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Following is the March/April edition of EarthLink, a bi-monthly current awareness newsletter produced by INFOTERRA/USA. EarthLink provides information on international environmental activities, publications and news of interest to EPA staff and other environment professionals.
Sections:
Article: Arrests, Parliamentary Questions
Over Australian Uranium Mines
INTERNET SITES Related to Uranium Mines
International Environment News
Environmental Impact Assessment and Risk Assessment
Chemicals
Water Pollution
Air Pollution
Alternative Power
Treaties Information
Recycling
International
Conservation
Upcoming International Conferences
INFOTERRA Information
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ARTICLE:
Arrests, Parliamentary Questions Over Australian Uranium Mines
Canberra, Australia, May 9, 2000 (ENS)
Police arrested 31 people during a protest at the Beverley uranium mine in South Australia today. Twenty-nine people were arrested for breaching the peace while one was arrested for breach of bail and another for unlawful threats.
About 50 people entered the Heathgate Resources mining lease without permission and refused to leave. Some threw rocks at police damaging some police cars.
On Sunday, people from a group called International Activists Against Uranium Mining filled in the new gas line trench to the mine, stopped drill rigs and maintained a roadblock for 24 hours. Nine activists were detained by police when they were attempting to lock down the drill rigs. They were held in an abandoned toilet block for six hours while police attempted to use them as hostages, stating that they would only free the prisoners if the roadblock was removed. The roadblock was maintained.
Two hundred people from around the world have set up camp at the gates of Beverley Uranium Mine in the Flinders Ranges on the land of the indigenous Adnyamathanha people. The mine is owned by Heathgate Resources, a subsidiary of General Atomics of San Diego, California. Heathgate was formed in 1990 by General Atomics to purchase the Beverley uranium deposit, and any other nuclear ventures General Atomics might develop in Australia.
The Beverley Mine site is currently in the construction phase. Full scale uranium production is scheduled for July.
Beverley project manager Chuck Foldenauer maintains the mine's practices are safe. "Examination of the facts will confirm that Beverley will be a world class mine and will have minimal impact on the environment," Foldenauer, said last March and has said repeatedly since.
Environmentalists and local indigenous people are worried about the cultural and environmental implications of in-situ leach mining practices. They have been protesting at the Beverley mine site since 1997.
According to the environmental pressure group Flinders Ranges Environment Action, the region's ground water is at risk of immediate contamination in this area of consistent seismic activity. The Beverley aquifer lies only 50 to 100 metres above the Great Artesian Basin, Australia's most precious underground water supply.
Another Australian uranium mining company has been called to account by the Senate for a leak that went unreported for 23 days. The leak occurred at the Ranger uranium mine in Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory last month.
Energy Resources of Australia has been directed to inform the government why it took 23 days to notify authorities about the tailings dam leak, the Senate was told today.
Resources Minister Nick Minchin said a preliminary report showed no environmental damage had been caused by the leak on April 5. Minchin said his department was advised on April 28 of a leak from a pipe carrying return water from a tailings dam to the mill at the uranium mine in the Northern Territory.
Bob Cleary, CEO of Energy Resources of Australia, said the time period during which the leakage occurred before formal reporting to appropriate authorities "is recognized by the company as unacceptable."
"The source of the leak has been identified and rectified and there is no evidence of any damage to the local environment," Cleary said. Manganese at the levels recorded in the wetlands are "within the safe limit for the release of water into the environment," he said.
The constructed wetland filters have been designed to treat mine site run-off water and to prevent contamination of the local creek system, said Cleary.
Gundjehmi Aboriginal Corporation, representing the Mirrar people of Kakadu, has condemned the Commonwealth Government's monitoring program at Energy Resources of Australia's Ranger uranium mine. The Mirrar are the traditional owners of the Ranger and Jabiluka mineral lease areas, both surrounded by the World Heritage listed Kakadu National Park.
Gundjehmi's executive officer, Jacqui Katona, said the Commonwealth's monitoring program at Ranger is totally inadequate.
