Global Issues

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

EPA Releases Report on Climate Change and Health

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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
July 17, 2008

(Washington, D.C. - July 17, 2008) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released a report that discusses the potential impacts of climate change on human health, human welfare, and communities in the U.S. The report, entitled "Analyses of the Effects of Global Change on Human Health and Welfare and Human Systems," also identifies adaptation strategies to help respond to the challenges of a changing climate and identifies near- and long-term research goals for addressing data and knowledge gaps...more

World Energy Use Projected to Grow 50 Percent Between 2005 and 2030

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
WASHINGTON DC 20585
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JUNE 25, 2008

World marketed energy consumption is projected to grow by 50 percent between 2005 and 2030, driven by robust economic growth and expanding populations in the world’s developing countries, according to the reference case projection from the International Energy Outlook 2008 (IEO2008) released today by the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Average world oil prices in every year since 2003 have been higher than the average for the previous year and prices in 2007 were nearly double the 2003 prices in real terms. The IEO2008 uses oil price cases originally developed in the summer of 2007 for use in...more
 

April 17, 2008 - President Bush Discusses Climate Change

President George W. Bush speaks on climate change during remarks from the Rose Garden Wednesday, April 16, 2008, at the White House.

Rose Garden
April 17, 2008

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Welcome. Thank you all for coming. I particularly want to thank members of my Cabinet for joining me here today in the Rose Garden.

Tomorrow represents -- representatives of the world's major economies will gather in Paris to discuss climate change. Here in Washington, the debate about climate change is intensifying. Today, I'll share some views on this important issue to advance discussions both at home and abroad.  more

 

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December 14, 2007 - U.S. Agency, Coast Guard Help South Korea with Oil Spill Cleanup

Washington -- A team of U.S. specialists has lent its expertise to the Republic of Korea after a crane barge collided with the motor tanker Hebei Spirit, releasing nearly 11.4 million liters of crude oil into the Yellow Sea 10 kilometers off the nation’s west coast. The spill happened December 7, 2007, but the cleanup effort, which could take a year or more, is just beginning. more

October 15, 2007 - Effect of Climate Change on Recovery of Ozone Hole Remains Unclear

Two decades after Montreal Protocol, scientists gauge pact’s success
Washington -- For 20 years -- since September 16, 1987, when representatives of 24 nations signed the first accord -- the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer increasingly has limited the production and use of nearly 100 substances that destroy stratospheric ozone. more

October 12, 2007 - Nobel Prize for Al Gore Highlights New Environmental Awareness

Washington - By winning the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore joins a roster of prominent U.S. politicians and activists recognized by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. He shares the prize with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an international body of scientists from more than 100 countries. more

July 19, 2007 - Asia-Pacific Group Achieving Climate Results Through Partnership

Washington – A group of U.S. and Asian businesses and governments is leading an effort that could have a profound impact on how major issues of climate change are addressed globally, U.S. officials say. more

31 May 2007 - President Bush Discusses United States International Development Agenda

MRS. BUSH: Thank you, George, for that kind introduction. Thanks to the United States Global Leadership Council for hosting us this morning. Next week, leaders from around the world will gather in Germany to advance goals shared by people of every nation: economic empowerment, education, and good health. more

13 February 2007 - Even Aggressive Action Will Not Stop Near-Term Climate Change

Co-authors of the latest report of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change tell the House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology that the warming of the planet due to an increase in greenhouse gases has had such a strong impact on land, oceans and atmosphere that no amount of reduction in such emissions will have an effect for several decades. Researchers outline current scientific knowledge of climate change and cite areas in which additional research is needed.  More 

12 February 2007  - New Fuels Have Huge Potential To Reduce Gasoline Use

New transportation fuels and related vehicle technologies offer the greatest potential for large reductions in gasoline use and the U.S. economy’s dependence on petroleum, a White House report says. The transportation sector alone accounts for two-thirds of the oil consumed in the United States as only a small fraction of vehicles now are powered by more energy efficient alternative fuels, according to the 2007 Economic Report of the President. More 

08 February 2007 - Vehicle Fuel Economy Plan Could Benefit Environment

President Bush’s plan to reduce gasoline use in the United States by increasing the fuel economy of passenger vehicles could make the country less dependent on oil imports and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions without causing economic harm to consumers or automakers, experts say. The administration is seeking a standards-setting scheme similar to the one it introduced in 2006 for light trucks, which would allow it to set the standards for each vehicle in each category based on its “footprint,” or width and distance between the wheels. More 

January 24, 2007 - Bush Urges Cuts in Gasoline Use, More Biofuel Production

Washington – President Bush is calling for development and production of fuels and automobiles that would decrease the use of oil in the United States, making the country less dependent on oil imports and helping it confront the threat of climate change.

In his January 23 State of the Union address to Congress, Bush presented the plan to cut gasoline usage by 20 percent in the next 10 years through mandatory use of alternative and renewable fuels, mostly biofuels, and increased automobile fuel economy standards. More

23 January 2007 - President Bush Plans To Strengthen America’s Energy Security
Aims to reduce U.S. vulnerability to foreign oil supplies, protect environment

The following fact sheet was released by the White House as a companion document to President Bush’s 2007 State of the Union Address:

Twenty In Ten: Strengthening America’s Energy Security
Tonight, President Bush Will Ask Congress And America's Scientists, Farmers, Industry Leaders, And Entrepreneurs To Join Him In Pursuing The Goal Of Reducing U.S. Gasoline Usage By 20 Percent In The Next Ten Years - Twenty In Ten. For too long, our Nation has been dependent on oil. America's dependence leaves us more vulnerable to hostile regimes, and to terrorists - who could cause huge disruptions of oil shipments, raise the price of oil, and do great harm to our economy. More  

November 22, 2006 - Asia-Pacific Partnership Tackles Energy, Environmental Issues

International cooperation to address global problems is hardly a new concept, but the APP works in innovative ways to engage governments, private industry, and research institutions from six nations: Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and the United States. Collectively, these nations comprise roughly half the world's population and more than half of its economic activity and energy use. More 

November 17, 2007 - State’s Dobriansky Recaps U.S. Efforts on Climate Change

Assisting developing nations deal with critical environmental challenges like climate change is a top priority of the Bush administration, Paula Dobriansky, under secretary of state for democracy and global affairs, told a U.N. climate change conference November 15. More 

November 14, 2006 - World Needs To Expand Alternative Energy, U.S. Energy Chief Says

Countries must expand the range and availability of alternative sources of energy to reduce global dependence on oil and to help meet growing energy demand, U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman says. Bodman said oil and other hydrocarbons alone cannot meet rising demand, much of it coming from fast growing economies in Asia. More

November 6, 2006 - U.S. Works on Adaptation, Technology Transfer at Climate Meeting

Adapting to climate change, especially for developing countries, is a main focus for the U.N. Climate Change Conference taking place in Nairobi, Kenya, November 6-17. The United States is participating in the conference, which is aimed at helping developing nations adapt to the effects of climate change. Such adaptation involves creating techniques that can help increase resilience to climate-change impacts -- such as developing salt- and drought-resistant crops -- and exchanging best practices for adaptation. More

October 26, 2006 - U.S. Firms Gearing Up to Tackle Environmental Challenges

Major U.S. corporations are moving aggressively to address climate change and other environmental concerns through entrepreneurial, technology-driven solutions, experts say. "Almost every day we have major businesses making statements about voluntary commitments to reduce greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions," Andrew Shapiro, the founder and head of Green Order, said in an October 13 interview. "U.S. companies have seen value and are investing in [better] energy and environmental performance." More 

July 6, 2005 - U.S. Invests in Understanding Climate Change

The United States has made significant investments in advancing human knowledge about climate, its role in the environment and its impact on human activities. Scientists have identified global-scale climate changes, and they are working to ascertain potential consequences and responses. More 

• Environment
• Environment
• Environment
• April 17, 2008 - President Bush Discusses Climate Change. Rose Garden
• December 14, 2007 - U.S. Agency, Coast Guard Help South Korea with Oil Spill Cleanup
• October 15, 2007 - Effect of Climate Change on Recovery of Ozone Hole Remains Unclear
• October 12, 2007 - Nobel Prize for Al Gore Highlights New Environmental Awareness
• July 19, 2007 - Asia-Pacific Group Achieving Climate Results Through Partnership
• May 31, 2007 - President Bush Discusses United States International Development Agenda
• January 24, 2007 - Bush Urges Cuts in Gasoline Use, More Biofuel Production
• 23 Feb 06 - U.S. Millitary Recovery Efforts for the Victims of the Landslide in the Philippines
• 8 Jul 05 - G8 Offers Action Plan for Cleaner, More Efficient Energy
• 8 Jul 05 - Clean Energy, Reduced Pollution Are G8 Climate-Change Goals
• 12 Jul 05 - U.N. Urges Companies to Face Environmental Challenges
• 1 Sept 05 - Economists Assess Hurricane Katrina's Economic Impact
• 23 Sept 05 - Energy Department Proposes Plan To Reduce Greenhouse Gases
• 11 Oct 05 - U.S Assistance for Earthquake in Pakistan
• 20 Oct 05 - EPA Announces Drinking Water Agreements with 24 Airlines
• 16 Nov 05 - United States Tough on Environmental Crime in 2005
• 17 Nov 05 - United States Marks 15 Years of Improving Air Quality
• 12 Dec 05 - Bush-Clinton Fund-Raising Effort for Katrina Exceeds $100 Million
• 15 Dec 05 - Focus on Results in Expanding Energy Access, United States Urges
• 14 Dec 05 - Degrading Environment Will Threaten Health, United Nations Finds
• 16 Dec 05 - U.S. Climate Agency Ranks 2005 Near Record for Heat