SOIL CARBON AND CLIMATE CHANGE
NEWS
From
Consortium for Agricultural
Soils Mitigation of Greenhouse Gases
(CASMGS)
http://soilcarboncenter.k-state.edu
Charles W. Rice, K-State
Department of Agronomy, National CASMGS Director
(785) 532-7217 cwrice@ksu.edu
Scott Staggenborg, K-State Department
of Agronomy (785) 532-7214 sstaggen@ksu.edu
Steve Watson, CASMGS
Communications (785) 532-7105 swatson@oznet.ksu.edu
June 20, 2005
No. 43
*
National:
* National Science Academies Call For Action on Global Warming
**********
Carbon
Credit Pilot Project
Last February, a series of 12
meetings were held in various counties in
As a result of those meetings,
72 contracts were signed between
Number of Contracts by County in
Anderson - 5
Brown - 5
Chase - 1
Cloud - 1
Coffey - 1
Cowley - 1
Harvey - 1
Lyon - 2
Marion - 2
McPherson - 5
Nemaha - 2
Pottawattamie - 1
Republic - 3
Rice - 1
Riley - 4
Washington - 1
Woodson – 1
It should be noted that only counties in the eastern half of
-- Steve Watson swatson@oznet.ksu.edu
**********
National
Science Academies Call For
Action
on Global Warming
National Science
Academies from 11 nations issued a Statement on June 7 calling for immediate
action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The academies that signed the
statement are from:
The Statement urged G-8
countries, at their upcoming meeting in July, to "identify cost-effective
steps that can be taken now to contribute to substantial and long-term
reductions in net global greenhouse gas emissions."
The National Academy
of Sciences is a private, nonprofit society of scholars engaged in scientific
and engineering research.
The following are
excerpts from the Statement:
“There is now strong evidence that significant global warming is occurring. The evidence comes from direct measurements of rising surface air temperatures and subsurface ocean temperatures and from phenomena such as increases in average global sea levels, retreating glaciers, and changes to many physical and biological systems. It is likely that most of the warming in recent decades can be attributed to human activities (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2001). This warming has already led to changes in the Earth's climate.
“The scientific understanding of climate change is now sufficiently clear to justify nations taking prompt action. It is vital that all nations identify cost-effective steps that they can take now, to contribute to substantial and long-term reduction in net global greenhouse gas emissions. Action taken now to reduce significantly the build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will lessen the magnitude and rate of climate change.
“As nations and economies develop over the next 25 years, world primary energy demand is estimated to increase by almost 60%. Fossil fuels . . . are projected to provide 85% of this demand (International Energy Agency, 2004). Minimizing the amount of this carbon dioxide reaching the atmosphere presents a huge challenge. There are many potentially cost-effective technological options that could contribute to stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations. These are at various stages of research and development. However barriers to their broad deployment still need to be overcome. Failure to implement significant reductions in net greenhouse gas emissions now, will make the job much harder in the future.
“We call on world leaders, including those meeting at the Gleneagles G8 Summit in July 2005, to:
* Acknowledge that the threat of climate change is clear and increasing.
* Launch an international study to explore scientifically informed targets for atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, and their associated emissions scenarios, that will enable nations to avoid impacts deemed unacceptable.
* Identify cost-effective steps that can be taken now to contribute to substantial and long-term reduction in net global greenhouse gas emissions. Recognize that delayed action will increase the risk of adverse environmental effects and will likely incur a greater cost.
* Work with developing nations to build a scientific and technological capacity best suited to their circumstances, enabling them to develop innovative solutions to mitigate and adapt to the adverse effects of climate change, while explicitly recognizing their legitimate development rights.
* Show leadership in developing and deploying clean energy technologies and approaches to energy efficiency, and share this knowledge with all other nations.
* Mobilize the science and technology community to enhance research and development efforts, which can better inform climate change decisions.”
For the complete
statement, see:
http://www.nationalacademies.org/morenews/#tn0607
-- Steve Watson swatson@oznet.ksu.edu
**********
UPCOMING CONFERENCES (all dates
are 2005 unless otherwise noted)
August 2-11
Carbon
Cycle and Climate Symposium
Conference website: http://www.iamas2005.com
Contact: Ying Ping Wang – Yingping.wang@csiro.au
September 26-30
7th International CO2 Conference
For more information: http://www.cmdl.noaa.gov/info/icdc7/
November 13-17
Greenhouse 2005: Action on Climate Control
For more information: http://www.greenhouse2005.com
Contact: Paul Holper paul.holper@csiro.au
**********
Send comments or items for the
newsletter to Steve Watson at:
<swatson@oznet.ksu.edu>
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