BOOKS
War Preparations and the Environment Reviewed by James Wilson
Good musicians directed by an inattentive conductor deliver a poor performance. The same thing happens in publishing. Unless an editor carefully orchestrates the contributions of individual essayists into a seamless whole, the resulting anthology will be substantially less than the sum of its parts. This, sadly, is the case with "Hidden Dangers: The Environmental Consequences of Preparing for War/' a book that falls considerably short of its promise of revealing " l o n g suppressed information . . . and untold results of bomb-testing . . . [and] the environmental and health risks of p u r s u i n g chemical/biological weapons." It tells its readers little they haven't already learned from the six o'clock news, and ignores many of the problems related to the military's abuse of the environment that have been documented on "60 Minutes" and similar investigative television shows. The book is divided into two parts, opening with eight essays on "The Nuclear Legacy." Actually, only seven of the opening essays deal with the environmental aspects of preparing for nuclear war. The eighth departs from the theme of the book to examine the environmental consequences of an actual nuclear exchange. Precisely how an essay titled "If Deterrence Fails: Nuclear Winter and Ultraviolet Spring" fits into the book as a whole remains an enigma never satisfactorily resolved by the essay's authors, Anne H. Ehrlich and John W. Birks, who are also the book's editors. Ehrlich is senior research associate in the biological sciences department at Stanford University, and Birks is a professor of chemistry and a fellow of the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Environmental Sciences at the University of Cplorado. Part two of the book, "Beyond the Atom," begins with an essay on chemical and biological weapons.
Some of these essays are useful, but the collection lacks integration and fails in attempt to reveal suppressed information "Hidden Dangers: Environmental Consequences of Preparing for War/' edited by Anne H. Ehrlich and John W. Birks, Sierra Club Books, 730 Polk St., San Francisco, Calif. 94109, 246 pages, 1991, $19 paperback
Then it switches to a curiously irrelevant essay on the psychological effects of war preparation. It concludes with two thought-provoking essays on the economic cost of weapons production and the difficulties of transferring technological expertise from military to consumer goods. Part of the book's problem is that it has been written by people too distant from the weapons community. With one exception, the book's contributors are academicians and physicians. Jay B. Sorenson, a professor of political science at the University of New Mexico and consultant to Los Alamos National Laboratory, is the closest to a bona fide weapons indus-
try insider we find within the pages of "Hidden Dangers/' Despite, or perhaps because of, this connection with the weapons industry, Sorenson's essay most strongly illuminates the lapses in editorial judgment that so seriously weaken the book. Sorenson's essay, titled "Venting, Shaking, and Zapping: The Environmental Effects of Nuclear Weapons Tests," rates high marks for its completeness in identifying environmental issues related to nuclear weapons production and testing. But at the same time, it infuriates the reader by leaving critical issues unexplored. His discussion of the radiation exposure received by the Hibakusha, survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki explosions, is one of the more striking examples. Most of our medical knowledge about the link between radiation exposure and cancer is based on the health histories of the Hibakusha. Sorenson drops a bomb of his own by telling us the baseline data appear to be wrong. "New evidence," he says, indicates that because "gamma radiation exposure was underestimated, and neutron radiation exposure was overestimated . .. the risk of contracting cancer from gamma radiation is at least twice as great as previously thought." A flood of questions comes to mind. Might this incorrect baseline data explain the high incidence of cancers among workers at the Hanford Reservation? What about the chronic thyroid disease problems among those who live downwind from nuclear explosions? Did Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and Department of Energy (DOE) officials know of the incorrect data when they formulated the government's recently reversed policy of restricting federal health researchers' access to worker radiation exposure records? And what about the implications for tens of thousands of past, present, and future military and civilian nuclear workers, not to mention those exposed to the radiaSeptember 23, 1991 C&EN
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Books tion from Three Mile Island and Chernobyl? It is not unreasonable to expect a book titled "Hidden Dan gers" to answer these questions. Sorenson lets us down. He ends his discussion by saying the Interna tional Committee on Radiological Protection has deferred a decision on the new recommendation on ra diation exposure for at least two years. As the essay's author, it is his choice to handle the material any way he sees fit. As editors, Ehrlich and Birks have a broader responsi bility. If Sorenson didn't feel com fortable following a line of investi gation beyond his expertise, Ehrlich and Birks should have added anoth er essay to bring the issue to closure. The same lapse in editorial judg ment is found in "Weapons For sworn: Chemical and Biological Weapons," the essay opening part two of the book. Written by editor Birks, it provides a concise descrip tion of western nations' chemical and biological warfare capabilities. As part of his discussion, Birks de scribes biological warfare experi ments the Japanese performed on captured American servicemen. Having opened the ethical issue of testing weapons on noncombatants, he closes the subject just as rapidly. There is no discussion of weapons experimentation the U.S. military conducted on its own servicemen and unsuspecting civilians. These are the sorts of questions a book that promises to reveal "long-suppressed information" should be answering. Despite omissions that prevent "Hidden Dangers" from being as comprehensive a treatment as the reader is promised, it does contain some excellent individual essays. The book's opening essay, "The U.S. Nuclear Warhead Production Com plex," is an extremely informative overview of the way AEC, and later DOE, designed, tested, and built the 21,000-plus weapons in the U.S. nu clear arsenal. Coauthored by Thomas B. Coch ran, Dan W. Reicher, and Jason Salzman, it is particularly rich in the small details that put the size of our nuclear obsession into a human di mension. We learn, for example, that from 1945 to 1988 the U.S. detonated a nuclear bomb about every 17 days. Most of the 790-plus detonations 30
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have taken place at the Nevada Test Site, another 108 explosions have taken place on, over, and beneath the South Pacific. Other bombs have been exploded in locations as diverse as Alaska and the South Atlantic. Ex cept for the 25 bombs that were part of the AEC public relations exercise known as Operation Plow Share, our peacetime detonations have served to verify new weapons designs and to assure the military the 17 different types of weapons it maintains will properly transform their mass into energy when they arrive on target. Until the 1963 Limited Test Ban Trea ty moved U.S. and Soviet testing un derground, AEC pursued this mis sion by planting bombs on top of barges and derricklike towers and beneath helium-filled balloons.
