EarthLink May/June 2000

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Article: USDA Refuses to Abandon Terminator Technology
INTERNET SITES Related to Genetic Engineering
International Environment News
General
Climate Change
Recycling
Water Pollution
Air Pollution
Sustainability
Alternative Energy
Upcoming International Conferences
INFOTERRA Information

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ARTICLE: USDA Refuses to Abandon Terminator Technology
Delta & Pine Land Gets One Step Closer to Commercialization
(from RAFI posting on the INFOTERRA list)

USDA ignited the worldwide controversy in March 1998 when it won the first of three patents on genetic seed sterilization, which it holds jointly with Delta & Pine Land - the world's largest cotton seed company. At its second meeting, July 26-27, the 38-member advisory board learned that the USDA has decided not to unilaterally terminate its contractual agreement with Delta and Pine Land, despite the fact that they have the legal option to do so. Instead, the Board was given the option of exploring restrictions on the exclusive licensing of its Terminator patents to Delta & Pine Land. In the end, however, all licensing restrictions would have to be mutually agreed upon by both the USDA and Delta & Pine Land.

"Taking this issue to the Advisory Board and calling for public comment on Terminator was a giant charade, and a mockery of the democratic process"concludes Hope Shand, Research Director of RAFI. "Apparently, the USDA had already decided that abandoning the Terminator was not an option."

At the Advisory Board meeting this week, the Agency revealed that an official public comment period on agricultural biotechnology, from March 30-July 21, 2000 yielded 213 comments. Of the comments received, 207 were negative towards biotechnology, and 162 comments called on USDA to ban and abandon its work on Terminator technology. "There is no public support for Terminator, because it's anti-farmer and benefits only the corporate seed industry," concludes Shand.

Despite intense opposition from some members of the Advisory Board, the group discussed one possible caveat to the licensing agreement, though even this condition must first be accepted by the seed enterprise. "Faced with almost total global opposition to Terminator from the United Nations, scores of national governments, scientific institutions, and a commitment by the USDA not to use the technology, the Advisory Board considered a proposal that Delta & Pine Land agree not to apply Terminator to heirloom seeds and existing varieties!" Hope Shand reports. "Delta & Pine Land has no interest in heirloom seeds. By definition, heirloom seeds and existing varieties are not transgenic anyway. Infected with the suicide sequence, any variety becomes "new"! This option is inane and nonsensical."

"USDA obviously favors private gain over the public good and the rights of farmers," said Michael Sligh, a member of the Advisory Board and RAFI-USA's Director of Sustainable Agriculture. "All members of the Advisory Board have 30 days to submit their views in writing, but USDA has already concluded that abandoning the patents and condemning the technology is not an option."

RAFI and its sister organization, RAFI-USA met with Secretary Glickman and/or senior USDA officials several times in the past year. At every meeting, the officials expressed embarrassment about the technology and vowed that the USDA would not support further Terminator research nor permit its use in breeding programs for public release. "We advised them to abandon the patents and to adopt a policy prohibiting public funding of genetic seed sterilization," Michael Sligh recalls, "Their response was always that they wanted to use the deal as 'leverage' on the company to protect the public interest."

"Secretary Glickman needs to tell the world why this deal is being cut," asserts Julie Delahanty of RAFI. "During the UN Biodiversity Convention meetings in Nairobi in May, the delegates agreed to a moratorium on all field testing and commercialization of Terminator and other similar technologies. Many countries requested an outright ban on Terminator, and others expressed the concern that Terminator could be used as a trade weapon to force them to obey US trade and patent laws. Some countries even see Terminator as a form of biological warfare since poor farmers could become dependent on seeds that they are prohibited from saving. To date, nobody in the Administration has offered a convincing excuse for giving the technology the go-ahead," concludes Delahanty.

Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman took the helm of USDA in March, 1995. During his watch USDA's Agricultural Research Service applied for and received three Terminator patents with Delta & Pine Land. "Terminator is a bitter biotech legacy to leave to the world's farmers," notes Shand, "and that's how Glickman's USDA will be remembered, unless the Agency reforms its pro-Terminator policy."

