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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Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Solar Power After Hurricane María

September 30, 2020 PerspectivesPuerto RicoLaura Virella

We, the colonized of Puerto Rico, declare our inalienable rights to self-determination and survival.

Puerto Rico Chooses Clean Energy 3 Years After Maria

September 17, 2020 Expert BlogPuerto RicoLuis Martinez

Three years after Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico reaffirms its commitment to clean energy and climate resiliency. Even after a 2019 law committing Puerto Rico to 100% renewable energy by 2050, questions remained. A new ruling by the PR Energy Bureau…

These Prehistoric Fish Are Making a Slow Comeback in the Midwest

January 23, 2020 DispatchWisconsin, MichiganSusan Cosier

Conservationists, fishers, and fans of the iconic lake sturgeon have seen some success in their efforts to revive the population, including through hand-rearing and releasing the babies—and yes, spearing the big ones.

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.

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.

How the Dairy Industry Is Fouling the Drinking Water of These Wisconsinites

March 6, 2019 DispatchWisconsinAustyn Gaffney

With the manure of one mega-dairy already contaminating the water supply and another operation on the drawing board, Central Sands residents have had enough.

Meet the Architect Helping to Build a Solar-Powered Future for Puerto Rico

July 30, 2018 DispatchPuerto RicoNicole Greenfield

Ever since Hurricane Maria devastated the island last fall, Jonathan Marvel and his team at Resilient Power Puerto Rico have been sparking a renewables revolution, one community at a time.

The Impact a Wisconsin LCD Plant May Have on the Great Lakes Is Not Crystal Clear

April 23, 2018 DispatchWisconsinSusan Cosier

We know Foxconn wants to take water from Lake Michigan, but what might it leave behind?

Six Months After Maria: Puerto Rico's Growing Health Crisis

March 21, 2018 Expert BlogPuerto RicoMekela Panditharatne

Since the deadly hurricane, there have been increases in incidences of cardiac arrests, higher rates of waterborne disease, mushrooming suicides, and shortage of medical equipment and staff.

New Data: 2 Million Puerto Ricans Risk Water Contamination

December 11, 2017 Expert BlogPuerto RicoMekela Panditharatne

Government data obtained by NRDC confirmed that several Puerto Rico cities are at risk of bacterial contamination in their water supply.

Puerto Rico Restoration Must Be Sustainable, Equitable, and Just

October 6, 2017 Expert BlogPuerto RicoRhea Suh

As millions still lack basic necessities after the devastation of Hurricane Maria, we must help to rebuild this U.S. territory in every way possible—including addressing the impacts of climate change.

Why We Need the EPA

February 14, 2017 ExplainerPuerto Rico, New York City, United States, ClevelandBrian Palmer

Let’s not forget what America looked like before we had the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Our rivers caught on fire, our air was full of smog, and it stank (literally).

Manure Is Spilling and Seeping into Wisconsin’s Waterways and Wells

November 17, 2016 DispatchWisconsinSusan Cosier

As the state’s dairy farms get bigger, cow poop is polluting Lake Michigan and people’s drinking water.

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.