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About the Site
EPA's climate change programs and activities are an integral part of the Agency's mission to protect human health and the environment. EPA's Climate Change Web site offers the public the most current and accurate information on the broad issue of climate change.
EPA's Climate Change Web site is maintained by EPA's Climate Change Division within EPA's Office of Atmospheric Programs. The content for each section is based on information from different sources that are described later on this page.
The EPA Climate Change Web site has four main sections on climate change issues and another section on "What You Can Do" to reduce your contribution. The Basic Information page is a good place to start for someone new to the issue, as it provides an executive summary of all the information across the site. Visitors can then go to any of the other five sections of the Web site for more detailed information.
- Science: Explains our current scientific understanding of the causes of past, present and future climate change.
- U.S. Climate Policy: Summarizes the current U.S. policy and describes programs being implemented at EPA and elsewhere.
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Provides information and data on U.S. and international greenhouse gas emissions, and projections of future emission levels.
- Health and Environmental Effects: Provides an overview of how climate change may affect human health, different sectors of society, different regions and the natural environment.
- What You Can Do: Describes actions that individuals and organizations can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Each section contains information on related links, but additional resources are available to provide the public with latest information on programs and activities related to climate change:
- Related Links Directory
- Newsroom containing climate related news releases
- A guide to information Where You Live
- A site for Kids
Source Material for Science and Health and Environmental Effects Information
The science and environmental effects information on this Web site reflects findings from:
- The assessments of the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC). The
IPCC was established in 1988 to provide a comprehensive and objective assessment of the state of knowledge on climate change to the world community. The IPCC has three working groups:
- Working Group I assesses the scientific aspects of the climate system and climate change.
- Working Group II addresses the vulnerability of socio-economic and natural systems to climate change, negative and positive consequences of climate change and options for adapting to it.
- Working Group III assesses options for limiting greenhouse gas emissions and otherwise mitigating climate change.
- Studies of the National Academy
of Sciences .
The Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government
on scientific and technical matters. It assembles distinguished committees
with broad expertise and diverse perspectives to respond to government
requests.
- Synthesis and Assessment Products of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program. These products, prepared by federal agencies, integrate research results focused on important science issues and questions frequently raised by decision makers.
Data shown in these sections originate from monitoring and analysis conducted by NOAA, NASA and the Department of Energy.
The science and environmental effects content on this Web site will be
updated periodically with the release of new reports from the IPCC , National
Academy of Sciences ,
and the U.S. Climate Change Science
Program.
Source Material for U.S. Climate Change Policy Information
The U.S. climate change policy information is taken from White House and Department of State fact sheets, speeches and reports.
Source Material for Greenhouse Gas Emissions Information
The
data and
information in the Emissions section
is taken
from the Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse
Gas Emissions and Sinks. International information is drawn from reports
submitted to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change by
participating countries. Both EPA and the Department of Energy have produced
analyses that are featured in the projections section.
Source Material for What You Can Do
The actions and information identified in the What You Can Do section originate from federal partnership programs such as the ENERGY STAR program.
