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On 7 July 2004, the California's Air Resources Board received their final public comments on a draft proposal to regulate emissions of greenhouse gases from motor vehicles. Their final "Environmental Justice Workshop on Climate Change" was held on 13 July 2004, ending a series of workshops that offered communities an opportunity to discuss the proposed regulation, which is designed to reduce GHG emissions by 30 percent. The regulation is driven by California's Vehicle Global Warming Law, which requires the state to "develop and adopt regulations that achieve the maximum feasible and cost-effective reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles" by January 1, 2005.

Hundreds of scientists from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany began a collaborative study this summer to sample air as it moves from New England to western Europe. Various combinations of these scientists have formed teams that work on independent research projects, but the combined efforts of the international teams is known as ICARTT, the International Consortium for Atmospheric Research on Transport and Transformation. The current research phase is ICARTT 2004, with the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and National Aeronautics and Space Administration coleading the summer 2004 endeavor.