News & Commentary

Threats to Monarch Butterflies

May 3, 2018 ExplainerMexico, United States, Canada, California

Famous for their elegant colors and transcontinental feats of migration, these beloved pollinators are also in free fall, as habitat loss and heavy use of herbicides jeopardize their future.

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.

As the Vaquita Dives Toward Extinction, NRDC Isn’t Giving Up

March 21, 2018 Expert BlogMexico, United StatesZak Smith

For vaquita, the smallest porpoise species, native to a small portion of Mexico’s northern Gulf of California, the situation in the water has never been worse. With far fewer than 30 vaquita remaining and the population shrinking by half every…

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).

Can Military Dolphins Save This Tiny, Critically Endangered Porpoise?

January 9, 2017 ExplainerUnited States, MexicoJason Bittel

Scientists want to round up the world’s last vaquitas to protect them from extinction. Cue Flipper.

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.

Saving a Reef from Being Loved to Death

June 30, 2016 NRDC in ActionMexicoNicole Greenfield

How NRDC joined a small town’s fight to protect Mexico’s Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park from big resorts and other destructive development.

One of the Worst Places for a Pipeline? Under the Great Lakes

May 19, 2016 DispatchCanada, Michigan, WisconsinSusan Cosier

The strong, erratic currents of the Straits of Mackinac could make an oil spill disastrous for two lakes and a whole lot of coastline.

Saving the Breeding Grounds of the Pacific Gray Whale

May 12, 2016 NRDC in ActionMexicoPatrick Rogers

NRDC led the international fight to keep industrial development out of Mexico’s pristine San Ignacio Lagoon.

Take a Hike Into the Ice Age on This National Scenic Trail

April 7, 2016 PerspectivesWisconsinSusan Cosier

Since the 1950s, conservationists have been working to save Wisconsin’s ancient geology, one mile at a time.

The Latin Quarter

December 11, 2015 ExplainerInternational, Brazil, Mexico, Costa Rica, Peru, Colombia, PanamaBrian Palmer

Latin America is key to addressing climate change at the Paris conference. Why doesn’t it get more attention?

Which Countries' COP21 Climate Pledges Made the Grade?

September 22, 2015 ExplainerChina, United States, Mexico, Canada, InternationalNicole Greenfield

What countries got right and what still has room for improvement.

The Call of the Bugle

March 12, 2015 DispatchKentucky, WisconsinSusan Cosier

This spring elk from Kentucky will be migrating (by truck) to Wisconsin.

Like Sands Through the Fracking Facility

January 21, 2015 DispatchWisconsinSusan Cosier

The frac sand business is booming in Wisconsin. Too bad the state can’t get a handle on the industry’s water pollution.

Who's Ready for Climate Change?

October 17, 2014 ExplainerInternational, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Miami, India, New York City, Mexico CityJeff Turrentine

Five cities that are steeling themselves…and five that are fooling themselves.

Experts Highlight Threats to Communities and Environment from Cabo Dorado

May 19, 2014 Expert BlogMexicoCarolina Herrera