When the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize went to former Vice President Al Gore and an international scientific body that warned of serious consequences if Earth's temperatures continue to rise, the award underscored the international concern about the Earth's changing climate. Most scientists agree that global warming is a serious threat, and that human beings contribute to it by burning carbon-containing fuels such as oil and coal; and the international community has moved to limit carbon emissions. However, some scientists dispute the link between greenhouse gases and global warming. Many prominent Americans, including members of Congress, object to putting limits on carbon emissions, arguing that the evidence of warming is still uncertain and cutting emissions would cripple the economy while doing little to curb global warming. "Environmental Regulations and Global Warming" discusses the debate about whether and how our government should act to protect the Earth's climate....

In recent years, increasing oil prices, combined with ongoing unrest in the Middle East, surging demand from energy-thirsty nations, and natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, have conspired to encourage Americans to rethink how they use energy resources. "Energy Policy" explores the many issues related to the supply of energy in the United States: the availability of oil and American dependence on foreign oil, drilling in the Arctic Refuge, pollution concerns, alternative energy sources such as wind and solar power, and the safety of nuclear power....

The war on terror has been in effect since 2002, when United States troops first invaded Afghanistan. War efforts have expanded from military action to legislation such as the PATRIOT Act and domestic applications such as the federal wiretapping program. Supporters of these efforts claim that the United States must prepare for a new type of war in which the enemy attacks without warning and without regard for traditional rules of engagement. Critics contend that American foreign policy is actually harming, not helping, the United States, and that domestic programs threaten Americans' civil liberties. "The War on Terror, Second Edition" examines these issues in more depth with updated statistics, new legal opinions, and information about current legislation....