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The article presents the author's reflections on the work of human ecologist Robert W. Kates on natural disaster, climate change, and transformational change. The author mentions the three characteristics of Kates' work and his more critical view of root causes and his advocacy for intentional transformative change. He also states that Kates believes that climate change complicates everything but avoids root causes of vulnerability to hazards and of resistance to transformation.

Recommends books dealing with climatic change. Includes `Lead and Public Health,' by Erik Millstone; `Terrestrial Ecosystems in Changing Environments,' by Herman H. Shugart; `The Once and Future Forest: A Guide to Forest Restoration Strategies,' by Leslie Jones Sauer.

The article discusses the keynote lecture delivered by Simon Dietz at the 2014 annual conference of the Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society in Port Macquarie, wherein he discussed the benefits and costs of reduction of greenhouse gas emissions at the global level in reference to the findings of the research, "Review on the Economics of Climate Change," by Nicholas Stern. Topics discussed include the debate among economists and factors that influenced the findings.

The article discusses the need for a reframing of the perspectives on climate change and sustainability. An overview of the film "Mardi Gras: Made in China" is presented which illustrates the relationship between globalization and the desire for material consumption. The authors note the complexities associated with how humans perceive sufficiency, consumption, and well-being. The focus of the article is the growing influence of international trade on global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, the United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and how economic globalization, if unchanged, will undermine progress toward reducing global CO2 emissions and its impacts on climate change.

The article discusses a study investigating the costs of climate change adaptation in developing countries. The authors reassess a study reporting on the 2009 United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) approximations for 2030, regarding climate change costs. They cite several reasons why the UN approximations will likely be an underestimate including the lack of inclusion of some sectors, such as tourism, in their assessment. An in-depth analysis of various sectors covered in the UNFCCC estimates including agriculture, water supply, and human health is presented. Also discussed are the robustness of the UNFCCC estimates, the potential damages that can be avoided by adaptation, and the scarcity of information regarding adaptation and its associated costs.

This article discusses the importance of an ecosystem on the economic well being or lack of it on those living in severe poverty. Over a billion people world wide live in extreme poverty. Nature is a lifeline for people with few other alternatives for employment and sustenance. The authors of this article state that the rural poor around the world depend on harvests from forests, bodies of water and farming to provide food and income. The article surveys economic growth, stewardship of ecosystems, environmental and health factors, climate change and the impact that the environment can have on the fight against global poverty.

The article offers news briefs about several climate change issues. Included are the plans for a Solar Energy system in the U.S., an analysis of U.S. media coverage on climate change and an assessment of nitrous oxide emissions from the production of biofuels.

Reports on the actions of the World Resources Institute, an international research organization in Washington D.C., to help alter global attitudes on climate changes. Information on the carbon dioxide emission reduction initiative of the organization; Short and long-term goals of the organization.

This article presents the author's comments on the World Conference on the Changing Atmosphere held in Toronto, Ontario, in June 1988. The Toronto conference was a media event--well staged, well organized, and well orchestrated. Nongovernmental organizations played a greater, more influential role than is usual at such meetings. Although the scientific papers presented at the conference were mostly of high quality, the working groups were generally less well organized and focused. This is not surprising in view of the very wide range of nations, sectors, interests, and knowledge represented and the short time allowed the groups for deliberation. Will the Conference Statement prove as effective in the long term as a guide to international and national policymakers as it has in the short term as a goad to action? Undeniably, the conference made an important impact on policy thinking worldwide. However, the true test of the effectiveness of the proposed solutions will ultimately depend on the accuracy and credibility of the analysis. Keeping these criteria in mind, examine the conference prescriptions for three sectors: food security, land resources, and energy. Of course, a few sentences in the Conference Statement cannot do justice to the longer reports prepared by the working groups.

The article reports that freedom to breed cow will bring ruin to all. At the moment, to avoid hard decisions many are tempted to propagandize for conscience and responsible parenthood. The temptation need to be resisted as an appeal to independently acting consciences selects for the disappearance of all conscience in the long run, and an increase in anxiety in the short.

