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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 7, JULY 1990

PROFESSIONAL PUBLICATIONS...
COMMENTARY

Item #d90jul7

"Decade of Decision," M.K. Tolba (UNEP), J. Air Waste Mgmt. Assoc., 40(5), 612-614, May 1990.

In an address to the U.N. General Assembly's key Second Committee, the executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme justifies the need to convene in 1992 a United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. This conference should get government commitments to specific targets and resources to achieve them on climate change, ozone depletion and other global problems.

Item #d90jul8

"Aerosol Climatology," O. Preining (Inst. Experimentalphys., Univ. Wien, Strudlhofgasse 4, A-1090 Vienna, Austria), J. Aerosol Sci., 21(1), 1, 1990.

There is growing evidence that aerosols must be considered at least as important as the greenhouse gases; an aerosol climatology must be developed so that aerosol contributions to climate change can be incorporated in predictive models.

Item #d90jul9

"Whatever Happened to the Mini Ice Age?" J. Gribbin, New Sci., 58, Apr. 14, 1990.

Refutes the report by the George C. Marshall Institute, which suggests that action to curb the production of greenhouse gases may be premature and that, as a result of solar activity, a cold spell might still be on the agenda. If the report is correct, the evidence of past climate rhythms implies the little ice age predicted should have already happened. We did not notice it because the greenhouse effect was so much stronger, and we must act now to reduce the greenhouse effect and reduce costs involved.

Item #d90jul10

"Hands Up for the Gaia Hypothesis," J.E. Lovelock, Nature, 344(6262), 100-102, Mar. 8, 1990.

Explains the history, the arguments, the evidence and the criticisms of Gaia, and where it now stands. Argues that whether or not Gaia is an accurate description of the earth, it forces a different view from that of conventional wisdom and provides a view that could be crucial to understanding the consequences of pollution and environmental disturbances.

Item #d90jul11

"Engineer in the White House," J. Maddox, ibid., 103.

Chief of Staff John Sununu sees his role in the greenhouse warming debate as typical of the role of technical people in government. He will act only when he has all of the facts.

Item #d90jul12

"International Negotiations on Global Climate Change: An Overview and Perspective," W.A. Nitze (Environ. Law Inst., Washington, D.C.), World Clim. Change Rep., 35-36, Mar. 1990.

Reports (like that of the George C. Marshall Institute) that question the likelihood of significant global warming have received favorable attention from senior U.S. officials anxious to minimize pressure for what they regard as premature and economically costly policy responses. In contrast, the world community has moved fast to coordinate efforts to deal with potential climate change.