NEWS BRIEFS Prosecution of environmental crimes has fallen sharply during the Clinton administration says a new report by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) Contradicting the US Department of Justices claim that environmental prosecutions have risen the report cites 52 fewer prosecutions and 60 fewer conshyvictions between 1994 and 1996 (the last year for which data are available) Over the same period the report says that there was a 35 increase in refusals to proseshycute environmental crime cases Uneven Justice is available by callshying (202) 265-PEER or e-mailing infopeer ore

Although a growing number of Americans consider environshymental protection important most people rely on outdated inshyformation according to a survey released by the nonprofit organishyzations National Environmental Education amp Training Foundation (NEETF) and Roper Starch Worldshywide For example a majority of

Americans do not know that paper comprises the largest source of landfill materials that industrial and household chemishycalsmdashor even bottled watermdashare not regularly tested for safety by any federal agency that the main source of oil pollution is imshyproper disposal of automotive oil or that runoff is the leading cause of water impairments For a copy of The 1998 National Report Card Environmental Knowledge Attishytudes and Behaviors call NEETF at (202) 628-8200 ext 3

Developing new environmental technologies is crucial to the US economy according to a report by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy More than half of the executives interviewed in New Forces at Work Industry Views Critical Technologies label devising imshyproved waste management and recycling technologies as critical to the nation The report (MR-1008-OSTP) is available under publications at the Rand Corps Web site httpwwwrandorg

Deserts are expanding over 41 of the Earths land area affecting more than 900 million people in 100 countries according to a World Bank report New Opportushynitiesor Developmen The Desershytification Convention notes that the degradation of these lands is not just a physical phenomenon but also is driven by population growth poverty and policies that encourage misuse of arid lands Annual worldwide economic loss caused by desertification is estishymated at $423 billion To request a copy call (202) 473-5648

Policies creating incentives to reshyduce raw materials consumption will increase profits and protect the environment concludes a study from the Worldwatch Instishytute These policies include elimishynating subsidies mat make virgin materials cheap taxing virgin mashyterials and waste in all forms from smokestack emissions to landfilled waste making producers responsishyble for the material they introduce into the economy and promoting waste exchanges that match waste materials suppliers with potential

waste users Mind Over Matter Reshycasting the Role of Materials in Our Lives can be downloaded from the Web at httpwwwworldwatch org

If states hope to retain public ownership over coastal land in the face of rising sea levels they need to reexamine their land use planning options warns an artishycle published in the Maryland Law Review Current laws in many states allow property ownshyers to take over land on which they have built erosion control structures If sea levels rise nearly 2 ft in the next century as preshydicted 7700 square miles of US tidelands will be inundated The article suggests alternative polishycies that allow development but prohibit property owners from holding back the sea Rising Seas Coastal Erosion and the Takshyings Clause is available at http wwwepa eovglobalwarmine reDortspubssealeveltakines Ddf

The Clinton administration has failed to make headway in reshyducing anthropogenic mercury emissions since the release of EPAs Mercury Study Report to Congress last year concludes a report by the Clean Air Network the Mercury Policy Project and California Communities Against Toxics EPAs draft action plan to reduce the release of mercury 50 by 2006 fails to lay out a realistic strategy and timeline the report charges Although sigshynificant improvements have been made at the state level the report recommends aggressive federal policies to eliminate emissions including the adoption of Dublic right-to-know initiatives tareeted to at-risk pODulations For a coDV of Mercurv Still Risine call (2021 289-2429

Germany cuts air emissions

Reductions (in metric tons except C02 and CO which are in thousands of metric tons) in amounts of greenhouse gas emissions between 1990 and 1996 have been impressive in most instances Preliminary data for C02 emissions in 1997 (not shown) indicate that further significant cuts have been realized since 1996 (Courtesy Federal Ministry for the Environment Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety Germany)

Gas 1990 1996 Change

C 0 2 10142 910 -103 CH4 5522 4724 -144

N 2 0 226 228 09

HFC 200 2485 12402

CF4 355 212 -403 C2F8 42 26 -381

SF6 163 246 685

C0 2 equivalents 1209 1090 -97 NOx 2678 1859 -306 NMVOC 3178 1868 -312 CO 10916 671 -385

S 0 2 5262 1851 -649

Substitute for ozone layer-depleting refrigerants

1 1 2 A bull MARCH 1 1999 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE amp TECHNOLOGY NEWS