From: Lelani Arris <larris@igc.org>
Newsgroups: sci.environment
Date: 28 Jul 92 17:23 PDT
Subject: Climate Digest #9 - July 1992 (59K)
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1466601729:000:57751
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!larris    Jul 28 17:23:00 1992


From: Lelani Arris <larris>
Subject: Climate Digest #9 - July 1992 (59K)


                 ECIX CLIMATE DIGEST - July, 1992
                                 
                        Volume 2, Number 5

Welcome to the ninth issue of the ECIX Climate Digest.  Included
in this issue is a summary of the Atmosphere section of Agenda 21,
information about Canada's UV Monitoring program and current ozone
levels over Canada, and a summary of the Australian Draft National
Greenhouse Response Strategy.

                                 
                        TABLE OF CONTENTS

1      Who We Are
2      Hot Air About the Atmosphere?  Agenda 21 Summary
3      Ozone Depletion over Canada
4      Canada's UV Advisory Program
5      Australia's Draft National Greenhouse Response Strategy
6      ECIX File Distribution Service
7      Credits and Contributions

******************************************************************

ABOUT ECIX
 
The purpose of the Energy and Climate Information Exchange 
(ECIX) project is to bring together those people and 
organizations who are active in renewable energy and climate 
change issues.  It supports their work by providing a medium 
through which they can effectively communicate with each other 
and obtain necessary information. 
 
ABOUT THE DIGEST 
 
The climate digest is a communications tool which acts as an 
interface between those who generate information (scientists) 
and those who need information (legislators, educators, 
activists, and the general public).  The digest draws from 
EcoNet online contributions to en.climate and nearly a dozen 
other conferences, as well as from offline contributions from 
leading participants in the field of climate change.  
 
Each digest describes science and policy issues which link global 
climate change and energy issues, and major trends which are 
significant, especially to educators and NGOs.  The focus of the 
digest will be on "agents for change" and concrete results, 
positive or negative. 

PUBLICATION SCHEDULE

We welcome contributions from our readers.  In order to use your 
material we must have it in hand 10 calendar days prior to each 
newsletter publication date.  We will publish Climate Digests on 
the following dates in 1992: July 27, September 7, October 19, 
November 30, and in January 1993.  Our schedule changed mid-year 
in order to avoid publishing in the middle of major 
international meetings on climate.  See the closing information 
at the end of this issue for ways to contact us. 

ABOUT ECONET

We represent an international computer network of environmental 
activists, scientists, and educators called EcoNet.  Based in 
San Francisco, CA, EcoNet has more than 2,500 users worldwide 
who exchange information and electronic mail every day.  EcoNet 
was a finalist in the 1991 Smithsonian-Computerworld awards and 
received "Special Merit Recognition" from Renew America's 
"Searching for Success" program.  Users connect via the 
Internet, SprintNet, international public data networks, or 
through one of our international partners in Canada, England, 
Australia, USSR, Central and South America.  For more information
about EcoNet, contact support@igc.apc.org.

******************************************************************

HOT AIR ABOUT THE ATMOSPHERE?

by JW Ray, ECIX intern

This is an "activist's summary" of Chapter 9 of the UNCED
document Agenda 21, which is about protecting the atmosphere. I'm
calling it that because I'm amazed at how watered down and tepid
the UNCED documents got by the time they were finally signed, and
I had to summarize it for myself just to understand it.

The chapter on atmosphere is perhaps one of the most so diluted:
after PrepCom 4, it was, at the insistence of the Arab group,
sent to the Rio Earth Summit entirely in the now-infamous
brackets, which represent a need to reword the bracketed section
to make it palatable (or non-committal) enough to sign.

The Arab group (principally Saudi Arabia and Kuwait) was
concerned that the chapter redundantly duplicated the Climate
Convention and other international agreements and placed a
disproportionate emphasis on energy efficiency and conservation.
Preceding the Rio Summit, there had been discussion within the
European Community of a carbon tax, and in response, Saudi Arabia
and Kuwait apparently indicated to some of the more
energy-dependent members of the EC that if such a proposal were
implemented, diplomatic relations could suffer.

For example, consider Programme Area B, "Promoting Sustainable
Development," section 9.11, Objectives. The "basic and ultimate"
objective of this program area is to reduce adverse effects on
the atmosphere from the energy sector by promoting policies
increasing the use of less polluting, more efficient energy
systems. This objective should take into consideration, among
other things, the situations of countries highly dependent on
income generated from the production, processing, and export of,
and/or consumption of fossil fuels and energy-intensive products,
as well as the situations of countries which have serious
difficulties in switching to fossil fuel alternatives.

This same objective is also supposed to take into consideration
the situations of countries highly vulnerable to the adverse
effects of climate change. I must admit I am curious as to how to
implement (as appropriate, of course!) an objective having so
many disparate situations of countries to consider.

Which countries? Which adverse effects? People who are aware of
and following the issues (and who have the time and can afford
to) might know the answers to these questions, but the vagueness
and implicit wording of these documents, as they stand, do little
to help common people around the world.

On the other hand, the UNCED documents are a momentous collection
of the concerns of the world's people for their environment. It
remains to us to fill in the gaps with our individual knowledge,
to distill out the meanings and apparent contradictions, and to
Make A World Of Difference.

What I have attempted to do here is to remove as much as possible
of the bureaucratese and leave the real ideas and issues. Be
reminded that this _is_ a summary, not simply excerpts from the
documents. All that said, let's get on with it.

9.2 The issues discussed in this chapter are also addressed in
international agreements such as the 1985 Vienna Convention, the
amended 1987 Montreal Protocol, the 1992 Framework Convention on
Climate Change, and other instruments. Governments are not
obligated by this chapter to take measures which exceed the
provisions of those legal instruments.

9.3 Developing countries have legitimate needs to achieve
sustained economic growth and the eradication of poverty, and
actions to protect the atmosphere should avoid adverse impacts on
economic development.

9.4 In this context particular reference is also made to
Programme Area A of Chapter 2 of Agenda 21.

PROGRAMME AREAS

Area A is about addressing the uncertainties and improving the
scientific basis for decision-making; Area B is about promoting
sustainable development; Area C is about preventing stratospheric
ozone depletion; and Area D is about transboundary atmospheric
pollution.

AREA A: Addressing the Uncertainties

Basis for Action

9.6. Concern about climate change, air pollution and ozone
depletion demand new scientific and socio-economic information to
reduce the uncertainties in these fields. We need a better
understanding of the various properties of the atmosphere, of the
affected ecosystems, health impacts, and the interactions of
these areas with socio-economic factors.

Objectives

9.7 The basic objectives of addressing the uncertainties are: an
improved understanding of the processes that influence and are
influenced by the Earth's atmosphere on a global, regional and
local scale, including, among other things, physical, chemical,
geological, biological, oceanic, hydrological, economic and
social processes; to build capacity and to enhance international
cooperation; and to improve understanding of the economic and
social consequences of atmospheric changes and of mitigation and
response measures addressing such changes.

Activities

9.8 Governments at the appropriate level, with the cooperation of
relevant United Nations bodies and, as appropriate,
intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, and the
private sector, should:

[Note: all of the Activities sections begin this way, so
hereafter I'm just going to say "Governments ... should:",
although I think "People of the Earth", or maybe just "We", might
be more to the point.]

a. Promote research on the natural processes affecting and being
affected by the atmosphere, as well as the critical linkages
between atmospheric changes and sustainable development,
including their impacts on human health, ecosystems, economic
sectors, and society.

b. Ensure a more balanced geographical coverage of the proposed
Global Climate Observing System and its components, including the
Global Atmosphere Watch, by facilitating, among other things, the
establishment and operation of additional systematic observation
stations, and by contributing to the development, utilization and
accessibility of these databases;

c. Promote cooperation in the development of early detection
systems concerning changes and fluctuations in the atmosphere,
and in the establishment and improvement of capabilities to
predict such changes and fluctuations and to assess the resulting
environmental and socio-economic impacts;

d. Cooperate in research to identify threshold levels of
atmospheric pollutants and levels of atmospheric greenhouse gas
concentrations that would cause dangerous anthropogenic
interference with the climate system and the environment as a
whole, and associated rates of change that would not allow
ecosystems to adapt naturally.

e. Promote data exchange and training on climate issues,
especially for developing countries.

AREA B: Promoting sustainable development

1. Energy development, efficiency, & consumption

9.9 Energy is necessary to life. However, most of our energy is
currently produced in unsustainable ways, and the need to control
greenhouse gases and ozone-depleting substances will need to be
based on energy efficiency and environmentally sound energy
systems, including solar thermal, solar photovoltaic, wind,
hydroelectric, biomass, geothermal, ocean, animal, and human
power. All energy sources will need to be used in ways that
respect the atmosphere, human health, and the environment as a
whole.

9.10 Existing constraints to increasing the environmentally sound
energy supplies required for sustainable development need to be
removed, particularly in the developing countries.

Objectives

9.11 (see introduction to this summary)

Activities

9.12 Gov'ts ... should cooperate in developing environmentally
sound energy sources; promote environmental impact assessments in
energy policy; review current energy mixes and modernize power
systems with new energy efficient and renewable technologies,
using local resources wherever possible; and transfer those
technologies to developing countries; promote energy efficiency
and emissions standards at the national level; encourage
awareness-raising and educational programs about energy
efficiency and environmentally sound energy systems; and in
cooperation with the private sector, establish product labeling
programs to provide consumers with information on opportunities
for energy efficiency.

2. Transportation

Basis for action

9.13 Transportation needs will undoubtedly increase [why?]. Since
the transport sector is also a source of emissions we need to
review existing systems and design more effective traffic
management and transport systems.

Objectives

9.14 The basic objective is to limit and reduce harmful emissions
and other adverse environmental effects.

Activities

9.15 Gov'ts ... should develop more efficient, less polluting
transport systems; facilitate transfer of technology for those
systems to developing countries; encourage use of transportation
modes minimizing adverse effects on the atmosphere; study the
feasibility of convening regional conferences on transport and
the environment.

3. Industrial Development

Basis for Action

9.16 Industry is essential for the production of goods and
services, and is a major source of employment and income. As
such, industrial development is essential for economic growth. At
the same time, industry is a major user of resources and
materials. Consequently, industrial activities result in
emissions into the atmosphere and the environment as a whole.
Protection of the atmosphere can be enhanced by, among other
things, increasing resource and materials efficiency in industry
to reduce wastes and by-products, installing or improving
pollution abatement technologies, and by replacing
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other ozone-depleting substances
with appropriate substitutes.

Objectives

9.17 The basic objective of this programme area is to encourage
industrial development in ways that minimize adverse impacts on
the atmosphere by, among other things, increasing efficiency in
the production and consumption by industry of all resources and
materials, by improving pollution-abatement technologies, and by
developing new environmentally sound technologies.

Activities

9.18 Gov'ts ... should encourage industry to develop technology,
products, and processes which are less polluting, and to make
more efficient use of resources and energy; cooperate in
transferring that technology to developing countries; and apply
environmental impact assessments to foster sustainable
development.

4. Terrestrial and marine resource development and land use.

Basis for Action

9.19. Land-use and resource policies will both affect and be
affected by changes in the atmosphere. Certain practices related
to terrestrial and marine resources and land use can decrease
greenhouse gas sinks and increase atmospheric emissions.
Atmospheric changes can have important impacts on forests,
biodiversity, and freshwater and marine ecosystems, as well as on
economic activities, such as agriculture. The loss of biological
diversity may reduce the resilience of ecosystems to climatic
variations and air pollution damage. Policy objectives in
different sectors may often diverge and will need to be handled
in an integrated manner.

