News & Commentary

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.

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.

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…

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.

Climate Change Sank My Battleship?

July 31, 2019 DispatchNorth CarolinaJodi Helmer

The USS North Carolina survived World War II, but now its captain’s mission is to protect it from storm surges and sea level rise.

Fishing in Warming Seas, North Carolinians Trek North to Reel in Their Catch

June 3, 2019 DispatchNorth CarolinaJodi Helmer

As climate change sends fisheries into flux, managers must keep up with the latest science to sustain them.

After Children Began Getting Sick by the Dozens, Parents Took a Hard Look at Their Town’s Toxic Legacy

May 30, 2019 DispatchIndiana, Massachusetts, North CarolinaSusan Cosier

The carcinogen TCE has been lurking in the ground beneath Franklin, Indiana, for decades. Now families are demanding answers.

From Egyptian Tombs to Toxic Corn, There’s More to Environmental Art Than What You See

March 5, 2019 PerspectivesMainePatrick Rogers

A sweeping exhibition of 2,000 years of artworks at Bowdoin College in Maine challenges viewers to reconsider the relationship between art and nature.

The Carolinas Face a Climate Trifecta: Floods, Fire, and Heat

January 28, 2019 DispatchNorth Carolina, South CarolinaRobynne Boyd

The National Climate Assessment’s outlook for the two coastal states is daunting, but local leaders are starting to dig in for a fight.

Will China Save the Planet?

November 27, 2018 NRDC in ActionBeijing, ChinaNicole Greenfield

Barbara Finamore, NRDC’s senior strategic director for Asia, witnessed the birth of China’s clean energy movement. Her new book considers its future.

Who Is David Bernhardt? (And Why Every Environmentalist Should Care.)

November 14, 2018 ExplainerUnited States, Washington, D.C.Jeff Turrentine

The man who’s likely to replace Ryan Zinke as Interior secretary is a seasoned Washington insider—and (surprise!) a former lobbyist for Big Oil and Big Ag.

Hurricane-Flooded Hog Farms Could Bring Superbugs to North Carolina Communities

October 23, 2018 DispatchNorth CarolinaJodi Helmer

Add antibiotic-resistant bacteria from pig waste to the long list of post-Florence worries.

North Carolina Sees Energy Potential in Pig Poop

July 2, 2018 DispatchNorth CarolinaJodi Helmer

But it may not be the solution local communities need to escape the stench and swill of the pork industry.

She Breathes In Pollution, and Fights It, in the Windy City

May 15, 2018 NRDC in ActionChicago, Illinois, Washington, D.C.Carmen Cusido

NRDC’s Gina Ramirez is helping to bring attention to the wafts of manganese dust that plague her family and neighbors on Chicago’s Southeast Side.