World Scientists' Warning to Humanity

		World Scientists' Warning To Humanity
		Warning issued on November 18, 1992 Some 1,700 of the world's leading scientists, including the majority of Nobel laureates in the sciences, issued this appeal in November 1992. The Warning was written and spearheaded by UCS Chair Henry Kendall. Human beings and the natural world are on a collision course. Human activities inflict harsh and often irreversible damage on the environment and on critical resources. If not checked, many of our current practices put at serious risk the future that we wish for human society and the plant and animal kingdoms, and may so alter the living world that it will be unable to sustain life in the manner that we know. Fundamental changes are urgent if we are to avoid the collision our present course will bring about. The Environment The environment is suffering critical stress: The Atmosphere Stratospheric ozone depletion threatens us with enhanced ultraviolet radiation at the earth's surface, which can be damaging or lethal to many life forms. Air pollution near ground level, and acid precipitation, are already causing widespread injury to humans, forests and crops. Water Resources Heedless exploitation of depletable ground water supplies endangers food production and other essential human systems. Heavy demands on the world's surface waters have resulted in serious shortages in some 80 countries, containing 40% of the world's population. Pollution of rivers, lakes and ground water further limits the supply. Oceans Destructive pressure on the oceans is severe, particularly in the coastal regions which produce most of the world's food fish. The total marine catch is now at or above the estimated maximum sustainable yield. Some fisheries have already shown signs of collapse. Rivers carrying heavy burdens of eroded soil into the seas also carry industrial, municipal, agricultural, and livestock waste -- some of it toxic. Soil Loss of soil productivity, which is causing extensive Land abandonment, is a widespread byproduct of current practices in agriculture and animal husbandry. Since 1945, 11% of the earth's vegetated surface has been degraded -- an area larger than India and China combined -- and per capita food production in many parts of the world is decreasing. Forests Tropical rain forests, as well as tropical and temperate dry forests, are being destroyed rapidly. At present rates, some critical forest types will be gone in a few years and most of the tropical rain forest will be gone before the end of the next century. With them will go large numbers of plant and animal species. Living Species The irreversible loss of species, which by 2100 may reach one third of all species now living, is especially serious. We are losing the potential they hold for providing medicinal and other benefits, and the contribution that genetic diversity of life forms gives to the robustness of the world's biological systems and to the astonishing beauty of the earth itself. Much of this damage is irreversible on a scale of centuries or permanent. Other processes appear to pose additional threats. Increasing levels of gases in the atmosphere from human activities, including carbon dioxide released from fossil fuel burning and from deforestation, may alter climate on a global scale. Predictions of global warming are still uncertain -- with projected effects ranging from tolerable to very severe -- but the potential risks are very great. Our massive tampering with the world's interdependent web of life -- coupled with the environmental damage inflicted by deforestation, species loss, and climate change -- could trigger widespread adverse effects, including unpredictable collapses of critical biological systems whose interactions and dynamics we only imperfectly understand. Uncertainty over the extent of these effects cannot excuse complacency or delay in facing