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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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.

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.

Nuclear Power 101

GuideUnited StatesPadmaparna Ghosh
How it works, how safe it is, and, ultimately, how its costs outweigh its benefits.

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.

Industrial Agricultural Pollution 101

GuideUnited StatesCourtney Lindwall
From fertilizer runoff to methane emissions, large-scale industrial agriculture pollution takes a toll on the environment.

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.

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.

Greenhouse Effect 101

GuideUnited States, InternationalMelissa Denchak
By increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, we’re amplifying the planet’s natural greenhouse effect and turning up the dial on global warming.

What Is the Keystone XL Pipeline?

GuideNorth Dakota, Alberta, Montana, South Dakota, NebraskaMelissa Denchak, Courtney Lindwall
How a single pipeline project became the epicenter of an enormous environmental, public health, and civil rights battle.

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.

Biodiversity 101

GuideInternational, United StatesCourtney Lindwall

How do we define and measure biodiversity—and just why is it so important?

Dirty Water Rule Case Documents

Legal filingsUnited States
These are some of the documents associated with District of Massachusetts: Conservation Law Foundation et al. v. EPA et al.—our case against the Dirty Water Rule.

Advancing the Glasgow Declaration Accountability Framework

OverviewInternationalJennifer Skene

To achieve the international community’s 2030 forest protection commitments, NRDC is championing a framework for driving global, equitable action to halt and reverse deforestation and land degradation.

Ocean Acidification Hot Spots

OverviewUnited States, International
Ocean acidification, in which atmospheric carbon dioxide dissolves in seawater and creates an acid, poses a serious threat to the web of life underwater.

Stop Overfishing and Restore Fisheries

OverviewUnited StatesMolly Masterton, Sarah Chasis, Brad Sewell, Dr. Lisa Suatoni
NRDC works to end overfishing, rebuild depleted fisheries, and promote the long-term sustainability of fisheries through firm catch limits based on scientific evidence.

Support Renewable Energy that Protects the Wild

OverviewUnited States, InternationalHelen O'Shea, Katie Umekubo, Bobby McEnaney, Debbie Hammel
We ensure wind and solar projects won't harm ecosystems by identifying potential conflicts from the beginning.