United States Information Resources September 1990
Environmental Protection Management •%__
Agency (PM-211A) 220N9Q004
INTERNATIONAL SFP?M990
UPDATE
Wl VJF^ I L- ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
LIBRARY, REGION V
International Open House
We are looking forward to meeting you at the International Open House on October 24. The event
will take place at the Headquarters Library from 11:30 to 4:30 in celebration of United Nations Day.
This is a chance to meet with the international reference staff, browse the international collection
and learn of services that are designed to assist you in your work. It is also an opportunity to advise
us of your specific reference needs.
Book exhibits of several publishers in the field of international environmental issues will acquaint
you with new studies. The United Nations Environment Program, World Wildlife Fund/Conservation
Foundation, the European Community Information Center, the Organization of Economic
Cooperation for Development and World Resources Institute are among the participants.
Focus On:
Enterprise For The Americas
—JohnButsch ''environmentaltrusts" where interest payments
will be paid in local currency. These trusts will
A new initiative which has been receiving a great then be used to fund environmental projects in
dealofattentionthissummerisPresidentBush's the debtor countries.
"Enterprise for the Americas" program. First
presented at a news conference in June, the Approval of the "Enterprise for the Americas"
partnership program is aimed at promoting initiative is currently in the hands of the U.S.
economic growth in the Latin American and Congress.
Caribbean region.
Database News
Bush's program includes three core initiatives in —Mary stevanus
the areas of trade, investment, anddebt. Ideally,
the "Enterprise for the Americas" program will ECONET is an electronic telecommunications
reduce trade barriers within the hemisphere, network serving the global environmental
strive to conclude the Uruguay Round, community. Proceedings of public conferences
encourage capital flows, reduce debt burdens, among environmental groups as well as
and promote investment reformsthroughoutthe legislative alerts, and full text of activist
region. newsletters are included. ECONET features
email connections, downloading capabilities,
Of interest to environmentalists is the president's and international data exchange at very low
plan to sell a portion of outstanding U.S. cost. Users link into public exchanges and can
commercial loans to facilitate debt-for-nature learn of the latest developments on a wide
swaps in countries which have set up such variety of environmental issues. Users from
programs. Bush envisions the creation of such countries as Sweden, Canada, England,
Australia and the Soviet Union have contact
through ECONET.
- INFOTERRA/USA National Focal Point
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In the News
Recent journal articles of interest
Flavin, Christopher. "Last Road to Shangri-La."
[Bhutan and Sustainable Development] World
Watch. July/August 1990. Vol. 3, No. 4. pp. 18-
26.
French, Hilary F. "A Most Deadly Trade." [Export
of Hazardous Waste] WorldWatch. July/August
1990. vol.3, No. 4. pp. 11-17.
Monastersky, Richard. "The Fall of the Forest:
Tropical Tree Losses go From Bad to Worse."
Science News. July 21,1990. Vol. 138, No. 3,
pp. 40-41.
Speth, James G. "Toward a North-South
Compact for the Environment." Environment.
June 1990. Vol;. 32, No. 5. pp. 16-20, 40-43.
Whitehead, Cynthia. "CzechoslovakiaLaunches
a Great Cleanup." New Scientist. July 28,1990.
Vol. 127, No. 1727. pp.20.
Get Up and Go
Upcoming conferences and meetings
1990 International Conference on CFC and
Halon Alternatives. November 27-29, 1990.
Baltimore, Maryland. The effects of changing
CFC and halon regulations prompted by
amendments to the Montreal Protocol will be
examined from both a policy and technology
perspective. International technology transfer
will be afeatured issue. Registration information
is available from: The National Institute for
Emerging Technology, 1888 North Marker
Street, P.O. Box 868, Frederick, MD, 21701; or
call: (301)662-9434.
Earth Observation and Global Change Decision
Making: A National Partnership. October 23-
24, 1990. Washington, D.C. National and
international coordination of climate change and
policy decision-making will be the focus of this
EPA Headauarters Library
conference on global climate change. President
Bush wil! give the keynote address and
representatives from the political, scientific and
industrial communities will discuss this issue.
Attendance at this important meeting will be
strictly limitedto 500. Additional information can
be obtained at: ERIM/Global Change
Conference, ATTN: Nancy J. Wallman, P.O.
Box 8618, Ann Arbor, Ml, 48107-8618; or call:
(313) 994-1200 ext. 3234.
What's New
Recent additions to the International Collection.
—Keith Chanon
State of the Hungarian Environment. Graham
Taylor, London, 1990.
This book, produced by the Hungarian Academy
of Sciences, the Ministry for Environment and
Water Management, and the Hungarian Central
Statistical Office, characterizes the
environmental situation in Hungary. The book is
divided into several sections describing trends
in Hungary's economic and urban development,
environmental policies, airquality, waterquality,
soil quality, nature conservation, solid waste,
and international initiatives.
It provides historical and technical environmental
information foreach of the previously mentioned
categories. Graphs are common throughout the
text, simplifying access to general data. Not
only are Hungary's bureaucratic problems
highlighted, but proposed solutionsto high levels
of pollution are set forth.
Outdated two stroke engines are cited as the
source of 1 million tons of carbon monoxide and
510 tons of lead and lead compounds yearly.
This inefficiency justifies the need for more
modernized technologies.
The most inspiring aspects of the book are
reflected in the authors' appeal for reversing the^B
environmental damage caused from forty years^B
of neglect.
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