Global Climate Change and Greenhouse Emissions: Hearings Before the Subcommittee on Health and the Environment of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, One Hundred Second Congress, First Session, February 21 and August 1, 1991, Volume 4U.S. Government Printing Office, 1991 - 424 pages |
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acclimatization action agricultural areas assessment Australia average billion carbon dioxide century CFCs Chairman chlorofluorocarbons climate models climate sensitivity CO₂ CO2 emissions coastal CONGRESS THE LIBRARY coral reef coral reef bleaching costs DANNEMEYER data set decade developing countries economic ecosystems emission reductions energy efficiency Environment environmental estimates feedbacks forests fossil fuels future Gleick global climate change global mean global temperature global warming greenhouse effect greenhouse gas emissions greenhouse gases Group impacts increase industry Intergovernmental Panel IPCC issue KERRIGAN LIBRARY OF CONGRESS measures methane Montreal Protocol mortality national energy strategy natural negotiations nitrous oxide occur ocean options ozone Panel on Climate percent potential precipitation predictions problem programs projected range RARY record regional REINSTEIN response RESS result scenario scientific scientists sea level rise sector significant SIKORSKI specific Subcommittee targets technologies testimony Thank trend uncertainties United variability warmer WAXMAN
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Page 341 - Earth warmer than it would otherwise be. emissions resulting from human activities are substantially increasing the atmospheric concentrations of the greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and nitrous oxide. These increases will enhance the greenhouse effect, resulting on average in an additional warming of the Earth's surface.
Page 215 - Humanity is conducting an unintended, uncontrolled, globally pervasive experiment whose ultimate consequences could be second only to a global nuclear war.
Page 216 - The size of this warming is broadly consistent with predictions of climate models, but it is also of the same magnitude as natural climate variability.
Page 205 - Mr. Chairman, Members of the Subcommittee, Ladies and Gentlemen: My name is William A.
Page 341 - A) emissions of greenhouse gases, a rate of increase of global mean temperature during the next century of about 0.3°C per decade (with an uncertainty range of 0.2°C to 0.5°C per decade); this is greater than that seen over the past 10,000 years.
Page 87 - On balance, the evidence suggests that in the face of estimated changes of climate, food production at the global level can be maintained at essentially the same level as would have occurred without climate change; however, the cost of achieving this is unclear.
Page 85 - Rapid changes in climate will change the composition of ecosystems; some systems will benefit, while others will be unable to migrate or adapt fast enough and may become extinct. Enhanced levels of carbon dioxide may increase productivity and efficiency of water use of vegetation. The effect of warming on biological processes, although poorly understood, may increase the atmospheric concentrations of natural greenhouse gases. To improve our predictive capability, we need: to understand better the...
Page 361 - This index defines the time-integrated warming effect due to an instantaneous release of unit mass (1 kg) of a given greenhouse gas in today's atmosphere, relative to that of carbon dioxide. The relative importances will change in the future as atmospheric composition changes because, although radiative forcing increases in direct proportion to the concentration of CFCs, changes in the other greenhouse gases (particularly carbon dioxide) have an effect on forcing which is much less than proportional.
Page 86 - ... rates of development In many cases, the impacts will be felt most severely in regions already under stress, mainly the developing countries. Human-induced climate change due to continued uncontrolled emissions will accentuate these impacts. For instance, climate change, pollution and ultraviolet B radiation from ozone depletion can interact, reinforcing their damaging effects on materials and organisms.
Page 90 - Changes in the volume of snow cover, or the length of the snow cover season, will have both positive and negative impacts on regional water resources (as a result of changes in the volume and the timing of runoff from snowmelt); on regional transportation (road, marine, air and rail); and on recreation sectors. Globally, the ice contained in glaciers and ice sheets is projected to decrease, with regional responses complicated by the effect of increased snowfall in some areas which could lead to accumulation...