For Further Information:
Hope Shand, RAFI - 919 960-5223
Julie Delahanty, RAFI - 819 827-9949
Michael Sligh, RAFI-USA - 919 929-7099

RAFI-USA is a private, non-profit organization based in Pittsboro, NC dedicated to community, equity and diversity in agriculture. RAFI (The Rural Advancement Foundation International) is an international civil society organization based in Canada. RAFI is dedicated to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and to the socially responsible development of technologies useful to rural societies. RAFI is concerned about the loss of agricultural biodiversity, and the impact of intellectual property on farmers and food security.

RAFI International Office, 110 Osborne Street, Suite 202,
Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3L 1Y5 Canada; Tel: 204 453-5259; Fax: 204 925-8034; email: rafi@rafi.org;
URL: http://www.rafi.org

INTERNET SITES related to Genetic Engineering

1. Biotech Basics
http://www.biotechbasics.com/

A website run by Monsanto that describes biotechnology principles and some of the advantages of genetic engineering of agricultural products.

2. The Center for Food Safety (CFS)
http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/

Established by the International Center for Technology Assessment (CTA) in 1997 and based in Washington, D.C., the Center for Food Safety (CFS) is a public interest and environmental advocacy organization which works to address the impacts of our food production system on human health, animal welfare and the environment. CFS works to achieve its goals through grassroots campaigns, public education, media outreach, and litigation.

3. Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition, FDA
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/

The Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) is one of six centers within FDA. With a work force of about 800, the center promotes and protects the public health and economic interest by ensuring that: Food is safe, nutritious and wholesome, and cosmetics are safe; Food and cosmetics are honestly, accurately and informatively labeled. To achieve these goals, the center strives to be a leader in food safety, protect consumers from economic fraud, promote sound nutrition, and encourage innovation.

4. www.FoodSafety.gov - Gateway to Government Food Safety Information
http://www.foodsafety.gov/

This website contains much information regarding food safety and education, with links to many other sites on these topics as well.

5. The International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
http://www.icgeb.trieste.it/

An international organization dedicated to advanced research and training in molecular biology and biotechnology, with special regard to the needs of the developing world, this center promotes the safe use of biotechnology.

International Environment News

General

Charnovitz, Steve. "World Trade and the Environment: A Review of the New WTO Report." Georgetown International Law Review, Vol. XII, Issue 2, 523-541

The author provides a detailed summary, with commentary, of the October 1999 WTO report "Trade and Environment" (available on the internet at http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/envir_e/stud99_e.htm) . The report attributes environmental degradation to two causes: market failures and government policy failures. In five sectoral case-studies-agriculture, deforestation, global warming, acid rain, and overfishing-the WTO minimizes the effectiveness of trade-related policy. The report finds that environmental regulation has only a minor impact on competitiveness and disputes claims that corporations are relocating to countries with less stringent environmental standards. In examining the relationship between economic growth and the environment, the WTO finds that with growth some forms of pollution decline, that economic growth does not necessarily result in a decline in pollution, and that bringing down pollution requires government intervention, which is more likely where there is democracy and equality of income distribution. Comparing the WTO report to two previous GATT reports on the environment, the author finds that the reports have become increasingly sophisticated in treating environmental issues but contends that the GATT reports were stronger on the relationship of trade to the environment. The WTO report devotes too little attention to the policy failures of trade regulators, offering no assessment of the impact of WTO regulation on the environment.

Roodman, David Malin. "Fighting Pollution in Viet Nam." World Watch, Vol. 12 No. 6 (November/December 1999): 28-36.

Despite limitations on free speech in Viet Nam, public criticism of companies and government over pollution is widespread. Communities file complaints and organize protests and letter-writing campaigns against polluting factories, and Vietnamese newspapers write muck-raking articles on the problem. The author maintains that the Vietnamese government has permitted public criticism as a way of relieving bottom-up pressure for change. While the impact of the criticism has been modest, prodding the government in a few cases to put pressure on companies to obey environmental laws, it could represent the first step toward greater public participation and accountability in government.

Boesch, Donald F. "Measuring the Health of the Chesapeake Bay: Toward Integration and Prediction." Environmental Research Volume 82, Number 2 (February 2000):134-142.

