News & Commentary

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.

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.

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.

Looking for Climate Connections (and Berries) Through Traditional Indigenous Knowledge

October 5, 2023 PerspectivesMontanaDominique Nault

When trying to protect lands from the onslaught of climate change, start by asking the people who know those places and their wild inhabitants the best. 

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.

Mutual Aid and Disaster Justice: “We Keep Us Safe”

October 6, 2022 ExplainerUnited States, Puerto Rico, Louisiana, Mississippi, FloridaNicole Greenfield

As climate-fueled disasters become more frequent—from Mississippi to Puerto Rico and beyond—relief efforts by communities, for communities, could become increasingly critical.

The Unlikely Takedown of Keystone XL

June 29, 2021 NRDC in ActionNebraska, South Dakota, Canada, MontanaCourtney Lindwall

The notorious tar sands pipeline was a lightning rod in the fight against climate change and the seemingly unstoppable oil industry. NRDC advocates were part of a broad coalition that helped stop Keystone XL—for good.

Blackfeet Nation Is Taking Back the Food System

June 21, 2021 DispatchMontanaNicole Greenfield

A tribal-led plan to build a meat-processing facility on the Blackfeet Nation reservation in Montana will help invigorate the local economy, safeguard cultural traditions, and protect community health and the environment.

Katrina, Climate, and Justice: A Future in Foreshadow?

August 28, 2020 PerspectivesNew Orleans, LouisianaZaria Howell

After Hurricane Laura hit Louisiana just days before the Katrina remembrance, photojournalism from 15 years ago reminds us that disaster preparation isn’t just about wind and water.

Defender of Housing Justice

August 25, 2020 NRDC in ActionNew Orleans, United States, LouisianaJenny Shalant

Energy efficiency and social safety net advocate Khalil Shahyd explains why supporting affordable housing is intrinsic to the climate fight.

Connector of the Gulf South, 15 Years and Counting

August 24, 2020 DispatchNew Orleans, LouisianaKaren L. Smith-Janssen

Colette Pichon Battle is getting the conversation going—and the preparations moving—for Black and Indigenous communities of Louisiana who are still healing from Hurricane Katrina, even as they stand on the frontlines of climate change.

The Humble Beaver: Troublemaker or Climate Superhero?

May 27, 2020 DispatchMontana, WestAlisa Opar

Beavers create rich habitats and act as buffers against the effects of drought and wildfire—spurring efforts to pinpoint new ways to help us coexist with North America’s largest rodent.

As Sea Level Rise Threatens Their Ancestral Village, a Louisiana Tribe Fights to Stay Put

April 13, 2020 DispatchLouisianaBarry Yeoman

They survived the BP oil disaster, Hurricane Katrina, and decades of industry spoiling their wetlands. Whatever their future holds, the people of Grand Bayou want to decide it for themselves.

The Mother Who Became a Voice for the Gulf

April 6, 2020 DispatchLouisianaNicole Greenfield

After the Deepwater Horizon disaster, Kindra Arnesen went to the mat to help heal and protect her southeastern Louisiana community and the fishery it relies on. Ten years later, she’s still fighting.

In Glacier National Park, Ice Isn't the Only Thing That's Disappearing

January 23, 2020 Latest NewsMontanaJason Bittel

Two species of tiny stonefly have been added to the Endangered Species List because their habitat is expected to melt by 2030.

Missoula, Montana, Proves That Tackling Car Culture Isn’t Just for Big-City Slickers

November 5, 2019 DispatchMontanaAlisa Opar

The streets are hardly choked with traffic, but this Northern Rockies locale sees plenty of other good reasons to get more of its commuters out from behind the wheel.

The People of the Isle de Jean Charles Are Louisiana’s First Climate Refugees—but They Won’t Be the Last

September 23, 2019 DispatchLouisianaRobynne Boyd

Whether and how to uproot communities are difficult and painful questions, and we need to get better at answering them.

The Natural Gas Industry Has a Methane Problem

June 7, 2019 ExplainerUnited States, LouisianaJeff Turrentine

Oil and gas operations leak this potent greenhouse gas far more than previously thought, and (par for the course) the Trump administration is making the situation worse.

Montana’s Wildlife Needs Safer Crosswalks

March 13, 2019 DispatchMontanaLora Shinn

A push for more animal bridges and overpasses is aimed at reducing the number of collisions between vehicles and wildlife.