Caribbean Currents, Volume 5, Number 4, October 1997

4EPA
UNEP
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Administration And
Resources Management
(3404)
United Nations
Environment
Programme
CARIBBEAN
CURRENTS
Volume 5, Number 4
October 1997
EPA/220/N-97-001
Welcome...
...to CARIBBEANCURRENTS, Volume Five, Number Four. This newsletter
is edited by INFOTERRA/USA in its capacity as the Regional Service
Centre (RSC) for INFOTERRA National Focal Points (NFPs) in the English
and French-speaking Caribbean. Although the CURRENTS is assembled
at INFOTERRA/USA, the content belongs to you, the readers. You are
encouraged to send in any questions, comments, problems, or interesting
issues relevant to the Region for inclusion in the CURRENTS. Please see
the Guidelines for Contributions on page 4 for more information.

Each issue will feature a Directory of NFPs in the Region so that anyone
with international environmental questions can contact their nearest
resource. Please feel free to contact one another as well as your RSC for
assistance or materials.

Please don't hesitate to share CARIBBEANCURRENTS with your friends
and colleagues, and to make copies as needed. The Currents should
serve as an informational forum for anyone who lives, works, or is
involved in environmental issues in the English and French-speaking
Caribbean Region.
EMERGING GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

This issue's topic is emerging global environmental issues. The U.S EPA has recently issued a report on
major environmental threats to the world's ecosystems. These threats include climate change, ozone
depletion, long range transport of toxic substances, loss of biodiversity and ocean degradation.

The next issue of CARIBBEAN CURRENTS will look at the Year of the Ocean. The United Nations
General Assembly has proclaimed 1998 as the International Year of the Ocean. Oceans play an
integral role in shaping life on earth. Coastal and marine waters provide millions of jobs, generate
billions of dollars in goods and services, and are a source of food and recreation to people all over the
world.

If you have any comments on this topic, or would like to contribute a short article or have a resources
guide to share, please submit your contribution following the guidelines on page 4. Please feel free to
fax, write to, or call the RSC with any questions or comments you have. Share information you have
and we will include it in the next or a future issue of CURRENTS. Thank you for your assistance.
-1-

-------
Emerging Global Environmental Issues
By Donald A. Brown
E.P.A., Office of International Activities

Emerging Global Environmental Issues is the first in a series of reports on international
environmental developments to be published by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency.. This first report identifies and describes certain emerging threats to global
ecosystems.

The report states that for the first time in history, human actions are threatening global
ecosystems. In light of these global environmental threats, nations can no longer assume
that environmental quality goals can be achieved through individual national action alone.
The amount of coal and oil burning in one country may affect temperatures in many others;
the use of certain pesticides in one part of the world can affect the quality of life in other
places of the globe.

Among the more important environmental problems facing the global community
today are: climate change, depletion of stratospheric ozone, the world-wide spread of
persistent organic pollutants, loss of biodiversity, and ocean degradation. The report
describes these problems in some detail as well as their causes and international responses.

The report explains why global environmental problems should be of notable concern
to Americans. First, these problems create direct and significant threats to human health
and the ecosystems in the United States.

Second, U.S. actions may adversely impact other parts of the world. To the extent that
U.S.-based activities are contributing to global and regional environmental problems,
Americans may need to modify their behavior.

Third, degradation of the world's resources is rapidly becoming a matter of strategic
national interest, as competition for access to scarce and diminishing resources has induced
nations to go to war, destabilizes governments, or creates international refugees.

Fourth, global environmental problems have the potential to diminish the quality of
life of our children. To the extent that the world's resources are being degraded by present
activities, current generations may be failing to fulfill their responsibilities to future
generations.

After a detailed discussion of the problems of climate change, stratospheric ozone, loss
of bidodiversity, long-range transport of toxic substances, and ocean degradation, the
report concludes with a short discussion of other emerging global environmental problems.
These include deforestation, the transformation of ariable land into deserts, degradation of
drinking water supplies, inadequate sewage treatment, and mismanagement of hazardous
and nuclear wastes. These problems are not covered in detail in this report, since ther
impacts are mostly local or regional, rather than global. However, they are no less
important and in fact create the highest immediate risk to people worldwide.

