harelb@cabot.dartmouth.edu (Harel Barzilai) (06/19/91)
"visibility has dropped from 12 kms to only 500 metres in the last 10 years, and the concentration of harmful gases in the atmosphere reaches highly critical levels nearly throughout the year... "there are other indications that salinas' determined effort to clean up the environment is ''hardly a drop in the ocean'', biologist albertina toscano told ips... - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Topic 979 MEXICO: SALINAS TO RECEIVE ENVIRONM newsdesk ips.englibrary 10:06 am Jun 4, 1991 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Copyright Inter Press Service 1991, all rights reserved. Permission to re- print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - mexico city jun 1 (ips) -- mexican president carlos salinas will receive an award for ''environmental leadership and humanitarian excellence'' from the united earth foundation jun. 6 in recognition of his efforts to solve his country's environmental problems. the award, co-sponsored by the united nation environment programme (unep), will also be given to norwegian premier gro harlem brundtland, james p grant, u.n. children's fund (unicef) executive director, and ted turner, president of the turner broadcasting system. bruntland, grant and turner will receive the award at the u.n. headquarters in new york during a ceremony commemorating world environment day on jun. 5. united earth, based in the u.s. city of milwaukee, was founded in 1974 and headed by claes nobel, great grandson of swedish chemist alfred bernhard nobel who created the famous nobel prize in 1901. the award will be given annually to people noted for their efforts in nature conservation, pollution prevention, population control, elimination of hunger and poverty, and energy development. the next awards will be presented during the u.n. conference on environment and development in brazil in june 1992. in a letter to salinas, claes nobel said they decided to give him the award for his ''exceptionally courageous decisions'' which would benefit mexico and the rest of the world. he cited the many environmental laws and programmes adopted by the salinas government since it took office in 1988, but also stressed the serious environmental damage suffered by mexico. most local environmental groups, even the more recalcitrant ones, agree salinas deserves the award. but some say the award recognises more ''the beginning of a process'' than ''concrete results which remain to be seen'', especially in mexico city, considered the world's most polluted city. actions taken by the salinas government include the temporary shutdown of some 330 factories with no anti-pollution equipment -- an official strategy to prevent water pollution and the draining of four watersheds. the government has imposed a total ban on the hunting of seven species of sea turtles that lay eggs on the mexican coast. it has also created a sanctuary for white doves and built two nature reserves covering 320,000 hectares. (more/ips) authorities have also drawn up a list of 422 animal and 584 plant species threatened with extinction as a requirement for joining the international convention on endangered species of flora and fauna. but the government is concentrating most of its efforts and funds in pollution control in mexico city, where there are 15 million people, nearly three million cars and over 300 factories that emit highly toxic gases. a programme launched in 1990 requires the investment of 2.5 billion dollars (42 percent from foreign loans) to produce gasoline with no lead content, improve the transport system, and supply factories with non-polluting equipment, among others. since november 1989, half a million cars have been banned from the streets of the capital once a week, but officials admit many have bought a second vehicle to dodge this law. over 4.6 million dollars have been invested for this programme, but authorities believe pollution in mexico city has reached such an extent that significant results could only be achieved on a medium- and long-term basis. visibility has dropped from 12 kms to only 500 metres in the last 10 years, and the concentration of harmful gases in the atmosphere reaches highly critical levels nearly throughout the year. there are other indications that salinas' determined effort to clean up the environment is ''hardly a drop in the ocean'', biologist albertina toscano told ips. factories near 218 mexican watersheds dump more than 2.5 million tons of toxic waste a year, making 15 big rivers biologically dead and threatening 35 others with ecological destruction. according to environmentalist gabriel quadri de la torre, mexico's rainforests are being destroyed at an annual rate of 812,000 hectares, equivalent to the size of puerto rico. indiscriminate logging and slash-and-burn farming has led to the erosion of 167.6 million hectares, or 84 percent of mexican territory. quadri said the environment continues to be neglected in official development efforts and urged the government to adopt a policy of sustainable development. mexican poet homero aridjis, president of the ecological group 'los cien', said besides recognition of salinas' efforts, his award should also serve as a challenge to adopt a more definite solution to the country's environmental problems. 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