Last Updated:
February 28, 2007

GCRIO Program Overview

Library 
Our extensive collection of documents.

Privacy Policy

Archives of the
Global Climate Change Digest
A Guide to Information on Greenhouse Gases and Ozone Depletion
Published July 1988 through June 1999

FROM VOLUME 4, NUMBER 6, JUNE 1991

PROFESSIONAL PUBLICATIONS...
ENERGY POLICY

Item #d91jun13

"A Renewable Future," C. Flavin (Worldwatch Inst., Washington, D.C.), N.K. Lenssen, Environ. Sci. Technol., 25(5), 834-837, May 1991. Discusses past and future trends in costs of several forms of renewable energy, concluding that the challenge ahead is only partly technological. Political challenges are to overcome narrow economic interests and revamp policies to create sustainable ecosystems.

Item #d91jun14

Special Issue: "Energy Efficiency in Electricity," Energy Policy, 19(3), Apr. 1991. Purchase single copies from Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd. (Journal Fulfillment, 80 Montvale Ave., Stoneham MA 02180; or Linacre House, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8DP, UK).

"Editor's Introduction," I. Brown (Assoc. Conserv. Energy, 9 Sherlock Mews, London W1M 3RH, UK), 195-198. Argues that electric utilities are at a crossroads. They can either continue to act as suppliers of a commodity (kilowatt-hours) and face the possibility of being ordered to reduce CO₂ emissions, or they can move toward becoming energy service companies. The latter approach will be the most profitable and sustainable in the forthcoming decade.

"Viewpoint," A. Kahane, 199-201. On the role of the consumer.

"Viewpoint," S. Weil, 202-204. On state utility regulations in the United States.

"Viewpoint," W.R. Prindle, 205-206. On demand-side management.

"Electricity End-Use Efficiency: An Assessment of the Scope for Efficiency Gains and Policy Options," G. McInnes, E. Unterwurzacher, 208-216.

"Potential Energy Savings from Efficient Electric Technologies," C.W. Gellings, A. Faruqui, K. Seiden, 217-230.

"The Myths and Facts of Energy Efficiency: Survey of Implementation Issues," F.P. Sioshansi, 231-243.

"More Efficient Household Electricity Use: An International Perspective," L. Schipper, D.V. Hawk, 244-265.

"Evaluation of European Lighting Programmes: Utilities Finance Energy Efficiency," E. Mills, 266-278.

"Promoting Energy Conservation in Small and Medium-Sized Companies," E. Gruber, M. Brand.

Item #d91jun15

"From the Inside Out: Reducing CO₂ Emissions in the Buildings Sector," V. Norberg-Bohm (Kennedy Sch. Govt., Harvard Univ., Cambridge MA 02138), Environment, 23(3), 16-20, 37-44, Apr. 1991.

Assesses the potential for reducing energy use in commercial and residential buildings, which account for 34% of the anthropogenic CO₂ emissions in the U.S. Includes several CO₂ emission scenarios to the year 2015, trends in developing countries, and U.S. policy options. The U.S. government should emphasize conservation and renewable energy in its national energy strategy.

Item #d91jun16

Energy Policy, 19(2), Mar. 1991.

"Viewpoint: Energy and the New Politics of the Environment," J. Leggett (Greenpeace, London, U.K.), 161-171. The current predictions of the IPCC demand a radical shift to a new global energy infrastructure; the long-term winners in the energy industry will be those with the prescience to make changes now.

"Confusing the Issue on Energy Efficiency," L.G. Brookes (Bournemouth, U.K.), 184-186. A vigorous rebuttal to D. Toke's previous comment on the author's previous communication, "The Greenhouse Effect: The Fallacies in the Energy Efficiency Solution."

On pp. 186-187: Correspondence on methane leakage from gas distribution systems, impacts of economically justified energy efficiency and nuclear power.

Item #d91jun17

Energy Policy, 19(1), Jan.-Feb. 1991.

"Renewable Energy--Great Hope or False Promise?" T. Jackson (Stockholm Environ Inst., Box 2142, S-10314 Stockholm, Swed.), 2-7. The editor of an upcoming series on renewable energy discusses the motivation for addressing this issue and challenges proponents of renewable energy by asking: Do renewable energy technologies offer the hope of providing clean, long-term energy options, or do they present only false promises which will have no significant hope of realization in the foreseeable future?

"A History of Renewable Energy Technology," B. Sorensen (COWIconsult, 15 Parallevej, DK-2800 Lyngby, Denmark), 8-12. Renewable options have been developed in some areas of the world; gives reasons for their successes and failures.

"Least-Cost Greenhouse Planning: Supply Curves for Global Warming Abatement," T. Jackson (Ctr. Sci. Studies, Lancaster Univ., Bailrigg, Lancashire LA1 4YW), 35-46. Presents a methodology for comparing the cost-effectiveness of different technical options for abating greenhouse gas emissions (mainly CO₂), and determines the extent to which each technology can contribute to abatement by a specified date. Of 17 abatement options examined, the nuclear option is the most expensive, except for marginal CO₂ savings achieved from advanced coal technology. A combination of energy efficiency measures and high-efficiency gas-fired generation can achieve an annual CO₂ savings approaching 285 million tons by 2005, a saving of 46.5% over existing emissions from stationary sources.

"Nuclear Power and Global Warming," N. Mortimer (Sheffield City Polytech., Sheffield, U.K.), 76-68. Nuclear power has been proposed as a solution to global warming, but details of the proposal are typically vague. When examined critically, it offers less than its advocates imply.