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 4, NUMBER 4, APRIL 1991
Regional research centers were planned at a December 1991 IGBP
workshop in Bellagio, Italy. IGBP Rep. No. 15 describes the proposal, which
gives initial priority to external funding for centers in developing regions.
(See Reports/General, this Global Climate Change Digest issue--Apr.
Earth Summit is the short name for the 1992 U.N. Conference on
Environment and Development, to be held in Rio de Janeiro. A brochure explaining
the issues at stake, international preparations and the role of nongovernmental
participants was published in March 1991
U.S. interagency research is the topic of two recent articles in
Science. "It Ain't Broke, but Why Not FCCSET?" (J. Palca, pp.
737-738, Feb. 15, 1991) explains how global change is the first of several
programs to be organized through the Federal Coordinating Council for Science,
Engineering and Technology. "Learning from an Acid Rain Program" (L.
Roberts, pp. 1302-1305, Mar. 15, 1991) is an extensive analysis of the
accomplishments and failings of the National Acid Precipitation Assessment
Program, and how the global change research program may be repeating one of its
mistakes: pursuit of scientific excellence at the expense of policy relevance.
A National Water Information Clearinghouse is the topic of
workshops on Apr. 23 and May 21, 1991, organized by the U.S. Geological Survey.
"Future Lessons in Energy Security May Come from the Weather, Not
the Gulf," Global Environ. Change Rep., pp. 1-3, Mar. 15, 1991. A
discussion with input from several international experts of a little-studied
problem: energy systems with the lowest greenhouse gas emission are also the
most vulnerable to climate change itself.
"Third World Muscles in on Climate Treaty," C. Anderson, P.
Aldhous, Nature, p. 727, Feb. 28, 1991. In a little-noticed maneuver
late last year, developing nations increased their clout in climate treaty
negotiations by moving the treaty process out of the U.N. Environment Program
into the General Assembly, where they have more influence. Another indication of
increasing influence is the flap raised by India at the February climate
"Historians Probe Geophysics in Seattle," J.R. Fleming, Eos,
pp. 122-123, Mar. 12, 1991. Summarizes several papers presented at an October
meeting of the History of Science Society, which included a session Climatic
Change in Historical Perspective.
"Government Tax on Petroleum Products Aims to Influence
Environmental Behavior," Intl. Environ. Rptr., pp. 129-130, Mar.
13, 1991. Includes discussion of a proposal by the German environment ministry
to establish a CO2 tax, to achieve the country's goal of reducing CO2 emissions
at least 25% by 2005.
"Deforestation of Amazon Forest Falls Almost 30 Percent in 1990..,"
ibid., pp. 142-143. This conclusion results from analysis of Landsat
satellite images by Brazil's National Space Institute. (See also New York
Times, p. C4, Mar. 26; Science, p. 1425, Mar. 22.)
Guide to Publishers
Index of Abbreviations