News & Commentary

Orcas in Peril, Part I: An Ocean Empty of Food

February 28, 2019 ExplainerUnited States, InternationalPerrin Ireland

Southern Resident killer whales of the Salish Sea face many challenges, but the threat of death from starvation is especially dire. Thankfully, there's a solution—and we need to help make it happen.

Four Environmental Justice Champions You Should Know

February 26, 2019 DispatchUnited StatesRyann Holmes

Whether they are delivering food or climate justice or standing up for clean air or access to nature, these activists are uplifting communities across the country.

The Political Divide on Coal vs. Renewables Is Fake News

February 22, 2019 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

New polls show that all Americans—Democrats, Republicans, and independents alike—want to close the book on our dirtiest fossil fuel.

The Fight to Save Plum Island

February 21, 2019 DispatchNew YorkNicole Greenfield

The federal government wants to sell off a wildlife-rich island in Long Island Sound to the highest bidder. No way, say advocates.

The Crazy Snake Worm Invasion You Haven’t Heard About

February 21, 2019 ExplainerUnited StatesJason Bittel

Earthworms may seem harmless, but they have the power to transform some of America’s forests—and not in a good way.

Is the Future of Grocery Shopping B.Y.O. Container?

February 15, 2019 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

A new wave of entrepreneurs aim to wean consumers from single-use plastic.

A Coal-to-Diesel Refinery Is the Last Straw for These Hoosiers

February 13, 2019 DispatchIndianaSusan Cosier

The air in southwestern Indiana is bad enough without the emissions from yet another proposed polluter.

Climate Change Takes Fashion Week by Storm (and by Drought and by Fire . . .)

February 12, 2019 PerspectivesNew York City, United StatesCourtney Lindwall

Model, actor, and designer Luka Sabbat can make just about anything look good—even an air mask. Behold the future of fashion.

With Tahlequah’s Newborn and Scarlet Gone, Orca Advocates Race to Save Their Kin

February 11, 2019 DispatchWestLora Shinn

The plight of the Southern Resident orcas is bringing together a coalition of state and tribal leaders, scientists, and grassroots communities to avert a looming extinction.

Why Is HUD Ghosting America’s Hurricane-Ravaged Communities?

February 8, 2019 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

The Trump administration promised $16 billion to help places like Texas, Puerto Rico, and Florida weather future storms. Now, nearly a year later, it won’t even return their calls.

A British Company Names a Wormlike Amphibian After President Trump

February 7, 2019 Latest NewsUnited StatesJason Bittel

In an auction, EnviroBuild paid $31,250 for the species’ naming rights. (Not everyone is happy about that.)

These Montanans Don’t Want an Industrial Slaughterhouse in Their Backyard

February 1, 2019 DispatchMontanaLora Shinn

In the small city of Great Falls, residents push back against a Big Ag plant that would consume 3.5 million gallons of water—and produce 102,995 pounds of waste—per day.

Welcome to Oslo! NO PARKING.

February 1, 2019 Latest NewsInternationalJeff Turrentine

More and more European cities are effectively banning automobiles from their city centers—and it seems to be working out just fine for local businesses.

The Path to Climate Justice Is Intergenerational

January 30, 2019 DispatchNew York CityNicole Greenfield

And this team of Brooklyn-based grassroots activists helping to hold the world’s five largest investor-owned fossil fuel producers to account isn’t easily intimidated.

Dutch Artist Thijs Biersteker Gives Trees a Voice—in Lights

January 30, 2019 PerspectivesUnited StatesClara Chaisson

And it turns out the trees have a lot to say about climate, pollution, and the world we’re creating for them.

Salt of the Earth, Courtesy of the Sun

January 30, 2019 NRDC in ActionGujarat, India

By powering their pumps with solar energy instead of diesel, Indian salt farmers are investing in their own brighter futures.

The Carolinas Face a Climate Trifecta: Floods, Fire, and Heat

January 28, 2019 DispatchNorth Carolina, South CarolinaRobynne Boyd

The National Climate Assessment’s outlook for the two coastal states is daunting, but local leaders are starting to dig in for a fight.

Climate Change Is Already Driving Mass Migration Around the Globe

January 25, 2019 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

To ignore this fact—as the Trump administration insists on doing—is to hamper U.S. foreign policy.

We Made It Only Two Days Into the New Year Before a Species Went Extinct

January 24, 2019 Latest NewsHawaiiJason Bittel

Hawaiians will never again hear the song of George the Snail. The fate of Achatinella apexfulva is a cautionary tale of decorative gardens, imported cannibals, and snail sex (or lack thereof).

Trump’s Shutdown Is a Snowball Rolling Over the Systems That Protect Americans

January 18, 2019 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

And every extra day it lasts, the deleterious effects on our national parks, food inspections, and toxic waste cleanups grow bigger (and more difficult to stop).