In the past, environmental decision making has been based on analysis of policy options with respect to emission reduction, deposition or concentration of pollutants and the design of preventive strategies using disparate single-model and discipline results. It was impossible to obtain optimal...

The 1990 Canadian long-range transport of air pollutants and acid deposition report divided North America into 40 sources of emission and 15 sensitive receptor sites. For the purpose of national policy making and international negotiation, the use of these large sources and few receptors may...

In the past environmental management practices have been based on disparate analysis of the impacts of pollutants on selected components of ecosystems. However, holistic analysis of emission reduction strategies is necessary to justify that actions taken to protect the environment would not...

China had been the world’s second largest carbon emitter for years. However, recent studies show that China had overtaken the U.S. as the world’s largest emitter in 2007. This has put China on the spotlight, just at a time when the world community starts negotiating a post-Kyoto climate...

China has been the world’s second largest carbon emitter for years. Recent studies show that China had overtaken the U.S. as the world’s largest emitter in 2007. This has put China on the spotlight, just at a time when the world community starts negotiating a post-Kyoto climate regime under...

In the past environmental management practices have been based on disparate analysis of the impacts of pollutants on selected components of ecosystems. However, holistic analysis of emission reduction strategies is necessary to justify that actions taken to protect the environment would not...

US shale gas production is generally expected to continue its fast rise. However, a cautious evaluation is needed. Shale gas resource estimates are potentially overoptimistic and it is uncertain to which extent they can be produced economically. Moreover, the adverse environmental effects of...

Given that China is already the world’s largest carbon emitter and its emissions continue to rise rapidly in line with its industrialization and urbanization, there is no disagreement that China eventually needs to take on binding greenhouse gas emissions caps. However, the key challenges are...

In den USA, weltweit zweitgrößte Wirtschaftsmacht und gleichzeitig zweitgrößter Emittent von Treibhausgasen, war die Regierungsübernahme durch die Obama-Administration im Jahr 2008 geprägt von großen Hoffnungen nach der klimapolitischen Abstinenz der Bush-Regierung (Moslener/Sturm 2008,...

Trotz der klimapolitischen Zurückhaltung der USA auf der internationalen Ebene existieren innerhalb der USA Initiativen für klimapolitische Emissionshandelssysteme. Umgesetzt ist dabei bisher allein ein System im Nordosten, jedoch steht ein weiteres System im Westen kurz vor der Einführung...