News & Commentary

Racial Injustice: Why We Need to Act Now

September 10, 2019 PerspectivesUnited States

NRDC’s Dawone Robinson discusses how social, political, and economic inequities lead to environmental injustice.

Coal Ash Is Hazardous. Coal Ash Is Waste. But According to the EPA, Coal Ash Is Not “Hazardous Waste.”

September 6, 2019 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

And the coal industry is more than happy to keep things that way.

Jair Bolsonaro to a Horrified World Community: “The Amazon Is Brazil’s, Not Yours”

August 30, 2019 Latest NewsInternationalJeff Turrentine

The fires are no accident. They were ignited by Brazilian ranchers who felt emboldened by their pro-deforestation president.

Are My Denim Jeans Bad for the Environment?

August 27, 2019 ExplainerUnited States, ChinaCourtney Lindwall

Environmental reporter Tatiana Schlossberg, author of "Inconspicuous Consumption," says the American staple needs a 21st-century overhaul for the sake of our water, climate, and health.

From Farms to Dollar Stores, One Woman’s Fight for Justice

August 23, 2019 DispatchAlbuquerque, New MexicoNicole Greenfield

In her long history as a community organizer and environmental justice activist, Helga Garza has advocated for clean water and nontoxic toys. Her current mission: making fresh, local produce accessible.

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.

Our Land Is Key to Solving the Climate Crisis

August 9, 2019 Latest NewsUnited StatesCourtney Lindwall

Food insecurity, biodiversity collapse, and skyrocketing global temps loom. But a new U.N. report says we have the tools to fix it.

Valley Fever Spreads in California as Winter Rainstorms Intensify and Summers Heat Up

August 5, 2019 DispatchCaliforniaCorey Binns

From dusty fields in the San Joaquin Valley, fungal spores are wafting up, exposing more and more farmworkers to the disease.

As Temperatures Soar in India, One City’s Efforts Are Saving Lives

July 23, 2019 NRDC in ActionAhmedabad, Hyderabad, New Delhi, IndiaNicole Greenfield

The western city of Ahmedabad is preparing residents to cope with the longer and more intense heat waves sweeping across South Asia—and inspiring other Indian cities and states to follow suit.

The Conniving at the EPA Has Gotten Kafkaesque

July 19, 2019 PerspectivesUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

The agency aims to stop citizens from challenging pollution permits—while continuing to allow challenges from polluters who want to pollute more.

Do Plastic Bag Bans Work?

July 9, 2019 ExplainerUnited States, InternationalCourtney Lindwall

NRDC scientist Jennifer Sass says yes and debunks the skeptics’ claim that in trying to wean ourselves off plastic bags, we’re only creating more troubles.

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.

Let’s Talk About Pizza, Broccoli Leaves, and Bottom Lines

June 14, 2019 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

Venture capitalists just made a $16.5 million bet on a start-up that wants to sell people ugly, misshapen vegetables. What’s going on?

These Texans Are Sick of Chemical Fires and Toxic Spills in Their Backyard

June 11, 2019 DispatchTexasTim Vanderpool

A community along the Houston Ship Channel ramps up its fight against heavy industry and lax oversight after another petrochemical factory blaze closes local schools and causes a spike in respiratory illness.

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.

The Student Activist Fighting Pittsburgh’s Dirty Industry

May 23, 2019 DispatchPittsburghCourtney Lindwall

Anaïs Peterson is busy organizing, educating, and ushering in a new era of environmentalism in the Steel City.

Denver Doesn’t Want Its Edible Bounty to Go to Waste

May 22, 2019 DispatchDenverLora Shinn

Food waste and food insecurity are two sides of the same coin. This creative initiative aims to tackle both.

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.

L.A. Takes a Fresh Look at Recycled Water

May 13, 2019 DispatchLos AngelesLauren Evans

Facing dwindling freshwater supplies, the city is ready to stop dumping millions of gallons into the Pacific—and to follow Orange County’s lead.

California Lunchrooms May Soon Serve Up Organics

May 7, 2019 DispatchCaliforniaCorey Binns

A state bill promises organic food to students—and benefits for local farmers and farmworkers, too.