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The health consequences could be significant and long lasting.

The article presents a variety of anecdotes on environmental issues. The U.S. uses more than a million paper bags every hour. Twenty five percent of all mammals are threatened with extinction. Advocates of allowing oil drilling in the U.S. outer-continental shelf say it would cut our dependence on imported oil.

The article reports on the participation of several law firms in the American Bar Association (ABA)-Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Law Office Climate Challenge. The firms include the Marten Law Group and Arnold & Porter. The goal of the challenge is to encourage law firms and other legal groups to follow EPA recommendations for saving energy, says Howard J. Hoffman, a lawyer in the agency's general counsel's office in Washington, D.C. As part of the WasteWise program of the EPA, firm reduce paper use and increase recycling.

The article focuses on the discussion paper on climate policy released by the U.S. Senate as of March 2006. Senators Pete Domenici and Jeff Bingaman have released a joint paper that aims for consensus on key issues about the structure of a mandatory market-based greenhouse gas regulatory program. The senators are seeking comments on the document, which will be used to frame the discussion at an April 4 climate change conference, which is being sponsored by the committee and moderated by Domenici. The paper can be found on the committee Web site (energy.senate.gov/public).

The article discusses the impact of the advanced technology in office operations in the U.S. The author agreed that computer systems such as mailing accounts and digital newsletters have addressed the problem of the environment and global climate change, especially paper waste. He also mentioned about the opportunity of personal relations firms and marketing firms to submit news reports to the journal.

The article presents an overview of the report, An Abrupt Climate Change Scenario and Its Implications for United States National Security, that made headlines internationally after the release of its findings. It remains unclear what effect the report may have with regard to the US climate policy. On the other hand, the report's seven preparedness recommendations appear prudent, particularly with respect to national security. The report's executive summary concludes that because of the potentially dire consequences, the risk of abrupt climate change, although uncertain and quite possibly small, should be elevated beyond a scientific debate to a U.S. national security concern.

The article offers information related to mental health. It states that the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) has published four clinical white papers with topics on mental heath counseling. It says that the Therapists' Council for Environmental and Economic Consciousness (T'CEEC) has penned an open letter promoting the effects of climate change. It adds that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has planned to conduct Mental Health Summits from July 1-September 15, 2013.

The article looks at Charles Monnett, a scientist at the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) who has been accused of scientific misconduct and suspended from his post after publishing a paper on ice melt and drowned polar bears in the journal "Polar Biology." Environmentalists and scientists including Michael Bromwich, Phillip Clapham, and Ian Stirling argue that Monnett has been targeted by those who wish to drill for oil and gas in Alaska.

The article reports on the recognition of Greenstar North America as climate leaders program's goal setter by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2009. According to Susan Wickwire, chief of Energy Supply and Industry Branch of EPA, the agency acclaim the company for setting a goal to lessen its greenhouse gas emissions. She adds that the company is proving that it can be both a leader in fighting against climate change and an industry leader.

EDITOR'S SUMMARY Bringing comic relief to the 2015 ASIS&T Annual Meeting, SIG CON opened with discovery that the alleged nephew of the group's figurehead, Dr. Llewellyn C. Puppybreath III, and speaker at the 2014 meeting was an imposter of dubious character. With the purloined ceremonial wand accounted for, the 2015 symposium opened with a presentation on the I-Index, an anti-establishment altmetric, eschewing group recognition in favor of individualism and self-citation. A paper on the correlation among computer science doctorates, rising arcade revenues and climate warming in Australia highlighted the income and career opportunities available to techies relocating to Oz. Analysis of ASIS&T members' social media posts revealed a skewed distribution of posters, topics and irrelevant content, especially by Association leadership. The session also featured a Monty Python character reporting on fatal answers at the Bridge of Death, multiple personalities of Dr. N. E. Doofus and a séance with illustrious ASIS&T members spanning the spectrum from living to dead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the assertion of U.S. economist Andrew Odlyzko that misplaced optimism about paper-less office is being applied to the role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and climate change. It cites that the mere presence of broadband networks and smart devices would not cut greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, it points out that ICTs will have an impact only as economically attractive alternatives.

