date: Thu, 19 Feb 2004 14:22:12 +0000
from: Tim Mitchell <t.mitchell@uea.ac.uk>
subject: DEFRA paper
to: Nick Brooks <nick.brooks@uea.ac.uk>, Mike Hulme <m.hulme@uea.ac.uk>

Nick / Mike,

Following my last email, are we also fully aware of the DEFRA position paper
"The scientific case for setting a long-term emission reduction target"?

See attachment.

I particularly draw your attention to the following logic that purports to
explain the UK government's adoption of a target no higher than 550 ppm.

9.  The European Union has indicated that a level lower than 550 parts per
million (ppm) of carbon dioxide, which is about twice the pre-industrial
concentration, should guide global limitation and reduction efforts.
 
10.  The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution have also recommended
that, on the basis of current scientific knowledge about human impact on
climate, an atmospheric concentration of 550ppm of carbon dioxide should be
regarded as an upper limit that should not be exceeded.
 
11.  For the UK Government to announce or imply that it was aiming for a
stabilisation level higher than 550ppm at this stage would certainly attract
widespread criticism from environmental interests and EU and developing
country governments.

Tim
_____________________________________
Dr. Tim Mitchell
Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research

email: t.mitchell@uea.ac.uk
web: http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/~timm/
phone: +44 (0)1603 59 1378
fax: +44 (0)1603 59 3901
post: Tyndall, ENV, UEA, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
_____________________________________


Attachment Converted: "c:\eudora\attach\ewp_targetscience.pdf"