This article discusses the monitoring program of the Chesapeake Bay, one of the most extensive and stable monitoring programs of any coastal area in the world. The Chesapeake Bay Program has conducted strategic and coordinated monitoring of water quality and selected living resources since 1985. The author points out the need to assess ecosystem health and risks to human health; effectiveness and efficiency of methods; integration of results across environmental media and agencies; application in conjunction with environmental monitoring to forecasting future conditions; and communication of results to decision makers and the public. In this paper he briefly considers the health of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem and the relationship between ecosystem health and human health. He also provides an overview of the variety of environmental monitoring activities relevant to the Chesapeake Bay, the uses of the results of this monitoring, and the new technologies and integration that will lead to more useful monitoring systems in the future.

Climate Change

Zhong Ling. "Nuclear Energy: China's Approach Towards Addressing Global Warming." Georgetown International Law Review, Vol. XII, Issue 2, 493-522.

China's continued reliance on coal as its primary source of energy will make it the world's largest producer of greenhouse gas emissions by 2025. To meet its rapidly increasing energy needs and to help reduce air pollution, China plans to expand its use of nuclear energy. In building more nuclear power plants, China faces a number of serious problems, including high capital cost, dependence on foreign technology, ensuring safe operation of the plants, disposing of the nuclear waste, and international concerns about proliferation. While acknowledging that the trend in the U.S. and some European countriesis toward reduced reliance on nuclear energy, the author favors the construction of more nuclear power plants in China as a way to control greenhouse gas emissions and recommends that Western countries provide China with cost-effective, safe, and proliferation-resistant technologies.

Recycling

Mangurian, David. "Cash from Trash." IDB America Volume 27, Number 1-2 (January-February 2000): 18-19.

"In recent years, formalized recycling programs have been established in many Latin American countries. Some seek to benefit the long-time trash pickers at city dumps. Others were created in response to educational campaigns run by local and international environmental groups. The most successful ones combine environmental objectives with the economic returns essential for making a program truly sustainable." This article reviews programs in communities across Latin America where recycling is embraced for profits - and pride.

Water Pollution

Kitsiou, Dimitra and Michael Karydis. "Categorical mapping of marine eutrophication based on ecological indices." The Science of the Total Environment, Volume 255, Issues 1-3 (8 June 2000):113-127.

The present work is concerned with the development of methodological procedures for studying the spatial distribution of eutrophication in the marine environment. Seven ecological indices (S, number of phytoplankton species; N, total number of individuals; DMg, Margalef's index; DMn, Menhinick's index; DOd, Odum's species per thousand individuals; H', Shannon's Diversity index; E, Evenness index), based on phytoplankton community data collected from Saronicos Gulf, Greece were used for describing the eutrophication state of the sea environment. A representation of the spatial distribution for each ecological index was developed using the Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) interpolation method. A eutrophication scale for each index was also developed for indicating four different trophic levels in the marine environment (eutrophic, upper-mesotrophic, lower-mesotrophic, oligotrophic); categorization of the interpolated values of each index resulted in a clear illustration of these trophic levels on seven thematic maps. Two methodological procedures were finally applied for synthesizing the information of these thematic maps. The purpose was the development of a final map illustrating the spatial distribution of eutrophication in the study area. The first procedure was based on the integration of unsupervised and supervised classification methods, widely used in the field of remote sensing, while the second one on the overlay technique, simply carried out within the frame of a Geographical Information System (GIS). The hybrid unsupervised/supervised classification method can assess the optimal number of classes in which data values from simultaneously considered parameters could be allocated, while the overlay technique is an additive procedure not taking into account existing trends in the dataset. The advantages and disadvantages of each procedure are further discussed.

Melián, J.A. Herrera, J. M. Doña Rodríguez, A. Viera Suárez, E. Tello Rendón, C. Valdés do Campo, J. Arana and J. Pérez Peña. "The photocatalytic disinfection of urban waste waters." Chemosphere Volume 41, Issue 3 (August 2000): 323-327.

In this paper we present the results of the photocatalytic disinfection of urban waste water. Two microbial groups, total coliforms and Streptoccocus faecalis, have been used as indexes to test disinfection efficiencies. Different experimental parameters have been checked, such as the effect of TiO2, solar or UV-lamp light and pH. Disinfection of water samples has been achieved employing both UV lamp and solar light in agreement with data shown by other authors. The higher disinfection rates obtained employing an UV-lamp may be explained by the stronger incident light intensity. Nevertheless no consistent differences have been found between TiO2-photocatalysis and direct solar or UV-lamp light irradiation at natural sample pH (7.8). At pH 5 the presence of TiO2 increases the relative inactivation rate compared with the absence of the catalyst. After the photocatalytic bacterial inactivation, the later bacterial reappearance was checked for total coliforms at natural pH and pH 5, with and without TiO2. Two h after the photocatalytic treatment, CFU increment was almost nill. But 24 and 48 h later an important bacterial CFU increment was observed. This CFU increment is slower after irradiation with TiO2 at pH 5 in non-air-purged samples.

