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Report on the Lands of the Arid Region of the United States, with a More Detailed Account of the Lands of Utah. With Maps.
A report on the lands of the Arid Region of the United States, including their agricultural and grazing potential as well as a statement of the rainfall of the western portion of the United States.
Report on the TCO/GCP Terrestrial Carbon Observations and Model-Data Fusion Workshop
The global carbon cycle is of intense interest to policy-makers, the scientific community, and public organizations. As a result, numerous new programmes and projects have been developed over the last few years. TCO and GCP are two such complementary initiatives which share a common goal of advancing the availability of more accurate and mutually consistent estimates of terrestrial carbon sources, sinks and processes, regionally and globally, through syntheses of observations and models. The workshop was intended to advance the availability of more accurate and mutually consistent estimates of the distribution of carbon sources and sinks at a regional and global level. This goal can be achieved by convergence of in situ and satellite observations, experiments and modelling strategies; improvements in data acquisition and sharing; and product generation, distribution and use. The workshop focused on the following questions and associated issues: 1. What carbon cycle data products could be routinely produced from a carbon observation system based on model-data and model-data fusion? 2. What are the main conceptual approaches to assimilating atmospheric carbon content, terrestrial carbon flux and remotely sensed data into coupled atmospheric circulation-carbon cycle models? 3. What is the present and eventual uncertainty regarding the main carbon fluxes at global and regional scale, and how will it be reduced by projects currently underway and about to begin? 4. In what regions, and on what topics, will new data inputs make the largest contribution to reducing the residual uncertainties? What actions should be taken to overcome the gaps and limitations identified?
Report : WHO/UNEP/ADB high-level meeting on health and environment in ASEAN and East Asian countries, 24-26 November 2004
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Research at JRC in support of EU Climate Change Policy Making
The present (third edition) of “Research at the JRC in Support of EU Climate Change Policy Making” provides overview of the Joint Research Centre research activities in support of EU climate change policy making. This document also presents activities, coordinated within the JRC’s Climate Change Priority Area, that will contribute to a sound foundation of scientific information for future policy actions.
Research Needs Work Group: Recommendations on Research Needs Necessary to Implement and Alaska Climate Change Strategy
This report to the Alaska State Sub-Cabinet on Climate Change recommends research strategies for mitigating greenhouse gases and adapting to the impacts of climate change.
Residential Building Energy Codes
This map shows states with minimum levels of energy efficiency for residential buildings.
Resource Kit: Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting for Sustainable Land Management in LDC & SIDS Countries
This Resource Kit is designed to be used by Project Teams on national MSP projects supported by GEF and UNDP and implemented within the framework of the portfolio project ‘LDC and SIDS Targeted Portfolio Approach for Capacity Development and Mainstreaming Sustainable Land Management Project’. The portfolio project is hereafter referred to as the LDC-SIDS Portfolio Project.
Retreat of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet
New evidence suggests that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is retreating more slowly and contributing less to rising global sea levels than scientists once thought. In fact, said researchers at a recent meeting, the sheet was still growing as recently as 8,000 years ago -- thousands of years after the most recent Ice Age.
Revised Research Plan for the U.S. Climate Change Science Program
This Revised Research Plan is an update to the 2003 Strategic Plan of the US Climate Change Science Program (CCSP), a document that was developed via a thorough, open and transparent multi-year process involving a wide range of scientists and managers. The Strategic Plan has long-term value to CCSP, but like any strategic plan, it must be supplemented by shorter-term revisions that take into account both advances in the science and changes in societal needs, and CCSP has an ongoing long-range strategic planning process to ensure that these needs are met. The Revised Research Plan (hereinafter referred to as the Research Plan) draws on CCSP's long-range planning process and provides this update, in compliance with the terms of the Global Change Research Act (GCRA) of 1990. In the Research Plan, the reader will find several things: 1) an updated statement of vision, goals and capabilities consistent with CCSP's current Strategic Plan but reflecting both scientific progress and the evolution of the Program based on accomplishments and evolving societal and environmental needs; 2) a description of the relationship of the Research Plan to the current Scientific Assessment; 3) highlights of ways in which the program is evolving in the context of the progress made over the years 2003-2007 since the Strategic Plan was put in place, and a description of the priorities that have emerged as a result; 4) a description of research plans for the coming years, in order to build upon the work envisioned in the Strategic Plan and begun over the past four years.
