Despite partisan rancor over climate change at the national level, state energy officials recognize the need to be proactive in developing and implementing plans to address it.

When planning for the new World Trade Center site began just a few years after the destruction of the original towers, security was front of mind: Bollards were to be placed around the site, and a dedicated, below-grade routing system for commercial vehicles was among the plans.

There is a huge economy tied to climate change, and government officials, academics, engineers and contractors all are part of it, says Jesse Keenan, a social scientist on the faculty at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design and JFK School of Government in Science, Technology and Public Policy.

A new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office paints a dire picture of the potential impact of climate change on Superfund sites across the U.S. and concludes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is not doing enough to manage these risks and their potential impact on the environment and public health.