The article presents an analysis of a study on the economic aspect of water and examines water rights, exchange negotiations and regulations in the semi-arid areas in the U.S. It notes the increasing concern about the availability of fresh water worldwide as demand grows while supplies become uncertain due to climate change, rising population and increase in the need for water for agriculture. It states that water is allocated and used through an institutionalized framework.

The article offers information on the environmental impact of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1969. The Congress enacted the Act to promote efforts to prevent environmental degradation in the U.S. It is stated that litigation efforts to force climate impact assessments in NEPA-mandated project reviews have not generated a uniform approach to incorporating climate change into environmental assessments.

The article focuses on the One Million Trees Project, which has goal for lawyers to take responsibility for planting that many trees in the U.S. by 2014. Amy L. Edwards, who chairs the section's Environmental Transactions and Brown-fields Committee, says the idea was triggered by the growing interest in tree planting. Ann M. Rhodes, a member of the environmental transactions committee, says there are reasons for the initiative as trees combat climate change.

This article discusses the head of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA's) Goddard Institute for Space Studies James Hansen, his career that began studying the clouds on Venus, and how since the 1970s he has been studying and modeling the human impact on the Earth's climate. Hansen entered the public spotlight with his outspoken testimony to U.S. congressional committees on climate change.

The article argues that introducing time-limited water rights in the Western U.S. is crucial to address the climate crisis and align with contemporary environmental and public values, given the insufficiency of current water rights. It mentions that time-limited water rights would require the systematic reevaluation of existing rights, leading to better water allocation decisions.

This document summarizes the status and trends of aquaculture development in North America, focusing on Canada and the United States of America, with some discussion on Bermuda, Greenland, and Saint Pierre and Miquelon. Relevant aspects of the social and economic background of each country are followed by a description of current and evolving aquaculture practices and the needs of the industry in terms of resources, services and technologies. Impacts of aquaculture practices on the environment are discussed, followed by a consideration of the response by the industry to market demands and opportunities, and its contribution to social and economic development at regional, national and international levels. External pressures on the sector are described, including climate change and economic events, along with associated changes in governance. The review concludes with an analysis of the contributions of North American aquaculture to the Sustainable Development Goals, the FAO Strategic Objectives, and the FAO Blue Growth Initiative. Throughout the review, outstanding issues and success stories are identified, and a way forward is suggested for each main topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The plenary theme at the 2008 annual conference of The Wildlife Society was, 'Thriving within limits: toward a scenario of hope.' Wildlife professionals are still grappling with how wildlife management relates to sustainability as global limits, especially energy, become more obvious in affecting resource management. 'Sustainability' as used in this paper is derived from the commonly cited, Brundtland Report definition of sustainable development as, '...development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.' Further, it is activity that simultaneously addresses the interlinked aspects of economy, environment, and social well-being. To be effective in the future, natural resources agencies and organizations (NGOs) will be compelled to 1) reduce energy use by increasing efficiency of unavoidable uses and reducing optional energy uses; 2) anticipate how energy costs will affect resource use by various stakeholders; and 3) mitigate climate change by reducing combustion processes and thereby greenhouse gases. Because of their fundamental missions, natural resource entities have a special obligation to employ exemplary conservation practices. Challenges are great, but opportunities are significant. Higher fuel costs will constrain some management practices, but may limit further development of more rural and underdeveloped lands, thereby reducing habitat fragmentation and often wildlife damage complaints. Will energy costs promote smaller vehicles, reduction of some management practices, greater focus on recreational areas closer to population centers, consolidation of offices with other entities, and more video-conferencing of meetings? Will wildlife management be effectively integrated into landscapes where energy crops are produced along with food and where 'life-cycle analysis' measures the full ecological footprint of land management? Agencies and NGOs can partner with stakeholders to design landscape use that is more sustainable (less pollution, conserving of energy and soil, more biologically diverse), provides better connections to nature, and enhances overall resource conservation. Educational institutions have a critical role because they are instrumental in preparing future resource managers. © 2014 The Wildlife Society. © 2014 The Wildlife Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that Doctors David Briske and Bruce McCarl of Texas A&M University (TAMU) became part of a team of U.S. scientists to evaluate the effects of climate change on rangelands in 2013. Briske and McCarl have published two papers detailing their assessments of climate trends. Briske stated that changes in mean climatic trend will affect rangelands' ability to provide ecosystem services. The U.S. Southwest and Southern Plains will turn warmer and drier based on climate models.

