News & Commentary

New Technology Could Take a Bite Out of Food Waste, One Click at a Time

March 9, 2016 Latest NewsUnited StatesClara Chaisson

Online matchmaking isn't just for lovers—it's bringing would-be wasted food and hungry people together.

Why Is it So Easy for Officials to Cover Up Drinking Water Scandals?

March 8, 2016 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Vague regulations let government officials hide drinking water contamination from the public.

This Former Meatpacking Facility Is Now an Experiment in Sustainable Urban Ag

March 8, 2016 DispatchChicagoSusan Cosier

Come take a tour of "The Plant."

Could Invasive Mosquitoes Ignite Zika Outbreaks in California?

March 7, 2016 Latest NewsCaliforniaAlisa Opar

Could invasive mosquitoes ignite Zika outbreaks in California?

Letting the Buffalo Roam

March 7, 2016 NRDC in ActionMontanaJeff Turrentine

How NRDC has fought for years to keep Yellowstone’s wild bison healthy—and free.

Is Water a Human Right?

March 3, 2016 ExplainerUnited States, Flint, New York, Jackson, Michigan, Mississippi, InternationalBrian Palmer

A look at what U.S. and international laws have to say about our right to clean drinking water.

A Well-Rounded Education

March 3, 2016 PerspectivesUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

We don’t let flat-earthers influence our science curricula. So why should climate skeptics have a say?

EJ: Getting Us (All of Us) to Environmentalism 4.0

March 2, 2016 ExplainerUnited States, Flint, Michigan, ChicagoBrian Palmer

“Environmental justice” isn’t only about what is put in whose backyard—it’s the future of the environmental movement.

Taste the Rainbow . . . Trout?

March 1, 2016 DispatchMidwestSusan Cosier

Farming non-native fish in the Great Lakes? It might not be such a bad idea.

Why NRDC Helped Develop LEED Ratings for Neighborhoods

February 25, 2016 NRDC in ActionSan Francisco, Nashville, Indianapolis, California, Tennessee, Indiana, MarylandRebecca Dalzell

Why settle for a green building when you can have an entire green neighborhood?

Bugging the Ocean

February 25, 2016 Latest NewsUnited StatesAlisa Opar

Eavesdropping on the sea reveals the surprising chattiness of fish and invertebrates.

Forget Bigfoot. We’ve Got El Jefe.

February 24, 2016 Latest NewsWestJason Bittel

One of the world’s largest cats prowls the American Southwest—and almost no one knows it’s there.

Whales With a Dam Problem

February 23, 2016 Latest NewsUnited StatesChelsey B. Coombs

Orcas in the Pacific Northwest are struggling to boost their numbers. Could dams have something to do with it?

Handle With Care

February 22, 2016 PerspectivesUnited StatesClara Chaisson

This artist’s handmade porcelain reefs are almost as fragile as the real thing.

The Virus Hunter

February 22, 2016 Latest NewsUnited StatesPerrin Ireland

Scientists aren’t certain why Zika has become a pandemic, but humans probably played a part.

Bloomin’ Awful

February 18, 2016 Latest NewsUnited States

Thanks to climate change, these toxic algae keep spreading.

Lead by the Numbers

February 18, 2016 ExplainerFlint, Michigan, United StatesNicole Greenfield

This Harper’s-inspired index on lead puts the Flint Water Crisis into new perspective.

Seeking a Clean Bill of Health

February 18, 2016 DispatchMidwestSusan Cosier

What it takes to make the Great Lakes’ areas of concern less concerning.

Zombie Crabs!

February 17, 2016 Latest NewsEastAlisa Opar

Tiny, invasive East Coast parasites are leaving hordes of the living dead in their wake.

Skinflints

February 17, 2016 Latest NewsFlintJeff Turrentine

The crisis in Flint reveals the dangerous downside of treating public safety as just another line item.