Category:Environment
Contents
The Carbon Cycle
- Highlight from the CRS report:Carbon is stored in the atmosphere, oceans, vegetation, and soils of the land surface. The exchange, or flux, of carbon between the atmosphere, oceans, and land surface is called the carbon cycle. Congress may opt to consider how land management practices, such as afforestation, conservation tillage, and other techniques, might increase the net flux of carbon from the atmosphere to the land surface. Congress may consider incorporating what is known about the carbon cycle into its legislative strategies, and may also evaluate whether the global carbon cycle is sufficiently well understood so that the consequences of long-term policies aimed at mitigating global climate change are fully appreciated.
- Read the full report.
- Highlight from the CRS report: The adequacy of the science supporting implementation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is receiving increased congressional attention. While some critics accuse agencies responsible for implementing the ESA of using “junk science,” others counter that decisions that should rest on science are instead being dictated by political concerns.
- Read the full report.
- Highlight from the CRS report:On April 2, 2007, the Supreme Court handed down Massachusetts v. EPA, its first pronouncement on climate change. By a narrow 5-4 margin, the Court held three things: that (1) Massachusetts had standing to sue, (2) the Clean Air Act (CAA) authorizes EPA to regulate emissions from new motor vehicles on the basis of their climate change impacts, and (3) the act does not authorize EPA to inject policy considerations into its decision whether to so regulate.
- Read the full report.
- Highlight from the CRS report:Businesses and individuals are buying carbon offsets to reduce their “carbon footprint” or to categorize an activity as “carbon neutral.” A carbon offset is a measurable avoidance, reduction, or sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO2) or other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
- Read the full report.
Endangered Species Act and Sound Science
Massachusetts v. EPA
Voluntary Carbon Offsets
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