Global warming and climate change have been a top priority for a number of international organizations, and in recent years, a number of states have also become profoundly concerned about these transformations. Not surprisingly, the state of California has been interested in these subjects for some time, and this website is an initiative of the various agencies working in this area of research. On...

At this Government of Canada website, visitors can "learn about the science, impacts and adaptation to climate change and how individuals, governments, businesses, industry and communities take action by reducing greenhouse gas emissions." Through maps, graphs, and clear text, users can learn the basics of climate change and the greenhouse gases. The website details many of the ecological,...

The Canadian Institute for Climate Studies, created by the Meteorological Service of Canada and the Province of British Columbia, investigates the variability and potential change of climate systems and applies this knowledge to decision making in the public and private sectors. This expansive website illustrates the research pursuits of the four divisions: Climate Scenarios, Climate Applications,...

Last week, the Bush administration announced that it would not sign the Kyoto Protocol, provoking harsh criticism around the world and in the US. Immediately following the Bush announcement, the Senate voted against Bush's wish to cut funding for climate change programs. The Kyoto Protocol, a 1997 addition to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, is an international agreement...

Yesterday at the Hague, delegates from over 160 nations began meeting to try to hammer out details of the 1997 Kyoto agreement which mandated that nations reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to pre-1990 levels by the year 2012. This sixth session of the UN's Framework Convention on Climate Change will have to overcome significant obstacles if delegates are to emerge with an agreement within the...

While scientists have been talking about global warming for several decades, attempting to get politicians of different political stripes to act on these pressing matters has been frustrating for many people. This provocative and thoughtful documentary from Frontline takes a look at the "political decisions that have prevented the United States government from confronting one of the most serious...

Next week, the twelfth Meeting Of The Parties To "The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer" will take place in Burkina Faso to negotiate multi-governmental cooperation in the protection of the earth's ozone layer. Given the recent collapse of the United Nations climate talks in the Hague, at which the US refused to agree to reduce global warming through stricter pollution...

The United Nations' work in development includes crafting meaningful guidelines for development work and support in over 180 nations. From this webpage, visitors can view development news updates, read a succinct list of primary development efforts, and also look over a handy toolbox, which includes the UN Data site and a research guide. Moving on, visitors can also learn which UN bodies and...

President Clinton's remarks to the National Geographic Society were particularly interesting in that they were made at the time of the Bonn meeting of the UNFCCC. The UNFCCC site contains information about this meeting, along with a limited amount of information about the upcoming COP-3 meeting in December 1997 in Kyoto, Japan. The site provides sections on global warming, emissions data, a large...

This Web site offers a portal to the recently held Planning Workshop for Scientists and Stakeholders, convened by the Bush administration to set the research agenda for its US Climate Change Science Program (CCSP). Clicking on Library will call up the draft strategic plan for the CCSP, which may be downloaded in whole or in part. The Web site also provides an overview of the meetings and the...