Notes 2653 From the information in Table 6.1 and the formula in Note 20, calculate
the equivalent carbon dioxide concentration including the well mixed green-
house gases for SRES scenarios A1B and A2 in 2050 and 2100.
4 Associated with the choice of stabilisation level under the criteria of the
Objective of the Climate Convention, different kinds of analysis were men-
tioned; cost–benefit analysis, multicriteria analysis and sustainability anal-
ysis. Discuss which analysis is most applicable to each of the criteria in the
Objective. Suggest how the analyses might be presented together so as to
assist in the overall choice.
5 From the information available in previous chapters and using the criteria
laid out in the Climate ConventionObjective, what stabilisationlevels of
greenhouse gas concentrations do you think should be chosen?
6 The arguments concerning the choice of stabilisation level and the action to
be taken have concentrated on the likely costs and impacts of climate change
before the year 2100. Do you think that information about continuing climate
change or sea level rise (see Chapter 7) after 2100 should be included and
taken into account by decision makers, or is that too far ahead to be of
importance?
7 The international response to global warming is likely to lead to deci-
sions being taken sequentially over a number of years as knowledge re-
garding the science, the likely impacts and the possible responses becomes
more certain. Describe how you think the international response might
progressover the next twenty years.What decisions might be takenat what
time?
8 Explain how the ‘Contraction and Convergence’ proposal meets the four
principles listed in Chapter 9 and elaborated in Chapter 10. Suggest the
political or economic arguments that might be used to argue against the
proposal. Can you suggest other ways of sharing emissions between countries
that might achieve agreement more easily?
9 Find out the details of any plans for afforestation in your country. What
actions or incentives could make it more effective?
10 Assume asnow-covered area at latitude 60◦with an albedo of fiftyper cent
is replaced by partially snow-covered forest with an albedo of twenty per
cent. Make an approximate comparison between the ‘cooling’ effect of the
carbon sink provided by the forest and the ‘warming’ effect of the added
solar radiation absorbed, averaged over the year.Notes for Chapter 10
1 More details of the Kyoto Protocol and of the detailed arrangements for
the inclusion of carbon sinks can be found in Watson, R. T., Noble,
I. R., Bolin, B., Ravindranath, N. H., Verardo, D. J., Dokken, D. J. (eds.)
2000.Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry. A Special Report of the
IPCC. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press and on the FCCC web site
http://www.unfccc.int/resource/convkp.html.