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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 11, NUMBER 12, DECEMBER 1998

PROFESSIONAL PUBLICATIONS...
SOCIAL SCIENCE AND POLICY

Item #d98dec8

“National Trajectories of Carbon Emissions: Analysis of Proposals to Foster the Transition to Low-Carbon Economies,” A. P. Kinzig and D. M. Kammen,Global Env. Change 8 (3), 183-208 (1998).

Analysis indicated that both developed and developing countries will have to engage in early greenhouse-gas- reduction actions if atmospheric CO₂ concentrations are to be held to twice the preindustrial levels. A proposal that seems to hold promise for bringing about the necessary jumpstarting of these actions is offered: that both parties be credited with the full benefits of early joint-implementation projects and that those credits be fully applicable later to meet greenhouse-gas-reduction requirements of individual nations under international agreements.

Item #d98dec9

“Socioeconomic Development and Demand for Timber Products,” G. S. Haripriya and J. K. Parikh,Global Env. Change 8 (3), 249-262 (1998).

National consumption of timber products is shown to be correlated with a number of economic and social indicators, especially the country’s per capita income, the price of forest products, the country’s percentage of agricultural land, the level of urbanization, population density, and national debt. These factors are differentially correlated with the various categories of forest products, like roundwood, wood chips, sawed wood, and pulpwood. Countries start at different consumption levels according to their socioeconomic conditions.

Item #d98dec10

“Residential Carbon Dioxide Emissions in Canada: Impact of Efficiency Improvements and Fuel Substitution,” V. I. Ugursal and A. S. Fung,Global Env. Change 8 (3), 263-273 (1998).

Unsurprisingly, the introduction and adoption of higher-efficiency appliances reduce energy consumption and associated CO₂ emissions in the residential sector, but the reductions from just these actions is quite small. In Canada, significant reductions can only be realized if, in addition to higher-efficiency appliances, the residential sector adopts tighter house envelopes and more-fuel-efficient heating and cooling systems.