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Federal Agency Climate Change Adaptation Planning: Support Document

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"The Council on Environmental Quality has issued Implementing Instructions to be used by the Federal Government in climate change adaptation planning. The document, Federal Agency Climate Change Adaptation Planning: Implementing Instructions, (Implementing Instruction), establishes requirements for climate change adaptation planning for the next year, as recommended by the Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force1 and authorized by Executive Order 13514, Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance. This Support Document provides information to assist Federal agencies with meeting the Implementing Instruction requirements. Federal adaptation planning is necessary to address the effects of climate change that affect Federal services, operations, programs, assets (e.g., infrastructure, land and water resources), and national security. By integrating climate change adaptation strategies into its planning, the Federal Government can ensure that resources are invested wisely and that Federal agencies remain effective in current and future climate conditions."

Council on Environmental Quality (U.S.)

2011-03-04
Federal Agency Climate Change Adaptation Planning: Implementing Instructions

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"Executive Order (E.O.) 13514, Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance, seeks to establish an integrated strategy towards sustainability in the Federal Government. Section 8(i) of the E.O. requires that as part of the formal Strategic Sustainability Performance Planning process, each Federal agency evaluate agency climate change risks and vulnerabilities to manage both the short- and long-term effects of climate change on the agency's mission and operations. Section 5(b) of the E.O. specifies that the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) shall issue instructions to implement the order. The purpose of this document is to provide implementing instructions to be used by Federal agencies in climate change adaptation planning."

Council on Environmental Quality (U.S.)

2011-03-04
Legal Status of CEQ's Final Guidance on Climate Change in Environmental Reviews under NEPA [August 17, 2016]

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"On August 2, 2016, the Obama Administration issued a final guidance document 'to assist Federal agencies in their consideration of the effects of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate change when evaluating proposed Federal actions in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).' It was issued by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and applies to federal actions (including actions receiving federal funding or federal permits) subject to review under NEPA. While most federal agencies already have procedures in place to ensure that they identify GHG emissions associated with their proposed actions, as well as future impacts to those proposed projects that may relate to climate change, the Guidance states that it aims to provide 'greater clarity and more consistency' for evaluating climate-related impacts of and to federal actions. The Guidance follows an initial draft issued in 2010 and a revised draft issued in 2014. As a guidance document, it is not binding on agencies or legally enforceable, but CEQ expects that the Guidance should be applied to all new and, to the extent practicable, currently proposed federal actions subject to review under NEPA."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

2016-08-17
Transportation System Resilience to Extreme Weather and Climate Change

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"The ability of transportation agencies' to effectively manage, operate, and maintain a safe, reliable transportation system is being threatened by a changing climate. Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change, and long-term climatological trends are slowly but inexorably changing how transportation systems need to be planned, designed, operated, and maintained. A 'new normal' is evolving and State departments of transportation (DOTs) are turning their focus toward building resilience."

United States. Department of Transportation; United States. Federal Highway Administration

2015-11
Serial No. 114-6: The Obama Administration's CEQ Rrecently Revised Draft Guidance for GHG Emissions and the Effects of Climate Change: Oversight Hearing Before the Committee on Natural Resources, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, First Session, May 13, 2015

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This is the May 13, 2015 hearing "The Obama Administration's CEQ [Council on Environmental Quality] Recently Revised Draft Guidance for GHG [greenhouse gas] Emissions and the Effects of Climate Change" held before the House Committee on Natural Resources. From the opening statement of the Honorable Louie Gohmert: "The focus of today's hearing is the White House Council on Environmental Quality's sweeping draft guidance on greenhouse gas emissions. On its face, the draft guidance acknowledges that it is not legally enforceable. Some may say that means it is unlawful. Despite not being legally enforceable, curiously, CEQ claims that the guidance will facilitate compliance and improve efficiency and consistency of existing NEPA [National Environmental Policy Act] reviews--literally, thousands of reviews annually. Based upon the Federal Government's track record on NEPA, I am highly dubious, but will listen closely to the testimony today for evidence on whether or not that is, indeed, the case. This draft guidance set the stage for potential sweeping Federal overreach, by pushing agencies to examine greenhouse gas emissions that are beyond their ability to control or regulate the impacts, including the vast array of all upstream and downstream impacts. The draft guidance is overly broad, expansive, it goes out- side the scope of NEPA. Otherwise, it is OK. For NEPA to work correctly, Federal agencies must be able to affect the outcome of the proposed projects. But the draft guidance goes far beyond what an agency can control. The results will force more delays, more costs onto economic and energy-related activities nationwide, and uncertainty for those who want to balance the needs important to all Americans with protecting the environment. The draft guidance would even frustrate the Administration's other goals, such as modernizing the Nation's electric grid, to improve energy reliability and resiliency." Statements, Letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: John Christy, Ray Clark, Christy Goldfuss, and Roger R. Martella.

