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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 9, NUMBER 1, JANUARY 1996

BOOKS AND PROCEEDINGS...
GENERAL, POLICY, AND ECONOMICS

Item #d96jan46

State of the World—1996, L.R. Brown, J. Abramovitz et al., 249 pp., $US11.95/$Can.15.99, 1996 (Norton). Published in 27 languages.

The 13th annual Worldwatch Institute report. Argues that governments should gradually phase in comprehensive environmental tax codes that force markets to reflect more clearly the true costs of products or services, and eliminate massive subsidies for destructive activities, such as mining, overfishing and fossil fuel burning. This would result in annual cuts in personal and corporate income taxes of $1 trillion. Environmental data and now economic data (rising seafood prices, falling grain stocks and health costs from air pollution) support this basic change in fiscal policy. Several chapters relate directly or indirectly to climate change; topics include the risks of climate change, sustainable water strategy, threat of bioinvasions, preserving agricultural resources.

Item #d96jan47

Climate Change Research—Evaluations and Policy Implications. Proceedings of the International Climate Change Research Conference [Maastricht, Neth.; Dec. 1994], S. Zwerver, R.S.A.R. Rompaey et al, Eds., 1504 pp., 1995, $306.25/Dfl.490 (Elsevier).

The conference, with presentations from many countries, concluded a program organized in the Netherlands to stimulate Dutch scientists to participate in international research on climate change. Includes keynote addresses, the Dutch National Research Program's assessment reports and papers, impacts and consequences of climate change, sustainable solutions, and integration of climate change research.

Item #d96jan48

Climate Since A.D. 1500 (revised ed.), R.S. Bradley, P.D. Jones, Eds., 706 pp., 1995, £25 (Routledge).

Reviewed by S. Gregory (Intl. J. Clim., 15, 1059, 1995), who states that the volume has become a standard reference since the 1992 first edition. A chapter has been added that reviews more recent work relating to the book's theme. It includes ice-core and tree-ring analyses, coral records, forcing factors, GCM evaluations, and estimates of temperature change. Even with the length of Northern Hemisphere summer temperature records (1500 a.d. to the present), it is still possible to interpret recent warmth as the result of either anthropogenic greenhouse-gas-induced climate change, or natural fluctuations around a low frequency variation with a periodicity of about 1000 years.

Item #d96jan49

The Conscience of the World: The Influence of Nongovernmental Organizations at the United Nations, P. Willetts, Ed., 300 pp., Jan. 1996, $44.95 hbk./$19.95 pbk. (Brookings).

Since the founding of the United Nations, NGOs have had a formal consultative status and have come to exert considerable influence in the UN's activities. This book examines their role in world politics and the accomplishments of selected groups dealing with issues including the environment.

Item #d96jan50

Global Environmental Science Update, Vol. I and Vol. II, 1995, each $75 North America/$85 elsewhere (Cutter).

A collection of interpretive summaries of studies on climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion and other global environmental issues, that have appeared in Global Environ. Change Rep. in 1993 (Vol. I) and in 1994 (Vol. II). Written for the nonspecialist.

Item #d96jan51

The Global Commons: A Regime Analysis, J. Vogler, 233 pp., 1995, $69.95 (Wiley).

Applies "regime theory" to examine how areas that are beyond national control (the atmosphere, oceans, Antarctica, outer space) can be effectively sustained through international cooperation. Provides a critical review and synthesis of regime concepts and how to use them. Includes recent developments in protection of the stratospheric ozone layer and formulation of a climate change regime.

Item #d96jan52

Valuing the Environment: Economic Approaches to Environmental Evaluation, A. Coker, C. Richards, Eds., 183 pp., Jan. 1996, $34.95 pbk. (Wiley).

Originated in a workshop (May 1990, Middlesex, U.K.), conducted by the Flood Hazard Research Center, that brought together economists and ecologists working in the field of coastal management. Many of the papers apply broadly to the topic of environmental valuation. First published in 1992 by Belhaven Press.

Item #d96jan53

Economic Theory for Environmentalists, J.M. Gowdy, S. O'Hara, 208 pp., 1995, $39.95 (St. Lucie).

Puts theory into practice for environmentalists, using case studies and examples of regional and international issues. Examines the implications of neoclassical economic theory and how it relates to the environment and environmental activity. Addresses the ongoing conflict between market forces and environmental integrity and explains how neoclassical economic theory views the relationship between economic activity and the natural world.

Item #d96jan54

Stratospheric Ozone, K.P. Bowman, Ed., 1994, $49.95 (Lenticular).

