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British Atmospheric Data Centre [Frames]
http://www.badc.rl.ac.uk/
The British Atmospheric Data Centre (BADC) is designed to "assist UK atmospheric researchers to locate, access and interpret atmospheric data." With this aim in mind, the BADC provides one of the only permanent archives for data sets from Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)-funded projects. Also, the Centre serves as a single repository for third party data sets of value to the atmospheric research community. Among the 46 data sets included in the searchable archive, data pertaining to ozone experiments; stratosphere, mesosphere, and troposphere measurements; sea temperatures; and forecasting are all available here. The Centre is an outstanding single source for atmospheric data. [KR]
[Back to Contents]Research Program in Environmental Planning and Geographic Information Systems (REGIS)
http://www.regis.berkeley.edu/
The University of California at Berkeley provides this site on Environmental Planning and Geographic Information Systems (REGIS) research. Based at the University's Center for Environmental Design Research, REGIS aims "to develop GIS tools and apply them in environmental planning, management, research, and teaching." Four sections form the heart of the homepage: GRASSLinks (an interactive Web GIS program that enables real-time display and analysis of data), GIS Analysis and Modeling (includes photos and GIS coverages of San Francisco Bay/ Delta region), Research Projects and Collaborative Partnerships (lists collaborators), and GIS Data and Information Sources at REGIS (includes publications, instructional resources, and GRASS-related software). For academics and professionals interested in GIS and Environmental Planning, this is a solid and useful resource. [LXP]
[Back to Contents]EulerService: European Libraries and Electronic Resources in Mathematical Sciences
http://zaphod.lub.lu.se/euler/engine/engine.html
The EULER Project
http://www.emis.de/projects/EULER/
The European Libraries and Electronic Resources (EULER) Project in Mathematical Sciences provides the EulerService site for searching out "mathematical resources such as books, pre-prints, web-pages, abstracts, proceedings, serials, technical reports and thesis." Using a search interface that taps university databases like MathDoc (for preprints) and NetLab (for Internet resources), this outstanding engine is capable of simple, full, and refined searches. It also offers a browse option, which responds to entries in the author, keyword, and title fields. Further information about the Project is provided at the EULER homepage. [KR]
[Back to Contents]African Herpetofauna
http://www.vfu.cz/cz/ustavy/parasit/herpuga/herpuga.htm
Dr. David Modry and Jan Slapeta, of the Department of Parasitology at the University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno (Czech Republic), and collaborator Petr Neaas, produced this interesting checklist of African Herpetofauna for a National Park in Western Uganda. Lying at the intersection between East Africa and the Congo basin, Semuliki National Park is "one of the smallest and youngest parks in Uganda," and contains amphibian and reptile species that may occur in both regions, as well as several endemics. The checklist offers color photographs and descriptive text (including scientific name, Class, Family, Common name, Distribution and Biological Remarks, and Physical Description) for several dozen species recorded there in 1996. Given the paucity of information for this region, this is a particularly useful resource and will be of special value to researchers and students of Ugandan Herpetofauna. [LXP]
[Back to Contents]International Arctic Buoy Programme (IABP) [.ps, QuickTime, Sound Machine]
http://iabp.apl.washington.edu/
The University of Washington's International Arctic Buoy Programme (IABP) "maintains a network of automatic data buoys in the Arctic Basin which monitor synoptic-scale fields of pressure, temperature, and ice motion to support real-time operations and meteorological and oceanographic research." A rich array of information includes monthly buoy maps, data sets, buoy reports, and a buoy motion and ice concentration animation which uses data from 1979 to 1994 (QuickTime, 46 Mb). Highlighted reports cover topics like surface air temperature variations and observations of ice motion. Additionally, there are browseable images and data plots with accompanying audio files (Sound Machine), and buoy diagrams. [KR]
[Back to Contents]Zoonomen: Zoological Nomenclature Resource (Birds of the World)
http://www.zoonomen.net/
Seasoned amateur ornithologist Dr. Alan Peterson has put together this Zoological Nomenclature Resource on the Birds of the World. Based on Sibley & Monroe (Distribution and Taxonomy of Birds of the World, 1990) and the AOU Checklist (7th Ed.), the resource includes current valid scientific avian names. Zoonomen contains nomenclature information (including full citations) organized by Order (from Anseriformes to Upupiformes) for 2,073 Genera and 9,806 Species and may be browsed alphabetically. Two sections entitled Explanatory Notes and Reference List provide additional information, such as modifications in the taxonomic sequence, and additional bibliographical materials. This is a fine, clutter-free resource on zoological nomenclature. [LXP]
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Simple, Common, and Interesting Molecules [Chime, Java]
http://www.iumsc.indiana.edu/common/common.html
This newly updated collection from the Indiana University Molecular Structure Center (IUMSC) (for the IUMSC, see the July 21, 1999 Scout Report for Science & Engineering) uses X-ray crystallography and molecular mechanics techniques to calculate the structures of a variety of interesting molecules. With data and simple rotatable models of minerals from Anhydrite to Wulfenite, the site also contains similar information on amino acids, nucleotides, poisons, vitamins, Boron Hydrides, macromolecules, and more. Structures may be viewed via a Chime application or Java. The site includes a tutorial for the Java applet, JaMM. [KR]
[Back to Contents]On The Prairie
http://www1.umn.edu/bellmuse/mnideals/prairie/index.html
On The Prairie is brought to the Web by Bell LIVE!, a superb, online science learning center that emphasizes Minnesota's resources and research. Six sections form the core of the On The Prairie resource: LIVE! from the Prairie (see below), Build a Prairie (a learning game that emphasizes the functional role of species), Field Guide to the Prairie (complete with scientific names, photographs, life history information, and a glossary), Experience the Prairie, Curriculum Goodies, and Researching the Prairie. In each section, users will find background information on the ecology and natural history of prairie organisms, tips on prairie plant and animal identification (and ecological function), and learning games (Build a Prairie), among other resources. A special feature of the site is the upcoming electronic prairie field trip, involving "live satellite broadcasts driven by a curriculum and Internet activities," to be broadcast live -- from the prairie -- on October 13, 1999. For anyone interested in learning more about prairies, this is an outstanding site. [LXP]
[Back to Contents]Basics of NMR
http://www.cis.rit.edu/htbooks/nmr/nmr-main.htm
Dr. Joseph Hornak of the Rochester Institute of Technology presents this high quality hypertextbook for in-depth coverage of the physics and technique behind Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) (For Dr. Hornak's Basics of MRI, see the August 4, 1999 Scout Report for Science & Engineering). The material is presented in a detailed and clear manner without over simplifying the concepts. Chapters include "The Mathematics of NMR," "Spin Physics," "NMR Spectroscopy," "Fourier Transforms," "Pulse Sequences," and much more. A chapter on "NMR Hardware" offers an overview of components (like the superconducting magnet and various coils) used in most NMR systems. The "Practical Considerations" chapter emphasizes spectroscopic techniques. With the screen split into two separate frames, explanatory graphics can be viewed alongside the text. A glossary and a list of symbols are also included in this carefully produced textbook. [KR]
[Back to Contents]NOAA Education Resources
http://www.education.noaa.gov/
The NOAA Education Resources Website is the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s classroom on the Web. With special sections targeting teachers and students (mostly junior high school), this Website links users to specific resources on weather, climate change, oceans and coasts, satellites and space, and related topics. While the introductory student information is decent, by far the strength of the site lies in the Specially for Teachers section. Here, a plethora of Websites and special resources delve into an array of information on each topic; many of these categorical sites will be useful to researchers and college students as well. [LXP]
[Back to Contents]The International Boiling Point Project
http://k12science.stevens-tech.edu/curriculum/boilproj/
Between September 13 and December 10, 1999, the Center for Improved Engineering and Science Education (CIESE) at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey invites students and adults from all over the world to participate in The International Boiling Point Project. "The purpose of this project is to discover which factor in the experiment (room temperature, elevation, volume of water, or heating device) has the greatest influence on boiling point." Students, entire classes, or anyone else interested in participation must register beforehand via an online form. Data submitted online are posted at the site. The deadline for submitting data to be included in the final database is November 19, 1999. The project is an excellent forum for engaging students in the process of simple experimentation and data collection. [KR]
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Canadian National Geomagnetism Program
http://www.geolab.nrcan.gc.ca/geomag/eng_main.html
The Canadian National Geomagnetism Program provides excellent resources for keeping track of the Earth's ever-changing magnetic field throughout Canada. The information here covers "time-scales ranging from seconds to decades." Data include short- and long-term magnetic activity forecasts, and plots of one-minute variations of the geomagnetic field. Also, an in-depth geomagnetic hazards section discusses effects of magnetic storms on power systems, pipelines, and communication cables. [KR]
[Back to Contents]Total Maximum Daily Load Program -- EPA [Power Point]
http://www.epa.gov/owow/tmdl/
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides this informative resource on Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL). A term used to discuss water quality, TMDL refers to "a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a water body can receive and still meet water quality standards." The TMDL Program Website offers background information on TMDLs (including FAQs), a National Overview of Impaired Waters in the US, and two standard presentations on TMDLs (HTML and Power Point). The heart of the site, however, is the interactive map of the US, which allows users access to each state's TMDL Program. Within each state, watershed names and maps, as well as source information (Water body, Parameter of Concern, Priority for TMDL Development), are provided. [LXP]
[Back to Contents]Near Earth Object Program
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/
NASA's Near Earth Object Program Office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) offers this Webpage (for another similar page from JPL, see the March 13, 1998 Scout Report for Science & Engineering) containing relevant information on Near Earth Objects (NEO). The site includes current tables with tracking data for potentially hazardous asteroids and their approaches towards earth, detailed information of recent NEO discoveries, and images of the objects themselves. An FAQ section and a variety of related links are also available here. [KR]
[Back to Contents]Two on Wetland Banks
Mile High Wetland Bank
http://www.wetlandbank.com/
Critical Habitats, Inc.
http://www.criticalhabitats.com/
The two sites listed here are provided by environmental consulting firms that work with commercial and private landowners to establish Wetland Banks. An innovative concept (and growing reality) that has received mixed reviews from scientists, Wetland Banking attempts to combine the goals of developers (i.e., to develop a certain area) and wetland conservationists (i.e., to maintain/ restore areas of intact wetlands). If misused, this approach could work against wetland conservation; if properly instated, however, Wetland Banking might offer an alternative to the currently poor success rate of wetland mitigation projects. The first resource, by Mile High Wetlands Group, LLC, offers background information on Wetland banking, with an emphasis on the Group's local area (Colorado). The second site, from Critical Habitats, Inc., provides additional straightforward information on Wetland Banking. [LXP]
[Back to Contents]Innovative Transportation Technologies
http://faculty.washington.edu/~jbs/itrans/
Of interest to urban planners, environmentalists, transportation planners, engineers, and others from a variety of disciplines, this University of Washington site provides information on unconventional transportation technologies with an eye to replace cars and trucks with environmentally sound mass transit and freight options. Special attention is therefore paid to non-auto technologies. A few of the innovative transportation designs included here are supported vehicles like the Cabintaxi and suspended vehicles like the Sky Train. While some of the descriptions of these unusual vehicles are on-site, there are also many hyperlinks leading users to external sites containing new and fascinating technology. [KR]
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(For links to additional current awareness on tables of contents, abstracts, preprints, new books, data, conferences, etc., visit the The Scout Report for Science & Engineering Current Awareness Metapage: http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/report/sci-eng/metapage/).Mathematical Digest
http://www.ams.org/new-in-math/mathdigest/
From e-MATH, the Website of the American Mathematical Society, Mathematical Digest provides short summaries of news articles about mathematics (or mathematicians) that have appeared in the popular press. As some articles have a distinctly popular flavor, content will also be of interest to those curious about the culture's (and the media's) perception of math. The table of contents features summaries for articles dating from this summer back to 1995. The brief summaries of articles gleaned from magazines and newspapers (such as Nature,Discover, and The New York Times) also include the date the article appeared and the page number, for easy reference. [KR]
[Back to Contents]E. coli in Drinking Water
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/ecoli.html
Last week, in reaction to the food borne illness outbreaks across the US, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released this factsheet on Escherichia coli. The factsheet offers information on recent outbreaks of E. coli, questions & answers about the bacteria, and links to related resources. [LXP]
[Back to Contents]"The Insignificance of Statistical Significance Testing"
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/1999/statsig/statsig.htm
This excellent article by Douglas H. Johnson was published this summer in the Journal of Wildlife Management, 63(3):763-772 and is made available now in electronic version by the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center. In the article, Johnson argues that "statistical hypothesis tests add very little value to the products of research." Through a series of simple examples and clear text, Johnson criticizes several often-praised statistical hypothesis methods, and offers alternatives (in the form of estimation and confidence intervals, decision theory, and Bayesian approaches to "hypothesis testing and other statistical practices"). For any student or researcher of ecology, this article makes several fundamental points that should not be overlooked. [LXP]American Society for Civil Engineers (ASCE) Journals [.pdf, Gzipped PS]
http://www.pubs.asce.org/journals/jrns.html
Until December 31, 1999, American Society for Civil Engineers (ASCE) journals can be accessed freely by both subscribers and non-subscribers. For the rest of the year, publications such as the Journal of Aerospace Engineering, the Journal of Engineering Mechanics, and the Journal of Structural Engineering are available online in their entirety (.pdf, .ps). The materials are being incrementally released to the general public with all 27 of the journals available by the end of October. The October releases include the Journal of Management in Engineering, the Journal of Surveying Engineering, the Journal of Energy Engineering, the Journal of Urban Planning and Development, and the Journal of Cold Regions Engineering.[KR]"Large Scale Impoverishment of Amazonian Forests by Logging and Fire" [.pdf]
http://www.whrc.org/news/images/nature.pdf
In this article, Daniel Nepstad and others, who published these findings in the prestigious journal Nature (April 8, 1999), discuss the issue of "Cryptic Deforestation," in which "as much as half of forest damage in Amazonia may go undetected by satellite mapping." Consequently, more carbon dioxide may be being released into the atmosphere from the rainforest than previously calculated. The article is available in .pdf format and may be browsed or downloaded at the site. [LXP]Regular & Chaotic Dynamics Selected Papers [.pdf]
http://www.turpion.org/new/main/rcd_pdf/rcd_abs.html
Regular & Chaotic Dynamics Journal Homepage [Frames]
http://www.turpion.org/info/pa?tur_options=nr&tur_area=rcd&tur_page=homes/rcd
From Moscow State University, the journal Regular & Chaotic Dynamics has posted full-text access to a number of selected articles from 1998 and 1999. These original research articles focus on various aspects of "the analysis of regular and stochastic behavior in determined dynamic systems that arise in classical mechanics, physics and in other areas." Titles of the two 1999 articles included to date are "Lie Algebras in Vortex Dynamics and Celestial Mechanics," and "Making Fractals Fat." Though the journal Regular & Chaotic Dynamics requires a subscription, access to these selected articles is free. [KR]New CRS Reports
http://www.cnie.org/nle/crsnew.html
Thirty-seven new and forty-seven updated Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports have been added to the National Library of the Environment Website. The reports cover a broad array of topics, including Y2K challenges, debt reduction in poor countries, environmental policy (federal/ state relations), nuclear waste repositories, taxes to finance Superfund, national wildlife refuges and hunting, and defense research, among other topics. [LXP]"Building a Magnetic View of Alaska"
http://greenwood.cr.usgs.gov/pub/open-file-reports/ofr-99-0418/AKTALK.HTM
Based on a talk given by Rick Saltus, this USGS open-file report uses a slideshow format to present work completed and methods used to "edit, document, distribute, and interpret about a million line-kilometers of aeromagnetic data in Alaska." Intermingled with excellent thumbnail graphics, the text describes and explains the accompanying images. Section titles include an Introduction to Magnetic Data, Alaska Aeromagnetic History, Making a Magnetic Quilt, Zooming out: Crustal-scale Interpretation, Zooming in: Interior Alaska Geophysical Framework, Looking Ahead: Live Databases and 3D Interpretive Models, and References: for Further Reading. [KR]Bibliography: Climate Change and Its Impact on Biodiversity
http://www.eelink.net/~asilwildlife/CCWildlife.html
.pdf Version:
http://www.eelink.net/~asilwildlife/ccbio.pdf
Wil Burns, co-chair of the American Society of International Law, Wildlife Interest Group has produced this bibliography of peer-reviewed and gray literature "including journal articles, newspaper articles, reports and materials on the Internet." The bibliography, which includes over 1,700 citations to date, "focuses on climate change (defined herein as global warming or ozone depletion) and its impacts on flora and fauna species and critical supporting ecosystems. The bibliography, which is available in HTML or .pdf format, will be updated every two months. [LXP]"Clash over climate change: Singer article clouds the picture"
http://www.nationalpost.com/financialpost.asp?s2=opinion&f=990902/68661.html
Dr. Andrew Weaver, lead author of numerous reports by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and professor of Earth and Ocean Sciences at the University of Victoria (Canada), has written this article in an attempt to clarify public (and scientific) misconceptions about climate change. Clearly written and carefully worded, the article offers insights on the most important aspects of climate change. [LXP]"The Science of Climate Change: Global and US Perspectives"
Executive Summary:
http://www.pewclimate.org/projects/env_science.html
Full Report [.pdf]:
http://www.pewclimate.org/projects/env_science.pdf
The Pew Center on Global Climate Change offers this report that describes how "the rate of future warming over the United States is expected to be noticeably faster than the global-mean rate," among other findings. The main points of the report are summarized at the homepage, or the report may be downloaded in full (.pdf format). [LXP]
[Back to Contents]Job Openings in Science and Technology from The Chronicle of Higher Education
http://chronicle.com/free/jobs/faculty/scitech/links.htm
Although The Chronicle of Higher Education charges a fee to access the current week's job listings, extensive postings for the previous week are freely available. [LXP]Science Magazine's Current Job Advertisements
http://recruit.sciencemag.org/jobsearch.dtl
Science Magazine's Current Job Advertisements are browseable and searchable. Ads are browseable by the date a job is posted and by discipline, geographical location, type of position, and type of organization. Search features include a keyword search, in conjunction with checkmarks for the categories mentioned above. [KR]Physics Jobs On-line
http://physicsweb.org/TIPTOP/FORUM/JOBS/
The Physics Forum, in connection with the Institute of Physics, offers this free online job list for physics job opportunities, including open positions and postdoc openings. Also featured here are Jobs Wanted listings, Current Deadlines, and Today's Announcements, and an Automated Email Notification of new jobs and deadlines. To submit an entry, users must register. [KR]
[Back to Contents]NSF/ DoE Partnership in Basic Plasma Science and Engineering [MSWord, .pdf]
http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf99159
The Directorates for Engineering, Geosciences, and Mathematics and Physical Sciences of the NSF and the Office of Science/ Office of Fusion Energy Sciences of the Department of Energy are offering grants for successful proposals that "address fundamental issues in plasma science and engineering that can have impact in other areas or disciplines in which improved basic understanding of the plasma state is needed." Note that "proposals should discuss effective ways in which education is integrated within the research programs." Individual investigators or small groups from universities and nonprofit organizations are eligible to submit proposals. The deadline for letters of intent is November 1, 1999. Proposals are due January 12, 2000. [KR]Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/1999/nsf99168/nsf99168.htm
The National Science Foundation (NSF)'s Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program "seeks to improve the quality and expand the scope of research and research training in science and engineering, and to foster the integration of research and education by providing instrumentation for research-intensive learning environments." Funding for research equipment is available on a competitive basis, either "for a single instrument, a large system of instruments, or multiple instruments that share a common or specific research focus." Proposals are due January 18, 2000. [LXP]The Eugene Garfield Postdoctoral Fellowship in the History of Scientific Information
http://www.chemheritage.org/HistoricalServices/Scholars/garfieldfellow.HTM
The Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) is now accepting applications for the 2000-2001 Eugene Garfield Postdoctoral Fellowship in the History of Scientific Information. This CHF in-residence fellowship is aimed at researchers with a focus in the field of the history of information science, with an emphasis on developments within this century. Eligible candidates should have a doctorate in the chemical sciences, information science, or the history of science, technology, or medicine. The application deadline is December 1, 1999. [KR]Focused Research Groups in the Mathematical Sciences
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/1999/nsf99156/nsf99156.htm
From the National Science Foundation and the Division of Mathematical Sciences, the purpose of these awards "is to allow groups of researchers to respond to recognized scientific needs of pressing importance, to take advantage of current scientific opportunities, or to prepare and solidify the ground for anticipated scientific developments in the mathematical sciences." US universities, four-year colleges, and US nonprofit, nonacademic research organizations are all eligible to apply. Interested parties should send in a letter of intent by November 1, 1999. Proposal deadlines follow a month later on December 1, 1999. [KR]
[Back to Contents]Seventh Australasian Heat and Mass Transfer Conference
http://www.eng.jcu.edu.au/AHMTC/
In association with the Australasian Fluid and Thermal Engineering Society, the Seventh Australasian Heat and Mass Transfer Conference will be held at James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia, July 3-6, 2000. Sections of the conference will include convection, conduction, combustion, turbulence, multi phase flow, computational methods, experimental methods, and heat transfer (environmental, industrial, fire). Initial expression of interest is required by October 31, 1999, with final paper submissions due February 28, 2000. [KR]Disturbance Dynamics in Boreal Forests
http://honeybee.helsinki.fi/dist2000/frame.htm
The third international workshop on Disturbance Dynamics in Boreal Forests will be held in Kuhmo, Finland, August 21-25, 2000. The theme of the workshop is "Restoration and Management of Biodiversity," with a specific focus on "the interplay between disturbance, successional, and population processes in maintaining biodiversity in boreal forest ecosystems, with appropriate attention to the functional role of biodiversity." Abstracts are due February 2000; a pre-registration form is now available online. [LXP]Photon 2000: International Workshop on Structure and Interactions of the Photon
http://lapg.lancs.ac.uk/photon2000/
Photon 2000, to be held August 26-31, 2000, has been organized by Lancaster University and will take place at Ambleside, Lake District, England. The International Workshop on Structure and Interactions of the Photon, which includes the thirteenth International Workshop on Photon-Photon Collisions, is primarily concerned with the nature of high-energy photons. The deadline for abstracts is July 8, 2000. [KR]
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US Naval Observatory Data Services
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/AA/data/
From the US Naval Observatory, the Data Services page offers an outstanding array of overall data for sun and moon phases and movements. Included here is information on moon phases, eclipses, sun and moon positions, and exact dates and times for the Earth's seasons from 1992 to 2005. One data set, Complete Sun and Moon Data for One Day, offers data on times of "sunrise, sunset, moonrise, moonset, transits of the Sun and Moon, and the beginning and end of civil twilight, along with information on the Moon's phase." Two forms allow users to search for data pertaining to specific locations within the US or worldwide. [KR]
[Back to Contents]National Atlas of the US: Biology Layers
http://www.nationalatlas.gov/whatsnew.html
Adding ecological depth to cartographic clarity, the National Atlas of the US (discussed in the June 26, 1998 issue of the Scout Report) has recently added biology layers to their interactive map of the United States. Biology map layer options include Butterfly Distributions, Individual Butterfly Species Distribution, Individual Moth Species Distribution, Land Cover Diversity, Land Cover Characteristics, Moth Distribution, and North American Breeding Bird Survey Routes. With a click of the mouse, users may now build species-specific (or aggregate) maps by selecting the appropriate layers of interest. [LXP]
[Back to Contents]Tide Predictor
http://facs.scripps.edu/cgi-bin/tidegen.pl
As part of the Scripps Research Institute Website, this no-frills tide predictor gives daily data on tide levels for a number of fixed locations along the West Coast. Expressed in units of feet, high and low tides are accompanied by local times. Data is shown in figures as well as with a color chart. One note, the data is accompanied by a warning that reads, "Do not rely on the output of this program for decisions that can result in harm to anyone or anything." [KR]
[Back to Contents]Biodiversity Law of Costa Rica [.pdf]
http://www.eelink.net/~asilwildlife/costa.pdf
This newly online document details the legal technicalities of Costa Rica's Biodiversity Law, made public in July 1999. The document (.pdf format) contains the following sections, among others: Natural System of Conservation Areas; Guarantees of Environmental Safety; Conservation and Sustainable Use of Ecosystems and Species; Access to Genetic Components and Biochemicals and Protection of Associated Knowledge; Education and Public Awareness; Environmental Impact Assessments; Incentives; and Procedures, Processes, and Agreements. For those interested in conservation law or the intricacies of biological diversity protection in developing countries, this document will be of great interest. [LXP]
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EPA Proposes Curb on Dumping Bioaccumulating Chemicals into Great Lakes
1) "EPA Seeks Great Lakes Protections"
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/19990924/pl/lakes_chemicals_1.html
2) "Great Lakes Toxin Curbs Sought"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-09/25/123l-092599-idx.html
3) The Great Lakes Information Network
http://www.great-lakes.net/
4) Great Lakes Ecopage
http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/ecopage/
5) The Great Lakes Natural Resource Center
http://nwf.org/greatlakes/index.html
6) Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab
http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/
7) Critical Pollutants in the Great Lakes
http://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/communications/publications/One-pagers/CriticalPollutants.html
8) Contaminated Sediments in the Great Lakes
http://h2o.seagrant.wisc.edu/Communications/Publications/One-pagers/contamsed.html
9) HazDat Database
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/hazdat.html
On Friday, September 24, 1999, Carol Browner of the Environmental Protection Agency announced a proposal to limit the dumping of bioaccumulative chemicals of concern (BCCs). BCCs are known to accumulate within living organisms and can move up the food chain, eventually affecting humans. Common BCCs include mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), chlordane, DDT, dioxin, and mirex. The proposed plan would abolish the creation of new "mixing zones," or areas where chemicals are mixed with water and distributed into the Great Lakes. The plan would also phase out existing mixing zones over the next ten years. While Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin have already stopped the use of mixing zones for disposal of toxic chemicals, Illinois, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania still continue the practice. The proposal must wait through a 60-day period of public comments before it can be ratified. This week's In The News focuses on the EPA proposal and includes information on the ecology and chemical pollution of the Great Lakes.
The first two links, "EPA Seeks Great Lakes Protections," an Associated Press article from Yahoo News (1), and "Great Lakes Toxin Curbs Sought," from The Washington Post(2), offer print media statements on the EPA proposal to potentially curtail the legal practice of chemical dumping in the Great Lakes. The next site, the Great Lakes Information Network (GLIN) (3), is an outstanding single source for a plethora of information covering the binational concerns of the Great Lakes Region. Links to first rate sites pertaining to the economy, the ecosystem, educational resources, sites with an environmental interest, publications, and references can all be found through the Great Lakes Information Network. The following three sites share in a partnership with the GLIN. These include the EPA's Great Lakes Ecopages (4), which houses an introduction to Great Lakes ecosystems and also contains many documents on subjects like ecological protection and the ecological state of the great lakes region; the National Wildlife Federation's Great Lakes Natural Resource Center (5), which carries information on water quality, mercury, and other toxic contaminants, and an interesting educational outreach section; and finally, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab (6), a page that provides extensive access to ecological and toxicity research, Great Lakes data, and publications including technical reports. Following these useful sites are two informative pages from the University of Wisconsin's Sea Grant Institute. The first page (7) presents a list of critical pollutants plaguing the Great Lakes, while the second page (8) consists of a more detailed discussion of contaminated sediments in the lakes. Finally, for users interested in further research on various chemical pollutants, the HazDat Database (9) is an excellent tool for research on hazardous substance release and the health effects of such substances (see the February 4, 1998 Scout Report for Science and Engineering). [KR]
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From The Scout Report for Science & Engineering, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-1999. http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
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Copyright Susan Calcari and the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, 1994-1999. The Internet Scout Project (http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/), located in the Computer Sciences Department of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, provides information about the Internet to the U.S. research and education community under a grant from the National Science Foundation, number NCR-9712163. The Government has certain rights in this material. Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of the entire Scout Report provided this paragraph, including the copyright notice, are preserved on all copies.
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