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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 6, NUMBER 5, MAY 1993

PROFESSIONAL PUBLICATIONS...
GENERAL INTEREST, POLICY AND LAW

Item #d93may1

Two items from Environment, 35(3), Apr. 1993:

"European Perspectives on Global Climate Change," W. Kempton (Ctr. Energy & Urban Pol. Res., Univ. Delaware, Newark, Dela.), P.P. Craig, 16-20, 41-44. Explores why the European countries have pushed much harder than the U.S. for greenhouse gas control, by examining the views, motivations, values and logic of each European government's environmental policy community. Discusses results of interviews with national elected and appointed officials, as well as with several representatives of multinational corporations and other sectors, for contrast. Typical European views, such as considering a range of outcomes rather than the most common prediction and viewing climate change as connected to many other environmental issues, are generally not culturally specific. There is no fundamental reason why they could not become part of the new U.S. administration's policies.

"Institutions: Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center," R.M. Cushman (CDIAC, U.S. Dept. Energy, Oak Ridge Nat. Lab., Oak Ridge TN 37831), F.W. Stoss, 5, 45. Summarizes activities of CDIAC, which obtains information concerning changes in greenhouse gases and climate directly from many sources, "adds value" through analysis and interpretation, and makes it available to a wide range of users.

Item #d93may2

"When Law Makes Climate Change Worse: Rethinking the Law of Baselines in Light of a Rising Sea Level," D.D. Caron (School of Law, Univ. California, Berkeley CA 94720), Ecol. Law Quart., 17(4), 621-653, 1990.

The international law of baselines, which determines the 12-mile territorial sea and other maritime zones, involves many disciplines and interests but has been formulated on the assumption that sea level is essentially constant. This article examines how the present law will aggravate the consequences of climate change if sea level changes, and considers possible alternatives to the present law.

Item #d93may3

"Report on Reports: Automobile Fuel Economy: How Far Should We Go?" S.E. Plotkin (Off. Technol. Assessment, U.S. Congress), Environment, 35(3), 25-29, Apr. 1993.

Extensively reviews the April 1992 National Research Council report (GCCD, p. 170, Oct. 1992). Concludes that it is a well-written, usually closely reasoned, intelligent and generally fair-minded addition to the debate on CAFE (corporate automobile fuel efficiency) standards.

Item #d93may4

"Integrating Risk Analysis into Public Policymaking," J.F. Ahearne (Resour. for the Future, 1616 P St. NW, Washington DC 20036), Environment, 35(2), 16-20, 37-39, Mar. 1993.

Discusses the roles of government and the media, the costs and cost-effectiveness of regulation, resource allocation, and research needed on how to effectively communicate risk to the public.

Item #d93may5

"Dealing with Uncertainty: From Health Risk Assessment to Environmental Decision Making," L.A. Cox (Cox Assoc., 503 Franklin St., Denver CO 80218), P.F. Ricci, J. Energy Eng. (ASCE), 118(2), 77-94, Aug. 1992.

Characterizes types of uncertainty and discusses approaches for dealing with them, providing statistical and mathematical examples from human health risk assessment. Methods from applied risk assessment provide some of the means to deal coherently with decision making under uncertainty, but heuristics such as scenarios are still useful.