Objectives

9.20. The objectives of this programme area are:

  (a) To promote terrestrial and marine resource utilization and
      appropriate land-use practices that contribute to:
        i. Reducing atmospheric pollution and/ or limiting
        anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases;
        ii. The conservation, sustainable management and
        enhancement of all sinks for greenhouse gases;
        iii. The conservation and sustainable use of natural and
        environmental resources; and
  (b) To take into account present and future atmospheric changes
      and their socio-economic and ecological impacts when
      planning and implementing policies concerning land use and
      the use of terrestrial and marine resources.

Activities

9.21 Gov'ts ... should: discourage inappropriate and polluting
land use practices and promote sustainable use of terrestrial and
marine resources; and promote conservation, enhancement, and the
sustainable management of sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse
gases, including biomass, forests, and oceans, as well as other
terrestrial, coastal, and marine ecosystems.

PROGRAM AREA C: Preventing stratospheric ozone depletion.

Basis for Action

9.22. Analysis of recent scientific data has confirmed the
growing concern about the continuing depletion of the Earth's
stratospheric ozone layer by reactive chlorine and bromine from
man-made CFCs, halons and related substances. While the 1985
Vienna Convention and the amended 1987 Montreal Protocol are
important steps in international action, the total chlorine
loading of the atmosphere of ozone-depleting substances has
continued to rise. This can be changed through compliance with
the control measures identified within the Protocol.

Objectives 9.23.

The objectives of this programme area are:
 
  a. To realize the objectives defined in the Vienna Convention
  and the Montreal Protocol and its 1990 amendments, including
  the consideration of the conditions and special needs of the
  developing countries, and to make available to them
  alternatives to ozone-depleting substances. Technologies and
  natural products reducing demand for these substances should be
  encouraged;

  b. To develop strategies aimed at mitigating the adverse
  effects of ultraviolet radiation that reaches the Earth's
  surface as a consequence of stratospheric ozone layer depletion.

Activities 9.24.

Gov'ts ... should:

  a. Ratify, accept or approve the Montreal Protocol and its 1990
  amendments, and promptly pay their contributions towards the
  Vienna/Montreal trust funds and the interim multilateral ozone
  fund; contribute towards ongoing efforts under the Montreal
  Protocol and its implementing mechanisms, including making
  available substitutes for CFCs and other ozone-depleting
  substances; enable developing countries to comply with the
  obligations of the protocol by transferring the corresponding
  technologies to them;

  b. Support further expansion of the Global Ozone Observing
  System by establishing - through bilateral and multilateral
  funding - the operation of additional observation stations,
  especially in the tropical belt in the southern hemisphere.

  c. Participate actively in the continuous assessment of
  scientific information and the health and environmental
  effects, as well as of the technological/economic implications
  of stratospheric ozone depletion; and consider further actions
  on the basis of these assessments;

  d. In the fields of human health, agriculture, and marine
  environment, take remedial measures against the effects of
  additional ultraviolet radiation based on the results of
  research.

  e. Replace CFCs and other ozone-depleting substances,
  consistent with the Montreal Protocol, recognizing that a
  replacement's suitability should be evaluated holistically and
  not simply based on its contribution to solving one atmospheric
  or environmental problem.

PROGRAM AREA D: Transboundary atmospheric pollution

Basis for Action

9.25. Transboundary air pollution has detrimental environmental
impacts, including adverse health impacts on humans, tree and
forest loss, and the acidification of water bodies. Developing
countries are severely underrepresented in the geographical
distribution of atmospheric pollution monitoring networks.
Outside Europe and North America, there is insufficient
information on the environmental and health effects of air
pollution, and the measurement of transboundary air pollution is
constrained by a lack of reliable emissions data.

Objectives

9.26. The 1979 Economic Commission for Europe Convention on
Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution, and its protocols, have
established a regional regime in Europe and North America, based
on a review process and cooperative programmes for systematic
observation of air pollution, assessment and information
exchange. These programmes need to be continued and enhanced, and
their experience needs to be shared with other regions of the
world.

9.27. The objectives of this programme area are:

  a. To develop and apply pollution control and measurement
  technologies for stationary and mobile sources of air pollution
  and to develop alternative environmentally sound technologies;

  b. To systematically observe and assess the sources and extent
  of transboundary air pollution resulting from natural processes
  and anthropogenic activities;

  c. To strengthen the capabilities, particularly of developing
  countries, to measure, model and assess the impacts of
  transboundary air pollution, through, among other things, the
  exchange of information and training of experts;

  d. To develop capabilities to assess and mitigate transboundary
  air pollution resulting from industrial and nuclear accidents,
  natural disasters and the deliberate and/or accidental
  destruction of natural resources;

  e. To encourage the establishment of new and the implementation
  of existing regional agreements for limiting transboundary air
  pollution;

  f. To develop strategies aiming at the reduction of emissions
  causing transboundary air pollution.

Activities

9.28 Gov'ts ... should:

  a. Establish and/or strengthen regional agreements for
  transboundary air pollution control and cooperate, particularly
  with developing countries, in the areas of systematic
  observations and assessment, modelling and the development and
  exchange of emission control technologies of mobile and
  stationary sources of air pollution. In this context, greater
  emphasis should be put on addressing the extent, causes, health
  and socio-economic impacts of ultraviolet radiation,
  acidification of the environment and photo-oxidant damage to
  forests and other vegetation;

  b. Establish or strengthen early warning systems and response
  mechanisms for transboundary air pollution resulting from
  industrial accidents and natural disasters and the deliberate
  and/or accidental destruction of natural resources;

  c. Facilitate exchange of data, information, national and/or
  regional experiences, and training opportunities;

  d. Cooperate to assess transboundary air pollution, identify
  specific actions to reduce atmospheric emissions, and address
  their environmental, economic, social and other effects.

