Environmental Security Panel Of Nato Scientists To Meet At Colorado State University Nov. 6-8
Friday, October 31, 1997
FORT COLLINS--For the first time in the United States, a
NATO panel of leading international experts, including a Colorado
State University professor, will gather to discuss how to best
address pressing global environmental concerns.
The NATO Environmental Security Panel, which gathers three
times a year, will meet
Nov. 6-8 in the Lory Student Center at Colorado State to consider
funding studies between NATO scientists and Cooperating
Individual States. CIS includes the former Soviet Union and other
European countries.
"Since the end of the Cold War, countries throughout the
world are turning with increasing urgency to face a common enemy-
-the environmental threats that undermine the health and safety
of citizens in every country," said Evan Vlachos, professor of
sociology and civil engineering and the United States
representative on the panel.
"Civilization needs stable, clean environments," Vlachos
said. "Where once the concern was building military power, the
concern now is building dialogues between countries to
rehabilitate environmental problems. The panel seeks to
strengthen ties with the international scientific community and
work toward a stable, productive world environment through funded
workshops and exchange visits."
Priority topics in the evaluation sessions include improving
East-West collaboration on scientific and technological projects,
such as the reclamation of contaminated military sites, regional
environmental problems and natural and man-made disasters.
"It speaks well for Colorado State that this distinguished
panel is meeting on our campus to discuss crucial issues that
affect each and every one of us," said Colorado State President
Albert Yates. "Our university has a reputation as a leader in
exploring the best ways to preserve and protect environmental
integrity for our well-being and, equally important, for the
well-being of future generations."
Vlachos said that panel members will be briefed on the work
done by the Center for the Environmental Management of Military
Lands, a research center at Colorado State. CEMML, part of the
department of forest sciences in the College of Natural
Resources, provides research and technical support to the
Department of Defense and its conservation and environmental
protection efforts. The center helps military planners, trainers
and land managers maintain healthy, diverse ecosystems to support
training and testing exercises.
Vlachos has over 25 years of experience in research,
teaching and consulting on national and international projects
including urban planning, natural resources management,
forecasting and futurism, technology assessment and demography.
He is associate director of the International School for Water
Resources in addition to serving as member of the Advisory Panel
on Environmental Security for NATO in Brussels.
In addition to Vlachos, panel members include Hilmar Bungum
from the Research Council of Norway, Douglas Champ from Chalk
River Laboratories in Canada, Joao Ribeiro da Costa from the
Universidade Nova de Lisboa in Portugal, Francis Lambert from the
Centre d'Etudes de Saclay in France, Adolphe Muller from the
Geologisches Institut in Germany, Nicholas Owens from the
department of marine sciences and coastal management at the
University of Newcastle in the United Kingdom, Robert Guicherit
from the TNO Institute of Environmental Sciences in the
Netherlands, and Luis Veiga da Cunha from Belgium and director of
the Priority Area on Environmental Security.
"This meeting brings together some of the best minds in the
world," said Neil Grigg, chairman of the department of civil
engineering. "Every member will take back to their respective
countries a renewed commitment to help create a safe and healthy
environment."
Other areas of possible funding studies include:
* Environmental and human health consequences on military
activities, particularly those relating to former and existing
military bases and test sites;
* Nuclear and chemical pollution and decontamination;
* Solid and toxic waste management;
* Water pollution problems with emphasis on groundwater;
* Integrated water resource management;
* Marine pollution, especially in costal zones and
estuaries;
* Air pollution in industrial areas;
* Natural and man-made hazards;
* Industrial accidents;
* Agricultural management, including soil practices and use
of pesticides and fertilizers;
* Consequences of climate change on environmental security.
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