"This leak and subsequent cover-up gives the lie to Australian Government's claim that Ranger is the most monitored mine in the world. It also reveals the total inadequacy and partiality of the Commonwealth's Office of the Supervising Scientist, tasked with monitoring the mine," she said.
"The Supervising Scientist is simply not doing its job if such a serious accident can occur and be kept under wraps for a month. The Mirrar find it offensive that they were informed of this leak of manganese via a statement to the Stock Exchange," Katona said.
© Environment News Service (ENS) 2000. All Rights Reserved.
INTERNET SITES related to Uranium Mines
1) SEA-US Inc. The Sustainable
Energy and Anti-Uranium Service
http://www.sea-us.org.au/
Sustainable Energy & Anti-Uranium Service Inc. (SEA-US) is a community-based non-profit organization established to promote and publish information on safe and sustainable energy production, a nuclear free world and anti-uranium mining issues. SEA-US is supported by the following organizations - Movement Against Uranium Mining, Friends of the Earth, Community Education Publication Association and Arts Action For Peace.
2) Australia
Mining and Exploration
http://www.reflections.com.au/MiningandExploration/
This site has been designed to cover all aspects of the mining industry from exploration through to mining, processing and transport. It includes information on mining and exploration companies with up to date announcements and reports, a section on commodities, a calendar of events and conferences, and details of government and other mining related organization and publications, drilling companies, geological and mining consultants, mining plant and equipment, assayers, financiers, sharebrokers, accountants etc. There is also a section on the Stockmarket with daily market reports, stock prices and charts on the indices, commodities and companies.
3) Canadian Coalition
for Nuclear Responsibility: Radioactive Tailings and Uranium Mining
http://www.ccnr.org/index_uranium.html
Site contains much information on different uranium-related issues and articles, generally from a Canadian perspective, but also including U.S. and other countries information and news. Includes a set of pages containing a discussion guide regarding uranium, articles on the role of uranium in wars.
4) Uranium Information Centre, Melbourne,
Australia
http://www.uic.com.au/
The Uranium Information Centre was set up in 1978. Its purpose is to increase Australian public understanding of uranium mining and nuclear electricity generation. The principal aims of the Centre are: To provide information about the development of the Australian uranium industry, the contribution it can make to world energy supplies and the benefits it can bring Australia; to be a broker of information on all aspects of the mining and processing of uranium, the nuclear fuel cycle, and the role of nuclear energy in helping to meet world electricity demand, and to promote an understanding of the role of nuclear energy in relation to other sources of energy.
International Environment News
Environmental Impact Assessment and Risk Assessment
Glasson, John, and Nemesio Neves B. Salvador. "EIA in Brazil: a Procedures Practice gap. A comparative study with reference to the European Union, and especially the UK." Environmental Impact Assessment Review 20 (April 2000): 191-225.
Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is now established in many countries of the developed and developing world. EIA systems do, however, vary greatly in procedures and practice. Some countries have clear regulations, others have guidance, others have more ad hoc procedures. Those with well-established procedures may not necessarily be those with the most well-established practice. This can be a particular problem in the less developed countries, and this article explores and seeks to explain the nature of the EIA procedures- practice gap in Brazil. The institutional framework for EIA in Brazil reveals a system that is highly centralized and without the local basis that could improve its effectiveness. The key EIA legislation (CONAMA Resolution 001/86) has many strengths, but also some key weaknesses. There are considerable variations in implementation between the richer and poorer states of the country and there are some examples of good practice (especially in the southern and southeastern states). However, there are problematic links with planning procedures, a lack of secondary regulations, and very few trained and skilled personnel and material resources. There are weaknesses in the EIA process, and the EIS approval procedure is very bureaucratic and easily derailed by political and economic pressures. The relative strengths and weaknesses of the Brazilian EIA system are highlighted through a comparison with EU/UK practice, using a checklist approach. The article concludes with some pointers to the future for the EIA system in Brazil.
Ghose, M. K., and S. R. Majee. "Assessment of the impact on the air environment due to opencast coal mining- an Indian case study." Atmospheric Environment 34, Issue 17: 2791-2796.