The article reports that there are limits to abiotic resources in human time scales, there are limits to land and fresh water, and there are limits to the sinks or carrying capacity. These limits can be referred to as ecospace environmental utilization space. The language of limits does not imply a translation into scarcity and an existential debate that justifies the securitization of nature’s contribution.

The article offers information on topics related to Global Agenda 2030 for sustainable development. Topics mentioned include the importance of sustainable development goals to environmental conservation, the 2015 Paris Agreement of Climate Convention, and the risk reduction of climate change. Also mentioned was the importance of international cooperation in environmental protection.

Discusses the impact of climate change on agriculture and food security. Web sites which deal with climate changes and agriculture; Information on Web site addresses and the focus of these sites.

The article talks about importance of Laudato si' in context of acceptance and implementation by people. It adds that the paper on climatic changes and ecological conservation doesn't criticize or blame, it rather invites communication and as Pope Francis presides over a community of 1.2 billion Catholics who are most likely to follow his words and as figures respected by some people are also respected by others, Pope's message is likely to have an impact on non-Catholics as well.

The article offers information on the use of life-cycle assessment (LCA) in transport policies in the U.S. that aim of reducing the impact of the overall sector on the global climate. It mentions that LCA was first used by Coca-Cola Co. to evaluate the environmental impacts associated with end use its bottle products. It also mentions of Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standard (CAFE) established in the U.S.

The article introduces a conceptual framework for accelerating progress toward the Zero Hunger Goal under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in cross-boundary climate change hotspots. It suggests four specific and complementary approaches which include applying the concept of safe and just operating spaces in these hotspots, tapping the potential of rising food and nutrition security opportunities, and capitalizing on cross-boundary and cross-sectoral interdependencies.

The article explores the future role of the precautionary principle by investigating how legal and ethical considerations intertwine. Topics covered include an examination of how financial markets are adjusting to the emerging economic and social realities of climate change, the challenges to the precautionary principle and the pathways through which businesses could face the impacts of climate change as outlined by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The article discusses the impact of sea ice melting in the Arctic on the entire global environment and the tensions existing between expanding Arctic oil operations and reducing future threats of climate change. It cites calls from Nobel Women laureates to protect the Arctic Ocean and the Earth's global climate by ending future oil and gas operations as they called attention to serous risks of offshore drilling in remote and sensitive resources necessary to indigenous communities and wildlife.

The author discusses aspects of the risk awareness and safety culture for environmental health in the U.S. He highlights the effort of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries to prevent of minimize climate change through environmental protection. The author examines the contribution of several factors to environmental protection including technological advances, healthy and balanced diet and hygiene.

The article discusses the effort of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to pursue environmental justice against climate change, chemical safety and air and water pollution. It highlights the establishments of new policy and technical guidance to minimize environmental burdens within poor and minority communities. It also notes that the environmental justice are for all people regardless of race, color, national origin or income.

In this article the authors discuss aspects of water supply and water security. They discuss military and intelligence concerns regarding environmental security, the need for an interdisciplinary approach to climate change, and thoughts on the 2012 U.S. National Intelligence Council (NIC) report on water, titled "Global Water Security," regarding the potential roles for both the U.S. armed forces and civilian research communities ensuring water security.

The article discusses the effects of climate changes on Bangladesh, where rising sea levels, climate variability, and extreme weather events such as floods, cyclones, and droughts may cause more severe issues due to meteorological and topological conditions. The incidences of flood related mortalities for women and children due to drowning and diseases such as cholera, fungal infections in the lower legs, and typhoid are examined. Other topics addressed include postflood mental health effects, malnutrition, and soil salinity. Tables and maps are presented with information on the area inundated due to sea-level rise, studies on the impact of flooding on health, and saltwater intrusion in the coastal and delta regions.

