As new regulations clean up shipping fuels in order to improve air quality in coastal regions, that brightening effect will be reduced, adding to the world's warming in a sort of inadvertent reverse geoengineering.

ECONOMIST: Geoengineering

Nearly 4, 500 flights around the nation have been cancelled due to weather conditions, a coastal flood warning is in effect for the shores in Massachusetts, southeastern Connecticut is slated for up to 7 inches of snow on Friday, and thousands in Virginia and New Jersey are left without power, the former state of which was declared a state of emergency.

FORBES: How Businesses Can Address Severe Weather In The Workplace

No coastal watches or warning were in effect, though a tropical storm watch could be issued for parts of the coast later Saturday, the Hurricane Center said.

CNN: Tropical Storm Alberto forms in the Atlantic

Lord Smith said it was already having an effect in flooding and coastal erosion in the UK and this was likely to get worse in the next 50 years.

BBC: Lawson accused of 'profound' error on climate change

Blizzard warnings are in effect for much of the coastal section of the north-eastern US, from Newark, New Jersey to southern Maine.

BBC: Blizzard paralyses north-east US and Atlantic Canada

For one example, look to a study in Nature Climate Change, examining the effect of climate on hurricanes and coastal flooding.

FORBES: Climate and the Rising Threat of Hurricane Floods

The overall effect is to undermine the resilience of marine and coastal ecosystems, affecting in turn their ability to support coastal livelihoods such as fishing and tourism and their potential role in climate change adaptation and mitigation.

UNESCO: NATURAL SCIENCES

The current law, which has been in effect since 1981, covers most of the country's coastal waters.

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