February 28, 2007
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Global Climate Change Digest
A Guide to Information on Greenhouse Gases and Ozone Depletion
Published July 1988 through June 1999
FROM VOLUME 3, NUMBER 11, NOVEMBER 1990
"Methane in Cities," F.S. Rowland (Dept. Chem., Univ. Calif.,
Irvine CA 92717), N.R.P. Harris, D.R. Blake, Nature, 347(6292),
432-433, Oct. 4, 1990. Presents data to support the conclusion that improved
controls on the transmission of natural gas, particularly in Eastern Europe and
Asia, offer a promising opportunity to slow the global build-up of the
greenhouse gas methane.
"Energy for Our Globe's People," W.S. Lee (Duke Pwr. Co.,
Charlotte, N.C.), Environment, 32(7), 12-15, 33-35, Sep. 1990.
The utility's chairman offers his thoughts on how to ensure that a variety
of energy resources will be adequate to meet the world's demands. Regarding
future use of fossil fuels, he notes that we do not yet know how to control CO2
emissions, and there is need for skepticism about using the ocean for a sink.
Without a more certain understanding of global warming, it would be folly to
rely exclusively on burning carbon fuels for the world's electricity.
"An Energy Tax to Reduce the Greenhouse Effect: An All Winners
Concept," W. Bach (Univ. Münster, FRG), Clim. Change, 16(3),
iii-v, June 1990.
Policies for curtailing global warming could be funded through a global
economic system which taxes nonrenewable energy carriers that have associated
adverse environmental and climatic risks. Under a polluter-pays taxation, those
countries successful at greenhouse gas emissions reductions would pay less.
Industrialized countries have the capital to pay the taxes and can gain
participation of developing countries through debt reduction.
"Energy and the Environment," W.K. Davis (Dept. Chem. Eng.,
Univ. Calif., Los Angeles, Calif.), Chem. Eng. Progr., 86(7),
64-67, July 1990. Summarizes the 14th World Energy Congress (Montreal,
Sep. 1989). In the 1990s society will try to resolve the three-dimensional
problem of energy, environment and economy. Although technology can assist, the
basic energy issues are institutional--how to make decisions at national and
international levels in ways that also inform and involve the public.
"Electricity and the Environment," J.P. Tomain (Coll. Law,
Univ. Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio), Public Util. Fort., 34-36, July 5,
1990. Choosing an energy strategy inevitably means choosing an environmental
strategy. A realistic energy scenario consists of fuel mixing using conventional
and alternative resources, with conservation and increased energy efficiencies.
"Environmental Solutions--9th International Congress on Energy
and the Environment, Clean Energy Institute, University of Miami, USA, 13-15
December 1989," A. Clarke (Technol. Policy, Open Univ., Milton Keynes, UK),
Energy Policy, 18(5), 486-487, June 1990. Conference report.
The fundamentals were laid out in the opening addresses: the academics
believe the greenhouse effect is happening now; the industrialists and
politicians prefer "business as usual" with some environmental
measures. Delegates from 40 countries covered a wide range of topics, but did
not come to any conclusion on the reality of the greenhouse effect.
"It Is Energy We Need Not Electricity," N. Jenkins (Whitehill,
Ewshot, Farnham, Surrey GU10 5BS, UK), ibid., 423-427.
Makes a plea for matching energy demand with more economic energy
engineering--without resorting to penalizing taxation. Questions why we should
pay double or more for our energy, merely to encourage the electricity industry
to continue unchanged with its waste and pollution methods. Suggests a
combination of energy solutions.
"The Contribution of Efficient Energy Pricing to Reducing Carbon
Dioxide Emissions," J.C. Burgess (London Environ. Econ. Ctr., 3 Endsleigh
St., London WC1H 0DD, UK), ibid., 449-455.
Estimates the reduction in CO2 emissions that would be brought about by
imposing privately efficient energy pricing. This does not ensure the socially
optimal level of energy production that is necessary for averting the greenhouse
effect. Further policy instruments and considerations are needed to attain this
optimum level globally.
"The Conflict between Energy Conservation and Environmental Policy
in the US Transportation Sector," J.D. Khazzoom (Sch. Business, San Jose
Univ., One Washington Sq., San Jose CA 95192), M. Shelby, R. Wolcott, ibid.,
Identifies the impact of three automotive fuel conservation policies on
vehicle emissions and proposes a policy of emission control that ties the
allowed emission to the amount of fuel burned, rather than to the amount of
emissions per mile driven as required by current EPA policy. This alternative
policy would restore the link between emission and the source of the emission
severed by EPA policy.
"Climate Research Review," a new column in Energy Policy,
will provide readers with a regular review of developments in atmospheric and
oceanic research that may have implications for energy policy and planning. The
focus will be on anthropogenic climate change. The first title in this column is
"Proposed Index of Global Warming Effect Puts CO2's Share to Over 70%,"
M.R. Allen (Dept. Atmos. Phys., Univ. Oxford, UK), pp. 485-486. Examines an
alternative approach that takes into account the proportion of emissions
remaining in the atmosphere as a function of time, and integrates over all time
to calculate the total warming effect of a given quantity of greenhouse gases
"Obstacles to Rational Electricity Use and Measures to Alleviate
Them," E. Jochem (Fraunhofer Inst. Sys. Innovations Res., Breslauer Str.
48, D-7500, Karlsruhe 1, FRG), E. Gruber, ibid., 18(4), 340-350,
Improvements in energy efficiency can be economically justified, but there
are market obstacles. Efficiency improvements are mostly group specific and have
to be matched with suitable energy policies. Obstacles and cost-effective
measures are described for private households, small and medium-sized companies,
and small communities.
"Keepin and Kats--A Comment" E.M. Kinderman (SRI Intl., Menlo
Park, Calif.), W.J. Schumacher, ibid., 389-394.
Disagrees with Keepin and Kats' approach by suggesting that a combination of
nuclear power and conservation can result in reduced CO2 emissions.
Introducing about 600 GW of nuclear power in 35 years and efficiency
improvements that reduce growth in world electricity demand by two-thirds would
hold CO2 emissions from electric power production to current levels.
"Energy Conservation Policies," G. Greenhalgh (Sussex, UK),
ibid., 18(3), 293-299, Apr. 1990.
Increasing efficiency of energy use will not lead to reduced usage because
costs will drop and usage will then increase. If global warming is to be taken
seriously, restrictions on fossil fuel consumption may have to be imposed by
measures such as the carbon tax proposed by the International Energy Agency.
"An International Tax on Pollution and Natural Resource Depletion,"
T. Sterner (Univ. Gothenburg, Sweden), ibid., 300-302. The proposed tax
would not only finance environmental work, but would also in itself be a
valuable instrument of environmental policy.
"Changing Energy End-Use Patterns as a Means of Reducing
Global-Warming Trends," M. Dresner (Sonoma State Univ., Rohnert Park,
Calif.), J. Environ. Ed., 21(2), 41-45, Winter 1989/1990.
A simulation game was designed and used as a part of an experimental effort
to change participants' behavior and attitudes toward energy conservation and
renewable energy practices and devices, and toward participation in conservation
at a local level. Participants showed an increase in favorable attitudes toward
home energy activism, and showed a greater likelihood of taking action.
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