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Printed copies of A Policy Statement on the Incineration of Municipal Waste are now available from the International Joint Commission. Developed by its International Air Quality Advisory Board, the policy statement was adopted by the Commission in September 1996. The statement views incineration as only one of the currently available municipal solid waste management options and sets forth principles for its use. Waste reduction and recycling must remain the cornerstone of waste management and new incineration facilities, at a minimum should be in full compliance with governmental requirements. In addition, any further deployment of incineration technology should be done on the basis of a net reduction of emissions of persistent toxic substances, jurisdictionwide from such facilities. Copies of the policy statement and background paper to the policy statement are available from the Washington and Ottawa offices of the International Joint Commission, as well as at http://www.ijc.org/php/publications/html/incin/incin.html.
A quarterly summary of recent findings in the scientific literature on human health effects and environmental pollutants is now available. The Health Effects Review is prepared under the direction of the International Joint Commission's Health Professionals Task Force and emphasizes pollutants of the Great Lakes ecosystem. Topics covered include environmental radionuclides, microbiological water pollution, environmental lead and others. Future issues will cover neurobehavioral effects, pesticides, population based studies, medical and hazardous wastes and air quality.
Désormais, les internautes ont accès à un sommaire trimestriel des plus récentes données scientifiques concernant les effets sur la santé humaine et les polluants de l'environnement. Ce sommaire, intitulé La santé/pollution: en bref, est produit sous la direction du Groupe de travail des professionnels de la santé de la Commission mixte internationale. Le premier numéro renseigne sur divers aspects de la pollution de l'écosystème des Grands Lacs : radionucléides et plomb dans l'environnement, pollution microbiologique de l'eau, etc. Les prochains numéros traiteront des sujets suivants : effets neurocomportementaux de la pollution, pesticides, études basées sur des échantillons de populations, questions médicales, déchets dangereux et qualité de l'air.
Progress to reduce the use and emission of chlorinated substances is outlined in a new Canadian federal government report entitled Chlorinated Substances Action Plan. This second progress report from Environment Canada and Health Canada outlines initiatives taken in 1995 and 1996, including the banning of four chlorinated substances and efforts to measure the effects of chlorinated substances in foods and on human health. The Chlorinated Substances Action Plan was initiated to manage some of the most harmful, highly toxic, persistent and bio-accumulative substances found in the environment. The report is available on Environment Canada's Green Lane .
The Boundary Waters Wilderness Ecosystem is a comprehensive guide to the geology, biology and ecology of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, providing a detailed look at the history, landscape, climate, forests and wildlife of the region, along with a guide to locating natural features and historic sites. The guide (ISBN 0-8166-2804-1) is available for $24.95 (US) in hardcover at bookstores, or from the University of Minnesota Press, 111 Third Avenue South, Suite 290, Minneapolis, MN 55401-2520. For more information, contact Alison Aten, Publicist, (612)627-1932; fax (612)627-1980; email at; enx001@gold.tc.umn.edu.
Forming Partnerships for Environmental Justice: A Handbook for Environmental, Civil Rights and Community Organizations, was written by staff members of the Ecology Center of Ann Arbor, Michigan who participated in the Ypsilanti Pollution Prevention Project, an environmental justice project in partnership with the Ypsalinti/Willow Run branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Combining the resources and expertise of two different organizations, the project outlines the steps taken to become partners, and how groundwork was created to involve citizens, educators and students in order to combat environmental injustice through education and citizen action. For more information, or a copy of the 17-page handbook at $2 (US), contact Stacey Fallis, Ecology Center, 117 North Division, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. (313)761-3186 ext. 110; fax (313)663-2414.
The Great Lakes Solution Seeker: A collection of data and resources for teaching about the Great Lakes is a compact disk designed by the Ohio Sea Grant Education Program for use by educators and students. The CD-ROM is intended to provide the learner with a rich resource of Great Lakes information and ideas for using the information to solve problems in an effort to improve and protect the lakes. The CD-ROM and supporting documentation are available for $10 (US) from Ohio Sea Grant Publications, The Ohio State University, 1314 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH 43212-1194. (614)292-8949; fax (614)292-4364; website http://www.sg.ohio.edu/ .
Forecasting the Future is a 160-page teachers guide designed for grades six-10, featuring background information that examines past and potential climate change from an interdisciplinary perspective. Fourteen classroom activities and more than 40 extension exercises help students understand climate change through animal biology, chemistry, geology, meteorology, physics and plant biology. The concepts are tied together by a sophisticated timeline that illustrates climate changes, major extinctions and other key events in Earth's history. For more information, contact Douglas M. Messier, National Science Teachers Association, 1840 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201-3000. (703)243-7100; fax (703)841-5114; website http://www.nsta.org.
That Magnificent Ground Water Connection designed for grades K-six, is a compilation of activities focusing on groundwater and its connections to the environment and drinking water supplies, more specifically related to New England. Through stories, experiments, mysteries and songs, students learn about water and its cyclical movement between land and sky, the connection between ground water, streams, lakes, estuaries and wetlands, where drinking water comes from and how to become a water steward. Copies may be obtained for $25 (US) each by contacting the New England Interstate Environmental Training Center, 2 Fort Road, South Portland, ME 04106. (207)767-2539.
Reducing your Risk: A Guide to Avoiding Hormone-Disrupting Chemicals is a booklet recently released by World Wildlife Fund Canada examining the ever growing issue of hormone disruption. Questions about the effects of hormone-disrupting chemicals, and how the average person can avoid exposure are discussed. The entire booklet is available on-line at http://www.wwfcanada.org/hormone-disruptors/ along with additional detailed information on the issue of hormone disruptors, or in limited hard copies by contacting WWF Canada, 90 Eglington Avenue East, suite 504, Toronto, ON M4P 2Z7. (416)489-8800; fax (416)489-3611; email panda@wwfcanada.org(.)
Keeping the Earth, Religious and Scientific Perspectives on the Environment is a video examining the issue of environmental stewardship from both religious and scientific perspectives. Scenes are presented from around the world showing how dramatically the earth is being altered by humanity. Scientists and religious leaders arrive at the same conclusion: the natural world around us is precious, and significant action is required to prevent potential destruction through human activity. The 27-minute video is designed to be a stimulating starting point for discussions in congregations, classrooms and community groups. It is accompanied by a 48-page guide with discussion questions, activity suggestions, resource suggestions and further information on scientific and religious perspectives on the environment. To obtain a copy at $14.95 (US) plus $3 shipping and handling, contact Publications Department, Union of Concerned Scientists, Two Brattle Square, Cambridge, MA 02238-9105. (617)547-5552; email; pubs@ucsusa.org .
The publication Environmental Geology of Urban Areas, containing 39 chapters and written by 67 contributors, is primarily intended for senior undergraduate and graduate students. Ten themes examine environmental geology issues in Canada's urban areas, such as contamination of ground and surface waters, pollution and erosion of urban waterfronts, waste disposal, contaminated substrates, geological hazards, public health issues, remediation of contaminated sites, investigative techniques and environmental assessment legislation. To order, contact Geological Association of Canada, Publications Department (GEOL97), c/o Department of Earth Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NF A1B 3X5. (709)737-7660; fax (709)737-2532; email; gac@sparky2.esd.mun.ca
Canada's sustainable trends report, Building Momentum: Sustainable Development in Canada, identifies important trends over the last quarter century, which provide a snapshot of the country's progress toward sustainable development. The report illustrates how social, economic and environmental conditions in Canada have changed; to demonstrate how issues, priorities and responses have evolved; and to highlight challenges that remain in the quest for a sustainable future. Released with the report are a series of short papers on the following topics: the Sustainable Management of Forests; Sustainable Transportation; Ensuring the Health of the Oceans and Other Seas; Sustainable Development of Minerals and Metals; and Canadian Youth Perspectives on Sustainable Development. Copies of the report and monographs are available from Environment Canada Enquiry Centre, Place Vincent Massey, Lobby, 351 St. Joseph Boulevard, Hull, PQ K1A 0H3. (819)997-2800, or toll-free in Canada at (800)668-6767; internet; http://www.ec.gc.ca . Copies are also available from InfoCentre, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, 125 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON K1A 0G2. (813)944-4000, or toll free in Canada and the United States at (800)267-8376; internet: http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca .
Marking the 50th anniversary of the Canadian Water Resources Association (CWRA), the non-government organization has released Reflections on Water, providing a history of the organization, information and insights into major water policies and decisions with which CWRA has been involved and a critical assessment of its accomplishments. To order, contact CWRA Membership Services Office, P.O. Box 1329, Cambridge, ON N1R 7G6. (519)622-4764; fax (519)621-4844; email; cwranat@worldchat.com .
CORRECTION
The International Joint Commission's email address listed on page 17 of the March/April issue of FOCUS was printed incompletely. To request a copy of the 25th Anniversary of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement timeline poster, or the video Fulfilling the Promise, email: bondyd@.ijc.wincom.net .
La voici! L'adresse par courrier-électronique de la Commission mixte internationale qui apparait à la page 17 de l'édition de mars/avril de FOCUS fut imprimée de façon incomplète. Pour obtenir une copie de l' Affiche du 25ième anniversaire de l'Accord relatif à la qualité de l'eau dans les Grands Lacs, veuillez composer: bondyd@ijc.wincom.net.
Revised: July 7, 1997
Maintained by Kevin McGunagle,
mcgunaglek@ijc.wincom.net