Page, Cheryl A., and James S. Bonner, Peggy L. Sumner, and Robin L. Autenrieth. "Solubility of Petroleum Hydrocarbons in Oil/water Systems." Marine Chemistry 70 (May 2000): 79-87.

To elucidate mechanisms, two laboratory-scale experiments were correlated to understand and quantify how oil partitions into the aqueous phase. In the two experiments, free-phase petroleum was exposed to water in an effort to determine aqueous concentrations of various oil components. In the first investigation, an oil/water system was allowed to equilibrate for 16 days. The water column in the system was periodically sampled, and sample analysis was performed by GC-MS. After analyzing for naphthalene and various alkyl-substituted naphthalene compounds, the data was modeled and rate coefficients and the saturation concentrations were predicted. For naphthalene, the modeled saturation concentration was 1.4×10-6 mol/l , the rate coefficient was 0.239 h-1 and the predicted time to reach equilibrium was 19.3 h. For the alkyl-substituted compounds, there was an inverse correlation between both the rate coefficients and saturation concentrations and the degree of alkyl-substitution. In the second investigation, oil/water systems were allowed to equilibrate for 36 h. Various oil loadings (mass of oil/volume of water) were investigated. The mixing energy was twice that of the first experiment. After the 36 h, the water column was sampled and analyzed by GC-MS. There was a direct correlation between the measured total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) concentrations in the water and the oil loading. However, there was no such correlation between the naphthalenes and oil loading. It was concluded that the first experiment was a solubility phenomenon while the second experiment also included a colloidal phenomenon.

Eldridge, Peter M., and John W. Morse. "A Diagenetic Model for Sediment-seagrass Interactions." Marine Chemistry 70 (May 2000): 89-103.

The objective of this modeling effort was to better understand the dynamic relationship between seagrass beds and their sedimentary environment using a diagenetic model. The model was developed and optimized for sediments in the Laguna Madre, Texas, which is one of the world's largest (~140 km long) negative estuaries with close to 85% of the basin floor covered with seagrass beds. Although high levels of organic matter decomposition occur in the near-surface sediments, the model was unable to produce enough metabolism to satisfy dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) profiles from organic matter oxidation alone. Carbon isotope analyses of DIC verified that carbonate mineral dissolution contributes more than 50% of DIC added to porewaters during early diagenesis and is especially important below ~5 cm. In comparison to unvegetated areas, a common characteristic of seagrass bed sediments was their low sulfide concentrations in the seagrass rootzone. Model simulations indicate that rootzone fluxes of O2 are essential to maintaining non-toxic levels of sulfide and consequently promote healthy conditions for seagrass growth. Further, the model simulations suggest that the position of maximum organic matter metabolism relative to the position of the seagrass rootzone can be used to predict several properties of seagrass sediment geochemistry. These predictions include the comparative role of anaerobic and aerobic metabolism, the sulfide to ammonium ratio, and the presence or absences of sulfides in the rootzone. In summary, the results of this model clearly demonstrate a dynamic interaction between seagrasses and diagenetic processes in the underlying sediments. The primary impact of these interactions is to lower sedimentary sulfide concentrations below toxic levels for seagrasses. Such interactions not only modify the sedimentary record but also play an important role influencing the health and productivity of seagrasses.

Air Pollution

Prasad, V. Krishna, Prabhat K. Gupta, C. Sharma, A. K. Sarkar, Yogesh Kant, K. V. S. Badarinath, T. Rajagopal and A. P. Mitra. "NOx emissions from biomass burning of shifting cultivation areas from tropical deciduous forests of India: estimates from ground-based measurements." Atmospheric Environment Volume 34, Issue 20: 3271-3280.

