Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 11, 1991 TAG: 9104110586
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-3 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The report, issued Wednesday by a panel headed by former Sen. Daniel Evans of Washington, takes a broad look at how to counteract the greenhouse effect. It even considers - but rejects - such ideas as using lasers to break up gases in the upper atmosphere or putting 50,000 mirrors in orbit to bounce sunlight away from Earth.
Some gases in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide, methane and chlorofluorocarbons, act like a greenhouse, trapping the Earth's heat. Many scientists believe increasing industrial emissions may be causing a significant, long-term warming around the world.
The academy report says that if the Earth's climate gets substantially warmer, there could be serious effects on the nation's economy, people and wildlife.
"Despite the great uncertainties, global warming is a potential threat sufficient to justify action now," the report said.
The Bush administration has resisted pressure to make significant policy changes to limit greenhouse gas emissions, saying it is prudent to take only those steps that would be worth doing for other reasons.
There is no consensus in the scientific community over when global warming will become a problem or how great its magnitude might be.
Allan Bromley, the White House science adviser, said he found a "remarkable parallelism" between the report's proposals and the administration's existing policy.
"I was very pleased to see it did not advocate targets and timetables" for emissions reductions, Bromley said. "The Evans report is going to have a major impact internationally as well as nationally."
Some countries, especially in Europe, have adopted targets for reducing output of greenhouse gases and have been calling for an international agreement binding all nations to make such cuts.
Michael Oppenheimer, an expert on climate change at the Environmental Defense Fund in New York, said the academy had made an important shift since its last study of global warming, in 1983, which called for further research but no policy initiatives.
"This report is very, very significant," Oppenheimer said. "From a political point of view, it cuts the legs out from under the Bush administration's no-action policy."
The academy is a private, congressionally created scientific advisory body for the U.S. government.
The academy panel stopped short of endorsing energy taxes or caps on emissions to fight the greenhouse effect, saying it favored low-cost steps that would have other benefits.
It called for "a moderate domestic reforestation program;" improved energy efficiency standards for cars, appliances and buildings; more government support of mass transit; and increased research.
by CNB