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. 

Skip carousel items
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.

Viewing 101 - 120 of 269

Active filters:

Remove all filters

Filter Results

Get the Lead Out of Drinking Water in Schools and Child Care Centers

OverviewUnited StatesJoan Leary Matthews, Kristi Pullen Fedinick, Mae Wu, Erik D. Olson
NRDC has developed model state legislation that would require schools and child care centers to install filters on drinking water taps, conduct lead testing, and remediate problems.

A Pipe Dream or Climate Solution?

Issue BriefUnited StatesMerrian Borgeson
Biogas and synthetic gas, commonly referred to as “renewable natural gas,” are often not as climate-friendly as claimed, and burning fuels like methane still creates harmful air pollutants. We must be strategic about how we deploy them and keep our…

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.

Watered Down Justice

ReportUnited StatesKristi Pullen Fedinick
While the Safe Drinking Water Act guarantees all Americans access to clean, drinkable water, it hasn’t worked out that way in practice.

Reduce China’s Coal and Oil Use

Issue BriefChinaAlvin Lin, Barbara Finamore
NRDC is helping the country reduce its fossil fuel consumption, boost energy efficiency, and accelerate the shift to clean, renewable energy.

Toxic Drinking Water: The PFAS Contamination Crisis

Fact SheetUnited StatesDr. Anna Reade
Despite the known health risks of PFAS, no enforceable national drinking water standards have been set. We cannot wait for the federal government to respond. To address the extraordinary health threat posed to people across the country from widespread PFAS-contaminated…

General Electric’s Coal Plant Profiteering

Issue BriefUnited StatesHan Chen
GE’s involvement in coal projects will lock in carbon emissions, local pollution, and economic harms across the globe at a time when clean, affordable energy solutions abound.

Freshwater Harmful Algal Blooms 101

GuideUnited StatesMelissa Denchak, Melanie Sturm

Ugly, foul-smelling and sometimes toxic, algal blooms are becoming more common in freshwater ecosystems like rivers, lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. Here’s a look at how excess algae can impact the environment—and human health.

Offshore Oil Revenue: A Bad Deal for Virginia

Fact SheetUnited States, VirginiaJacob Eisenberg
Offshore oil and gas drilling is an inherently dirty, dangerous business that can cause oil spills along with air and water pollution—all of which would threaten the $2.7 billion generated annually in the state by industries that rely on clean…

Fracking 101

GuideTexas, Pennsylvania, New York, California, North Dakota, FloridaMelissa Denchak
Hydraulic fracturing has upended the global energy landscape and made fossil fuels big business in the United States. Mounting evidence shows that it poses serious threats to our health, environment, and climate future. Here’s a look at the fracking boom…

Transforming Local Policies to Achieve Environmental Justice

Fact SheetUnited StatesMeleah Geertsma
Across the country, low income communities and communities of color experience disproportionate burdens from environmental hazards, unhealthy land uses, historical traumas, and other sociodemographic stressors. However, community advocates and their allies are fighting back by transforming zoning and local land-use…

G7 Fossil Fuel Subsidy Scorecard

ReportInternational, United StatesHan Chen
It’s time for the G7 to establish systems for holding themselves accountable to eliminating fossil fuel subsidies.