News Briefs A report synthesizing the stateof-the-art knowledge on the control of health hazards from arsenic in drinking water is being developed by United Nations agencies. Areas covered include contaminant sources, health effects, exposure assessments, safe water technology, drinking water quality guidelines, and mitigation strategies. The report highlights knowledge gleaned from arsenicrelated problems in Bangladesh and India and identifies knowledge gaps and research needs. A draft was expected to be available at www.who.int/water sanitation healrh/water aualitv/ arsenic htm with a final cODV following in late 2000 A series of new OECD biotechnology reports summarize national and international efforts to address growing public concerns over the environmental and public health impacts of genetically modified (GM) foods. Building on a decade of expertise in biotechnology research, the reports cover such issues as environmental safety and risk; biodiversity loss; hum a n health impacts, including genes that code for antibiotic resistance; identification of potential toxins or allergens introduced by GM foods; and their potential nutritional impacts For copies QC) to wwwoecd org/ subject/biotech Expanding temperate and boreal forests in 55 countries absorb about as much carbon every year as is released by tropical deforestation, slowing the speed of climate change, suggests a report by the United Nations' Economic Commission for Europe and the Food and Agriculture Organization. The report finds reforestation and natural regeneration are behind the woodlands increase in all 55 countries, except Russia. Hundreds of experts from all over the world contributed to this comprehensive report For a of Forest Resources ofEurove CIS North America Australia Japan and New Zealand visit
www.unece.org/trade/timber/fra/ welcome.htm. The cost of bringing East European industrial facilities in line with environmental standards in the European Union (EU) will be much lower than anticipated, predicts a report by the Center for European Policy Studies (CEPS), an independent European research institute. Previous cost estimates did not account for the fact that equipment likely will already have been replaced by green technologies by the time these countries accede to the EU to ensure competitiveness. More problematic will be public infrastructure investments in water and waste manapprnpnt and power but these costs could be stemmed through full costrecoverv nricine the report finds For a conv of The Environment in Furonean 'Pnlar&pmpnt call ("""FPS S911 or e-mail staffan iprnprk(S>rpns hp
By 2050, the human population is projected to grow from today's 6 billion to between 8 and 11 billion, according to a new report from the National Research Council. Past projections from the U.N. and the World Bank are plausible, but they have not acknowledged uncertainties in data and in fertility and mortality trends. The longer the projection, the more rapidly the uncertainty grows; as a result, estimates for 2050 could be off by as much as 22%. The report recommends that projections could be improved by reducing estimated rates of decline in fertil-
ity as it approaches replacement level and imposing no ceiling on life expectancy. Beyond Six Billion: Forecasting the World's Population is available on the Web at www. nationalacademies. org. By 2010, the $29.9 billion market for environmental technologies and services that assist in reducing greenhouse gas emissions could more than double to between $52 and $65 billion, according to a U.S. AID report, Market Opportunities for Cllmate Change Technologies and Services in Developing Countries. Although Asia dominates by size at 55% of the market, Latin America represents the fastest growing market according to the report, accounting for 20%. The Middle East and Africa account for 15% and Eastern Europe and Russia for the remaining 10% The report analyzes commercial residential industrial use enerev SUDDIV and transportation market sectors and Dresents two different growth srpnarios: "Businpss As Usual" and "Aeeressive O o w t h " For a rnnv en to ww wnsaiH pnv/nrpss/rplpa'jps/2000/ climatprpnnrt html Pollution prevention plans and best management practices have cost-effectively reduced storm water pollution, according to a new EPA report to Congress on the impact of the 1992 Phase I stormwater regulations. Because EPA does not have a program in place to make a national evaluation of the program, the report relies on existing surveys and case studies. The report identifies two best management practices stopping illegal discharges and public outreach and training as especially effective in protecting water quality Best management practices kept 73% of sediments on construction sites and prevented 882 000 tons of sediment from entering the nation's waters The Storm Water Phflcp I Rpnort to (""nncrrpeQ is available nn the Wph at www CTnv/nwmitnet/sw/about/
OCTOBER 1,2000 / ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / NEWS • 4 1 7 A
