Science Office
Credit:
Alexandra Bowman for NRDC
Science Office in Action
NRDC’s Science Office aims to drive, shape, and support our ability to protect public health, preserve wild spaces, build a strong environmental movement, and advance social justice. Our goal is to bridge the gap between science and the people, wildlife, and ecosystems it serves.
The Science Office is a home base to innovate, evaluate, communicate, and connect in fulfilling the goal of science, which is to better explore and understand our world. We aim to harness science as a tool to support a greater environmental movement that centers communities most harmed by environmental and climate impacts.
Our main functions work in concert with one another:
- Ensuring accountability through peer review and assessing and evaluating our impact
- Providing data and scientific analysis to help shape and guide NRDC’s policies and positions
- Enhancing NRDC’s scientific expertise and capacity through external partnerships, such as community groups, think tanks, and other academic scientists
Latest Science Office Reports & Resources
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Small Modular Reactors: More Questions Than Answers
Issue BriefUnited StatesDr. Bemnet Alemayehu, Dr. Matthew McKinzie
Curbing Power Plant Carbon Pollution Under the Clean Air Act
Fact SheetUnited StatesDavid Doniger, Amanda Levin, Jada Larson
Enhancing EPA’s Proposed Carbon Standards on Gas Plants
MapUnited StatesAmanda Levin, Maeve Sneddon
What would happen if the EPA adopted carbon pollution standards for gas plants by total plant size? Greater—and cheaper—emissions reductions.
Clean Energy Now for a Safer Climate Future
ReportUnited StatesJacqueline Ennis, Amanda Levin
Pathways to net zero in the United States by 2050
Identifying the Health Benefits of Addressing Climate Change in Ahmedabad, India
Fact SheetIndia, AhmedabadDr. Kim Knowlton, Dr. Vijay Limaye
If we power air conditioning by burning dirty fossil fuels—rather than by harnessing cleaner, renewable energy sources—we increase dangerous air pollution and contribute to the climate crisis.
Rising Temperatures, Deadly Threat: Preparing Communities in India for Extreme Heat Events
ReportAhmedabad, IndiaDr. Kim Knowlton, Susan Casey-Lefkowitz, Dr. Vijay Limaye, Sameer Kwatra
After a deadly heat wave hit the city of Ahmedabad in May 2010, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) began to develop coordinated action to reduce the devastating health effects of heat stress on the local population.
Clean Electricity Tax Credits in the Inflation Reduction Act Will Reduce Emissions, Grow Jobs, and Lower Bills
Issue BriefUnited StatesAmanda Levin, Jacqueline Ennis
The Inflation Reduction Act provides $369 billion in strategic investment to promote clean energy and climate justice, including more than $100 billion in clean electricity tax incentives.
Inflation Reduction Act: A Big Step Toward a Climate-Safe Future
OverviewUnited StatesManish Bapna, Derek Murrow, Amanda Levin, Dr. Simon Mui, Luke Tonachel, Andrew Wetzler, Brendan Guy, Jake Schmidt, Sarah Dougherty, Carolina Herrera, Douglass Sims, Sasha Stashwick
Analysis on the 2022 climate bill by NRDC’s experts.
Strengthen U.S. Energy Security and Bolster Allies by Shifting to Clean Energy
Fact SheetUnited StatesAmanda Levin
The oil and gas industry is exploiting the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine. Continued reliance on fossil fuels is the problem—not the solution.
Dirty Water: Toxic “Forever” PFAS Chemicals Are Prevalent in the Drinking Water of Environmental Justice Communities
ReportCaliforniaAvinash Kar, Dr. Anna Reade, Susan Lee
Action is urgently needed to protect Californian communities—especially those already overburdened with cumulative exposure to multiple different types of pollution—from this ubiquitous chemical.
Latest Science Office News & Commentary
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India Takes Action To Address Mounting Heat Risks in Cities
Expert BlogIndiaDr. Vijay Limaye
Experts discuss actions to strengthen heat preparedness in India.
Biggest Grid Operator Can Curb Carbon and Keep Lights On
Expert BlogWashington, D.C.Amanda Levin
A new analysis finds that the nation’s largest grid operator, PJM, can keep our air conditioner and heaters running while meeting EPA’s power plant carbon pollution standards – even during the hottest and coldest weeks. What’s more, they can do…
Unrealistic Assumptions Yield Unrealistic Results
Expert BlogWashington, D.C.Amanda Levin
A new analysis from the EFI Foundation, examining the Environmental Protection Agency’s carbon standards for power plants, ignores a key aspect of the rule: flexibility. EPA’s proposed standards are centered on flexibility, offering states and power plant multiple tools and…
Biden Administration Must Redo Its Assessment of Dakota Access Pipeline
Expert BlogNorth Dakota, South DakotaDr. Michele Bustamante, Amy Mall, Dr. Matthew McKinzie, Dr. Jennifer Sass, Dawn Woodard
The recent Draft Environmental Impact Statement ignores the threats to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s drinking water source and violates tribal treaty rights and sovereignty in a severe environmental injustice.
How Missing Water System Boundaries Affect Our Communities
Expert BlogUnited States, CaliforniaSusan Lee
The lack of public water system boundary information in the United States puts public health at risk.
India’s Air Pollution Challenge Spans Rural and Urban Areas
Expert BlogIndiaDr. Vijay Limaye
A new analysis of satellite data sheds light on air pollution levels nationwide.
Questions Answered on Canadian Wildfires—a Public Health Threat Linked to Climate Change
Expert BlogUnited States, CanadaDr. Vijay Limaye
Here is some key information that may help us prepare for the future and address the fossil fuels at the root of the problem.
Solutions at Scale: Advancing Action on India’s Heat Risks
Expert BlogIndiaDr. Vijay Limaye, Prima Madan
Experts discuss solutions to counter intensifying heat hazards.
The Health Costs Of Climate Hazards Are Piling Up
Expert BlogUnited StatesDr. Vijay Limaye, Dr. Kim Knowlton
A recent Senate hearing highlighted the financial toll of health harms from climate change.
Strengthen Power Plant Carbon Standards for Greater Climate Benefit
Expert BlogWashington, D.C.Amanda Levin, Sophia Ahmed
Power plants have operated without accountability for their carbon emissions for too long. The proposal represents a good first step, however, the EPA should seize the opportunity to strengthen the standards in both scope and speed. This approach will help…