Transportation is second only to electricity generation as a source of greenhouse gas (gHg) emissions and freight transportation is the fastest rising component in that category. While emissions from passenger vehicles grew by 33% between 1990 and 2008, freight- related emissions grew by 74%.
Information on conserving North America’s grasslands through regional partnerships, species monitoring and inventory programs
Background information developed as part of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) Secretariat’s latest independent study under Article 13 of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation.
This brochure provides a snapshot of a CEC-sponsored study on best practices in energy use and supply in North American municipalities. The research began with a detailed scan of municipal energy initiatives in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, covering renewable energy generation, energy efficiency and energy-related procurement.
At first glance, the maps in the North American Environmental Atlas look no different from maps found on walls across the continent. These maps are unique, however, in that they harmonize geographic information across North America’s political boundaries to depict significant environmental issues at a continental scale.
This public workshop allowed panelists and participants to exchange with one another ways to improve sustainable building practices in North America. It had a special focus on issues and opportunities in Mexico and provided an opportunity for leading experts from Canada, Mexico and the United States to share experiences and lessons learned in this rapidly […]
are a group of North American migratory, transboundary and endemic species. As charismatic species, they were chosen for their ability to attract public attention and garner conservation resources. Conserving these species and their habitats requires regional cooperation. Successful conservation of these species will also have benefits for other species.
is a colorless, highly irritating gas created by photochemical reactions between nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds produced largely by fuel combustion, gasoline vapors and chemical solvents.
is a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air. Its components include sulfates, nitrates, ammonium, organic carbon, black carbon, metals and soil dust.
refers to the purposes to which humans commit land cover such as forests and grasslands. Some land uses—particularly those that are less intensive or involve less alteration of natural systems—cause less disruption to ecosystem services such as water purification, recharging of groundwater, nutrient recycling, decomposition of wastes, regulation of the climate and maintenance of biodiversity.
Shared water resources are the rivers and estuarine regions that form borders or flow across borders, the lakes that span political boundaries, marine areas with multiple jurisdictions, and the groundwater aquifers that lie beneath political boundaries.
Climate change refers to a change in the state of the climate that can be identified by changes in the mean and/or the variability of its properties and that persists for an extended period, typically decades or longer. Climate change may be caused by natural internal processes or external forcings, or by persistent anthropogenic changes […]
