experience of scholars in each field/7 he notes, and ranking differences may hinge on small rating differences—4.78 versus 4.76, for example—that reflect no real difference in quality. For example, based on faculty scholarship, UC Berkeley's chemistry program ranked first among 168 programs, with 4.96 out of a possible 5.0. Caltech was second with 4.94. But when ranked for program effectiveness, the schools switched places, with Caltech getting 4.75 and Berkeley, 4.72. However, some chemistry programs display a notable gap between faculty scholarship and program effectiveness. Texas A&M's program, for instance, is 15th in faculty scholarship (4.11 rating), but slips to 26th in effectiveness (3.63). Conversely, Purdue's research program, which is 24th in scholarship, moves up to 16th place for effectiveness. In chemical engineering, the University of Minnesota's program ranks first in both faculty scholarship (4.86) and program effectiveness (4.57) among 93 programs surveyed. Massachusetts Institute of Technology and UC Berkeley rank second (4.73) and third (4.63), respectively, for scholarship, and tie for second (4.43) in effectiveness. But City University of New York Graduate School & University Center, 19th in faculty scholarship, drops to 27th place in effectiveness. Copies of the report are available for $59.95 from the National Academy Press at (202) 334-3313 or (800) 624-6242. Selected tables are available on the World Wide Web at . Mairin Brennan
Judge may throw out breast implant deal A federal judge is threatening to throw out the global silicone breast implant settlement unless implant makers and silicone suppliers raise their contributions to the $4.2 billion pact. Judge Sam C. Pointer Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, in Birmingham, has given Dow Corning, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Baxter Health Care, 3M, and Union Carbide until the end of the month to save the settlement. Most of the companies hint they will not raise their contributions. The settlement's collapse, or opting out by many
women, could clog federal and state courts with thousands of new, protracted, and expensive lawsuits. Pointer says there is "no justification for keeping the current settlement in place/7 because payments due women who report injury from breast implants "far exceed" available settlement funds. For example, a recent analysis of 248,500 women who registered for the settlement reveals that those entitled to compensation would receive only 5 to 16% of amounts listed in the fund's disease compensation schedule. If the companies do not come up with acceptable restructuring proposals by the end of September, Pointer may allow claimants to opt out and file individual suits. But if many opt out, companies may leave the settlement, too. However, at least one manufacturer is trying to preserve a court-sanctioned settlement for itself. Bristol-Myers Squibb negotiators are discussing with Pointer creation of a separate fund to compensate claimants should the global settlement fail. Women could participate if their medical records proved their implants came from Bristol-Myers. But the company will not say whether it intends
to increase its settlement contribution beyond the $1.2 billion already committed. Some firms imply that less rather than more money should go toward the settlement. A Dow Corning spokesman notes that recent studies at the Mayo Clinic and at Brigham & Women's Hospital of Harvard Medical School suggest breast implants do not cause some of the illnesses that recipients claim. At least one support group for implant recipients hopes a global settlement will survive. "Some reimbursement is better than none, even if it is a pathetic amount," says Lynda L. Roth, president of the Coalition of Silicone Survivors, Denver, Colo. In a separate court ruling, a federal judge in Detroit has agreed to consolidate in federal court the state and federal cases pending against bankrupt Dow Corning. But she refused to consolidate cases in federal court that are pending against Dow Coming's owners—Dow Chemical and Corning. In particular, Dow Chemical must now face thousands of state court cases, and it plans to appeal. Marc Reisch
Human activity likely causes global warming Evidence is growing ever stronger that the global warming now under way "is not due to natural variability, but to human activities," Vice President Al Gore told attendees at the Conference on Human Health & Global Climate Change held last week at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. Gore's statement echoes the major conclusion of a draft report prepared by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), released on the Internet. IPCC is a technical/scientific body that provides advice to the parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change. The peer-reviewed report concludes that the increase in average global temperatures of 0.3 to 0.6 °C observed during the past 100 years "is unlikely to be entirely due to natural causes," and that "a pattern of climatic response to human activities is identifiable in the climatological record." The idea that human activities are already causing global warming is somewhat novel. Previously, most experts agreed greenhouse gases present in the atmosphere would eventually cause glo-
bal warming, if their levels kept rising. However, all but a few experts have been unwilling to assert that current warming is a result of human activity. Now, according to the IPCC report and Gore, features of current climate so
Gore: seeing a greenhouse signal SEPTEMBER 18,1995 C&EN 7
