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 8, NUMBER 1, JANUARY 1995

PROFESSIONAL PUBLICATIONS...
MITIGATION POLICY

Item #d95jan24

"Optimal Carbon Emissions Trajectories When Damages Depend on the Rate or Level of Global Warming," S.C. Peck (Electric Power Res. Inst., 3412 Hillview Ave., Palo Alto CA 94303), T.J. Teisberg, Clim. Change, 28(3), 289-314, Nov. 1994.

Model results show that optimal trajectories are affected more by the degree of nonlinearity in the warming cost function than by whether the cost function is driven by warming level or warming rate. Uncertainty and risk aversion cause optimal trajectories to be somewhat lower. Damages would have to be very high to justify stabilizing emissions at the 1990 level.

Item #d95jan25

Two items from Energy Policy, 22(9), Sep. 1994:

"Energy Needs and CO₂ Emissions: Constructing a Formula for Just Distributions," O. Benestad (Ctr. Develop. & Environ., Univ. Oslo, POB 1116 Blindern, N-0317 Oslo, Nor.), 725-734. Proposes an "equal burden" formula for CO₂ emissions based on John Rawl's theory of justice. Quotas are given according to needs that can be assessed for different sectors and different countries.

"George Bush Versus Al Gore: Irreversibilities in Greenhouse Gas Accumulation and Emission Control Investment," C.D. Kolstad (Dept. Econ., Univ. Calif., Santa Barbara CA 93106), 771-778. Uses a stochastic version of the Nordhaus DICE model to show that irreversibility of investment capital has a stronger effect than irreversibility in climate change. Policy makers should pursue control policies that are costlessly reversible, a variant on the no regrets strategy.

Item #d95jan26

"The EU Carbon/Energy Tax: Effects in a Distorted Energy Market," H. Birkelund (E. Norway Res. Inst., POB 1004 Skurva, N-2601 Lillehammer, Nor.), E. Gjelsvik, M. Aaserud, ibid., 22(8), 657-665, Aug. 1994.

Model results show that increased substitution of gas for coal would have a significant impact on CO₂ emissions, would enhance the effect of a carbon tax, and would postpone an increase in the tax to meet the stabilization target. Deregulation of thermal power production could increase demand for natural gas with or without a carbon tax.

Specialized Papers

Item #d95jan27

"Pollution and Exhaustibility of Fossil Fuels," C. Withagen (Dept. Math., Eindhoven Univ. Technol., POB 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, Neth.), Resour. & Energy Econ., 16(3), 235-242, Aug. 1994. Models the impact on the environment of fossil fuel use, and derives the "optimal" rate of depletion.