Roadmap for Restoring Ecosystem Resiliency and Sustainability
This document describes the economic and environmental value of the gulf coast environment and plans by federal and state governments to restore and protect wetlands and barrier islands.
Roadmap to Sustainable Government Buildings
This document encourages governments to use LEED certifications in the construction of government buildings, and to promote LEED buildings in their jurisdictions. The document provides advice on how to promote and administer such projects.
Rural Planning: The Social Aspects of Recreation Places.
Describes the trend toward establishing planned recreation areas in rural communities, and the economic and social benefits they provide to farmers.
Rural planning : the village.
Describes various types of planned villages and provides examples of features in such communities.
Safeguarding the Ozone Layer and the Global Climate System: Issues related to hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons
This Special Report on Safeguarding the Ozone and the Global Climate System has been developed in response to invitations from Parties to the UNFCCC and the Montreal Protocol. It provides information relevant to decision-making in regard to safeguarding the ozone layer and the global climate system: two global environmental issues involving complex scientific and technical considerations.
Scaling Up AFOLU Mitigation Activities in Non-Annex I Countries
This paper is about reducing greenhouse gas emissions through land use policies in the agriculture and forestry sectors.
Scenarios of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Atmospheric Concentrations
This and a companion report constitute one of twenty-one Synthesis and Assessment Products called for in the Strategic Plan for the U.S. Climate Change Science Program. These studies are structured to provide high-level, integrated research results on important science issues with a particular focus on questions raised by decision-makers on dimensions of climate change directly relevant to the U.S. One element of the CCSP's strategic vision is to provide decision support tools for differentiating and evaluating response strategies. Scenario-based analysis is one such tool. The scenarios in this report explore the implications of alternative stabilization levels of anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere, and they explicitly consider the economic and technological foundations of such response options. Such scenarios are a valuable complement to other scientific research contained in the twenty-one CCSP Synthesis and Assessment Products. The companion to the research reported here, Global-Change Scenarios: Their Development and Use, explores the broader strategic frame for developing and utilizing scenarios in support of climate decision making.
Science and Technology to Support Fresh Water Availability in the United States
This report describes issues regarding water use, conservation, and management. Many parts of the United States are expected to face water shortages in the near future.
Science Perspectives on the CCSP Strategic Plan
Scientists offer comments on the Climate Change Science Program Strategic Plan
Science Plan and Implementation Strategy
This Science Plan and Implementation Strategy sets out the research agenda for the second phase of IGBP. The document describes the IGBP strategy for producing high quality, unbiased, credible, fundamental scientific research in the area of global change: a strategy centered on ten projects, to be carried out by the several thousand scientists worldwide who are part of the IGBP network. Further, the document describes how the organization will communicate the results of this research to different audiences, in order to realize its vision: "to provide scientific knowledge to improve the sustainability of the living Earth".
Science Plan and Implementation Strategy
The IGAC Science Plan and Implementation Strategy lays out the scientific objectives and key research issues of the atmospheric chemistry project of the International Geosphere Biosphere Programme (IGBP) as both IGAC and IGBP enter their second phase. It also lays out a framework for addressing these objectives and issues, recognizing the need for collaboration with partner programmes and projects. The scientific focus of this document emerged from the first decade of IGAC research, much of which was conducted in the context of focused, intensive measurement campaigns. The scope of IGAC in its next phase includes both regional characterisation and the extension into issues that cross more expansive boundaries in space, time and discipline. While local and regional-scale atmospheric chemical composition will be a primary focus, it is now clear that issues such as intercontinental transport and transformation of chemically active species and the interactions between atmospheric chemistry and climate must also be addressed in order to better understand atmospheric chemical composition and to provide guidance to the public and policy-making community.
Scientific Assessment of the Effects of Global Change on the United States
This national scientific assessment integrates and interprets the findings of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) and synthesizes findings from previous assessments, including reports and products by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It analyzes current natural and human-induced trends in global change, and projects future trends impacting the natural environment, agriculture, water resources, social systems, energy production and use, transportation, and human health. It is intended to help inform discussion of the relevant issues by decisionmakers, stakeholders, and the public. As such, this report addresses the requirements for assessment in the Global Change Research Act of 1990.1
Scientific Collections: Mission-Critical Infrastructure for Federal Science Agencies
This report describes the nature and state of federally-held scientific collections which exist for scientific study to provide insight about historical trends in biodiversity, climate, and ecosystems.
