Per the agreement we discussed by phone, I attach my answer to the Science Committee follow-up questions as four attachments. The first treats the questions to "All Witnesses." The remaining three attachments address the three questions directed to me: CO2 level since the time of the dinosaurs, improving projects-which I use as an opportunity to discuss "human dimensions" research, and the issue on clod feedbacks. In the latter two attachments, I use material from the recent Third Assessment Report (TAR) of the IPCC (Chapter 14). I also use material from this chapter in addressing computing strategies in Attachment One, and I use material from the TAR (Chapter 3) in Attachment Two.

In response to some of the questions that are raised "For All Witnesses," I only answer those which I believe I can contribute to significantly - beyond what has already been provided.

Let me use the body of this letter to correct the record and amend the testimony that I gave at the Hearing on the State of the Science 14 March 2001.

Let me correct the testimony. When Congressman Gutknecht asked me the following question: “....But from a historical perspective......if you look over the last million years that we can measure it all, that we are at a low level relative to CO2 in the atmosphere today than we have been relative to, say, the time of the dinosaurs. Is that correct?", I focused upon the first part dealing with the last million years. In so doing, I wanted to concentrate on the last 400,000 years and the Vostok record and on the period since humans have been on the planet (say over the last 5

million years). This I was trying to do. When he returned to the issue of the level of CO2 since the age of the dinosaurs, there was noise from bells for voting ringing. Since I have very poor hearing (I am deaf on one side and partly deaf on the other) this noise prevented me from hearing that the Congressman wanted to focus on the level of CO2 since the period of the dinosaurs (say from 250,000,000 years ago to 60,000,000 years ago. I have done this in my answer to Question One (Attachment Two).

I hope this can be reflected in the record.

Finally, thank you for graciously extending the deadline for my edits and please accept my apologies for being so tardy.

Sincerely,

Buin More in

Berrien Moore III
Director

Attachments: (4)

P.S. I should acknowledge a possible "conflict of interest." When I discuss the importance of complementing the in situ observational network for measuring atmospheric CO2 concentrations with a space-based system, I am putting my "energies" where my "mouth" is and am developing a proposal to NASA to do this!

Attachment II

Time History of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Concentration since the Time of the

Dinosaurs

In Figures a-b, we see the concentration of carbon dioxide over the last 400,000 years. The key feature to note is that this concentration was tightly bound between 280-300 ppm during interglacial periods and 180-200 ppm at peak glaciation. Because of industrial activity and landuse change, it has risen now to roughly 370ppm.

Figure d covers the period from 15,000,000 years ago to roughly 5,000,000 years ago, when humans appeared. The concentration ranged from 200ppm to roughly 320ppm though the error bars are obviously greater.

Finally, Figure e, covers the period of 600,000,000 years ago to the present with a focus on the longer term. Dinosaurs appear about 250,000,000 years ago and vanish about 60,000,000 years ago. The carbon dioxide concentration ranged between 1500 ppm and 700ppm-again with large error bars.

These Figures are from Chapter Three, Third Assessment Report of the IPCC.