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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 9, SEPTEMBER 1990

REPORTS...
OF GENERAL INTEREST

Item #d90sep64

A Multi-Disciplinary Research Initiative to Predict Rapid Changes in Global Sea Level Caused by Collapse of Marine Ice Sheets (NASA CONF 3075), R. Bindschadler, Ed., 55 pp., 1990. Available from Robert Bindschadler, Code 671, NASA Goddard Space Flight Ctr., Greenbelt MD 20771 (301-286-7611).

Concern over impending sea level rise from global warming warrants a concrete appraisal of the inherent instability of marine ice sheets (those grounded well below sea level) and their potential for causing sudden sea level rise. (See RESEARCH NEWS, this Global Climate Change Digest issue--Sep. 1990.) The proposed highly interdisciplinary program SeaRISE will concentrate in its first five years on the West Antarctic ice sheet, which is of greatest concern. The second, five-year phase will focus on other locations.

Item #d90sep65

Sea-Level Change, U.S. Nat. Res. Council, Aug. 1990. Nat. Acad. Press, 2101 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington DC 20418 (800-624-6242 or 202-334-3313); $29.95.

A national panel chaired by Roger Revelle (Univ. Calif., San Diego) concludes that increased national and international effort is needed to understand past fluctuations in sea level so that future changes can be predicted. Sea levels could rise between one-half and one meter over the next 100 years as a result of greenhouse gases, but the uncertainty in this estimate is enormous. Sea-level change is the product of many interrelated processes, and a more complete system for measuring those components is necessary, particularly by using space-based altimeters with laser sensors.

Item #d90sep66

Carbon Emissions Control Strategies, W.U. Chandler, Ed. (Batelle Mem. Inst., Pacific Northwest Lab.), 42 pp., 1990. Executive summary of forthcoming publication; available (no charge) from World Wildlife Fund/Conservation Foundation, 1250 24th St. NW, Washington DC 20037 (202-293-4800).

Summarizes eight case studies initiated with funding from the U.S. EPA. Experts in eight countries critical in the greenhouse debate (Canada, France, Hungary, Japan, Poland, Soviet Union, United Kingdom, United States) evaluated the prospects for reducing fossil fuel-based car-bon emissions, using the best economic models available. In all cases the positive economic results of energy efficiency gains and economic restructuring would offset the short-term capital investment costs and reductions in economic output that would result from adoption of an international agreement on carbon emissions. United States' emissions could be reduced 20% by the year 2005 at a cost of about 0.5% of annual gross national product. Priorities for specific actions are given; international cooperation will be necessary.

Item #d90sep67

Global Change Research Program Plan, U.S. Dept. Agric. Forest Service, 76 pp., May 1990. Available (no charge) from Forest Fire & Atmos. Res., USDA Forest Serv., POB 96090, Washington DC 20090 (202-453-9561).

The program described, under development for four years, views global change as a resource issue and takes an ecosystem approach from the natural resource perspective. Based on a November 1989 workshop, this document presents an overview, explains coordination with the federal global change program, and outlines the scientific research being initiated and the management structure. Planned monitoring, modeling, assessment, and policy formulation are also described. An update will be published in 1991; more detailed plans are being completed by individual research cooperatives. (See Global Climate Change Digest, REPORTS/GENERAL INTEREST, Aug. 1990, for southern plan.)