"The Indian reserve of coking coal is mainly located in the Jharia Coalfield (JCF) of Bharat Coking Coal Ltd. (BCCL). The reserves which are 19339Mt, have been exploited intensely over the last 80 years. Resulting air pollution is increasing in the area due to large-scale opencast (O/C) mining. But no well-defined method of estimating the generation of air pollutants is used due to different mining activities. An investigation has been conducted to evaluate the air pollution due to a large O/C coal project. The mining project under study is one of the largest opencast projects (OCP) of BCCL and the details have been described. Ambient air monitoring stations were chosen considering the dominant wind directions (upwind and downwind) and covering industrial, residential and sensitive zones. The air quality survey was carried out for four seasons and the methodology adopted has been described. The data revealed a high air pollution potential and are in respect of suspended particulate matter (SPM) and respirable particulate matter (RPM) in the project area as well as in the surrounding locations. Impacts on the air quality have been assessed on the basis of upwind and downwind concentration of air pollutants."
Eduljee, G. H. "Trends in risk assessment and risk management." The Science of The Total Environment 249, Issues 1-3 (17 April 2000): 13-23.
Environmental risk assessment has matured into a powerful analytical tool, which is finding ever-wider applications in the arena of policymaking and regulation. However, the principal focus of its development to date has been on the technical challenges of characterizing and modeling the environmental behavior and biological action of chemicals, whereas issues concerning its broader socio-political context have been generally neglected. Problem definition, risk analysis and decision making have, therefore, tended to be dominated by experts and by expert opinion. Fresh insights from the social sciences advocate a pluralistic, inclusive approach, with experts participating alongside other stakeholders in a consensual decision making process. Adoption of this paradigm has far reaching consequences for the form and conduct of risk assessment and risk management.
Esslemont, Graeme. "Development and Comparison of Methods for Measuring Heavy Metal Concentrations in Coral Tissues." Marine Chemistry 69 (March 2000): 69-74.
Two procedures for measuring cadmium, lead, copper, zinc, nickel, and chromium concentrations in scleractinian coral tissues were compared. The procedures were: (a) physically separating tissues from skeleton by water-pik, using buffered washings designed to prevent loss of labile metals from tissue proteins, and (b) chemically extracting tissues from skeletons using hydrogen peroxide, pH adjusted to 8.2 to prevent dissolution of aragonite coral skeletons. The water-pik extraction procedure had lower detection limits, and produced consistently higher concentrations of all six metals, than the hydrogen peroxide extraction procedure. Although not proven, these procedural differences may result from consistent overestimations in biomass of chemically extracted tissues, or from interactions of tissue-metals with coral skeletons during sample preparation.
Zimmerman, Andrew R. and Elizabeth A. Canuel. "A Geochemical Record of Eutrophication and Anoxia in Chesapeake Bay Sediments: Anthropogenic Influence on Organic Matter Composition." Marine Chemistry 69 (March 2000): 117-137.
Organic and inorganic geochemical indicators were examined in a 3-m core collected from the mesohaline region of Chesapeake Bay (CB) to determine how sources of organic matter (OM) have changed during the preceding three centuries of increasing anthropogenic influence in this region. This study also establishes the history of eutrophication and anoxia/hypoxia and relates these processes to changes in OM deposition and preservation and to historical events within the Bay's watershed. The sediment record shows that a marked increase in organic carbon (35%-50%), biogenic silica (18%) and total sulfur (42%) occurs between 1934 and 1948. This transition is likely due to increasing anoxic/hypoxic bottom water conditions as indicated by an abrupt change in sulfur speciation. Lipid biomarker distributions indicate that a substantial change in the sources of OM deposited since 1934 has also occurred. Biomarker compounds derived from phytoplankton and microbial sources show a 2- to 4-fold increase in their abundance relative to total organic carbon (TOC) between 1948 and 1975. Using both diagenetic models and information on lipid reactivity, an effort is made to distinguish compositional changes due to changes in OM delivery (both quantity and quality) from changes that may be due to OM degradation. It appears that enhanced OM production in the mesohaline region of CB has contributed to the observed changes in quantity and character of OM preserved in sediments from this site. Increased inorganic fertilizer application and human population growth in the watershed are coincident with the onset of eutrophic and hypoxic conditions in CB, suggesting that anthropogenic activities within estuarine watersheds may exert a substantial influence on carbon cycling processes in estuaries and potentially the coastal ocean.
