AVOIDING DANGEROUS INTERFERENCE IN THE CLIMATE SYSTEM - THE ROLES OF VALUES, SCIENCE AND POLICY

Authors
Citation
Rh. Moss, AVOIDING DANGEROUS INTERFERENCE IN THE CLIMATE SYSTEM - THE ROLES OF VALUES, SCIENCE AND POLICY, Global environmental change, 5(1), 1995, pp. 3-6
Citations number
NO
Categorie Soggetti
Environmental Sciences
Journal title
ISSN journal
09593780
Volume
5
Issue
1
Year of publication
1995
Pages
3 - 6
Database
ISI
SICI code
0959-3780(1995)5:1<3:ADIITC>2.0.ZU;2-M
Abstract
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) held a workshop i n Fortaleza, Brazil (October 1994), to help provide the scientific und erpinnings for the ultimate objective of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC): ''. . . stabilization of greenh ouse gas emissions at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogen ic interferences with the climate system . . .''. Scientists can assis t in helping to identify exposure-effect relationships between changes in climate variables and the structure or function of ecosystems or s ocioeconomic sectors, and how these relationships might vary by ecosys tem and location. But determination of 'dangerous' is not solely a sci entific process: it involves judgments about what attributes of ecosys tems and human activities are most highly valued and what level of cha nge can be considered critical. In the future, further interaction is needed between the policy and scientific communities to help policymak ers develop a better understanding of the complexities of the climate system and to assure that the scientific community provides informatio n that is useful to evaluating alternative responses to climate change .