Science Office

An illustration depicts two people reaching to touch hands with scenes of city buildings, an ocean with sailboats, people gardening, and a house with solar panels
Credit:

Alexandra Bowman for NRDC

Science Office in Action

NRDC’s Science Office aims to drive, shape, and support our ability to protect public health, preserve wild spaces, build a strong environmental movement, and advance social justice. Our goal is to bridge the gap between science and the people, wildlife, and ecosystems it serves.

The Science Office is a home base to innovate, evaluate, communicate, and connect in fulfilling the goal of science, which is to better explore and understand our world. We aim to harness science as a tool to support a greater environmental movement that centers communities most harmed by environmental and climate impacts.

Our main functions work in concert with one another:

  • Ensuring accountability through peer review and assessing and evaluating our impact
  • Providing data and scientific analysis to help shape and guide NRDC’s policies and positions
  • Enhancing NRDC’s scientific expertise and capacity through external partnerships, such as community groups, think tanks, and other academic scientists

Latest Science Office Reports & Resources 

See all Reports & Resources
Skip carousel items
A warning notice on a past due utilities bill.

Water Shutoffs—New NRDC Map Shows Hot Spots Across New Jersey

MapNew JerseyLarry Levine, Susan Lee
Better state policies are needed to help low-income households afford their water bills and maintain access to water.
A young girl drinking from a glass of water.

New Maps Show Most Congressional Districts Have a PFAS Problem

MapUnited StatesErik D. Olson, Dr. Anna Reade, Susan Lee, Dr. Katie Pelch
Newly released EPA data show widespread toxic “forever chemical” contamination above the safety thresholds that the EPA is now planning to weaken or delay, which will affect 79 percent of congressional districts.
A screenshot of LNG trading cards

Holding the U.S. LNG Industry Accountable

ScorecardUnited StatesJamie Lee, Susan Lee
NRDC’s informational cards outline the environmental and financial harms of the United States’ 10 largest LNG companies.
Kyuta Pineda, 2, filling a glass of water in the kitchen sink at his home in Brooklyn, New York City.

New Map Shows Areas with Lead Violations and High Lead Levels in Tap Water

MapUnited StatesErik D. Olson, Dr. Matthew McKinzie, Susan Lee
The map shows the congressional districts affected by this neurotoxin.
A Wilson's snipe wading in a wetland at Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge in Minnesota.

Mapping Destruction

MapUnited StatesJon Devine, Susan Lee, Dr. Matthew McKinzie
GIS modeling reveals the disastrous impacts of Sackett v. EPA on America’s wetlands.
Floodwaters surround homes in Orange, Texas, on September 4, 2017.

Flooded Again: Flood Data Visualization Tool

MapUnited StatesAnna Weber, Susan Lee, Joel Scata
Repeated flooding affects thousands of communities across the country. Changes to the National Flood Insurance Program can reduce their risk—and help us all adapt to the effects of climate change.
Construction vehicles digging a hole in the middle of the street in front of a row of homes

Finding Lead Water Pipes: New NRDC Map Shows the Hot Spots in Every State

MapUnited StatesErik D. Olson, Valerie Baron, Dr. Matthew McKinzie, Susan Lee
Federal and state governments acknowledge the widespread presence of lead pipes throughout the country—NRDC’s new map reveals where they are. The EPA, states, and cities must act now to solve this problem.
A field of solar panels with green grass and mountains in the background

Powering Ahead

Issue BriefUnited StatesAmanda Levin
This is how Biden administration policies are delivering cleaner electricity and climate progress.
Smoke spews from a power plant with trees and low mountains in the background

Clean Electricity in States Across the United States: The Impact of the Inflation Reduction Act and Carbon Pollution Standards on States’ Electricity Futures

Fact SheetGeorgia, Michigan, North Carolina, PennsylvaniaAmanda Levin
A woman lifts a young child as they drink from an outdoor water fountain

Dirty Water: Toxic “Forever” PFAS Chemicals Are Prevalent in the Drinking Water of Environmental Justice Communities

ReportCaliforniaAvinash Kar, Dr. Anna Reade, Susan Lee
Action is urgently needed to protect Californian communities—especially those already overburdened with cumulative exposure to multiple different types of pollution—from this ubiquitous chemical.

