News & Commentary

A Small Town in Mississippi Battles the International Biomass Industry

November 2, 2026 DispatchMississippi, United KingdomClara Chaisson

When the Drax wood pellet plant came to Gloster, reports of lung disease soon followed.

The Fight Against This NYC Area Pipeline Is Not Over

September 10, 2026 DispatchNew York, New JerseyCourtney Lindwall

Constructing the offshore NESE pipeline would pollute waterways and come with higher energy bills for New Yorkers.

America’s Troubled Waters

September 4, 2026 ExplainerUnited StatesJ. J. Starr

From prairie potholes to transboundary rivers, the country’s waterways are suffering from a slew of policies that make it easier to pollute.

Decarbonization: Why We Must Electrify Everything Even Before the Grid Is Fully Green

July 6, 2026 ExplainerUnited StatesCourtney Lindwall

To decarbonize and fight climate change, electrification and clean energy development must happen together—and fast.

Offshore Wind Can Power the Future (If We Just Let It)

June 29, 2026 ExplainerUnited StatesSusan Cosier

Despite Trump administration policies to block renewable energy development, there’s more electricity coming from the wind than ever.

The AI Boom Is Stressing the Grid—but It Doesn’t Have to Be This Way

June 24, 2026 ExplainerUnited StatesCourtney Lindwall, Jenny Shalant

There are ways we can avoid blackouts, sky-high energy bills, and climate backpedaling when powering AI data centers.

When Energy Security Is a Casualty of War

April 28, 2026 ExplainerInternationalJeffrey Michaels

The U.S. war with Iran makes one thing perfectly clear: Depending on fossil fuels is neither safe nor smart.

A Fund for Cleaning Up Coal Mining’s Toxic Legacy Dries Up

April 27, 2026 ExplainerUnited States, Pennsylvania, Illinois, West VirginiaSusan Cosier

As rural communities seek to move on from polluted pasts, funds to address thousands of abandoned mines and wells are coming up short. 

Venezuela’s Oil Resources Are Vast (and Should Stay Underground)

March 19, 2026 ExplainerVenezuela, United States, InternationalMolly Bergen

The pursuit of the world’s dirtiest oil would cost more than $100 billion, involve the U.S. military, and sabotage climate efforts.

Senate Vote Will Decide Fate of the Boundary Waters

February 9, 2026 PerspectivesMinnesotaDavid Doniger

The U.S. Senate will vote this week on whether to allow dangerous sulfide-ore copper mining on the edges of Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness—a place where my family’s roots go back more than a century.

Another Alarm Call from the Arctic: Its Rivers Are Turning Orange

January 27, 2026 DispatchArcticClara Chaisson

The once clean and clear waterways are rusting, a visually striking example of the catastrophic—and sometimes unpredictable—impacts of global climate change.

Meet the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

December 5, 2025 ExplainerUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

It’s one of the biggest climate players that you’ve (probably) never heard of.

In Rural India, Women Take Charge of Renewable Power

October 23, 2025 NRDC in ActionIndiaShelia Hu

NRDC’s Hariyali Gram “Green Village” initiative brings clean energy, climate resilience, and gender equity to the country’s frontline populations. 

The Attacks on Science Continue—This Time at the USGS

September 25, 2025 ExplainerUnited StatesSusan Cosier

From sea level rise to bee populations, the agency’s wildlife and climate programs shed light on the world around us.

A Weakened USDA Will Hurt Small Farmers (and Everyone Else)

September 10, 2025 ExplainerUnited StatesMolly Bergen

Meager budgets for farm grants and food safety and assistance programs will leave the country’s land—and people—undernourished.

The Uinta Basin Railway Would Be a Bigger Carbon Bomb Than Willow

August 6, 2025 DispatchUtah, Colorado, United StatesNicole Greenfield

The project could sabotage U.S. climate goals, send oil-filled trains along the Colorado River, and pollute the air from Utah to the Gulf Coast.

What’s the Most Energy-Efficient Water Heater?

August 6, 2025 ExplainerInternational, United StatesPatrick Rogers

The new generation of eco-friendly heat pump water heaters will reduce your home’s emissions while also shrinking your utility bills.

Why Strong Climate Action Needs a Strong Energy Department

May 27, 2025 ExplainerUnited StatesCourtney Lindwall

Department of Energy layoffs threaten the agency’s ability to spur industrial innovation and modernize the electric grid.

What the Supreme Court’s Sackett v. EPA Ruling Means for Wetlands and Other Waterways

March 24, 2025 ExplainerUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

How the twisting of words in the Clean Water Act spells disaster.

Rural America Is Already on Board with Clean Energy

January 16, 2025 ExplainerOhio, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, IowaShelia Hu

Gutting it wouldn’t just jeopardize our climate goals but also the growing workforce in the heartland and beyond.