Web site review by Kanaka Nagaraj Sabapathy (Environmental Science and Law)- The Center for Science and Environment (www.cseindia.org)
I would recommend this web site to all my colleagues in the course from the point of view of being fully informed about latest happenings in the field of environment and trade in the South. The Web-site is hosted by the Center for Science and Environment (CSE), one of India's leading environmental NGO's The President of India is the Patron of this organization. Its director Dr. Anil Aggawal chaired the world's largest network of environmental NGO's, the Environmental Liaison Center in Nairobi between 1983-87. In the early nineties he worked with Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere through the Geneva-based South Center, to help developing countries develop a proactive agenda for the Rio Conference. The CSE's Washington Center, facilitates interaction with U.S. NGO's and the public. It may be pertinent to mention that in 1986, the CSE was invited by the Prime Minister to address the Council of Ministers and the Parliament, on the importance of Sustainable Development.
This web site is a treasure-trove of information relating to all aspects of the environment including trade. Though it concentrates on the viewpoint of the South from the perspective of India and South Asia, it links to many important web sites relating to trade and environment, including the WTO.
CSE's strategy of "knowledge based activism" has won it wide respect and admiration for the quality of its campaigns, research and publications which are trying to bring about change in an extremely difficult situation. Its publications and research have won positive reviews in "The Economist", the "New Scientist" and other prestigious journals. The Center has been active for nearly two decades now.
The web site is one of the best (in South East Asia) to represent the views of the South on issues relating to international trade and the environment, on the Net. It is well produced, easily guiding the viewer to access a wealth of information that looks simultaneously on a diversity of topics on policy in trade and the environment.
Why is this site so important to us? I am reminded of a query raised in one of the class discussions as to whether India is part of the WTO. I think this web site may provide the answers to that question. The web site also proves a point that the North needs to build stronger bridges with the South to better understand the environment-development conundrum facing the nations of the developing world.
Let me go into the salient features of this web site.
On the top left hand corner of the Home page one can see an "Environment Today", link which leads one to a daily environment news flash by subject categories. The Environmental News Network maintains this news flash. One can find up to date news reports from sources like Reuters on topics like alternative energy sources, global warming, genetically modified foods, recycling industry, population and labor.
The ENN is the largest and longest running portal in the "global business of the environment". It describes itself as the "definitive, on-line destination for environmental services and information. ENN partners include Yahoo, CNN, Reuters, National Geographic, Knight-Ridder and more than 720 leading non-profit groups and corporations. The ENN daily news flash is syndicated to all major media organizations in the world.
By electronically subscribing to the ENN one can be fully informed every day about what is happening in the world on environment and trade issues.
There are also science-environment stories of the day grouped in categories in the same page. One of the stories I saw today was India winning a WTO case against the EU. The WTO has declared EU anti-dumping duties on Indian cotton bed linen in breach of free trade rules and has ordered it to bring its policy in line with its obligations.
I would not have been aware of this story, as newspapers in Canada have not carried it in their editions
Other reports talk of a 1.3 per cent increase in Greenhouse gases in the U.S. last year and a booming trade in endangered Baboons from Tanzania to the U.S. The Bureau of Indian Standards bringing out advisory guidelines on banned mongoose hair even as it is being used in paint brushes in flagrant violation of the ban is another interesting story.
The reports are invariably quoted to authoritative sources and gleaned from newspapers, research materials and authentic documentary evidence worldwide. The information is well referenced.
A "News from Affiliates" link leads you to press releases direct from Universities and research institutions worldwide. A report I found interesting related to the trouble brewing between Japan and the U.S. on the import of genetically modified corn by Japan. I also found press releases on two UNEP meetings on Trade Liberalization and Economic Instruments and the Impact of Trade-related Policies.
There is also a news archive link, which leads one to collections of abstracts of important news stories as covered by newspapers and magazines for a one-year period. I found this to be a very good reference tool.
The EQUITY WATCH on the home page, is a newly introduced Internet Newsletter that basically focuses on equity in climate change negotiations. The latest newsletter carries a report of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution in the U. K. supporting the South's demands for equity in climate negotiation.
Another report talks of whether the nuclear lobby in India will succeed in rising from the ashes with support from the CDM and how ambiguity on policy still exists on this issue.
There is an important story on the U. N. Millennium Report and how Corporations are influencing almost every negotiation on the environment that has taken place under the aegis of the U. N. including the Montreal Protocol, Kyoto, Biodiversity Convention and its Bio-safety Protocol.
There is an interesting report of FAO's attempts for an international agreement on access and benefit sharing of agricultural genetic sources. It talks of an International Understanding being worked out on the issue of intellectual property rights as related to technology and commercial benefit sharing. The IU may inform previously contentious areas of trade policy relating to Intellectual Property Rights.
The newsletter has a brief on important monthly meetings worldwide relating to trade and environment. These include meetings of the WTO; Inter-governmental Forum on Chemical Safety; the fourth Convention of the Conference of Parties to the UN Conference to Combat Desertification; the WTO Trade and Environment Committee along with related web sites and email contacts
The web site contains the CSE fortnightly magazine "Down to Earth". This fortnightly magazine on science and the environment as well as trade issues is quoted as an authoritative source by organizations like WORLDWATCH as well as researchers and authors worldwide.
The web-site carries a weekly Feature Service of articles on environment. There are also regular updates on all of CSE campaigns on topics like vehicular pollution, climate change, bio-diversity, water resources, wildlife, forests etc. An online library of books, journals, images and videos is searchable through a glossary of environmental keywords at http://data.cseindia.org
One can subscribe for a subscription-free fortnightly electronic news bulletin from CSE
The "Partners" link at the bottom of the home page leads one to a wealth of web sites relating to the environment and trade. Clicking on each partner link opens up a labyrinth of web sites. The Amsterdam-based web site "Both Ends" leads you to some of the best environmental sites in the world including the World Wide Web Virtual Library on Sustainable Development and Enviro-link, one of the world's largest environmental information clearing houses. There is also "Eco Portal", an ecological search engine which indexes thousands of reviewed environmental Internet sources and the Amazing Environmental Organization Web Directory, the world's biggest environmental search engine with extensive links.
The CSE appears to have high credibility and is presently the South Asian member of the International Network on Trade and Environment located at the Environment and Development Research Center, Brussels. It is also a member of the Environmental Liaison Center International, Nairobi. CSE is a founding member representing South Asia in the International Interim Committee to liaison on the Biodiversity Convention.
CSE has worked with Green Peace on the Montreal Protocol, toxic trade and climate change. It collaborates with the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), London to report on environment events worldwide.
Negative Points about the Web Site
Some of the negative points I found in the web site are the numerous links, which are not functional. This however does not detract from the importance of this web site because there are other extensive links to make up for the loss. But sometimes this can irk the person browsing the site.
One of the weak points I noticed in the web-site is that it does not provide for downloading of key documents. Some of its services like the Corporate Environment Inc., a monthly compilation of industry's track record in environment is accessible only through a subscription.
Overall this is a very good web site and a must browse for all those taking the course and wanting to know more about southern perspectives.