United States. Government Publishing Office

2015
Executive Order 13653: Preparing the United States for the Impacts of Climate Change

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"The impacts of climate change-including an increase in prolonged periods of excessively high temperatures, more heavy downpours, an increase in wildfires, more severe droughts, permafrost thawing, ocean acidification, and sea-level rise-are already affecting communities, natural resources, ecosystems, economies, and public health across the Nation. [...] The Federal Government must build on recent progress and pursue new strategies to improve the Nation's preparedness and resilience. In doing so, agencies should promote: (1) engaged and strong partnerships and information sharing at all levels of government; (2) risk-informed decision-making and the tools to facilitate it; (3) adaptive learning, in which experiences serve as opportunities to inform and adjust future actions; and (4) preparedness planning." This order was ammended on December 16, 2014 by EO 13683, which can be found at the following link: [http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-12-16/pdf/2014-29625.pdf].

United States. Office of the Federal Register

Obama, Barack

2013-11-01
Changing Climate, Changing Forests: The Impacts of Climate Change on Forests of the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada

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"Decades of study on climatic change and its direct and indirect effects on forest ecosystems provide important insights for forest science, management, and policy. A synthesis of recent research from the northeastern United States and eastern Canada shows that the climate of the region has become warmer and wetter over the past 100 years and that there are more extreme precipitation events. Greater change is projected in the future. The amount of projected future change depends on the emissions scenarios used. Tree species composition of northeast forests has shifted slowly in response to climate for thousands of years. However, current human-accelerated climate change is much more rapid and it is unclear how forests will respond to large changes in suitable habitat. Projections indicate significant declines in suitable habitat for spruce-fir forests and expansion of suitable habitat for oak-dominated forests. Productivity gains that might result from extended growing seasons and carbon dioxide and nitrogen fertilization may be offset by productivity losses associated with the disruption of species assemblages and concurrent stresses associated with potential increases in atmospheric deposition of pollutants, forest fragmentation, and nuisance species. […] There is some evidence to suggest that novel species, including pests and pathogens, may be more adept at adjusting to changing climatic conditions, enhancing their competitive ability relative to native species. With the accumulating evidence of climate change and its potential effects, forest stewardship efforts would benefit from integrating climate mitigation and adaptation options in conservation and management plans."

United States. Forest Service; United States. Department of Agriculture

Dukes, Jeffrey S.; Rustad, L. E. (Lindsey E.), 1958-; Campbell, John

2012-07
Climate Change in Coastal Regions: Hearing Before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, One Hundred Tenth Congress: Second Session to Examine the Impacts of Climate Change on the Reliability Security, Economics, and Design of Critical Energy Infrastructure in Coastal Regions, May 13, 2008

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From the opening statement of Honorable Jeff Bingaman: "This is an oversight hearing on climate-change impacts on our energy infrastructure. It's expected that within the next 50 years, we will see accelerated sea-level rise, increased storm intensity, and significant coastal erosion. The consequences of these events should not be underestimated. As a Nation, we've begun to consider mitigation efforts aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as it's now generally accepted that some level of climate change is occurring. There has been little focus so far on how changes in climate will affect our current and future energy needs. I'm concerned that in many communities facilities are being developed without adequate consideration of the potential cost of protecting or relocating them from sealevel rise-related erosion and flooding and storm damage. Much of our energy infrastructure has been built based on our knowledge of historical climate conditions, but since our climate is changing, energy infrastructures which are optimal today may not be, in the future. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change states that it's very likely that we will see 2 stronger, more destructive hurricanes and typhoons, accelerated sea-level rise, and changing weather patterns in coming years. A significant portion of our Nation's critical energy infrastructure is concentrated in coastal areas that are vulnerable to natural hazards and changes in climate. This infrastructure forms the heart of a nationally and globally interdependent energy system. There was a significant loss of natural-gas supplies in the Gulf of Mexico. The disruptions increased United States energy prices and threatened to create significant shortages of fuel for home heating and electric power generation in New England. There's currently a need to consider how to incorporate future changes in environmental conditions as new infrastructure expansion plans are developed and implemented. Today, we'll hear testimony on what's needed to create a more resilient and adaptable infrastructure in response to the inevitable impacts and challenges that climate change will present." Statements, letters and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Jeff Bingaman, Virginia Burkett, Bob Corker, Larry E. Craig, Charles T. Drevena, Lisa Polak Edgar, Ted Flagout, Mary L. Landrieu, Mel Martinez, Terry Wallace, Thomas J. Wilbanks.

