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GALLON ENVIRONMENT LETTER RE CLIMATE CHANGE
>Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 00:33:01 -0400 (EDT)
>X-BlackMail: ts3-13.mtl.iSTAR.ca, Gary Gallon, cibe@web.net, 198.53.15.204
>X-Authenticated-Timestamp: 00:33:01(EDT) on August 19, 1997
>X-Sender: cibe@pop.web.net
>Mime-Version: 1.0
>To: Luis.Bombin@fao.org, HENRI.CARSALADE@fao.org, info@oas.org,
> john.cuddy@unctad.org, csdgen@undp.org, unic-cph@post2.tele.dk,
> rolf.willmann@fao.org, pratap.narain@fao.org
>From: "Gary T. Gallon" <cibe@web.net>
>Subject: Global Warming Not a Problem: Fraser Institute
>Sender: owner-csdgen@undp.org
>Precedence: bulk
>Status: RO
>
>
> THE GALLON ENVIRONMENT LETTER
> AUGUST 18, 1997
>
>_____________________________________________________________
>
>GLOBAL WARMING DOES NOT EXIST: FRASER INSTITUTE, VANCOUVER
>
>Global warming does not exist as an environmental problem, suggests The
>Fraser Institute of Vancouver. The Institute states that: "the public has
>been barraged with apocalyptic predictions of global warming. This campaign
>has been so successful that global warming is now reported as fact...the
>evidence, however, does not support the predictions." This statement was
>quoted from the Institute's brochure advertising its new conference to
>debunk global warming. Called "the Science and Politics of Global Warming"
>conference, it will be held October 29, 1997 in Vancouver.
>
>The Fraser Institute is part of the "wise-use" movement of anti-environment
>associations in the United States which use environmentalists tactics to
>fight against environmental issues. Members of the wise-use movement in the
>U.S. include: the Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment
>(FREE), Competitiveness Enterprise Institute, the Barry Goldwater Institute,
>CATO Institute, Reason Foundation, The Fraser Institute (Canada), and the
>Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow. In 1990, they joined together to
>form the Earth Day Alternatives (EDA) coalition. Its motto: "Environment -
>as if people mattered". The wise-use institutes stated that "members of the
>Earth Day Alternatives (including Canada's Fraser Institute) believe that
>environmental policy took a turn for the worse when it was taken out of the
>hands of individuals and turned over to Congressmen, EPA bureaucrats, and
>nvironmental lobbyists." [Source: Earth Day Alternatives, Press Release, 233
>Pennsylvania Ave., S.E., Suite 200, Ph. (202) 547-1010]
>
>The conservative institutes run a conservative email daily news service
>called C-NEWS. To subscribe to c-news send the message SUBSCRIBE C-NEWS.
>Currently, it is running a six-part series called "Global Warming or
>Globaloney?" In the sixth article of the series, Phil Brennan writes about
>global warming concerns that: "driven into a state of near panic, the
>world's overnments are proposing to spend trillions of dollars and impose
>draconian regulations upon all of us in an all-out, Tower-of -Babel effort
>to counteract the perceived threat of Global Warming."
>
>Most of the speakers at the Fraser Institute Conference are from the United
>States. There is Patrick Michaels and Robert Davis from the University of
>Virginia, Robert Balling Jr. from Arizona State U., Thomas Moore with
>Stanford U., Sallie Baliunas Harvard University, and John Christie from the
>University of Alabama. The luncheon keynote speaker will be the Hon.
>Stephen West Alberta's Minister of Energy. Conference registration cost:
>$195 before September 29, and $225 thereafter. To register call Ph (604)
>688-0221, fax (604) 688-8539. Visit the Fraser Institute's website:
>http://www.fraserinstitute.ca.
>
>************************************************
>
>165 COUNTRIES FIND GLOBAL WARMING A PROBLEM: UNFCCC
>
>In 1992, at the Rio Earth Summit, Canada and 164 other nations agreed to
>sign onto the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
>(UNFCCC). It sets an "ultimate objective" of stabilising "greenhouse gas
>concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous
>anthropogenic (human-induced) nterference with the climate system." Even
>the Canadian Ministers of the Environment, after consutlting their experts,
>came to the conclusion that global warming had to be taken seriously.
>
>Worldwide, governments, and their scientists, both conservative and liberal
>have come to the conclusion that "the problem is that human activity is
>making the global warming gases blanket thicker. The U.N. Convention
>authorities at the UNFCCC state that: for example, when we burn coal, oil,
>and natural gas we spew huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the air. When we
>destroy forests the carbon stored in the trees escapes to the atmosphere.