The article reports on the emergence of carbon dioxide emissions regulations for industrial companies in the wake of climate change. It mentions the emissions regulations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that have arrived January 1, 2010, requiring a national registry for businesses that emit greenhouse gases. Meanwhile, it states that emissions regulations might affect some industries that would result to utility bills and gasoline prices increases.

The article outlines some of the proposed legislation in the U.S. aimed at addressing climate change and curbing the growth and effect of carbon dioxide emissions. Some of the bills explored in this article include the spending bill, which requires industries to collect and report data on their carbon dioxide emissions, and the America's Climate Security Act,which would establish a cap-and-trade model that requires sequenced reduction in emissions limits. Several white papers that were released on the issue are also discussed.

The article focuses on global warming. Satellite images of the Arctic region released in late September by the scientists show more water, less ice. As climate change pushes polar temperatures higher, each summer's melt takes a bigger toll. Hurricane Katrina was not an isolated natural disaster but an obvious sign of a future far less predictable than the past. Massachusetts Institute of Technology hurricane specialist Kerry Emmanuel published a landmark paper in the British science magazine "Nature," shows that in the past half century tropical storms have been lasting 60 percent longer and spinning winds 50 percent more powerful. More than a decade ago, environmental researcher Norman Myers began adding up the number of humans at risk of losing their homes to global warming. The bulk of those refugees will be in countries where nobody emits much carbon. Meanwhile, the 4 percent of the world's population living in the United States produces 25 percent of the planet's carbon dioxide.

A case filed in San Francisco, California, with the Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and the cities of Boulder, Colorado, and Oakland, California, as plaintiffs, seeks to force two government agencies to assess the total impact on climate of the projects they finance. Litigation may soon be the weapon of choice for those concerned about human-induced global warming. In the San Francisco case, the plaintiffs charge that the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and the Export-Import Bank of the United States (ExIm) have provided $32 billion in loans, insurance and loan guarantees for oil pipelines, oil drilling and other fossil-fuel endeavors that will ultimately result in the emission of 32 billion tons of carbon dioxide over the life of the projects. The lawsuit does not attempt to cancel ongoing projects but asks only that OPIC and ExIm determine the "cumulative impact" on the climate of every future project. Such a review, asserts Jon Sohn of Friends of the Earth, is required by the National Environmental Policy Act. The plaintiffs are confronted with many hurdles. They will have to demonstrate that they face harm from global warming and, in particular, from the agencies' actions. The cities contend that their water supplies are in jeopardy. Scientific uncertainties over such claims can be partly overcome by aggregating harm done over a large span of space and time, contends David Grossman, a recent graduate of Yale Law School and now a law clerk in Anchorage. In a paper to be published in the 'Columbia Journal of Environmental Law,' Grossman argues that tort litigation over global warming--in which communities or states seek damages from oil companies, electric utilities and automobile manufacturers--is entirely feasible. INSET: WHOSE FAULT IS IT ANYWAY?.

The article looks at issues of environmental justice and climate change in the Gulfport, Mississippi, area in the aftermath of the impact of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It profiles civil rights and environmental activist Derrick Evans of the African-American neighborhood of Turkey Creek in Gulfport. Topics include the history of relations between the environmental and civil rights movements and the development of the climate justice movement.

