Astronomer warns of dealing with ‘greenhouse effect’

Press, 24 December 1985, Page 22

Astronomer warns of dealing with ‘greenhouse effect’

By GUY DARST of Associated Press (through NZPA) Washington The “greenshouse effect” warming Earth in the next century will; be so powerful that even the United States* and. the Soviet Union together will be' unable to cope without help from other countries, a prominent astronomer has .told a United States Senate panel. Developing nations may have to be paid tp take part in an international effort, said Carl Sagan, director of the Centre for Radiophysics and Space Research at Cor- : hell University; r . ..

Testifying to the Senate’s sub-committee on toxic substances and environmental oversight, he said, “There is no way to tackle this problem, even if the United States and the . Soviet Unioh were to come to a perfect agreement, without 'including China and many’ other nations.”- ;

Preventing overheating of Earth would require “a degree of international amity that certainly does not exist now,” he said.

“It seems to me that the situation has to be arranged so that there is some benefit (to the developing, nation). A developing country being asked to forgo burning fossil fuel has to be given something valuable in exchange,” Mr Sagan said.

: In a sentence fragment cut off by a Senate announcement,' he continued, “perhaps fusion power...” ■- At the Geneva summit conference, the United States and the Soviet Union* agreed to greater co-opera-tion in research of fusion power, the energy source that powers the Sun and hydrogen bombs. Such a power source, like nuclear,

solar, hydroelectric and wind power; would.not pro^./ duce carbon dioxide; Energy sources taMd: on' ; JfaveJxO'buildr'r '-. ing up carbon dioxide ih the '. atmosphere for' years; -absorbing the infra-red heat radiation from' Earth and preventirig'it from .escaping - -' into space. The resultar*' overheating has been called the “greenhouse; effect” Almost all scientists who have , studied the problem agree that if fossil fuel is burned at the present rate, . Earth’s average temperature will rise in the next century. The amount of the increase and the timing are

uncertrin, ' but the* United Environmental ProS" 7 eg. by the” year 40W aid sdeg. by 2100. Sea levels* could rise 137 m toll4nr by the year 2100 through the melting of glaciers. ; Asked what international forum should deal with Ufa;’ “greenhouse effect,” dr whether a neW .'one tyaSneeded,. Mr , Sagan saia'-' W' had “no gqod answer.” He noted, however, that an international effort cost-, 7 ing “a few tens of millions of dollars” had eradicated . smallpox. That effdrt might provide a model, he said.