the threat. Population The earth is finite. Its ability to absorb wastes and destructive effluent is finite. Its ability to provide food and energy is finite. Its ability to provide for growing numbers of people is finite. And we are fast approaching many of the earth's limits. Current economic practices which damage the environment, in both developed and underdeveloped nations, cannot be continued without the risk that vital global systems will be damaged beyond repair. Pressures resulting from unrestrained population growth put demands on the natural world that can overwhelm any efforts to achieve a sustainable future. If we are to halt the destruction of our environment, we must accept limits to that growth. A World Bank estimate indicates that world population will not stabilize at less than 12.4 billion, while the United Nations concludes that the eventual total could reach 14 billion, a near tripling of today's 5.4 billion. But, even at this moment, one person in five lives in absolute poverty without enough to eat, and one in ten suffers serious malnutrition. No more than one or a few decades remain before the chance to avert the threats we now confront will be lost and the prospects for humanity immeasurably diminished. Warning We the undersigned, senior members of the world's scientific community, hereby warn all humanity of what lies ahead. A great change in our stewardship of the earth and the life on it, is required, if vast human misery is to be avoided and our global home on this planet is not to be irretrievably mutilated. What We Must Do Five inextricably linked areas must be addressed simultaneously: We must bring environmentally damaging activities under control to restore and protect the integrity of the earth's systems we depend on. We must, for example, move away from fossil fuels to more benign, inexhaustible energy sources to cut greenhouse gas emissions and the pollution of our air and water. Priority must be given to the development of energy sources matched to third world needs -- small scale and relatively easy to implement. We must halt deforestation, injury to and loss of agricultural land, and the loss of terrestrial and marine plant and animal species. We must manage resources crucial to human welfare more effectively. We must give high priority to efficient use of energy, water, and other materials, including expansion of conservation and recycling. We must stabilize population. This will be possible only if all nations recognize that it requires improved social and economic conditions, and the adoption of effective, voluntary family planning. We must reduce and eventually eliminate poverty. We must ensure sexual equality, and guarantee women control over their own reproductive decisions. The developed nations are the largest polluters in the world today. They must greatly reduce their over-consumption, if we are to reduce pressures on resources and the global environment. The developed nations have the obligation to provide aid and support to developing nations, because only the developed nations have the financial resources and the technical skills for these tasks. Acting on this recognition is not altruism, but enlightened self-interest: whether industrialized or not, we all have but one lifeboat. No nation can escape from injury when global biological systems are damaged. No nation can escape from conflicts over increasingly scarce resources. In addition, environmental and economic instabilities will cause mass migrations with incalculable consequences for developed and undeveloped nations alike. Developing nations must realize that environmental damage is one of the gravest threats they face, and that attempts to blunt it will be overwhelmed if their populations go unchecked. The greatest peril is to become trapped in spirals of environmental decline, poverty, and unrest, leading to social, economic and environmental