News & Commentary

Fossil Fuel Air Pollution Kills One in Five People

February 19, 2021 Latest NewsInternationalClara Chaisson

The global toll of premature deaths attributed to the burning of coal, gasoline, and diesel is breathtakingly high, with new research doubling previous estimates.

The COVID-19 Impacts You May Not See

February 11, 2021 PerspectivesUnited StatesMaudlyne Ihejirika

In Part Two of our “Pandemic at Work” series, three undocumented immigrants share their struggles for a paycheck, a future, and simply, acknowledgment.

Taking Care of the Food Workers Who Take Care of Us

February 10, 2021 NRDC in ActionColoradoNicole Greenfield

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the inequities faced by food- and farmworkers who put their health in danger just by coming to work each day. NRDC is pushing to change that.

For a Family in Mexico, a Mission to Protect Monarchs

February 9, 2021 DispatchMexicoNicole Greenfield

Siblings Joel, Anayeli, and Patricio Moreno see the future of their community and that of the butterflies that migrate annually to the local Cerro Pelón forest as being intimately connected.

A Growing Concern: Microplastic Pollution on Farm Fields

February 2, 2021 Latest NewsUnited StatesSusan Cosier

Scientists are showing that we are sending tons of tiny plastic particles into our soils each year, potentially affecting crops and our health.

Black Walden Came First. Thoreau, After.

February 1, 2021 DispatchMassachusettsCourtney Lindwall

A little-known community of formerly enslaved Black residents in Concord, Massachusetts, took up home in Walden Woods long before Henry David Thoreau arrived. Today, local activists are working to ensure the stories of Black Walden stay alive.

With His “Climate Day” Orders, Biden Moves to Protect the Country—Its People, Lands and Waters, and Science

January 27, 2021 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

National security, environmental justice, scientific integrity, and the economy are just a few issues covered by the president’s sweeping climate strategy.

How to Start Saving the Planet in 100 Days: the Joe Biden Edition

January 25, 2021 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

Here’s what we want to see from our new president on the environmental front between now and May.

What Biden Should Get Done on Day One (or Close to It)

January 20, 2021 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

Our next president could address many pressing environmental and public health issues right away—some with just a stroke of the executive pen.

Performance Art Worthy of 2020—the Hottest Year on Record (Wrapping Up the Hottest Decade on Record)

January 14, 2021 PerspectivesFloridaClara Chaisson

Watch these wax sculptures melt under the Florida sun to reveal important messages about climate change.

In a Segregated Chicago, Art Puts Environmental Racism on Display

December 22, 2020 PerspectivesChicagoZaria Howell

If the General Iron plant is too dirty for the city’s North Side, it’s also too dirty for the Southeast Side.

As a Year of Struggle Ends, One of Fearful Uncertainty Begins

December 21, 2020 PerspectivesUnited StatesMaudlyne Ihejirika

In Part One of our “Pandemic at Work” series, a hotel housekeeper, a fast-food worker/drugstore manager, and an elementary school janitor share their journeys through 2020—and anxieties for 2021.

Jennifer Granholm and Pete Buttigieg—Two Biden Cabinet Picks to Help Steer the Country Toward a Better Climate Future

December 21, 2020 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

A pair of policy wonks with a shared goal of creating jobs while cutting carbon pollution: That sounds pretty good after the last four years.

"We Are the Same as the Salmon": A Story of Suffering and Perseverance

December 17, 2020 DispatchWyoming, Idaho, Oregon, WashingtonNicole Greenfield

Thirty years ago, the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes led the effort to save Snake River sockeye salmon from extinction. Today, they’re still fighting for the fish’s survival—along with their own.

A New York Climate Justice Activist with Roots in the Blue Ridge Mountains

December 11, 2020 DispatchNew York City, Washington, D.C.Carmen Cusido

WE ACT’s director of environmental health and education, Taylor Morton, who found their path to environmental justice work through a childhood spent in nature, wants to help the next generation get outside without fear.

America’s Top Climate Diplomat: John Kerry

December 11, 2020 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

For President-elect Biden’s newly created—and much needed—cabinet-level position, Kerry’s passion and experience make him a perfect fit.

Pandemic Puts Eviction Crisis Front and Center

December 10, 2020 NRDC in ActionUnited StatesCourtney Lindwall

With pressure mounting, NRDC advocates are calling on lawmakers to step up protections for renters in the next relief package while also pushing for systemic changes that will help affordable housing stay that way.

Why Florida Needs an Offshore Drilling Ban—One That’s Permanent

December 9, 2020 DispatchFloridaRobynne Boyd

While the state can take solace in the recent moratorium extension, its waters are still at risk from the devastating impacts of seismic testing.

A Champion for Equitable and Sustainable Infrastructure

December 3, 2020 NRDC in ActionLos Angeles, PhiladelphiaShelia Hu

Stephanie Gidigbi Jenkins is pushing for public policy solutions that address social equity and climate justice while strengthening access to reliable transportation, affordable housing, and open spaces.

Happy 50th Birthday, EPA

December 2, 2020 PerspectivesUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

We’ve seen you at your best and, currently, at your absolute worst. But things are looking up for you again—just when we need you the most.