Scoping assessment of knowledge needs in climate change adaptation in China
The goal of this review is to identify ways to strengthen the links between scientific and technical knowledge with action on climate change adaptation. The study focuses on the impacts of climate change on agriculture and rural development, the two sectors thought to be most vulnerable. It draws on a literature review for context, but employs case study research as its main methodology.
Sea Surface Temperature and Coral Bleaching: Activities
This lesson plan provides educators with a lesson plan for grades 5-8 about coral reefs.
Seafood Safety: Background and Issues
Although seafood consumption can contribute to a healthy diet, some fish and shellfish can cause foodborne illnesses or contain environmental contaminants. This report discusses whether current food safety programs are sufficiently protecting consumers, and if not, what changes should be considered.
Second Biennial Report of the Climate Neutral Working Group
This second biennial report of the Climate Neutral Working Group (CNWG) is intended to provide a concise update regarding the science of climate change, catalog the ongoing work of the CNWG and synergistic parallel initiatives, and indicate progress made towards attaining the goals of Executive Order #14-03. Since April 2005, Vermont State Government has implemented a number of strategies and initiatives that will enable it to make progress toward attaining its emission reduction goals. In addition to initiatives that reduce emissions, Vermont State Government has also begun implementing strategies that will improve its ability to quantify and document such emissions reductions in the future.
Second National Communication on Climate Change of The People’s Republic of China
The Second National Communication on Climate Change of the People’s Republic of China, is divided into 8 parts with relevant chapters underneath: national circumstances, national GHG inventory, climate change impacts and adaptation, policies and actions for climate change mitigation.
Selected Translated Abstracts of Chinese-Language Climate Change Publications
This report contains English-translated abstracts of important Chinese-language literature concerning global climate change for the years 1995-1998. This body of abstracts includes the topics of adaption, ancient climate change, climate variation, the East Asia monsoon, historical climate change, impacts, modeling, and radiation, and trace gas emission. In addition to the bibliographic citations and abstracts translated into English, this report presents the original citations and abstracts in Chinese. Author and title index are included to assist the reader in locating abstracts of particular interest.
Senate Bill No. 337
AN ACT to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §22-5-19, relating to the establishment of a program to inventory emissions, reductions and carbon sequestrations of greenhouse gases; creating a voluntary registry for the reporting of voluntary reductions of greenhouse gas emissions if the reductions are made before they are required by law; clarifying that certain industries are exempt from reporting; providing public recognition of voluntary reduction or avoidance of greenhouse gases; providing definitions; and providing consideration of the reductions under future federal greenhouse gas emission reduction programs.
Senate Bill No. 1368
An act to add Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 8340) to Division 4.1 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to electricity.
Senate Bill No. 1771
An act to add Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 42800) to Part 4 of Division 26 of the Health and Safety Code, and to add Chapter 8.5 (commencing with Section 25730) to Division 15 of the Public Resources Code, relating to air pollution.
Senate, No. 2351
An Act establishing a vehicle emissions program.
Service Contract : EC - DG Environment − CNRS-IEPE: Options for the Operationalisation of the Kyoto Mechanisms - Economic Analysis based on Partial Equilibrium Models
This report presents two series of studies performed before COP-6 and COP-6bis, in order to provide DG Environment with economic analysis of the issues at stake in international climate negotiations. These analysis used the background information provided by the large scale world energy partial equilibrium model POLES. They were also based on an extensive use of the Marginal Abatement Cost Curves produced by the POLES model through the ASPEN-sd software, specifically designed to produce assessment.
Services and Supply Chains - The Role of the Domestic Private Sector in Water Service Delivery in Tanzania.
This report presents findings from a review of the service activities of informal private water vendors in Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s capital is a rapidly growing city, and around 70% of the population lacks proper housing and lives in informal settlements. Large parts of the city remain unserved by the water utility and many of those who have access to the piped network suffer from intermittent supply. As a result, small-scale private water vendors provide an essential service for many, in particular low-income households in the city.
Shaping our future: Creating the World Future Council
This book describes the mission of the World Future Council, which came into existence shortly after publication. Many values are shared across cultures and those values need to be represented by a common voice. The World Future Council was launched to fill that role, and seeks to be an ethically powerful global voice that appeals and responds to basic human values.
