Government Roundup

A climate report drafted by the U.S. Global Change Research Program is reasonable, although more needs to be done to meet the nation’s need for information and guidance, says a review by the National Research Council. The National Climate Assessment provides information to policymakers and the public on climate science and the effects of climate change.

Federal education programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics continue to duplicate efforts, according to a new Government Accountability Office report (GAO-13-529T). It recommends more coordination among agencies and possible consolidation of programs.

The European Parliament has voted against measures to slash the current surplus of carbon emission allowances flooding the European Union’s emissions-trading market. The measures would have involved delaying the introduction of 900 million emissions-trading units onto the market by a number of years, a move known as “backloading.”

Greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. fell 1.6% between 2010 and 2011, according to EPA’s annual inventory of these releases. The agency’s report covers emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride.

The White House has released a National Ocean Policy implementation plan that lays out the federal actions needed to improve the state of the world’s oceans. They include better coordination between government and industry and better creation and use of scientific information.