The environmental effects of the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine began to dissipate long ago. But the political effects are still causing diplomats and development bankers

All the reasons for preservation of world's tropical rainforests also apply to Russia's endless conifers. So do most of the reasons for destroying them. Many of those conifers, however, might yet be

Deep red gashes scar the mountain sides around Palmital, a small town in Costa Rica's Pacific cordillera. Each year, rains wash top soil from what were forests a decade or two ago. Thanks to the

France's parliament cocked a snook at the European Commission on June 19th when it adopted a law letting migrant birds and waterfowl be shot for up to seven-and-a-half months a year, giving the

"Genetically modified" plants are already commonplace in America. Europeans would be better off if they embraced them with equal enthusiasm : a

Before the end of summer, subscribers will be offered a mobile phone service that works anywhere in the world. But who will want it? : a

At the moment, cannabis is seen by most authorities around the world as part of narcotics and not as a medicine. In America, at least, the government seems to be taking fairly effective measures to

Occidental Petroleum got a permit to explore the Samore field in eastern Colombia, 20% of it lying beneath the U'wa reservation, in early 1995. The U'wa Indians promptly threatened to commit mass

A new copper based chip making technology really does look as it will revolutionise the electronics industry : a

Biotechnologies once considered RNA as DNA's poor relation. But "ribozymes"-pieces of RNA that act as enzymes-are offering new disease treatments and new interest for drug