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closely match the characteristics of a warmer world predicted by global climate models that it is unlikely current wanning is entirely a product of natural variation. The IPCC report projects that average global temperatures will rise 1.5 to 4.5 °C during the next century because of a doubling of greenhouse gas levels expected over that period. Such rapid warming likely will cause a significant loss of species, it says. The aggregate worldwide impact on food production might be small to moderate, but warming might have adverse effects in the tropics, where many of the world's poorest people live. Gore pointed out to the conference that atmospheric carbon dioxide levels already have increased 30% over the preindustrial level. And if current trends continue, they will be more than twice preindustrial levels by the end of the 21st century. Temperature has shown "some relationship ,/ to atmospheric carbon dioxide levels for the past 160,000 years, as shown by analysis of air bubbles and oxygen isotopes in Antarctic ice cores. It is unreasonable to expect that relationship to disappear, he noted. Thus, the nine warmest years of the century have all occurred since 1980. When aerosols—especially sulfates from fossil fuel burning—are factored into the global climate models, the models simulate quite accurately the warming that has occurred over the past century. The models project a rise in Earth's average temperature of about 3 °C when greenhouse gas levels double, Gore said. This is expected to happen within the lifetimes of many people now living. Moreover, Gore added, model projections and current climate trends show other striking similarities. Models show more warming in the Southern Hemisphere, a greater portion of precipitation falling in winter, more precipitation falling in extreme events, more severe droughts in the warm season, an increase in above-normal temperatures, and a decrease in day-to-day temperature variability. Recent U.S. climate data exhibit each of these features, "strongly suggesting we are seeing a greenhouse signal/' Gore said. The considerable warming expected during the next century is likely to decrease food production in tropical areas, decrease water availability in regions where water is already in short supply, and "increase the spread 8
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of infectious diseases," Gore said. He warned that Republican moves to cut budgets for environmental research and technologies seem to pretend that global warming does not exist and that human activities have little adverse impact on the environment. Bette Hileman
Witco to buy silicones maker OSi Specialties Witco has finalized plans to acquire OSi Specialties, a Danbury, Conn.based maker of silicone products, for about $486 million. Witco also is seeking a buyer for its lubricants business and hopes to sell it in the first half of 1996. Stamford, Conn.-based Witco will buy OSi from an investor group led by DLJ Merchant Banking Partners. DLJ is a unit of the New York City-based investment firm Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, which purchased OSi in 1993 from Union Carbide for about $300 million. The moves mean Witco will focus much more on chemicals and expand its lines in areas such as surfactants and plastic chemicals, while shedding a noncore business. William R. Toller, company chairman and chief executive officer, notes: "This acquisition fits directly in with the strategy focusing on higher margin specialty chemical businesses, which we have been implementing over the past two years." Each of OSi's product lines has a cus-
tomer and an application fit within Witco's existing product portfolios, according to Witco. For instance, OSi's silicones surfactants business will expand Witco's surfactants operations. And the two companies supply polyurethane producers with various intermediates and additives. Witco expects OSi to have 1995 sales of about $450 million, close to 50% of them outside the U.S. OSi has more than 1,250 employees, with facilities in Sistersville and South Charleston, W.Va.; Tarrytown, N.Y.; and Texas City, Texas. Overseas, it has operations in Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand. But Witco's lubricants business— which includes Kendall motor oil—has long been a drag on Witco profits. Indeed, the deal was welcomed by investors, who—even Witco executives have admitted—often have wondered about the firm's focus. On the day of the announcements, Witco's stock price shot up $2 per share to close at $36 Vs. An unanswered question in the deal is what will happen to David I. Barton, the 56-year-old chairman of OSi. A Witco spokesman says the firm would love to have OSi's management come along with the company, but this will probably be decided closer to the deal's closing, expected in November. William Storck
Ozone policy under attack from all sides
As the ozone hole makes its annual appearance over Antarctica, policies to protect the stratospheric ozone layer are under attack from all sides. An environmental group said last week it has found loopholes in the imminent phaseout of ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). At the same time, Congress moved toward weakening U.S. policies protecting the ozone layer. Washington, D.C.-based Ozone Action timed release of a report, "Deadly Complacency," to the U.S. celebration of Ozone Layer Awareness Week, Sept. 16 to 23. The report "details for the first time plans by Western corporations to continue substantial production of CFCs well after the Jan. 1,1996, domestic ban." But that supposed bombshell is actuToller: focusing on specialty chemicals
