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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 4, NUMBER 2, FEBRUARY 1991

PROFESSIONAL PUBLICATIONS...
ENERGY POLICY

Item #d91feb12

"A Study of Leakage from the UK Natural Gas Distribution System," C. Mitchell (Earth Resour. Res., 258 Pentonville Rd., London N1 9JY, UK), J. Sweet, T. Jackson, Energy Pol., 18(9), 809-818, Nov. 1990.

Because the largest constituent of natural gas is methane, an important greenhouse gas, even a small leak from the natural gas supply system has a powerful greenhouse effect. Although British Gas maintains that the leakage rate is around 1% of supply, the authors are confident the leakage rate is above 1.9% and consider it more likely that the leakage rate is between the medium (5.3%) and high (10.8%) cases analyzed.

Item #d91feb13

"Climatic Concerns: Possible Energy Implications for Selected Lower Income Asian Nations," W. Barron (Ctr. Urban Studies, Univ. Hong Kong, Pokfulam Rd., Hong Kong), P. Hills, ibid., 819-827.

Sufficient concern exists over global warming to call into question development paths based on steadily expanding use of fossil fuels. Examines fossil carbon emissions by fuel type and consuming sector in the context of the countries' national energy plans and policies.

Item #d91feb14

"Energy Policy and Public Opinion," S.A. Boehmer-Christiansen (Energy Prog., Univ. Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9RH, E. Sussex, UK), ibid., 828-837.

Discusses the thesis that public concern about the environment is in part engineered to make public and corporate policy socially acceptable. Bases the discussion on the history of acid rain abatement in West Germany and nuclear waste disposal in the U.K. and relates it to energy policy.

Item #d91feb15

"Energy, Environment and Development--Some Directions for Policy Research," D.B. Brooks (Intl. Develop. Res. Ctr., POB 8500, Ottawa, Ont. K16 3H9, Can.), H. Krugmann, ibid., 838-844.

Argues that change is needed in the agenda for policy research on the conjunction of problems linking energy, environment and development. Future research should emphasize these directions: energy options and delivery systems; energy use and the global environment; the political economy of energy/environment/development; biomass as a source of supply; urban transportation as an end use.

Item #d91feb16

"Conference Reports: A Time for Promises," ibid., 875-876. The Role of Government in Energy (Mar. 29, 1990, London, Inst. Mech. Eng.) is summarized by S.A. Boehmer-Christiansen. Energy for a New Century: The European Perspective (May 3-4, 1990, Brussels) is summarized by D. Jones.

Item #d91feb17

"Energy Efficiency and Economic Fallacies," M.J. Grubb (Roy. Inst. Intl. Affairs, 10 St. James Sq., London SW1Y 4LE, UK), ibid., 18(8), 783-785, Oct. 1990.

Taken from the book Energy Policies and the Greenhouse Effect. As energy efficiency improves, some argue that the apparent savings would be offset by the tendency to use more energy because it is cheaper. However, policy-driven measures aimed at bringing more efficient technologies into imperfect markets will usually result in real net energy savings only slightly smaller than those suggested by a simple engineering analysis.

Item #d91feb18

"Natural Gas and the Greenhouse," Nature, 247(6295), 720, Oct. 25, 1990. An exchange of letters relating to the amount of greenhouse gases to be emitted if natural gas is used instead of coal in power plants.

Item #d91feb19

"The Cinderella Options: A Study of Modernized Renewable Energy Technologies. Part 1-A. Technical Assessment," M.J. Grubb (Roy. Inst. Intl. Affairs, 10 St. James Sq., London SW1Y 4LE, UK), Energy Pol., 18(6), 525 ff., July-Aug. 1990. "...Part 2. Political and Policy Analysis," ibid., 18(10), 711-725, Oct. 1990.

Changes resulting from moving toward energy efficiency, natural gas and renewable sources could either deepen or alleviate political conflicts, depending on the timing and path of the changes. Removing existing market obstacles, increasing R&D expenditures, and various forms of support can be clearly justified and could make a large impact on renewable energy developments.

Item #d91feb20

"The Internal Energy Market: The New Coalition against Energy Efficiency and Environmental Concerns?" M. Brand (Fraunhofer Inst., Breslauer Str. 48, D-7500 Karlsruhe 1, FRG), E. Jochem, ibid., 18(8), 694-701, Oct. 1990. Given growing environmental threats, implementation of the internal market must be accompanied by an energy policy that favors energy conservation and by harmonizing environmental policies.

Item #d91feb21

"Delinking of Energy Consumption and Economic Growth--The German Experience," U. Hansen (Power Eng. Dept., Univ. Essen, FRG), ibid., 18(7), 631-640, Sep. 1990. Time and pace of technological development are major determinants in energy conservation; the price element is more difficult to isolate and may have had a lesser effect in an affluent society.

Item #d91feb22

"CO₂ Abatement Cost in West Germany," F. Conrad (Nuclear Res. Ctr., Karlsruhe, FRG), ibid., 669-670.

Extends to West Germany the Keepin and Kats analysis for the U.S. of comparative costs of using power more efficiently and generating nuclear power, and finds the nuclear strategy preferable. However, this is a minor point compared to the strategic importance of nuclear energy for the substitution of fossil fuels.

Item #d91feb23

"Increasing Energy Supply Not Inevitable," D.N. Zillman (Univ. Utah, Salt Lake City UT 84112), ibid., 671-672.

Disputes those who say that energy efficiency improvements cannot reduce energy demand or that increasing living standards can only be based on increasing energy demand. The means are available to reverse the trend based on these conclusions; what is needed is the political choice to embark on a nonnuclear response to global warming.

Item #d91feb24

"Energy--Environment--Development," ibid., 675-677. R.K. Pachauri (Tata Energy Res. Inst., New Delhi, India) reports on the meeting, 12th Annual International Conference of the IAEE (Jan. 4-6, New Delhi). S. Boehmer Christiansen (SPRU, Univ. Sussex, Brighton, UK) reports on Are Energy and Environmental Policy One and the Same Thing? A BIEE Seminar (June 9, 1990, London).

Item #d91feb25

"Can Nuclear Energy Contribute to Slowing Global Warming?" J. Murray (Uranium Inst., 12th Fl., Bowater House, 68 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LT, UK), ibid., 18(6), July-Aug. 1990.

In the short term, expansion of nuclear energy can be only relatively modest; energy efficiency measures may offer more immediate potential to contain greenhouse gas emissions. For the long term, nuclear energy can make a significant contribution in industrialized and developing countries, provided that the momentum of nuclear development is maintained.