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 man picks a tomato from a dumpster filled with discarded food.

Food Waste 101

GuideUnited StatesShelia Hu
An overview of why we throw away so much food, how it impacts people and the planet, and what we can do to waste less.
A bee landing on a blooming purple flower

Neonics: The Toxic Truth

Fact SheetUnited States, Minnesota, Michigan, California, ColoradoAllison Johnson, Daniel Raichel, Lucas Rhoads, Lena Freij
Pesticides kill bees, pollute water, and threaten our health.
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.

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The Clean Water Act 101

GuideUnited StatesShelia Hu

A closer look at the foundational environmental law that keeps our waters—and us—safer and healthier.

Food Waste 101

GuideUnited StatesShelia Hu
An overview of why we throw away so much food, how it impacts people and the planet, and what we can do to waste less.

Solar Power 101

GuideUnited StatesShelia Hu
How renewable energy from the sun can mean a brighter future for people and the planet.

Busy People Love Leftovers

Issue PaperDenverAndrea Collins, Stacy Woods

A community-based social marketing campaign aims to reduce food waste in Denver.

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.

Flint Water Crisis: Everything You Need to Know

GuideFlintMelissa Denchak
After officials repeatedly dismissed claims that Flint’s water was making people sick, residents took action. Here’s how the lead contamination crisis unfolded—and what we can learn from it.

Wind Energy

GuideUnited StatesShelia Hu

The facts and advantages of wind energy—and why we’re turning to turbines to power our clean energy future.

Sea Level Rise 101

GuideUnited States, InternationalCaroline Craig, Brian Palmer

The causes and effects of this undeniable consequence of climate change—and how communities can respond.

Offshore Drilling 101

GuideAlaska, West, Louisiana, Georgia, North CarolinaShelia Hu
A look into how drilling for oil and gas in the oceans works—and why it’s time to make it history.

Liquefied Natural Gas 101

GuideUnited States, InternationalBrian Palmer
What is it? Why is it? And what does it mean for the climate?

Climate Adaptation 101

GuideUnited StatesSimone Scully, Jenny Shalant
As the effects of climate change intensify, the need to prepare communities, minimize harm, and plan for future impacts has never been clearer.

Flooding and Climate Change: Everything You Need to Know

GuideUnited StatesMelissa Denchak
A growing number of communities—both coastal and inland—are finding themselves underwater. Extreme weather, sea level rise, and other climate change impacts are increasingly to blame. Here’s a look at what links flooding and our warming world.

Air Pollution: Everything You Need to Know

GuideUnited States, InternationalJillian Mackenzie, Jeff Turrentine
How smog, soot, greenhouse gases, and other top air pollutants are affecting the planet—and your health.

Energy Efficiency: The Clean Facts

GuideUnited StatesLora Shinn

Here’s what you need to know about energy efficiency and how you can help save the environment—and money—at the same time.

Causes and Effects of Lead in Water

GuideUnited States, Flint, Michigan, IllinoisKeith Mulvihill

How this harmful neurotoxin got into our taps and what it’ll take to get it out.

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 Environmental Racism?

GuideUnited States, InternationalMaudlyne Ihejirika
This form of systemic racism disproportionately burdens communities of color.