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01-30-02
Global Climate Change
SUMMARY
There is concern that human activities are
affecting the heat/energy-exchange balance be-
tween Earth, the atmosphere, and space, and
inducing global climate change, often termed
"global warming." Human activities, particu-
larly the burning of fossil fuels, have increased
atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and other
trace greenhouse gases. If these gases con-
tinue to accumulate in the atmosphere at
current rates, most scientists believe global
warming would occur through intensification
of Earth's natural heat-trapping "greenhouse
effect." Possible impacts might be seen as
both positive and negative.
A warmer climate would probably have
far reaching effects on agriculture and forestry,
managed and un-managed ecosystems, includ-
ing natural habitats, human health, water
resources, and sea level depending on climate
responses. Although causal relationships
between projected long-range global climate
trends and record-setting warmth and severe
weather events of the past two decades have
not been firmly established, attention has been
focused on possible extremes of climate chan-
ge and the need for better understanding of
climate processes to improve climate model
forecasts.
The basic policy question remains: Given
scientific uncertainties about the magnitude,
timing, rate, and regional consequences of
potential climatic change, what are the appro-
priate responses for U.S. and world
decisionmakers?Fossil-fuel combustion is the primary
source of CO2 emissions, and also emits other
"greenhouse" gases. Because the U.S. econ-
omy is so dependent upon energy, and so
much of U.S. energy is derived from fossil
fuels, reducing these emissions poses majorchallenges and controversy.
The 1992 United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC),
which the United States has ratified, called for
a "non-binding" voluntary aim for industrial-
ized countries to control atmospheric concen-
trations of green-house gases by stabilizing
their emissions at 1990 levels by the year
2000. The 1997 Kyoto Protocol to the
UNFCCC goes further and, if it were to enter
into force, would commit the 38 major indus-
trialized nations to specified, legally binding
emissions reductions.
International negotiations continued
during 2001 at meetings in July at Bonn,
Germany, and at Marrakech, Morocco, during
late October into November, to resolve major
differences and refine details of the Kyoto
Protocol.
In March 2001, the Bush Administration
rejected the Kyoto Protocol and chose to act
only as observers, declining to participate in
discussions at internationalnegotiations on the
Protocol. In July, major political agreements
were reached, led by the European Union
(EU), and parties agreed to seek ratification
and entry into force without the United States;
most remaining issues were resolved in the
Marrakech meeting of the parties.
The United States has indicated it would
continue its cabinet-level review of climate
change, and would seek new approaches based
on voluntary measures and market mecha-nisms, but no timeframe for a new U.S. pro-
posal has emerged. Other parties continue to
express hope that the United States will rejoin
international efforts to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions.Congressional Research Service * The Library of Congress MCRS
IB89005
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Reference the current page of this Report.
Justus, John R. & Fletcher, Susan R. Global Climate Change, report, January 30, 2002; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs2130/m1/3/: accessed June 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.