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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 2, NUMBER 4, APRIL 1989

PROFESSIONAL PUBLICATIONS...
COMMENTARY

Item #d89apr30

"The Arctic: A Key to World Climate," P.H. Abelson, Science, 243(4893), 873, Feb. 17, 1989.

Changes in the arctic atmosphere, ocean, sea ice and permafrost are early precursors to climate change elsewhere; support for research on the past, present and future of the arctic climate have top priority.

Item #d89apr31

"How to Fix the Clouds in Greenhouse Models," R.A. Kerr, ibid., 243(4887), 28-29, Jan. 6, 1989.

Climate models are moving toward the realistic simulation of clouds needed to calculate the extent of greenhouse warming. Preliminary studies using ERBE results show that clouds reduce absorption of incoming solar radiation, producing a net reduction in radiative heating, and play a major role in the present climate. Clouds that change with changing climate create feedbacks affecting climate and must be incorporated in models if they are to be effective.

Item #d89apr32

"The Greenhouse Effect and Electric Utilities," C.M. Studness, Public Util. Fortnightly, 122(13), 37-38, Dec. 22, 1988.

Because of the limited potential of conservation, the key to limiting the greenhouse effect lies in substituting alternate energy sources for fossil fuels to produce electricity. Maintains that the greenhouse effect will increase electric demand through an increase in temperature and through policy measures adopted to fight it.

Item #d89apr33

"Nuclear Gasification of Coal for Control of Carbon Dioxide Emissions," L. Green Jr., ibid., 122(11), 13-18, Nov. 24, 1988.

Constraints on the use of fossil fuels is an obvious measure for limiting carbon dioxide emissions. Allothermal gasification may be the ultimate clean coal technology and could play an essential role in the control of emissions. A combination of fossil, nuclear, and solar sources could constitute a sustainable energy system capable of controlling net carbon dioxide emissions to the degree required to mitigate climatic warming.

Item #d89apr34

"Nuclear Energy in Our Future," H.H. Hennies (Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe G.m.b.H., FRG), Schweiz. ver Atomenerg. Bull., 30(15), 33-40, Sep. 1988. In German.

Maintains that nuclear energy for electricity generation will extend its market portion in Europe in the coming decade because of advantages over fossil fuels, improvements in safety facilities, energy-saving effects and solar energy will not provide large-scale alternatives, and radioactive waste disposal will be solved. Nuclear energy will also play a major role in the heating market.

Item #d89apr35

"Can an Elaborate Illusion Make Nuclear Power Reappear?" Business Soc. Rev., No. 66, 58-60, Summer 1988.

The nuclear industry is exploiting global warming as an opportunity to revive support for nuclear reactors. Already three major global warming bills have been introduced in the U.S. Senate that would create support for nuclear power plants. Suggests that investing heavily in nuclear power could actually make the global warming problem worse by diverting funds from promising options that are cleaner, safer and more socially acceptable: renewable energy technologies, passive solar technologies and cogeneration.