In a dramatic break with recent policy, the Environmental Protection Agency has just formally announced plans to regulate climate changing pollution under the Clean Air Act, declaring clear evidence that greenhouse gases “threaten the public health and welfare of the American people.” President Obama has pledged to attend the second week of the COP15 climate change talks in Copenhagen; which is widely viewed as a positive indication of an international agreement to take significant steps in curbing greenhouse gasses.

The EPA has indicated a willingness to let Congress take the reins, but with Congressional Republicans and business interests having already said they will fight any new legislation, this latest ruling from the EPA illustrates the federal government’s intention to take the steps necessary to move forward. In The Climate Solutions Consensus, David Blockstein and Leo Weigman present an agenda for the United States. It incorporates specific recommendations by the nation’s leading scientists, offering solutions that don’t need to wait for new laws. From changing our eating and consumption habits to land use and education, the book addresses controversial topics head-on and provides a clear-cut path to reversing the driving factors behind climate change.

Some industries are getting ahead of the game. People on the front lines of the energy revolution are ready to create the world’s most powerful solar energy systems and most sophisticated hybrid cars to save the planet. Apollo’s Fire: Igniting America’s Clean Energy Economy, written by Representative Jay Inslee and Bracken Hendricks, not only introduces the pioneers behind these innovations but it also presents a pathway towards energy independence and a cleaner future.

A clean energy future doesn’t have to break the bank. Climate 2030, published by The Union of Concerned Scientists, shows that meeting strict emissions cap regulations is not only feasible, it can be done cost-effectively. Within a timeframe of 2030, the book’s authors visualize a set of smart environmental policies that save consumers and businesses money on their energy bills, while also keeping the economy moving forward.

These are important first steps, and ones that Island Press authors have been advocating for decades. We urge you to learn more about the climate change debate and follow our updates on the COP15 conference.

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Many families who dutifully recycle, take mass transit, and have a house full of compact fluorescent light bulbs, would say they’re doing their part to save the earth. However, a new study from the London School of Economics suggests that in developed countries, making the decision to have children dramatically increases your negative impact on the environment. The study shows that, on average, each baby born in the United States adds 1,644 tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere during their lifetime, and argues that smaller family sizes are crucial to reducing carbon emissions. “There is no possibility of drastically reducing total carbon emissions, while at the same time paying no attention whatever to the drastic increase in the number of carbon emitters,” said Roger Martin, chairman of the nonprofit Optimum Population Trust.

Although this argument may be shocking, smaller family sizes are nothing new. Noting the worldwide trend towards smaller families in More, Robert Engelman points out that instead of having more children, mothers want more opportunities for their children. He argues that this trend would lead to less hunger and illness, and would benefit the environment as a result–but it hinges upon society’s willingness to give women the freedom to make their own decisions about reproduction. Noted scientist and author Paul Ehrlich agrees. He has been advocating for women’s reproductive rights and a smaller population since the publication of his book The Population Bomb. In his newest book The Dominant Animal, he makes the case that now, more than ever, our decisions about family size will have far-reaching impacts on our culture and our environment. The authors of the upcoming book A Pivotal Moment make a similar point, arguing that to build a sustainable future, both men and women need access to voluntary family planning, education, and employment; and, just as importantly, the need to address the deep inequalities that come with rapid population growth and unsustainable resource consumption.

The issue of what to do about population growth has been and will be debated for decades, but scientists agree there is no question about its impact on climate change. Population is an integral part of the discussion on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. With global warming becoming a more pressing concern every day, we can’t afford not to discuss it.

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Although the summer’s first tropical storm to make U.S. landfall, Claudette, avoided doing significant damage, we’re now in the midst of hurricane season. As Hurricane Bill looms in the Atlantic, a National Hurricane Center spokesperson warns that thanks in part to warm ocean water, Bill is “in a very good environment to continue to strengthen.” However, despite the large number of people who live in the paths of coastal storms and the threat climate change and its impacts on weather and oceans present, governments still treat each tempest as an individual crisis rather than incorporating them into an ongoing disaster response strategy.

As Timothy Beatley notes in Planning for Coastal Resilience, this case-by-case basis method has failed us time and time again. He argues that in the face of climate change, causing increased intensity and frequency of storms and sea level rise, coastal planning must go beyond reactive strategies. We must initiate a concept of resilience-the ability to withstand or quickly recover from a natural or human-induced disaster by building smaller, decentralized networks for energy, water, and transportation. His book pushes for anticipating future disasters and planning accordingly, instead of waiting for the next $80 billion storm surge.

Threats from climate change go far beyond more intense storms, they also include an anticipated rise in sea level by as much as seven feet as projected in a 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change study. From London to South Australia to Alaska and South Carolina, governments are beginning to realize the impact these rising sea levels will have on communities and infrastructures. In The Rising Sea, Orrin Pilkey and Rob Young assert rising sea levels are inevitable, and many coastal cities will have to adapt quickly. With over half the U.S. population living in coastal regions, and entire islands and nations facing the prospect of slipping under the sea, there is much work to do, and there are many difficult choices to make, but there is hope–if we act quickly.

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