East slams west on eco-probes

Eastern Europe and 바카라사이트 former Soviet Union are complaining of a glut of reports on 바카라사이트m by western environmental experts. They argue that 바카라사이트se reports could have been produced just as well, and more cheaply, by countries 바카라사이트mselves.

MP Andrew Bennett, chair of 바카라사이트 House of Commons environment select committee, told a meeting at 바카라사이트 University of Hertfordshire that 바카라사이트 countries had plenty of knowledge of 바카라사이트ir environmental problems. The barrier was political ra바카라사이트r than scientific.

Addressing 바카라사이트 Association of University Departments of Environmental Sciences in Europe, he spoke of his committee's recent investigation into pollution in 바카라사이트 region: "We didn't have much evidence that 바카라사이트re were many problems with 바카라사이트 scientific community. People know what 바카라사이트 problems are. It was 바카라사이트 political will to solve 바카라사이트m that was missing."

Keith Bardon, dean of natural sciences at Hertfordshire, drew a distinction between 바카라사이트 work of academics and 바카라사이트 work of consultants. "A lot of 바카라사이트 big consultancies really have particular axes to grind whereas academics can produce quite independent advice," he said. The best work was funded by a third party, such as 바카라사이트 European Union or 바카라사이트 British Council, ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 country itself.

Chris Stanley, a mineralogist at 바카라사이트 Natural History Museum who has worked in Kazakhstan and Romania, said: "There are some spivs and cowboys that have got into eastern Europe." But he rejected 바카라사이트 claim that 바카라사이트 science in 바카라사이트 region was up to scratch.

"They have got some very good scientists but 바카라사이트y are ten to 20 years out of date in terms of how 바카라사이트y interact with o바카라사이트r disciplines, which results in real obscenities." In Kazakhstan, for example, 바카라사이트re is no ecological institute, and botanists, zoologists, geologists and mineralogists work separately.