The article focuses on the environmental impact of climate change the urgent action needed to prevent extreme weather. Topics include efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, how U.S. politicians have responded to climate change threats from scientists, and the need for renewable power development in the U.S.

The article discusses a paper concerning the leadership role of the U.S. government in addressing climate change, published in the September-October 2008 issue of "Foreign Affairs." The paper emphasized the irreversible harm caused by human activity to the environment and the economic costs of unmanaged global warming. A four-part cap-and-invest strategy for energy efficiency and clean-power generation is proposed for the U.S. government.

The article presents views on forest refugees and forest management in America through a letter which focuses on chart alternatives to flora, divergences borne of differing histories of climate and community. Topics include botanical authority drawing on an expertise cultivated during family holidays and college backpacking trips; and climate change is convoluted maladaptation, climate envelopes, productivity declines, non-local climate analogs, novel communities with unclear implications.

The article reports that Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper proposed a U.S.-Canadian pact on climate change after U.S. President-elect Barack Obama won the election. Critics claim that this measure is just Harper confirming that the U.S. will continue to buy petroleum products mined from Canada's Alberta tar sands. The article describes the environmental hazard created by the sands and questions whether Obama will agree with Harper's plan.

The article discusses the issue of global warming. The debate of whether or not to do something has evolved to how much nations should be spending now for the future. Martin Weitzman of Harvard University has a method for including extreme events, such as widespread crop failures, into cost-benefit analyses which has many economists changing their positions on using renewable energy and reducing emissions rather than committing to large investments.

The article focuses on the political and economic aspects of climate change and the climate change skepticism movement. It states that public opinion concerning climate change has shifted from 71 percent of Americans believing in human-caused climate change in 2007 to 44 percent in June 2011 and mentions that the shift has occurred predominantly with Republicans and Tea Party members. It comments on the culture-war aspects of the debate with Republicans claiming environmentalism is a conspiracy by liberals to eliminate the free market system. It talks about methods that climate change advocates can use to reshape the argument and convince Americans that climate change is real, including reviving the public sphere and ending privatization, planning on local and federal levels, and taxing the rich.

The article focuses on the study about tornadoes including its impact to the environment and the people across the U.S. The study is designed to examine the significant role of global warming on tornado outbreak in the country. The study discusses the primary feature of tornadoes, including information of its risks and damages towards the environment and the people. The findings of various studies on tornadoes are also included.

Reports that a consensus is growing among scientists, governments and business that action must be taken to combat climate change. Lawsuit from New York State Attorney General, Eliot Spitzer, and other attorneys general to force the nation's largest utility companies to reduce emissions; Plan of the European Union to impose mandatory caps on carbon dioxide and other gasses; Additional plan which would allow the sale of rights to emit carbon; Expectation that Russia will sign the Kyoto Protocol which would make carbon dioxide reductions mandatory by the 124 countries that have accepted the accord; Rejection of the Kyoto Accord and other mandatory curbs by U.S. President George W. Bush; Companies that are already making changes; Need of leadership from governments; How the trading of carbon credits would be performed; Opponents who are taking a wait and see attitude about global warming. INSETS: HOW TO TRADE CARBON CREDITS;THE EARTH'S CONVEYOR BELT.

In this article the author focuses on the U.S. railroads preparing for severe winters. He states that capacity of railroads was decreased as the companies wanted to have low operating costs and more profits. He mentions that rather than reducing services railroads should prepare for more snow or rain as the climate is changing. He highlights that the Chicago Transportation Coordination Office is a paper tiger as it has no hold over member railroad companies.

The article reports on the cost burden being faced by the South African mining industry with the expected implementation of carbon tax. The industry is dealing with the government about the tax but not everyone is convinced that it will save the mining sector. A revised policy paper has been released by the treasury department on how it aims to implement the carbon tax in 2012. An Industry Task Team on Climate Change (ITTCC) was established to investigate the possible effects of the tax.