collapse. Success in this global endeavor will require a great reduction in violence and war. Resources now devoted to the preparation and conduct of war -- amounting to over $1 trillion annually -- will be badly needed in the new tasks and should be diverted to the new challenges. A new ethic is required -- a new attitude towards discharging our responsibility for caring for ourselves and for the earth. We must recognize the earth's limited capacity to provide for us. We must recognize its fragility. We must no longer allow it to be ravaged. This ethic must motivate a great movement, convince reluctant leaders and reluctant governments and reluctant peoples themselves to effect the needed changes. The scientists issuing this warning hope that our message will reach and affect people everywhere. We need the help of many. We require the help of the world community of scientists -- natural, social, economic, political; We require the help of the world's business and industrial leaders; We require the help of the worlds religious leaders; and We require the help of the world's peoples. We call on all to join us in this task. PROMINENT INDIVIDUALS AMONG MORE THAN 1,500 SIGNATORIES Anatole Abragam, Physicist; Fmr. Member, Pontifical Academy of Sciences; France Carlos Aguirre President, Academy of Sciences, Bolivia Walter Alvarez Geologist, National Academy of Sciences, USA Viqar Uddin Ammad, Chemist, Pakistani & Third World Academies, Pakistan Claude Allegre, Geophysicist, Crafoord Prize, France Michael Alpers Epidemiologist, Inst. of Med. Research, Papua New Guinea Anne Anastasi, Psychologist, National Medal of Science, USA Philip Anderson, Nobel laureate, Physics; USA Christian Anfinsen, Nobel laureate, Chemistry; USA How Ghee Ang, Chemist, Third World Academy, Singapore Werner Arber, Nobel laureate, Medicine; Switzerland Mary Ellen Avery, Pediatrician, National Medal of Science, USA Julius Axelrod, Nobel laureate, Medicine; USA Michael Atiyah, Mathematician; President, Royal Society; Great Britain Howard Bachrach, Biochemist, National Medal of Science, USA John Backus, Computer Scientist, National Medal of Science, USA Achmad Baiquni, Physicist, Indonesian & Third World Academies, Indonesia David Baltimore, Nobel laureate, Medicine; USA H. A. Barker, Biochemist, National Medal of Science, USA Francisco J. Barrantes, Biophysicist, Third World Academy, Argentina David Bates, Physicist, Royal Irish Academy, Ireland Alan Battersby, Chemist, Wolf Prize in Chemistry, Great Britain Baruj Benacerraf, Nobel laureate, Medicine; USA Georg Bednorz, Nobel laureate, Physics; Switzerland Germot Bergold, Inst. Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas, Venezuela Sune Bergstrom, Nobel laureate, Medicine; Sweden Daniel Bes, Physicist, Argentinean & Third World Academies, Argentina Hans Bethe, Nobel laureate, Physics; USA Arthur Birch Chemist, Australian Academy of Science, Australia Michael Bishop, Nobel laureate, Medicine; USA Konrad Bloch, Nobel laureate, Medicine; USA Nicholaas Bloembergen, Nobel laureate, Physics; USA David Mervyn Blow, Wolf Prize in Chemistry, Great Britain Baruch Blumberg, Nobel laureate, Medicine; USA Bert Bolin, Meteorologist, Tyler Prize, Sweden Norman Borlaug, Agricultural Scientist, Nobel laureate, Peace; USA & Mexico Frederick Bormann, Forest Ecologist; Past President, Ecological Soc. of Amer.; USA Raoul Bott, Mathematician, National Medal of Science, USA Ronald Breslow, Chemist, National Medal of Science Ricardo Bressani, Inst. of Nutrition, Guatemalan & Third World Academies, Guatemala Hermann Bruck, Astronomer, Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Great Britain Gerardo Budowski, Natural Resources, Univ. Para La Paz, Costa Rica E. Margaret Burbidge, Astronomer, National Medal of Science, USA Robert Burris, Biochemist, Wolf Prize in Agriculture, USA Glenn Burton, Geneticist, National Medal of Science, USA Adolph