"Jeff Hecht - The Greenhouse Papers" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hecht Jeff)

briefcase and a grim expression. тАЬDid you keep track of how many runs you made last month, Petra?тАЭ

I shook my head, beginning to feel uneasy.

She pulled a green-and-white printout from the briefcase. тАЬI just got our statement from the computer
center. Your model has eaten my entire Cray budget, and there's four months left in the fiscal year.тАЭ
тАЬSo no more Cray?тАЭ

She nodded. тАЬAt least until you take on some of the fund-raising burden.тАЭ She dropped a fat manila
envelope onto my desk. It was standard government issue, with a stylized black eagle printed in the
upper right corner. Her expression told me to open it.

The form letter seemed to bear good news. тАЬThe Agency will entertain innovative conceptual proposals
with objectives which bear relevance to alleviating the release of greenhouse gases into the atmospheric
environment.тАЭ A quick scan of the photocopied polysyllables revealed no specific goals. but plenty of
buzzwords: тАЬinnovative,тАЭ тАЬfundamental concepts,тАЭ тАЬhigh leverage,тАЭ тАЬpotentialтАЭ and тАЬbreakthrough.тАЭ

I looked up at Alice. тАЬIt sounds like they want lots of blue sky with less carbon dioxide. You want me to
write something?тАЭ

тАЬYou want any more computer time?тАЭ

I sighed and looked back at the cover letter. My eyes opened wide when they caught the name at the
bottom. тАЬAndrew Harrison Harding, special consultant to the Administrator!тАЭ I read in disbelief.

тАЬOh. it'sthat project,тАЭ groaned Alice. тАЬI heard about it. Andy knows the administrator, and he pulled
strings to sneak some money to needy economists. Don't bother with it,тАЭ she said. тАЬI'll see if I can scare
up something to get us some money. Meanwhile, stay off the Cray.тАЭ

****

I stopped by Alice's office early the next morning, looking for something to do until I could get back to
the computer model. She invited me in, apologizing as she removed a pile of journals that had slipped into
the last empty chair. тАЬI'm afraid I can't keep up with these journals. Sometimes I think they just grow
here.тАЭ

Inspiration struck as I glanced around the cluttered office. Floor to ceiling bookcases packed with
journals lined one wall. Another big bookcase stood beside the window, and two more along the same
wall as her desk. All that paper was the product of years of research on the greenhouse effect. тАЬPaper,тАЭ I
said, as the light dawned, тАЬthe magic word is paper.тАЭ

She looked at me, completely baffled, not at all the usual self-possessed Alice.

тАЬPaper,тАЭ I repeated, looking at the crammed bookcases and overflowing table. Alice had stocked her
office with the better part of a forest. тАЬHow much paper do you have in this office?тАЭ

тАЬI don't know,тАЭ she replied distantly. тАЬA lot, but it contains a lot of-тАЭ

тАЬYou've saved tons of paper. As long as you keep it, the carbon in it will never become greenhouse
carbon dioxide. That's what's helping the continents soak up carbon.тАЭ