United States. Government Printing Office

2008
Climate Change: Observations on Federal Efforts to Adapt to a Changing Climate, Statement of John Stephenson, Director National Resources and Environment, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Emery and Environment, Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives

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"Changes in the climate attributable to increased concentrations of greenhouse gases may have significant environmental and economic impacts in the United States. For example, climate change could threaten coastal areas with rising sea levels, alter agricultural productivity, and increase the intensity and frequency of floods and storms. Federal, state, and local agencies are tasked with a wide array of responsibilities that will be affected by a changing climate, such as managing natural resources. Furthermore, climate change could increase the cost of federal programs, such as crop and flood insurance, and place new stresses on infrastructure. Greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere will continue altering the climate system into the future regardless of emissions control efforts. Therefore, adaptation- defined as adjustments to natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climate change-is an important part of the response to climate change. This testimony summarizes GAO's prior and ongoing work examining (1) actions that federal, state, local, and international authorities are taking to adapt to a changing climate, (2) the challenges that federal, state, and local officials face in their efforts to adapt, and (3) actions that the Congress and federal agencies could take to help address these challenges."

United States. Government Accountability Office

Stephenson, John D.

2009-03-25
Recovery, Resiliency and Readiness: Contending with Natural Disasters in the Wake of Climate Change (Climate Change Part III), Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Environment of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, House of Representatives, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, First Session, June 25, 2019

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This is the June 25, 2019 hearing on "Recovery, Resiliency and Readiness: Contending with Natural Disasters in the Wake of Climate Change (Climate Change Part III)" held before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Environment of the Committee on Oversight and Reform. From the opening statement of Harley Rouda: "After examining the history of the scientific consensus on climate change and the public health effects of climate change in our first two hearings, today the subcommittee turns to the impact of climate change on natural disasters. This subcommittee has three goals today. First, we are going to illustrate how natural disasters are made both more intense and more frequent due to climate change. [...] Our second goal today is to examine how the Federal Government could have responded better to the 2017-2018 spate of natural disasters, steps the Federal Government has taken to address these challenges, as well as explore ongoing recovery challenges [...] Third, we are going to assess how well FEMA and other Federal agencies, as well as regional and local governments, are prepared for not just the current hurricane and wildfire seasons, but also for the long term, given that climate change is causing more intense and frequent natural disasters. Every single one of us in this room wants FEMA to succeed, and we want to make sure that the agency has the tools and makes the changes necessary to do so." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: James Witt, Christopher Currie, Michael Mann, Judith Curry, Stephen Costello, Adrienne Williams-Octablien, Mark Ghilarducci, and Omar Marrero.

United States. Government Publishing Office

2019
Impacts of Climate Change on Biodiversity, Ecosystems, and Ecosystem Services: Technical Input to the 2013 National Climate Assessment

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"Ecosystems, and the biodiversity and services they support, are intrinsically dependent on climate. During the twentieth century, climate change has had documented impacts on ecological systems, and impacts are expected to increase as climate change continues and perhaps even accelerates. This technical input to the National Climate Assessment synthesizes our scientific understanding of the way climate change is affecting biodiversity, ecosystems, ecosystem services, and what strategies might be employed to decrease current and future risks. Building on past assessments of how climate change and other stressors are affecting ecosystems in the United States and around the world, we approach the subject from several different perspectives. First, we review the observed and projected impacts on biodiversity, with a focus on genes, species, and assemblages of species. Next, we examine how climate change is affecting ecosystem structural elements--such as biomass, architecture, and heterogeneity--and functions--specifically, as related to the fluxes of energy and matter. People experience climate change impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems as changes in ecosystem services; people depend on ecosystems for resources that are harvested, their role in regulating the movement of materials and disturbances, and their recreational, cultural, and aesthetic value. Thus, we review newly emerging research to determine how human activities and a changing climate are likely to alter the delivery of these ecosystem services. This technical input also examines two cross-cutting topics. First, we recognize that climate change is happening against the backdrop of a wide range of other environmental and anthropogenic stressors, many of which have caused dramatic ecosystem degradation already. This broader range of stressors interacts with climate change, and complicates our abilities to predict and manage the impacts on biodiversity, ecosystems, and the services they support. The second cross-cutting topic is the rapidly advancing field of climate adaptation, where there has been significant progress in developing the conceptual framework, planning approaches, and strategies for safeguarding biodiversity and other ecological resources. At the same time, ecosystem-based adaptation is becoming more prominent as a way to utilize ecosystem services to help human systems adapt to climate change."