Butenandt, Nobel laureate, Chemistry; Fmr. President, Max Planck Inst.; Germany Sergio Cabrera, Biologist, Univ. de Chile, Chile Paulo C. Campos, Medical scientist, Philippine & Third World Academies, Philippines Ennio Candotti, Physicist; President, Brazilian Soc. Adv. of Science; Brazil Henri Cartan, Wolf Prize in Mathematics, France Carlos Chagas, Biologist; Univ. de Rio de Janeiro; Fmr. President, Pontifical Academy of Sciences; Brazil Sivaramakrishna Chandrasekhar, Center for Liquid Crystal Research, India Georges Charpak, Nobel laureate, Physics; France Joseph Chatt, Wolf Prize in Chemistry, Great Britain Shiing-Shen Chern, Wolf Prize in Mathematics, China & USA Christopher Chetsanga, Biochemist, Affican & Third World Academies, Zimbabwe Morris Cohen, Engineering, National Medal of Science, USA Stanley Cohen, Nobel laureate, Medicine; USA Stanley N. Cohen, Geneticist, Wolf Prize in Medicine, USA Mildred Cohn, Biochemist, National Medal of Science, USA E. J. Corey, Nobel laureate, Chemistry, USA John Cornforth, Nobel laureate, Chemistry; Great Britain Hector Croxatto, Physiologist, Pontifical & Third World Academies, Chile Paul Crutzen, Chemist, Tyler Prize, Germany Partha Dasgupta, Economist, Royal Society, Great Britain Jean Dausset, Nobel laureate, Medicine; France Ogulande Robert Davidson, Univ. Res. & Dev. Serv., African Acad., Sierra Leone Margaret Davis, Ecologist, National Academy of Sciences, USA Luis D'Croz, Limnologist, Univ. de Panama, Panama Gerard Debreu, Nobel laureate, Economics; USA Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, Nobel laureate, Physics; France Johann Deisenhofer, Nobel laureate, Chemistry; Germany & USA Frederica de Laguna, Anthropologist, National Academy of Sciences, USA Paul-Yves Denis, Geographer, Academy of Sciences, Canada Pierre Deligne, Mathematician, Crafoord Prize, France Frank Dixon, Pathologist, Lasker Award, USA Johanna Dobereiner, Biologist, First Sec., Brazilian Academy of Sci.; Pontifical & Third World Academies, Brazil Joseph Doob, Mathematician, National Medal of Science, USA Renato Dulbecco, Nobel laureate, Medicine; USA Heneri Dzinotyiweyi, Mathematician, African & Third World Academies, Zimbabwe Manfred Eigen, Nobel laureate, Chemistry; Germany Samuel Eilenberg, Wolf Prize in Mathematics, USA Mahdi Elmandjra, Economist; Vice President, African Academy of Sciences; Morocco Paul Ehrlich, Biologist, Crafoord Prize, USA Thomas Eisner, Biologist, Tyler Prize, USA Mohammed T. El-Ashry, Environmental scientist, Third World Academy, Egypt & USA Gertrude Elion, Nobel laureate, Medicine; USA Aina Elvius, Astronomer, Royal Academy of Sciences, Sweden K. O. Emery, Oceanographer, National Academy of Sciences, USA Paul Erdos, Wolf Prize in Mathematics, Hungary Richard Ernst, Nobel laureate, Chemistry; Switzerland Vittorio Ersparmer, Pharmacologist, Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Italy Sandra Faber, Astronomer, National Academy of Sciences, USA Nina Federoff, Embryologist, National Academy of Sciences, USA Herman Feshbach, Physicist, National Medal of Science, USA Inga Fischer-Hjalmars, Biologist, Royal Academy of Sciences, Sweden Michael Ellis Fisher, Physicist, Wolf Prize in Physics, Great Britain & USA Val Fitch, Nobel laureate, Physics; USA Daflinn Follesdal, President, Norwegian Academy of Science; Norway William Fowler, Nobel laureate, Physics; USA Otto Frankel, Geneticist, Australian Academy of Sciences, Australia Herbert Friedman, Wolf Prize in Physics, USA Jerome Friedman, Nobel laureate, Physics; USA Konstantin V. Frolov Engineer; Vice President, Russian Academy of Sciences; Russia Kenichi Fukui, Nobel laureate, Chemistry; Japan Madhav Gadgil, Ecologist, National Science Academy, India Mary Gaillard, Physicist, National Academy of Sciences. USA Carleton Gajdusek, Nobel laureate, Medicine; USA Robert Gallo, Research Scientist, Lasker Award, USA Rodrigo Gamez ,Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, Costa Rica Antonio Garcia-Bellido, Biologist, Univ. Auto. Madrid, Royal Society, Spain Leopoldo Garcia-Collin, Physicist, Latin American & Third World Academies, Mexico Percy Garnham, Royal Society & Pontifical Academy, Great Britain Richard Garwin, Physicist, National Academy of Sciences, USA Murray Gell-Mann, Nobel laureate, Physics; USA Georgii Georgiev, Biologist, Lenin Prize, Russia Humam Bishara Ghassib, Physicist, Third World Academy, Jordan Ricardo Giacconi, Astronomer, Wolf Prize in Physics, USA Eleanor J. Gibson, Psychologist, National Medal of Science, USA Marvin Goldberger, Physicist; Fmr. President, Calif. Inst. of Tech., USA Maurice Goldhaber, Wolf Prize in Physics, USA Donald Glaser, Nobel laureate, Physics; USA Sheldon Glashow, Nobel laureate, Physics; USA James Gowans, Wolf Prize in Medicine, France Roger Green, Anthropologist, Royal Society, New Zealand Peter Greenwood, Ichthyologist, Royal Society, Great Britain Edward Goldberg, Chemist, Tyler Prize, USA Coluthur Gopolan, Nutrition Foundation of India, Indian & Third World Academies, India Stephen Jay Gould, Paleontologist, Author, Harvard Univ., USA Roger Guillemin, Nobel laureate, Medicine; USA Herbert Gutowsky, Wolf Prize in Chemistry, USA Erwin Hahn, Wolf Prize in Physics, USA Gonzalo Halffter, Ecologist, Inst. Pol. Nac. ,Mexico Kerstin Hall, Endocrinologist, Royal Academy of Sciences, Sweden Mohammed Ahmed Hamdan, Mathematician, Third World, Academy, Jordan Adnan Hamoui, Mathematician, Third World, Academy, Kuwait A. M. Harun-ar Rashid, Physicist; Sec., Bangladesh, Academy of Sci., Bangladesh Mohammed H. A. Hassan, Physicist; Exec. Sec., Third World Academy of Sciences; Sudan & Italy Ahmed Hassanli, Chemist, African Academy of Sciences, Tanzania & Kenya Herbert Hauptman, Nobel laureate, Chemistry; USA Stephen Hawking, Mathematician, Wolf Prize in Physics, Great Britain Elizabeth Hay, Biologist, National Academy of Sciences, USA Dudley Herschbach, Nobel laureate, Chemistry, USA Gerhard Herzberg, Nobel laureate, Chemistry; Canada Antony Hewish, Nobel laureate, Physics; Great Britain George Hitchings, Nobel laureate, Medicine; USA Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin, Nobel laureate, Chemistry; Great Britain Roald Hoffman, Nobel laureate, Chemistry; USA Robert Holley, Nobel laureate, Medicine; USA Nick Holonyak, Electrical Engineer, National Medal of Science, USA Lars Hormander, Wolf Prize in Mathematics, Sweden Dorothy Horstmann, Epidemiologist, National Academy of Sciences, USA John Houghton, Meteorologist; Chairman, Science Working Group, IPCC; Great Britain Sarah Hrdy, Anthropologist, National Academy of Sciences, USA Kenneth Hsu, Geologist, Third World Academy, China & Switzerland Kun Huang, Physicist, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Hiroshi Inose, Electrical Engineer; Vice President, Engineering Academy; Japan Turner T. Isoun, Pathologist, African Academy of Sciences, Nigeria Francois Jacob, Nobel laureate, Medicine; France Carl-Olof Jacobson Zoologist; Sec-Gen., Royal Academy of Sciences; Sweden Dorothea Jameson, Psychologist, National Academy of Sciences, USA Daniel Janzen, Biologist, Crafoord Prize, USA Cecilia Jarlskog, Physicist, Royal Academy of Sciences, Sweden Louise Johnson, Biophysicist, Royal Society, Great Britain Harold Johnston, Chemist, Tyler Prize, USA Victor A. Kabanov, Chemist, Lenin Prize in Science, Russia Jerome Karle, Nobel laureate, Physics; USA Robert Kates, Geographer, National Medal of Science, USA Frederick I. B. Kayanja, Vice-Chnclr., Mbarara Univ., Third World Academy, Uganda Joseph Keller, Mathematician, National Medal of Science, USA Henry Kendall, Nobel laureate, Physics; Chairman, Union of Concerned Scientists; USA John Kendrew, Nobel laureate, Chemistry; Great Britain Elisabeth Kessler, Royal Academy of Sciences, Sweden Maung-U Khin, Pediatrician, Third World