If the information presented in "Hidden Dangers" were being re vealed for the first time, its editorial shortcomings could be easily over looked. But what we are given is much of what we have seen before. We leave the book with little more understanding of the environmental cost of maintaining the peace than we had when we began. Readers de serve more than recycled informa tion, particularly when the publish er, Sierra Club Books, asks us to pay a $19 hardback edition price for a paperback book. James Wilson writes about technology issues and is executive director of The Earth/Write Project, which provides continuing science education programs for journalists who report on environ mental issues. D
Air Pollution Control and Waste Incin Calixarenes: A Versatile Class of Macrocyclic Compounds. J. Vicens, V. Bôheration for Hospitals and Other mer, editors, xii + 263 pages. Kluwer Medical Facilities. Louis Theodore, χ Academic Publishers, 101 Philip Dr., + 405 pages. Van Nostrand Reinhold, Assinippi Park, Norwell, Mass. 02061. 115 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y. 10003. 1990. $99, £63. 1990. $59.95. Cell Separation Science and TechnoloBacterial Control of Mosquitoes & gy. ACS Symposium Series 464. DhiBlack Flies. Huguette de Barjac, Don nakar S. Kompala, Paul Todd, editors, ald J. Sutherland, editors, xix + 349 ix + 301 pages. American Chemical pages. Rutgers University Press, 109 Society, 1155—16th St., N.W., WashChurch St., New Brunswick, N.J. ington, D.C 20036. 1991. $69.95. 08901. 1990. $48. Biodegradable Polymers as Drug De The Chemical Physics of Surfaces. 2nd Ed. S. Roy Morrison, χ viii + 438 pag livery Systems. Mark Chasin, Robert es. Plenum Press, 233 Spring St., New Langer, editors, viii + 347 pages. Mar York, N.Y. 10013. 1990. $69.50. cel Dekker, 270 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1990. $99.75 U.S. & Cholinesterases: Structure, Function, Canada, $119.50 elsewhere. Mechanism, Genetics, and Cell Biol ogy. Jean Massoulié et al. xviii + 414 Biological Trace Element Research: pages. American Chemical Society, Multidisciplinary Perspectives. ACS 1155—16th St., N.W., Washington, Symposium Series 445. K. S. SubramaD.C. 20036. 1991. $89.95. nian, G. V. Iyengar, K. Okamoto, edi tors, xxi + 363 pages. American Chem Combustion and Plasma Synthesis of ical Society, 1155—16th St., N.W., High-Temperature Materials. Z. A. Washington, D.C. 20036. 1991. $84.95. Munir, J. Β. Holt, editors, xix + 501 pages. VCH Publishers, Distribution Biological Monitoring of Exposure to Center, 303 Northwest 12th Ave., Chemicals: Metals. H. Kenneth Dil Deerfield Beach, Fla. 33442-1705. 1990. lon, Mat H. Ho, editors, xvii + 280 $95. pages. John Wiley & Sons, 605 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1991. The Complete Guide to the Hazardous $80. Waste Regulations. 2nd Ed. Travis P. Wagner, xix + 488 pages. Van Nos Calcium Magnesium Acetate: An trand Reinhold, 115 Fifth Ave., New Emerging Bulk Chemical for Envi York, N.Y. 10003. 1990. $69.95. ronmental Applications. D. L. Wise, Y. A. Levendis, M. Metghalchi, edi Computer-Organized Cost Engineer ing. Gideon Samid. viii + 424 pages. tors, χ + 511 pages. Elsevier Science Marcel Dekker, 270 Madison Ave., Publishing Co., P.O. Box 882, Madison New York, N.Y. 10016. 1990. $99.75 Square Station, New York, N.Y. 10159. U.S. & Canada, $119.50 elsewhere. 1990. $214.25.
Database Systems in Science and Engi neering. J. R. Rumble Jr., F. J. Smith, xvii + 283 pages. Adam Hilger, 335 East 45th St., New York, N.Y. 10017. 1990. $70.
