News & Commentary

New Haven Is for the Birds—and the People

November 7, 2017 DispatchConnecticutClara Chaisson

This partnership is bringing bird-friendly “urban oases” to underserved neighborhoods in Connecticut.

Keeping a Close Watch on China’s Climate Transition

November 7, 2017 NRDC in ActionBeijing, Shanghai, ChinaJeff Turrentine

JingJing Qian, senior strategic advisor for NRDC’s China program, is bearing witness to some truly remarkable changes taking place in her home country. She’s also helping to make those changes happen.

Trump Is No Teddy Roosevelt to America’s Outdoorsmen

November 3, 2017 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

Like other environmentalists, hunters and anglers are angry about the administration’s attacks on public lands—and they’re not afraid to use their outside voices.

Scientists Discover a New—and Endangered—Orangutan Species

November 2, 2017 Latest NewsInternationalJason Bittel

Meet the frizzy-haired Tapanuli orangutan, already among the world’s most imperiled great apes.

Environmental Advocacy Is a First Amendment Right

October 31, 2017 ExplainerUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Industrial polluters have gone to great lengths to stifle environmental advocacy, but their expansion of censorship laws has finally crossed a line for some federal judges.

Wyoming’s Anti-Science Laws Get a Second Look

October 30, 2017 DispatchWyomingAlisa Opar

How far will the state go to push back against citizens who want to know what’s in their water and air?

The Disgrace of Scott Pruitt

October 27, 2017 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

Muzzling scientists, scrubbing websites, attacking journalists: all in a shameful day’s work for our bought-and-paid-for EPA administrator. It’s time to stop him.

Dogs Are a Kiwi’s Best Friend (and Worst Enemy)

October 26, 2017 ExplainerInternationalJason Bittel

Nonnative wildlife and pets are running amok in New Zealand, but these canines are part of the solution.

The Anthropocene, as Muse

October 26, 2017 PerspectivesUnited StatesClara Chaisson

Humans are changing the earth at an unprecedented scale. Justin Brice Guariglia thinks today’s art needs to reflect that.

These Southern Cities Are Going 100 Percent Clean (Energy)

October 23, 2017 DispatchAtlanta, Georgia, Columbia, South Carolina, Orlando, St. Petersburg, FloridaRobynne Boyd

These efforts show the rest of the country that a citywide transition to a clean energy grid is a not an issue of if, but when.

In the Game of Extinction, It’s Good to Be Average

October 20, 2017 Latest NewsUnited StatesJason Bittel

A new study finds that the world’s largest and smallest species are closest to the brink of oblivion.

Have a Climate Denier Over for Coffee?

October 20, 2017 ExplainerInternationalJeff Turrentine

A researcher explains the psychological foundation of climate skepticism—and offers a strategy for chipping away at it.

An Environmental Justice Advocate’s L.A. Story

October 17, 2017 DispatchLos AngelesCarmen Cusido

Dr. Michael Anthony Mendez on the subject of his new book, Climate Change from the Streets, and the readiness of Latinos to act on climate and justice.

After a Half-Century, Tigers May Return to Kazakhstan

October 13, 2017 Latest NewsInternational

How do you bring tigers back to a region after decades of extinction? First you rebuild their ecosystem.

The Dangers Our Big Storms Dredge Up

October 11, 2017 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

Hurricanes like Harvey and Maria put those who live near toxic waste sites in double jeopardy.

How Fish Autopsies Help in the Fight Against the Invasive Asian Carp

October 11, 2017 DispatchIllinois, MidwestSusan Cosier

Dead fish tell many tales—but can they persuade authorities to strengthen Lake Michigan’s defenses against these ecological saboteurs?

"Sonic Sea" Documentary: The Harms of Ocean Noise

October 10, 2017 NRDC in ActionUnited States

Learn more about ocean noise by watching the powerful documentary Sonic Sea.

The Unassuming Crayfish—and Its Path of Devastation

October 5, 2017 ExplainerUnited States, InternationalJason Bittel

Do not underestimate the signal crayfish. It’s both a keystone species and a merciless invader of foreign streams.

Resolving a Real-Life Rivalry Between Bears and Honeybees

October 4, 2017 DispatchMontanaCorey Binns

When hungry bears and Montana’s honey industry collide, apiarists and conservationists come together to avoid a sticky situation.

From Panthers to Sage Grouse, Oil and Gun Interests Have America’s Wildlife in Their Sights

September 29, 2017 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

Lawmakers and federal agencies are rolling back protections for imperiled species and hoping we won’t notice―or won’t care.