News & Commentary

Three Lessons Learned from the Axed Atlantic Coast Pipeline

July 6, 2020 Expert BlogVirginia, West Virginia, North CarolinaGillian Giannetti

This is a significant and long-overdue victory for the landowners, community leaders, countless people across three states, and environmental advocates who have fought this project for years.

Developers Abandon the Atlantic Coast Pipeline for Good

July 6, 2020 Expert BlogWest Virginia, Virginia, North CarolinaNRDC

The decision is a landmark win for those who saw the polluting project as a threat to waterways, wildlife, the climate, and vulnerable communities.

Urban Innovator

June 30, 2020 NRDC in ActionCharlotte, North Carolina, St. Petersburg, Florida, St. Paul, Minnesota, Austin, TexasKeith Mulvihill

Through her work in the buildings sector, Wendy Lee helps propel cities into a fairer and more energy-efficient future.

As Sea Level Rise Threatens Their Ancestral Village, a Louisiana Tribe Fights to Stay Put

April 13, 2020 DispatchLouisianaBarry Yeoman

They survived the BP oil disaster, Hurricane Katrina, and decades of industry spoiling their wetlands. Whatever their future holds, the people of Grand Bayou want to decide it for themselves.

The Mother Who Became a Voice for the Gulf

April 6, 2020 DispatchLouisianaNicole Greenfield

After the Deepwater Horizon disaster, Kindra Arnesen went to the mat to help heal and protect her southeastern Louisiana community and the fishery it relies on. Ten years later, she’s still fighting.

Wilmington’s Battle With GenX, a Dangerous Teflon Chemical

April 2, 2020 DispatchNorth CarolinaJodi Helmer

A toxic chemical discovered in the drinking water system serving communities along North Carolina’s Cape Fear River raised the alarm about contamination from the nearby Chemours chemical plant. Although levels of GenX, used to make nonstick products, have receded, the…

Charlotte Gets Its Moment in the Sun with New Solar Project

February 25, 2020 Expert BlogCharlotteIrene Nielson

Charlotte's city council voted to approve a new utility-scale solar project that will supply 25% of municipal energy.

Agrivoltaics: Sheep (and Soil Scientists) Juice Up the Solar Farm

February 20, 2020 DispatchGeorgia, North Carolina, EastRobynne Boyd

Solar farmers get a hand from regenerative agriculture experts to feed the soil under their arrays—another powerful tool to help fight climate change.

NC's Missing the Big Picture on Climate Resilience

December 11, 2019 Expert BlogNorth CarolinaRob Moore

NC is applying for $168 million from HUD's CDBG-MIT fund. But NC is proposing to focus on a narrow range of projects and missing the larger opportunity to use these funds to make much-needed changes to a range of local…

Charlotte Is on Its Way to Becoming a Modern Transit Hub

December 11, 2019 DispatchCharlotte, North CarolinaJodi Helmer

The North Carolina city knows that as it grows, its residents will need (and want) to get out of their cars and catch the nearest bus, train, or streetcar.

America’s Dairyland May Have a PFAS Problem

October 11, 2019 DispatchMidwest, Wisconsin, MaineSusan Cosier

The toxic chemicals have been showing up in milk around the country, prompting midwestern farmers to take a closer look at their land.

The People of the Isle de Jean Charles Are Louisiana’s First Climate Refugees—but They Won’t Be the Last

September 23, 2019 DispatchLouisianaRobynne Boyd

Whether and how to uproot communities are difficult and painful questions, and we need to get better at answering them.

Blueprint of a Buyout: Charlotte/Mecklenburg County, North Carolina

September 19, 2019 Expert BlogUnited States, North CarolinaAnna Weber

Locally funded buyouts in North Carolina can move faster than traditional programs - could this be an option for more communities?

Dorian, Florence, Etc: The World at One Degree of Warming

September 10, 2019 Expert BlogNorth Carolina, South CarolinaRob Moore

Recent flooding and hurricanes have made it clear that climate change is a clear and present danger.

With Dorian, NC Faces Same Hog Waste Threat as in Florence

September 5, 2019 Expert BlogNorth CarolinaValerie Baron

As Hurricane Dorian approaches a year later, not much has improved for North Carolinians since Hurricanes Florence and Michael.

Something in the North Carolina Farm Act Stinks

August 29, 2019 Expert BlogNorth CarolinaValerie Baron

The bill contains sneaky giveaways to big agribusiness buried deep within the legislative text.

The Ohio River Defines the Borders of Five States—But Its Pollution Doesn’t Stop at State Lines

August 21, 2019 DispatchPennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, IllinoisSusan Cosier

In a move that could open the door to industrial waste and interstate squabbles, the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission is making its water quality standards voluntary.

July Was Hottest on Record—and Dangerous Heat Hits Home

August 20, 2019 Expert BlogUnited States, North CarolinaDr. Vijay Limaye

Fueled by climate change, extreme heat is causing more hospitalizations—and even deaths—across the country.

Could the Climate Crisis Spell the End for Maine Lobster?

August 19, 2019 DispatchMaineNicole Greenfield

The state’s thriving lobster industry owes a lot to smart fishery conservation measures implemented over the past three decades. But given the Gulf of Maine’s rapid warming, how far can these interventions go?

North Carolina Doubles Down on Clean Energy Agenda

August 16, 2019 Expert BlogNorth CarolinaLuis Martinez

Driven by Governor Cooper’s bold Executive Order 80, North Carolina is poised to lead on climate with an ambitious clean energy agenda.