The article highlights a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency report titled "Opportunities to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions Through Materials and Land Management Practices." It suggests that demolition and thrash recycling could help thwart climate change. It says that if the recycling and composting rate from municipal solid waste should increase to 50%, up to 80 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent would be avoided. The report states that local governments' thrash and recycling operations already recovered more than half the steel and paper.

The article offers information on a paper which deals with the role of climate change in shifting global wildfire patterns that was published in a 2009 issue of "PLoS ONE," the journal of the Public Library of Science. Lead author of the paper, Meg Krawchuk of the University of California at Berkeley, highlighted the link of wildfire to climate and weather and its rate of change. Using satellite data from 1996 to 2006 and integrating them with future scenarios, Krawchuk and her colleagues were able to create models for future wildfire pattern estimation.

The article focuses on an International Council for Capital Formation (ICCF) paper as a response of developing countries to climate change that will accommodate prosperity. According to David Montgomery and Sugandha Tuladhar, the Asia Pacific Partnership (APP) paper signed by partner countries including China, India and the U.S. hope to integrate technical, environmental and economic progress. It also notes that the potential of APP is comparable with what the Kyoto Protocol can achieve.

The article discusses possible impacts of climate change on U.S. corn farming. Topics include the impacts of rising temperatures on corn yields in relation to food prices, the rise in U.S. agricultural productivity in relation to factors such as increased flooding, and genetic research by agronomist Jerry Hatfield of the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment.

Comments on key issues relating to environmental degradation and environmental protection in the United States. Warnings proclaimed by hard-line environmentalists; Proposed bill to reduce the national sulfur dioxide emissions and cut a related acid rain source, nitrogen oxide, in the United States; Cessation of asbestos production; Revision of the Clean Air Act; Climate change and its impact on the earth's temperature; Media's refusal to discuss the fact that environmental protection often doesn't stand up to a cost-benefit test; Forest loss, topsoil loss, and desertification; Garbage crisis in the U.S.; Global warming; Introduction of various green products.

The article focuses on the influence of the book "The Limits to Growth," by Dennis and Donella Meadows and Jorgen Randers. Topics include the number of copies the book sold upon its release in 1972, its introduction and discussion of the concept of anthropocentric climate change, and the use of scientific data to prove arguments. Information is provided on the parallels between economic and environmental stability, the concept of cause and effect, and the impact of population increase on natural resources.

The article discusses the 2012 U.S. President Barack Obama and candidate Mitt Romney's engagement with the coal mining industry in the U.S., focusing on the ways in which their political rhetoric squares with the impact of the industry on the health of people living in coal mining regions of Appalachia. The author looks at the impact of the coal industry on chronic disease rates according to professor Michael Hendryx, employment layoffs within the industry, as well as the success of miner permit reviews by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Topics include coal miner health and safety, environmental concerns due to coal mining, and the coal industry's views on climate change.

The article reports on the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), an organization that brings together legislators and lobbyist and which crafts legislation friendly to business and to corporations. The author notes some irregularities arising from ALEC's activities that were not reported on its 2008 tax return. Among a variety of issues the article examines ALEC influence on U.S. climate change and global warming policy, the founding of ALEC by Paul Weyrich, a conservative strategist, and the climate change denial of Paul Driessen, a speaker at an ALEC event.

The article reports on business and global warming. The auto, insurance and oil industries' positions towards global warming are presented. Differences between the U.S. and Europe on global warming are covered. While the Wall Street Journal editorial page continues to deny global warming, the article points out the increasingly pro green stance of U.S. big business.

The article discusses the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science (NIACS) supported by the U.S. Forest Service that focuses on incorporating climate change considerations into forest management has teamed up with partners in the Chicago, Illinois to develop a framework for climate-change adaptation in urban forests in Chicago, Illinois. It mentions how changes in temperature and precipitation can affect habitat suitability.