionUtahJeff Turrentine

NRDC’s Bobby McEnaney wrangles ranchers, energy experts, and environmentalists to protect public lands while expanding clean energy.

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.

President Obama’s National Monument To-Dos Before He Leaves Office

July 27, 2016 ExplainerUnited States, Utah, Nevada, Oregon, Maine, Arizona, CaliforniaClara Chaisson

From undersea coral canyons to deep northern woods, these seven places deserve to be part of the president’s legacy.

Who Pays for Mine Cleanup After Big Coal Goes Bankrupt?

June 22, 2016 DispatchIllinois, Indiana, Kentucky, TennesseeSusan Cosier

Peabody Energy’s recent filing could change how the country funds mining messes.

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.

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.

A Red Flag for Red Colobus

February 8, 2016 Latest NewsAfricaJason Bittel

Hunted by humans and chimps and besieged by civil war and deforestation, Africa’s red colobus monkeys have few reasons to celebrate.

Il Primo Piatto

January 14, 2016 DispatchAfricaClara Chaisson

As the bushmeat trade drives the Bioko drill monkey toward extinction, some West Africans are realizing these animals are worth more in the woods than on the plate.

Shhh! Not in Front of the Children!

October 26, 2015 PerspectivesUtah, United StatesJeff Turrentine

School officials in Utah think sixth graders are too young to be taught about climate change—but the perfect age to be misled about it.

Climate Change, Ahoy!

October 13, 2015 Latest NewsAfricaBrian Palmer

A new study says the Horn of Africa is going to get hotter and drier, driving poverty and piracy.

Locking Horns

October 8, 2015 DispatchAfricaAustin Merrill

As poaching pushes the rhino toward extinction, South Africa considers a radical solution: Legalize the very thing that is killing them. It'd make some people very rich. But would it doom the species?