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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 8, NUMBER 2, FEBRUARY 1995

PERIODICALS...
OF GENERAL INTEREST

Item #d95feb113

"Storm Warnings: Climate Change Hits the Insurance Industry," C. Flavin, World Watch, 10-20, Nov.-Dec. 1994.

Insurance companies believe that an unprecedented series of hurricanes, floods and fires may be the first real effects of human-induced climate change. These companies' responses could pit them against the fossil fuel industry in the battle over reducing carbon emissions.

Item #d95feb114

"The Ultimate Preventive Medicine," E. Chivian, Technology Review, 34-40, Nov.-Dec. 1994.

Physicians see global environmental change as ultimately a matter of human health. In order to translate the complexities of the change into practical human health terms, Physicians for Social Responsibility and other medical organizations have initiated educational activities on the relationship between environmental and human health.

Item #d95feb115

"The U.S. Climate Change Action Plan: Challenges and Prospects," J. Darmstadter, Resources, 19-23, Winter 1995 (Resources for the Future, 1616 P St. NW, Washington DC 20036).

Evaluation of the plan's prospects for success must necessarily be speculative, but already several of its underlying assumptions appear questionable. The plan's greatest contribution might be to bring attention to the need for sustained measures to address climate change and its attendant socioeconomic consequences.

Item #d95feb116

Special issue: "Climate Change in the Developing World," Renewable Energy for Development, 8 pp., Nov. 1994 (Stockholm Environ. Inst., Box 2142, S-103 Stockholm, Swed.).

Consists of six articles on topics including joint implementation; discussions on Africa, Brazil, and forests in India; NGO preparation for the Berlin conference on the climate treaty.

Item #d95feb117

Special issue: "Siberian Forests," Options, 19 pp., Winter 1994 (Intl. Inst. for Applied Systems Analysis, A-2361 Laxenburg, Austria).

Dwells on early results from IIASA's Siberian Forest Study, and the extensive database created for it. These vast forests contain half the amount of carbon stored in the Amazon rainforests. Properly developed, they could serve as a cornerstone of the Russian economy.

Item #d95feb118

"World Climate Review, 20 pp., Fall 1994. (Dept. Environ. Sci., Univ. Virginia, Charlottesville VA 22903; P.J. Michaels, Ed.; no charge.) A selection of articles follows.

"Climate Change Treaty: Betting on Uncertain Science," 4-7. Nations signed the Framework Treaty on Climate Change without knowing how to respond to it. They now must decide between unreliable models and existing data.

"Reviewing the Consensus," 10-13. Two prominent scientists review the draft IPCC report.

"Forging a Scientific Consensus: IPCC Uses 'Press Release' Science," 19-20. Editorial on biased and erroneous science reporting by the media.

Also includes "Agenda 21: It's Not Hidden," (pp. 8-9) on the potential effectiveness of Agenda 21, and "Planet Watch," (pp. 16-18) on temperature monitoring.

Item #d95feb119

Ibid., Summer 1994.

"Temperature Histories in Perspective: The Relationship Between Global and Local," 4-11. A comparison of local, regional, national and global temperature histories, which are often poorly connected.

"The Great Sulfate Debate: An Idea Whose Time Has Gone?" 12-14. Recent findings cast doubt on sulfate aerosols as compensation for greenhouse warming.

Item #d95feb120

Tiempo, Nov. 1994. (Available from Sch. Environ. Sci., Univ. East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK; no charge to developing countries.)

"Towards Joint Implementation," S. Granich, M. Kelly, 1-3. Discusses this cost-effective means for one country to meet its commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by supporting activities in another country.

"Supporting North-South Cooperation," J. Parikh 4-5. Discusses priorities for action during the pilot phase of a joint implementation strategy among northern (developed) and southern (developing) countries.

"Ensuring Fair Play," I. Mintzer, 6-10. An interview about performance criteria for joint implementation schemes.

"Health and Climate Change in Honduras," J. Almendares, M. Sierra et al., 17-19. On direct and indirect human health effects in this sensitive ecosystem.

Item #d95feb121

"Decreasing Ozone Causes Health Concern--How Canada Forecasts Ultraviolet-B Radiation," J.B. Kerr, ibid., Environ. Sci. & Technol., 514A-518A, Nov. 1994. (See Global Climate Change Digest, Nov.-Dec. 1994)

Item #d95feb122

"Ozone Depletion: 20 Years After the Alarm," F.S. Rowland, M.J. Molina, Chem. Eng. News, 8-13, Aug. 15, 1994. (See Global Climate Change Digest, Sep. 1994)

Item #d95feb123

"Using Economic Incentives to Reduce Auto Pollution," W. Harrington, M.A. Walls, V.D. McConnell, Issues Sci. Technol., 26-32, Winter 1994-1995.

New standards to reduce ambient ozone levels are being implemented in spite of scientific uncertainties about their cost, effectiveness and benefits, and the relationship between emissions and ambient ozone.

Item #d95feb124

"Head-On Collision over Transport," M. Hamer, New Scientist, 14-15, Nov. 12, 1994.

Britain's Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution criticizes the Department of Transport's focus on road building and lack of an environmentally sound transport policy.

Item #d95feb125

"United Nations Environment Programme," P.M. Haas, Environment, 36(7), 43-45, Sep. 1994.

Traces the history and activities of UNEP, and suggests that, in the aftermath of the U.N. Conference on Environment and Development, it is likely to undergo systemwide institutional reforms and redesign of its responsibilities.

Item #d95feb126

"A Rational View on Stratospheric Ozone: The Unheard Arguments," H.W. Ellsaesser, 21st Century Science & Technology, 7(3), 37-45, Fall 1994 (21st Century Sci. Assoc., POB 16285, Washington DC 20041).

Counters the prevailing view of ozone depletion, citing several examples of unfounded assumptions and inconsistencies in scientific reports. For instance, they ignore the benefits of UV exposure and the large natural latitudinal and long-term variations in ozone, and the lack of predicted consequences due to ozone thinning.

Item #d95feb127

"Is Your Science Ecologically Correct?" J. Adler, Coal Voice, 22-27, Summer 1994 (Natl. Coal Assoc., 1130 17th St. NW, Washington DC 20036).

The pressure to be ecologically correct is a type of "political correctness" many scientists must contend with, especially on topics such as climate change. Discusses this topic, referring to a recent ABC Nightline television broadcast that examined scientists critical of prevailing climate change views, the Soviet experience with science control, and parallels with the McCarthy era of anti-communism.

Item #d95feb128

"How Much Does Global Warming Matter?" W. Beckerman, J. Malkin, The Public Interest, 3-16, Winter 1994 (Natl. Affairs Inc., 1112 16th St. NW, S. 530, Washington DC 20036).

Global warming may be a problem, but it is no cause for undue alarm or drastic action. The topic is much more glamorous and telegenic than the need for better toilets and drains in the Third World, but if we truly care about our fellow world citizens, it is these kinds of environmental issues we must focus on.