News & Commentary

Under “Food Apartheid,” Urban Farms Are More Important Than Ever

April 28, 2023 DispatchUnited States, Indiana, IndianapolisJeff Turrentine

But BIPOC urban farmers continue to face unique challenges—including inequitable access to land and loans.

Hariyali Green Villages: Women Lead Climate Solutions

June 14, 2022 Expert BlogIndia, Gujarat, RajasthanCharlotte Steiner, Sameer Kwatra

NRDC, Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), and partners have implemented the transformative Hariyali Green Villages initiative in 15 villages in Gujarat and Rajasthan over the past year. 

Indy Passes Benchmarking Policy to Address Climate

July 13, 2021 Expert BlogIndiana, IndianapolisEmily Barkdoll

Indianapolis City Council passed Proposal 185, a Benchmarking and Transparency Ordinance which is a key priority in realizing Mayor Joe Hogsett’s commitment to making the city carbon neutral by 2050.

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.

How Long Does It Take to Get a FEMA Buyout for a Flooded Home?

September 12, 2019 ExplainerUnited States, KentuckyKeith Mulvihill

Millions of people in America could be displaced by rising sea levels and repeated flooding. Yet, as Kentucky resident Olga McKissic learned, it can take years to get the help needed to move to higher ground.

Are Kentucky Farms Under Attack from Flocks of Ravenous Vultures? Not Quite.

September 6, 2019 ExplainerUnited States, KentuckyJason Bittel

Scientists respond to an Associated Press article that paints black vultures and turkey vultures as “flying fiends.”

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.

This Mayor Puts the “Conserve” Back in Conservative

August 2, 2019 DispatchIndianaJeff Turrentine

Indianan Jim Brainard has been making the post-partisan case for building sustainable, resilient cities for more than 20 years.

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.

A Coal-to-Diesel Refinery Is the Last Straw for These Hoosiers

February 13, 2019 DispatchIndianaSusan Cosier

The air in southwestern Indiana is bad enough without the emissions from yet another proposed polluter.

A Small Town’s Battle Against Radioactive Fracking Waste

January 9, 2019 DispatchKentuckyAustyn Gaffney

After an illegal dumping of close to 2,000 tons of dangerous sludge and contaminated materials across the street from two schools, a Kentucky community struggles with what to do next.

As Black Lung Strikes Younger Coal Miners, Kentucky Restricts Medical Benefits

September 24, 2018 DispatchKentuckyAustyn Gaffney

Coal is getting harder to get to—and that’s contributing to a respiratory epidemic among miners.

The Connection Between Mass Incarceration and Environmental Justice

January 19, 2018 ExplainerUnited States, Pennsylvania, KentuckyNicole Greenfield

The country’s prison industry has little regard for where its facilities are located—even if that means building on noxiously polluted ground.

Will Calling Out Indiana’s Super-Polluting Power Plants Lead to a Cleanup?

January 8, 2018 DispatchIndianaSusan Cosier

A recent study found that the state is home to four of the country’s most polluting power plants. But elected officials won’t even show up to hear their constituents’ concerns about it.

Farms on the Fringe: New Takes on America’s Farming Tradition

August 1, 2017 DispatchCalifornia, Colorado, Iowa, New York, Kentucky, New MexicoTracie McMillan

These six farmers have found innovative ways to grow plants in today’s climate, whether in corn country or coal country, with fish tanks or smartphones.

In East Chicago, Knowing Your Soil Is Toxic Is Only Half the Battle

May 23, 2017 DispatchIndianaSusan Cosier

Because it can take years before the government does anything about it.

Before Flint, Before East Chicago, There Was Smeltertown

November 29, 2016 DispatchFlint, Indiana, Texas, NewarkLauren Villagran

After a 1970s CDC study showed that the mostly Mexican-American population of this Texas town had dangerously high blood lead levels, its buildings were demolished and its residents were booted.

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.

Who Pays for Mine Cleanup After Big Coal Goes Bankrupt?

June 22, 2016 DispatchIllinois, Indiana, Kentucky, TennesseeSusan Cosier

Peabody Energy’s recent filing could change how the country funds mining messes.

Why NRDC Helped Develop LEED Ratings for Neighborhoods

February 25, 2016 NRDC in ActionSan Francisco, Nashville, Indianapolis, California, Tennessee, Indiana, MarylandRebecca Dalzell

Why settle for a green building when you can have an entire green neighborhood?