Biomass burning in the tropics is an important source of trace gases. Shifting cultivation in India is one of the major sources of biomass burning activities, during which due to combustion, several trace gases are emitted into the atmosphere. NOx emissions are relatively important as they affect the tropospheric photochemistry. In the present study, an attempt has been made to quantify the NOx emissions from shifting cultivation areas of tropical dry deciduous forests of India, at two sites. Fuel load, fuel characteristics, and nutrients with respect to carbon and nitrogen have been analyzed. Emission ratios have been calculated relative to CO2. Results of the study suggested that fuel load ranged from 12¯15.3tha-1. Fire intensity at the first site was 3207kcals-1m-1 and 2882kcals-1m-1 at the second site. The differences in the fuel moisture were found to be less than 10% at both of the sites. The CO/CO2 ratio at the two sites did not vary much due to the low variation in moisture content. The carbon and nitrogen loads for the two sites ranged from 5603tCha-1 to 286tNha-1 and 6364tCha-1 and 239Nha-1, respectively. Using the relation of estimating the emission factor (EF) for estimating the NOx emissions (EF (NOx)=-1.5+3.9nf, where, (r=0.95) EF(NOx) is the emission factor for NOx in grams of nitrogen per kilogram of dry matter (gNkg-1dm) burned and `nf' is the percent of nitrogen bound within the plant matter, for tropical deciduous forests, suggests an emission rate of 7.0 (gNkg-1dm) for the first site, and 4.7 (gNkg-1dm) for the second site when compared to actual measured emission rates of 4.8 (gNkg-1dm) for the first site and 3.5 (gNkg-1dm) for the second site, indicating a higher estimate for the global regression relation used by Dignon and Penner. The emission factors computed from nitrogen content of the fuel material for tropical dry deciduous forests are nearer to the relation obtained for African Savanna fires. Comparison of the measured emission factors for the tropical deciduous forests with other ecosystems has been made in the paper.

Primeranoa, P., G. Marinoa, S. Di Pasqualea, L. Maviliab and F. Corigliano. "Possible Alteration of Monuments Caused by Particles Emitted into the Atmosphere Carrying Strong Primary Acidity." Atmospheric Environment Volume 34, Issue 23: 3889-3896.

In this article, the authors "discuss the effects of the presence in the atmosphere of acidic ashes originating from the burning of oil heavy fractions and of the damage they could cause to monuments if deposited onto them. After quantifying its load of potentially strong acidity, the authors studied the effect of this particulate coming into contact with samples of two of the most common types of calcareous materials used in the building of monuments in atmospheric conditions characterized by relative humidity values of between 0 and 94%. Visual examination of the surfaces of the calcareous materials revealed substantial alteration even after brief periods of exposure in atmospheres with relative humidity values above 40%. The transformation of calcium carbonate into bihydrate calcium sulphate and the release of colored metal ions, both promoted by the humidity absorbed from the atmosphere, were evidenced by SEM images and confirmed by WDS probe investigation and XRD examination of the altered layers of material."

Sustainability

Dickinson, N.M. "Strategies for sustainable woodland on contaminated soils" ChemosphereVolume 41, Issues 1-2 (July 2000): 259-263.

Extensive in situ reclamation treatment technologies are appropriate for a large proportion of contaminated land in place of total removal or complete containment of soil. In this paper, initial results are presented of site descriptions, tree survival and metal uptake patterns from two field planting trials on a highly industrially contaminated site adjacent to a metal refinery and on old sanitary landfill sites. Survival rate was high in both trials but factors besides heavy metals were particularly significant. Uptake patterns of metals into foliage and woody tissues were variable, with substantial uptake in some species and clones supporting the findings of earlier pot experiments. It is argued that there is sufficient evidence to consider the use of trees in reclamation as part of a realistic, integrated, low-cost, ecologically-sound and sustainable reclamation strategy for contaminated land. This is an opportunity to bring a large number of brownfield sites into productive use, which otherwise would be prohibitively expensive to restore.

Hoffmann, Birgitte and Susanne Balslev Nielsen, Morten Ellea, Søren Gabriel, Anne Marie Eilersen, Mogens Henze and Peter Steen Mikkelsen. "Assessing the Sustainability of Small Wastewater Systems: a Context-oriented Planning Approach." Environmental Impact Assessment Review 20 (June 2000):347-357.

The authors present a planning tool for comparing and assessing the sustainability of different wastewater systems. The core of the planning tool is an assessment method based on both technical and social elements. The point of departure is that no technique is inherently sustainable or ecological in itself, but that the sustainability of the total system of technologies for a particular settlement in a given location must be assessed in a holistic and transparent manner. A pilot case is used to demonstrate the structure and the results of the assessment method. The assessment method is still under development, and this paper discusses crucial points in the development of the method.

