News & Commentary

America’s Failing Drinking Water System

October 5, 2023 ExplainerUnited States, Buffalo, Houston, Puerto Rico, California, FlintNicole Greenfield

First, Flint, Michigan; then, Jackson, Mississippi. Communities around the country wonder if their water quality problems will lead to the next national crisis.

After Decades, Tenants Are Still Fighting NYC Public Housing for Speedy Mold Relief

September 21, 2023 DispatchNew York, New York CityNicole Greenfield

In the 1990s, they organized. In 2013, they sued. In 2023, residents continue the fight for safe homes in NYCHA developments across the city.

Water Is Life—from Standing Rock to Oaxaca’s Mixtecan Highlands

September 18, 2023 PerspectivesMexico, West, South DakotaElybeth Sofia Alcantar

A geographer sees a familiar pattern of government-backed energy projects devastating Indigenous communities and violating tribal sovereignty.  

From Dams to DAPL, the Army Corps’ Culture of Disdain for Indigenous Communities Must End

September 13, 2023 PerspectivesUnited States, MidwestTroy Pretends Eagle

The prophesied “Seventh Generation” is here—demanding justice for tribes and protecting what they have left. 

Why Coastal Access Is an Environmental Justice Issue

August 31, 2023 ExplainerUnited StatesMardi Fuller

Beach access has long been shaped by multiple systemic injustices. It’s time to change that.

A Trailblazer for Tribal Sovereignty

August 16, 2023 NRDC in ActionUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

NRDC Board member John Echohawk, a member of the Pawnee Nation, has devoted his career to asserting the legal and civil rights of Native Americans.

Indoor Workers Need Protection from Extreme Heat Too

August 10, 2023 ExplainerUnited StatesNicole Greenfield

Warehouses, restaurant kitchens, factories, and schools can get dangerously hot—but without adequate safety standards, employees are having to just sweat it out.

Mapping Urban Heat Islands Is Helping These Neighborhoods Adapt

August 1, 2023 DispatchRaleigh, North Carolina, United StatesCourtney Lindwall

The Urban Heat Island mapping campaign is the largest national effort of its kind to identify why one section of a city can feel so different from another on any given summer day.

Making Electric Vehicle Charging More Equitable Is Key to Our Clean Vehicle Future

May 23, 2023 ExplainerUnited StatesCourtney Lindwall

Recent federal funding as well as targeted policies and programs can help ensure public charging is accessible for all.

Shared Knowledge Is Power in the Northern Mariana Islands

May 22, 2023 DispatchInternationalShelia Hu

As Indigenous groups seek to comanage the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument, elders help the next generation find opportunity on the islands in science and conservation. 

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.

Failing to Meet Our Climate Goals Is Not an Option

April 26, 2023 ExplainerUnited StatesNicole Greenfield

There’s more than one way the United States can nullify its climate emissions by 2050, but these strategies would make the journey a lot easier. 

The Lower Klamath River Will Soon Flow Freely Again

March 21, 2023 DispatchCalifornia, WestNicole Greenfield

Sparking hope for the West’s rivers and beyond, a decades-long battle leads to the world’s biggest dam removal project.

A Chemist Turned Community Builder

March 10, 2023 NRDC in ActionUnited StatesCourtney Lindwall

Dr. Ticora V. Jones, the new head of NRDC’s Science Office, seeks to deepen the role of science across the organization and beyond. 

Mining for Limestone on Chicago’s Southeast Side? Residents Gear Up for a Fight (Again).

February 17, 2023 DispatchIllinois, ChicagoSusan Cosier

A proposal to build an underground facility on a contaminated lot is yet another reason the city needs to address the cumulative impacts of industry on communities.

New York Is Exposing the Fashion Industry for What It Is: a Climate Nightmare

February 13, 2023 DispatchNew York City, InternationalNicole Greenfield

The state’s Fashion Act seeks to set a new trend of holding big brands accountable for their exploitation of workers and the environment.

A Once-Thriving Black-Owned Beach Is Returned to Its Rightful Owners

February 10, 2023 DispatchLos AngelesCourtney Lindwall

The victory at California’s Bruce’s Beach, improperly seized 100 years ago, has reignited the conversation around land restitution for Black Americans.

Public Lands Are Not Neutral. We Must Grapple with Their Racist Roots.

February 2, 2023 PerspectivesUnited StatesCarolyn Ramírez

Green spaces should feel like everyone’s backyard.

Colorado’s Religious Communities See Climate Action as a Moral Obligation

December 22, 2022 DispatchColoradoNicole Greenfield

Whether fighting for clean air or affordable housing, several of the state’s faith leaders are uniting around the notion of protecting “home.”

Climate Tipping Points Are Closer Than Once Thought

November 15, 2022 ExplainerInternational, United StatesCourtney Lindwall

Exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming could trigger several and lead to irreversible climate impacts.