News & Commentary

Hotter = Drier

August 19, 2015 Latest NewsCaliforniaBrian Palmer

A new study shows how climate change is making the California drought worse.

Hot Water

August 18, 2015 ExplainerWest, United StatesBrian Palmer

Uranium mining threatens aquifers that could provide the drought-stricken West with emergency water supplies.

Hey, Congress, Quit Blaming the EPA

August 18, 2015 DispatchColoradoBrian Palmer

We’ve created a situation where one bad call can contaminate 300 miles of river with toxic metals. That’s a systemic failure, not an individual failure.

Foster Farms Says No to Superbugs

August 13, 2015 NRDC in ActionCaliforniaNicole Greenfield

How NRDC took an American poultry giant to task for its overuse of antibiotics.

Connecting Communities

August 13, 2015 NRDC in ActionLos Angeles, California

Shelley Poticha, director of NRDC’s Urban Solutions program, discusses building a better future where we live.

Driving Force

August 13, 2015 NRDC in ActionCaliforniaJeff Turrentine

In the race to promote fuel efficiency and lower vehicle pollution, Roland Hwang is firmly in the lead.

The Farmer Who Weeded Out Chemicals

August 12, 2015 DispatchCaliforniaLaura Fraser

Organic farmer Jim Cochran proves that growing nontoxic strawberries isn’t just possible, it’s profitable.

Up (and Down) a Creek

August 11, 2015 Latest NewsColoradoClara Chaisson

Here’s what you need to know about the EPA spilling three million gallons of wastewater into a Colorado river.

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (from Distant Flames)

August 7, 2015 ExplainerUnited States, Colorado, Alaska, CaliforniaAlisa Opar

Wildfires may be harming the health of people who live hundreds or thousands of miles from the flames.

Innovation Has Not Run Dry!

July 8, 2015 Latest NewsCaliforniaAlisa Opar

As summer heat compounds four years of drought, Californians are coping with water shortages in some wacky and smart (and desperate) ways.

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.

Oklahoma Earthquake? Blame Oil and Gas

June 18, 2015 DispatchOklahomaBrian Palmer

A new study proves what we’ve suspected all along—oil and gas drilling triggers earthquakes.

Protestors Ahoy!

June 16, 2015 Latest NewsSeattleBrian Palmer

Seattle's “kayaktivists” finally draw the government’s attention to Arctic drilling.

A Year Without Snow

June 4, 2015 DispatchWestBrooke Jarvis

Want to know what difference a few degrees can make as the climate warms? Look no further than the West’s critical and vanishing snowpack.

Has Oil Spill Cleanup Improved at All?

May 27, 2015 ExplainerCalifornia, WestBrian Palmer

Why are we cleaning up the Santa Barbara oil spill with shovels and buckets?

Fearing the Burn

May 26, 2015 Latest NewsWestAlisa Opar

Western states prepare for an “explosive” wildfire season.

I Hate Reruns

May 22, 2015 Latest NewsCaliforniaClara Chaisson

The Santa Barbara coast has yet another oil spill, thanks to a company that screws up royally—repeatedly.

Yes, in Your Backyard

May 21, 2015 PerspectivesTexasBrian Palmer

Texas tells local governments not to mess with oil and gas.

A Beach of an Oil Spill

May 20, 2015 Latest NewsCaliforniaClara Chaisson

Santa Barbara’s pristine coastline is now coated in crude.

Dirty Dancing in the Big Empty

May 19, 2015 PerspectivesWest, United StatesRocky Kistner

A new documentary spotlights the sad plight of the greater sage grouse: They’re running out of dance floor.