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.

Why Redistricting Could Lead to More Pollution, Sickness, and Death

July 9, 2026 ExplainerUnited States, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, North Carolina, TennesseeJeffrey Michaels

The new wave of racial gerrymandering ushered in by Louisiana v. Callais threatens the ongoing struggle for environmental justice.

What It’ll Take to Save Cities like New Orleans from Climate Disaster

July 1, 2026 ExplainerNew Orleans, United StatesMolly Bergen

These insights from around the globe hold lessons in planning a just relocation.

Blue Whales Ply the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts; Industry Could Soon Too

May 8, 2026 DispatchUnited States, EastJason Bittel

The first-ever sightings of the earth’s largest animals in these waters come as the Trump administration opens the marine national monument to destructive commercial fishing.

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. 

Climate Change Is Flooding Vermont—Who Should Pay for It?

December 2, 2025 DispatchVermontBill Donahue

In mountain valleys and riverside villages, residents bail out their homes and businesses—and hope that fossil fuel companies can help cover the costs.

The Fight to Keep Oil and Gas Rigs Out of Our Waters. For Good.

November 24, 2025 NRDC in ActionArctic, East, United StatesMelissa Denchak

NRDC played a key role in banning offshore drilling in the Arctic and Atlantic. Once again, it’s fighting to protect those oceans—and the rest of America’s waters.

Introducing Polluters Pay Laws—a New Tool for Climate Adaptation

August 21, 2025 ExplainerUnited States, Vermont, New YorkShelia Hu

As states begin to pass “climate superfund” bills, here’s a closer look at what they do and why we need them.

America’s Newly Discovered Whale Is Already in Trouble

April 4, 2025 ExplainerLouisianaJason Bittel

Described officially for the first time in 2021, Rice’s whale has the distinction of being one of the most endangered whales on the planet.

“Chemical Recycling” Isn’t Actually Recycling.

March 12, 2025 ExplainerGeorgia, United StatesNicole Greenfield

Companies are trying to sell communities on a toxic solution to the plastic pollution crisis. The people of Macon, Georgia, saw through it. Will others?

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. 

What Is Congestion Pricing?

November 18, 2024 ExplainerUnited States, New York City

Fees charged for driving on busy city roads reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality while also generating sorely needed funding for the transit systems that many people rely on for their daily commutes.

Even One More Oil and Gas Lease Sale in the Gulf of Mexico Is Too Many

November 17, 2023 ExplainerUnited States, LouisianaCourtney Lindwall

An expansion of offshore drilling would lock the region into decades of fossil fuel extraction at the expense of the climate, coastal communities, and marine life.

America’s Failing Drinking Water System

October 5, 2023 ExplainerUnited States, Buffalo, Houston, Puerto Rico, California, FlintNicole Greenfield

First, Flint, Michigan; then, Jackson, Mississippi. Communities around the country wonder if their water quality problems will lead to the next national crisis.

After Decades, Tenants Are Still Fighting NYC Public Housing for Speedy Mold Relief

September 21, 2023 DispatchNew York, New York CityNicole Greenfield

In the 1990s, they organized. In 2013, they sued. In 2023, residents continue the fight for safe homes in NYCHA developments across the city.

Mapping Urban Heat Islands Is Helping These Neighborhoods Adapt

August 1, 2023 DispatchRaleigh, North Carolina, United StatesCourtney Lindwall

The Urban Heat Island mapping campaign is the largest national effort of its kind to identify why one section of a city can feel so different from another on any given summer day.

New York Is Exposing the Fashion Industry for What It Is: a Climate Nightmare

February 13, 2023 DispatchNew York City, InternationalNicole Greenfield

The state’s Fashion Act seeks to set a new trend of holding big brands accountable for their exploitation of workers and the environment.

Advocates Are Sparking a Revolution in Louisiana's “Cancer Alley”

November 10, 2022 DispatchSt. James Parish, LouisianaNicole Greenfield

Residents of St. James Parish are fighting to boot harmful petrochemical plants from this majority-Black community—and hoping to usher in more sustainable industries like solar.

A 22-Year Court Battle Ends with Justice for the Penobscot River

October 11, 2022 NRDC in ActionMaineNicole Greenfield

After more than a half century of toxic mercury contamination, Maine’s longest river is finally getting cleaned up—a major win for the public interest over corporate polluters.