News & Commentary

Laurie David Is Keeping the Action in Climate Activism

May 20, 2021 DispatchCaliforniaJeff Turrentine

The producer and author wants people to understand what our planet is up against, but even more than that, she wants to show us how, together, we can make real change.

A Native Hawaiian Digs into Her Roots to Grow Food, Knowledge, and Hope

May 18, 2021 DispatchHawaiiJeff Turrentine

Inspired by an ancient system of natural resource management, Kukui Maunakea-Forth works with her community to turn Oʻahu youth into farmers—and scholars.

An Oil Giant Is No Match for Resistance and Resilience in Richmond, California

May 7, 2021 DispatchRichmond (California)Ann Lien

How a small Laotian refugee community on San Francisco Bay took on Chevron, won—and keeps winning.

How Rikers Island Became a Vehicle for Justice (Once It Started Shutting Down)

May 3, 2021 DispatchNew York City, New YorkCourtney Lindwall

The Renewable Rikers plan to reimagine the site of New York City’s notorious jail complex could bring green jobs, cleaner air, and community investment to the neighborhoods most harmed by mass incarceration.

A Longtime Advocate for DEI on Making People Feel Welcome

April 30, 2021 NRDC in ActionKeith Mulvihill

Creating an environment where people can be themselves is intrinsic to changing the culture of big green groups—and a key goal for Troy Riddle, NRDC’s inaugural chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer.

Biden’s Choice for the Council on Environmental Quality: Brenda Mallory

April 14, 2021 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

A top environmental lawyer, Mallory is the first African-American to oversee the system that keeps the public informed about projects—and pollution—in their communities.

These Poets Reckon With Drought, Displacement, and Despair—and Then Make Space for Hope

April 1, 2021 PerspectivesUnited StatesCourtney Lindwall

Four writers explore their place on our troubled planet and treat us to readings of their poems.

When the World Stopped, These Essential Workers Started Their Engines

March 11, 2021 PerspectivesUnited StatesMaudlyne Ihejirika

In Part Three of our “Pandemic at Work” series, a bus driver, airline custodian, and Uber driver reflect on their year “helping to keep the cogs of society rolling.”

Meet Michael Regan

March 11, 2021 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

Biden’s pick to head the EPA is a seasoned fighter in the battle for clean air and a champion for environmental justice.

Honolulu Charts a Path Away from Fossil Fuels

March 2, 2021 DispatchHawaii, HonoluluCourtney Lindwall

As part of the American Cities Climate Challenge, a coalition of climate advocates just helped pass a series of bills that will curb emissions and rein in Honolulu’s sky-high cost of living at once.

Fossil Fuel Air Pollution Kills One in Five People

February 19, 2021 Latest NewsInternationalClara Chaisson

The global toll of premature deaths attributed to the burning of coal, gasoline, and diesel is breathtakingly high, with new research doubling previous estimates.

The COVID-19 Impacts You May Not See

February 11, 2021 PerspectivesUnited StatesMaudlyne Ihejirika

In Part Two of our “Pandemic at Work” series, three undocumented immigrants share their struggles for a paycheck, a future, and simply, acknowledgment.

Taking Care of the Food Workers Who Take Care of Us

February 10, 2021 NRDC in ActionColoradoNicole Greenfield

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the inequities faced by food- and farmworkers who put their health in danger just by coming to work each day. NRDC is pushing to change that.

A Growing Concern: Microplastic Pollution on Farm Fields

February 2, 2021 Latest NewsUnited StatesSusan Cosier

Scientists are showing that we are sending tons of tiny plastic particles into our soils each year, potentially affecting crops and our health.

How to Start Saving the Planet in 100 Days: the Joe Biden Edition

January 25, 2021 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

Here’s what we want to see from our new president on the environmental front between now and May.

What Biden Should Get Done on Day One (or Close to It)

January 20, 2021 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

Our next president could address many pressing environmental and public health issues right away—some with just a stroke of the executive pen.

In a Segregated Chicago, Art Puts Environmental Racism on Display

December 22, 2020 PerspectivesChicagoZaria Howell

If the General Iron plant is too dirty for the city’s North Side, it’s also too dirty for the Southeast Side.

As a Year of Struggle Ends, One of Fearful Uncertainty Begins

December 21, 2020 PerspectivesUnited StatesMaudlyne Ihejirika

In Part One of our “Pandemic at Work” series, a hotel housekeeper, a fast-food worker/drugstore manager, and an elementary school janitor share their journeys through 2020—and anxieties for 2021.

A New York Climate Justice Activist with Roots in the Blue Ridge Mountains

December 11, 2020 DispatchNew York City, Washington, D.C.Carmen Cusido

WE ACT’s director of environmental health and education, Taylor Morton, who found their path to environmental justice work through a childhood spent in nature, wants to help the next generation get outside without fear.

Pandemic Puts Eviction Crisis Front and Center

December 10, 2020 NRDC in ActionUnited StatesCourtney Lindwall

With pressure mounting, NRDC advocates are calling on lawmakers to step up protections for renters in the next relief package while also pushing for systemic changes that will help affordable housing stay that way.