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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

PROFESSIONAL PUBLICATIONS...
COMMENTARY

Item #d90nov15

"The Global Carbon Cycle: Are Forests the Missing Sink?" R.A. Sedjo (Resour. for the Future, Washington, D.C.), J. For., 88(10), 33-34, Oct. 1990.

Our weakness in understanding the global carbon cycle is demonstrated by the difficulty in balancing the carbon budget. An unknown carbon sink has been suggested by researchers: forested ecosystems may be an overall sink for carbon, rather than a source.

Item #d90nov16

"Opening the Door to Social Scientists," H. Newby (Econ. & Soc. Res. Council, U.K.), New Scientist, p. 26, Sep. 8, 1990.

Natural scientists traditionally provided policy makers with the "hard" facts for making "soft" (unscientific), value-ridden policies. However, with regard to the global environment, natural scientists can be cast in a role analogous to social scientists because inferences about global warming, for example, are sometimes characterized as unanalytic, over-descriptive and "soft" in their reliance on natural, rather than laboratory observations. Calls for plurality and tolerance in interdisciplinary research, without sloppiness and rampant relativism.

Item #d90nov17

"Global Change," P.A. Abelson (Science staff, Washington, D.C.), Science, p. 1085, Sep. 7, 1990. Research in global change is too important to be subject to the usual inefficiencies of stop-and-go budgeting by the U.S. and other nations.

Item #d90nov18

"Greenhouse Effect Economics," R. Perman (Dept. Econ., Univ. Strathclyde, Glasgow 64 0LN, Scotland, UK), Nature, 347(6288), 10, Sep. 6, 1990. Discusses how economists need to focus research on quantification of the marginal cost schedule for emissions control and how they can guide policy makers on appropriate policy instruments to realize least-cost control.

Item #d90nov19

"The Importance of Information Linkages, between Scientists and Politicians in Order to Solve Global Environmental Problems," A. Rosemarin (Editor, Ambio, Roy. Swed. Acad. Sci., Box 50005, S-104 05 Stockholm, Swed.), Ambio, 19(5), 229, Aug. 1990. Editorial. Among the several ways by which scientists and policy makers communicate, there is still a need for well-written, thoroughly-researched review reports for policy makers.

Item #d90nov20

"Global Environmental Change and the Social Sciences: Evolution in Progress?" M.F. Price (Adv. Study Prog., NCAR, POB 3000, Boulder CO 80307), EarthQuest, 4(2), pp. 9, 12-13, 16, Summer 1990. (Off. Interdisciplinary Earth Stud., Univ. Corp. Atmos. Res., POB 3000, Boulder CO 80307; 303-497-1682).

Summarizes emerging U.S. and international programs intended to address the critical interactions between human activities and the earth's physical and biological systems. Includes contacts for information on major programs.

Item #d90nov21

"Global Warming: Taking Action at the Local Level," R.W. Riggs (Council State Govts., New York, N.Y.), Environ. Decisions, pp. 20 ff, June 1990. Given the possibility of several adverse effects of global warming, local officials can take action in areas like energy efficiency, use of renewal energy resources, and reforestation.