Greenhouse Gases

In June 1992 the United States signed the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, a binding treaty designed to promote continuing domestic and international actions to address climate change. The U.S. Senate ratified the convention in October 1992, making the United States the first industrialized nation to ratify the treaty. The U.S. government has established a national climate action plan that includes the following elements:

• Measures to reduce greenhouse gases directly and indirectly and to enhance greenhouse gas sinks, such as forests:

• Development of new technologies to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions; and

• The world's most extensive program of climate change research to better understand changes in the Earth's systems and develop appropriate responses.

Actions included in the U.S. action plan will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 7-11 percent below levels otherwise projected for the year 2000. For more information on U.S. climate change policy, see the International Issues section.

Indoor Air Pollution

Within the U.S. government, 20 federal agencies have responsibilities associated with indoor air quality, either through statutory responsibilities or because they are major property managers. An interagency Committee on Indoor Air Quality (CIAQ) coordinates these activities and includes members from EPA, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Department of Energy, the National Institute for Occu

pational Safety and Health, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The federal government administers indoor air programs under the authority contained in several statutes. For example, Title IV of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) requires EPA to conduct research and disseminate information. The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) authorize EPA to regulate products that adversely affect indoor air quality.

Among the indoor air pollutants being studied by federal agencies is radon. The U.S. Postal Service contracted with the DOE Oak Ridge National Laboratories to develop a sampling protocol to study radon in postal facilities. After conducting a sampling of postal buildings and evaluating new radon-detection technology, Oak Ridge scientists developed a sampling protocol and guidelines for the Postal Service radon program. The first phase of radon testing, which began in May 1992, focused on 40 postal facilities of different sizes throughout the nation.

Efforts by other federal agencies include research and dissemination of data on the following indoor air quality topics:

• Health effects,

Building design and control techniques,

• Development of nonregulatory guidance on indoor air quality issues, Chemical screening to prohibit or restrict potentially harmful products, • Radon testing, and

• Educational and outreach programs on health risks and prevention practices.

Biodiversity

B

iodiversity has been defined as the variety and variability of life-the diversity of genes, species, and ecosystems-but it is the interactions between these living components that are of primary concern. Diversity is essential for full ecological functioning. For example, genetic diversity better enables a species to survive changing conditions. Variation among species is the key to such basic ecological concepts as the food web. The rich variety of plant and animal species that exists on Earth is ultimately the source of much of the world's food, clothing, and shelter. Biological systems continually recycle air, water, and land. Humanity disrupts biodiversity at the risk of limiting its options and quality of life both now and in the future.

Conditions and Trends

Along with other nations, the United States lacks full and accurate infor

mation on the status and distribution of biodiversity components and the functioning of ecosystems. Most information available focuses on particular species, but a recognition is emerging regarding the value of data on ecosystems, communities, habitat, and genetic diversity. Even for species of current concern, such as those that are declining or near extinction or have special value for commerce or recreation, information is incomplete, and for thousands of species and plant and animal communities, existing status and trend information is anecdotal and sketchy. Although numerous sources of information are available, the following elements are lacking:

• A coordinated biodiversity data
reporting or assessment effort;

• An overall scientific consensus on
which statistics are most useful as
biodiversity indicators and which
procedures are most useful in
comparing and managing
biodiversity data.

Source: Executive Office of the President, U.S. Actions for a Better Environment, (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, June 1992), page 19.

The diverse global gene pool possesses the potential for vast economic value for humanity. Food products from wild species include fisheries, which in 1989 provided 100 million tons of food worldwide. Domesticated species account for 12-32 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in countries around the world. In addition to providing timber, natural fibers, gums, and oils, nature is a major source of medicinal products for traditional medicine practiced by 80 percent of the people in developing countries. Diverse biota also fuel the development of modern pharmaceuticals. One quarter of all prescriptions dispensed in the United States contain active ingredients extracted from plants, and 3,000 antibiotics, including penicillin and tetracycline, are derived from microorganisms. Biodiversity also attracts recreation and tourism to unique sites throughout the nation and the world.

Policies and Programs

In 1992 federal agencies, the Congress, the states, and private organizations joined in efforts to sustain domestic and global biodiversity. A sampling of policies and programs follows.

National Biodiversity Center

In June 1992 the Bush administration announced its intent to establish a domestic center for biodiversity information. Interagency efforts are underway to develop such a center, whose basic functions would include the following:

Improving Access to Information. The center would serve as a mechanism to locate and provide access to biodiversity information in public and private institutions.

Assessing Biodiversity Information. The center would examine the current state of scientific information on biodiversity to identify gaps.

Improving and Standardizing Methodologies. The center would promote standard methods for data collection, reporting, and management, thus improving the comparability and utility of information.

Convention on Biological Diversity

In 1992 two years of intensive international negotiations concluded with a convention on biological diversity signed by 153 nations at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The convention requires measures to identify biological resources in decline, reasons for such declines, and on-site and off-site measures to address the declines.