Working Group Reports

Working Group on Climate Change

Co-ordinators: Adele Buckley— oceta@hookup.net Derek Paul— paul@physics.utoronto.ca

Members of the Group have recently prepared four papers, and will supply copies on request.

1] “Climate Change: facts, strategies, choices and innovations” by Derek Paul was presented at the International Conference on Quality of Life at the University of Northern British Columbia in August, and is now in press with the Journal of Social Indicators. The main conclusions of this paper have been communicated to the Prime Minister and all the Ministers affected by the need for compliance with International agreements on greenhouse gas reductions; and also with some other members of parliament.

2] Global Security and Environmental Degradation” by Adele Buckley was presented at the Canadian Pugwash Group’s October 1996 seminar.

3] A response has been prepared for the provincial and federal ministers of the environment on the Report of their Task Force on Cleaner Vehicles and Fuels. This response will shortly be communicated to the various ministers and their staffs.

4] A paper “Choices for Plutonium Disposal” has been prepared by Derek Paul, at the request of the SfP Board, for the WG on Abolition of Nuclear weapons and the WG on Energy. The report, now in its third draft, is available for perusal. This paper focuses on the problem of disposal of military plutonium rather than of the larger total quantity of plutonium residing in spent fuel.

Working Group on Human Rights

Co-ordinators: Phyllis Creighton— ppcreig@idirect.com Eric Fawcett— fawcett@physics.utoronto.ca

Phyllis Creighton has written the following letters on Science for Peace stationery in response to Urgent Action Notices of Amnesty International on behalf of Prisoners of Conscience. Normally copies of the letter (or similar letters) are sent to Ministers, Police, Legal or other concerned authorities.

All members of SfP are encouraged to write on Science for Peace stationery, which will be supplied on request to Eric Fawcett, who will co-ordinate the responses.

15 May 1996: to All Parties Hurriyet Conference State of Jammu and Kashmir, India on behalf of electoral officials, subject to death threats. 14 Jun 1996: to President of Mexico on behalf of members of a peasant organization “Movimento 6 de Marzo” in the State of Guerrero, persecuted for demonstrating for lack of adequate agricultural resources. 15 Jul 1996: to President of Syria on behalf of Mustafa Tawfiq FALLAH, a prisoner since 1970, who now at age 59 is in very poor health. 05 Oct 1996: to President of Legislative Assembly of El Salvador expressing concern about proposed legislation to reintroduce the death penalty. 10 Oct 1996: to Governor of the State of Guerrero, Mexico on behalf of Bertoldo MARTINEZ, a leader of “Movimento 6 de Marzo” (see 14 June), arrested 3 October in Acapulco.