Executive Order 13554 recognized the Gulf Coast as a national treasure and addressed the longstanding ecological decline of that region, which was compounded by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.

WHITEHOUSE: Executive Order -- Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration

Demand outstrips supply: In less the 50 years, the Mediterranean region nearly tripled its demands for ecological resources and services, and increased its ecological deficit by 230 percent.

UNESCO: OFFICE IN VENICE

One exception to regional trends: Portugal was the sole country in the Mediterranean region to have significantly narrowed its ecological deficit in recent years (an 18 percent per capita decrease between 1998 and 2008).

UNESCO: OFFICE IN VENICE

This region gets little rain and is slow to rebound from ecological disturbances.

NPR: Industry Seeks to Extract Oil from Rocky Mountain Shale

"Climate change in polar regions is expected to be among the greatest of any region on the Earth, and it will cause major physical, ecological, sociological and economic impacts, " Dr Toepfer said.

BBC: Ice surprise for sailor