NEWS BRIEFS Recycling of plastic soda bottles has fallen to its lowest level of the decade, according to an analysis by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) released in October. Using data from the annual U.S. plastics packaging recycling survey conducted by the American Plastics Council, EDF found that the recycling rate for PET soda botdes dropped from 45% in 1994 to 34% in 1996. Production of virgin plastic continued to outpace recycled material; 1 billion pounds were sxown in 1996 a.s compared with 69 million pounds for recycled plastic packaging EDF's analysis "Something to Hide: The Sorry State of Plastics Recycling" is available on the Web at www edf org/pubs/ Reports / PlasticsRecycline Monitoring industry's use of toxic chemicals is an effective way to measure pollution prevention gains, concludes a new report by Inform, a New Yorkbased environmental group. Chemical use data were collected from industries in New Jersey to produce "Tracking Toxic Chemicals: The Value of Materials Accounting Data," which identifies a trend toward more efficient use of chemicals in the state. From 1991 to 1994 industrial toxic chemical use grew 5% whereas the amount of wastes generated rose by just 2% New Jersey was the first state to require reporting of toxic chemical use by industrial facilities For a copy of the report call (212) 361-2400 Africa is the continent most vulnerable to climate change brought on by the predicted buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, according to a new study by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The "Special Report on the Regional Impacts of Climate Change: An Assessment of Vulnerability," by IPCC Working Group II, reviews current peerreviewed research on how climate change will affect ecosystems, water resources agriculture, and human health and infrastructure on a regional basis. In Latin
America, the major impact on human heahh would be the spread of chronic malnutrition and diseases. The most vulnerable regions in North America include the older forest ecosystems in the east and interior west, water resources in the southern plains, and agricultural areas in the southeast and southern plains. A summary of the report is available on the Web at www. usgcrp.gov/ipcc/html/RISPM.html. The full report will be published by Cambridge University Press.
U.S. fish farmers should be subject to federal water quality effluent limits, as are other polluting industries, states the Environmental Defense Fund in a new report, "Murky Waters: Environmental Effects of Aquaculture in the United States." The report catalogs the environmental problems stemming from the $700 million U.S. aquaculture industry, the nation's fastest growing agricultural segment. Although nutrient pollution from fish farms is a much smaller problem than municipal sewage treatment systems it can have severe local effects The report recommends that raising finfish in netpens cages placed in open natural waj.„rs ke discontinued because waste discharges cannot be readily controlled An executive summary of the report is availahlp on rhp Wph at w w w p r l f o r e / h /Rpn t /Aq lt r
5 5 8 A • VOL. 31, NO. 12, 1997 / ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / NEWS
Half of North America's "outstanding" ecoregions suffer from environmental degradation, according to the World Wildlife Fund's new report, "A Conservation Assessment of the Terrestrial Ecoregions of North America." The 680-page study is described as the first systematic attempt to define all of the 116 distinct "bioregions" in North America and evaluate their environmental health. Among the rarest ecoregions on the continent are the southeastern longleaf pine forests of northern Florida and the tallgrass prairies in and around Iowa The study cosponsored by EPA and the multinational Commission for Environmental Cooperation is available on the Web at www worldwildlife ore New regulatory systems are needed to control the introduction of transgenic crops around the world, says a new report by the World Bank. "Bioengineering of Crops" reviews the pros and cons of bioengineered crops and notes that they have "the ability to make significant positive or negative changes in agriculture." Yet few nations, including the United States, currently have the type of comprehensive regulatory system needed to conduct risk assessments of the new crops and enforce decisions about their use The study's authors recommend that an agency in each nation be given the mandate to protect against environmental risks The report can be ordered by calling (703) 661-1580 EPA released the first comprehensive assessment of U.S. watersheds to the public in October. The "Index of Watershed Indicators" combines 15 databases of different indicators of watershed health. According to the survey, 1 in 14 of the 2111 watersheds in the continental United States are vulnerable to further degradation, primarily by urban and rural runoff. The index is on the Web (www. epa.gov/surf/iwi) and includes data on individual watersheds Printed copies (EPA-841-R-97010) may be obtained by calling die National Center for Environmental Publications and Information at (513) 489-8190
