Policy Making in an Era of Global Environmental ChangeR. E. Munn, J. W. M. La Rivière, N. van Lookeren Campagne Springer Science & Business Media, 1996 M11 18 - 225 pages Major international interdisciplinary research programmes are now underway to increase our understanding of how the Earth System operates and how it is changing through the effects of human activities. Although understanding and predictive capacity are still limited, scientists already agree that significant global changes must be expected in the next 50 years that will affect the capacity of the earth to sustain life. Governments, business and industry have, therefore, come to recognize that scientific knowledge about the changing global environment - as yet incomplete but rapidly evolving - is becoming indispensable for wise long-term policy making, the goal being to design preventive, adaptive and remedial measures. Thus global change science and policy making are engaged in a process of forming a new partnership that is taking shape as further insights evolve. Effective continuous interaction between the partners requires mutual understanding: decision-makers need to understand the unique potential but also the limitations of the results of scientific research in progress while scientists must take into account the priorities and constraints of policy-makers in designing and implementing policies that will promote long-term sustainability of life on this planet. This book contributes in a unique manner to this mutual understanding. For the first time, one book describes both ongoing research in global change and the response process that the research results are evoking. It is of interest to all stakeholders in the scientific community as well as to decision-makers in industry, business and government. |
Contents
Both a Scientific and a Political Issue | 1 |
Examples of Some Recent Global Trends | 2 |
Global Change in the 21st Century | 10 |
What are the Consequent Critical Issues for Science and for Society? | 13 |
2 The Main International Environmental Research Programmes | 17 |
Structure and Manner of Operation | 18 |
Some Other Relevant Research Programmes | 19 |
3 Understanding the Earth System | 23 |
Future Prospects | 125 |
7 Examples of Governmental Responses | 127 |
KnowledgeBuilding Strategies | 128 |
Examples of Some National and Regional Global Change Research Programmes | 129 |
CapacityBuilding Strategies | 133 |
Restoration Strategies | 135 |
Concluding Remarks | 136 |
8 Examples of Responses by Business and Industry | 139 |
Nothing is Permanent Except Change Heraclitus c 500 BC | 29 |
Trapped in the Ice | 32 |
The Carbon Connection | 34 |
Hydrological Drivers | 40 |
Up in the Air | 46 |
Bringing It All Together | 50 |
Selected References | 55 |
4 Understanding the Climate System | 57 |
Introduction the Climate System | 58 |
The Natural Greenhouse Effect | 61 |
Temporal and Spatial Scales of Variability | 62 |
Natural Variability and its Impacts | 64 |
Human Intervention The Enhanced Greenhouse Effect | 71 |
Climate Research International Coordination National Efforts | 75 |
Prospects for Climate Prediction | 76 |
The IPCC Scenarios for Future Climate | 80 |
Potential Impacts of Global Warming | 91 |
Climate Change Research in Service to Society | 92 |
Summary | 94 |
An Introductory Overview | 97 |
Sustainable Development | 100 |
Economic Considerations | 104 |
Longterm Environmental Management | 106 |
Involving the Public | 109 |
6 Intergovernmental Responses | 113 |
The Need for International Assessments of Global Environmental Issues | 114 |
the Climate Change Issue | 115 |
Using Scientific Information to Establish Global Environmental Policy | 118 |
Strategies for Dealing with Global Environmental Change | 119 |
Understanding Forecasting and Detecting Global Change | 121 |
Actions to Follow a Scientific Assessment | 123 |
Business Spokespersons | 140 |
Opportunities for Business | 141 |
The Interface | 143 |
The ICSU Connection | 144 |
Interview with Mr E Van Lennep | 145 |
Interview with Ir N G Retting | 148 |
Interview with Ir O H A Van Royen | 151 |
Interview with In J M H Van Engelshoven | 154 |
Interview with Prof Dr Ir H H Van Den Kroonenberg | 156 |
Interview with Dr P Winsemius | 159 |
Q Environmental Nongovernmental Organizations ENGOS | 165 |
Legitimacy of Environmental NGOs Their Place in Society | 166 |
Environmental Advocacy | 167 |
Addresses of Contributors to this Monograph | 169 |
Addresses of the Main Bodies Active in the Field of Global Environmental Change | 170 |
Address of the International Fund for Global Change Research | 172 |
Addresses and Information on 14 Dutch Businessesthat Assisted Financially in the 1992 Symposium see Preface by the Sponsors and the Preparation ... | 173 |
Closing Remarks | 178 |
Appendix 3 Methods for Assessing Effects of Global Change on the Biosphere and Society | 181 |
Sectoral Impacts of Global Change | 182 |
The Use of Historical Analogues | 184 |
an integrated assessment based on scenarios | 185 |
Socioeconomic Impact of Sea Level Rise in the Netherlands | 186 |
Concluding Remarks | 187 |
Appendix 4 Instruments for Facilitating the Application of Global Change Research Results to PolicyMaking | 189 |
Environmental Impact Assessment EIA and Cumulative Environmental Assessment CEA | 190 |
Establishing Longterm Environmental Priorities | 192 |
A Canadian Example1 | 197 |
219 | |
Other editions - View all
Policy Making in an Era of Global Environmental Change R.E. Munn,J.W.M. la Rivière,N. van Lookeren Campagne No preview available - 2011 |
Policy Making in an Era of Global Environmental Change R.E. Munn,J.W.M. la Rivière,N. van Lookeren Campagne No preview available - 2011 |
Common terms and phrases
21st century actions activities adaptation aerosols areas assessment atmospheric concentrations billion tonnes biosphere carbon dioxide CFCs chemical climate change climate models climate system climate warming CO₂ coastal cycle decade Earth System economic ecosystems ecotax emissions energy ENGOs Environment and Development environmental issues example feedback forecasts forest fossil fuel future GCTE global change research Global Environmental Change global mean global warming greenhouse effect greenhouse gases human ICSU IGBP impacts important increase industry interactions Intergovernmental IPCC J. W. M. la Rivière Kroonenberg land long-term Lookeren Campagne methane million natural Netherlands ocean organizations ozone depletion plant pollution prediction problems processes production projects R. E. Munn radiative forcing reduce regional response role scenarios scientific scientists sea level rise simulation society soil solar radiation strategies stratospheric ozone surface sustainable development temperature UNEP WCRP Winsemius World Climate Conference