News & Commentary

He Speaks for the Trees—but First, He Listens to Them

April 13, 2017 PerspectivesUnited StatesClara Chaisson

Biologist and writer David George Haskell discusses his new book, The Songs of Trees, and the importance of tuning in.

The Concrete Farmer

April 11, 2017 DispatchNew York CityMelissa Denchak

A farmer’s daughter turned marketing exec tries something in-between: community gardening—where the business of “knowing your audience” applies just as well.

“America First” Doesn’t Cut It When Fighting Global Warming

April 7, 2017 PerspectivesUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

In quantifying carbon pollution's damage to society, Trump sees America as an island unto itself—and we all know what climate change does to islands.

Noise Makes Dolphins and Whales Flee—and That Can Take Their Breath Away

April 3, 2017 Latest NewsUnited StatesJason Bittel

A new study brings us a step closer to understanding why marine mammals beach themselves.

A Hunter Asks, “Why Are Lead Bullets Still a Thing?”

March 30, 2017 PerspectivesUnited StatesJason Bittel

Lead is poison. Why would we want it on our public lands and in our food?

Holding the Line Against Trump in the Golden State

March 30, 2017 DispatchCaliforniaElizabeth Svoboda

With a new series of bills, California promises to protect the environment no matter what happens on the federal level.

Getting Inked for the Resistance

March 29, 2017 PerspectivesUnited StatesClara Chaisson

This tattoo studio is responding to Trump’s attacks on people and the planet with body art.

Flint Drinking Water Settlement FAQ

March 28, 2017 ExplainerFlintNRDC

The residents of Flint, Michigan, will finally get their lead pipes replaced and have access to safe drinking water. Here's what you need to know.

The Dakota Access Pipeline Fight Fuels Battles Across the Country

March 27, 2017 DispatchNorth Dakota, South DakotaSusan Cosier

DAPL may be underway, but the water protectors at Standing Rock taught us a lot about going up against the fossil fuel industry.

Oil Shouldn’t Have to Spill to Get Us to Fight for the Environment

March 24, 2017 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

In Donald Trump’s war on the environment, Americans’ complacency is his greatest ally.

The Whistleblower’s Lawyer, at the Ready

March 23, 2017 DispatchUnited StatesCorey Binns

Jeff Ruch has the backs of worried (and outraged) federal environmental workers hanging on in a Trump world.

The Job Market Is Spinning for Colorado’s New Wind Workforce

March 21, 2017 DispatchColoradoLora Shinn

A bevy of Colorado colleges are helping the young (and not so young) to learn new trades that will help fuel the state’s wind energy revolution.

How Betsy DeVos Could Harm Climate Education

March 17, 2017 DispatchUnited StatesRobynne Boyd

The new secretary of education’s fondness for voucher programs threatens young Americans’ understanding of science.

Cut Environmental Justice at the EPA, and We All Lose

March 17, 2017 ExplainerUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Trump likens our “inner cities” to war zones . . . then guts the programs geared to safeguard clean air and water for low-income communities of color.

Gabon’s Jungle Was Once a Refuge for Elephants—Now It’s a Killing Field

March 16, 2017 Latest NewsInternationalJason Bittel

If the new estimates are correct, Gabon has lost around 80 percent of its forest elephants in just a decade.

Words of Flint’s Anguish Flow Like Water Through These Pipes

March 14, 2017 PerspectivesFlintClara Chaisson

High-school students share their experiences of the city’s water crisis in this powerful art installation.

A Veteran of Uphill Battles

March 13, 2017 NRDC in ActionWashington, D.C., United States, CanadaJordan Davidson

NRDC’s chief program officer, Susan Casey-Lefkowitz, knows that resistance takes persistence—and a lot of collaboration.

Want to Make America Great Again? Don’t Let Its People Breathe or Drink Poison.

March 10, 2017 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

The cruel and un-American folly of shutting down the EPA’s environmental justice program.

Poachers Hit New Low in Attacking a Rhino Orphanage and a Zoo Near Paris

March 10, 2017 Latest NewsInternationalJason Bittel

Rhino poaching doesn’t happen just in the wilderness now. It happens in the suburbs.

Small Towns Fight Big Oil on the Hudson

March 6, 2017 DispatchNew YorkJenny Shalant

New Yorkers are resisting efforts to sextuple the number of anchorage grounds in the river and transform their backyard into a parking lot for oil barges.