The article discusses how to design a green climate fund to raise a $100 billion per year to help developing countries mitigate and adapt to climate change, which was first proposed by developed countries during the 2009 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The authors argue that one of the most important issues facing individuals in the 21st century is the ability to confront and respond to climate change and that developing countries will be negatively impacted by climate change more quickly than industrialized countries. Topics include a global approach with local implementation of climate change mitigation strategies, problems with development financing, and climate change governance and politics.

The article discusses bridging the communication gap between climate science and water management in Western Cape, South Africa. The authors argue that the need for collaboration and information sharing between scientists, who are the producers of knowledge, and individuals who manage human and ecological systems, who are the end users of knowledge, is an urgent issue. They note that the global hydrological system is expected to experience some of the most considerable impacts of climate change that will produce future challenges in water resource management (WRM). Topics include the challenges to collaboration in developing countries, such as dealing with water supply issues, and methods to improve communication between scientists and water resource managers.

The article looks at how the twentieth century was the wettest in northern Pakistan in the last 1,000 years. Scientists analyzed core samples from juniper trees to asses the rainfall patterns. If trees get too dry, their trunks grow less than they do in wetter times. Juniper tree core samples showed that the amount of precipitation in Pakistan has increased considerably since the beginning of industrialization. The changes in the water balance could have a greater impact on the ecosystem and on people than a change in temperature alone.

The article discusses the environmental impact of climate change on the Caribbean Islands. Topics include a brief overview of the economic aspects of the Caribbean Islands and sea, such as the region's dependence on tourism, the loss of habitat in Caribbean watersheds, and the environmental threat to coastal zone resources as a result of pressures from hotel and resort construction. Also discussed are the characteristics of the environment of the Caribbean region, the relationship between economic development and environmental resources that make the Caribbean sensitive to climate risks, and the variability and change in the Caribbean's climate, such as annual rainfall totals.

The author discusses the focus on environmentalism by American evangelicals. She mentions pastors Tri Robinson and Ken Wilson who are signatories to the Evangelical Climate Initiative (ECI). The author notes the history of what is called creation care, since the term expresses the theological basis of environmental concern. She mentions that the issue of climate change has not been taken up by the evangelical public as it has by evangelical leaders. The theology of the ECI concerns the themes of creation care, eschatology and neighbor care.

The article discusses the effect of Pope Francis's encyclical about ecological conservation and climate change on changing the mindset of Americans on these issues. It adds views from the Pope mentioned in the encyclical on individualism, effect of profit making on environment, global economic development and role of corporations and government in environmental protection. Other topics discussed are perspective of opinion leaders and the author on the Pope's views expressed in the document.

The article discusses the increasing difference in views concerning climate change between the U.S. Democrat and Republican political parties. The author cites several examples of nonpartisan support by former U.S. presidents regarding environmental protection, including the establishment of national parks and forests by Theodore Roosevelt, the creation of the Soil Conservation Service by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and bipartisan environmental legislation during the 1960s and 1970s during Richard Nixon's administration. Further discussion of how and when the situation began to change, the debate over global warming, and statistics related to several Gallup polls regarding global warming, by political party, are presented.

This article discusses the connections between climate change and agriculture in the U.S. According to the author, agriculture affects climate change by the greenhouse gas emissions of methane and nitrous oxide. Agriculture can mitigate climate change by utilizing best management practices for fertilizer and manure management, methane digesters and carbon sequestration in soils. The author reviews various U.S. climate scenarios and concludes that the overall impact in the U.S. would be mildly positive on crop yields. The author discusses pending legislation and adaptations to corn ethanol production.

The article discusses how the impact of climate change relates to more immediate socio-economic concerns of the villagers in the Sekhukhune district in South Africa. The villagers prioritized water shortages, unemployment, sanitation and flood impacts along with HIV/Aids, and other diseases as their primary stressors. Their adaptation to climate change has been focused on long-term disaster response. They also identified lack of communication from the government municipality as a factor adding to stress and problems. The authors recommend that funding needs to support national and local priorities while still addressing climate change issues.