Bahuguna, Vinod Kumar. "Forests in the Economy of the Rural Poor: An Estimation of the Dependency Level." Ambio, Vol. 29, No. 3, 126-129.

"The rural people in India, particularly the tribes and poor, depend on forest resources for meeting their energy needs, forest products, and for employment. This paper gives details of one estimation of dependency of people on forests in villages in the Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, and Gujarat states of India. Benefits derived by the people were reflected as a percentage of the total income of the household. The dependency on forests varies from 37% to 76% in these villages. This kind of assessment would create a data base and provide indicators of sustainable forest management, especially for an understanding of the intricacies of Joint Forest Management. This information can be very useful in deriving the overall contribution of the forestry sector in the national economy and thus help the planners, administrators and foresters in evolving better management." (Abstract from Ambio)

Hekkert, Marko P., Louis A. J. Joosten and Ernst Worrell. "Analysis of the Paper and Wood Flow in The Netherlands," Resources, Conservation and Recycling, Volume 30, Issue 1, (July 2000): 29-48. "Current production structures require large amounts of primary materials and are not likely to be sustained without large implications for the environment. A good understanding of societal metabolism is likely to contribute to more sustainable production and consumption. Material flow analysis (MFA) intends to support this understanding by providing insight in material flows. In this article a new method for analyzing materials flows, called STREAMS, is tested. The method is applied to analyze the paper and wood flow through the economic system of The Netherlands. The method is based on data available from the so-called supply and use tables; these tables are made available by Statistics Netherlands and describe the economy of a country in terms of annual supply and use of goods and services by industries and consumers. The method proves to be very useful in analyzing the paper and wood flow in The Netherlands. The method provides detailed information about the final consumption of paper and wood, even for packaging materials and product parts made out of paper and wood. Trends are visible that statistical offices collect less physical data about material flows. This will make the construction of material flow analyses like this one more difficult in the future." (Abstract from ScienceDirect service)

Alternative Energy

Sukkumnoed, Decharut, and Suphakij Nuntavorakarn. "How to Realise Biomass Potential in Thailand?" Sustainable Energy News 29 (May 2000): 4-5.

This articles discusses the cogeneration system of the Chia Meng Rice Mill in Thailand, which uses agricultural waste, mainly rice husks, for energy production. The Chia Meng mill produces approximately 140 tons of rice husks a day, of which 115 are used for fuel in the cogeneration system. The system was installed with a heat capacity of around 18 tons of steam per hour and has a power capacity of 2.5 MW; the initial investment was USD$5.4 million. The use of the system decreased the mill's electricity costs by USD$40,000 a month and increased its income by USA$1.1million a month by exporting the ashes abroad for use in ceramics and metalworks. Using biomass for energy in Thailand could reduce Thailand's oil consumption by 50%. Nearly 10,000 ktoe of rice straw and 7,000 ktoe sugar cane, in addition to logging trash, corncobs, and coconut shells are available for use as fuel, an estimated 20,000 ktoe, more than half the nations current oil consumption. The technology is available; however, unfair market regulations, lack of economic incentives, and unfair pricing are obstacles to the realization of these potentials.

Upcoming International Conferences

1. International Conference on Heavy Metals in the Environment
Michigan League, Campus of University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
6-10 August 2000
URL: http://www.sph.umich.edu/ehs/index.html

Emphasis on acute effects due to localized pollution problems is giving way to chronic toxicity endpoints (including endocrine, neurobehavioral and immune effects) associated with globalization of metal pollution. Conference will (a) examine some of the past accomplishments and failures in dealing with problems of heavy metal pollution and (b) look prospectively at future challenges and opportunities. Contact: Department of Environmental & Industrial Health, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 109 Observatory Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USA. Phone: 734-615-2596; Fax: 734-764-9424; Email: Heavy.metals@umich.edu.

2. 7th International Mine Water Association Congress: "Mine Water And The Environment"-Environmental impacts of mining and mines closure Katowice - Ustroñ, Poland 11-15 September 2000 URL: http://imwa.tsx.org The Congress will involve four working days (plenary sessions and one poster session) and one-day mid-congress field trips. 1. Mine water, underground and surface mines; 2. Mine closure and reclamation; 3. Environmental impact of mining activity; 4. Utilisation of mine water and mine wastes. Contact: Dr. Andrzej J. Witkowski, Dr Andrzej Kowalczyk, Secretariat of the 7th IMWA Congress University of Silesia Bêdziñska Ul. 60 PL-41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland, Phone: +48/32/291-6888; Fax: +48/32/291-5865; E-mail: awitkows@us.edu.pl; kowalcz@ultra.cto.us.edu.pl .

3. Coastal Zone Canada 2000
Trade and Convention Centre; Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
September 17 - 22, 2000
URL: http://www.czca-azcc.org/

Coastal Zone Canada 2000 will address the theme "Coastal Stewardship: Lessons Learned and the Paths Ahead". The Conference will focus on four inter-related sub-themes: the development of coastal stewardship from the perspective of what coastal communities have been able to achieve; the cultural perspectives and experiences of Aboriginal peoples in the context of coastal management; coastal health issues relative to economic, environmental and social needs; and the changing needs of oceans governance. Contact: Coastal Zone Canada 2000 Secretariat Office; NB Dept. of Environment and Local Government; P.O. Box 6000, Fredericton, NB E3B 5H1, Canada; Phone: +1 (506) 462-5961; Fax: +1 (506) 453-5210; Email: czczcc2000@gnb.ca.

4. World Congress on Environmental Design for the New Milennium
Grand Inter-continental Hotel; and COEX, a Convention and Exhibition Center
Seoul, Korea
November 8-22, 2000

The World Congress on Environmental Design for the New Millennium has been planned to provide a momentum for the Environmental Design to make contribution to the peace of mankind in the New Millennium by promoting professionalism and creativity. The Congress involves three distinctive but related conferences: the World Conference on Universal Design (Nov. 8 to 13, 2000); the World Conference on Green Design (Nov. 13 to17, 2000); and the World Conference on Cultural Design (Nov. 17 to 22, 2000). Each Conference will be divided into two parts; morning and afternoon sessions. The morning sessions will feature keynote presentations covering common topics of three Conferences that involve creativity, future visions, and paradigm networking. The afternoon sessions will focus on diverse topics pertaining to each conference, in which presentations will be grouped according to the specific topics and scale of the environment to facilitate deeper discussions. Contact: 420 Samsungkwan, Yonsei University, Seoul, 120-749, KOREA. Phone: 82-2-3147-1192,3; Fax : 82-2 3147-1194;

5. EURO ENVIRONMENT 2000: Conference on Industry and Environmental Performance
Aalborg Congress and Culture Centre
Aalborg, Denmark
18 - 20 October 2000
URL: http://www.akkc.dk/index.asp?arrangement=327&kategori=kongresser#brugervalg21/10/2002 .

The biennial EURO ENVIRONMENT conferences offer a unique forum where important actors, ranging from senior business representatives through decision-makers in government to critical stakeholders, enter open, action-oriented and constructive debate about international environmental challenges. The EURO ENVIRONMENT 2000 conference emphasises the link between industrial policy setting and the environmental performance of individual companies, and therefore it presents visionary and strategic goals as well as practical results of the sustainability processes of individual businesses. Contact: EURO ENVIRONMENT Secretariat, Aalborg Congress and Culture Centre, PO Box 149, DK-9100 Aalborg. Tel: +45 9935 5555; Fax: +45 9935 5580; Email: euro@akkc.dk

6. 4th International Conference Flotation in Water and Waste Water Treatment
Marina Congress Center
Helsinki, Finland
11-14 September 2000
URL: http://www.vvy.fi/daf/ .

The three day conference will bring together international expertise and will be of particular interest to all professionals working in the fields of water and waste water treatment technology and environmental issues. Contact: Technical Info: Mr. Eero Teerikangas, Finnish Water and Waste Water Works Association, FIWA, Ratavartijankatu 2 A, FIN-00520 Helsinki. Tel: +358 50 3380603; Fax: +358 9 1484750; Email: daf@vvy.fi; Registration Info: TAVI Congress Bureau, Ms. Tiina Järvinen, Papinkatu 21, FIN-33200 Tampere, Finland; Tel.: +358 3 233 0450, Fax: +358 3 233 0444; Email: tiina.jarvinen@tavicon.fi.

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