News & Commentary

Michigan's New Lead Rule Exposes Drinking Water Inequality

October 7, 2019 Expert BlogUnited States, MichiganJeremy Orr

New drinking water sampling protocols required by Michigan's revised Lead & Copper Rule are exposing inequalities in safe drinking water enforcement.

What Can We Do to Fix the Drinking Water Problem in America?

October 7, 2019 ExplainerUnited States, Flint, Newark, Michigan, New Jersey

Seth Siegel, author of the new book “Troubled Water: What’s Wrong with What We Drink,” says we must change people’s mind-sets and get to the root of the issue to ensure safe drinking water for everyone.

The Long List of Issues with DTE's Long-Term Energy Plan

September 4, 2019 Expert BlogMichiganAriana Gonzalez

Highlights from our testimony.

Nebraska Ruling Does Not Clear Path for Keystone XL

August 28, 2019 Expert BlogNebraska, CanadaAnthony Swift

While Nebraska’s Supreme Court removes one obstacle to Keystone XL, many remain.

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…

Michigan PFAS Testing: Good Start but Many Still at Risk

August 21, 2019 Expert BlogMichiganDr. Anna Reade

While the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART) announced that approximately 90 percent of water supplies had no PFAS detections, results show that many communities are still exposed to levels that can lead to serious health effects.

As Temperatures Soar in India, One City’s Efforts Are Saving Lives

July 23, 2019 NRDC in ActionAhmedabad, Hyderabad, New Delhi, IndiaNicole Greenfield

The western city of Ahmedabad is preparing residents to cope with the longer and more intense heat waves sweeping across South Asia—and inspiring other Indian cities and states to follow suit.

Is the Home of Big Auto Going Electric?

July 15, 2019 DispatchMichiganSusan Cosier

With its incoming network of charging stations and incentive programs for consumers, Michigan may have the most forward-looking EV infrastructure plan in the Midwest.

Battered by Floods, Nebraskans Worry About Pipeline Spills

May 28, 2019 DispatchNebraskaCourtney Lindwall

Historic flooding recently inundated parts of the Cornhusker State where the proposed Keystone XL pipeline would pass through. Here’s why that’s a disaster in the making.

Five Years In, Flint’s Water Crisis Isn’t Over

April 25, 2019 Expert BlogFlintSarah Tallman

Rev. Allen Overton and Melissa Mays, co-plaintiffs in the lawsuit that led to the ongoing replacement of Flint’s lead pipes, describe lessons learned—and a community that’s determined to better its future.

Salt of the Earth, Courtesy of the Sun

January 30, 2019 NRDC in ActionGujarat, India

By powering their pumps with solar energy instead of diesel, Indian salt farmers are investing in their own brighter futures.

The Desire to Stop Canadian Tar Sands Transcends Borders

January 10, 2019 NRDC in ActionAlberta, Canada, Nebraska, Chicago, IllinoisNicole Greenfield

For more than a decade, NRDC has worked with indigenous communities in Alberta, U.S.-based grassroots groups, and intergovernmental bodies to halt the expansion of dirty tar sands oil.

Hundreds of Workers Who Cleaned Up the Country’s Worst Coal Ash Spill Are Now Sick and Dying

December 17, 2018 DispatchTennesseeAustyn Gaffney

Ten years after the disaster at a Tennessee power plant, the cleanup crew is seeking justice. At the same time, the Trump administration is weakening protections for this toxic pollution.

Another Huge Drinking Water Fail Surfaces in Michigan

August 24, 2018 DispatchMichiganSteve Friess

For years the state has ignored its foamy rivers and water supplies contaminated with chemicals called PFASs.

Can We Save the Midwest’s Only Rattlesnake?

July 16, 2018 DispatchMidwest, Michigan, IllinoisSusan Cosier

As the region’s wetlands disappear, so may the swamp rattler.

Wolves Get a Second Chance on a Great Lakes Island

June 27, 2018 DispatchMichiganSusan Cosier

In Isle Royale National Park, the Park Service makes a rare move to reverse a consequence of climate change.

Michigan Moves to Eliminate Lead Drinking Water Pipes

June 14, 2018 Expert BlogMichiganCyndi Roper

Michigan's new lead in drinking water protections can never make up for the disaster in Flint, but they help ensure that other communities will be better protected in the future.

Getting the Lead Out—Michigan’s Ahead of EPA, Other States

June 14, 2018 Expert BlogMichigan, United StatesErik D. Olson, Mae Wu

Nestlé’s Ice Mountain Bottled Water Leaves Nothing for Michigan’s Trout

June 1, 2018 DispatchMichiganSusan Cosier

The company wants to increase its groundwater withdrawals to 400 gallons a minute—but the community’s citizen scientists say enough is enough.

The South Is Warming Up to Solar

May 11, 2018 DispatchGeorgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, MississippiRobynne Boyd

In the past five years, solar capacity in the South has increased nearly thirtyfold.