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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 7, NUMBER 9, SEPTEMBER 1994

PROFESSIONAL PUBLICATIONS... OF GENERAL INTEREST: GENERAL AND POLICY

Item #d94sep1

· "Global Warming," M. Hulme (Clim. Res. Unit, Univ. E. Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK), Prog. Phys. Geog., 18(3), 401-410, Sep. 1994.

A progress report on recent developments in three areas: monitoring and explanation of current climate trends, global climate modeling, and initial attempts to provide integrated global assessments of the global warming question.

Item #d94sep2

"Environmental Issues," C. Park (Dept. Geog., Lancaster Univ., Lancaster LA1 4YB, UK), ibid., 411-424.

A review of developments in environmental management in the post-Rio era, with an emphasis on the broader context of environmental decision-making and emerging approaches to the resolution of environmental conflicts.

Item #d94sep3

"Climate and Food Supply," A.B. Pittock (CSIRO, Pvt. Bag 1, Mordialloc, Victoria 3195, Australia), P. Whetton, Y. Wang, Nature, 371(6492), 25, Sep. 1, 1994.

Letter presenting a more pessimistic interpretation of the findings of Rosenzweig and Parry, than given by Reilly in a previous article. (See GCCD, p. 2, Feb.)

Item #d94sep4

"Renewable Energy: Economic and Environmental Issues," D. Pimentel (College Agric. & Life Sci., Cornell Univ., Ithaca NY 14853), G. Rodrigues et al., BioScience, 44(8), 536-547, Sep. 1994.

Analyzes the potential of various renewable or solar energy technologies in terms of their land requirements, environmental benefits and risks, economic costs, and advantages. Solar alternatives to fossil fuels have the potential to meet a large portion of future energy needs, provided that the U.S. is committed to their development and implementation and that energy conservation is practiced. The economy and national security will suffer if such a commitment is not made in the next decade or two. To ensure a reasonable standard of living in the future, there must be a fair balance between human population density and energy, land, water, and biological resources.

Item #d94sep5

"Understanding Global Change: A Cognitive Perspective on Communicating Through Stories," A.R. Kearney (Sch. Natural Resour., Univ. Michigan, Ann Arbor MI 48109), Clim. Change, 27(4), 419-441, Aug. 1994.

Human behavior must be changed to ameliorate the adverse effects of global change, but communicating the understanding necessary for this to happen has not been easy. This paper proposes that information on global change is not generally structured to take advantage of the way people process information. It discusses the cognitive processes involved in the acquisition of information in general, and the special problems associated with global change. Suggests case studies or analogies as one effective structure for presenting information. The discussion also applies to scientists who wish to effectively communicate their ideas to the media or to researchers in other disciplines.

Item #d94sep6

"A Climatic and Environmental Protection Strategy, the Road Toward a Sustainable Future--An Editorial Essay," W. Bach (Clim. Res. Unit., Univ. Muenster, D-48149 Muenster, Ger.), ibid., 27(2), 147-160, June 1994.

The overuse of fossil fuels, especially in the North, and the overpopulation in many parts of the South result in an unacceptable stress to Earth. Presents a tractable climatic and environmental protection strategy designed to answer questions relating to what has to be done, by whom, when, and how. Includes discussion of Germany's program for reducing CO2 emissions. Without self restraint, climate and ecosystem protection cannot be maintained.

Item #d94sep7

"Monitoring and Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Agricultural, Forestry and Other Human Activities," S. Boag (Dept. Primary Industry, GPO Box 858, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia), D.H. White, S.M. Howden, ibid., 27(1), 5-11, May 1994.

(This paper introduces a special issue on the topic; see next section for other titles.) A holistic systems approach requires that the major inputs, components and outputs of agriculture and forestry are defined, through mathematical modeling of biological processes, field and laboratory experiments, and satellite data. Such an approach can have a significant role in guiding key decision makers and policy analysts, and in attaining sustainable development.

Item #d94sep8

Comment on the article "Climate Con" (GCCD, p. 2, June) by J. Houghton (Co-Chair, IPCC Scientific Assessment), Chem. & Industry, pp. 438 & 449, June 20, 1994; reply by author R. Bate, ibid., p. 578, Aug. 1.

Item #d94sep9

"The Schools of the Pacific Rainfall Climate Experiment: Combining Research and Education," S. Postawko (Sch. Meteor., Univ. Oklahoma, 100 E. Boyd St., Norman OK 73019), M. Morrissey, B. Gibson, Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 75(7), 1260-1266, July 1994.

This project, begun primarily to increase measurement of rainfall across the Pacific at a relatively low cost, involves interested local schools and technical centers. The quality and quantity of data, which are added to the Comprehensive Pacific Rainfall Data Base, are enhanced by the active involvement of students, and their understanding of global and regional climate are improved.