This article discusses the changes which have occurred in our understanding of human dependence on the biosphere since the publication of the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development report. According to the author, when the Brundtland Commission released the report "Our Common Future" in 1987 they did not give priority to the effects of climate change and other global environmental factors on freshwater, crop production and ocean fisheries. They emphasized sustainable economic development as a means to alleviate poverty. Also, they did not fully realize the unequal impacts that global changes have on human health and survival of communities.

The article discusses energy sustainability in light of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report in 2007. The author focuses on information provided by the report titled "Our Common Future" produced by the World Commission on Environment and Development, also known as the Brundtland report. The report discusses a variety of issues, including the finite nature of fossil fuel sources of energy, energy efficiency, renewable energy sources, and the environmental impact of shifts in energy use.

This article discusses the problems of sustainable development in the context of urban concentration. The author argues societies have moved hypothetical models of sustainable urban development to practical examples in real cities where these elements have been demonstrated. He discusses bus rapid transit system in Brazil and the bulldozing of squatter settlements. He charts the developments in urban agriculture and discusses the problems of solid waste collection in Africa and Asia. He argues that the effects of climate change on urban centers were inadequately addressed and urges additional international cooperation.

The article looks at the report the "Stern Review of the Economics of Climate Change." The authors for the report were brought together by Sir Nicholas Stern, the former chief economist and senior vice president of the World Bank. The task of the "Stern Review" was to apply the economic paradigm to new knowledge about climate change with the intent of making an economic case for immediate action to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. According to the article, the "Stern Review" does not conduct a proper optimization exercise, nor does it give any indication of the cost of delay--the very question that skeptics of climate change and critics of climate policy will ask. The article discusses the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

This article focuses on efforts by many organizations to develop scientific information that is more useful to society. The movement towards integrating science into decision making has its roots in several arenas. Environmental regulations initiated in the 1970s, integration assessments associated with the U.S. Global Climate Change Research Program and the U.S. Congress demand for greater scientific accountability. Making science relevant to society is particularly important for those working towards sustainable development.

Discusses the importance of communicating the urgency and challenge of global climate change. Trend for Americans to be preoccupied with many issues other than climate change; Findings by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change regarding the potential impacts and emissions reductions needed in order to avoid drastic consequences; Consideration of how many scientists have issued publicized warnings to alert the public of the need for action; Hurdles encountered by the U.S. public in a national dialogue on climate change; Impact of the release of emissions of heat-trapping gases and subsequent impacts on the climate; Ways to increase the persuasiveness of the climate change message without appealing to fear. INSETS: FLIPPING THE "SWITCH ON ABRUPT CLIMATE CHANGE";UNDERMING URGENCY: DEALING MORE EFFECTIVELY WITH ALARMISTS.

Discusses the key requirements for implementation of the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC). Reference to how the Russian ratification of the treaty approved it along with the participation of 126 other countries; Indications that the U.S. and Australia will not take actions to ratify the agreement; Reference to how the rules of the agreement were rewritten at the Conferences of the Parties (COPs) of the Framework Convention in order to lower the costs for Canada, Japan, and Russia; Goals of a post-Kyoto framework which will focus on fundamental aspects of the science and economics of global climate change policy; Suggestion for industrialized to take initial steps to make emissions reductions on their own.

