Global energy futures and the carbon dioxide problem. [Monograph]

Book · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1981

OSTI ID:5761532

Many scientists now believe that, if global fossil-fuel use grows rapidly in the decades ahead, the accompanying carbon dioxide (CO/sub 2/) increase will lead to profound and long-term alteration of the earth's climate. These changes, in turn, could have far-reaching adverse consequences affecting our ability to feed an increasingly crowded world, the habitability of coastal areas and cities, and the preservation of natural areas as we know them today. This report summarizes for a nontechnical audience much of what is currently known about the CO/sub 2/ issue and analyzes the relationship between CO/sub 2/ buildup and energy policies here and abroad. It also makes several recommendations on the basis of present understanding. One is that nations should not be compelled to choose between the risks of energy shortages and the risk of CO/sub 2/. Global and regional energy futures should be explored with special emphasis on their effects on atmospheric CO/sub 2/ levels, and the questions of defining acceptable levels of CO/sub 2/ in the atmosphere and mapping preventive strategies should be addressed. We must also appreciate our ethical commitment to this planet and to its inhabitants. 72 references, 13 figures, 2 tables.

• OSTI ID: 5761532
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290300* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment
Health
& Safety
500100 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Basic Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CLIMATES
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GLOBAL ASPECTS
GREENHOUSE EFFECT
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS