3.1 Consider This:  Science Behind the Policy

Policy decisions on global warming are based on scientific research and careful assessment of environmental and economic effects. The United Nations and the World Health Organization sponsor the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). In the United States, the Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) carries out climate change research. What is the membership of each agency? What are the major responsibilities and activities of each agency? How do these two groups carry out their work? How do they interact? Learn about these two groups and their work.

3.11 Consider This:  Chiming in on Molecules

Three-dimensional representations of molecules can be viewed on the Web with the aid of CHIME, a free plug-in that you can download and install. Use CHIME to view carbon dioxide, nitrogen, oxygen, water, methane, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, sulfur trioxide, ozone, CFCl3, and CF2Cl2. Has your mental picture of these molecules changed after seeing the 3-D representations? Explain.

3.25 Consider This:  Climate Questions

If you visit climate-modeling sites on the Web, you may be deluged with technical terms and numerical analyses. A good place to begin your understanding of climate modeling is to visit the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), billed as "the world’s largest active archive of weather data." What types of data do the NCDC provide? Propose two or three questions that you might like to investigate using data provided by NCDC.

3.27 Consider This:  Global Warming in the News

Given the rate at which new information about global warming is being generated, some parts of this book were almost certainly out of date before it was printed. Consult the Web to find two documents on global warming that were published in the last calendar year. For each, give the title, author or source, URL, and the date last updated. Summarize the new information that you found. If this information is different from your textbook, cite the differences.

3.28 The Sceptical Chymist:  Global Warming Skeptics

Some people conclude that based on the evidence, human activities have amplified the greenhouse effect; others do not. Find out what such skeptics have to say about the topic. You can locate organizations that take a lukewarm view of global warming by searching for "global warming" and "skeptics." Many search engines allow "wildcards" such as *. Thus, by typing skeptic*, you will bring up sites that include related words such as skeptics, skeptical, or skepticism.

Locate a global warming skeptics web site and write a short description about the information found there. Include the URL, the title of the site, its sponsor, and the date the web site was last updated. Summarize three points made on the web site in opposition to the concept that there are anthropogenic contributions to global warming.

3.29 Consider This:  The Top Emitters

It is no secret which countries are emitting the highest amounts of CO₂. You can access a list of the top fossil fuel CO₂ emitters provided by the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center that gives carbon dioxide emissions both per country and per capita (person). Three sets of data are available: regional, national, or global basis.

1. This text just cited the United States and Peoples’ Republic of China as the leaders in total CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels. What countries rank third, fourth, and fifth in the most recent total CO₂ data? Whose emissions are relatively low?
2. Now look at the emissions per capita. Which countries have the highest emissions per person? Do the top five differ per capita by very much? Why or why not?

3.31 Consider This:  The Massachusetts Model

In April 2001, Governor Jane Swift issued a rule requiring the major coal- and oil-fired power plants in Massachusetts to meet stringent new air emissions standards, including those for emission of carbon dioxide. Power plants must limit carbon dioxide emissions by an amount equal to 10% of what generators have been discharging in the state, but they have freedom in how they do it.

1. What are some of the means proposed to meet this new rule?
2. Could the Massachusetts model be useful in other parts of the United States?

3.32 Consider This:  Warming Mars?

Mars is a very chilly place with an average annual temperature of 55 °C below zero. It has been proposed that greenhouse gases that cause problems on Earth might provide the means to make Mars a more comfortable place for humans to colonize in the future. In the process, we could solve a perplexing climate problem on Earth and learn more about Mars at the same time. Find out about this research by using a search engine or or check out a NASA article on Mars archived from February 9, 2001. What problems are associated with this rather far-out approach?

3.34 Consider This:  Developing Countries; Developed Countries

Consider how your position on controlling emissions of carbon dioxide would change if you were a student in a developing country rather than in the United States. To gather some information to help your consideration, pick a country in the developing world. Find out if that country has signed and ratified the Kyoto Protocol. Also find the total tons of carbon dioxide emitted and the per capita emission for that country. Compare these data to those of the United States and comment on the differences and their possible effect on policy.

3.35 Consider This:  Greenhouse Gas Guidelines

Suppose you have been appointed a U.S. delegate to the next meeting of the climate control talks based on the Kyoto Protocol and its amendments. What position would you advocate that the U.S. take in future talks? Support your economic and environmental views with facts and figures.

3.36 Consider This:  Air Quality, Ozone Depletion, or Global Warming

Now that you have studied air quality (Chapter 1), stratospheric ozone depletion (Chapter 2), and global warming (Chapter 3), which one do you believe poses the most serious problem? Discuss your reasons with others and draft a one-page report on this question.