Report assessing the carbon cycle and providing guidance for U.S. researchers. It includes background on the history and context of the carbon cycle and previous science plan as well as chapters describing relevant fundamental science questions, science plan goals, the plan elements, interdisciplinary and international collaboration and cooperation, implementation and funding of the plan, and references with supplementary appendix information.

Climate change and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are a continuing issue in the 109th Congress. Bills directly addressing climate change issues range from those focused primarily on climate change research to comprehensive emissions cap-and-trade programs. Additional bills focus on GHG reporting and registries, or on power plant emissions of carbon dioxide, as part of wider controls on pollutant emissions. The bills vary in their approaches to climate change issues. This report briefly discusses the basic concepts on which these bills are based and compares major provisions of the bills in each of the following categories: climate change research, technology deployment, GHG reporting and registries, and emissions reduction programs.

According to the summary, this report reviews U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases in the contexts both of domestic policy and of international obligations and proposals.