Short-Term Energy and Winter Fuels Outlook
This report discusses likely energy prices and weather over the winter of 2010-2011.
Shrubs for Wildlife on Farms in the Southeast.
Describes the use of shrubs on farms to protect useful or beneficial wildlife and to prevent soil erosion.
Signals of Human-induced Climate Warning, USGCRP Seminar, 10 October 1995.
There is increasing evidence that the global climate is changing: global temperatures have risen about 1 F over the past century, mountain glaciers are melting back, sea level is rising. But how is the climate of the United States changing? Are these changes like others being experienced around the world? Is the US climate becoming more or less variable? Are we having more or fewer climatic extremes? This USGCRP seminar addresses these questions in the context of the anthropogenic influences on atmospheric composition and climate
Soil and Groundwater Pollution Remediation Act
This law was passed by the Republic of China (Taiwan) to protect public health and the environment by preventing soil and groundwater pollution, and by promoting the sustainable use of soil and groundwater.
Soil and water conservation in the Pacific Northwest.
Describes types of erosion and methods for preventing the erosion of soil by water and wind.
Soil-Depleting, Soil-Conserving, and Soil-Building Crops.
Discusses soil conservation in a clear and concise manner. Discusses soil building, soil conserving, and soil depleting crops as well as the minerals to be found in soil.
The soil that went to town.
Describes the problem of soil erosion and methods for its prevention, in an elementary story format.
Solid Waste Disposal Act
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) gives EPA the authority to control hazardous waste from the "cradle-to-grave." This includes the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste. RCRA also set forth a framework for the management of non-hazardous solid wastes. The 1986 amendments to RCRA enabled EPA to address environmental problems that could result from underground tanks storing petroleum and other hazardous substances. HSWA - the Federal Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments - are the 1984 amendments to RCRA that focused on waste minimization and phasing out land disposal of hazardous waste as well as corrective action for releases. Some of the other mandates of this law include increased enforcement authority for EPA, more stringent hazardous waste management standards, and a comprehensive underground storage tank program.
South Pacific Regional Environment Programme Agreement : message from the President of the United States transmitting agreement establishing the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme, done at Apia on June 16, 1993
The South Pacific Regional Environment Programme is to promote cooperation in the South Pacific islands region and to provide assistance in order to protect and improve the environment and to ensure sustainable development.
Species and People: Linked Futures.
A report, with case studies, on the contribution of wildlife conservation to rural livelihoods and the Millennium Development Goals
Species Fact Sheet: Illegal and Unsustainable Wildlife Trade
Each year, hundreds of millions of plants and animals are caught or harvested from the wild and then sold as food, pets, ornamental plants, leather, tourist curios, and medicine. While a great deal of this trade is legal and is not harming wild populations, a worryingly large proportion is illegal ? and threatens the survival of many endangered species. With over exploitation being the second-largest direct threat to many species after habitat loss, WWF is addressing illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade as a priority issue.
Spying Global Warming in the Desert? [News release].
This brief news article provides preliminary evidence that global warming may have sped up the pace at which grasslands are being overtaken by mesquite, creosote and other shrubs at desert sites around the world.
START Implementation Plan 1997-2002
The primary goals of the SysTem for Analysis, Research and Training in global change science (START), which is co-sponsored by the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP); the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change (IHDP); and the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) are to promote regional global change science and to enhance the capacity of individuals, institutions and developing regions to undertake such research. START capacity building initiatives include the recognition that human capacity building is much more than training and that, as with all development, sustainable development is best. Once-off training exercises are easy to organize, but are the least effective method of capacity enhancement and result in large cost/benefit ratios. In contrast, sustained development of human capacity through continual involvement with research maximizes efficiency and minimizes the cost/benefit ratio. START seeks to enhance regional global change research while at the same time enhancing the individual and institutional capacity to conduct such research. The details as to how START operates, and how it plans to encompass its vision and meet its objectives are given in the START Implementation Plan.
State Adaptation Plans
This map shows states with plans for adapting to global climate change.
State of Biodiversity Markets Offset and Compensation Programs Worldwide
The report provides the status and trends of biodiversity offset and compensatory mitigation programs by geographical region. It summarizes the total active programs and developing activities, and broad metrics like total known payments and land area protected. It also analyzes the characteristics of offset programs and looks at recent developments in nascent and existing programs in the region.
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