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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Strong, Prosperous, and Resilient Communities Challenge (SPARCC)

OverviewUnited StatesShelley Poticha, Yerina Mugica, Stephanie Gidigbi Jenkins, Catherine Cox Blair, Sasha Forbes, AICP, Marissa Ramirez
NRDC is a founding partner of SPARCC, an initiative for equitable, community-led investment and a model to spur systemic change in the way we approach community investment and development.

Our Forests Aren't Fuel

OverviewInternational, United States, Virginia, North Carolina, East
When companies cut down and burn trees to make electricity, the result is increased climate-changing carbon dioxide emissions, devastated ecosystems, and displaced wildlife.

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.

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.

Protecting the Baja Peninsula

OverviewUnited States, MexicoCarolina Herrera, Amanda Maxwell, Zak Smith
NRDC works with local partners to protect the Baja California Peninsula’s unique coastal and marine ecosystems from exploitation and overdevelopment.

Food Rescue Landscape Assessment Guide

OverviewUnited States
This guide shares some of NRDC's key lessons learned and is accompanied by an array of additional tools to help cities conduct food rescue landscape assessments of their own.

Increasing Public Awareness About Food Waste Prevention Guide

OverviewUnited States
Given the magnitude of consumer household food waste, cities can play an important role in both raising awareness and providing action-oriented strategies that consumers can implement in their homes to prevent food from being wasted in the first place.

Keystone Species 101

GuideInternational, United StatesMelissa Denchak
From coastal tide pools and rolling prairies to African savanna and arctic terrain, the earth is home to myriad ecosystems, each one regulated by interlinking parts, including the creatures that call them home.

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.

Cost of Building Power Plants in Your State

OverviewUnited States
Use the levelized cost of electricity tool to explore the cost of building and operating a new power plant in your state using different technologies.

Connectivity and Conservation: Grizzly Bears in the Lower 48

OverviewUnited States, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho
These interactive maps discuss the issue of grizzly bear conservation and present potential corridors that could help reconnect the Yellowstone grizzlies with populations to the north.

Wildlife Trade 101

GuideInternational, United StatesChia-Yi Hou

Wildlife trade is big business, with wild plants, animals, and products made from them sold around the globe, legally and illegally. It’s also a leading cause of the planet’s accelerating biodiversity crisis and resultant ecosystem collapse.

Bioenergy 101

GuideInternational, United StatesCourtney Lindwall

Some people tout bioenergy as a solution to our climate crisis. But take a closer look, and this plant and animal power doesn’t actually live up to its promise.

Washington Watch

OverviewUnited States
Republican lawmakers in the 115th Congress are poised to use all the legislative tricks at their disposal to systematically dismantle a wide array of health and environmental safeguards.

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…

Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands

OverviewMexico, United States, Canada
The largest desert in North America is home to biodiverse grasslands that store large amounts of carbon and contribute to the livelihood of millions of people. Yet, these grasslands are highly threatened by human activity and a changing climate.

Drought: Everything You Need to Know

GuideUnited States, InternationalMelissa Denchak
Drought affects more people globally than any other natural disaster. Here’s what causes these prolonged dry spells and how we can mitigate their impact.

Permafrost: Everything You Need to Know

GuideArcticMelissa Denchak

The “permanently” frozen earth at our planet’s poles and in other cold climes is thawing, with big consequences to our climate, ecosystems, and health.