This article discusses the impact of the film, "The Day After Tomorrow," on the public's perception of global climate change risk. On Memorial Day weekend 2004, Twentieth Century Fox released "The Day After Tomorrow," a disaster movie depicting an abrupt and catastrophic climate change. In the movie, a global warming-induced shutdown of the North Atlantic thermohaline circulation system[1] triggers extreme weather events worldwide and subsequently a new ice age, with wrenching global consequences. Before it even hit the theaters, however, the movie generated an intense storm of media controversy as scientists, politicians, advocacy groups, and political pundits debated the scientific accuracy and political implications of the movie and global climate change. Numerous predictions were made as to how the movie would influence risk perceptions and attitudes of the U.S. public toward global warming. To answer this question, a national study was conducted to explore the public impact of "The Day After Tomorrow." The study included two nationally representative surveys of the U.S. public. The first survey was implemented a week before the movie's release and the second was done four weeks later, after the movie had played in theaters for three full weekends. The second survey also oversampled movie "watchers" to allow comparative analysis with "nonwatchers." Overall, watchers and nonwatchers demonstrated high levels of concern about global warming yet lower levels of worry.[16] While many Americans are concerned about global warming, fewer of them actively worry about it. This helps to explain the seeming paradox between public opinion surveys that show Americans expressing high concerns about the issue yet giving it low priority in either national or environmental issue rankings. Overall, these results show that "he Day After Tomorrow"had a considerable impact on the global-warming risk perceptions of those who saw the movie.

Discusses how Europe will launch an updated emissions trading program for greenhouse gases in 2005 which is much larger and more complex than the U.S. effort. Role of market-based policies in environmental regulation and in the formation of future European and international climate change policies; Consideration of the plans for the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) to address global climate change implement a more consistent trading program among nations; Innovations regarding provisions that provide flexibility in monitoring and compliance; Difficulty associated with the preparation and review of National Allocation Plans; Use of auctions in the distribution of tradable emissions allowances in the U.S. INSETS: EUROPEAN UNION TERMINOLOGY;KEY FEATURES OF EU ETS;EFFECTIVE EMISSIONS TRADING PROGRAMS: A VIEW FROM THE ECONOMICS;SUMMARY OF U.S. TRADING PROGRAMS

The article discusses the primary causes of biodiversity loss. The immediate causes are apparent: expansion of cattle ranching and agricultural activities; extensive adoption of agroindustrial models that radically simplify the rural landscape and rely on unsustainable use of energy and chemicals; overexploitation of biotic resources such as fisheries, old growth forests, bush meat, and ornamentals; introduction of invasive species; and recently, the first effects of climate change. All the above reduce the integrity, size, and connectivity of habitats; extirpate populations of species and degrade their genetic pool, eventually leading to extinction; threaten the functioning of ecosystems; and, generally speaking, destroy biodiversity. Despite very real and extensive gaps in ecological science, researchers know a lot about many of the above causes. Databases of primary biodiversity data (observations of species) are growing very fast and becoming available through the Internet. The amount of remote sensing data we are obtaining--at unprecedented resolutions--is staggering, far beyond our current capacity to process and understand the data. Because natural scientists know about immediate causes of biodiversity loss, and more importantly, know how to study them, they tend to concentrate on them. The immediate causes of biodiversity destruction act on ecological processes amenable to the methods and theories of the natural scientist, enabling him or her to describe, measure, understand, and, ideally, predict. In short, natural science approaches the problem through the immediate causes. For most biodiversity goods and services, there are no markets in the global and national economies. This problem has been very well documented and it is one of the most powerful root causes of biodiversity loss. In many countries, the efforts of different branches of the government result in environmental policies that, taken together, are uncoordinated and often contradictory.

Addresses environmental issues faced by the motor vehicle industry of the U.S. Discussion on the private and social costs of vehicle use; Environmental problems in which motor vehicle use has been implicated; Contributions of automobiles to air pollution; Concern about global climate change; Technologies that support sustainable transport.

Discusses the need to combine mitigation and adaptation in balanced global and national strategies to address the problem of global warming. Information on the first assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 1990; Comparison between mitigation and adaptation; Recommendations to address global warming effects. INSETS: The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change...;Estimating Benefits and Costs from Coastal Resource Protection;Research Needs for Further Integrating Analyses of Mitigation....

