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The Congressional Budget Office says the government's spending on disasters could rise from today's $28 billion to $39 billion in current dollars by 2075, when 10 million US residents will be "substantially affected" by climate change. The CBO suggests requiring coastal residents to carry more of the financial burden of their risk, as curtailing emissions might not go far enough to address the problem.

As evidence mounts that excessive use of light is harming wildlife and adversely affecting human health, new initiatives in France and elsewhere are seeking to turn down the lights that flood an ever-growing part of the planet

mounts that excessive use of light is harming wildlife and adversely affecting human health, new initiatives in France and elsewhere are seeking to turn down the lights that flood an ever-growing part of the planet.

Forest fires in Indonesia have resulted in a smoky haze that is blanketing the region and affecting neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore.

The Antarctic Peninsula is not only getting warmer, it's getting dramatically greener with a sharp increase in plant growth over the last 50 years. Key points A study of moss cores sampled from along the eastern side of the peninsula has provided a unique record of how temperature increases over the last 150 years have affected plant growth.

Last month, the first comprehensive study on global bush meat consumption found that 113 species in Southeast Asia have dwindled to precarious numbers, primarily due to bush meat hunting and trapping. But while this region may be one of the worst affected, the study, published in Royal Society Open Science, reports that bush meat hunting is driving many of the world's mammals to the brink of extinction. "The large mammals are much more threatened than the small ones," says William Ripple, a professor of ecology at Oregon State University and lead author of the study. "This is likely because there is more meat on large mammals."

Coral reefs around the globe already are facing unprecedented damage due to warmer and more acidic oceans. If carbon dioxide emissions continue to fuel the rise in temperature, the widespread loss of coral reefs by 2050 could have devastating consequences, according to new research published in the scientific journal PLOS. "Some of the places that have the most to lose... are also among the biggest carbon emitters," Dr Pendleton said. "They really have it in their power to bring down the levels of carbon" they emit into the atmosphere. The researchers acknowledged that further study is needed to more fully understand what is happening to coral reefs around the globe and how that will affect humans.

Recent studies have shown that climate change could affect the tourism sector. A lack of snowfall in California led to a decrease in business for local ski resorts and restaurants.

Last month, an aerial survey of the northern section of Australia's Great Barrier Reef returned some pretty grim results, revealing that the World Heritage Site had been hit with the worst coral bleaching event in its history. The researchers have now continued their work along this magnificent stretch of coastline and the news isn't getting any better. The results of their end-to-end study now reveal that 93 percent of the reef has been affected by bleaching as a result of warmer sea temperatures in the area.

The citizens of four major European countries think the impacts of climate change such as severe floods and storms are already affecting them, according to a major new polling study. The research dispels the idea that global warming is widely seen as a future problem, and also shows strong support for action to tackle global warming, including subsidies for clean energy and big financial penalties for nations that refuse to be part of the international climate deal signed in Paris in 2015 - as US president Donald Trump has threatened.

L'Oréal has pledged to use only renewable raw materials by the start of next decade as part of a "zero deforestation" strategy that will affect its sourcing of palm oil and other resources.

Coca-Cola and other corporations are starting to see global warming as an economically disruptive force affecting commodity costs and supply chains.

Most companies believe water challenges will significantly worsen in the next five years, according to a survey of major US corporations by the Pacific Institute and VOX Global.

Massachusetts recently enacted the most aggressive mandatory composting program in history, to affect supermarkets, colleges, nursing homes, and prisons.

Almost two-thirds of companies say water shortages could affect business operations over the next five years, according to the CDP Global Water Report. That's driving shareholders to insist that companies plan for dealing with water scarcity. "It doesn't take many shareholders, especially big ones, to ask a few questions ... about water to make a company to do something," says Stuart Orr, freshwater manager at WWF International

The Fashion Footprint app can scan clothing tags and provide ratings information on everything from factory safety to worker health. Fashion Footprint lets shoppers connect directly with the makers of clothes through an interactive, audio-visual experience, and learn how their purchase decisions affect the lives of people around the world.

If the EPA lowers ground-level ozone - a decision it is likely to make this month - some businesses, cities and regions will be affected more than others, HPAC Engineering reports.

China's largest online travel agency, began selling haze travel insurance to compensate domestic tourists that spend time in major cities affected by smog. Travelers will be able to file claims if they spend at least 2 days in cities with high smog levels.

Here are the clean energy trends that will matter in 2015:  - Moves toward 100 percent renewables will expand - Energy storage will carve out a competitive advantage - Low-cost oil could affect clean transportation, but not clean electricity - Other regions will follow New York's fracking ban 

Clean Edge predicts more companies moving to 100 percent renewables for electricity and that low oil prices could affect the market for clean transportation. Find out what else.

What kinds of policies and initiatives will the country need to move its colossal industry base towards energy efficiency, and thus lower greenhouse gas emissions? Let's take a look at what is already happening in China and how it will affect the future.