>Other basic activities, such as raising cattle and planting rice, emit
>methane, nitrous oxide, and other greenhouse gases. If emissions continue to
>grow at current rates, it is almost certain that atmospheric levels of
>carbon dioxide will double from pre-industrial levels during the 21st
>century. If no steps are taken to slow greenhouse gas emissions, it is quite
>possible that levels will triple by the year 2100. The most direct result,
>says the scientific consensus, is likely to be a "global warming" of 1.5
>to 4.5 C over the next 100 years."
>
>The UNFCCC states that the Convention "recognises that there is a problem.
>That's a significant step. It is not easy for the nations of the world to
>agree on a common course of action, especially one that tackles a problem
>whose consequences are uncertain and which will be more important for our
>grandchildren than for the present generation. Still, the Convention was
>negotiated and signed by 165 states in a little over two years, and over 100
>have already ratified and so are legally bound by it. The treaty took effect
>on 21 March 1994." For more information contact the UNFCCC website:
>http://www.unfccc.de/fccc/conv/beginner.htm.
>
>***************************************************
>
>CANADIAN GLOBAL CHANGE PROGRAM (CGCP)
>
>The CGCP coordinates state-of-the-art assessments of research results in
>areas of potentially high impact to Canadians, identifying information gaps
>and opportunities for Canadian contributions to reducing global warming gas
>emissions. These assessments take the form of expert panels, research/policy
>forums and commissioned studies. The CGCP secretariat are working on some
>of the strategic options for reducing global warming gases that ministers
>may wish to consider for the future evolution of climate change policy in
>Canada. After several reviews by the CGCP and CCP boards of directors, it
>was sent to the ministers, then to various media and other interested
>parties just prior to the December meeting. The submission is available from
>the CGCP . Visit the website at: http://www.cgcp.rsc.ca/english/
>html_documents/eindex.html
>
>****************************************************
>
>ENERGY EFFICIENCY MARKET OPPORTUNITIES FOR CANADIAN COMPANIES IN POLAND
>
>Before Ontario Hydro slashed its conservation program, B.C. Hydro dropped
>its "Power Smart" program, and Quebec Hydro walked away from energy
>conservation, Canada built a competitive advantage in energy efficiency
>technologies and services. Before the advantage is eroded by the advance of
>other countries' global warming gases reduction programs, Canadian companies
>can provide strong environmental technologies and services to Poland.
>
>Poland could save about $1.8 billion per year over the next 15 years through
>energy efficiency, the International Institute for Energy Conservation
>(IIEC) said in a report. "Poland still uses energy very inefficiently -
>2-3 times as much as energy per unit of GDP - compared to Western Europe,"
>said Stewart Boyle, Executive Director of the IIEC-Europe. Investment
>opportunities include cogeneration and gas technologies, energy efficient
>lighting and energy service companies (ESCOS), said the IIEC report. From
>January 1 1998 new environmental regulations will require investment to
>upgrade or replace aged boilers and stop the use of lignite burning. The
>European Bank for Reconstruction and Developement (EBRD) is financing energy
>efficiency schemes, the report said. The Polish government predicts that $53
>billion is needed to upgrade the energy infrastructure by 2010.
>
>***********************************************
>
>CEIA NATIONAL PRESIDENT MEET WITH CANADA'S ENVIRONMENT MINISTER
>
>Paul Antle, Chairman of the Canadian Environment Industry's (CEIA) Board of
>Directors, was invited to attend meetings with new Environment Minister
>Christine Stewart on Thursday, July 31 in Ottawa; and with former
>Environment Minister, now Minister of International Trade, Sergio Marchi on
>Friday, August 8 in Toronto. The informal luncheon meeting with Minister
>Stewart was attended by 13 other industry representatives. Minister Stewart
>expressed her belief in the need for a firm regulatory floor to ensure
>environmental standards, and emphasized her intention to build relationships
>between her department and the traditional industry sectors. For more
>information contact: Ron Portelli, President, CEIA National, Tel: 613-236-
>6222, or
>Fax: 613-236-6850 or E-mail: ceia@capitalnet.com. Website:
>http://www.ceia-acie.ca.
>
>*********************************************
>
>FILL OUT SURVEY ON FUTURE OF GREAT LAKES
>
>Emerging Issues Survey Great Lakes Science Advisory Board's survey on
>changes in environmental and social dynamics that may impringe upon the
>Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem. Go to website: http://www.ijc.org/whatsnew/
>annoncem.html. Fill it out the form on the site.
