|
Climate UpdateJanuary 31, 2000
Science News
The National Climatic Data Center released data near the end of 1999
showing that in the last quarter-century, the rate of warming has been more
than double that of the 20th century average,
and since the mid-1970's, the global temperature has risen at a rate of about
0.35 degrees per decade, or 3.5 degrees per century. (Complete text of a front
page New York Times story about the findings is attached.)
-
The National Academy of Sciences released a major new study on
January 13, which was reported on by the Washington Post, LA Times, CNN,
CBS and other outlets. The study found that the warming trend over the past
two decades "…is undoubtedly real and is substantially greater than the
average rate of warming during the 20th
century." The report also downplayed a long-standing dispute over temperature
data (while ground monitors have shown a sharp increase in Earth's
temperatures, satellite and weather balloon observations have shown little or
no warming), noting that while this discrepancy cannot yet fully be explained,
it "in no way invalidates the conclusion that the Earth's temperature has been
rising."
1999 will be the fifth warmest year on record, according to a British
Meteorological Office study released December 15, 1999. Seven of the 10 hottest
years on record occurred in the 1990's, which was the hottest decade of the
millennium, the report said. Furthermore, the report suggested a "high
probability" of 2000 being even warmer, as the cold Pacific (La Nina) warms
again naturally.
New satellite data released by NASA January 19, 2000 shows that part
of the Pacific Ocean may be undergoing a cooling which could influence U.S.
weather patterns over the next years and even decades. This newly identified
climate pattern, known as Pacific-Decadal Oscillation (PDO), is a natural
oscillation of northern hemisphere Pacific Ocean temperatures that occurs over
decades, similar to the international El Nino-La Nina cycle in the tropical
Pacific. The research suggests that the U.S. entered the "cool" phase of the
PDO (similar to the La Nina phase) about 2 years ago. The tendency of this
phase is to cool some regions of the earth, and while this could serve to
"mask" or "dampen" global warming signals, it is not evidence that global
warming is not occurring. For example, 1998 and 1999 set records as the warmest
and 5th warmest years this century during the
same period that scientists believe a "cool" PDO phase may have been
starting.
Industry and Technology Update
-
Following the lead of Ford in December 1999, DaimlerChrysler Corp.
this January withdrew from the Global Climate Coalition (GCC), the major
business lobbying group opposed to the Kyoto climate treaty. This leaves GM as
the only American carmaker still in the GCC. BP/Amoco, Sunoco and Shell all
left the GCC within the last two years.
-
In first week of January, a coalition of 42 religious and
environmental organizations in 17 states unveiled "Campaign ExxonMobil" (CEM),
an effort aimed at pressuring ExxonMobil to reform corporate practices that
contribute to global warming, to acknowledge that human activity is causing
global warming, and to quit anti-Kyoto lobbying groups such as the Global
Climate Coalition. The religious and environmental groups' primary tactic is
shareholder resolutions. In addition to ExxonMobil, they are also targeting GM,
Cinergy, Goodyear, Duke Power, CSX, Southern Co., Chevron, Texaco, and
Allegheny Energy.
At the Detroit Auto Show the first week of January 2000, virtually
every major manufacturer unveiled prototype hybrid cars that get better than 70
mpg. Ford's entry, the Prodigy, is "a family car that gets nearly 80 mpg
without sacrificing performance or functionality," according to company
documents. GM's Precept has similar qualities. Both were developed under the
Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles program. Chrysler is slated to
display their entry later this year.
A new hybrid gas and electric car which gets more than 60 mpg arrived
at Honda dealers in the U.S. in December, 1999, the first such vehicle priced
under $20,000 to be available to American consumers. Drivers fill it with
unleaded gas and an electric motor is charged by the car's brakes so it never
needs to be plugged in — one of the big drawbacks to cars that are
entirely electric. Toyota will release a similar vehicle in 2000, selling for
$17,000 and getting 66 mpg.
-
Cargill Inc. and Dow Chemical announced in mid-January a $300
million program for full-scale commercial production of a new kind of plastic
made from plants instead of petroleum. The new product is being called "Natural
Plastic."
International Developments
The World Bank in mid-January announced the creation of a fund to
finance a market for greenhouse gas emissions. Four governments — Finland,
Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands — and nine companies have committed $85
million so far to the fund, which will begin operating in April 2000. Reports
in the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal speculated that
the initiative reflects the World Bank's concern about the vulnerability of
poor, low lying nations to coastal flooding as a result of global warming.
France unveiled a program to fight global warming containing 96
measures, including an energy consumption tax on industries due to take effect
in 2001, proposals to encourage vehicles to economize on fuel, the development
of new public transport, reduction of energy consumption in buildings, and the
promotion of research into renewable energy sources. The proposal, announced
the week of January 17 also includes a domestic emissions trading system,
despite the European Union's strong criticism of trading systems.
Recent Editorials
January 9, 2000 — The Washington Post "Warming to
Reality" (complete text attached)
January 15, 2000 — The Courier-Journal "Global
Warming"
Headline: January 16, 2000 — The Detroit News "Global
Warming?"
January 17, 2000 — The Indianapolis Star "Still Not a
Crisis"
January 17, 2000 — The Washington Post "More Hot
News"
January 18, 2000 — The Atlanta Constitution "Global
Warming Facts Ignored at Our Peril"
Other Media Coverage
CBS News aired six separate global warming stories over three
nights the week of January 10-16 featuring clips from President Clinton's
January 11th statement at the Grand Canyon,
two interviews with Dr. James Baker of NOAA, and an interview with White House
Chief of Staff John Podesta. All the stories emphasized that global warming
science is becoming conclusive, and included impacts as diverse as farming
problems in the Central Valley of California and increased incidence of
jellyfish blooms worldwide. On Wednesday, January 12, Dan Rather began the CBS
lead story with this statement: "A CBS News Exclusive: a new study finds global
warming is real and getting worse as the White House plans to unveil an
ambitious new program to fight it."
NBC Nightly News, devoted an "In-Depth" segment on January 4,
2000 to the latest global warming data, indicating that since the mid-1970's
global temperatures have risen .35 degrees Fahrenheit a decade. The following
week, NBC ran two additional stories emphasizing the increasing certainty in
the science of global warming.
President and First Lady | Vice President and Mrs. Gore Record of Progress | The Briefing Room Gateway to Government | Contacting the White House White House for Kids | White House History White House Tours | Help | Text Only Privacy Statement |