Published: June 15, 1986
The world’s warming trend is still imperfectly understood, but scientists generally agree that the 100-year forecast is worsening. The Senate Environmental Pollution subcommittee last week listened to experts on the ”greenhouse effect,” the atmospheric buildup of carbon dioxide and other gases, primarily from the burning of fossil fuels, that slows the escape of heat from the earth’s surface. Their principal conclusion: its impact will show up sooner than previously expected, perhaps within a decade. The most pessimistic projections envision a rise in global temperatures by as much as 8 degrees Fahrenheit by the 2030’s.
Witnesses spoke of changing climates and ecosystems, rising seas and eroding shorelines. But some, notably those representing the Reagan Administration, cautioned that many unanswered questions remain.