>
>**********************************************
>
>INTERNET WORKSHOP ON ECONOMIC ACCOUNTING RELATED TO FISHERIES HARVESTING AND
>MANAGEMENT
>
>A specialized workshop for economists and fisheries managers is being hosted
>12 August to 11 October 1997 on the internet by the Fisheries Department
>and Statistics Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the
>United Nations (FAO), the Institute of Advanced Studies of the United
>Nations University (UNU/IAS), and the United Nations Statistics Division
>(UNSD).
>
>The workshop seeks multi-disciplinary advice on pertinent issues of
>integrated environmental and economic accounting in fisheries including
>definitional boundaries of production and capital formation; environmental
>satellite accounting (e.g. physical accounting, materials/energy balances,
>etc.); ocean accounts for areas outside of countries jurisdictions;
>valuation of aquatic resources and assessment of imputed environmental
>costs. The advice will be used in the drafting of written guidelines on this
>topic. To participate in this electronic workshop send an e-mail to
>mailserv@mailserv.fao.org with the following one line message and leaving
>blank the subject matter field: Subscribe FisheriesAcc-L
>
>For more information visit the Home Page of the FAO Fisheries Department
>http://www.fao.org/ waicent/faoinfo/fishery/fishaccl/fishaccl.htm) where a
>prospectus and discussion paper can be viewed and downloaded. These
>documents can also be obtained from the FTP site ftp.fao.org (193.43.36.7)
>at the \fao\fi\document\fishaccl path; or as Word Perfect 5.1 for MS-DOS
>files via Mailserv: address a message to mailserv@mailserv.fao.org leaving
>the subject blank and put in the following two lines :- send
>[fisheriesacc]prospect.wpf/mode=block send
>[fisheriesacc]discuss.wpf/mode=block If your Email system is not
>MIME-compliant with regards to attachments, then try adding
>"/encoding=UUENCODE" at the end of each line.
>
>In case of difficulties to subscribe to the workshop or download the
>documents, please contact either Rolf Willmann, FAO Fisheries Department
><rolf.willmann@fao.org> or Pratap Narain, FAO Statistics Division <
>
>*******************************************
>
>CHINA GETS SERIOUS WITH ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
>SHUTS DOWN 74,000 POLLUTING FACTORIES.
>
>China's work force is getting sick from too much pollution. The economic
>impacts of ignoring pollution can no longer be ignored. China has shut down
>74,000 small factories with serious pollution problems, the Xinhua news
>agency said on Friday. The figure accounted for 86 percent of polluters
>targeted by an anti-pollution decree issued by the State Council, or
>cabinet, last year, it said. The plants, mainly in rural areas, included
>paper mills, tanning factories, printing and dyeing mills and coking plants
>using outdated equipment, Xinhua said. So far, 18 provinces have shut down
>all the polluters on their lists, it said. China has carried out two
>nationwide inspections of plants with serious pollution problems in the past
>few years, it said without
>giving further details.
>
>******************************************
>
>NEWS FROM ONTARIO'S GREEN COMMUNITIES
>
>Participants at the Ontario Green Communities pollution prevention meeting,
>in Niagara-on- the-Lake last Friday, agreed on steps to complete a P2
>partnership between Environment Canada and Green Communities. Tasks include
>development of programs, a results measurement protocol, partnerships (e.g.,
>to help pay for sample non-toxic cleaner kits), and a three-year plan. A
>full launch is proposed by the first of next year.
>
>The Green Communities Association (GCA) has received a request from
>Honolulu, Hawaii, for its nearly finished introductory guide, "How to Grow a
>Green Community". GCA's Jill Proud is in Santiago, Chile, this week
>representing the Ontario Green Communities Association in negotiations with
>groups and government officials there. The Chileans are looking into this
>Canadian model for the purpose of adopting it for their own use. Canada is
>seen as a leader in this field.
>
>The Peterborough Green-Up Group placed a display ad in the Yellow Pages Home
>Improvements section of its phone book promoting "Whole House Solutions" to
>various "house problems." Their slogan: "We know how your house works."
>Smaller ads were also placed under Heating Contractors, Windows, and
>Environmental Organizations. For more information about the Green
>Communities business group contact: Clifford Maynes, Coordinator, Green
>Communities Association, 4 Knox St., Peterborough, Ontario K9H 2A8; vox:
>(705) 745-7479; fax: (705) 745-7294; email: cmaynes@web.net; website:
>www.ptbo.igs.net/~gca/.
