News & Commentary

The Great Oyster Crash

August 26, 2015 DispatchOregon, WestEric Scigliano

Ocean acidification hits the Pacific shellfish industry.

10 Things You Didn't Know About the Endangered Species Act

August 21, 2015 ExplainerUnited StatesSarah Engler

We’ve all heard about it, but few of us really understand why this piece of legislation from the 1970s is so important—and in need of protection itself.

The Impacts of a Tar Sands Oil Spill

August 17, 2015 ExplainerCanada

Tar sands oil is harder to clean up than conventional crude. Here are the reasons why.

The Algae That (Almost) Ate Toledo

July 27, 2015 DispatchToledo, OhioBarry Yeoman

Summertime in Toledo: Lakeside barbecues, Mud Hens double-headers, and toxic algae blooms.

Remember the Kalamazoo

July 21, 2015 DispatchMichiganBrian Palmer

Five years ago, a pipeline spilled a million gallons of tar sands crude into a Michigan river—and we’re still cleaning it up.

Orangutan Accounting 101

July 14, 2015 ExplainerInternationalJason Bittel

To save a species, scientists first need to know how many members it has left.

Plight of the Panther

June 30, 2015 DispatchFloridaKim Tingley

What happens when preserving a species makes it unpopular?

Roam, Roam on the Range

June 24, 2015 DispatchMontanaAlisa Opar

This Montana cattle ranch is trying to ensure its operations benefit wildlife—and yes, that means wolves, too.

Spreading Their Wings

June 24, 2015 DispatchChicagoSusan Cosier

Butterflies bred in a Chicago lab are fluttering their way back to Illinois swamps.

Flexing Their Mussel

June 3, 2015 DispatchOhio, MidwestSusan Cosier

The bivalves that ate the Great Lakes are fueling toxic algal blooms, too. Can’t we get rid of them already?

The Blue-Light Special

April 28, 2015 ExplainerUnited StatesJason Bittel

Could aircraft lights in tune with bird vision help prevent costly and dangerous collisions?

Save the Very Hungry Caterpillars

April 16, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Common insecticides are killing monarch butterfly larvae, says a USDA study.

Rat Pack

April 6, 2015 DispatchNew York CityAlisa Opar

New York is the city that never sleeps—and neither do its rat researchers.

Fish Out of Water

April 3, 2015 DispatchCaliforniaAlisa Opar

Scary-low snowpack may spell disaster for some California wildlife and ecosystems.

A Silent Victory

April 1, 2015 NRDC in ActionHawaii, United StatesBrian Palmer

A federal judge stands up to the noisy navy for the sake of marine mammals.

Social Media Slaughter

March 12, 2015 ExplainerUnited StatesJason Bittel

Social media and e-commerce sites are the new battlegrounds for the illegal wildlife trade.

The Call of the Bugle

March 12, 2015 DispatchKentucky, WisconsinSusan Cosier

This spring elk from Kentucky will be migrating (by truck) to Wisconsin.

The Fishing Industry on Acid

February 23, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Ocean acidification will hit coastal communities like these the hardest.

Bird's Eye View

February 20, 2015 ExplainerUnited StatesJason Bittel

The story of one region’s seagulls reveals the enormous and surprising influence humans have on the environment.

The Glow Man and the Sea

February 11, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesAlisa Opar

This summer John Sparks will don a 530-pound suit and plunge 1,000 feet into the Atlantic—all to find some Day-Glo fish.