MEANS OF IMPLEMENTATION of the program areas

International and Regional Co-operation

9.29 Existing legal instruments have created institutional
structures which relate to the purposes of these instruments, and
relevant work should continue primarily in those contexts.
Governments should continue to cooperate and enhance their
cooperation at the regional and global levels, including within
the United Nations system. In this context refer to the
recommendations in chapter 38 of Agenda 21.

Capacity-building

9.30 Countries, in cooperation with the relevant United Nations
bodies, international donors and non-governmental organizations,
should mobilize technical and financial resources and facilitate
technical cooperation with developing countries to reinforce
their technical, managerial, planning and administrative
capacities to promote sustainable development and the protection
of the atmosphere, in all relevant sectors.

Human resource development

9.31 Education and awareness-raising programmes need to be
introduced and strengthened at the local, national and
international levels concerning the promotion of sustainable
development and the protection of the atmosphere, in all relevant
sectors.

Financial and cost evaluation

9.32. The UNCED Secretariat has estimated the average total
annual cost (1993-2000) to the international community for
implementing the activities under Programme Area A to be about
$640 million on grant or concessional terms. These are indicative
and order of magnitude estimates only and have not been reviewed
by governments. Actual costs and financial terms, including any
that are non-concessional, will depend upon, among other things,
the specific strategies and programmes governments decide upon
for implementation.

9.33. The UNCED Secretariat has estimated the average total
annual cost (1993-2000) of implementing the activities of the
four-part programme under Programme Area B to be about $20
billion from the international community on grant or concessional
terms. These are indicative and order of magnitude estimates only
and have not been reviewed by governments. Actual costs and
financial terms, including any that are non-concessional, will
depend upon, inter alia, the specific strategies and programmes
governments decide upon for implementation.

9.34. The UNCED Secretariat has estimated the average total
annual cost (1993-2000) of implementing the activities under
Programme Area C to be in the range of $160-590 million on grant
or concessional terms. These are indicative and order of
magnitude estimates only and have not been reviewed by
governments. Actual costs and financial terms, including any that
are non-concessional, will depend upon, inter alia, the specific
strategies and programmes governments decide upon for
implementation.

9.35. The UNCED Secretariat has included costing for technical
assistance and pilot programmes under 9.32 and 9.33 above.

=======================
JW Ray is an intern with ECIX, and would welcome answers to his
parenthetical questions. e-mail: jray@igc.apc.org
=======================

Editors note:  The full text of this section of Agenda 21 (31K)
is available via anonymous ftp from IGC.ORG (192.82.108.1),
subdirectory /pub/ECIXfiles, filename "a21atmos", or you may
request a copy via email from ecixfiles@igc.apc.org.  A copy of
all final Agenda 21 documents can be found in the subdirectory
/pub/UNCED, and is also available on diskette - write to Elisa
Odabashian (odabashian@igc.apc.org) for details.

******************************************************************

Ozone Depletion over Canada

by JW Ray, ECIX Intern

(summary of material from the EcoNet en.climate conference)

During the past few months, Ozone Watch Bulletins from the
Atmospheric Environment Service of Environment Canada have
reported ozone levels over western Canada ranging from 5 to 13
percent below normal, while ozone levels over the rest of Canada
have been between 7 percent below normal and normal.

This prompted some questions from a reader of the conference, the
editor of an environmental news magazine from the Georgia Strait
area. (Delores Broten, _The Watershed Sentinel_, Box 105,
Whaletown, BC Canada V0P 1Z0, e-mail c/o foci@web.apc.org).

1) Why is ozone depletion worse over western, not northern or
eastern Canada?

The low ozone levels for western Canada reported in Ozone Watch
aren't entirely due to ozone depletion by CFCs, but due at least
partially to an infiltration of ozone-poor air from the South,
says Brad Hurley of the Global Environmental Change Report
(GECR), recalling a conversation earlier this month with Rumen
Bojkov of the World Meteorological Organization.

Bojkov said that the low ozone levels were apparently caused by a
"warm Aleutian anticyclone", a high-pressure system that formed
over the Gulf of Alaska and led to persistent warm temperatures
over western Canada. According to Bojkov, the Aleutian high pulls
ozone-poor air from the subtropics toward the Arctic.

Why is this subtropic air "ozone-poor" ? Tropical heat expands
the troposphere (bottom layer of the atmosphere), placing its
upper boundary at a higher altitude than in the cooler latitudes.
When the troposphere expands, the stratosphere becomes smaller,
i.e., its bottom boundary moves up, but its top boundary remains
unchanged; so there's less room for ozone production.

Thus, when the Aleutian high pressure system formed over the Gulf
of Alaska, the air it pulled northward from the subtropics
contained less ozone than air normally does over western Canada
at this time of year.

Many scientists believe that this year's Aleutian high formed and
persisted because of the El Nino, which is currently winding down
in the Pacific. Some climatologists are concerned that greenhouse
warming could lead to an El Nino-dominated climate; if they're
right, these Aleutian highs could become more common in the
future.

Hurley opines that the low ozone levels associated with Aleutian
highs are just one more unforeseen potential side effect of global
warming that policymakers and economists need to take into
account.

A similar explanation is given in excerpts from an article in
_Climatic Perspectives_, Vol 14, May 1992, "Total Ozone in
relation with the weather", by Robert Michaud.

This article discusses essentially the same process -- that the
existence of the Aleutian high over western Canada has increased
the height of the troposphere and decreased the thickness of the
stratosphere, thus leading to lower stratospheric total column
ozone.  The article gives no indication that this is due to
ozone-poor air moving in from the tropics, only that there is a
direct relationship between the thickness of the troposphere and
total column ozone in the stratosphere.

The article goes on to discuss the various levels of ozone
depletion observed over different parts of Canada during the
spring of 1992. It points out that Toronto experienced relatively
normal weather patterns for that time of year, yet still had an
average 5% depletion of the ozone layer from pre-1980 values.
"This value is very close to what A.E.S. scientists were
expecting (4 percent of ozone loss over Canada caused by
chemicals)".

2) I thought ozone depletion was a "springtime phenomena"?

Brad Hurley (GECR): Ozone depletion is not just a springtime
phenomenon. Last year, the UN reported statistically significant
ozone depletion during summer months, both in the Northern and
Southern Hemispheres. The summer depletion was only about 3% (+\-
2.1%) per _decade_ in the Northern Hemisphere from 1979-1991,
compared with 5.6% (+\-3.5%) per decade in the spring, but it is
still something to be worried about. A complicating factor this
year is the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines (in
June of 1991), which dumped tons of sulfate aerosols into the
stratosphere that appeared to facilitate ozone depletion this
past spring. Those aerosols will probably contribute to lower
ozone levels in all seasons for the next year or so.

3) Why isn't anyone panicking?

Brad Hurley: I'm not sure whether you should _panic_ over the low
ozone levels, but people should take the usual
sunscreen/hat/sunglasses precautions. Unfortunately, plants and
animals can't take the same precautions, and it's hard to know
whether they are adapted to this kind of high UV-B exposure. The
Aleutian highs are a natural event, and they've been occurring
for a long time, so one might expect that one or two years of
high UV-B won't have a huge effect on natural ecosystems in
western Canada. But with CFC, halon and methyl bromide
concentrations rising in the atmosphere, the real worry is that
higher-than-normal UV-B levels are going to persist for several
decades, and nobody knows how ecosystems will handle that sort of
change.

4) Where's the news media?

There was considerable press coverage of this issue earlier this
year when NASA released their report about the possibility of an
Arctic ozone hole forming, and there has been some coverage of
the recent meeting in Geneva of the Open-Ended Working Group of
Parties to the Montreal Protocol.

[Editors note: Ozone Watch Bulletins are released weekly by the
Atmospheric Environment Service of Environment Canada.  For more
information, contact Sylvie Bergeron, Program Meteorologist,
Atmospheric Environment Service, Environment Canada, 4905 Dufferin
St., Downsview, Ontario M3H 5T4, Canada, phone +1-416-739-4952.]

******************************************************************

Canada's UV Advisory Program

by JW Ray, ECIX Intern

(summary of material from the EcoNet conference en.climate)

Environment Canada, in cooperation with Health and Welfare
Canada, is issuing UV and weather condition reports for about 30
Canadian cities at 4 am EDT daily. The bulletins are in both
official languages and can be obtained from your local weather
office or newspaper.

The bulletins use Environment Canada's UV Index. Here's what the
Index Values mean:

UV INDEX           Category             Time to Sunburn

0 - 3.9            Low                  greater than 1 hour
4.0 - 6.9          Moderate             about 30 minutes
7.0 - 8.9          High                 about 20 minutes
9.0 - 10.0         Extreme              less than 15 minutes

The value of 10 is typical of midday on a sunny summer day in the
tropics. Time to sunburn is figured for light, untanned skin.

Typical midsummer values for various locations:

Tropics           10.0  extreme
Washington, DC     8.8  high
Toronto            8.0  high
Edmonton           7.0  high
Yellowknife, NWT   6.0  moderate
Iqualit, NWT       4.8  moderate
North Pole         2.3  low


The bulletins contain information about weather, the day's
highest UV index & its category, time of day when the maximum
will be reached (eg. 1:36pm), times between which the index will
be over 4.0 (eg. 10am to 4pm), and a "UV under cloud" category
estimate based on the day's expected weather.

The forecasts consider the time of day, the season, the latitude,
and levels of stratospheric ozone, with higher index values
occurring with lower levels of ozone.

The UV index forecasts DO NOT consider locally variable effects
such as cloud cover, air pollution, site elevation, and type of
surface (snow, sand etc.) Measurements of actual UV with monitors
will account for these effects and will be taken for comparison
with the forecasts.

HOW ARE THE VALUES DETERMINED?

Daily UV index forecasts are made using sun angle data,
prediction models involving known meteorological relationships
between weather and ozone levels, and ozone measurements from
Brewer spectrophotometers across Canada.

Accounting for Effects Not Included in the UV Index Forecast:

Cloud Cover -- For clear skies, haze, scattered clouds or thin
cloud cover the UV Index may be applied directly. In general,
when cloud cover doesn not reduce the overall brightness of the
sky, the UV is not much lower than for clear skies. In some
cases, reflection from thin cloud layers or white, puffy clouds
can actually increase the UV in direct sunlight by as much as 15
percent.

In precipitation or heavy, thick cloud cover, UV values are low,
regardless of the clear sky UV index value, and the UV index may
not be applied.

The UV index may be applied for variable cloud which changes the
brightness of the sky, but cloud cover must be considered. In
variable cloud cover, UV values can fluctuate significantly.

Air Pollution -- In severe episodes of air pollution, UV values
can be reduced by 5 to 10 percent due to ground level ozone and
other pollutants.

Altitude -- in a clean atmosphere, UV values increase by about 7
percent for every 1 Km increase in altitude.

Surface Color -- Reflection from large areas of white surfaces
such as snow, sand or concrete can increase the UV level by 50 to
100 percent.

UV and Protection

Don't confuse UV and temperature. Thin cloud or a breeze can make
you feel cool, but they don't reduce UV. A good rule of thumb:
"if your shadow is shorter than you are, protect yourself from
the sun". Health agencies recommend taking precautions when in
the sun:

-- avoid the midday sun, find a shady spot

-- wear UV-rated sunglasses, a wide-brimmed hat, long sleeves and
long pants

-- use a broad-spectrum sunscreen on all exposed skin. Your
sunscreen should block both UV-A and UV-B and have an SPF of at
least 15.