U.S. Global Change Research Program

Staudt, Amanda; Staudinger, Michelle D.; Ruckelshaus, Mary

2012-07
S. Hrg. 109-188: Climate Change: Hearings before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, One Hundred Ninth Congress, First Session to Receive Testimony Regarding the Current State of Climate Change Scientific Research and the Economics of Strategies to Manage Climate Change, July 21, 2005, September 20, 2005

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From the opening statement of Pete V. Domenici: "It will not be the last hearing on this subject, but certainly for our committee, it is the first and it is very important. At the time we discussed this, Senator Bingaman and I were engaged in serious discussions about what we might agree should be done about the issue of climate change. I have come to accept that something is happening with the earth's climate. I am aware that many in the scientific community are warning us that something needs to be done. I am also aware that there are other qualified members of the scientific community who do not share those views, and probably even more who are concerned that anything we do will significantly affect our economy and even our way of life, and also suggest that maybe whatever we do will not have any impact. So as I said, we are going to have additional hearings, and hear from those witnesses who have different views from what we are going to hear today. I believe that prudence warns that we consider this issue, that we hear from scientists, and we hear from economists about exactly what the role of humans is in all of this, and what the impact will be if we decide to address it. And what it might be if we decide to do nothing. So what, how, who, and when seem, to me, to be questions that have to be answered in my mind." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Daniel K. Akaka, Jeff Bingaman, Maria Cantwell, Ralph J. Cicerone, Jon Corzine, Pete V. Domenici, Dianne Feinstein, John Houghton, James W. Hurrell, Mel Martinez, Mario Molina, Lisa Murkowski, Ken Salazar, James M. Talent, Howard Gruenspecht, Jason S. Grumet, Richard D.

United States. Government Printing Office

2005
Drought and Climate Change on Water Resources, Hearing Before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, First Session to Receive Testimony on the Current Drought Conditions Affecting New Mexico and the Status of Reports to be Issued Pursuant to Sections 9503 and 9506 of the Secure Water Act Regarding a Review of the Current Scientific Understanding of the Impacts of Climate Change on Water Resources and an Assessment of the Risks Associated With Climate Change on Water Resources in Certain River Basins, Santa Fe, NM, April 27, 2011

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From the opening statement of Jeff Bingaman: "Despite receiving a little moisture over the past few days at least in some parts of the State, the majority of the State is experiencing a severe drought that has impacted irrigation and municipal and environmental water supplies. The current Drought Monitor maps indicate that no part of New Mexico is without impacts. The southern one-third of the State is experiencing extreme drought conditions, having had little or no rainfall for several months. Below normal precipitation and snow pack resulted in flows in the Rio Grande that are forecast to be 39 percent of normal. Irrigators will have to use more water from storage this year than was otherwise expected. Some municipalities such as the city of Las Vegas will come close to using up a majority of their existing supplies. Environmental flows will also be impacted because of the natural flows in many of the State's stream systems being reduced. Challenges due to an increased population, environmental demands, and climate change as well are present even during our normal water years. The drought conditions that we're experiencing at this time make the ongoing stresses even more difficult to manage. […] Communities throughout the State will need to continue to engage in water planning activities and water conservation efforts. Cooperative efforts such as water banking and shortage sharing agreements will be essential tools to help communities maintain economic stability even in times of drought. Maintaining cooperation between Federal, State, and local entities to address emergency situations such as fires will be all the more important." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Jeff Bingaman, Michael Connor, David DuBois, Brian H. Hurd, Esteven Lopez, Corbin L. Newman, and Jonathan Overpeck.

United States. Government Printing Office

2011
Progress Report of the Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force: Recommended Actions in Support of a National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy

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"As concentrations of greenhouse gases and heat-trapping particles increase in the atmosphere, it is becoming ever more urgent to understand and prepare for the resulting changes in climate. These changes include not only temperature increases but also shifts in precipitation patterns, storm tracks, and other parameters. Climate change affects human health, water and energy supplies, food production, coastal communities, ecosystems, and many other aspects of society and the environment. The Obama Administration is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to minimize the impacts of climate change. But mitigation alone is not enough. People are already feeling the impacts of climate change and future changes are inevitable. To prepare and respond to these impacts, the Administration is also committed to climate change adaptation."

Council on Environmental Quality (U.S.)

United States. Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force

2010-10-05
Situating Climate Security: The Department of Defense's Role in Mitigating Climate Change's Causes and Dealing with its Effects

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"A new concern is circulating among policymakers, think tanks, and scholars: securing the planet's climate. For those who debate what counts as 'national security,' the question over whether climate change should be framed as a security issue has been argued along well-worn lines. For those who seek a more expansive definition of security, one that reaches beyond military threats, the threat of climate change is another reason why the lines of security need to be re-drawn. For those who see the inclusion of climate change as a threat to the notion of security as the protection of the state in a competitive international system, widening the term to encompass climate change threatens to draw attention away from traditional threats (future peer competitors like China and a resurgent Russia) and the 'new nontraditional' threats (rogue states and transnational terrorism). At the most basic level, the inclusion of environmental threats in a security paradigm risks confusing national security with foreign policy and global politics. As this article will show, however, in many ways this debate has already become obsolete. Since the issuance of the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates, the publication of a bevy of key reports by respected think tanks, and most recently the latest 'Defense Department Quadrennial Defense Review' (QDR) and the 'National Security Strategy (NSS)', climate security has increasingly become recognized as a legitimate object of national security thinking. In this essay we will examine three issues: the emerging threat of climate change as it is currently known through climate change models, the way climate security is increasingly being internalized in the U.S. national security community, and the tasks the DoD can undertake to mitigate the causes of climate change and deal with its effects."

Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Contemporary Conflict

Clausen, Daniel; Clausen, Michael

2010
NASA 2014 Climate Risk Management Plan: Managing Climate Risks and Adapting to a Changing Climate

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Taken from the Background section of the report: "NASA [National Aeronautics and Space Administration] recognized as early as 2005 that 'regional climate variability' could pose a risk to its operations and missions and identified it as a risk within NASA's risk management framework. Many Agency assets - 66% of its assets when measured by replacement value - are within 16 feet of mean sea level and located along America's coasts, where sea level rise and increased frequency and intensity of high water levels associated with storms are expected, and in other parts of the country where long-term changes in temperature and precipitation intensity and duration are expected to impact potable water supplies. Subsequent initiatives at NASA, such as encroachment risk assessment workshops held in 2007, confirmed that 'natural hazard s' could impact NASA Centers and their ability to execute mission activities. Fortunately, engagement of NASA's own preeminent climate science expertise enabled NASA to refine a vulnerability assessment and adaptation strategy process at both cross - Agency and Center - specific workshops starting in 2009, which has led to local Center - level capacity building, increased awareness of NASA's climate - related vulnerabilities and risks, and changes in policy. While climate change is a global phenomenon, impacts are being and will be felt at all scales, and NASA recognizes that integrating climate change adaptation into Center planning is a local activity, guided by Headquarters support. Thus, NASA Centers own and manage risks, including those associated with a changing climate and NASA Headquarters provides policy and planning directives and guidance, such as issuing a new Land Management Policy in 2013."

United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration

2014?
International Climate Change Financing: The Green Climate Fund (GCF) [April 16, 2013]

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"Many voices, domestic and international, have called upon the United States and other industrialized countries to increase foreign assistance to lower- and middle-income countries to address climate change. Proponents maintain that such assistance could help promote climate-friendly and high-growth economic development in these countries, while simultaneously protecting the more vulnerable nations from the effects of a changing climate. For their part, most, if not all, lower-income countries have stated that their success at combating climate change depends critically on receipt of international financial support. They argue that mitigating climate change pollutants, adapting to the effects of climate change, and building climate resilience into their development agendas incur costs above and beyond their normal economic growth trajectories. These costs are particularly challenging to nations that have scant resources compared to industrialized countries, do not recognize themselves as the historical sources of climate pollution, and consider alleviating poverty as their first priority. The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is an international financial institution connected to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The GCF was proposed by Parties to the UNFCCC during the 2009 Conference of Parties (COP) in Copenhagen, Denmark, and its design was agreed to during the 2011 COP in Durban, South Africa. The fund aims to assist developing countries in their efforts to combat climate change through the provision of grants and other concessional financing for mitigation and adaptation4 projects, programs, policies, and activities."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Lattanzio, Richard K.

2013-04-16
S. Hrg. 112-592: Impacts of Climate Change on the Intermountain West, Hearing Before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Second Session to Examine the Current and Future Impacts of Climate Change on the Intermountain West, Focusing on Drought, Wildfire Frequency and Severity, and Ecosystems, Santa Fe, NM, August 17, 2012

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From the opening statement of Jeff Bingaman: "Wildfires have always been part of life in this region. But this year's fires have been exceptional in their intensity. The work of the Nation's top scientists tells us that some of the conditions contributing to the severity of this year's fire season, including drought, accompanied by above average temperatures, are now more commonly--are common because of human induced climate change. The National Research Council has examined historical wildfire data as part of its America's Climate Choices report. They found that quote, 'Over the past 30 years large and long duration forest fires in the American West have increased fourfold. The length of the fire season has expanded by two and a half months. The size of wildfires has increased several fold.' The study further attributed the increase of wildfire activity to climate change stating that climate change has likely contributed to a significant increase in big forest fires in the West. They did a separate report, the same National Research Council, in 2011 and projected an increase in median annual area burn in parts of New Mexico and in the Sierras of over 300 percent for a global increase in temperature of just one degree Celsius. That level of warming is all but certain to be reached and exceeded in coming years. The intent of this hearing is to receive testimony that puts these recent fires into a greater historical context to unravel the factors that contributed to their severity and to understand how climate change has and is expected to continue to change the landscape and ecosystems of the Intermountain West." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Craig D. Allen, Jeff Bingaman, Walter Dasheno, William deBuys, Denise D. Fort, Nathan McDowell, and Kelly T. Redmond.