-2-

-------
                       INTERNET SITES ON GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
                           A few of many sources of electronic information on global environmental issues.
                              EPA Global Warming Website
                             http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming
Includes links to latest developments, impacts of global warming and links to other global warming
sites.

                    Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (UNEP)
                              http://www.ipcc.ch/uright.html
Features links to technical reports, press releases and the panel's newsletter, as well as other links of
interest.

                            EPA Stratospheric Ozone Homepage
                                 http://www.epa.gov/ozone
This site contains information on the science of ozone depletion, U.S. regulations , the UV index, and
links to information on the Montreal Protocol, UNEP, and other international policy information.

          UNEP Information Clearing House on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
                           http://irptc.unep.cn/pops/welcome.html
This site features a selected bibliography, information on specific pops and their alternatives, as well
as links to case studies, POP meetings , news, other web links.

                           Convention on Biodiversity Homepage
                                   http ://www.biodi v.org
This site features information  on the Convention, links to press releases and quarterly reports from the
Secretariat of the Convention, a "themes and issues" link, and a clearing house with access to reports,
other websites and information on other biodiversity-related conventions.

                      World Resources Institute Biodiversity Homepage
                                 http ://www.wri.org/biodiv
This homepage features information on many different aspects of biodiversity, such as marine
ecosystems, bioregional management and a global biodiversity strategy. There are also links to
publications and other biodiversity sites.

                 EPA Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds Homepage
                                 http://www.epa.gov/owow
The EPA site features a variety of information on oceans, coasts, watersheds and wetlands. There are
links to ocean and coastal regulatory programs, publications and coastal activities.

              Marine Pollution Studies Laboratory (California State University)
                  http://color/mlml.cals tate.edu/www/groups/mpsl/mpsl.htm
The site features links to current projects undertaken by the laboratory, as well as a library with links
to publications and a reference database.
                                                  -3-

-------
November 17-18,1997 -- Kyoto and Beyond: Climate Change Policy Moves to Center Stage,
Washington, D.C. Contact the Center for Environmental Information, Inc., 55 St. Paul Street,
Rochester, NY 14604, Telephone (716) 262-2870, Fax: (716)262-4156.. .

January 7-10,1998 ~ Symposium on Biodiversity and Biotechnology, Caracas, Venezuela. Contact
Keith Wilson, Office of Continuing Professional Education, Cook College, Rutgers University, P.O.
Box 231, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0231, Telephone: (732) 932-9271, FAX: (732) 932-1187, Email:
ocpe@aesop.rutgers.edu, Internet: http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~mmeton/Monroe_Wall.html.

March 3-5,1998 ~ Second International Marine Environmental Modelling Seminar, Lillehammer,
Norway. Contact May Kristen Ditlevsen, Seminar Secretariat, Telephone (47) 73-59-12-12, FAX:
(47) 73-59-70-51, E-Mail: may.ditlevsen@chem.sintef.no.
NEW MULTILINGUAL THESAURUS OF ENVIRONMENTAL TERMS NOW AVAILABLE

The new Envoc/INFOTERRA Multilingual Thesaurus of Environmental Terms is now available It has been revised to reflect
emerging environmental concerns and new technologies. The thesaurus is available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and
Spanish For more information, contact-

SMI (Distribution Services) Limited
P.O. Box 119
Stevetiage
Hertfordshire SGI 4TP, UNITED KINGDOM
FAX: (44 1234) 782878
E-Mail: Anthony@smibooks.com
Guidelines for Contributions to CARIBBEAN CURRENTS
Any organization or individual operating or involved in the English and French-speaking Caribbean Region is welcome
to contribute to the newsletter. Contributions should be addressed to:
Carnbean Currents Coordinator
1NFOTERRA/USA
U S. Environmental Protection Agency
Headquarters Library, 3404
401 M Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20460
UNITED STATES
Telephone: (202) 260-5917; Fax: (202)260-3923; E-mail: library-infoterra@epamail.epa.gov
Please note that submissions should meet the following criteria:
• They should be relevant to environmental issues
• They must be of interest to or directly involve the Region
• They must not endorse or recommend any product or commercial service, explicitly or implicitly
• They must be brief-under 250 words; Bulletin Board requests should be under 100 words
• They must be received by the posted deadline (see below)
Please feel free to contact the CARIBBEAN CURRENTS coordinator if you are interested in submitting a longer article. You
should contact the coordinator to discuss your topic and any size or content restrictions beforehand. Be aware that once
your article is submitted, it is subject to editing as needed. Final decisions on editing and inclusion of any contributions
are left to the INFOTERRA/USA Manager. Please contact INFOTERRA/USA using the address above to contribute
any comments, questions, problems, or ideas.
DEADLINE FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO Vol. 6, No. 1: December 8,1997
J

-------
         Welcome to The CARIBBEAN CURRENTS
                       Bulletin Board
Each issue, we will publish questions or concerns of interest to CURRENTS
readers.  Anyone who has materials or information that they are seeking or
that they feel will be helpful should feel free to contribute.  We will post
queries and offerings of general interest on the Bulletin Board.   You may
respond by contacting the reader who has placed the item, or the RSC.
                  Bulletin  Board
        DOCUMENTS

          AVAILABLE

     INFOTERRA/USA has free copies
        of the following publications
               available.

      If you would like copies of any of
       these documents, please let us
                know.
         EPA Office of Wastewater
         Management Publications
         Catalog July 1997 (new edition)

      •  Emerging Global Environmental
         Issues (U.S. EPA, Office of
         International Activities), January
         1997, (EPA160-K-97-001)

      •  A Commitment to Address the
         Environmental and Development
         Problems of the Wider Caribbean
         (Brochure)

     To request copies of these
     documents, just write to
     INFOTERRA/USA using the
         formation Needed on
       Oceans/Coastal Waters
The next issue of Caribbean Currents
will focus on the International Year of
the Ocean. We would be interested in
receiving any information on projects or
studies related to this issue (such as
management of coastal and ocean space,
marine environmental quality and
protection, or public awareness efforts).

These materials will also be kept on file
for the benefit of researchers and
visitors to INFOTERRA.

Please contact INFOTERRA/USA using
the information on page 6 if you can
provide any assistance.  Thank you for
your support!
  Send your Bulletins to the RSC for publication in the next issue. See
  the Guidelines on page 4 for information on submitting items.
                                  -5-

-------
About the NFP Directory
This directory reflects changes and additions to the INFOTERRA Directory of National Focal Points
distributed by INFOTERRA/PAC, dated January 1997. Please check this information to verify that it is
correct and up-to-date. If you have any changes or corrections, please notify the RSC as soon as possible.
We will be happy to relay the information to the PAC.

NFP DIRECTORY
Mrs. Candia Williams
Conservation Officer II
Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Environment
Queen Elizabeth Highway
St. John's
ANTIGUA, WEST INDIES
Telephone: (809)462-4625 FAX: (809)462-2836

Mrs. Lynn Holowesko
The Bahamas Environment,
Science & Technology Commission
Office of the Prime Minister
P.O. Box CB 10980
Nassau
THE BAHAMAS
Telephone: (809)327-4691
FAX: (809) 327-4626
Mrs. Athelme Mayers
Permanent Secretary (Environment)
Ministry of Health and the Environment
Sir, Frank Walcott Building, Culloden Road
St. Michael, BARBADOS
Telephone: (246)431-7680 FAX: (246)437-8859
E-mail: envdivn@caribsurf.com

Jaime Jeffery Villanueva
Fisheries Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries
Princess Margaret Drive, P.O. Box 148
Belize City
BELIZE, CENTRAL AMERICA
Telephone: 501-2-44552 FAX: 501-2-32983

Mr. Ashton Lugay
Forestry and Wildlife Division
Ministry of Agriculture, Botanical Gardens
Roseau
DOMINICA, WEST INDIES
Telephone: (809) 448-240l.ext 417 FAX: (809)448-7999

Mr. Bhoonath Birbal
Institute of Applied Science & Technology
Research Assistant, Information Unit
P.O. Box 101050, University Campus, Turkeyen
Greater Georgetown
GUYANA
Telephone- (592-22)4213/4215/4218 FAX: 592-22-4229
M. Dalberg Claude
Ministere de 1'Agriculture et des Ressources Naturelles
et du Developpement Rural
P.O. Box 1441
Port-au-Prince
HAITI
Telephone: 509-1-21867 FAX: 509-1-23599

Ms. Yolanda N. Mittoo
Natural Resources Conservation Authority
53 1/2 Molynes Road
P.O. Box 305
Kingston 10
JAMAICA, WEST INDIES
Telephone: (809) 923-5155/5125 FAX. (809)923-5070
E-mail1 nrca@igc.apc.org

Mr. Leonard Huggms
Environmental and Development Officer, Planning Unit
Charlestown, Nevis
ST KITTS AND NEVIS
Telephone: (809) 469-5521 FAX: (809) 469-5485

Mrs. Vanesta Moses-Felix
Government Documentahst
Ministry of Planning, Development and Environment
National Documentation Center
P.O. Box 709
Castries
ST LUCIA, WEST INDIES
Telephone- (809)452-2611 FAX: (809)452-2506
E-mail: LCDOC@ISIS.ORG.LC
Regional Service Centre (RSC):
Emma J. McNamara
INFOTERRA/USA
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Headquarters Library, 3404
401 M Street, S. W
Washington, D. C. 20460
UNITED STATES
Telephone: (202)260-5917 FAX: (202)260-3923
E-mail: hbrary-infoterra@epamail.epa.gov

Mrs. Lynn Holowesko
The Bahamas Environment, Science & Technology
Commission
Office of the Prime Minister
P.O. Box CB 10980
Nassau
THE BAHAMAS
Telephone: (809)327-4691 FAX: (809) 327-4626

Mrs. Athelme Mayers
Permanent Secretary (Environment)
Ministry of Health and the Environment
Sir, Frank Walcott Building, Culloden Road
St. Michael, BARBADOS
Telephone: (246)431-7680 FAX: (246)437-8859
E-mail1 envdivn@caribsurf.com

Jaime Jeffery Villanueva
Fisheries Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries
Princess Margaret Drive, P 0. Box 148
Belize City
BELIZE, CENTRAL AMERICA
Telephone: 501-2-44552 FAX: 501-2-32983

Mr. Ashton Lugay
Forestry and Wildlife Division
Ministry of Agriculture, Botanical Gardens
Roseau
DOMINICA, WEST INDIES
Telephone' (809) 448-240l.ext. 417 FAX: (809)448-7999

Mr. Bhoonath Birbal
Institute of Applied Science & Technology
Research Assistant, Information Unit
P.O. Box 101050, University Campus, Turkeyen
Greater Georgetown
GUYANA
Telephone: (592-22)4213/4215/4218 FAX: 592-22-4229
M.Dalberg Claude
Ministere de ('Agriculture et des Ressources
Naturelles et du Developpement Rural
P.O. Box 1441
Port-au-Prince
HAITI
Telephone: 509-1-21867 FAX: 509-1-23599

Mr Leonard Huggins
Environmental and Development Officer, Planning
Unit
Charlestown, Nevis
ST. KITTS AND NEVIS
Telephone: (809) 469-5521 FAX: (809) 469-5485

Mrs Vanesta Moses-Felix
Government Documentalist
Ministry of Planning, Development and Environment
National Documentation Center
P.O. Box 709
Castries
ST. LUCIA, WEST INDIES
Telephone- (809)452-2611 FAX: (809)452-2506
E-mail: LCDOC@ISIS.ORG.LC
Regional Service Centre (RSC):
Emma J. McNamara
INFOTERRA/USA
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Headquarters Library, 3404
401 M Street, S. W.
Washington, D. C. 20460
UNITED STATES
Telephone: (202)260-5917 FAX (202)260-3923
E-mail1 library-infoterra@epamail.epa.gov
-7-

-------