The day before he departed for Europe, President Bush, in a Rose Garden
speech, called for more research into global climate change. Calling
the Kyoto Protocol "fatally flawed," Bush said " I am today
committing the United States of America to...develop with our friends
and allies and nations throughout the world an effective and science-based
response to the issue of global warming." He continued, " Today,
I make our investment in science even greater." However, according
to the National Journal's CongressDaily, many European officials have
criticized U.S. policy as being " short on action."
Bush's June 11 remarks were based on an interim report prepared by
a Cabinet-level working group which has been meeting for over 10 weeks
to review the status of the U.S. climate change effort and to develop
policy recommendations. This panel of Cabinet members and senior White
House staff, in turn, sought input from the National Academy of Sciences
(NAS) on the most current climate change science and the existing uncertainties.
The Academy's report, "Climate Change Science: An Analysis of Some
Key Questions," states that " greenhouse gases are accumulating in
Earth's atmosphere as a result of human activities, causing surface
air temperatures and subsurface ocean temperatures to rise. Temperatures
are, in fact, rising. The changes observed over the last several decades
are likely mostly due to human activities, but we cannot rule out that
some significant part of these changes are also a reflection of natural
variability."
The NAS report identifies a number of areas where key gaps remain in
our understanding, including: the amount of carbon sequestered by oceans
and terrestrial sinks; the feedbacks in the climate system; the effects
of aerosols; the impacts of regional climate change; the nature and
causes of natural climate variability; and the future emissions from
fossil fuels and methane. The NAS report calls for strengthening the
interagency management of the 10-agency U.S. Global Change Research
Program, and for building a global observing system for long-term climate
monitoring. This
document can be read on-line.
Bush acknowledged that " the surface temperature of the earth is
warming," and that the NAS findings " indicate that the increase
is due in large part to human activity. Yet, the Academy's report tells
us that we do not know how much effect natural fluctuations in climate
may have had on warming.... And, finally, no one can say with any certainty
what constitutes a dangerous level of warming, and therefore what level
must be avoided." He criticized the Kyoto Protocol for excluding
China and India from emissions requirements, and for establishing emissions
targets that " were arbitrary and not based upon science."
His Cabinet-level group, Bush said, " is recommending a number
of initial steps, and will continue to work on additional ideas."
According to CongressDaily, EPA Administrator Christine Whitman commented
last week that the working group would resume meeting " as soon as
the president gets back " from his European trip, to begin considering
whether emissions targets should be set and, " if so, what kinds
of targets and what further steps should the administration be recommending."
In addition to urging greater R&D efforts, the group's report assesses
current U.S. climate change actions, evaluates the requirements of the
Kyoto Protocol, and incorporates suggestions from the administration's
National Energy Policy. The working group's major recommendations so
far are highlighted below:
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY:
Promote increased energy efficiency through a variety of projects
and programs; provide recommendations on Corporate Average Fuel Economy
(CAFE) standards; direct agencies to use environmentally- friendly
technologies and conserve energy at federal facilities; improve appliance
standards; promote congestion mitigation technologies; establish a
ground freight management program; increase use of renewable and alternative
forms of energy by tax credits and other methods; promote construction
of nuclear capacity; establish a market-based strategy to cap and
reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and mercury from
power generators; and increase research into clean coal technologies.
RECOMMENDATIONS ON "ADVANCING TECHNOLOGY TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE":
Establish a National Climate Change Technology Initiative to enhance
coordination among federal agencies, academia and industry. President
Bush will charge the Secretaries of Energy and Commerce, working with
other agencies, to evaluate and make recommendations on the current
state of U.S. climate change R&D; provide guidance on strengthening
basic climate change research at universities and national labs; develop
and enhance public-private partnerships; recommend demonstration projects;
and develop better technologies for measuring and monitoring greenhouse
gas emissions.
RECOMMENDATIONS ON "ADVANCING THE SCIENCE OF CLIMATE CHANGE":
Establish a U.S. Climate Change Research Initiative, which will direct
the Secretary of Commerce, working with other agencies, to review
and set priorities for investments in climate change research; maximize
coordination across federal agencies; fully fund all priority research
areas that are underfunded or need accelerated; challenge major greenhouse
gas emitting countries to increase their research; help build climate
observation systems in developing countries; and propose a joint venture
with Europe, Japan and others to develop a state-of-the-art climate
modeling capability.
RECOMMENDATIONS ON "PROMOTING COOPERATION IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE
AND BEYOND":
President Bush will direct the Secretary of State, working with
other agencies, to seek opportunities for enhanced cooperation with
other nations; strengthen research within the Western Hemisphere;
assist developing nations with measuring and monitoring activities;
promote exportation of environmentally-friendly, clean energy technologies;
and encourage sustainable land use and forest conservation efforts.
To find the "Climate Change Review - Initial Report," go to the White
House news archives and look under June 11, 2001.
The topics of energy use and climate change are high on the radar
screens of Members of Congress from both parties. Last week Senator
Ted Stevens (R-AK) held a field hearing on the subject in Alaska. Stevens
and Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV), the top Senate appropriators, have introduced
a bill (S. 1008) that would authorize $4.8 billion over the next decade
for a White House Office of Climate Change Response, a multi-agency
Center for Strategic Climate Change Response, and an Office of Carbon
Management within DOE.
Audrey T. Leath
Public Information Division
American Institute of Physics
fyi@aip.org
(301) 209-3094
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