Chen, H. M. et al. "Chemical Methods and Phytoremediation of Soil Contaminated with Heavy Metals" Chemosphere 41, Issues 1-2 (July 2000): 229-234.
"The effects of chemical amendments (calcium carbonate (CC), steel sludge (SS) and furnace slag (FS)) on the growth and uptake of cadmium (Cd) by wetland rice, Chinese cabbage and wheat grown in a red soil contaminated with Cd were investigated using a pot experiment. The phytoremediation of heavy metal contaminated soil with vetiver grass was also studied in a field plot experiment. Results showed that treatments with CC, SS and FS decreased Cd uptake by wetland rice, Chinese cabbage and wheat by 23¯95% compared with the unamended control. Among the three amendments, FS was the most efficient at suppressing Cd uptake by the plants, probably due to its higher content of available silicon (Si). The concentrations of zinc (Zn), lead (Pb) and Cd in the shoots of vetiver grass were 42-67%, 500-1200% and 120-260% higher in contaminated plots than in control, respectively. Cadmium accumulation by vetiver shoots was 218 g Cd/ha at a soil Cd concentration of 0.33 mg Cd/kg. It is suggested that heavy metal-contaminated soil could be remediated with a combination of chemical treatments and plants."
Carbonell, G., and C. Ramos, M. V. Pablos, J. A. Ortiz and J. V. Tarazona. "A System Dynamic Model for the Assessment of Different Exposure Routes in Aquatic Ecosystems. "The Science of The Total Environment 247 (20 March 2000): 107- 118.
With the exception of a limited number of highly persistent lipophilic pollutants, waterborne exposure is considered the most relevant exposure route for aquatic organisms, and even the only relevant exposure route in lower tier assessment, while the potential for bioaccumulation is only evaluated as secondary poisoning for birds and mammals. In addition, some evaluations consider that only the dissolved fraction is bioavailable for pelagic organisms. The lack of easy and cost-effective assessment methods is probably the main reason to disregard the contribution of other routes. This paper presents a system dynamics model that estimates the time-dependent accumulation of toxic chemicals through the food chain, and has also the potential to include the exposure from sediment. The generic ecosystem includes a primary producer and three levels of consumers, represented by unicellular algae, cladoceran invertebrates, cladoceran-eating fish and fish-eating fish, respectively. Nevertheless, the model, built using Microsoft Excel software, allows any number of levels and ecological-exposure relationships. The results obtained for four illustrative pollutants demonstrate that factors such as the binding to algae and other edible particles or food chain exposure for lipophilic non-persistent chemicals may constitute significant exposure routes. The current low tier European ecological risk assessment guidelines do not cover these aspects, and therefore may under estimate the real risk for both aquatic organisms and their predators. The model includes a simplified worst-case alternative that normally can be calculated using the existing information. Under a tiered approach, the simplified alternative is proposed to trigger the need of the toxicokinetics assays required to perform the complete time-dependent calculation.
Hester, M. W., and I. A. Mendelssohn. "Long-term recovery of a Louisiana brackish marsh plant community from oil-spill impact: vegetation response and mitigating effects of marsh surface elevation." Marine Environmental Research 49, Issue 3 (April 2000): 233-254.
