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A blurry image of a line of people wading through floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey in Beaumont Place, Houston, Texas, 2017

1.5 Degrees of Global Warming—Are We There Yet?

November 2, 2026 ExplainerUnited States, InternationalMolly Bergen

Here’s where the world stands in its fight against climate change. The end goal remains the same.

Jane Martin with the nebulizer and medications she uses at her home in Gloster, Mississippi, on September 20, 2025.

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.

A woman prepares homemade spaghetti in a kitchen using bamboo tongs.

Is Bamboo Always Sustainable?

October 26, 2026 ExplainerUnited StatesShelia Hu

This versatile plant is popping up in more and more consumer products, but when it comes to eco-friendly shopping, the details matter.

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Community Science Is Changing How People Can Fight Pollution

May 23, 2023 PerspectivesHouston, Texas, St. Louis, Missouri, Chicago, IllinoisCourtney Lindwall

Grassroots groups are collecting their own pollution data to increase accountability and demand environmental justice.

Sharing the Road: Safer Streets Means Safe for Everyone

June 25, 2021 ExplainerUnited States, California, Missouri, Atlanta, San Jose (California), St. Louis, GeorgiaDan Reed

As they incorporate equity into transportation planning, a number of U.S. cities are making room for bicyclists, pedestrians, scooters, and wheelchairs in every part of town.

The Electric Car Revolution Shouldn’t Leave Anyone Behind

May 27, 2021 DispatchUnited States, Missouri, St. LouisSusan Cosier

A new program in St. Louis, Missouri, is bringing EVs and charging stations to low-income neighborhoods—and turning senior and disabled residents into early adopters, one ride at a time.

A Catalyst for the Midwest’s Clean Energy Transition

December 1, 2020 NRDC in ActionKansas City (Kansas), St. Louis, Missouri, New York CityBrian Palmer

Ashok Gupta spent decades cleaning up New York’s grid and reducing its reliance on dirty fuels. Now he’s working to bring the clean energy future to the Midwest.

How Long Does It Take to Get a FEMA Buyout for a Flooded Home?

September 12, 2019 ExplainerUnited States, KentuckyKeith Mulvihill

Millions of people in America could be displaced by rising sea levels and repeated flooding. Yet, as Kentucky resident Olga McKissic learned, it can take years to get the help needed to move to higher ground.

Are Kentucky Farms Under Attack from Flocks of Ravenous Vultures? Not Quite.

September 6, 2019 ExplainerUnited States, KentuckyJason Bittel

Scientists respond to an Associated Press article that paints black vultures and turkey vultures as “flying fiends.”

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.

A Small Town’s Battle Against Radioactive Fracking Waste

January 9, 2019 DispatchKentuckyAustyn Gaffney

After an illegal dumping of close to 2,000 tons of dangerous sludge and contaminated materials across the street from two schools, a Kentucky community struggles with what to do next.

As Black Lung Strikes Younger Coal Miners, Kentucky Restricts Medical Benefits

September 24, 2018 DispatchKentuckyAustyn Gaffney

Coal is getting harder to get to—and that’s contributing to a respiratory epidemic among miners.

The Connection Between Mass Incarceration and Environmental Justice

January 19, 2018 ExplainerUnited States, Pennsylvania, KentuckyNicole Greenfield

The country’s prison industry has little regard for where its facilities are located—even if that means building on noxiously polluted ground.

Farms on the Fringe: New Takes on America’s Farming Tradition

August 1, 2017 DispatchCalifornia, Colorado, Iowa, New York, Kentucky, New MexicoTracie McMillan

These six farmers have found innovative ways to grow plants in today’s climate, whether in corn country or coal country, with fish tanks or smartphones.

The Petcoke Problem: Where to Store the Risky Tar Sands Refining By-Product

November 1, 2016 ExplainerUnited States, Canada, Chicago, Detroit, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Virginia

Petroleum coke, typically stored outdoors in big open piles, can blow right into nearby homes and cause serious health problems. Unsurprisingly, communities are fighting Big Oil to keep this noxious material out of their backyards.

Who Pays for Mine Cleanup After Big Coal Goes Bankrupt?

June 22, 2016 DispatchIllinois, Indiana, Kentucky, TennesseeSusan Cosier

Peabody Energy’s recent filing could change how the country funds mining messes.

Life on the Mississippi, Now

January 5, 2016 DispatchMissouri, Illinois, MidwestBarry Yeoman

We've spent billions of dollars on dikes, locks, and levees in a vain attempt to subdue what Mark Twain called "that lawless stream." Is it time to let the river have its way?