These emanations might be used to ionize offending chlorine molecules which would be less active in destroying ozone. Dr. Wong has proposed generating radio waves on the ground to transfer energy to free electrons in the stratosphere to ionize chlorine [12], By locating the generator in Earth orbit, the energy beam projected tangentially to the troposphere has a longer path in the ozone layer. The technique of using lasers discussed by Stix [12] to remove chlorofluorocarbons from the Earth's atmosphere may also be more effective from a space-based system. The use of mirrors to increase laser path length might also apply to orbiting reflectors to bounce the space-based laser beam around the Earth. These and other related innovations should be analyzed for technical feasibility, risks, and benefits. The process should start with an open and objective exposition of a concept. No ideas ought to be rejected without a fair and comprehensive assessment. Robert Goddard said, "It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and reality tomorrow." Regional Working Groups for Initiating Countermeasures Concepts Meeting problems of global environmental changes will be an international endeavor. Bodansky points out that "Given a scientific consensus and technical solutions, there may be a hope of developing international agreements to curtail CO2 emissions" [7]. This applies to active countermeasures to a greater degree. To address countermeasures ideas and policy options in their formative stages, alternatives to convening major workshops or conferences are desirable. A network of regional working groups concentrating on space-based countermeasures may be a workable approach. Made up of academia, industry and government, these multidisciplinary bodies can contribute to the formulation of concepts for mitigating the effects of global change as well as to participate in the initial technical analysis of the concepts. Such working groups can operate with little in direct funding resources by providing a forum for expression and interchange among scientists and engineers working on related tasks. Daring and far sighted ideascan receive critique and analysis in an open and uninhibited interchange. The early activities of the regional working groups will support higher level committee deliberations. Preliminary definition and technical analysis will provide the basis for formal systems level engineering studies that are coordinated with other areas of global change research. The product of the group studies would be an experiments and technology development program leading to a capability for action to reduce the effects of environmental change. Summary The fundamental task of understanding the Earth system processes is immense. Anthropogenic factors, in an uncontrolled experiment, are inducing modifications to the conditions that evolved to support current life systems. Incontrovertible evidence of the effects of change may not be established until change is far advanced. As Thomas Hardy observed, "The resolution to avoid an evil is seldom framed till
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