United States. Government Printing Office

2012
Our Changing Planet: The U.S. Climate Change Science Program for Fiscal Year 2008

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"We are pleased to transmit a copy of 'Our Changing Planet: The U.S. Climate Change Science Program for Fiscal Year 2008'. The report describes the activities and plans of the Climate Change Science Program (CCSP), which incorporates the U.S. Global Change Research Program, established under the Global Change Research Act of 1990, and the Climate Change Research Initiative, established by the President in 2001. CCSP coordinates and integrates scientific research on climate and global change supported by 13 participating departments and agencies of the U.S. Government. This Fiscal Year 2008 edition of 'Our Changing Planet' highlights recent advances and progress supported by CCSP-participating agencies in each of the program's research and observational elements, as called for in the 'Strategic Plan for the U.S. Climate Change Science Program' released in July 2003. The document describes a wide range of advances in understanding the underlying processes responsible for climate variability and change, such as advances in understanding of climate change at high latitudes. It also describes progress on understanding the ongoing and projected effects of climate change on nature and society, including the interconnected relationships between climate, forests, and wildfire. The document also describes how observational and predictive capabilities are being improved and used to create tools to support decisionmaking at local, regional, and national scales to cope with environmental variability and change."

U.S. Global Change Research Program

2007-10
Our Changing Planet: The Fiscal Year 2003 U.S. Global Change Research Program and Climate Change Research Initiative

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"We are pleased to transmit to you a copy of 'Our Changing Planet: The FY 2003 U.S. Global Change Research Program and Climate Change Research Initiative'. The report describes the activities and plans of the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), which was established in 1989 and authorized by Congress in the Global Change Research Act of 1990. This year, the report also describes the start-up activities for the U.S. Climate Change Research Initiative (CCRI), established by President George W. Bush to accelerate research on climate change. The CCRI supplements the ongoing USGCRP work by providing focus and targeting resources to areas where significant 2 to 5 year improvements in decision-relevant information are possible. The CCRI is an important part of the Administration's broader approach to climate change that seeks to achieve both environmental protection and a healthy economy, based on the best possible information for action. This year's 'Our Changing Planet' also describes the new science and technology management arrangements announced by the President in February 2002 to ensure that resources invested are used effectively. The new science structure includes the interagency Climate Change Science Program (CCSP), which oversees the entire range of research sponsored by both USGCRP and CCRI."

U.S. Global Change Research Program; Climate Change Science Program (U.S.)

2002-11
Climate Change on the Shoshone National Forest, Wyoming: A Synthesis of Past Climate, Climate Projections, and Ecosystem Implications

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"The Shoshone National Forest (Shoshone) covers 2.4 million acres of mountainous topography in northwest Wyoming and is a vital ecosystem that provides clean water, wildlife habitat, timber, grazing, recreational opportunities, and aesthetic value. The Shoshone has experienced and adapted to changes in climate for many millennia, and is currently experiencing a warming trend that is expected to accelerate in the next century. Climate change directly and indirectly affects the Shoshone's high-elevation, mountainous terrain that supports unique and sometimes rare ecological components. Several vulnerable and very responsive resources and processes on the Shoshone could interact to produce unforeseeable or undesirable ecosystem changes, highlighting the need to identify potential resource vulnerabilities and develop adaptation pathways and flexibility in resource management options. The objective of this report is to synthesize the current understanding of the paleo and historical climate of the Shoshone as a reference point, determine what future climates may look like, and what the effects of future climate may be on natural resources. This information allows for the identification of vulnerabilities and information gaps, thereby aiding the development of adaptation tools and strategies."

United States. Department of Agriculture; United States. Forest Service; Rocky Mountain Research Station (Fort Collins, Colo.)

Rice, Janine R.; Tredennick, Andrew; Joyce, Linda A.

2012-01
Climate-Resilient Development: A Framework for Understanding and Addressing Climate Change

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"Climate change is one of many challenges developing countries must recognize and respond to in planning for the future. By increasing risks to human health, welfare, and ecosystems, climate impacts can threaten primary development goals such as reducing poverty, increasing access to education, improving child health, combating disease, or managing natural resources sustainably. This framework facilitates the systematic inclusion of climate considerations in development decision-making. The framework's objective is to support the development process by assisting development practitioners in identifying, evaluating, selecting, implementing, and adjusting actions to reduce climate vulnerabilities and improve development outcomes. The climate-resilient development framework described here is designed to promote actions that ensure progress toward development goals by including climate stressors, both climate variability and climate change. The framework focuses on how climate can be incorporated into existing planning and decision-making processes -- also known as mainstreaming -- and focuses on achieving development goals -- which we call a 'development-first' approach. This framework supplements and builds upon the United States Agency for International Development project cycle management framework with additional tools designed to simplify the challenge of understanding how climate impacts can affect development strategies, programs, and projects. The climate-resilient development framework provides a five-stage, systematic process for understanding and prioritizing current and projected climate-related vulnerabilities. The first three stages of this framework differ more from conventional development practice than the last two stages, and so the framework spends more time discussing the first three stages."