Latest Science Office News & Commentary

See all News & Commentary
Skip carousel items
The Norco oil refinery is seen beyond homes in Norco, Louisiana, on April 2, 2026.

The EPA Doubles Down on Science Denial to Undo Climate Protections

Expert BlogUnited StatesDr. Vijay Limaye
In its radical denial of settled climate change science, the Trump administration’s EPA is also ignoring mounting costs to human health and safety.
Cool roofs painted with solar reflective paint in a slum neighborhood of Ahmedabad, India, on September 9, 2024.

Bridging the Heat Divide: Global Forum Advances South-South Dialogue to Spark Action

Expert BlogIndiaDr. Vijay Limaye, Prima Madan, Saahi Uppalapati
NRDC’s second-annual Global Heat & Cooling Forum in New Delhi will convene global experts to shape an agenda for keeping people cooler as global temperatures rise.
The Cedar River and Duane Arnold Energy Center, a nuclear power plant near Palo, Iowa, on January 28, 2025.

Rising Demand, Real Choices

Expert BlogIowa, United StatesKit Kennedy, Dr. Matthew McKinzie
The planned reopening of a nuclear reactor in Iowa highlights the challenges around meeting rapid electricity demand growth without falling back on dirty fossil fuels.
Nandini Chohan paints the roof of the home she shares with her family with reflective paint following an assessment by Mahila Housing Trust in Chandpole, Jodhpur, India, on June 14, 2023. Mahila Housing Trust trains women to work in their communities to assess and implement measures to mitigate the impact and effects of climate change and rising temperatures, including running seminars to explain how to keep their homes cool, spot and treat heat stroke, and use early-warning systems to get up to date wea

From Evidence to Action: Protecting Jodhpur’s Vulnerable Residents from Heightened Heat Risks

Expert BlogIndiaDr. Vijay Limaye, Prima Madan
A new study by NRDC provides a template for improved action and healthier communities when it comes to adapting to and mitigating extreme heat.
A traffic jam on Interstate Highway 25 in Denver, Colorado.

The EPA Uses Funny Math to Justify Its Repeal of Clean Car Standards

Expert BlogUnited StatesKathy Harris, Amanda Levin
In fact, the agency's own final regulatory analysis confirms that eliminating vehicle greenhouse gas standards would raise costs for drivers and households.
Seabirds fly past Venture Global’s Calcasieu Pass liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, at sunset.

From Shadows to Light: Spotlighting Major Companies in the U.S. Liquefied Natural Gas Industry

Expert BlogUnited States, Louisiana, TexasJamie Lee, Susan Lee
NRDC releases informational cards that seek to hold the LNG industry in the U.S. accountable.
Photo of a woman in a rural area of India with portable solar panels.

NRDC Analysis: Climate Action Can Improve Health in Rural India

Expert BlogIndiaDr. Vijay Limaye
Climate-smart development in rural India can deliver cleaner air, relief from extreme heat, and improved health.
Wind turbines on an Illinois farm, silhouetted against an orange and blue sunset sky.

U.S. 2035 Climate Target Is Ambitious, Achievable & a Call to Action

Expert BlogUnited States, InternationalJake Schmidt, Amanda Levin
The United States' commitment to reduce GHG emissions 61–66 percent below 2005 levels by 2035 is a call to action for what needs to be delivered in the coming years.
Liam Green, 8, drinking a glass of water in the kitchen of his New York City apartment.

New Map Shows Syracuse Lead in Tap Water Hot Spots

Expert BlogNew YorkErik D. Olson, Valerie Baron, Susan Lee, Dr. Matthew McKinzie
Syracuse city officials downplay extraordinarily high levels of lead in city drinking water.
Heat Action Plan capacity building workshop participants in Jaipur, India

Building Capacity to Address Intensifying Heat in Rajasthan, India

Expert BlogIndiaDr. Vijay Limaye
NRDC and NDMA are continuing a joint initiative to further prepare Indian cities for climate warming.