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 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.
Bits of plastic waste float underwater

The Worst of the Worst: High-Priority Plastic Materials, Chemical Additives, and Products to Phase Out

Fact SheetUnited States, InternationalDr. Veena Singla
Two workers installing a battery in a vehicle in an assembly plant

Building Batteries Better: Doing the Best With Less

ReportUnited StatesJordan Brinn
Reducing the amount of mining needed through improvements in battery technology, second-life applications for vehicle batteries, and better recycling is key to reducing harms caused from battery supply chains.

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Food Matters in Baltimore: Reimagining Waste Into Wealth

ReportBaltimore
Nearly one in four Baltimore residents does not have a reliable supply of food, more than twice the national average. By beginning to address food waste in a holistic way—through prevention, rescue, and redistribution—the city can start to reduce disposal…

Food Donations from Farms Guide

Resource
In many communities, there is a particularly acute need for donation of fresh fruits and vegetables and other farm-fresh products,and whether growers live in surrounding areas or are part of the growing “urban ag” movement, they can play an important…

Food Scrap Recycling Landscape Assessment Guide

Resource
Our assessment offers guidelines for cities to identify current capacity, key stakeholder feedback on the needs, opportunities, and barriers related to expanding food scrap recycling.

Unintentional Partner: How the United States Helps the Illegal Shark Fin Market

ReportUnited StatesElizabeth Murdock, Vanessa Villanueva
In recent decades, shark populations have suffered steep declines, due primarily to the lucrative market for shark fins, both legal and illegal. NRDC found that the United States plays a substantial, unrecognized role in facilitating the unsustainable international shark fin…

A Better Future Through Protecting America’s Ocean Habitats

Fact SheetUnited StatesAlison Chase
Overexploitation and pollution has stressed our ocean, and acidification and temperature rises are harming marine life and impacting all of us who rely on the ocean for food, jobs, and recreation. We must act now to protect important ocean habitats.

CAFOs: What We Don’t Know Is Hurting Us

ReportUnited StatesJon Devine, Valerie Baron
Corporate livestock facilities, known as concentrated animal feeding operations (or CAFOs), can threaten the health of communities and pollute our air and water. A decade of NRDC research reveals that the EPA has left these health threats largely unmonitored.

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.

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.

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…

California’s Marine Protected Areas: Underwater Refuges Safeguard Our Unique Ocean Life

Fact SheetUnited States, CaliforniaVanessa Villanueva
California’s network of marine protected areas is hailed as a global model. However, ongoing investments in research and monitoring, outreach and education, policy and permitting, and, importantly, enforcement are required to ensure that these underwater refuges will benefit our environment…