"Oil spills can have significant, short-term, negative impacts on coastal marshes, but the long-term effects and eventual recovery are not well documented, particularly in brackish marshes. The goals of this investigation were to: (1) document the long-term recovery of a Louisiana brackish marsh plant community impacted by a 1985 oil spill; (2) separate the effect of the oil spill on marsh deterioration from ambient rates of marsh deterioration; and (3) assess the relative importance of residual oil in the sediment and decreased marsh surface elevation in the failure of certain areas to recover. A total of 68 permanent plots previously established in 1985 were re-surveyed for plant and soil recovery in the fall of 1989. Although substantial (and near total) vegetative recovery was evident by significant increases in live and total vegetative cover, many of the plots that were initially heavily impacted by oil still displayed elevated levels of total saturated hydrocarbons in the soil. August 1990 measurements of plant photosynthetic response and edaphic variables revealed no significant differences between control plots and plots heavily impacted by oil that displayed vegetative regrowth. Rates of wetland land loss in the oiled marsh during an 8-year period that bracketed the time of the spill were within the historical range measured for this site and similar to the land loss rates of adjacent reference marshes. Results from a manipulative field transplant experiment indicated that the long-term failure of certain small areas to revegetate was primarily due to a decrease of marsh surface elevation (increased flooding stress), not a residual oil effect."
Hooda, P.S., et al. "A Review of Water Quality Concerns in Livestock Farming Areas." The Science of The Total Environment 250, Issues 1-3 (24 April 2000): 143-167.
This article examines the water quality issues in livestock farming areas of the UK. Some of the main water degradation concerns are: increased losses of nutrients, farm effluents (particularly livestock wastes), pesticides such as sheep-dipping chemicals, bacterial and protozoan contamination of soil and water. Results from several field studies and several best management practices are discussed.
Bizsel, N., and O. Uslu . "Phosphate, nitrogen and iron enrichment in the polluted Izmir Bay, Aegean Sea." Marine Environmental Research 49, Issue 2 (March 2000): 101-122.
"Izmir Bay is one of the most polluted estuaries in the Mediterranean Sea. The extent of pollution due to anthropogenic inputs in the Izmir Bay is investigated on the basis of nutrients together with basic oceanographic parameters. Significant phosphate, nitrogen (N) and iron (Fe) enrichment has been found in the water of inner Izmir Bay. The situation of middle Izmir Bay is also similar but not as critical as in inner Izmir Bay, whereas outer Izmir Bay shows typical Mediterranean coastal marine ecosystem's characteristics. The average atomic ratios of apparent oxygen utilization (AOU) and nutrient fractions (N and phosphorous [P]) have been found as AOU:P (49:1), AOU:N (48:1) and N:P (5:1). A comparative evaluation of these ratios leads to the conclusion that they are too low; e.g. such a low AOU:P ratio supports fairly high P enrichment. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicates that 31% of the variation in the data is related to enrichment parameters, i.e. dissolved inorganic phosphate, NH4+, reactive Fe, 15% is related to NO3-, pH and 13% is related to temperature and total Fe. Additionally, PCA shows that the middle Izmir Bay has an ecological transient character between the inner and outer Izmir Bay."
Nriagu, Jerome O., and Myoung-Jin Kim. "Emissions of Lead and Zinc from Candles with Metal-Core Wicks." The Science of The Total Environment 250 (24 April 2000): 37-41.
This study measured the amount of lead released from 14 different brands of candles with metal-core wicks sold in Michigan. The emissions of lead were found to range from 0.5 to 66 µg/h, and the rates for zinc were from 1.2 to 124 µg/h. It is estimated that burning four of the candles bought in Michigan for 2 h can result in airborne lead concentrations that can pose a threat to human health. In addition to inhalation of lead in the air, children get exposed to lead in candle fumes deposited on the floor, furniture and walls through their hand-to-mouth activity. Burning candles with leaded-core wicks may be an important exposure route for lead that has generally been ignored.
Kita, K, M. Fujiwara and S. Kawakami. "Total ozone increase associated with forest fires over the Indonesian region and its relation to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation." Atmospheric Environment 34, Issue 17: 2681-2690.