United States. Agency for International Development

2014-03
Implementing the President's Climate Action Plan: U.S. Department of the Interior; Actions the Department of the Interior Should Take to Address Climate Change

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From the Executive Summary of the report: "In June 2013, President Obama announced a plan to address climate change using the existing authorities of the Executive Branch. The President's Climate Action Plan contains domestic measures that are designed to reduce U.S. carbon emissions approximately 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. The plan also called for the United States to be better prepared for the effects of climate change, and in November 2013, the President signed an Executive Order advancing this effort. The Department of the Interior (DOI) is an important partner in implementing the President's Climate Action Plan. The plan calls on DOI to reduce methane emissions; accelerate clean energy permitting; contribute to efforts that prepare the U.S. for the effects of climate change; protect wildlife; develop actionable climate science; and help Indian tribes adapt to climate change. This report recommends several specific actions DOI should take in carrying out the President's Climate Action Plan. These recommendations are based on suggestions submitted to the Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change by over 200 groups ranging from environmental organizations and efficiency advocates to electric utilities and Fortune 500 companies. They also reflect input from leading academics and experts.

United States. Congress. Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change

Waxman, Henry A.; Rush, Bobby L.; Blumenauer, Earl . . .

2013-12-19
Our Changing Planet: The U.S. Climate Change Science Program for Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005

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"We are pleased to transmit to you a copy of 'Our Changing Planet:The U.S. Climate Change Science Program for Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005'. The report describes the activities and plans of the Climate Change Science Program (CCSP), which incorporates the U.S. Global Change Research Program, established under the Global Change Research Act of 1990, and the Climate Change Research Initiative, established by the President in 2001. The CCSP coordinates and integrates scientific research on climate and global change supported by 13 participating departments and agencies of the U.S. Government. This Fiscal Year 2004 -- Fiscal Year 2005 edition of 'Our Changing Planet' includes a review of the key components of the 'Strategic Plan for the U.S. Climate Change Science Program', which was released in July 2003. The CCSP Strategic Plan was the first comprehensive update of a national plan for climate and global change research since the original strategy was issued at the inception of the U.S. Global Change Research Program. This report outlines how the CCSP is moving forward to implement the Strategic Plan during FY 2004 and FY 2005. As a significant part of this implementation, the CCSP will produce 21 scientific syntheses and assessments on a wide range of topics to support informed discussion of climate variability and change and associated issues by decision makers and the public. The first nine of these products are being developed during FY 2004 and FY 2005."

U.S. Global Change Research Program

2004-07
S. Hrg. 110-130: Climate Change and Water Supply: Hearing before the Subcommittee on Water and Power of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, One Hundred Tenth Congress, First Session, to Receive Testimony on the Impacts of Climate Change on Water Supply and Availability in the United States, and Related Issues from a Water Use Perspective, June 6, 2007

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From the opening statement of the Honorable Maria Cantwell: "The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the impacts of climate change on water supply and availability in the United States, and related issues from a water use perspective. These issues are garnering more attention these days as the debate about whether climate change is occurring, and its root cause, recedes to the background. […]. As recently documented by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, we know that increasing temperatures are resulting in increased and earlier run-off from glacier-and snow-fed rivers; changes in precipitation to less snowpack and more rainfall; and significant warming in lakes and rivers, affecting habitat and water quality. These changes, and a host of others that are being studied, add to the significant challenges already facing water managers across the United States. Drought, population increases, environmental demands, and overuse of limited water supplies, have already created numerous situations in which federal, state, and local water managers have had to react quickly to address potential water shortages and conflicts." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Jeff Bingaman, Tim F. Brick, Maria Cantwell, Bob Corker, Larry E. Craig, Tim Culbertson, Terry Fulp, Christopher Milly, Philip W. Mote, Patrick O'Toole, Ken Salazar, Bradley H. Udall, Jack Williams.

United States. Government Printing Office

2007
Climate Change: A Challenge for Public Health, Hearing of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, United States Senate, One Hundred Tenth Congress, Second Session on Examining Climate Change, Focusing On It as a Challenge for Public Health, April 10, 2008

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From the opening statement of Edward M. Kennedy: "Over the past few years, the American public's awareness and concern about climate change has reached unprecedented levels, and we have heard about what climate change means for the Earth, about the melting ice caps, and about the rising sea levels. The issue of climate change is not just about polar bears or melting distant glaciers. It is about our communities and our health and the health effect on our children. [...] Today, we will hear from our expert panel about how prepared public health departments are to respond to these challenges, about the innovative and practical solutions that are already being adopted, and about the role the Federal Government should play in assisting them in responding to the threat. I look forward to their comments." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Edward M. Kennedy, Michael B. Enzi, Jonathan Patz, Kristie Ebi, John Balbus, John W. McDonald, Bernard Sanders, Barack Obama, Tom Coburn, James Inhofe, John Dale Dunn, T. A. Kuepper, Howard Maccabee, and Paul Reiter.