-- remember that to provide good protection, sunscreens have to
be applied at least 15 to 30 minutes before you go out in the
sun. This allows the active ingredients to soak into the skin.
Sunscreens should be reapplied frequently (every two hours) and
liberally especially after swimming or sweating.

-- Don't forget to use sunscreen on the ears, nose, neck and bald
spots since these are the areas where skin cancers most
frequently occur. Skin cancers also appear on lips, so use an SPF
15 sunscreen lip balm too and reapply it.

The SPF or Sun Protection Factor of a sunscreen relates to the
amount of time it would take for your skin to burn without any
protection compared to the amount of time you could remain
outside without burning when wearing a sunscreen. In theory, you
could stay out 15 times longer when wearing a sunscreen with an
SPF of 15. In practice, people often don't use enough sunscreen
or don't reapply it often enough, so its effectiveness can be
limited.

Does a tan protect you?

Tanning is how your skin responds to the injury that UV radiation
causes. Your skin is produces melanin to screen out those rays. A
tan is equivalent to an SPF of about 3 to 5, which is inadequate
against the powerful rays of the sun.

If you spend a lot of time outdoors, through either your job or
recreation, you may be at increased risk for skin cancer. While a
tan fades at the end of summer, sun-induced damage to the skin
just keeps on adding up, year after year. Even people who have
naturally darker skin types, who tan easily and never burn, can
develop skin cancer if they spend too long in the sun without
protecting their skin. Research has shown that the more our skin
is exposed to the sun, the more likely we are to develop skin
cancer.

Ozone depletion and skin cancer

United Nations projections are that a five percent loss of ozone
(that seen over Canada in the last decade) will mean a 13%
increase in the number of cases of skin cancer. Given that it
takes between ten and twenty years for skin cancer to develop, we
are expecting to see these additional cases of the disease early
in the next century.

Who's at Risk?

If you have one or more of these risk factors, you may face a
higher risk of developing skin cancer:

- If you have fair skin and you burn easily and rarely tan. The
sun's UV rays damage the skin. In response to this injury, the
skin produces melanin, a pigment or darker color, which filters
out some of this harmful radiation. Fair skinned people often
can't produce enough melanin to provide protection for their skin
and so they are open to increased damage from these rays. They
need to take special care when out in the sun.

- If you experienced several blistering sunburns as a child or
adolescent.

- If you have a personal or family history of skin cancer you
have an increased risk of developing the disease.

These are the risk factors for the more common types of skin
cancer. These more prevalent forms of the disease can lead to
pain and disfigurement if left untreated but rarely lead to death.

However, there is a less common, but rapidly increasing kind of
skin cancer, malignant melanoma, which is responsible for the
majority of deaths from this disease. This year, 3,100 Canadians
will develop melanoma and 540 will die from it.

Wanda Ballentine of Operation Ozone Shield has found in her
research that every 1% decrease in ozone leads to a 5.7% increase
in skin cancer and a 1% increase in malignant melanoma. Malignant
melanoma is now the 8th most commonly diagnosed cancer in the US.
The lifetime risk in the US has increased from 1 in 1500 in 1935,
to 1 in 155 in 1991 - and has doubled in the last decade. Of the
1,100,000 reported cancers in the US in 1992, 600,000 were skin
cancers - over half. 32,000 were malignant melanomas, 6,700 of
which resulted in death, as compared to 2,100 deaths from other
cancers.

You may face a higher risk for melanoma if you have many moles on
your skin and if some of these moles are large (bigger than 5 mm
diameter or the top of a pencil eraser), or unusual in color
(multiple colors) or surface features. This is because melanomas
have been known to develop in or around existing moles. They
often also appear as a new colored spot on the skin.

Research suggests that several blistering sunburns during your
childhood or teenage years may also increase your risk of getting
melanoma.

An entire pamphlet, entitled "Sun Facts" and other information
can be obtained from the Canadian Dermatology Association, Suite
740, 3550 Cote-des-Neiges, Montreal, Quebec H3H 1V4.

Complete details on the UV Advisory Program can be obtained from
Sylvie Bergeron, Program Meteorologist, Atmospheric Environment
Service, Environment Canada, 4905 Dufferin St., Downsview,
Ontario M3H 5T4, Canada, phone +1-416-739-4952.

******************************************************************

Australia: Draft National Greenhouse Response Strategy

A Discussion Paper
Prepared By The National Greenhouse Steering Committee

JUNE 1992

[Editors note:  We are reprinting here the summary of this paper
only.  For APC users, the draft can be found in the conference
<oz.greenhouse>.  Internet users can obtain the file via
anonymous ftp from igc.org (192.82.108.1), subdirectory
/pub/ECIXfiles, filename "ozgreen692".  You may also obtain a
copy via email from ecixfiles@igc.apc.org.  The full text is 191K.


FOREWORD

The National Greenhouse Steering Committee (NGSC) was established
in 1991 and is comprised of officials representing the
Commonwealth Government, State, Territory and local governments.
The role of the NGSC is to prepare the National Greenhouse
Response Strategy. Governments have agreed to the release of the
Draft National Greenhouse Response Strategy by the NGSC as an
officials' discussion paper to obtain community views on the
strategy and its further development. Some of the proposed
measures have been developed by intergovernmental Ministerial
Councils, others at officer level as a basis for further
development of the national strategy. These will be considered by
Heads of Government by the end of this year.

