News & Commentary

Sockeye Salmon Dying, Temperature Rises on Snake River Dams

July 28, 2021 Expert BlogWashington, OregonGiulia C.S. Good Stefani

Columbia River Basin sockeye salmon are migrating upriver from the ocean, but new underwater videos show that this summer the fish have large chunks of flesh missing and bulbous growths across their bodies. The fish are rotting to death in…

Monster Heat Wave Harming Health in Pacific Northwest

June 30, 2021 Expert BlogOregon, WashingtonJuanita Constible

Workers and other at risk populations need better protections from extreme heat.

The West Coast: Carbon Free by 2045 . . . or Earlier

June 28, 2021 Expert BlogWest, California, Oregon, WashingtonRalph Cavanagh

HB 2021, Oregon’s “100% Clean Electricity” bill just approved by the legislature and sent to Governor Brown’s desk for signing, aligns with New York for the most aggressive state clean electricity goal in the country—zero greenhouse gas emissions in the…

DC Water’s Own Data Suggest Widespread Lead Contamination

June 25, 2021 Expert BlogWashington, D.C.Valerie Baron

Lead pipes throughout the country, including Washington DC, leach and contribute to widespread contamination. Paradoxically, due to a confusing and inadequate system of safeguards, Washington DC is in compliance with federal drinking water regulations for lead.

Washington State Amps Up Controls on HFC Emissions

May 17, 2021 Expert BlogWashingtonChristina Theodoridi

Ambitious new law in Washington sets a maximum limit—or, global warming potential (GWP), threshold on the HFCs used in stationary air conditioning and refrigeration, and mandates that a refrigerant management program be created to combat HFC releases from large existing…

Setting the Stage for an EV Future in Washington State

May 3, 2021 Expert BlogWashingtonDr. Simon Mui, Noah Long

Washington State has passed two leading laws on electric vehicles as the state moves toward a new goal of all new passenger vehicles being zero-emitting by 2030.

Food Matters City Partners Work Every Day to Stop Food Waste

April 28, 2021 Expert BlogOhio, Washington, D.C., United StatesNina Sevilla

Partnerships are the cornerstone of NRDC’s Food Matters project. Exciting work is happening in Food Matters partner cities and counties to reduce food waste.

Quieting Puget Sound for Endangered Southern Resident Orcas

April 27, 2021 Expert BlogWashingtonRegan Nelson

Quiet Sound, an innovative new program to reduce vessel noise in Puget Sound, receives crucial state funding.

US Climate Finance Plan Restricts Fossil Fuel Finance

April 23, 2021 Expert BlogUnited States, BrazilJake Schmidt, Han Chen

This is a clear signal the United States will move away from financing coal, oil and gas projects overseas. Now is the time to make sure the details deliver on that necessary drive to urgently shift public financing from dirty…

Brazil’s Bolsonaro Shows Little Progress at Climate Summit

April 23, 2021 Expert BlogBrazilJessica Carey-Webb

Brazil, home to some of the most globally important ecosystems, failed to demonstrate leadership and doubled down on weak goals during the Leaders Climate Summit.

Latin America at the Leaders Summit on Climate

April 23, 2021 Expert BlogArgentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, MexicoCarolina Herrera, Jessica Carey-Webb, Marilyn Kunce, Amanda Maxwell

The five Latin American countries that participated in the Leaders Summit on Climate – Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico – displayed a broad range of ambition. Once again, some countries demonstrated their willingness to be climate action leaders while…

How Cities Are Centering Equity in Benchmarking Policies

April 20, 2021 Expert BlogDenver, Colorado, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Seattle, WashingtonCaroline Keicher

A new resource from the City Energy Project—Incorporating Equity into Energy Benchmarking Requirements: Guidance for Policy and Program Practitioners—helps cities understand the opportunity to leverage benchmarking and transparency policies to address racial and social equity.

Brazil LNG Expansion Undermines Decarbonization

April 16, 2021 Expert BlogBrazil, United StatesHan Chen, Jessica Carey-Webb

Beyond jeopardizing the energy transition and crowding out renewable energy development in Brazil, the recent introduction of LNG in the Brazilian energy mix will create unnecessary technological lock-in. The U.S. should both discourage these developments and support the deployment of…

Time to Repeal New England’s Anti-Consumer Dirty Energy Rule

April 15, 2021 Expert BlogEast, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, ConnecticutBruce Ho

The arcane Minimum Offer Price Rule threatens to frustrate New England's efforts to tackle the climate crisis while raising electricity bills by $3 billion dollars over 10 years.

A Huge Push to Remove Toxic Lead in School Drinking Water

April 6, 2021 Expert BlogWashington, D.C., Michigan, United StatesJoan Leary Matthews

President Biden has released his bold infrastructure package, which basically declares war on lead in drinking water, both in our homes and our schools.

Lowe’s Bans PFAS in Fabric Protector Sprays

March 29, 2021 Expert BlogCalifornia, WashingtonSujatha Bergen

In a step forward for public health, Lowe’s has banned the sale of fabric protectors that contain toxic PFAS chemicals in its stores.

Stressed by Heat, Farmworkers Deserve Federal Protections

March 26, 2021 Expert BlogCalifornia, Washington, MinnesotaTeniope Adewumi-Gunn

Unprotected from many basic workplace rights and in the face of a growing climate crisis that threatens their well-being, farmworkers deserve federal safeguards from extreme heat and its dangerous effects.

Seattle Gets Most Fossil Fuels Out of New Large Buildings

February 2, 2021 Expert BlogUnited States, Washington, SeattleElizabeth Stampe

Seattle’s City Council just voted unanimously to pass strong updates to the city’s building energy code that will significantly reduce the use of fossil fuels in new buildings.

As 2020 Ends, We Still Need All Hands In

December 28, 2020 Expert BlogUnited States, Washington, D.C.Gina McCarthy

In January, I will be joining the Biden–Harris powerhouse of a Climate Cabinet, and NRDC will continue the work to build a cleaner, healthier, more just and equitable world.

Fossils and Nukes: The Downsides to Congress’ Latest Actions

December 23, 2020 Expert BlogUnited States, Washington, D.C.Josh Axelrod, Geoffrey H. Fettus

With the passage of significant energy and climate legislation as part of an end-of-year spending package, Congress cobbled together legislation with both major climate wins (including the phase-down of HFCs) and problematic handouts for the fossil fuel industry and dangerous…