192 



UNKINC AND COOU>INAT1NC PKOGKAMS 95 



organiutions. ASCEND u stressed the imporuncc of a new international 

 pannership in environmental research and underscored the importance of 

 the precautionary principle. This principle calls for avoiding disturbances 

 of eanh systems because of the potential for uncxpeaed consequences when 

 altering poorly understood systems. ASCEND agreed on the nature of major 

 global environmental challenges and identified several high-priority areas 

 for cooperative international research. Tliesc inrjude population and per 

 capita resource consumption; d.plction of agricultural/land resources; in- 

 equity and poverty; climate change; loss of biological diversity; industrial- 

 ization and waste; water scarcity; and energy consumption.^ But the pro- 

 gram has encountered difficulties because of the international politics of 

 big versus little, developing versus developed, and North versus South. We 

 believe that the United Sates should aaivcly suppon programs of this kind 

 and help them to reach their full potential. We believe the United States 

 should play a leadership role in furthering cooperative international research 

 efforts such as those outlined in ASCEND u. 



US. Role 



Senators Gore and Domcnid recently introduced legislation that would 

 establish a program through the DoE national laboratories to assist foreign 

 countries in addressing global energy and environmental issues. "' Federal 

 programs of this kind arc useful in promoting the difiiision of environmental 

 technologies to developing countries, where they can significantly influence 

 energy conservation and environmental protection efforts. 



The European Community (EC) has sponsored initiatives to improve 

 the use of environmental technologies. We believe that the United States 

 should collaborate with the EC countries and with academic institutions 

 to develop and share new technologies. Involving U.S. reprcsentauvcs. and 

 parriculaily represcntarives of federal agencies, with the EC efibn may be 

 a way to initiate coUabotadons. An e&)n to establish collaborarive arrange- 

 ments between the nadonal laboratories of various countries would be espe- 

 cially worthwhile. 



We endorse the recommendauons of the recent Carnegie Commis- 

 sion K^nlntematJonal Environmental Research and Assessment: Proposals 

 far Better Organization and Decision Making. It proposes that 



the United Sates Government and its scientific and engineering conununities 

 should take the lead in funher briiding the international institutional fnroe- 

 works for environmcfltai research and for advice to governments on which all 

 nations arc bound to come to tely.'*^ 



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