Microscale: Techniques for the Organic Laboratory. Dana W. Mayo et al. xviii + 285 pages. John Wiley & Sons, 605 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1991. $19.95.
Destruction of Hazardous Chemicals in Organophosphorus Complexons — the Laboratory. George Lunn, Eric B. Effectiveness and Selectivity. M. I. Sansone. xi + 271 pages. John Wiley & Kabachnik. 44 pages. Harwood Aca Sons, 605 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. demic Publishers, P.O. Box 786, Coo 10016. 1990. $65. per Station, New York, N.Y. 10276. 1990. $22. Electron Crystallography of Organic Molecules. John R. Fryer, Douglas L. Dorset, editors, xix + 392 pages. Kluw- Perspectives in Biochemistry. Vol. 2. Hans Neurath, editor, ix + 317 pages. er Academic Publishers, 101 Philip American Chemical Society, 1155— Dr., Assinippi Park, Norwell, Mass. 16th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 02061. 1991. $139, £74. 20036. 1991. $19.95. Elements of General and Biological Chemistry. 8th Ed. John R. Holum. Plasma Source Mass Spectrometry. Κ. Ε. Jarivs et al., editors, viii + 172 pages. xviii + 537 pages. John Wiley & Sons, Royal Society of Chemistry, Distribu 605 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. tion Centre, Letchworth, Herts SG6 10016. 1991. $48.95. 1HN, England. 1990. $56, £35. Engineering Project Management. Fred erick L. Blanchard, ix + 246 pages. Polychlorinated Dibenzo-par«-dioxins and Dibenzofurans. Environmental Marcel Dekker, 270 Madison Ave., Health Criteria 88. 409 pages. World New York, N.Y. 10016. 1990. $99.75 Health Organization. WHO Publica U.S. & Canada, $119.50 elsewhere. tions Center USA, 49 Sheridan Ave., Enzymes in Carbohydrate Synthesis. Albany, N.Y. 12210. 1989. $32. ACS Symposium Series 466. Mark D. Bednarski, Ethan S. Simon, editors, xi Readings in Risk. Theodore S. Glick+ 131 pages. American Chemical Soci man, Michael Gough, editors, xiv + ety, 1155—16th St., N.W., Washing 262 pages. Resources for the Future, ton, D.C. 20036. 1991. $34.95. 1616 Ρ St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. 1990. $24.95. Fluid Catalytic Cracking II: Concepts in Catalyst Design. ACS Symposium The Search for Life's Origins: Progress Series 452. Mario L. Occelli, editor, ix and Future Directions in Planetary + 374 pages. American Chemical Soci Biology and Chemical Evolution. Na ety, 1155—16th St., N.W., Washing tional Research Council, ix + 148 pag ton, D.C. 20036. 1991. $79.95. es. National Academy Press, 2101 Constitution Ave., N.W., Washington, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrosco D.C. 20418. 1990. $16 U.S., Canada & py in Colloid and Interface Science. Mexico; $19.50 elsewhere. ACS Symposium Series 447. David R. Scheuing, editor, viii + 294 pages. American Chemical Society, 1155— Summary Report on the Evaluation of Short-Term Tests for Carcinogins 16th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. (Collaborative Study on In Vivo 20036. 1990. $69.95. Tests). World Health Organization. 96 Fundamentals of Laboratory Safety: pages. WHO Publications Center Physical Hazards in the Academic USA, 49 Sheridan Ave., Albany, N.Y. Laboratory. William J. Mahn. xiii + 12210. 1990. $10.40. 191 pages. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 115 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y. 10003. Tributyltin Compounds. World Health Organization. 273 pages. WHO Publi 1990. $49.95. cations Center USA, 49 Sheridan Ave., Gas Chromatography: Biochemical/ Albany, N.Y. 12210. 1990. $26.10. Biomedical, and Clinical Applica tions. Ray E. Clement, editor, χ + 393 Who's Who in World Petrochemicals & pages. John Wiley & Sons, 605 Third Plastics. 8th Ed. 1991. 259 pages. Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1990. Who's Who Information Services, 17 $90. South Briar Hollow La., Houston, Tex. 77027. 1990. $125.
Paperbacks
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Linus Pauling: A Man and His Science. Anthony Serafini. xxii + 310 pages. Paragon House, 90 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y. 10011. 1991. $13.95.
ACS Congressional Available Fall 1992 The Fellowship places an ACS member in a staff position in Congress to • Gain firsthand knowledge of the operation of the legislative branch of the federal government, • Make scientific and technical expertise available to the government, and • Forge links between the scientific and government communities. Applications due January 1,1992. For more information contact: GeneVoegtlin Department of Government Relations and Science Policy American Chemical Society 1155 Sixteenth Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20036, (202) 872-4467. Applications consist of a letter of intent, and two letters of reference. Arrangements should be made to send the letters of reference directly to ACS. Candidates should contact ACS prior to submitting an application to determine the type of information needed in the letter of intent.
World Resources, 1990-91. The World Resources Institute, xiv + 383 pages. Oxford University Press, 200 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1990. $17.95. D September 23, 1991 C&EN 31