United States. Government Printing Office

2009
Iowa Climate Change Adaptation & Resilience Report: How Should Hazard Mitigation and Other Community Planning Programs Respond to Climate Change?

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From the Executive Summary: "This report presents the findings of a pilot project initiated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to work with stakeholders and governments in Iowa to identify barriers to and incentives for considering regional effects of climate change in hazard mitigation planning and other community planning processes. Communities in Iowa engage in multiple planning activities, including hazard mitigation planning and comprehensive or community planning, that can help guide them as they try to become more resilient to the effects of climate change. Iowa communities have been experiencing floods that are growing more severe and frequent, and state and local planners are working to identify local planning approaches that improve resilience to future floods and help communities recover after disasters. The first stage of this pilot project explored if and how climate change information should be considered in risk assessments and the implications this information may have for community planning options. The second stage focused on identifying adaptation solutions with mutual benefits and synergies across different planning requirements and emphasized the need to work across agencies and levels of government to optimize results."

United States. Environmental Protection Agency; United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency; Rebuild Iowa Office . . .

2011
S. Hrg. 110-228: Climate Change on Wildfire Activity, Hearing Before the Committee the Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, One Hundred Tenth Congress, First Session to Consider Scientific Assessments of the Impacts of Global Climate Change on Wildfire Activity in the United States, September 24, 2007

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The following hearing is on increased wildfire activity as a result of global warming. The following is the opening statement made by Jeff Bingaman: "A report, released earlier this month by the GAO, reported that a group of experts convened by it and by the National Academies of Sciences, quote, 'generally agreed that the scientific community has reached consensus that climate change will cause forest fires to grow in size and severity,' end quote. That consensus is reflected in the fourth assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. It concludes that, quote, 'An intensification and expansion of wildfires is likely, globally, and that--with that, an extended period of high risk--high fire risk and large increases in area burned in North America as a result of global warming.' […] wildfires have become larger, they've become more intense, they've become more difficult, and they've become more expensive to control in recent years. […] It's clear […] that climate change is driving the dramatic growth in wildfire activity, and that it is likely to get worse. A number of studies predict that global warming will increase the number of acres burned by wildfires in the United States by 25 to 75 percent by the middle of the century. […] This information is important to this committee because of our work on global warming and on wildfire policies. […] Along with rising temperatures, Federal wildland fire spending has more than tripled in less than 10 years. "Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: John Barrasso, Ann Bartuska, Susan Conard, Jeff Bingaman, Bob Corker, Larry E. Craig, Pete Domenici, John A. Helms, Ken Salazar, Thomas W. Swetnam, Jon Tester, and Ron Wyden.

United States. Government Printing Office

2007
Human Health Perspective on Climate Change: A Report Outlining the Research Needs on the Human Health Effects of Climate Change

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"The purpose of this paper is to identify research needs for all aspects of the research-to-decision making pathway that will help us understand and mitigate the health effects of climate change, as well as ensure that we choose the healthiest and most efficient approaches to climate change adaptation." This paper is organized into 11 broad human health categories and the ways in which they are affected by climate change: Asthma, Respiratory Allergies, and Airway Diseases, Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke, Foodborne Diseases and Nutrition, Heart-Related Morbidity and Mortality, Human Developmental Effects, Mental Health and Stress-Related Disorders, Neurological Diseases and Disorders, Vectorborne and Zoonotic Diseases, Waterborne Diseases, and Weather-Related Morbidity and Mortality.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Our Changing Planet: The U.S. Climate Change Science Program for Fiscal Year 2009

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"The report describes the activities and plans of the Climate Change Science Program (CCSP), which incorporates the U.S. Global Change Research Program established under the Global Change Research Act of 1990, and the Climate Change Research Initiative that was established by the President in 2001. The document describes a wide range of activities including examples of CCSP's contribution to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change as well as significant progress in understanding Earth system components of the global climate system, how these components interact, and the processes and forces bringing about changes to the Earth system. It provides details on progress towards understanding the ongoing and projected effects of climate change on nature and society, such as the relationship between climate change and shifts in storm tracks and how this may affect water availability in the southwestern United States. The document also describes how observational and predictive capabilities are being improved and used to create tools to support decision-making at local, regional, and national scales to cope with environmental variability and change. The report also describes the program's 21 scientific synthesis and assessment products and its recently completed Scientific Assessment of the Effects of Global Change on the United States. To date, eight of the synthesis and assessment products have been completed and the remaining products will be completed in the coming months. These products are being widely disseminated and briefed to stakeholders, including Congress. They are also providing important input to CCSP's ongoing strategic planning."

Climate Change Science Program (U.S.); U.S. Global Change Research Program

2008

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