A CD-ROM developed with an educational audience in mind. Reviewed by J.L. Stanford (Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., pp. 1227-1228, July 1995), who found it enjoyable and useful and expects it to be a valuable resource for educators at levels from high school to graduate. Contains an overview of ozone and the issues related to its depletion, total ozone data, maps, glossary, and other features.

Item #d96jan55

A Moment on the Earth: The Coming of Age of Environmental Optimism, G. Easterbrook, 1995, $27.95 (Viking).

Argues that the observed condition of the western world shows that human-caused problems, including global warming, are small in scale and moving toward solution. Criticizes environmentalists and some scientists for preaching despair in the face of profound success. The book has sparked considerable debate, some of which has been featured recently in Environ. Sci. & Technol. (pp. 366A-369A, Aug. 1995), which contains comments on the book by former EPA Administrator William K. Reilly, science writer Philip Shabecoff, and health researcher and policy advisor Devra Lee Davis. World Watch (pp. 5-7, Sep.-Oct. 1995), published by the Worldwatch Insitute of Washington, D.C., also has comments by four environmental writers.

Item #d96jan56

Encyclopedia of Climate and Weather, S.H. Schneider, Ed., 800 pp. (in two volumes), 1995, $195 ($155 before Mar. 15) (Oxford).

Offers over 300 accessible, alphabetically arranged entries of the essentials of meteorology and climatology, with over 400 photographs, charts and illustrations. Also addresses many ecological and environmental issues of concern, together with their policy ramifications, including global warming, deforestation, and the ozone hole.

Item #d96jan57

Readings from The Environmental Professional: The National Environmental Policy Act, J. Lemons, Ed., 203 pp., 1995, $24.95 pbk. (Blackwell Sci.).

A collection of reviewed articles originally published in The Environmental Professional. Includes two 1991 articles on climate change: "Addressing Global Climate Change in NEPA Reviews" by J.C. Montgomery et al; and "Global Climate Change: What Revisions to Environmental Assessment Processes Will Mitigating Strategies Require?" by R.L. Perrine et al.

Item #d96jan58

The Global Casino: An Introduction to Environmental Issues, N. Middleton, 344 pp., 1995, £40 hbk./£15.99 pbk. (Arnold).

An introduction dealing with the working of the physical environment as well as the political, economic and social frameworks of these environmental issues. Includes in-depth analyses of 18 major issues, highlighting areas of controversy and uncertainty.

Reviews of Previous Entries: General, Policy, and Economics

Item #d96jan59

Responding to Global Warming: The Technology, Economics and Politics of Sustainable Energy, P. Read, 256 pp., 1994, £36.95 (Zed Books).

Reviewed by M. Willingham (Natural Resour. Forum, pp. 168-170, May 1995), who calls the book interesting and provocative. One of the key elements of the author's analysis is the concept of the tradeable absorption obligation (TAO). Energy sellers would be required to absorb a portion of the carbon released into the atmosphere. Unlike market-based tradeable emissions, TAOs would be imposed by regulation.

Item #d96jan60

Managing the Global Commons—The Economics of Climate Change, W.D. Nordhaus, 213 pp., Dec. 1994, $32.50 (MIT). (Previous Digest entry in Books/Economics and law, Mar. 1995.)

Reviewed by M. Radetzki (Energy J., pp. 132-135, 1995). This is the second comprehensive economic analysis of the subject to be published, following that of Cline (1992). Nordhaus argues convincingly for a much higher discount rate than Cline uses (6% vs. 1.5%) for estimating the present value of costs and benefits.

Item #d96jan61

An Introduction to Global Environmental Issues, K.T. Pickering, L.A. Owen, 380 pp., 1994, $89.95 hbk./$29.95 pbk. (Routledge). (Previous Digest entry in Books/General Interest, Oct. 1994.)

Reviewed by A.A. Mannion (Prog. Phys. Geog., pp. 572-573, Dec. 1995). The reviewer finds it difficult to envisage the raison d'etre for this book, of either the authors or the publishers, and cites several other more worthy candidates for consideration. He feels book does not contain any original material or even a novel synthesis; it is not intellectually imaginative, but simply repetitive.

Item #d96jan62

Land Use and the Causes of Global Warming, W.N. Adger, K. Brown, 280 pp., Oct. 1994, $60/£37.50 (Wiley). (Previous Digest entry in Books/General Interest, Oct. 1994.)

Reviewed by S.J. Cowell (Global Environ. Change, p. 161, May 1995), who provides a summary and points out several strengths of the book, but comment that it attempts to cover much ground in limited detail. It will be most useful for specialists and graduate students.