Climatechange

If you are the leader of a small island state -- like the Maldives -- and every day you are faced with the threats posed by global warming what would you do?

22 high level representatives have just released Resilient People, Resilient Planet: A Future Worth Choosing, setting out recommendations to "put sustainable development into practice and... economic policy as quickly as possible."

The agreements reached in South Africa make important progress, but much more work lies ahead to address global warming. Here is a quick overview of what was agreed and what it means:

Each country can make strong shifts which will ensure that Durban defines a clear mandate to negotiate a new legally binding agreement in the immediate future. Let's hope they take this opportunity and help the world move forward to address global warming.

The U.S. must show leadership by helping craft a path to get a new legal agreement, not throw up barriers at the outset. They need to ensure that they aren't allergic to the meal that is served, but they can't demand that everything on the menu meet their tastes at the outset.

In Durban, countries must be able to "walk and chew gum," while starting to sprint towards solutions that deliver low-carbon energy and reduced deforestation.

President Obama's decisions on Keystone XL and standards for greenhouse gas emissions from power plants will shape this legacy.

President Obama's Fiscal Year 2012 budget plans to invest in global efforts to reduce carbon pollution, tap into the demand for clean energy, and make countries more resilient to global warming.

The countries that gathered in Cancun made progress on emissions reductions, greater transparency, forest preservation and the creation of the green fund. But we aren't done yet.

Having a strong, credible, and transparent system for tracking greenhouse gas emissions and the actions of a country is an essential building block of an effective international system to address global warming.

If you believe, as I do, that real action can occur without a "binding" agreement or having all the details completed, you'll be surprised to learn that some key things might actually be happening in Cancun.

As I sat in a boat in the Gulf, surrounded on all sides by oil-tainted seas, the shear scale of the underwater oil leak hit me. At first I was heartbroken, but then I got mad. How could we have allowed this to happen?

Expanded offshore drilling was a key sweetener to attract Lindsey Graham and other swing votes to the Senate climate bill. Now that such a provision seems politically toxic, is the bill in jeopardy?

This disaster is a tragic reminder that offshore drilling is dirty and dangerous. It leaves no doubt that we need tighter regulation of where and how oil companies drill. But it would be an historic mistake if our response ends there.

On the fortieth anniversary of the first Earth Day there is much to celebrate: Our air is cleaner and our rivers no longer catch on fire. But we can&r...

America's farmers, foresters, workers, environmental groups, and key companies understand how important stopping deforestation is. It's time for the Senate to listen and invest.

Slowing the loss of tropical forests, which contributes up to 17% of the world's global warming pollution, is not only good global warming policy, but is also in the interest of U.S. farmers, ranchers, and foresters.

The choice facing Senators could not be more stark: Side with America's most authoritative scientific body or side with big oil.

As Senators Kerry and Lieberman prepare to release the discussion draft of their comprehensive energy and climate bill tomorrow, NRDC is launching a p...

A recent report released by Sen. Inhofe's staff represents a shocking new low in the public discourse on global warming by attempting to discredit and intimidate respected scientists.

For all those looking for a way to lessen their carbon footprint, the bottom-line remains that a dietary shift is the single most effective way to do so.

There is no reason to believe that delaying Committee action for additional computer runs would change any votes on the Committee given the extensive analysis that is already available.

There are lots of good reasons to pass the climate bill, like reducing global warming and boosting the economy. But a lesser known reason is that it will also bolster our nation's security.

We have to get biofuels right to get the pollution reductions the clean energy bill is designed to achieve.

Clearly, Alaska is on the front lines of climate change - and they are losing the battle.