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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 8, AUGUST 1990

PERIODICALS...

Item #d90aug45

"Controlling the Greenhouse," K. Mellanby, New Sci., p. 71, June 23, 1990.

Commentary by the founder-editor of the journal Environmental Pollution. Believes the only practical program to prepare for possible global warming would be for the advanced countries to phase out fossil fuels and rely more on nuclear power while developing renewable sources of energy.

Item #d90aug46

"The Race to Heal the Ozone Hole," H. Steven, A. Lindley, ibid., 48-51, June 16, 1990.

The phasing out of CFCs has meant a period of rapid change for the chemical, refrigeration and air conditioning industries. Discusses the problems of telescoping decades of experience and testing into a few years to replace CFCs. One solution HFA-134a, developed after only three years work, is gaining acceptance as an efficient replacement in domestic refrigeration and air conditioning systems.

Item #d90aug47

"Clean Cars," F. Lyman, Technol. Rev., 22-23, May/June 1990.

Summarizes the relative impact of methanol as an alternate fuel. Although it has no particulate emissions, reduced CO₂ emissions, more horsepower and more acceleration, methanol does not lower CO and NOx emissions and increases formaldehyde emissions. If made from coal, methanol can double carbon-dioxide emissions.

Item #d90aug48

"Mr. Bush and His Billion Trees," N. Davis, Amer. For., 17-20, May/June 1990.

The government's tree-planting initiative along with the continued support of volunteer groups has the potential of becoming a legacy for generations. Outlines briefly the proposed America the Beautiful project, followed by some Congressional comments and reactions.

Item #d90aug49

"A Cool Solution to Global Warming," D. Olivier, New Sci., 42-45, May 12, 1990.

Due to the high premium they must pay from little competition and no legislation that encourages changes to new refrigerators and freezers, European consumers cannot reap the economic benefits from energy-efficient appliances. Government intervention will be essential to encourage these market forces.

Item #d90aug50

"Too Much Life on Earth?" P. Harrison, ibid., 28-29, May 19, 1990.

Slowing population growth will reduce damage to the environment in the long term, but in the shorter term other measures will have a greater impact, such as reducing consumption, shifting to sustainable technologies, halting deforestation, attacking poverty and inequality, and introducing land reform. To reduce population growth, governments must focus their attention on enhancing the rights, education and health of women and children.

Item #d90aug51

"Still Working on the Ozone Hole: Beyond the Montreal Protocol," A. Makhijani, A. Bickel, A. Makhijani, Technol. Rev., 53-59, May/June 1990.

The Montreal agreement has spurred cuts in the use of ozone-depleting CFCs. But signatories must soon decide whether to include more compounds (e.g. methyl chloroform and carbon tetrachloride) and how to increase Third World participation. Poor nations will not participate in CFC cutbacks unless rich nations help them develop and use technologies that do not rely on ozone-depleting compounds.

Item #d90aug52

"Slowing Global Warming," C. Flavin, Amer. For., 37-44, May/June 1990.

Coping effectively with global warming requires a strong commitment to a global policy of greater energy efficiency and renewable energy sources. Excerpted from State of the World 1990, this article outlines in extensive tabular format the information necessary to develop a realistic global carbon budget. Among the tables included: "Climate Policies Enacted and Proposed, November 1989," "Costs of Avoiding Carbon Emissions Associated with Alternatives to Fossil Fuels, 1989," and "Proposed Emission Goals, Sample Countries."

Item #d90aug53

"Filling Up in the Future," N. Lenssen, J.E. Young, World Watch, 18-26, May/June 1990.

Calls for a united approach to reduce both air pollution and climate-altering emissions. Significant declines in greenhouse emissions from transportation will only be possible if nonfossil-fuel alternatives replace petroleum, fuel efficiency climbs rapidly, and dependence on private automobiles is cut.

Item #d90aug54

"Hot Air on Global Warming," M.G. Renner, ibid., 35-37, May/June 1990.

Laments the precipitous decline since 1980 in research and development on efficiency and renewables among members of the International Energy Agency, which is composed of 20 western industrialized countries that consume 45% of the world's fossil fuels. If spending had been maintained at the level of the early 1980s, the world would be a big step ahead in the struggle against climatic change.

Item #d90aug55

"CFCs--No Easy Solutions," S. Derra, R&D Mag., 56-66, May 1990.

Promising chemicals and technologies are on the horizon, such as the use of fluoroethers and technologies like compressed helium refrigeration, but these technologies either require changing infrastructures or cannot be developed in time to meet the Montreal Protocol deadline. Industry is gambling hundreds of millions of dollars in building new facilities to meet these deadlines with acceptable interim CFC replacements, while still developing what could prove to be better compounds.

Item #d90aug56

"New Push for Energy Efficiency," L. Lamarre, C. Gellings, T. Yau, EPRI J., 4-17, Apr./May 1990.

This feature article explains how consumers in the residential, commercial and industrial sectors have been slow to adopt efficient end-use energy technologies. Regulatory agencies are now looking at ways to encourage utility investments in promoting efficient electricity-based technologies. Lists further reading that encourages these strategies.

Item #d90aug57

"Measurement of Nitrous Oxide Emissions," A. Kokkinos, ibid., 36-39.

Previously reported high levels of N₂O emissions from fossil fuel combustion are incorrect because of systematic errors in the measuring technique used. Ongoing research is building a body of accurate N₂O emission measurements and investigating the formation of this gas, considered a significant contributor to the greenhouse effect.