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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 5, NUMBER 10, OCTOBER 1992

NEWS...
NEWS NOTES

Item #d92oct115

Heidelburg Appeal: The Heidelburg Appeal to Heads of States and Governments was presented at the Earth Summit with the signatures of over 400 scientists and intellectuals from around the world, including over 60 Nobel prize winners. Its 11-paragraph text asserts that needed environmentally sustainable development be based on "scientific criteria and not on irrational preconceptions," and that poor countries must not be entangled in a "web of unrealistic obligations." Signatures are still being collected by Michel Salomon, 10, ave. de Messine, 75008 Paris, France (fax: 33-1-42 98 00 59).

Item #d92oct116

WMO ozone assessment published: Bound copies of Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 1991 are now available. (See Reports/General Interest, this GCCD issue--Oct. 1992.) Results of the international assessment, coordinated by the World Meteorological Association, were discussed in GCCD News, Dec. 1991.

Item #d92oct117

National Academy report: The final version of Policy Implications of Greenhouse Warming has been published in bound form by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. (See reports.) It includes the reports of the adaptation and science panels, which have not previously been published. The synthesis report of the three-part study was published in April 1991 (GCCD News, May 1991), and the report of the mitigation panel was issued as a prepublication manuscript a few months later (GCCD, Reports/General interest, July 1991).

Item #d92oct118

"Amazonian Exploits," New Scientist, p. 8, Sep. 12, 1992. Flavio Perri, Brazil's new environment secretary, said that his government will open the Amazon region to economic exploitation while avoiding serious environmental damage. Cattle raising, mining and agriculture will be considered.

Item #d92oct119

"Third World `under Pressure to Burn Fossil Fuel,'" J. Webb, ibid., p. 11, Sep. 5. This is the conclusion of Gordon Mackerron at the University of Sussex, because of the rapidly growing demand for electricity. The outcome could be altered if leading investors such as the World Bank change their policies.

Item #d92oct120

"Burning the Carbon Store: Will Wildfire Steal the Offsets?" Global Environ. Change Rep., pp. 1-3, Aug. 28, 1992. Analyzes this possibility, which is prompted by reports of increased frequency of forest fires in the Northern Hemisphere this year.

Item #d92oct121

"EPA Studying Possibility of Tax on Carbon Based Fuels," Intl. Environ. Rptr., pp. 553-554, Aug. 26, 1992 (also Environ. Rptr. Curr. Devel., p. 1256, Aug. 21). Speaking at an August symposium, Alex Cristofaro of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency explained that any possible carbon tax should be offset by existing taxes such as those on labor and capital.

Item #d92oct122

"Tax Cuts for Biofuels," Chem. in Britain, p. 701, Aug. 1992. The European Commission has adopted a proposal to significantly reduce the tax on biofuels, starting next year.

Item #d92oct123

"EPA Head Berates U.S. Earth Summit Efforts," B. Hileman, Chem. Eng. News, pp. 4-5, Aug. 10, 1992. William Reilly has sent a memo to EPA employees criticizing the lack of support he received from the Bush Administration at the Earth Summit. However, he lauded new initiatives to carry out promises made at Rio in testimony before Congress.