National Greenhouse Steering Committee Locked Bag 14 Queen
Victoria Terrace BARTON ACT 2600 Australia

SUMMARY

The need for a coordinated national effort to respond to the
potential of an enhanced greenhouse effect was recognised by
Heads of Government in Australia with the decision to establish a
National Greenhouse Steering Committee (NGSC) of government
officials to prepare a National Greenhouse Response Strategy. In
May 1992, it was decided that the strategy would be developed in
two stages. The NGSC would release a draft strategy as a
discussion paper by the end of June 1992. Following a period of
public consultation and further development, the National
Greenhouse Response Strategy would be presented to Heads of
Government for endorsement by the end of 1992.

A starting point for this draft strategy proposed by the NGSC is
the interim planning target as included in Schedule 5 of the
Intergovernmental Agreement on the Environment,

'to stabilise greenhouse gas emissions (not controlled by the
Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer)
based on 1988 levels, by the year 2000 and reducing these
emissions by 20 per cent by the year 2005 .... subject to
Australia not implementing response measures that would have net
adverse economic impacts nationally or on Australia's trade
competitiveness, in the absence of similar action by major
greenhouse gas producing countries.'

The recommendations of the Ecologically Sustainable Development
Working Groups Final Reports and ESD Chairs' Intersectoral Issues
Report and Greenhouse Report, as well as the Industry
Commission's analysis in the report (1991b) Costs and Benefits of
Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions have formed the basis of the
considerations.

The NGSC suggests that the greenhouse response strategy should
have the following goal.

To contribute towards effective global action to limit greenhouse
gas emissions; to prepare for potential impacts of climate change
in Australia; and to improve knowledge and understanding of the
enhanced greenhouse effect.

The scientific assessment of the greenhouse effect by the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has been used as the
reference point in the development of the draft Strategy.

In responding to this assessment, the NGSC has been mindful of
the uncertainty of regional climate change predictions, the
vulnerability of the Australian environment to potential climate
change, and the structure of the Australian economy relevant to
greenhouse gas emissions.

The NGSC proposes that the strategy be developed in phases and
that in the initial phase actions concentrate on those of a
'no-regrets' nature, that is those which have net benefits in
addition to limiting greenhouse gas emissions. The NGSC also
recognises that the adoption of specific measures by governments
will have to take account of other competing priorites and
broader effects on industry and the community. Effective action
to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from human activity requires
an international consensus including the major greenhouse gas
emitting countries. Australia has signed the United Nations
Framework Climate Change Convention at the recent Earth Summit in
Brazil, along with most other developed countries.

Australia's future obligations under the Climate Change
Convention are discussed, and an indication is given of how these
can be met through the national greenhouse strategy. For the
strategy to be fully effective, and to allow for a flexible and
cost effective combination of responses, a comprehensive approach
addressing limitation of all greenhouse gases, sinks and
adaptation responses is necessary.

Measures have been proposed across all the major sectors, while
concentrating initially on energy and transport given the clearer
understanding of the emissions mechanisms involved in these
areas, and the possibilities for taking action which have other
benefits.

The involvement of the community is vital, to ensure that
greenhouse considerations are given due weight in the numerous
daily personal and corporate decisions which together constitute
the Australian contribution to the enhanced greenhouse effect,
and to reflect community knowledge and interests in the future
development of the strategy.

It is suggested that future community participation be linked
closely to general consultation arising from the National
Strategy for ESD, and also take place through government agencies
on a sectoral basis. Specialist community advice should be
provided to governments through a National Greenhouse Advisory
Panel.

RESPONSE ACTIONS

This draft strategy contains a range of measures proposed by the
NGSC for consideration by governments. Of these, some of the more
significant are summarised below.

Energy supply

Governments should continue to promote improved third party
access to the electricity grid by supporting current initiatives
to provide non-discriminatory access to the national grid by
generators, demand-side option suppliers and customers. States
and Territories not connected to the electricity grid should
consider adopting access and competitive bidding protocols
modelled on the National Grid Management Council's approach.

The National Steering Committee on Performance Monitoring should
be directed by governments to expand its brief to cover policy
development in relation to uniform accounting standards, a review
of methodological issues involved with setting appropriate rates
of return for public energy utilities, and the further
development of service provision and environmental indicators.

Energy utilities should be required to account for their
performance against agreed indicators and benchmarks in their
annual reports, performance agreements and/or operating licence
conditions.

Governments should endorse the principle of cost-effective demand
management and integrated least-cost planning in energy sector
planning. This should promote the efficient use of capital and
natural resources by allowing for effective comparison of
different fuel types, and between demand and supply-side options.

Governments should adopt a national approach to demand management
and integrated least-cost planning by requesting ANZMEC to
commission a study to examine the basis for a national approach
to demand management and least-cost planning in the energy
sector, with particular reference to definitions, principles,
scope and methods.

Governments should agree to encourage utilities to seek
demand-side options through open competitive processes as part of
a least-cost approach.

Public energy utilities and energy agencies should be required to
report annually on demand management expenditures and outcomes.

Governments should take positive steps towards requiring public
electricity and gas utilities to achieve commercial rates of
return. Public utilities' tariffs should reflect the existence of
government taxes and charges at rates and on terms equivalent to
those levied on private sector participants.

ANZMEC should be requested by governments to commission a study
to establish a common methodology for the identification and
costing of subsidies, cross subsidies and community service
obligations.

Energy cogeneration schemes should be facilitated. This could be
achieved in the States and Territories by ensuring the National
Grid Management Council addresses this option in its planning
activities and by providing appropriate buy-back arrangements for
the purchase of surplus electricity.

There should be strengthened energy RD&D, particularly on
renewable energies and energy efficiency, including a flexible
approach to industry support for pre-competitive RD&D.

Further study of the options for and implications of increasing
use of natural gas including for electricity generation should be
undertaken by the Australian and New Zealand Minerals and Energy
Council (ANZMEC) drawing on the work currently being undertaken
by the Electricity Supply Association of Australia and the
Australian Gas Association.