"Significant increases of total ozone were observed both by the total ozone mapping spectrometer (TOMS) and by the Brewer spectrophotometer in Indonesia in September and October of 1994 and 1997, during the El Niño periods, when extensive forest fires were reported in Sumatra Island, Kalimantan (the southern part of Borneo Island) and south New Guinea. The two observations were consistent with each other, and the total ozone increases were attributed to the tropospheric ozone increases because their amplitudes agreed with those of integrated tropospheric ozone increases derived from ozonesonde observations. The TOMS data indicated that the horizontal distributions and temporal variations of the ozone increases were similar in both years; the ozone increases were found mainly over Sumatra Island and the Malay Peninsula in September, and spread out from Kalimantan to the central Indian Ocean in October. This ozone distribution was partly different from the reported fire areas. This difference suggested the importance of the horizontal advection due to the easterly wind in the lower troposphere and of the vertical transport due to the upward wind at the west of Sumatra Island, in the ozone maximum area. Distinctive total ozone increases similar to those in 1994 and 1997 repeatedly appeared over the Indonesian region in the TOMS data between 1979 and 1998."
Motavalli, Jim. "Harnessing Hydrogen: The Fuel Cell Leads the Way to Clean Energy." E: The Environmental Magazine 11 (March/April 2000): 34-39.
This article discusses the present and future of the fuel cell car, as well as the technology which drives it. The fuel cell car is quite possibly the future of transportation in the United States, with Ford, Honda, Toyota, and Daimler-Chrysler predicting that they'll have fuel cell cars on the market by 2004. Already, two transitional electric/gasoline hybrid cars are on the market, the Honda Insight and the Toyota Prius, and several cities have municipal buses that use fuel cells. Fuel cells are powered hydrogen gas passed through an electrolyte. The electrons in the hydrogen, which cannot pass through the electrolyte, are diverted through a wire to produce an electric current. The only byproducts of a fuel cell are water and heat, a clear advantage over the internal combustion engine. The author discusses the obstacles to widespread use of fuel cell cars, such as cost, reliability, and acceptance by auto companies and the consumer. In order to compete with traditional cars on the market, the fuel cell car must be small, lightweight, shock-resistant, work in both subfreezing and 100-degree temperatures, and have a cost of $50 per kilowatt. The public's prejudice against hydrogen gas, sparked by the 1937 Hindenburg explosion, must also be overcome. Unfortunately, in order to gain the acceptance of industry and government, the fuel cell car may also be forced to consume fossil fuels. The hydrogen for fuel can be supplied in two ways: either as pure hydrogen carried onboard the car, or "reformed" from fossil fuels via a miniature "chemical factory" on the car. While hydrogen can be "reformed" from methanol, the first fuel cell cars on the market will essentially be running on gasoline. However, with greatly improved gas mileage (70-100 mpg) and dramatically reduced emissions, the fuel cell car is a gigantic improvement over the internal combustion engine.
Vasko, Viktor. "Wind Industry in Ukraine." Sustainable Energy News 28 (February 2000): 15.
This article discusses the state of, including the avenues of support for, wind-generated power in the Ukraine. Wind power did not become a priority in the Ukraine until the 1980's, when the building of prototype generators was undertaken by the Kiev Polytechnic Institute and the Institute of Electrodynamics. Construction of commercial windmills began in 1992, with both Ukranian designs and U.S. designs under license being produced. In 1997, the presidential decree "Comprehensive Program to Build Windmills in Ukraine until 2010" became a governmental ordinance. The ultimate goal is the production capacity of 1900 MW annually by the year 2010. Financing for windmill projects is obtained through a .75% tariff on electricity. By December 1999, 120 had been built, with a total capacity of 15.42 MW.
"New UN/ECE Convention on Industrial Accidents Enters into Force," International Environment Reporter 23, no. 926 (April 2000): 346.
"The Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents, drawn up under the auspices of the United Nations Econonic commission for Europe, enters into force. Signatories to the new treaty, which aims to improve cross-border cooperation on the prevention of industrial accidents, are expected to open talks later this year on an additional agreement covering liability for such accidents."
Aritake, Toshio. "G-8 Environment Ministers Decline to Commit to Ratify Kyoto Pact by 2002," International Environment Reporter 23, No. 8 (12 April 2000): 303-304.