Media-savvy policy makers poised to make decisions regarding the environment now want their decisions to be "based in sound science." This desire surfaces with regard to issues ranging in scale from global climate change to water restrictions in Oregon's Klamath River basin. In recent years, science has figured prominently in discussions of natural resource extraction, water quality issues, forest fire prevention, the establishment of marine reserves, and the number of fish that fishers can catch. In most of these cases, scientific assessments are an inextricable part of the science that policy makers have come to value. Some observers seek to explain this development, but it is equally important to ask whether the use of scientific assessments has served to improve the quality of resource management. It is tempting to simply assume that a procedure so fundamental to well-established management systems has had beneficial consequences. Yet there is no basis for taking these positive contributions for granted. In fact, a blind faith in the validity of scientific assessments can engender severe management pitfalls. The case of stock assessments in marine fisheries provides an excellent means to explore this proposition. Nevertheless, overharvesting and severe depletions of fish stocks have become a pervasive problem in recent decades in many parts of the world, including those regions with ready access to the most scientifically advanced stock assessments. Stock assessments derive their influence largely from their integral role in models that deal with population dynamics of fish stocks and harvesting opportunities based on the concept of maximum sustainable yield (MSY). Mistakes regarding the size and location of individual stocks, a stock's reproduction rate, or current harvest levels can all give rise to decisions on the part of managers that lead to stock depletions or, less frequently, the setting of total allowable catches that are below the level of MSY.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has established beyond reasonable doubt not only that the problem of anthropogenic climate change is real but also that it already has begun and merits a concerted response. The wide range of uncertainties in scientific projections of climate change makes it difficult, for example, to arrive at economic engineering criteria for new dams or levee banks that would withstand probable maximum flood levels during their design life or to assess the cost-benefit ratio associated with any chosen mitigation target. Its mandate currently is twofold: to assess available information on the science, impacts, and economics of, and options for mitigating and adapting to-climate change, and to provide, on request, scientific, technical, and socioeconomic advice to the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC). Two basic strategies for responding to climate change include the mitigation of anthropogenic climate change and adaptation to whatever climate change cannot be avoided by mitigation. Using an energy systems-engineering model, various pathways for optimal costs and benefits were evaluated, and their results suggest that there might be a tendency for alternative futures to take one of two courses. Nearly all climate change impact assessments to date have studied impacts of climate change or sea-level rise on society with a baseline socioeconomic structure much like that of today. This theme is especially important in putting climate change in context and in synergistically integrating policy responses to climate change within the framework of overall development policies. Some impacts of anthropogenic climate change may become apparent slowly, and some could become irreversible if climate change is not limited in both rate and magnitude before associated thresholds. INSETS: The Future Role of IPCC;The Policy Relevance of Inertia and Time Lags;Climate Change and Sustainability;Potential Key Issues for the United States

Addresses the problem of global climate change. Scientific uncertainties, including how atmospheric physics and chemistry determine the concentrations of different greenhouse gases and the magnitude and rate of warming they cause; Details of the Integrated Assessment of Climate Protection Strategies (ICLIPS) modeling framework; Methodological foundations; Integrated assessment model; Climate impact response functions.

Discusses several issues about fresh water. Threats and challenges; Availability of water and use in the United States; Details on global water crisis and human health; Occurrence of climate change.

Discusses the effects of global warming on glacial ice that was observed during a journey by a team of lecturers to the Arctic regions on July 25, 2000. Details on climate change; Information on glaciers and the changes in the Arctic regions; Reflection on glacial ice conditions. INSETS: First Knowledge of Ice Motion in the Arctic;Arctic Ecosystem Adaptation to Ice.

Discusses the factors that affect the position of companies in Europe and the United States regarding climate change, ozone depletion and genetic engineering of food. Social-cultural factors; Political-institutional factors; Corporate market-based factors. INSETS: GM Food: The European Reaction.;Business Lobbying in Europe.;Corporate Strategy: The Case of the U.S. Auto Industry..

Explains why public participation is essential in assessing environmental problems. Illustrative examples; Lessons for climate policy; Procedures for involving citizens; Impacts of climate change.