Academy, Myamnar & USA Gurdev Khush, Agronomist, International Rice Institute, Indian Natl. Sci. Academy, India & Philippines Susan Kieffer, Geologist, National Academy of Sciences, USA Klaus von Klitzing, Nobel laureate, Physics; Germany Aaron Klug, Nobel laureate, Chemistry, Great Britain E. F. Knipling, Agricultural Researcher, National Medal of Science, USA Walter Kohn, Physicist, National Medal of Science, USA Janos Kornai, Economist, Hungarian Academy of Science, Hungary Aderemi Kuku, Mathematician, African & Third World Acads., Nigeria Ikuo Kushiro, Geologist, Japan Academy, Japan Devendra Lal, Geophysicist, National Science Academy, India Gerardo Lamas-Muller, Biologist, Museo de Historia Natural, Peru Torvard Laurent, Physiological chemist; President, Royal Academy of Sciences; Sweden Leon Lederman, Nobel laureate, Physics; Chr., Amer. Assn. Adv. Sci.; USA Sang Soo Lee, Physicist, Korean & Third World Academies, Rep. of Korea Yuan T. Lee, Nobel laureate, Chemistry; USA Susan Leeman PharmacologistX National Academy of Sciences, USA Jean Marie Lehn, Nobel laureate, Chemistry; France Wassily Leontief, Nobel laureate, Economics; USA Luna Leopold, Geologist, National Medal of Science, USA Louis Leprince-Ringuet, Physicist, French & Pontifical Academies, France Vladilen Letokhov, Physicist, Lenin Prize in Science, Russia Rita Levi-Montalcini, Nobel laureate, Medicine; USA & Italy Li Chang-lin, Environmental Sciences, Fudan University, China Shan Tao Liao, Mathematician, Chinese & Third World Academies, China William Lipscomb, Nobel laureate, Physics; USA Jane Lubchenco, Zoologist; President-Elect, Ecological Soc. of Amer.; USA Christopher Magazda, Limnologist, African Academy of Sciences, Zimbabwe Lydia Phindile Makhubu, Chemist, Third World & African Academies, Swaziland Khursheed Ahmad Malik, Microbiologist, Pakistan & Third World Academies, Pakistan & Germany Lynn Margulis, Biologist, National Academy of Sciences, USA Paul Marks, Oncologist, National Medal of Science, USA George Martine, Inst. for Study of Society, Population, & Nature; Brazil Frederico Mayor, Biochemist; Dir. Gen., UNESCO, Spain & France Ernst Mayr, Zoologist, National Medal of Science, USA Maclyn McCarty, Wolf Prize in Medicine, USA James McConnell, Physicist, Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Ireland Digby McLaren, Past President, Royal Society of Canada; Canada James Meade, Nobel laureate, Economics; Great Britain Jerrold Meinwald, Chemistry, Tyler Prize, USA M. G. K Menon, Physicist; President, International Council of Scientific Unions; India Gennady Mesiatz, Physicist; Vice President, Russian Academy of Sciences; Russia Jan Michalski, Biologist, Polish Academy of Science, Poland Hartmut Michel, Nobel laureate, Chemistry; Germany Brenda Milner, Neurologist, Academy of Sciences, Canada Cesar Milstein, Nobel laureate, Medicine; Argentina & Great Britain Franco Modigliani, Nobel laureate, Economics; USA Andrei Monin, Oceanologist, State Prize, Russia Marcos Moshinsky, Physicist, Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Mexico Nevill Mott, Nobel laureate, Physics; Great Britain Teruaki Mukaiyama, Chemist, Japan Academy, Japan Walter Munk, Geophysicist, National Medal of Science, USA Anne Murray, Ethnographer, Royal Academy of Sciences, Sweden Joseph Murray, Nobel laureate, Medicine; USA Noreen Murray, Biologist, Royal Society, Great Britain Lawrence Mysak, Meteorologist; Vice President, Academy of Science, Royal Society of Canada; Canada Jayant Vishnu Narlikar, Astrophysicist, Indian & Third World Academies, India Anwar Nasim, Biologist, Third World Academy, Saudi Arabia Kim Nasmyth, Biologist, Royal Society, Great Britain & Austria James Neel, Geneticist, National Medal of Science, USA Louis Neel, Nobel laureate, Physics; France Yuval Ne'eman, Physicist, Natl. Acad. of Sci. & Humanities, Israel Oleg M. Nefedov, Chemist; Vice President, Russian Academy of