"Environment ministers from the Group of Eight industrialized countries meeting in Otsu, Japan, shy away from committing as a rich nations' group to ratify the Kyoto Protocol by the year 2002 but manage to avoid disrupting the process of addressing climate change through a binding global treaty. 'We confirm our commitment to ensure that results achieved at (the sixth Conference of the Parites to the climate change treaty in November) help promote the ratification and entry inot force of the Kyoto Protocol as soon as possible. For most countries, this means no later than 2002,' a communique from the ministers says. But Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Michael McCabe says Washington's stance is still that without develping nations' full commitment to Kyoto, it is impossible to secure two-thirds of the Senate's vote needed for ratification."
Subramanian, P.M. "Plastics recycling and waste management in the US." Resources, Conservation and Recycling 28, Issues 3-4 (February 2000): 253-263.
This article discusses the efforts of the United States to deal with solid waste and in particular, plastic wastes. The municipal solid waste (MSW) produced yearly, has begun to decrease, e.g. from 211.5 million tons in 1995 to 209.7 million tons in 1996. Recycling rates and composting rates are increasing. Disposal in landfills is decreasing (from 60.9 to 55.5% in 1996). According to this article, there is an increased efficiency of new incinerators. Recycling of other goods, such as carpets, automotive parts, etc...are being explored.
International
"The War of Oil and Diamonds" by Project Underground. Earth Island Journal 15, No.1 (Spring 2000): 27.
Angola has been engulfed in civil war since 1975, when it gained independence from Portugal. Over the last ten years, Angola's civil war has killed an estimated 500,000 people and forced two million Angolans from their homes. Angolan government forces, once backed by the Soviet Union and Cuba, are now funded by oil revenues. The rebel National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), formerly supported by the US Central Intelligence Agency, pays for its weapons with money derived from diamond exports. These issues are explored more in-depth in this article, with facts about the different groups controlling each sector (oil and diamonds).
Burger, Joanna. "Landscapes, tourism, and conservation." The Science of The Total Environment 249, Issues 1-3 (17 April 2000): 39-49.
"One key aspect of global change is a decrease in ecological integrity as more and more landscapes are developed, leaving a mosaic of intact refuges and degraded patches that may not be sufficient for conserving biodiversity. While increases in human population and shifts in the distribution of people affect land use, the temporary movement of people can have major implications for conservation and biodiversity. Three examples are presented where recreation/tourism can enhance the conservation of land on a landscape scale, leading to habitat protection and biodiversity preservation: (1) Shorebirds often require a matrix of different habitat types during migratory stopovers, and ecotourism can serve as a catalyst for landscape scale protection of habitat. (2) Riparian habitats can serve as corridors to link diverse habitat patches, as well as serving as biodiversity hotspots. (3) Remediation and rehabilitation of contaminated lands, such as those of the US Department of Energy, aimed at developing recreational activities on the uncontaminated portions, can be the most economical form of re-development with no increase in human or ecological risk. Since large areas on many DOE sites have been undisturbed since the Second World War, when they were acquired, they contain unique or valuable ecosystems that serve an important role within their regional landscapes. In all three cases the judicious development of recreational/tourist interests can encourage both the conservation of habitats and the wise management of habitats on a landscape scale. While some species or habitats are too fragile for sustained tourism, many can be managed so that species, ecosystems and ecotourists flourish. By contributing to the economic base of regions, ecotourists/recreationists can influence the protection of land and biodiversity on a landscape scale, contributing to ecosystem management. The human dimensions of land preservation and biodiversity protection are key to long-term sustainability, and ecotourists/recreationists can be one management option."
Upcoming International Conferences
1) ISAF XIII International Symposium on Alcohol Fuels
Stockholm City Conference Centre
Stockholm, Sweden
July 3 - 6, 2000
URL: http://www.stem.se/english
Sponsored by the Swedish National Energy Administration. Global climatic change is an issue high on the international agenda. The transport sector is a major consumer of fossil fuel, and can therefore foresee that measures to reduce the oil consumption in order to counteract global warming will be implemented in the transportation system on an increasing scale. Contact: Lars Vallander, Swedish National Energy Administration, Box 310 SE-631 04 Eskilstuna, Sweden. Fax: +46 16 544 20 99; Email: lars.vallander@stem.se.
