United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Information Resources
Management
(PM-211A)
April 1992
220N92025
oEPA
f
INTERNATIONAL
UPDATE
Wider Caribbean Environment and Development Conference
U. S. EPA recently co-hosted a
conference on Wider Caribbean
Environment and Development in
San Juan, Puerto Rico. The
conference was attended by over
300 representatives from the
private, governmental and non-
governmental organization
sectors throughout the region. The
purpose of the conference was to
announce the incorporation of the
Caribbean Environment and
Development Institute (CEDI) as a
non-profit organization intent on
fostering environmentally sound,
sustainable development in the
Caribbean basin.
The conference included an
Environmental Information
Exhibition which displayed a
sample of the information
resources and technology that
EPA and other organizations can
bring to the Institute through the
proposed Environmental
Information Center.
The EPA displays included
INFOTERRA/USA, International
Registry of Potentially Toxic
Chemicals (IRPTQ, Geographic
Information Systems (GIS), and
the Library Network. The U. S.
Geological Survey, U. S. Forest
Service. Pan American Health
Organization, and the United
Nations Environment
Programme's Regional Office for
Latin America and the Caribbean
were also represented at the
exhibition.
The conference agenda
included panel discussions on
1) Education, Training and Public
Awareness, 2) Technical
Assistance, Research, Data, and
Information, 3) Public-Private
Partnerships, and 4) International
Outreach and Sub-Regional
Issues.
EPA's Office of Information
Resources Management (OERM)
also gave a presentation on the
importance of effective
management of information
resources for the success of the
Caribbean Initiative, calling on the
conference participants to provide
feedback on the utility of the
information tools and resources
exhibited. This feedback and
subsequent meetings will assist
OIRM in its ongoing needs
analysis for the development of
the Information Center.
The Office of International
Activities, which has the EPA lead
for the Caribbean Initiative, is
presently writing a six-month
action plan based on
recommendations from the
participants.
-- Andrew Battin
OIRM/IMSD
US. Environmental Protection Agency
New and Noteworthy
Recent journal Articles of interest
Andersson, Morten, and
others. "Environmental
Problems and Environmental
Regulations in Western
Europe, 1980-1989."
Environmental Management
March 1992. Vol. 16, No.
2. pp. 187-194.
"Emissions Standard
Handbook." ffiACoal
Research. [Special issue
details air emission
standards for International
Energy Agency member
states] London: lEACoal
Research. December 1991.
Hartsock, Jim. "Latvia's
Toxic Legacy." Audubon.
March/April 1992. Vol. 94,
No. 2. pp. 27-29.
INFOTERRA/USA National Focal Point
Ryan, John C. "Conserving
Biological Diversity."
American Forests. March/
April 1992. Vol. 98, No. 3.
pp. 37-44.
Ryan, John C. "Africa's
Great Lakes in Peril."
Worldwatch. March/April
1992. Vol.5,No.2.
pp. 5-7.
Scott, Dennis J. "Making
A Bank Turn." [World
Bank and the Environment]
The
March/April 1992. Vol. 9,
No. 2. pp. 21-25.
"U.S., Mexico Announce
Sweeping Cleanup Plan,
NAFTA Evaluation."
World Environment Report
March 3, 1992. Vol. 18,
No. 5. pp. 43-44.
£ Printed on Recycled Paper
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New Book Review:
Saving Our Planet: Challenges and Hopes
The State of the Environment 1972-1992
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
This UNEP report, produced in
preparation for the June 1992
United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development
(UNCED), presents a brief
analytical overview of changes in
the state of the world environment
since the Stockholm Conference in
1972. By identifying, analyzing
and interpreting different changes
in the environment over two
decades, policy-makers have a
better understanding of the
environmental crisis to be
considered at UNCED.
The five-part report
encompasses both environmental
and developmental issues. The
first part evaluates the current
state of the environment. Global
concerns such as biological
diversity, deforestation, and
hazardous wastes are addressed.
In addition to statistical data, there
is background information on each
environmental challenge and
reasons why action is needed.
Data covering world use, world
consumption and atmospheric
concentrations of halocarbons,
alongwith schedules for phasing
out CFCs and halons under the
Montreal Protocol are featured.
The impact of development on
the environment is examined in
part two of the report. Proper
disposal of wastes from industry
are a major concern. Another is
how the effectiveness of pesticides
has been reduced through repeated
applications which have built up
resistance among target pests.
Parts three and four address
human well-being and perceptions
of the environmental crisis. The
effects of keeping large military
forces in active duty worldwide
include wasted natural resources
and funds diverted away from
human needs in the developing
world.
The final part outlines the
major challenges that face the
world community in the near
future and presents a number of
priorities for action. Two of those
challenges are lack of
comprehensive environmental data
from developing countries and
lack of equipment to sufficiently
monitor the world environment.
The report highlights the
positive steps taken by the
developed world towards
improved environmental
management and stresses the need
for developing countries to do the
same. It is hoped that UNCED
will facilitate this transfer of
environmental expertise.
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Check These Out!
Recent Additions to the International Collection
Antigua and Barbuda: Country
Environmental Profile. Prepared by
the Caribbean Conservation
Association and others. Washington,
DC: U.S. Agency for International
Development, 1991. S918A58C27
Baldwin, Malcolm. Environmental
Laws and Institutions of Sri Lanka:
Assessment for USAID/Colombo.
Colombo, Sri Lanka: USAID/
Colombo, 1988. HC79E5 S72
Chia, Lin Sien. The Coastal
Environmental Profile of
Singapore. Manila, Philippines:
International Center for Living
Aquatic Resources Management/
ASEAN, 1988. QH541 J.C65C44
Energy Profiles of Czechoslovakia,
Hungary, Poland and Their
Emerging Free Market Economies.
Washington: U.S. Government
Printing Office, 1991.
HD9505.C95 E54
Hazardous Waste: VS. and
Mexican Management of
Hazardous Waste From
Maquiladora Hampered by Lack of
Information. Washington: General
Accounting Office, 1991.
TD81UM6 U55
International Environment:
International Agreements Are Not
Well Monitored. Washington: U.S.
General Accounting Office, 1992.
HC79E5 A35
Jianxiong, Zhang. Painful Choice:
On China's Strategy of Eco-
Environment. Beijing: Chinese
Academy of Social Sciences, 1988.
HQ766J C6J53
Kuwait Oil Fires: Interagency
Interim Report. Washington: U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency,
1991. EPAX 9203-0048
Lang, W., and others.
Environmental Protection and
International Law. London:
Graham & Trotman, 1991.
K3584.6 £581990
The Water Resources of Latin
America and the Caribbean.
Santiago, Chile: United Nations,
Economic Commission for Latin
America and the Caribbean, 1990.
HD16965L27W271990
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