News & Commentary

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.”

Court Denies At-Risk Residents Bottled Water in Newark

August 30, 2019 Expert BlogNew Jersey, NewarkNRDC

The decision will leave pregnant women and those with young children in the city’s eastern service area at risk for exposure to lead-contaminated tap water.

An Artist Who Finds Uncommon Meaning in Common Trees

August 21, 2019 PerspectivesNew York CityPatrick Rogers

Hugh Hayden’s exquisite wooden sculptures and installations comment on race, immigration, and the American environment.

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.

Latin America Can Be a Climate Leader with Better Land Use

August 21, 2019 Expert BlogBrazil, Chile, Mexico, ColombiaCarolina Herrera

One climate priority where Latin America can and must make critical progress and show leadership is land use.

Still High Levels of Lead in Drinking Water in NYC Schools

August 20, 2019 Expert BlogNew York, New York CityJoan Leary Matthews

The New York City Department of Education posted the latest round data for a limited number of schools tested in 2018—one third of the schools in NYC.

How to Win Parks and Influence People, NYC Edition

August 16, 2019 DispatchNew York CityJeff Turrentine

In Manhattan, green-space advocates realized their dream of building Chelsea Green, a new community park, by becoming affordable-housing advocates, too.

NYS Paint Waste Bill Awaits Cuomo’s Finishing Touch

August 13, 2019 Expert BlogNew YorkEric A. Goldstein

Leftover paints—one of the more problematic items in the municipal waste stream—are likely to be fished out of millions of garages and basements from Montauk to Niagara Falls and disposed of properly, thanks to a forward-looking law recently passed by…

NY Explores a More Hands-on Role in Resource Adequacy Part 2

August 8, 2019 Expert BlogNew YorkJackson Morris, Cullen Howe

Food Service Companies Must Act Following New Climate Report

August 8, 2019 Expert BlogInternational, United States, New York, New York City, CaliforniaSujatha Bergen

A new report released by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change today is the third in six months from the world’s leading experts to show that rising to the challenge of the climate crisis will require not only…

NY Explores More Hands-on Role in Resource Adequacy, Part 1

August 8, 2019 Expert BlogNew YorkJackson Morris, Cullen Howe

The New York Public Service Commission (PSC) is planning to launch a proceeding to explore whether the state should play a larger role in ensuring “resource adequacy,” which simply means having enough electricity to meet overall customer demand at any…

Giant Wooden Birds Are Flocking to Broadway

August 2, 2019 PerspectivesNew York CityCourtney Lindwall

Nicolas Holiber’s reclaimed-wood sculptures highlight the threat of climate change to avian city-dwellers.

2019: A Banner Year for the Environment in NYS

July 18, 2019 Expert BlogNew YorkRich Schrader, Jhena Vigrass

NRDC and our regional partners secured a broad array of environmental victories—from a statewide ban on plastic bags in grocery and retail stores to a far-reaching food waste recycling law to the most ambitious state climate law in the nation.

Watch These Young Spoken-Word Poets Take On Climate Change

July 17, 2019 PerspectivesNew York CityCourtney Lindwall

The Climate Museum’s poetry slam at Harlem’s Apollo Theater was equal parts grief, anger, and hope.

New York City Students Are Taking On Climate Change, Starting in the Lunchroom

June 24, 2019 DispatchNew York CityJessica Rodriguez

This fall, a Meatless Mondays initiative will go into effect across all 1,800 NYC public schools.

Justice Warrior on the Affordable Energy Front

June 12, 2019 NRDC in ActionVirginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New YorkKaren L. Smith-Janssen

Dawone Robinson is righting the inequities that low-income communities of color face in accessing the benefits of energy efficiency—like more comfortable homes and lower energy bills, for starters.

Inside the Fight for Clean Water in Newark

May 21, 2019 DispatchNewark, New JerseyCourtney Lindwall

Denials and delays from city officials have failed to keep residents safe from high levels of lead in their drinking water. These community organizers are busy picking up the slack.

Newark’s Lead Crisis Continues: Even Higher Levels in 2019

April 30, 2019 Expert BlogNewarkErik D. Olson

The first few months of 2019 have brought disturbing news for Newark residents—skyrocketing levels of lead in drinking water. Since the start of the year, more than 10 percent of Newark’s reported drinking water samples have exceeded 66.9 parts per…

In “Hadestown,” the Coal-Fired Lights Are Bright on Broadway

April 2, 2019 PerspectivesUnited States, New York CityCourtney Lindwall

Director Rachel Chavkin’s musical about climate change is an infectious, bluesy trip to the underworld—that finds hope in the darkest of places.

Industry Surrounds Newark’s Ironbound Neighborhood—But These Residents Won’t Let It Define Them

April 1, 2019 DispatchNewark, New JerseyCaroline Craig

The tireless efforts of locals are reshaping one of New Jersey’s most polluted areas.