2) European Environment Conference
London School of Economics, UK
September 11 - 12, 2000
URL: http://www.erpenvironment.org
The annual European Environment conference takes place every September. It provides a forum for analysis and debate between representatives from central and local government, regulatory agencies, non-governmental organisations and industry as well as academic organisations and research bodies. Contact: Elaine White, Conference Coordinator; ERP Environment, P.O. Box 75, Shipley, West Yorkshire BD 17 6EZ, UK; Phone: +44 (0)1274530408; Fax: +44 (0)1274530409; Email: elainewhite@erpenvironment.org.
3) Eco-Management and Auditing Conference
Hulme Hall, University of Manchester
29th-30th June 2000
URL: http://www.erpenvironment.org
The sixth annual Eco-Management and Auditing conference provides a forum for the dissemination of research findings, practical guidance and case studies associated with the implementation of environmental management systems and associated tools. It has an emphasis on practice rather than theory and it encourages debate and discussion. A mixture of both research-oriented and practitioner papers are encouraged to provide a high quality exchange of ideas and experiences. Workshop sessions provide delegates with an opportunity to learn about recent developments in the field and to engage in debate and discussion about various tools and approaches. Contact: Elaine White, Conference Coordinator; ERP Environment, P.O. Box 75, Shipley, West Yorkshire BD 17 6EZ, UK; Phone: +44 (0)1274530408; Fax: +44 (0)1274530409; Email: elainewhite@erpenvironment.org.
4) Business Strategy and the Environment Conference
Devonshire Hall, University of Leeds, UK
18-19 September 2000
URL: http://www.erpenvironment.org
Target Audience: Strategic Planners and Environmental Managers, Academics and Researchers, Environment and Management Consultants, Pressure Groups and NGOs, Local Authority Business Support Officers. Contact: Elaine White, Conference Coordinator; ERP Environment, P.O. Box 75, Shipley, West Yorkshire BD 17 6EZ, UK; Phone: +44 (0)1274530408; Fax: +44 (0)1274530409; Email: elainewhite@erpenvironment.org.
5) EcoSummit 2000: Understanding and Solving Environmental Problems
in the 21st Century
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
18-22 June 2000
URL: http://www.elsevier.nl/homepage/sag/eco99/
The aim of this second EcoSummit is to encourage integration of both the natural and social sciences with the policy and decision-making community, for the purpose of developing a deeper understanding of complex problems. This understanding will provide the basis for sustainable solutions to environmental problems. The structure of this EcoSummit is unique in the sense that it is a Summit rather than a workshop or conference. All delegates will be able to participate actively during the EcoSummit through the Working Groups, in addition to the contributed poster sessions. This EcoSummit is centred around the following six Themes: Integrated modelling and assessment, Complex, adaptive, hierarchical systems, Ecosystem services, Science and decision-making, Ecosystem health and human health, Quality of life and the distribution of wealth and resources. Contact: Amy Richardson, EcoSummit 2000, Elsevier Science Ltd, The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB, UK; Tel: +44 (0) 1865 843643; Fax: +44 (0) 1865 843958; Email: a.richardson@elsevier.co.uk.
6) Fifth International Conference on Health, Safety and the Environment
in Oil and Gas Exploration and Production
Stavanger, Norway
26-28 June 2000
URL: http://www.spe.org/spe/cda/views/general/speDisciplineHome/0,1481,1648_2342,00.html
This conference is the premier event for Health, Safety and Environmental
sectors of the oil and gas industry. It provides the opportunity for producers,
contractors and service company professionals to meet to discuss optimum
ways of working together for the benefit of the whole oil and gas industry.
Contact: Mr. F. Balkau, UNEP TIE-P&C, Paris, tel: 33-1-44-37-14-50;
fax: 33-3-44-37-14-74; email: unepie@unep.fr.
