Changing by degrees: Steps to reduce Greenhouse gases. Summary

Technical Report · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:5285392

Carbon dioxide and chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) emissions are responsible for 80 percent of the global warming commitment caused by human activities over the last decade. A landmark international agreement to totally phase out the use of CFCs by the year 2000 is already in effect. Many of the nations involved in that accord are now seeking ways to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions. The task is clearly more daunting since most industrialized nations currently depend so heavily on fossil fuels--the major source of carbon dioxide--for their economic well-being. For this reason, the assessment focuses principally on ways to cut carbon dioxide emissions both in the United States and in other countries as well, although it does examine all greenhouse gases. The report responds to the concerns of six Committees of Congress who requested in 1988 that OTA undertake the study. The assessment shows that major reductions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases will require significant new initiatives by the Federal Government, by the private sector, and by individual citizens. Many of these initiatives will pay for themselves; for others, the economic cost may be considerable. And many of these efforts must be sustained over decades. Although many ancillary environmental benefits will accrue from the actions necessary to effect a major reduction of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions, such a decrease will not, in itself, significantly decrease the greenhouse effect. That level of reduction requires the world to wean itself from fossil fuels if it hopes to keep emissions from growing steeply under the combined pressure of economic and population growth. Steps taken now to use more efficient energy technologies would reduce emissions while buying time required for the transition to nonfossil fuels.

• Research Organization: Office of Technology Assessment (U.S. Congress), Washington, DC (United States)
• OSTI ID: 5285392
• Report Number(s): PB-91-205120/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CLIMATIC CHANGE
COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
CONTROL
COOPERATION
FORECASTING
FREONS
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
GREENHOUSE EFFECT
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION CONTROL
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT