DELTA: Newsletter of the Canadian Global Change Program Vol. 4., No. 2, Summer 1993 IN THIS ISSUE Scientist Warning to Humanity Readers Write 6Ka BP Paleoclimate workshop CGCP NOW Prairie Biology Students Discuss Global Change DELTA Readership: Taking Stock After 3 years IGBP Update Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research UN University Research and Training Centre Eco-Research Grants Awarded New Network for Environmental Education Fellowships for Environmental Education Data and Information Campfires - the Environmental Costs Opinion Mackenzie Basin Impact Study: Interim Report Recent Publications Events Calander Symposium on Ecosystem Health and Medicine ---------------------------------------------------- DELTA: NEWSLETTER OF THE CANADIAN GLOBAL CHANGE PROGRAM (CGCP) is published quarterly by the Royal Society of Canada (RSC). It is named after the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet, a universal symbol for incremental change. This issue was edited and produced by K. Mortimer. The members of the DELTA Editorial Board are B. Bornhold (RSC), S. Curry (RSC), M.R. Dence (RSC), F. Kenneth Hare (Trent University), R.A. Price (Queen's University) and J. Holmes (Parliamentary Centre for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade). We thank everyone who contributed. Your contributions or comments are always welcome. The next submission deadline is August 3, 1993. Letters or articles in either official language should be sent to: DELTA Canadian Global Change Program c/o The Royal Society of Canada P.O. Box 9734, Ottawa, Ontario K1G 5J4. Phone: (613) 991-5639 Fax: (613) 991-6996 INTERNET: WCSRSC@CARLETON.CA WEB: CGCPRSC The CANADIAN GLOBAL CHANGE PROGRAM is the national focal point for global change activity in Canada. It represents a multidisciplinary network for coordinating research and communicating results, ideas and recommendations to the policy and research communities. Funds and indirect support are provided by the Green Plan, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Medical Research Council, the National Research Council, federal departments (including Agriculture Canada, Energy Mines and Resources, Environment Canada, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and Forestry Canada), non-government organizations, crown corporations, private industry and provincial governments. The CGCP Secretariat Staff: Simon Curry, Executive Director, RSC Paul Hough, Director, Programs, RSC Brian Bornhold, Director Dave Henderson, Information Specialist Karen Mortimer, Program Assistant Marie Ross, Administrative Assistant Annette Shaw, Cartoonist The opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the writers, and do not necessarily represent those of the CGCP. Aussi disponible en franais. Veuillez voir la formulaire 'abonnement. ****************************************************************** Scientists' Warning to Humanity by Karen Mortimer Canadian Global Change Program About 1700 senior scientists from 71 different countries -- including 104 Nobel laureates -- are so concerned about the threat of environmental degradation that they have gone public and signed the now well known World Scientists' Warning to Humanity. The initiative is the first step in the Global Resources Project, a long-term campaign by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). UCS is a U.S.-based non-profit organization that conducts technical studies and public education, and seeks to influence government policy at the local, state, federal and international levels. The statement signed by scientists is about two pages long. It briefly describes the stress that human activities have inflicted on six areas of the environment, and outlines the human population problem. It then issues the following warning: We the undersigned, senior members of the world's scientific community, hereby warn all humanity of what lies ahead. A great change in our stewardship of the earth and the life on it is required if vast human misery is to be avoided and our global home on this planet is not to be irretrievably mutilated. The statement goes on to make five suggestions as to "what we must do", from bringing environmentally damaging activities under control, to managing resources more effectively, to reducing and eventually eliminating poverty. The statement drew the attention of many heads of state, including Canada's own Prime Minister Mulroney, who strongly endorsed the statement. In a letter to Henry Kendall, chairman of the Union of Concerned Scientists, the Prime Minister said that "Canada stands committed to contribute its fair share to the global effort to ensure that economic development is undertaken in an environmentally responsible manner. This international effort requires initiatives on a wide variety of fronts and Canada is fully prepared to do its part." He went on to mention that he signed the instruments of ratification for the Biodiversity Convention and the Climate Change Convention, that Canada has already put in place strategies to ensure their domestic implementation and will encourage international efforts to do the same . As a follow-up to the Warning to Humanity initiative, which received a great deal of media coverage all over the world, the UCS has produced a briefing book containing articles from scientific journals on the issues raised. The book can be obtained for a minimal charge at the UCS address given below. The organization is also planning a series of meetings with national scientific academies and societies around the world to examine ways of engaging their memberships in the organization of relevant studies, educational activities and, according to Howard Ris, director of the UCS, "to build a stronger ethic in the scientific community as regards stewardship of the earth." In other areas, UCS hopes to launch a variety of campus-based activities in the U.S., including curriculum development, and UCS Chairman Henry Kendall is doing speaking tours to further heighten awareness of the scientists' message. For more information or a copy of the World Scientists' Warning to Humanity, contact the Public Information Office, Union of Concerned Scientists, 26 Church Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A. 02238. Telephone: (617) 547-5552; fax: (617) 864-9405. ****************************************************************** Readers Write Dear Editor: Re. International Geosphere-Biosphere Program Report No. 24 and Report No. 25 These two reports follow the pattern of previous reports, and are well written, clear and concise summaries of needs and plans for research, produced by a working group or committee. Without in any way wishing to criticise the suggested programs, I would like to make separate but related comments on each. Report No. 25, Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone -- Science Plan, begins with a restatement of the aims of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program (IGBP), and states that "Predictions of impacts of global change will focus on time scales of decades to centuries." Under "Geographic considerations" in the same report, identified categories of coastal areas and environmental issues include: areas affected by rapid increase in population, urban pollution, and severe exploitation of living resources; coastal areas characterized by industrial and agricultural pollution, coastal engineering and highly efficient fishing practices; polar and sub-polar areas vulnerable to coastal erosion by sea-level rise , permafrost degradation and increased UV; delta system population centres susceptible to sea-level subsidence and rise, and human- induced lowering of surface; upwelling systems with, in the coastal zone, inputs of nutrients that are controlled by variations in ocean climate Four of the five considerations are dominantly induced by current and accelerating human activity, including ubiquitous population growth. All of these are obvious and measurable, but their seriousness and particularly their interactions are probably best understood by the scientists who study them. Why then, is there no sense of urgency in the report? Why is there no call to participants in the program to emphasise what they plainly already know, and to demand immediate measures to alleviate the results of increasing human interaction with the physical and biological aspects of the coastal zone? Report No. 24 (also Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change Programme [HDP] Report No. 5) Relating Land Use and Global Land-Cover Change: A Proposal for an IGBP-HDP Core Project. It is recommended that an interdisciplinary research program involving both social and natural sciences should project future states of land cover. The driving forces for land use and land-cover changes remain the three functions described by Commoner in 1972 --population, affluence and technology. To these the authors of the report would add another three--political economy, political structure, and attitudes and values. A distinction is made between global and regional systems and data, and research is driven by subjective interpretations rather than by attempts to test different hypotheses. The contrast between the first three driving forces, which are essentially objective and measurable, and the second three, which are essentially subjective and not easily measured, is important and represents the philosophical difference between empiricism and deduction from postulates. The latter represents a different approach to reality and may in fact obscure the seriousness of observed changes in land cover by comparing values--that are in fact incomparable--between physical reality and economic modelling. The authors state that "While empirical assessments should provide strong clues about driving forces, experience suggests that `inductive' assessments will not be sufficient . Further insights will follow from tests of theories that specify the process and relationships in question." This reminds one of the old quip overheard at a gathering of planners: "What makes you think that it would work in theory just because it works in practice?" Dr. Digby McLaren Ottawa, Ontario ****************************************************************** Six Thousand Years Before Present Paleoclimate Workshop by Dr. John Matthews Geological Survey of Canada In late-November 1992, members of the Canadian climate modelling and paleo-proxy communities met in Ottawa to discuss and plan options for research under the Paleoclimate-Model Intercomparison Project (PMIP). The three day workshop was organized by the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) and jointly sponsored by the GSC, Canadian Climate Centre and the Canadian Global Change Program. The Ottawa workshop dealt specifically with the 6 ka BP time slice, one of several being tested under the PMIP. The main objective of the meeting was to examine ways that the paleo-proxy people holding 6 ka data might begin to work with the Canadian modellers in their model intercomparison activities. It was clear from the discussions that an important first step was for the paleo-proxy group to develop a cross-Canada 6 ka synthesis incorporating all available data, including those that were more qualitative in nature. Helene Jette and her colleagues at GSC have started this effort and presented results of a preliminary 6 ka vegetation map for Canada. The meeting helped establish a working relationship between Canadian climate mo dellers and paleo-proxy workers. Plans are now being drafted for a multi-year collaborative research project that will deal with the 6 ka period and a number of other time slices of interest to both groups. This project will represent a multi-sectoral consortium involving scientists from Canadian universities, the GSC, the Canadian Climate Centre and other government agencies, and will respond to the objectives set out by several international global change programs. An abstract volume of the presentations made at the meeting will be published by the Canadian Global Change Program in June 1993. There are plans to publish a more ambitious, multi- authored, peer-reviewed book on the Canadian 6 ka paleo-environment in 1994. It is expected that this document will represent a baseline for future work in Canada. The GSC will be organizing several regional workshops as a follow-up to the 6 ka workshop. These are designed to establish contact and solicit advice from researchers unable to attend the Ottawa meeting. The workshops are scheduled to be held in 1993 and early 1994, and will cover all regions of Canada. Anyone interested in being involved in these workshops or desiring further information on the collaborative project should contact John Matthews (613-996-6371) or Helene Jette (613-992-0581) of the GSC, Ottawa. ****************************************************************** CGCP NOW The Health Issues Panel is developing a Framework for Health-related Global Change Research. This document will divide research activities into four categories--threats to health from industrial/agricultural pollution, from changes in the global environment, from current and future patterns and levels of consumption, and from behavioral responses. A delphi inquiry was undertaken in April and May to get feedback from researchers, practitioners and policy-makers on priorities to be assigned to this framework. The panel met in mid-June to review this list of priorities, and sought further input and other viewpoints through meetings with selected members of the research community and representatives from relevant government departments. The panel is currently preparing the report, which is expected to be available by the fall of 1993. The Long-Term Ecosystem Research and Monitoring Panel has assembled material for a report on Canadian ecosystem monitoring and research programs that are either under way or at an advanced stage of planning. The structure of the report was reviewed at the last panel meeting in Toronto, on May 17 and 18, and selected panel members have started to write report sections. The next panel meeting is scheduled for this October and the release of the report is now planned for early 1994. The Arctic Panel met in Whitehorse, Yukon from May 14 to 16 and held a concurrent workshop called The Human Dimensions of Global Change, co-sponsored by the Canadian Global Change Program (CGCP), the Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies (ACUNS) and the Northern Research Institute of Yukon College. It focused on implications of global environmental change that are of particular concern to those living and working in Arctic regions. Participants were asked to define the major relevant issues and to recommend necessary research programs and policy responses. Using results obtained from this workshop and earlier ones, the panel is now preparing its report, which the CGCP plans to release this fall. Since the spring, the Data and Information Systems Panel has continued to develop several products, namely a discussion document on barriers to third-party access, the development and update of an Internet application and the creation of two electronic mail conferences -- one through the CGCP Research Committee with a national focus and the other international -- devoted to global change-related data and information concerns. The panel is also developing a pamphlet series on good global change data and information management practices which will be available to researchers and decision-makers this fall. See page __ for more information on global change data and information management. Canadian Options for Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction (COGGER). This blue-ribbon panel met in the spring and is currently finalizing a first draft of its report. It is now expected that the panel will be releasing it, in both official languages , in the fall of 1993. Formal briefings for policy-makers and industries will be organized to complement the distribution of the report. The CGCP Secretariat participated in several events this spring, including an Earth Day celebration put on in Toronto by Ontario Hydro, the founding meeting for EECOM -- the Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication (see page __), a conference in Portland, Maine called A Regional Response to Global Climate Change: New England and Eastern Canada, a Canadian Association of Geographers event at the Learned Societies Conference '93, a conference called Environment and Energy Education in the Decade of Decision, and EnviroFest, all in Ottawa, and the 25th International Symposium on Remote Sensing and Global Environmental Change in Graz, Austria. Global Change and Canadians is now available, and the CGCP Secretariat is currently coordinating the development of a teachers' guide to accompany it. The teachers' guide will be available free of charge with a purchase of the book, and will be ready in early September. If you wish to purchase the book before then, please indicate on your order that you would like to receive a copy of the teachers' guide once it is ready. This month the CGCP is publishing the final report of the Critical Zones Panel--a report entitled Canadian Critical Environmental Zones: Concepts, Goals and Resources. The report will be available free of charge from the CGCP Secretariat as of mid-June. The CGCP also published the proceedings from a conference in St. John's, Newfoundland entitled The Scientific Challenge of Our Changing Environment. The March 3 to 5 conference was organized by TERRAMON and the Newfoundland Section of the Geological Association of Canada. TERRAMON is a cooperative network of organizations and agencies that facilitates the long-term monitoring of and research on environmental change in Newfoundland and Labroador. For more information on TERRAMON or the conf erence, contact TERRAMON, Centre for Earth Resources Research, Department of Earth Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland A1B 3X5. Telephone: (709) 737-4519; fax: (709) 737-2589. An abstract volume of the presentations made at a workshop on options for research under the Paleoclimate-Model Intercomparison Project (PMIP) has recently been published by the CGCP. See article on page __ for more information. ****************************************************************** Prairie Biology Students Discuss Global Change by Glenn Sutter University of Regina Every year for the last 27 years, graduate and undergraduate biology students from universities in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and North Dakota have met to present and discuss their research at the Prairie University Biological Seminars (PUBS). PUBS '93 brought over 100 students and academics together at the University of Regina from February 25 to 27. In total, 56 papers and 13 posters were presented. For the first time a paper session was devoted to Conservation Biology and Global Change. Topics in this session ranged from potential impact of sea-level rise on polar bear habitat in northern Manitoba, to the distribution of forest songbirds in relation to stand age. Next year PUBS will be at the University of Calgary. For more information on PUBS '93, contact the PUBS Organizing Committee, Dept. of Biology, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 0A2. Telephone: (306) 585-4145; fax: (306) 585-4894. ****************************************************************** DELTA Readership: Taking Stock After Three Years by Dave Henderson Canadian Global Change Program Have you ever wondered who else is interested in global change? We recently extracted some statistics on DELTA readership from the CGCP database, and thought that some readers might be interested in knowing what we found out. Please keep in mind that some of the more subjective classifications/statistics are our best guesses. At present, approximately 7,500 copies of DELTA are circulated on a quarterly basis. Two thirds go to individuals on the CGCP mailing list, along with the fellowship of the Royal Society of Canada. Bulk mailing to institutions and distribution at meetings and conferences accounts for the remainder. The CGCP mailing list, originally a list of approximately 150 people attending a global change meeting, has grown substantially over the past three years to a list of more than 5,100 individuals. Growth of CGCP Mailing List May 18, 1993 - 5107 February 7, 1993 - 4633 October 7, 1991 - 1627 November 20, 1990 - 874 January 15, 1990 - 150 Geographic Distribution International US 282 Europe 189 Cent Am 25 Australasia 23 South Am 26 Asia 29 Canada 4493 Africa 38 National BC 370 Man 223 NB 127 Nf 153 AB 438 Ont 1998 NS 261 NWT 46 Sask 200 Que 592 PEI 63 Yk 22 Distribution to Organizations Federal 1110 NGOs 510 Provin 610 Funding agencies 15 Consultant 262 Univsty 1610 Municipal 99 Industry 433 Other 458 This breakdown may be somewhat misleading because an individual may be involved in many different organizations at one time. For example, a DELTA recipient may be the chairman of a small NGO group, a university professor and a member of a provincial task force. Occupational Distribution Supervisor 978 Retired/At home 191 Other 648 Educator 115 Decision Maker 319 Media 103 Operations 573 Researcher 2180 Language Distribution In the spring of 1992, in an effort to conserve both paper and money, the CGCP began publishing separate French and English versions of DELTA. French 508 English 4514 Both 85 The CGCP is disturbed by the small percentage of francophone readers and has taken steps, such as an advertisement in Qubec Science magazine, to try to increase their numbers . There is much more to do in this area and we challenge our francophone readership to suggest ways in which we might accomplish this. Distribution by Interest With the assistance of our readership in filling out their areas of expertise/interest on subscription forms, we attempt to construct a profile of most of our readers' areas of interest. Biological Sciences 850 Hydrosphere 216 Policy 121 Climate 228 Information 415 Population 20 Economics 131 Law 44 Social S/Hum 325 Energy 156 Health 159 Technology 264 Other 1895 Geoscience 158 Env. Planning/Assessment 104 We hope that it has been enlightening to see how you as a recipient fit into th e big picture of DELTA readership. We always like to receive information about your activities so that over time we can accurately reflect the various distribution parameters noted above, and continue to fulfill effectively our multidisciplinary, regional, linguistic and international mandates. ****************************************************************** IGBP Update The International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP) was formed in 1987 by the International Council of Scientific Unions to study the significant interactions of biological, chemical, and physical processes that govern changes in the Earth system and that are most susceptible to human perturbation. Several huge core projects are now under way . Canadian scientists are active both in the organization of the IGBP and in the projects themselves. This IGBP Update column will be a regular feature in DELTA from now on, keeping readers informed of important IGBP developments and activities both on a national and international level. In Canada: Biospheric Aspects of the Hydrologic Cycle (BAHC). A committee of university and government scientists has been established under the chairmanship of Dr. Brad Bass of Atmospheric Environment Service (AES). Dr. Bass is also International Leader of Focus 4 of the project. The committee is laying the groundwork for a workshop to plan a Canadian BAHC resea rch program. They met on May 15 and 16 in Edmonton to outline potential goals of the Canadian BAHC initiative, the linkages with other global change programs such as the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX), the Northern Biosphere Observation and Modelling Experiment (NBIOME), the Boreal Ecosystems-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) and other global change activities that are ongoing or being planned in Canada, and to establish the aims of a next BAHC workshop. Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone (LOICZ). During the first planning meeting of a small ad hoc group which was held in December 1992 to discuss possible directions for a Canadian LOICZ program, it was agreed to focus activities on the Arctic as a Canadian contribution to the international program; this proposal was presented to the LOICZ office in the U.K., which strongly endorsed the emphasis. A new ad hoc committee has been established recently. Members met on June 7, 1993 under the chairmanship of Dr. Grant Ingram of McGill University to plan a workshop next year which will lead to the development of a specific Canadian LOICZ proposal focusing on the Arctic. International Notes: The following are excerpts from progress reports on Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystem (GCTE) Core and Regional/National Research projects, originally published in GCTE News, No. 4, February 1993. - Ecosystem Responses to Elevated CO2, Hal Mooney, Jasper Ridge, California, U.S.A. This experimental and modelling effort aims to evaluate and model the responses of natural grassland ecosystems to a range of modifications, including elevated CO2, altered nutrient and water availability, and altered species composition. The project was initiated in January 1992. Results of the first year's studies indicated that both grassland types--serpentine and sandstone--were not very responsive to increased CO2. Elevated CO2 did not lead to significant changes in species composition or to significantly increased end-of-season biomass in either type, but it did lead to increased microbial biomass in the sandstone ecosystem. Elevated CO2 also led to plant physiological changes, including increased levels of storage carbohydrates and acclimation of photosynthetic capacity. - International Tundra Experiment (ITEX), Ulf Molau (Coordinator), Goteborg, Sweden. This large, international project aims to observe and measure responses of selected arctic and alpine species populations to changing environmental conditions by monitoring on a circum-arctic basis the performance of selected species in undisturbed habitats with and without various environmental manipulations. The basic ITEX experiment, to be repeated at many sites around the Arctic, is a temperature enhancement manipulation using open-top chambers. Preliminary results, reported in December 1992 at the Fourth ITEX Workshop at the University of Oulu, Finland, indicate that temperature, solar radiation, snow cover, and precipitation are the parameters of importance in the tundra for plant responses to global change. Carbon dioxide enrichment experiments carried out in Alaska show very little response to CO2 concentration when compared to similar experiments in other biota. On the other hand, pilot studies using ITEX chambers (temperature enhancement only) show significant responses in leaf and fruit biomass (20-140% increase in different tundra species) and in reproductive success. ****************************************************************** Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research by Philip Enros Office of the Science Advisor, Environment Canada On March 25th of this year, Canada signed the agreement establishing the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI). In doing so Canada became one of the founding parties of the IAI, along with 15 other nations of the Americas. The founding principles of the IAI are: scientific excellence, relevance to regionally defined global change issues, contribution to education and training, promotion of regularized data and information exchange, and cooperation. The IAI will operate as a network that will include a Directorate for centralized functions and IAI Research Centres throughout the Americas. The centres will conduct and sponsor research on global change processes of special importance to, and some cases unique to, the region. Seven research areas have been identified for initial attention: Tropical Ecosystems and Biogeochemical Cycles Impacts of Climate Change on Biodiversity El Nino Southern Oscillation and Interannual Climate Variability Ocean/Atmosphere/Land Interactions in the Inter-tropical Americas Oceanic, Coastal and Estuarine Processes in Temperate Zones Temperate Terrestrial Ecosystems High Latitude Processes The IAI's governing body is expected to hold its first meeting early this fall. Since last summer an interim body, the Implementation Committee, has been preparing the way for this meeting by drafting position papers on, for example, guidelines for location of the Directorate, for selection of Research Centres, and for the work of the Scientific Advisory Committee. In addition, the Implementation Committee has advanced the IAI's scientific agenda through a series of workshops, has published a newsletter, and has successfully applied for funding from the Global Environmental Facility. The IAI is potentially an important mechanism whereby Canadian scientists can cooperate with their colleagues throughout the Americas in global change research. In the spirit of last year's Earth Summit, the IAI is also a vehicle for helping Latin American countries build research capacity and benefit from world-wide research in this crucial area of knowledge . The Interdepartmental Committee on Global Change of the federal government is taking the lead in organizing Canadian participation in the IAI. This committee will soon be naming scientists as Canadian contacts for each of the seven IAI research areas. Details on the IAI's progress and on Canadian involvement in it will appear in future issues of DELTA. For more information, contact Dr. Philip Enros, Office of the Science Advisor, Environment Canada, 25 Eddy St., 3rd floor, Hull, Quebec K1A OH3. Telephone: (819) 994-5434 ; fax: (819) 953-0550. ****************************************************************** Feasibility Study for UN University Research and Training Centre in Ontario by John H. Dirks, MD Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto A feasibility study is currently under way to determine if the province of Ontario has the resources and infrastructure to support a United Nations University (UNU) Research and Training Centre (RTC) on the Environment, Water and Health. The study is being conducted under the auspices of the UNU and the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade. The overall aim of the centre would be to improve people's health and quality of life through the promotion of environmental health, with a focus on: environmental impacts; protection of water systems; toxicology; potable water distribution systems; wastewater treatment/remediation/reuse; education; public health; information technology; biotechnology and management skills. It is evident, after consulting with thirteen interested Ontario universities, that there are considerable research, training and teaching strengths in Ontario in areas such as the protection of water resources, potable water purification and distribution technology, industrial and municipal wastewater treatment technology, contaminants in water, environmental and human health risk assessment; public health sciences, and information and communicati on. Many faculties and researchers have internationally recognized expertise and are currently involved in advanced research and development. Several universities also have strong practical approaches that are very appropriate in the developing world. Therefore, it is thought that the research and training of the RTC can be satisfactorily met through a network of universities, co-ordinated by a central body located at one university. It is visualized that the network, once approved by the UNU, might be expanded to include other provincial centres. As training is an integral part of the RTC, a review of Ontario environmental industries related to environment, water and health was conducted; over twenty environmental companies were visited. These industries could potentially provide training to fellows, curriculum development, research-development projects and work/study programs. The RTC would have a number of co-operating units in the major developing regio ns of the world. Two high priority areas would be Latin America and Southeast Asia. Each centre would collaborate with the RTC in research and training, focusing on the interests and the needs of the region in which it is located. There would also likely be co-operation with various UN agencies because, given UNU's mandate, it would be able to undertake research and training that would be supportive of, complementary to and additive to the work of the UN system. A considerable number of UN agencies have been consulted regarding the RTC. It is also likely that there would be co- operation with both the Ontario Government and the Federal Government; several ministries have already been approached. The international study team includes Dr. John Dirks (Chair), Professor of Medicine and Health Administration, University of Toronto; Dr. Asit Biswas, President, International Water Resources Association; and Dr. Jose Tundisi, Professor, Centre for Water Resources and Applied Ecology, University of Sao Paulo. Working in conjunction with the study team are Dr. Rol and Fuchs, Vice Rector, United Nations University; Mr. S. Chidambaranathan, Special Advisor to the Rector, United Nations University; and Mr. John Tylee, Director, International Planning Secretariat, Ministry of Economic Development and Trade for the Government of Ontario. The UNU feasibility study is being co-funded by the Ontario ministries of Economic Development and Trade; Health; and the Environment. For more information contact Dr. J. Dirks, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 200 Elizabeth St., EN1-222, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2C4. Telephone: (416) 340-4414; fax: (416) 340-3285. ****************************************************************** Eco-Research Grants Awarded Several new research grants were recently awarded by the Eco-Research program, an initiative supported by the three federal granting councils--the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)--and Environment Canada through the Green Plan. The program, which began in 1991, supports advanced Canadian research and training in environmental studies, and emphasizes cross-disciplinary research. Support is available through three program components; Research Grants (which include both "research" and "development" grants), University Research Chairs and Fellowships. Below is a list of the Research Grants awarded by the program in March 1993. A list of successful Letters of Intent and Development Grants, as well as successful Doctoral Fellowships and recommendations of the Selection Committee for the University Chair component of the program can be obtained by contacting the Eco-Research Tri-Council Secretariat at the address shown below. Successful Research Grants: Esteban Chornet, Genie chimique, Universite de Sherbrooke--Strategies d'optimisation d'ecosystemes regionaux (STOPER) ($1,500,000) Philippe J. Crabb, Economics, University of Ottawa--Ecosystem Recovery on the St. Lawrence ($2,250,000) George Francis, Environmental and Resource Studies, University of Waterloo--Issues of Sustainability for an Urbanizing Watershed ($2,100,000) Michael Healey, Oceanography, University of British Columbia -- Prospects for Sustainability: Integrative Approaches to Sustaining the Ecosystem Funct ion of the Lower Fraser Basin ($2,400,000) Mark Sproule-Jones, Political Science, McMaster University -- Hamilton Harbour: Toward Restoring and Sustaining a Healthy Ecosystem ($2,100,000) David Waltner-Toews, Population Medicine, University of Guelph -- Agroecosystem Health: Characterization, Diagnosis, Management ($1,350,000) For more information on the Eco-Research program contact the Tri-Council Secretariat, 255 Albert Street, P.O. Box 1610, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6G4. Telephone (613) 943-1151 ; fax: (613) 947-0223. ****************************************************************** New Network for Environmental Education Based on files from the Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication Canadian environmental educators have just formed a national network to support environmental education. The network is called EECOM: The Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication. About 35 people representing all the provinces and territories (except the Yukon whose invitee could not attend) and a variety of sectors, from the kindergarten through grade 13 school system to industry and NGOs attended a spring meeting in Merrickville, Ontario to put the final touches on the fledgling organization. EECOM grew out of two meetings that were held last fall at the World Congress for Education and Communication on Environment and Development (ECO-ED), and a survey on environmental education conducted in May 1992 by the UNESCO-Canada Man and the Biosphere Program (MAB). Some goals of the network include: - encouraging communication and the exchange of information among Canadians involved in environmental education using such tools as a database of programs, services, skills and resources, a newsletter and electronic networks - improving environmental education in Canada by such means as assessing its status in Canada, providing professional recognition for good environmental education, developing standards for innovation and excellence, and by supporting the use of low consumption means of communication for environmental education - developing a greater awareness of environmental education in Canada through the promotion of environmental education programs at all levels and in all jurisdictions - facilitating discussion of environmental education issues in local, national and international contexts by providing members with access to current environmental education research and by keeping members informed about environmental education initiatives locally, globally and nationally - continuing to expand and strengthen the network by such means as ensuring that all sectors, regions and disciplines are included, encouraging collaborative and cooperative activities among network members, and operating the network in an environmentally sensitive fashion. This is a brief summary of EECOM's goals. A Steering Committee and Working Groups are in the process of further developing and implementing the objectives and strategies outlined in the network's draft Mission Statement. This will be accomplished through regional meetings and finally the first national meeting, planned for spring 1994. If you would like more information or are interested in joining a working group contact Anne Camozzi, Interim Coordinator, EECOM, P.O. Box 1514, Antigonish, Nova Scotia B2G 2L8. Telephone: (902) 863-5984; fax: (902) 863-9481. ****************************************************************** Alberta -- Fellowships in Environmental Education The Friends of Environmental Education Society of Alberta has set up a series of teacher-training institutes called The Fellowships in Environmental Education Program, each of which addresses a different environmental topic. Participants usually include between 25 and 30 school teachers, administrators and consultants from across Alberta. Two or three may come from other provinces, and a few spaces are kept open for post-secondary instructors, community educators and educational staff from government and industry. The Fellowships are seen as a means of developing a leadership network of educators who can tackle complex and relevant environmental issues in the classroom with first hand knowledge and experience. A bias-balanced approach is being taken at the institutes, which means that presenters are brought in from industry and government as well as environment/community groups and the research community. Over 9 to 12 days participants learn through workshops, facility tours, lectures and hands-on experiments, and travel around to different areas of the province to observe first-hand the issues being discussed. Funding for the program comes from a variety of industries and businesses, government departments and school jurisdictions, and covers the Fellows' room and board, travel and materials. For more information contact the Friends of Environmental Education Society of Alberta, 320, 9939 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T5J 2X5. Telephone: (403) 421-1497; fax: (403) 425-4506. ****************************************************************** Data and Information--Maintaining the Currency of Global Change Research by Dave Henderson Canadian Global Change Program The currency of global change research--data and information--has incalculable value not only to an individual researcher or team but to third-party researchers who, with confidence in the quality of these data, may chose to reuse them rather than duplicate their collection, processing and analysis, or who may require them to complement their own data. In these days of shrinking research budgets and increasing concern for our global environment, the potential for reuse or "secondary analysis" of data by so-called third party researchers has been gaining acceptance, initially in the realm of human dimensions research and more recently in the physical sciences. A number of initiatives, internationally and nationally, have evolved in support of increasing third-party access to and utility of this currency. There are too many to list outright, but in past issues of DELTA we have noted a few, such as the International Directory Network (Vol. 4, No. 1), the Global Resource Information Database (Vol. 3, No. 2), and Environmental Statistics at Statistics Canada (Vol. 2, No. 2). Implicit in these initiatives and others like them is the concept of increasing awareness that such data and information exist. The Canadian Global Change Program's (CGCP's) Data and Information Systems Panel has focused its resources in this very direction. By late fall of 1993, the panel will release a discussion paper on the barriers to the access and utility of data and information that are faced by third-party global change researchers. As part of a comprehensive strategy to promote sound data management practices the panel has developed some common-sense guidelines for good archival practices and citations of computer-readable datafiles (see inserts on this page). Another initiative of the panel, which complements existing national and international projects, is the creation of a prototype of a Directory of Data and Information Directories to support Canadian global change research. The directory is part of a larger Internet-accessible application, created with the support of the Library of the University of Alberta, which provides on-line access to CGCP information, including publications, research questions and the terms of reference and membership of panels. It is a full-text searchable listing of sources or repositories of data and information that could potentially be of use to the global change research community. The directory provides access to other similar applications such as the Consortium of International Earth Sciences Information Network (CIESIN), recently designated as the lead agency in the formation of a Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change Program (HDP) Data and Information System, GCNet and EnviroLink. To access the CGCP application and the directory, log onto a system supporting an Internet gopher client and enter: GOPHER DATALIB.LIBRARY.UALBERTA.CA 70 The Directory is a prototype and we encourage those accessing it to provide feedback on how it can be improved. Recognizing the need for Canadian global change data and information initiatives to evolve in concert with those of our international partners, the CGCP has created an electronic mail conference with selected international programs who have similar concerns. For more information telephone Dave Henderson at (613) 991-5640, or contact him via the CGCP electronic and mailing addresses provided on page two of this newsletter. Credit where Credit is Due: Proper Citation of Computer Readable Datafiles Increasing use is being made of computer-based data and information in global change research and, as with any other forms of recorded information, care should be taken to ensure that these media are cited consistently. As part of a pamphlet series, the CGCP and Anna Bombak of the University of Alberta Library have developed a document to explain and provide examples of a format that may be used to cite computer readable datafiles as sources in bibliographies, footnotes and so on. To obtain a copy of Citing Computer Readable Datafiles and Other Electronic Materials, contact Dave Henderson at the CGCP Secretariat (see telephone and fax number above). An Ounce of Prevention: Data Archiving Guidelines Data collected in the course of a global change research project is truly a snap-shot in time--one that often cannot be duplicated. Horror stories of data collection mishaps and loss abound. To guard against the possibility of such events the investigator(s) should ensure that due consideration is given to what happens after the "data are in the can". As a guide to researchers, the CGCP is developing a pamphlet on common sense guidelines for good data archival practices. To obtain more information on this pamphlet or others being developed in the series, please contact Dave Henderson at the CGCP Secretariat (see telephone and fax number above). ****************************************************************** Campfires--The Environmental Cost by Eric Tremblay Park Ecologist, Kouchibouguac National Park Since their inception, national parks throughout Canada have allowed people to burn firewood in shelters, campgrounds and picnic areas for cooking, heating and enjoyment. A campfire at night is recognized as being a part of the wilderness experience. But this enjoyment of the wilderness has had and is still having a significant impact on our environment. Because of a "no charge for firewood" policy in many parks, thousands of cords of wood are burned only for aesthetic purposes. A preliminary analysis of the amount of wood consumed in the main campgrounds of four Atlantic Region National Parks was conducted. We consider a "main campground" as being the most popular front-country campground in a national park--one that remains open the longest during the main visitor season (mid-May to mid-October). The reason for choosing only the main campgrounds is that in day use areas, backcountry campsites and kitchen shelters, wood tends to be used mostly for cooking. In the main campgrounds the wood is used for cooking to a certain extent, but is mostly for enjoyment. The analysis revealed that a total of 1671.5 cords of wood was burned in the campgrounds of the four national parks between 1989 and 1992. Kouchibouguac National Park (NP), having the highest occupancy rate, consumed 957.9 cords, followed by Kejimkujik NP with 289 cords, Cape Breton Highlands NP, 280 cords, and Fundy NP using 144.6 cords. Several factors can explain these differences, such as the number of campsites, the number of fireplaces available, the occupancy rate per campground and fire prohibitions during periods of drought. For example, Cape Breton Highlands NP has 552 campsites with fireplaces in only 84, while Kouchibouguac NP has 251 campsites all equipped with fireplaces, and an occupancy rate of approximately 100% for the months of July and August. Despite these factors it is possible to see the effect of providing free firewood versus selling it. Kouchibouguac NP has 251 campsites and all have fireplaces. Kejimkujik NP has 329 campsites and they all have fireplaces as well. When one looks at the amount of wood cons umed in terms of cubic meters (m3) per campsite-night (see Table 1) it is clear that Kejimkujik NP consumes less wood per campsite-night than Kouchibouguac, despite the fact that the latter has more campsites and more campsite-nights than the former. The same comparison can be made between Kouchibouguac and Fundy. The main reason is probably that Kejimkujik and Fundy sell their wood whereas Kouchibouguac does not. TABLE 1: Average cubic meters (m3) of wood consumed per campsite-night in four Atlantic Region National Parks for the 1992 season. m3/campsite total Comments -night campsite-nights Kouchibouguac NP 0.1368 17,571 Wood free, 251 fireplaces Kejimkujik NP 0.0126 21,500 Wood sold, 329 fireplaces Fundy NP 0.0113 11,686 Wood sold, 246 fireplaces Cape Breton 0.0099 25,500 Wood free, Highlands NP 84 fireplaces When burning wood, 1kg of fuel produces 1.5kg of CO2, according to Environment Canada (1992). The 1671.5 cords of wood that have been consumed between 1989 and 1992 in these four national parks have released approximately 4161.85 metric tons of CO2 into the atmosphere, contributing to the increase of atmospheric CO2. Furthermore, these 1671.5 cords of wood are the equivalent of clearcutting 83.58 acres of mature boreal forest. It should be pointed out here that this is only an equivalency. The acquisition of that firewood did not necessarily come from clearcutting--several methods of harvest were used. Selling firewood in all campgrounds would be environmentally and economically beneficial, as has been observed in the parks presently doing so. A decrease in CO2 emissions would occur, while small businesses could be created by local entrepreneurs to meet the demand, creating jobs at the same time. The argument here is not against any park in particular, neither is it against having a campfire at night to enhance the quality of the experience of camping in a national park . Rather, it is to reduce the excessive consumption of firewood in campgrounds, and to encourage those involved in managing campgrounds to reduce the impact of visitors on the environment. References: Environment Canada. 1992. Canada's Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Estimates for 1990 . Environmental Protection Series, Report EPS 5/AP/4. Graham, R., P.W. Nilsen and R.J. Payne. 1987. Visitor Activity Planning and Man agement in Canadian National Parks: Marketing Within a Context of Integration, in Social Science in Natural Resource Management Systems, Miller, M.L., R.P. Gale and P.J. Brown (eds.). Boulder: Westview Press, 149-166. Parks Canada. 1979. Parks Canada Policy. ****************************************************************** Mackenzie Basin Impact Study--Interim Report Released A six-year study called the Mackenzie Basin Impact Study (MBIS) is currently under way to assess the potential impacts of global warming on the Mackenzie Basin Region and its inhabitants. The study is being supported mainly by the Government of Canada's Green Plan, and participants include representatives from Native communities, the energy sector, government and academia. In March 1993, Interim Report #1 was released, describing the study framework, structure, organization, methods and data, and identifying the participants. The following is an excerpt from the Executive Summary of the Report, and comprises a section entitled Highlights of Results to Date: Four scenarios of warmer climates have been developed. Three were derived from general circulation models (GCMs). The fourth is a composite based on data from the past (instrumental and paleo- ecological records). The GCM-based scenarios for an equivalent doubling of CO2 (assumed to occur in 2050) show a warming of about 5C, while the composite scenario indicates warming of 3C. All four show increased precipitation for the basin as a whole, but with some decreases over parts of the basin during the summer. A population growth model and a multi-region input/output (MRIO) model have been constructed in order to produce four scenarios of population and economic growth for the MBIS region. Projections of total employment over the next 50 years range from a sixfold increase under the high resource growth scenario to a decline under conditions of low growth and a move of government services out of the region. The most likely scenario, however, is one of moderate growth in the resource sector, which would imply roughly a doubling of total regional employment. Similar projections have been made for changes in final demand for goods and services. These scenarios provide a range of economic possibilities that need to be considered in the context of a changing climate. A model of Peace River freeze-up has been developed and is ready to be applied to scenarios of climatic warming. An inventory of landslides in the Mackenzie Valley has been completed. Preliminary results of thermal modelling show how thaw depth would increase in a hypothetical scenario of warmer temperatures and increased snow depth. A preliminary investigation of possible impacts on Beaufort Sea ice found that the open water season would lengthen, the extent of open water would increase, accompanied by increasing wave heights, and maximum ice thickness would decrease. Two studies of remote communities were initiated in 1992. The first included field interviews on community responses to high water events in Fort Liard and Aklavik. Interviews were also conducted in Aklavik as part of a study on climate and land-use activities. #The community of Lutsel k'e (Snowdrift, N.W.T.) has agreed to participate in a study of traditional knowledge of climate. Efforts are under way to seek additional funding for this work. A series of interviews on resource management goals was initiated. So far, these have been conducted in the upper Peace River region, Edmonton, Norman Wells, Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk. The sample size is too small for analysis, so additional interviews will be held in 1993. For more information on the study contact the Project Leader, Stewart Cohen, by phone at (416) 739-4389, or fax at (416) 739-4297. If you would like to be placed on the mailing list to receive the MBIS Newsletter, or would like to receive a copy of Interim Report #1, write to Communications Branch, Environment Canada, Room 210, Twin Atria No. 2, 4999-98th Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T6B 2X3. ****************************************************************** OPINION The following essay formed the substance of a letter from Dr. Don Chant, Professor of zoology, University of Toronto, to Dr. Digby McLaren, commenting on the manuscript of a paper entitled Why Control Population?, to be published as a chapter in a book on "Building World Security" by the Canadian Pugwash Group. When, as a practising ecologist 35 years ago, learning from my own research on insect population dynamics, I first became aware of the problem of human overpopulation, I came to believe that there was a chance, albeit faint, that rationality and logic would prevail and solutions would emerge and be implemented on a global scale. I no longer hold that belief: decades have been lost with nothing but, at best, a nibbling at the edges of the problem in a few quarters--and meanwhile the population has doubled to 5.4 billion. Even in Canada, with one of the most literate, well educated societies in the world and an extensive communications system, the prevailing view still seems to be that we are underpopulated although we consume, waste and destroy at 30 times the rate in, say, Bangladesh, and Quebec actually pays couples to have children. Politicians at all levels still preach that Canada needs more people, and none has ever been defeated for this nonsense--even though in the most pragmatic terms we know that we cannot find employment for all those living here today. The welfare rolls keep growing, and we have our own counterparts of the Brazilian forests and all the other environmental pressures attendant on overpopulation. Seemingly, despite the efforts of those with clear insights into the issue, there has been not the slightest dent in our national psyche on the subject of human population. If we cannot come to grips with this issue in Canada--cannot even create an awareness of the problem --what hope is there for the rest of the world? My own, now thoroughly jaundiced view is that there will be some global tinkering that may buy a bit of time, perhaps a few decades, before biosphere collapse really is upon us--and by then it will be too late. Too late, that is, for H. sapiens, but very good news indeed for the other species that have been able to survive our few millennia of onslaught. No doubt cockroaches will survive even us. I have made the metamorphosis from youthful optimism to mature pessimism in my few short years on earth and there doesn't seem to be any way back. ****************************************************************** Recent Publications Bulletin of the Canadian GEWEX Secretariat [Bulletin du secrtariat canadien de GEWEX]. A new newsletter on the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX) published by Environment Canada. Bilingual. Free. Order from the Canadian GEWEX Secretariat/Secrtariat de GEWEX, National Hydrology Research Centre/Centre national de recherche en hydrologie, 11 Innovation Blvd. , Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 3H5. Tel: (306) 975-4215; fax: (306) 975-5143. Cumulative Environmental Effects Bulletin [Bulletin sur les ffets environnement aux cumulatifs]. A new newsletter published jointly by Environment Canada and the Federal Assessment Review Office. Quarterly. Published in English and French. Free. For more information: Carmen Drouin, CEE Bulletin, FEARO, Fontaine Building, 14 th Floor, 200 Sacr-Coeur Blvd., Hull, Quebec K1A 0H3. Tel: (819) 953-8591; fax: (819) 994-146 9. Dossier of Climate Change Fact Sheets. Published by the Information Unit on Climate Change (IUCC) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Free. To order write to IUCC, UNEP, C.P. 356, 15 chemin des Anmones, CH-1219 Chtelaine, Geneva, Switzerland. The Earth Summit's Agenda for Change: A plain language version of Agenda 21 by Michael Keating. 70p. Published by the Centre for Our Common Future (1993). Available in English, French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish. US$10.00 (20 or more copies: US$7 .50), postage and packaging included. Order from the Centre for Our Common Future, 52, rue de s Pquis, 1201 Geneva, Switzerland. Ecological Integrity and the Management of Ecosystems. Edited by Stephen Woodley (Canadian Parks Service), George Francis (University of Waterloo) and James Kay (Universi ty of Waterloo). 224p. Published by St. Lucie Press, Florida (1993). US$55.00 plus US$4.95 shipping and handling. Order from: St. Lucie Press, 100 E. Linton Blvd., Suite 403B, Delray Beach, Florida 33483. Tel: (407) 274-9906; fax: (407) 274-9927. The Environment and International Security. Edited by Anders Hjort af Orns and Sverre Lodgaard. 110p. Published jointly by the International Peace Research Institute (PRIO) and the Research Programme on Environment and International Security, Department of Human Geography, Uppsala University (1992). Price is SEK175. For more information: EPOS, Environmental Policy and Research Group, Department of Human Geography, Uppsala University, Sturegatan 9, 753 14 Uppsala, Sweden. Environmental Perspectives 1993: Studies and Statistics. Produced and published by Statistics Canada. Available in French under the title Perspectives environnementales, 1993 : Etudes et statistiques. CAN$25.00 in Canada, US$30.00 in the U.S.A., US$35.00 in other co untries. Order catalogue #11-528E Occasional from the System of National Accounts, National Accounts and Environment Division, Statistics Canada, Ottawa K1A 0T6. Tel: (613) 951-3765; fax: (613) 951-3618. Human Development Report 1993. Produced by the United Nations Development Progr am. 230p. Published by Oxford University Press (1993). Available in English, French , Arabic, Italian and Spanish. US$17.95 (paperback version). Order from Oxford University Press, 70 Wynford Drive, Don Mills, Toronto, Ontar io M3C 1J9. Tel: (416) 441-2941; fax: (416) 441-0345. Version francaise: Editions Economica, 49 rue Hericart, 75015 Paris, France. Tel: +33 14 578 1292; fax: +33 14 575 0567. Implementing 2020: Detailed Strategies and Actions for Creating a Sustainable R egion. Prepared for the Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth by The Regional Chairman's Task Force on Sustainable Development. Free. To order contact the Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth, 119 King Stre et West, 14th Floor, P.O. Box 910, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3V9. Tel: (416) 546-2195; fax: (416) 546-4364. Network News: Newsletter of the Long-Term Ecological Research Network. Published twice a year by the Long-Term Ecological Research Network. Free. For more information: Stephanie Martin, Editor, University of Washington, AR-10 , Seattle, Washington 98195. Tel: (206) 543-6764; fax: (206) 685-0790/3091; E-mail: sMartin@LTERnet.edu or sMartin@LTERnet. Population Politics: The Choices that Shape Our Future by Virginia D. Abernethy . 300p. Published by Insight Books, New York (1993). US$26.50. For more information: Insight Books, 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013. Tel : (212) 620-8000; fax: (212) 463-0742. Rpertoire des projets subventionns, fvrier 1993 (Le fonds de recherche et de dv eloppement technologique en environnement [FRDT-E]. Produced and published by the Ministre de l'Environnement, Gouvernement du Qubec (1993). Free. Order from Fonds de recherche et de dveloppement technologique en environnement , Ministre de l'Environnement, Direction de la recherche et des technologies environnement ales, 2360, chemin Sainte-Foy, 3e tage, bureau 03-02, Sainte-Foy, Quebec G1V 4H2. Tel: (418 ) 643-2073; fax: (418) 646-9262. Soil Carbon Data for Canadian Soils (Interim Report). Produced by the Centre for Land and Biological Resources Research, Agriculture Canada. Published by Agriculture Can ada. Price N/A. For more information: Centre for Land and Biological Resources Research, Research Branch, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0C6. Sustainable Development Research Institute Newsletter. A new newsletter published by the Sustainable Development Research Institute, University of British Columbia. Quarterly. Free. To order: Sustainable Development Research Institute, B5-2202 Main Mall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4. Tel: (604) 822-8198; fax: (604) 822-9191; E-mail: robinson@bcu.ubc.ca. TERRAMON News. Newsletter of TERRAMON, a cooperative network that facilitates long-term monitoring of and research on environmental change in Newfoundland and Labrador . Free. For more information: Louise Green, TERRAMON, Centre for Earth Resources Research, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland A1B 3X5. Tel: (709) 737-45 19; fax: (709) 737-2589. Vocabulary of Global Warming, Volume I: Contributors to the Greenhouse Effect. Produced and published by Canada Communication Group--Publishing, Department of the Secretar y of State of Canada (1992). Contains new terminology used to describe global warming and includes a complete typology of the various categories of major greenhouse gases. Available in English and French. CAN$36.95 in Canada, US$48.05 outside Canada. Order catalogue No. S52-2 /214-1992 from Canada Communication Group--Publishing, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0S9. Tel: (819 ) 956-4802; fax: (819) 994-1498. ****************************************************************** Events Calendar June 26-30, 1993 Acid Reign '95: The 5th International Conference on Acidic Deposition--Gothenbu rg, Sweden. This conference will continue the series of which the 4th meeting was held in Glasgow, Scotland in 1990. To receive information write to Acid Reign '95, Swedish Exibition Center, Svenska Mssan, Box 5222, S-402 24 Gothenburg, Sweden. July 14-16, 1993 Developing Large Environmental Databases for Sustainable Development--Nairobi, Kenya. Contact Asbindu Singh, Co-Chairman, IUFRO S 4.02.05, UNEP/GRID-Sioux Falls, ERO S Data Center, Sioux Falls, SD 57198, U.S.A. Tel: (605) 594-6107; fax: (605) 594-6589. July 14-18, 1993 Third International Conference on School and Popular Meteorological and Oceanog raphic Education--Don Mills, Ontario. Contact Sheila Bourque, TIC/LAC, Canadian Meteor ological and Oceanographic Society, P.O. Box 359, Newmarket, Ontario L3Y 3X7. Tel: (416) 739 -4220; fax: (416) 739-4700. Aug. 18-20, 1993 1993 Symposium on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Mitigation Research--Washington, DC, U.S.A. Contact T. Kelly Janes, MD-63, US Environmental Protection Agency, Air a nd Energy Engineering Research Laboratory, Global Warming Control Branch, Research Triang le Park, NC 27711, U.S.A. Sept. 13-17, 1993 Fourth International CO2 Conference--Carqueiranne, France. Contact Ms. Maritine Revillon, CNRS/INSU, 77 avenue Denfert-Rochereau, 75014 Paris, France. Tel: +33 1 40 41 2 0 08; fax: +33 1 40 51 21 49. Sept. 15-18, 1993 44th Arctic Science Conference--Whitehorse, Yukon. Conference theme is Circumpo lar Information Exchange: Shrinking the Circumpolar Community. Contact the Conferen ce Chairperson, Yukon Science Institute, P.O. Box 31137, 211 Main Street, Whitehor se, Yukon Y1A 5P7. Sept. 16-18, 1993 Biospheric Aspects of the Hydrologic Cycle (BAHC) Workshop on Focus 4, The Weat her Generator Project--Bratislava, Slovakia. Contact Brad Bass, Canadian Climate Ce ntre, Atmospheric Environment Service, 4905 Dufferin Street, Downsview, Ontario M3H 5 T4. Tel: (416) 739-4358; fax: (416) 739-4297. Sept. 19-25, 1993 International Wildlife Management Congress--San Jose, Costa Rica. Contact The W ildlife Society, IWMC Secretariat, 5410 Grosvenor Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814-2197, U.S.A. Tel: (30 1) 897-9770; fax: (301) 530-2471. Sept. 21-23, 1993 Control of Ozone-Depleting Substances: Scientific Assessment, Government Initia tives and Industry Response--Vancouver, British Columbia. Contact Marci Mazzei, Air and W aste Management Association, P.O. Box 2861, Pittsburgh, PA 15230, U.S.A. Tel: (412) 232-3444; fax: (412) 232-3450. Sept. 28 - Oct. 1, 1993 International Conference on Environmental Pollution; Science, Policy and Engine ering--Barcelona, Spain. Contact ICEP Conference Office, ICTR Secretariat, 11-12 Pall Mall, Londo n SW1Y 5LU, U.K. Tel: +44 71 930 6825; fax: +44 71 976 1587. Oct. 4-8, 1993 International Symposium on the Ecological Effects of Arctic Airborne Contaminan ts--Reykjavik, Iceland. Contact Debra Steward, Conference Manager, Technical Resources Inc., 3 202 Tower Oaks Blvd., Rockville, MD 20852, U.S.A. Tel: (301) 770-3153; fax: (301) 468-2245. Oct. 20-22, 1993 The 1993 International CFC and Halon Alternatives Conference--Washington, DC, U .S.A. Contact Heather Tardel, International CFC & Halon Alternatives Conference, P.O. Box 236 , Frederick, MD 21701, U.S.A. Tel: (301) 695-3762; fax: (703) 243-2874. Oct. 27-28, 1993 Earth Observations and Global Change Decision Making: A National Partnership--W ashington, DC., U.S.A. Conference theme is Global Change: A New Direction for Decision Mak ing. Contact Wendy Raeder, ERIM Conferences, P.O. Box 134001, Ann Arbor, MI 48113-4001. Tel: (313) 994-1200, ext. 3453; fax: (313) 994-5123. Jan. 31-February 2, 1994 Second Thematic Conference on Remote Sensing for Marine and Coastal Environment s: Needs, Solutions, and Applications--New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A. Conference themes a re Emergency Response and Monitoring, Natural Resources Management, Marine and Coastal Opera tions, Water Quality, Environmental Monitoring, and Sensors and Systems Technologies. Contact Nancy Wallman, ERIM Conferences, P.O. Box 134001, Ann Arbor, MI 48113-4001. Tel : (313) 994-1200, ext. 3234; fax: (313) 994-5123. Feb. 16-21, 1994 Circumpolar Ecosystems in Winter 3--Churchill, Manitoba. A workshop and symposi um on environments that are dominated by winter. Contact CEW-3, Churchill Northern St udies Centre, P.O. Box 610, Churchill, Manitoba, R0B 0E0. Tel: (204) 675-2307; fax: (204) 675 -2139. May 16-20, 1994 Ecosystem Monitoring and Protected Areas, Second International Conference on Sc ience and the Management of Protected Areas--Halifax, Nova Scotia. For information or to subm it a paper contact Neil Munro, Director, Policy Planning and Research, Canadian Parks Serv ice, Environment Canada, Historic Properties, Upper Water Street, Halifax, Nova Scot ia B3J 1S9. Fax: (902) 426-7012. Sept. 20-23, 1994 Coastal Zone Canada '94: Cooperation in the Coastal Zone--Halifax, Nova Scotia. For information or to submit an abstract/paper contact Coastal Zone Canada '94, Bedford Institu te of Oceanography, P.O. Box 1006, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B2Y 4A2. Tel: (902) 429-949 7; fax: (902) 429-9491. ****************************************************************** 1st International Symposium on Ecosystem Health and Medicine June 19-22, 1994, Ottawa, Ontario -- Ecosystem health and medicine is an emerging transdisciplinary field that bridges the social, health and ecosystem sciences to foster new systematic methodologies for the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of ecosystems under stress. The symposium--with a New Goals for Environmental Management theme--will provide an opportunity for professionals working in ecosystem science and management, medical and health sciences, environmental ethics and law, and ecological economics to take part in the development of integrated approaches to the evaluation, monitoring and rehabilitation of environmental health at the ecosystem and landscape levels. It is being organized by the International Society of Ecosystem Health and Medicine and the University of Guelph. For more information on the conference or on the submission of papers contact Mr. Remo Petrongolo, Symposium Manager, Office of Continuing Education, 160 Johnston Hall, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1. Telephone: (519) 824-4120, ext. 3064; fax: (519) 767-0758. ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA