News & Commentary

Judge Halts Action on Utah Helium Drilling

December 22, 2020 Expert BlogUtahJosh Axelrod

NRDC and partners today headed off an attempt by the Trump administration to rush approvals for new helium drilling operations within one of America’s newest and most iconic wilderness areas: Labyrinth Canyon in southeastern Utah.

Latin America’s 2020 Climate Leaders and Laggards

December 21, 2020 Expert BlogInternational, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, BrazilAmanda Maxwell, Carolina Herrera, Jessica Carey-Webb, Marilyn Kunce

2020 was a turbulent year in Latin America—and a mixed bag on climate action. It will be important for the incoming Biden-Harris administration to put climate change front and center in its engagement with the region.

Trump's Eleventh Hour Attacks on America's Natural Treasures

December 14, 2020 Expert BlogUnited States, Utah, Alaska, Minnesota, Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada, New MexicoSharon Buccino

In his final days, President Trump is selling our public lands and waters to the highest bidder to dig, drill and mine.

China Outlines Additional Steps on Climate Action

December 12, 2020 Expert BlogChinaJake Schmidt, Brendan Guy, Han Chen, Alvin Lin

At the Climate Ambition Summit 2020 on the five-year anniversary of countries agreeing to the Paris Agreement, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that China would take additional steps to deliver its 2030 ambitions.

Hydro-Highway Robbery

December 4, 2020 Expert BlogChileJessica Carey-Webb

The Reguemos Chile project would benefit agribusinesses at the expense of the environment, small farmers, and Indigenous peoples.

Cooling with Less Warming: Updates from US, India and China

November 24, 2020 Expert BlogInternational, China, India, United StatesAnjali Jaiswal, Alex Hillbrand, Christina Theodoridi, Prima Madan

Find out the latest on sustainable cooling in the United States, India and China during the NRDC side event on Cooling with Less Warming during the Montreal Protocl meeting this week.

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.

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.

China, Top Player in World A/C Market, Raises Efficiency Bar

July 1, 2020 Expert BlogChinaNoah Horowitz, Alex Hillbrand

China implemented one of the world’s most stringent energy efficiency requirements for room air conditioners today. The move by the globe’s largest buyer and manufacturer of these appliances will save huge amounts of carbon-intensive electricity, putting a formidable dent in…

China Leveraging Green Finance for a Green Economic Recovery

June 30, 2020 Expert BlogChinaAlfonso Pating

China’s decarbonization can leverage assets owned by its commercial banks, with total outstanding loan balance of Chinese commercial banks is approaching 120 trillion RMB, to stimulate a green economic recovery.

How EV Charging Can Clean Up China's Electricity Grid

June 23, 2020 Expert BlogChinaBarbara Finamore, Hyoung Mi Kim

Shanghai has just completed an historic EV-Grid Integration pilot program, the first project in China to make use of electric vehicles (EVs) as a flexible energy resource for the power grid system. Since China’s electricity system is still primarily coal-powered…

These NRDC Experts Show Us How We Can Slow the Spread of Zoonotic Diseases

May 14, 2020 NRDC in ActionChina, United StatesCourtney Lindwall

It will take the highest levels of international cooperation, but by working to curb wildlife trade and conserve vast swaths of disappearing habitat, we can minimize the interspecies interactions that spread viruses.

Shrinking Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante: Trump’s Monumental Mistake

February 14, 2020 Latest NewsUtahJeff Turrentine

Opening up hallowed ground to oil and gas development is quite literally an act of desecration.

International Analyst

January 31, 2020 NRDC in ActionIndia, China, United StatesJeff Turrentine

Han Chen, energy policy manager in NRDC’s International Program, keeps the big picture in view as she works to advance a global clean energy transition.

Ten Environmental Stories to Mark a Decade in Latin America

December 20, 2019 Expert BlogInternational, Chile, Mexico, Puerto Rico, BrazilAmanda Maxwell, Carolina Herrera, Jessica Carey-Webb, Marilyn Kunce

The Latin America team at NRDC reflects on the incredible environmental milestones we've witnessed in our work, and beyond.

Indiana Dunes Finally Gets Its Due, but Conservationists Are Clamoring for More

November 7, 2019 DispatchIndianaSusan Cosier

After a century of advocacy, the Hoosier State has a national park, and its immense popularity is making a case for more protected lakeshore.

Chile’s Ongoing Water Crisis: Threats and Needed Actions

September 9, 2019 Expert BlogChileCarolina Herrera

From too much water to not enough, this critical resource presents unique challenges in the Metropolitan Region (MR) of Chile, the hub of the country’s bustling capital and nearly half of the Chilean population.

America Should Export Clean Energy, Not Climate Chaos

August 29, 2019 Expert BlogUnited States, China, InternationalDan West, Han Chen

As Congress revisits America’s foreign development strategies, it should prioritize clean energy solutions both at home and abroad to chart a more sustainable path forward and provide other countries with a truly clean energy financing alternative to Russia and China.

Are My Denim Jeans Bad for the Environment?

August 27, 2019 ExplainerUnited States, ChinaCourtney Lindwall

Environmental reporter Tatiana Schlossberg, author of "Inconspicuous Consumption," says the American staple needs a 21st-century overhaul for the sake of our water, climate, and health.

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.