Data, Reports & Resources

NRDC is a leader and trusted source in environmental policy and research. 

From reports to issue briefs, we ensure accountability through peer review led by our Science Office, which provides data and scientific analysis that help shape and guide NRDC’s policies and positions. We also offer a range of other resources, such as 101 guides and consumer-focused scorecards to increase access to knowledge about how everyone can be a catalyst for change. 

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A plastic cup among a pile of wet leaves and branches on the ground

Single-Use Plastics 101

GuideUnited StatesCourtney Lindwall
Here’s everything you need to know about the most ubiquitous (and avoidable) kind of plastic waste: the kind made to be tossed in mere minutes.
A pipe sits atop dirt next to a building

Will Funds for Water Infrastructure Flow Fairly?

ReportUnited StatesBecky Hammer, Erik D. Olson
These report cards grade all 50 states on water funding equity.
A view of the cross-section of a cut water pipe

Getting the Lead Out: Removing Lead Pipes Would Yield Hundreds of Billions of Dollars in Health Benefits

Issue BriefUnited StatesErik D. Olson
Removing lead service lines could save the United States an estimated $786 billion from avoided health impacts over the next 35 years.

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Regenerative Agriculture 101

GuideUnited StatesNRDC
NRDC interviewed more than 100 farmers and ranchers who are building healthy soil and growing climate-resilient communities across the country. This guide incorporates much of what we learned.

Natural Gas 101

GuideUnited StatesBrian Palmer

An overview of gas, pollution, and climate change.

Unethical Seafood: How U.S. Leadership Can Curb Illegal Fishing

Fact SheetUnited States, InternationalDillon Hanson-Ahumada, Molly Masterton, Irene Gutierrez, Sandy Aylesworth
Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is a major driver of harmful overfishing. IUU fishing depletes fish populations, harms marine habitats, and endangers sensitive species, and is also linked to transnational crimes, including human trafficking, money laundering, murder at sea…

What Is Climate Change?

GuideUnited States, InternationalJeff Turrentine, Melissa Denchak

The lowdown on the earth’s central environmental threat.

Soil Erosion 101

GuideKeith Mulvihill

The loss of topsoil to wind, rain, and other forces is a natural process, but when intensified by human activity, it can have negative environmental, societal, and economic impacts.

Global Warming 101

GuideUnited States, InternationalAmanda MacMillan, Jeff Turrentine

Everything you wanted to know about our changing climate but were too afraid to ask.

Paris Climate Agreement: Everything You Need to Know

GuideInternationalMelissa Denchak
The Paris Agreement charted a new course in the effort to combat global climate change, requiring countries to make commitments and progressively strengthen them. Here’s what the accord seeks to achieve, and why our future may depend on its success.

Why the World Must Commit to Protecting 30 Percent of the Planet (30x30)

Fact SheetUnited States, InternationalLauren Kubiak, Zak Smith, Lisa Speer, Brendan Guy, Jennifer Skene, Paul Todd
Nature is in crisis. A million species worldwide currently face extinction, many within decades, and human actions are causing ecosystems to crumble on land and on sea. We must take immediate actions to protect the natural world—and in doing so…

Transportation Solutions for the 21st Century

Fact SheetUnited StatesStephanie Gidigbi Jenkins
The transportation sector is the largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. NRDC has identified several transportation policy solutions that will improve our climate while also benefiting our communities in an equitable way.

Composting 101

GuideUnited StatesShelia Hu
Recycling food and other organic waste into compost provides a range of environmental benefits, including improving soil health, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, recycling nutrients, and mitigating the impact of droughts.

Beach Pollution 101

GuideUnited States, InternationalShelia Hu

Litter, sewage, plastic, and other pollutants do more than just ruin the beauty of the beach. They are closing down coastal areas, destroying marine life, and making people seriously sick.

Commercial Whaling 101

GuideInternationalLauren Evans

Despite an international ban on commercial whaling since 1986, the animals are still being hunted and killed across the world’s oceans, with devastating impacts on global populations.

Offshore Drilling: Putting the Nation’s Coastline at Risk

Fact SheetUnited States, East, WestJacob Eisenberg, Alexandra Adams
We must protect our coasts and push for clean, renewable and efficient energy that will protect our lifegiving oceans, the communities that rely on them, and our climate by helping us transition off oil.

Industrial Agriculture 101

GuideUnited StatesNRDC

Giant farms—whether growing crops or animals—often rely heavily on chemicals and produce waste that pollutes the water and air. As a result, the system we’ve designed to feed the planet also takes a serious toll on its health.

A Robust Infrastructure Plan for the 21st Century

Fact SheetUnited StatesStephanie Gidigbi Jenkins
To successfully move forward, America needs a robust infrastructure plan that transitions the nation to cleaner sources of energy, addresses the challenges from a changing climate on our communities, creates jobs, and redresses the negative legacy of past investments.