>
>**********************************************
>
>ONTARIO'S ENVIRONMENT AND THE "COMMON SENSE REVOLUTION": A Second Year
>Report July 1997
>
>The Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy released last its
>report providing a chronology and overview of the Ontario government's
>activities between June 1996 and June 1997. The report details the immediate
>and long-term environmental consequences of the government's actions and
>includes a discussion of its most likely next steps.
>
>The 160-pages report entitled Ontario's Environment and the "Common Sense
>Revolution": A Second Year Report is divided into chapters covering: public
>participation in decision-making; regulatory reform and standard setting;
>land-use; environmental assessment; environmental science and monitoring;
>air; water; waste; energy; pesticides; forestry; wildlife, wilderness and
>parks; non-renewable resources; mining; transportation; and underground
>storage tanks, pressure vessels and boilers.
>
>The report concludes that as of the end of the Legislative session in June,
>virtually every statute in the province dealing with the environment or
>natural resources management had been amended to: reduce environmental
>protection requirements; increase the discretion of ministers and the
>cabinet; eliminate opportunities for public participation in
>decision-making; permit the delegation of provincial authority to the
>private sector; and shield the Crown from lawsuits arising from damages
>caused by its repeal of environmental protection requirements. At the same
>time, the budgets of environmental agencies have undergone dramatic
>reductions. The report is available from CIELAP for $20.00 + 15% S&H.
>Founded in 1970, the Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy is
>an independent, not-for-profit environmental law and policy research and
>educational organization. For more information or copies of the Ontario's
>Environment and the "Common Sense Revolution": A Second Year Report contact:
>Jan Rabantek , Project Officer, Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and
>Policy Tel: (416) 923-3529, Fax: (416) 923-5949, E-mail: cielap@web.net
>
>************************************************
>
>AUSTRALIAN ATHLETES FALL ILL FROM SEVERELY POLLUTED RIVER AFTER BRIDGE
>COLLAPSE AT ISRAEL'S MACCABIAH GAMES
>
>According the Rueter's News Service Inc. journalist, Julian Linden, at least
>10 Australian athletes fell ill in the wake of the Maccabiah Games bridge
>collapse in Israel due to health problems caused by poisons in the Yakron
>River under the bridge. The 10 athletes suffered respiratory problems after
>either falling or diving into the river after the bridge near Tel Aviv
>collapsed on July 14, 1997. "Some of these people had been saved from
>drowning after being resuscitated at the scene while others had dived into
>the water to try and save others." One of the three Australians that died
>did not die from the injuries sustained from the fall but died 12 days later
>in hospital due to lung damage caused by poisonous water. "I've barely
>eaten since the day of the bridge," Sumegi told an Australian newspaper on
>Thursday. "My stomach got infected and caused my oesophagus to ulcerate. I
>have been pretty ill.".
>
>*************************************************
>
>US NORTHWEST STATES WANTS U.S. MIDWEST AIR POLLUTION STOPPED
>
>Canada is finding allies in its bid to reduce transboundary air pollution
>coming from the United States, writes Sonali Paul from the Rueters New
>Service. At least five northeastern states plan to ask the U.S. government
>to force power plants and factories in the Midwest to cut their pollution to
>help ease smog problems downwind, state officials said on Friday. The
>petitions, which could be filed in August 1997, are the latest attempt by
>the northeastern states to target sources of pollution outside their region
>in their struggle to meet federal air quality standards. The five states
>-- Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and New York -- were part
>of a group of 32 eastern states which agreed last June to take steps to help
>each other fight smog in cities with the dirtiest air. Pennsylvania also is
>considering filing a petition, a state environmental spokeswoman said. The
>northeastern states decided to break ranks with the other eastern states
>because they want air quality to improve faster than under the June
>agreement. "We feel we can't wait any longer, that we need immediate
>action," said Jennifer Post, a spokeswoman for New York's Department of
>Environmental Conservation. "We're trying to take every legal avenue
>available to address this problem," Post said. But they still have not been
>able to budge the big coal-fired utilities in the industrialized mid-west
>and the states that provide them with the coal.
>
>******************************************
>
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>
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>
>
>Gary T. Gallon
>Canadian Institute for Business and the Environment
>506 Victoria Ave.
>Montreal, Quebec H3Y 2R5
>Ph. (514) 369-0230
>Fax (514) 369-3282
>email: cibe@web.net
>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Linda L. Elswick
Director
Washington Office
World Sustainable Agriculture Association, 2025 I Street, NW#512, WDC, 20006
Phone: 202-293-2155
Fax: 202-293-2209
Email: wsaadc@igc.apc.org
Web Site: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/wsaa
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~