The Australian Gas Association should be encouraged to develop
industry performance measures for publication.

ANZMEC and ANZECC should commission a national investigation of
issues affecting the incorporation of externalities in the energy
sector to better understand the full cost of energy service
provision.

Household energy use

Governments should develop and implement a national scheme for
mandatory energy performance labelling for major domestic gas,
electric and solar appliances as appropriate after identifying
and taking account of the costs and benefits of the proposed
scheme.

Governments should develop and implement nationwide minimum
energy performance standards for major domestic appliances as
soon as practicable after identifying and taking account of the
costs and benefits of the proposed standards. ANZMEC should
continue to be the coordinating national body for this initiative.

Wider use of renewable energy sources should be encouraged, with
governments paying particular attention to removing barriers
which discriminate against their use.

Preference should be given to high energy performance rated
appliances in purchasing for use in government operations.

ANZMEC, in consultation with other Ministers as appropriate,
should continue to develop a consistent nationwide House Energy
Rating Scheme commencing in 1993. This project should also
examine the adoption of complementary energy efficiency standards
for new houses by the end of 1994.

Industrial and commercial energy use

There should be rapid completion of work on the development of
non-residential building energy performance standards.

New energy labelling programs and energy performance standards
for commercial and industrial equipment should be introduced
where it is technically feasible to do so.

Transport

A fuel economy program for the car industry should be negotiated
including voluntary codes of practice on fuel consumption targets
and the inclusion of fuel consumption information in labelling
and advertising. The Commonwealth Government should actively
encourage the program.

A forward schedule for National Average Fuel Consumption levels
should be established, with agreement with the Federal Chamber of
Automotive Industries for completion in 1992.

Governments should agree to review options for further fleet
management improvements and for changes in vehicle fleet size and
composition. Governments should review their vehicle selection
and fleet management principles as soon as practicable.

Guidelines should be developed as soon as practicable aimed at
encouraging employees using government vehicles to use modes of
transport other than single occupant motor vehicles, both to and
from work and during working hours. Governments should examine
alternatives and the need for incentives to reduce the use of
government vehicles.

Urban and transport planning

Governments should give greater priority to investigation of new
travel demand strategies and management techniques (such as
central business district parking taxes, flexible working hours
and work from home schemes) to curb the growth in the use of
private motor vehicles in urban areas, and continue to adopt a
closer integration of land-use and transport planning.

Governments should support the reform agenda of Planning
Ministers including initiatives such as urban villages to act as
an energy efficient approach to planning new urban development.

Agriculture

Improved management of biomass burning should be investigated and
encouraged. Research underway into alternative management options
to reduce the need to burn should be enhanced.

Governments should encourage improved tillage practices to reduce
soil disturbance and thus maintain the effectiveness of the soil
as a sink for greenhouse gases.

New waste processing systems should be implemented for intensive
livestock holdings using either aerobic digestion or capture of
the methane from anaerobic digesters.

Natural environment

As noted in the agriculture section, the NGSC recommends that
assessments of the greenhouse impacts of vegetation clearance and
reviews of mechanisms to control clearing.

Adaptation

Vulnerability studies should be facilitated by the governments
collating and sharing existing environmental data.

Governments should cooperate in conservation management research
aimed at addressing critical gaps in information relevant to
adaptation.

Joint work with local councils on risk assessment should be
included in the continuing work on vulnerability assessments.

Climate change science

Provisions should be made for the maintenance of adequate
national climate monitoring, analysis and data bank facilities;
the encouragement of effective scientific research into climate
processes and modelling; and the development of regional impact
assessment studies.

Research into the cost and benefits of response options

The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics
should be supported in carrying out further system wide analysis
of least-cost combinations of options to limit greenhouse gas
emissions. Governments generally should also give priority in the
future to improved system wide analyses.

The Commonwealth Government should support coordinated studies by
bodies such as the Bureau of Industry Economics on the sectoral
impacts of different greenhouse response options.

Community information and education

ANZECC, in conjunction with other appropriate Ministerial
Councils, should report on the most effective communication
channels for the promotion of general greenhouse related
information, and for providing greater support for in-service
training programs for teachers.

The Commonwealth, in collaboration with the Office of Local
Government and the Australian Local Government Association,
should implement a local government environmental information
exchange program.

Monitoring and review of the strategy

Program managers should report annually, through existing
mechanisms, on measures taken as part of the greenhouse strategy.

A national greenhouse gas emissions inventory should be
instituted which would be regularly updated, to indicate progress
in limiting emissions.

The National Greenhouse Steering Committee or a similar
intergovernmental body should regularly undertake major reviews
of the effectiveness of the greenhouse strategy and report to
Heads of Government. These reviews should include calling for
public submissions.

******************************************************************

ECIX File Distribution Service

This is just a reminder that the ECIX File Distribution Service
is now fully active.  We maintain listings of files on energy and
climate issues which are available via anonymous ftp or email.
We also welcome contributions of papers, articles, fact sheets, or
other relevant information to be included for distribution.  To
be placed on the mailing list for current and future lists of
available files, please send email to ecixfiles@igc.apc.org.

******************************************************************

CREDITS

The Climate Digest is edited by Dan Yurman.
email: ecixdy@igc.apc.org

Guest Editor this month: Lelani Arris, larris@igc.apc.org
 
EcoNet is a service of the Institute for Global Communication, 18 
De Boom St., San Francisco, CA 94107. (415) 442-0220.  For 
subscription information send email to: support@igc.apc.org.  The 
ECIX project is supported by a grant from the Joyce Mertz-
Gilmore Foundation, with added support from the Energy 
Foundation.  For more information about the ECIX project, 
contact Lelani Arris, ECIX Project Director, Box 1061, Jasper, 
AB T0E 1E0, Canada, phone 403-852-4057, e-mail larris@igc.apc.org 
(Internet). 

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