INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COOPERATION, 1959-79 443 



As ranking Republican Member of the Science Committee follow- 

 ing 1977, Wydler took the lead in emphasizing the need for more aggres- 

 sive action in support of nuclear breeder reactor development in the 

 United States. In a hard-hitting letter to President Carter on April 4, 

 1978, Wydler stated: 



Today, I am writing you from the perspective of a series of international energy 

 discussions which I have just had with the Soviets. It is no exaggeration to say that 

 we are on the verge of an "Atomic Sputnik" in terms of our nuclear policy vis-a-vis 

 the Soviets. They are rapidly moving to build breeder reactor plants and deploy light 

 water nuclear power plants so as to put us clearly in second place in the nuclear 

 league. 



ANTARCTIC CONSERVATION ACT OF 1978 



In 1978, the Subcommittee on Environment and the Atmosphere, 

 chaired by Representative George E. Brown, Jr. (Democrat of Cali- 

 fornia), held joint hearings with a subcommittee of the Merchant 

 Marine Committee on the Antarctic bill. The purpose of the legis- 

 lation was to protect the unique plants and animals in the region, as 

 well as the ecosystems on which they depend. The legislation auth- 

 orizes the National Science Foundation to establish a permit and 

 regulatory system to control the taking of plants and animals native 

 to Antarctica, consistent with the terms of the Antarctic Treaty 

 signed by 13 nations. 



Representatives Edwin B. Forsythe (Republican of New Jersey) 

 and Robert S. Walker (Republican of Pennsylvania) were active 

 supporters of the Antarctic Conservation Act and spoke out for its 

 passage in the House on September 25, 1978. 

 Forsythe contended: 



The Antarctic Continent * * * represents a vast, unique laboratory still vir- 

 tually unmodified by human activity. * * * If the integrity of the Antarctic ecosys- 

 tems is maintained, we can continue to receive both knowledge and resources for 

 future generations. 



Walker explained: 



This legislation takes a long overdue step toward implementing a set of agreed 

 measures which were adopted in 1964 to protect the animals and plants in Antarctica 

 in accordance with the treaty. 



Chairman Brown, who piloted the bill through the Science Committee, 

 remarked on the House floor: 



This bill represents another example of the cooperative efforts of two committees, 

 the Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee and the Committee on Science and 

 Technology, in developing legislation directed toward areas of mutual interest. 



The President signed the bill into law on October 28, 1978. 



The penguins, whales, seals, sea birds, and crustaceans lined up 

 to greet Representative Tom Harkin (Democrat of Iowa), the latest 

 of a long series of Science Committee visitors to Antarctica in December 

 1977. 



