Scientists Report Climate Impact on Animals, Ecosystems

Scientists put a tracking device on an Alaskan Beluga whale. The creatures’ survival is threatened by water pollution and over hunting. Photo: ©AP Images.

Animals and plants are moving up mountainsides seeking cooler temperatures. Some fish species have smaller ranges and less abundance. Other species are diminishing in their numbers, unable to adjust to climate change, with extinction being a possible outcome. These findings come from a wide-ranging study — Impacts of Climate Change on Biodiversity, Ecosystems and Ecosystem Services — produced by a collaboration of scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), academia and environmentally oriented nongovernmental organizations. Read the full article.

• Remarks at Secretary Clinton's Foreign Affairs Policy Board Meeting (2013-01-03)
• Antarctic Ice Sheet Holds Methane Reservoir, Studies Say (2012-08-30) | Summer Arctic Sea Ice Reaches Record Low (2012-08-28)
• U.S. carbon dioxide emissions from energy use fell in 2011 (2012-08-14)

• Remarks on Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (2012-06-15)
• Remarks at the Climate Clean Air Coalition and Green Embassy Event (2012-06-27) | Background Briefing on the Secretary's Trip to Europe (2012-06-26) | Climate and Clean Air Coalition Event (2012-06-03) | Coalition of World Energy Ministers Commit to Improvements in Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy, Energy Access (2012-04-26) | Climate Change Coalition Gains New Members, Momentum (2012-04-24)
• Press Briefing: 17th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (2011-12-08) | U.S. Center at COP-17: Historic Progress in U.S. Fuel Efficiency Standards (2011-12-07)

U.S.-EU Highlights

U.S. Maritime Administrator, David Matsuda (Left), and the EU’s Director General of Energy and Transport, Matthias Ruete met in Brussels on July 1st, 2011. Photo: State Dept.

U.S.-EU cooperate on reducing emissions through marine highways

U.S. Maritime Administrator, David Matsuda, and the EU’s Director General of Energy and Transport, Matthias Ruete, signed on July 1st a Memorandum of Understanding to share best practices on the development of marine highways. The development of short sea shipping as an alternative to land shipping is aimed at significantly reducing harmful emissions and creating green trade corridors. More information.

• Seven Auto Manufacturers Collaborate on Harmonized Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Solution (2011-10-12)
• Excerpt of the press conference with U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern on the 11th Meeting at the Leaders' Representative level of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate (2011-04-27) | More excerpts: 1 -2
• U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern participated to a media roundtable in Brussels to discuss the successful international climate negotiations and the Cancun agreement (2011-03-15) | More excerpt
• “Climate change: working together across the Atlantic” was one of the themes of  EU Committee of the Regions “Open Days” and appropriately Mrs. Kautz  and Mrs. Mercedes Bresso, President of the Committee of the Regions, signed a Memorandum of understanding on US-EU cooperation at regional and local levels  (PDF 376 KB) to tackle climate change  in the presence of Mrs. Connie Hedegaard, European Commissioner for Climate Action (2010-10-05)
• U.S.-EU member state cooperation example: Project Aims to Make Azores Islands a Climate Change Model (2010-06-01)