U.S. ENERGY-RELATED CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS INCREASED 2.5% IN 2013 “Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) increased from 5,267 million metric tons (MMmt) in 2012 to 5,396 MMmt in 2013 (2.5%). The 2013 increase was largely the result of colder weather leading to an increase in energy intensity (energy measured in Btu per dollar of gross domestic… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Climate Change
Preparing Our Communities for Climate Impacts: Recommendations for Federal Action
“The Georgetown Climate Center released 100 recommendations … to improve federal programs that could be used to prepare for climate change. The new report will inform the White House State, Local and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience. The report, Preparing Our Communities for Climate Impacts: Recommendations for Federal Action, draws from a series… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports – Climate Change, Specialty Metals
CLIMATE CHANGE: USDA’s Ongoing Efforts Can Be Enhanced with Better Metrics and More Relevant Information for Farmers, GAO-14-755: Published: Sep 16, 2014. Publicly Released: Oct 16, 2014: “In 2012, the United States produced about $395 billion in agricultural commodities, with about half of this revenue from crop sales and half from livestock. According to the Third National Climate… Continue Reading
DoD FY 2014 Climate Change Adaptation Roadmap
Department of Defense FY 2014 Climate Change Adaptation Roadmap “Climate change will affect the Department of Defense’s ability to defend the Nation and poses immediate risks to U.S. national security. The Department is responding to climate change in two ways: adaptation, or efforts to plan for the changes that are occurring or expected to occur;… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports – Combatting Nuclear Smuggling, CPSC, Ocean Acidification
COMBATING NUCLEAR SMUGGLING: Risk-Informed Covert Assessments and Oversight of Corrective Actions Could Strengthen Capabilities at the Border, GAO-14-826: Published: Sep 22, 2014. Publicly Released: Oct 14, 2014: CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION: Challenges and Options for Responding to New and Emerging Risks, GAO-15-17: Published: Oct 14, 2014. Publicly Released: Oct 14, 2014: “CPSC is responsible for ensuring the safety of thousands of… Continue Reading
Priority Agenda Enhancing the Climate Resilience of America’s Natural Resources
“The interagency Council on Climate Change Preparedness and Resilience, established by Section 6 of the Order, convened a Climate and Natural Resources Working Group (CNRWG) to complete the inventory, assessment, and plan called for in Section 3 of the Order. The CNRWG includes Departments of Defense, Interior, and Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic… Continue Reading
The High Cost of a Littered Beach – NOAA
“A recent NOAA-funded Marine Debris Program economics study found that Southern California residents are losing millions of dollars each year by avoiding nearby littered beaches and traveling to beaches that are farther away and cleaner. The study is the first of its kind to look at how marine debris influences decisions to go to the beach and what… Continue Reading
The National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy
“The purpose of the National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy is to inspire and enable natural resource administrators, elected of ficials, and other decision makers to take action to adapt to a changing climate. Adaptation actions are vital to sustaining the nation’s ecosystems and natural resources—as well as the human uses and values that the natural world… Continue Reading
NOAA Global Analysis of Land and Ocean Temperatures – August 2014
NOAA: “The combined average temperature across global land and ocean surfaces for August 2014 was record high for the month, at 0.75°C (1.35°F) above the 20th century average of 15.6°C (60.1°F), topping the previous record set in 1998. The global land surface temperature was 0.99°C (1.78°F) above the 20thcentury average of 13.8°C (56.9°F), the second highest… Continue Reading
Global Carbon Budget
“Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel burning and cement production increased by 2.3% in 2013, with a total of 9.9±0.5 GtC (billion tonnes of carbon) (36 GtCO2) emitted to the atmosphere, 61% above 1990 emissions (the Kyoto Protocol reference year). Emissions are projected to increase by a further 2.5% in 2014. In 2013, the… Continue Reading
Assessment for Decision-Makers Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 2014
Assessment for Decision-Makers: Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 2014, World Meteorological Organization, Global Ozone Research and Monitoring Project—Report No. 56, Geneva, Switzerland, 2014. • “The sum of the measured tropospheric abundances of substances controlled under the Montreal Protocol continues to decrease. Most of the major controlled ODSs are decreasing largely as projected, and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs)… Continue Reading
Is a Green Paradox Spectre Haunting International Climate Change Laws and Conventions?
Partain, Roy Andrew, Is a Green Paradox Spectre Haunting International Climate Change Laws and Conventions? (September 14, 2014). UCLA Journal of Environmental Law & Policy, Vol. 33, No. 1, 2014. Available for download at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2496155 “Could the UNFCCC, and green laws in general, increase greenhouse gas emissions and thus worsen the threats and risks of… Continue Reading
