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end result is that the earth’s atmosphere is becoming ever warmer, a phenomenon referred to as GLOBAL W ARM ING (GW). Carbon Cycle The generation of C 0 2 through energy genera tion through combustion is the only cause of GW. We are also rapidly diminishing the tree supply of the earth by indiscriminate cutting and burning of vast tracts of forestland. This disturbs another natural cycle on which life on earth depends: the carbon cycle.111 In this cycle, oxygen (O 2 ) and carbon dioxide CO 2 are exchanged in the eco system: humans and other-higher life forms inhale oxygen and exhale car bon dioxide, plants of all species absorb CO 2 through a process called photosynthesis and exhale oxygen which humans and other forms inhale. As more and more trees are cut down and burned, there is even more C 0 2 generated and fewer living trees remain to convert it to oxygen. This cycle repeats itself and in creases. Effects The global mean surface temperatures have increased 0.5-1.0°F since the late 19th century. The warmest ten years of the 20th century occurred in its last 15 years. The snow cover in the Northern Hemi sphere and floating ice in the Arctic Ocean have de creased. The sea level has risen 4-8 inches over the past century. Worldwide precipitation has increased by about one percent. The frequency of extreme rainfall has increased throughout much of the United States. Increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases are likely to accelerate the rate of climate change. (See www.epa.gov for further details). Contributors to Global W arm ing Greenhouse gases are global in their effect upon the atmosphere. Every country in the world con tributes to their emissions and the more developed the country, the greater the emission. Countries that are signatories to the United Nations Framework Conven tion on Climate Change (UNFCCC) are committed to reporting their man-made emissions of greenhouse gases to the Secretariat of the convention. According to Time (See Note 1), the CO 2 emitters since 1950 in terms of billions of tons are as follows: USA (186.1), EU (127.8), Russia (63.4), China (57.6), Japan (31.2), Ukraine (21.7), India (15.5), Canada (14.9), Poland (14.4), Kazakhstan (10.1), South Africa (8.5), Mexico (7.8), Australia (7.6). [It should be noted that the United States houses 4% of the world’s population and produces about 25% of greenhouse gases.] Proposed Remedies Considerable amount of thought has already been devoted to the ways and means to ameliorate the situation through an approach that has been collec tively called carbon sequestration. The most straightforward approach is to limit the amount of car bon discharged into the atmosphere. Its simplest appli cation is to preserve trees and plants and to plant more of them. TTiis would mean stopping mass deforesta tion in the southern hemisphere. Closer to home, it would mean limiting urban and suburban sprawl and increasing and upgrading mass transit. Another proven technology is to directly se quester carbon dioxide by injecting it into oil wells to force more petroleum or natural gas out of the ground or seafloor. It can also be injected into empty caves or abandoned mines or wells. A variation on the re injection theme is to pump CO 2 into calcium-based minerals, thus trapping it. Another approach is serious development and upgrading of alternate energy sources such as wind power, solar power, geothermal power, fuel cells and the old bugaboo, nuclear power. There are still serious technical, economic as well as political considerations to these options but they are feasible. And last but not least, there is energy conser vation that entails retrofitting and modernization of existing power generation facilities, decentralization of power generation, ever-increasing fuel economy of all modes of transportation, insulation of buildings, and personal and collective frugality. Recognition & Response The problem of GW has been recognized since the late 1970’s. In 1988, The World Meteoro logical Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) established the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a participant.1V To quote EPA: “The role of the IPCC is to assess the scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant for the understanding of the risk of human-induced climate change. In 1990, the U.S. Congress formally established the U.S. Global Change Research Program. Its purpose is to coordinate the re sources and research activities of several federal agen cies and the participation of the U.S. in international research activities dealing with such subjects as ozone depletion and societal changes due to climate shifts. Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, the international community, under the auspices of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), organized (in 1992) the first in ternational gathering known as the E arth Summit in
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