Date sent: Wed, 11 Feb 1998 22:10:54 -0500 From: "Melanie Fields P.M., LLSDL" Organization: Professional Mother, Life-long, Self-directed learner To: "Grimm, Karen NE" Subject: FWD:Non-ed:The Leipzig Declaration on Global Climate Change Loopies, Willy Peterson sent this along and I overlooked forwarding it. It's non-ed, but still very interesting....although.... it could be used to challenge environmental ed. Melanie +++++++++ The following statement, endorsed by many of the world's leading atmospheric scientists, can be found on the internet at the following location: -WP- The Leipzig Declaration on Global Climate Change As scientists, we - along with our fellow citizens - are intensely interested in the possibility that human activities may affect the global climate; indeed, land clearing and urban growth have been changing local climates for centuries. Historically, climate has always been a factor in human affairs - with warmer periods, such as the medieval "climate optimum", playing an important role in economic expansion and in the welfare of nations that depend primarily on agriculture. For these reasons we must always remain sensitive to activities that could affect future climate. Attention has recently been focused on the increasing emission of "greenhouse" gases into the atmosphere. International discussions by political leaders are currently underway that could constrain energy use and mandate reductions in carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels. Although we understand the motivation to eliminate what are perceived to be the driving forces behind a potential climate change, we believe this approach may be dangerously simplistic. Based on the evidence available to us, we cannot subscribe to the so-called "scientific consensus" that envisages climate catastrophes and advocates hasty actions. As the debate unfolds, it has become increasingly clear that - contrary to conventional wisdom - there does not exist today a general scientific consensus about the importance of greenhouse warming from rising levels of carbon dioxide. On the contrary, most scientists now accept the fact that actual observations from earth satellites show no climate warming whatsoever. And to match this fact, the mathematical climate models are becoming more realistic and are forecasting temperature increases that are only 30 percent of what was considered the "best" value just four years ago. We consider the Global Climate Treaty concluded in Rio de Janeiro at the 1992 "Earth Summit" to be unrealistic; its goal is stabilization of atmospheric greenhouse gases, which requires that fuel use be cut by 60-80 percent worldwide! Energy is essential for all economic growth, and fossil fuels provide today's principal global energy source. In a world in which poverty is the greatest social pollutant, any restriction on energy use that inhibits economic growth should be viewed with caution. For this reason, we consider "carbon taxes" and other drastic control policies - lacking credible support from the underlying science - to be ill-advised, premature, wrought with economic danger, and likely to be counterproductive. This statement is based on the International Symposium on the Greenhouse Controversy, held in Leipzig, Germany on November 9-10, 1995, under the sponsorship of the Prime Minister of the State of Saxony. For further information, contact the Europaeische Akademie fuer Umweltfragen (fax +49-7071-72939) or The Science and Environmental Policy Project in Fairfax, Virginia (fax +1-703-352-7535). Leipzig Declaration Signatories * Abrams, Elliot - Penn State University Apel, John - John Hopkins University Aubrey, David - Woods Hole Ocean. Inst. Badura, Leslaw - Univ. Kattositz, Polland Balling, Robert - Arizona State University Barrett, Jack - Kingston-upon-Thames, U.K. Bauer, Ernst-Waldemar - Esslingen, Germany Berg, Hermann - Sachsisch Akad., Jena, Germany Berning, Warren - New Mexico State University Boe, Bruce A. - Atm. Resource Brd. ND Bottcher, C.J. Frits, The Hague Bourne, Arthur - University of London Bruce, Larry Brown, Norman M.D., University of Ulster Bye, Matthew - Meterologist, San Francisco Cain, Joseph - Florida State University Clube, S.V.M. - University of Oxford Courtney, Richard - Epsom, U.K. Csanady, G.T - Old Dominion University Cunningham, Robert M. - Meterologist, Lincoln, MA Decker, Fred - Meterologist, Corvalis, OR de Freitas, Chris, University of Auckland Del Re, Giuseppe Rom. Dietze, Peter - Nurnberg, Germany Dyer, Rosemary - Phillips Lab Eddington, Lee W., Naval Air Warfare Center Ellsaesser, Hugh - Livermore National Laboratory Emsley, John, Imperial Collage Frank, Neil - Fmr. Dir. Hurricane Center Franzle, Otto - Univ. Kiel, Germany Gaynor, John E. - Envir. Tech. Lab., Boulder, CO Gerholm, Tor Ragnar - Univ of Stockholm Gleeson, Thomas A. - Aeronomist, Florida State Univ. Gold, Thomas - Cornell University Goodell, H.G. - University of Virginia Goodridge, James D. - Climatologist, Mendocino, CA Groeber, Richard F. - Weather Service, Springfield, OH Guttman, Nathaniel B. - Climate Center, Asheville, NC Hales, J. Vern - Meterologist, Las Vegas, NV Handier, Paul, University of Illinois Harnapp, Vern, University of Akron Hayden, Howard C. - Univ. of Connecticut Heyke, H.H. - Lichtenwalde, Germany Higastberger, Michael J. - University of Vienna Hogan, A.W. - Jour. of Aerosols, Atm. Chem. Hubbard, William, University of Arizona Jaworski, Zbigniew, University of Warsaw Kloke, Adolf - University of Berlin Kohler, Max A. - Meterologist, Silver Spring, MD Kolstad, George A. - Geophys., Laytonsville, MD Korber, Erich - Univ. Tubingen, Germany Kovach, Robert L. - Stanford University Landscheidt, Theodor, Nova Scotia Leep, Roy - Meterologist, Tampa, FL Legates, David R. - University of Oklahoma Lettau, Heinz H. - University of Wisconsin Linden, Henry R. - Illinois Inst. of Technology Linften, Richard, Mass. Inst. of Technology Lischka, Gerd - Univ. Tubingen, Germany Lodge, J.P. - Atmos. Chemist, Boulder, CO Lunardi8, Virgil, CRREL, Hanover, NH Lunsford, R. Dwayne, Germantown, MD Marquardt, Karl - Dornstadt-Auhausen, Germany McVehil, George E. - Air QualiQ, Englewood, CO Meliner, Dusan - Univ of Brno, Czech Republic Metzner, Helmut - Tubingen, Germany Michaels, Patrick - University of Virginia Mitchell, William, Oxford University Moene, Asmunn, Oslo, Norway Mohry, Herbert - Leipzig, Germany Neumann, Eberhard - Univ. Bielefeld, Germany Nierenberg, William A. - Scripps Inst., LaJoila Nolte, Dieter - Stadt, Krankenhaus, Reichenhall, Germany Oberhammer, Heinz - Univ, Tubingen, Germany Porch, William - Colorado State University Priem, Harry, University Of Utrecht Reifsnyder, W.E. - Yale University Robertson, Alexander, Univ. Of Newfoundland Schmidlin, Thomas, Kent State University Schuh, William, ND State Water Comm. SeiN, Frederick - Rockefeller University Sestak, Zdnek - Univ of Prague Sharp, Gary D., Ctr for Climate/Ocean Resource Study Singer, Fred - Science & Enviroranental Policy Prf ect Stange, Karl - Ludwigshafen, Germany Starheim, Fred, Kent State University Starr, Chauncey - Electrical Power Research Inst., Palo Alto Steiiunetz, E. - Essen, Germany Stevenson, Robert E., IFARNS/IAPSO Stout, Glenn E. - University of Illinois Stroke, George - Max Planck Inst., MuYch Sunderm, Heinz - University of Vienna Sussman, Brian - Meterologist, San Francisco, CA Sutton, George H. - Prof. Emeeritus, Univ of Hawaii Svidersky, Vladimir - Sechonoc Institute, Moscow TalwaY, M. - Rice University Torrance, Thomas F. - Jena, Germany Van Sumere, Christaan - Univ of Gent, Belgium Vonnegut, Bernard - SUNY, Albany Wentworth, Robert C., Geoophys. Oakland, CA Worzel, J. Larmar - Meterologist, Wilmington, NC Wyrtki, Klaus, University of Hawaii Zwiener, Ulrich - Univ. Jena, Germany Meteorologists Apuzzo, Richard, WXIX-TV Bernier, Andre, WJW-TV Bernier, Sally, WJW-TV Breckm, Robert, WVUE-TV Colby, A.J., WICU-TV Frank, Neil, KHOU-TV Gantz, Dick, Weather Forecasting Service Goddard, Dick, WJW-TV Hollett, Shane, WJW-TV Johnson, Mark, WEWS-TV Koontz, Mark, WJW-TV Leep, Roy, WTVT-TV Loufman, Jon, WKYC-TV Maly, Dan, WOIO-TV McPike, Ryan, WICU-TV Moore, James T., KSWO-TV Sussman, Brian, KGO-TV Sussman, Brad, WEWS-TV Watts, Anthony, HSL-TV Webster, Don, WEWS-TV Westfall, Brian, Weather Forecasting Service Williams, Jerry A., Meteorologist Consultant *In response to pedantic criticism of desperate liberal journalists, this latest update of signatories distinguishes professional meteorologists. -WP- _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]