Sciences; Russia Erwin Neher, Nobel laureate, Medicine; Germany Marshall Nirenberg, Biochemist; Nobel laureate, Medicine; USA Yasutomi Nishizuka, Biochemist, Lasker Award, Japan John S. Nkoma, Physicist, Third World Academy, Botswana Paul Nchoji Nkvvi, Anthropologist, African Academy, Cameroon Howard Odum, Ecologist, Crafoord Prize, USA Bede Nwoye Okigbo, Agricultural Scientist; Dir., U.N. Unv. Pgm. Natrl. Res. in Afr.; Nigeria & Kenya Ayub Khan Ommaya, Neurobiologist, Third World Academy, Pakistan & USA Cyril Agodi Onwumechili, Physicist, Fmr. Pres., Nigerian Acad. of Sciences, Nigeria & Great Britain Mary Jane Osborn, Microbiologist, National Academy of Scientists, USA Yuri Ossipyan, Physicist; Vice President, Russian Academy of Sciences; Russia Autzr Singh Paintal, Physiologist, Fmr. President, Indian National Science Academy, India George Pake, Physicist, National Medal of Science, USA George Palade, Nobel laureate, Physics; USA Mary Lou Pardue, Biologist, National Academy of Sciences, USA Linus Pauling, Nobel laureate, Chemistry & Pence, USA Barbara Pearse, Molecular Biologist, Royal Society, Great Britain Muhammed Abed Peerally, Biologist, Third World Academy, Mauritius Manuel Peimbert, Astronomer, Univ. Nac. Aut. de Mexico, Mexico Roger Penrose, Mathematician, Wolf Prize in Physics, Great Britain John Philip, Agricultural Science, Australian Academy of Science, Australia Lilian Pickford, Physiologist, Royal Society, Great Britain John R. Pierce, Electrical Engineer, National Medal of Science, USA John Polanyi, Nobel laureate, Chemistry; Canada George Porter, Nobel laureate, Chemistry; Great Britain Ilya Prigogine, Nobel laureate, Chemistry; Belgium Giampietro Puppi, Physicist, Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Italy Edward Purcell, Nobel laureate, Physics; USA Atta ur-Rahman, Chemist, Pakistani & Third World Academies, Pakistan G. N. Ramachandran, Mathematician, Inst. of Science, India Tiruppattur Ramakrishnan, Physicist, Indian & Third World Academies, India Chintamani Rao, Inst. of Science, Indian and Pontifical Academies, India Eduardo Rapoport, Ecologist, Third World Academy, Argentina Marianne Rasmuson, Geneticist, Royal Academy of Sciences, Sweden Peter Raven, Director, Missouri Botanical Garden; National Academy of Sciences, USA Martin Rees, Astronomer, Royal Society & Pontifical Academy, Great Britain Gerardo Reichel-Dolmatoff, Anthropologist, Columbian & Third World Academies, Columbia Tadeus Reichstein, Nobel laureate, Medicine; Switzerland Frederick Reines, Physicist, National Medal of Science, USA Alexander Rich, Biologist, National & Pontifical Academies, USA Burton Richter, Nobel laureate, Physics; USA Ralph Riley, Wolf Prize in Agriculture, Great Britain Claude Rimington, Inst. for Cancer Research, Norwegian Academy of Science, Norway Gustavo Rivas Mijares, Engineer; Fmr. President, Academy of Sciences, Venezuela Frederick Robbins, Nobel laureate, Medicine; USA Wendell Roelofs, Entomologist, National Medal of Science, USA Betty Roots, Zoologist, Academy of Sciences, Canada Miriam Rothschild, Biologist, Royal Society, Great Britain Sherwood Rowland, Chemist; President, American Association for the Advancement of Science; USA Janet Rowley, Physician, National Academy of Sciences, USA Carlo Rubbia, Nobel laureate, Physics, Italy & Switzerland Vera Rubin, Physicist, National Academy of Sciences, USA Yuri Rudenko, Energy Research Inst., State Prize laureate, Russia Elizabeth Russell, Jackson Laboratory, National Academy of Sciences, USA Albert Sabin, Virologist, National Medal of Science, USA Carl Sagan, Astrophysicist & Author, USA Roald Sagdeev, Physicist, Russian & Pontifical Academies, Russia & USA Ruth Sager, Geneticist, National Academy of Sciences, USA Farrokh Saidi, Surgeon, Third World Academy, Iran Abdus Salam, Nobel laureate, Physics; President, Third World Academy of Sciences, Pakistan & Italy Frederick Sanger, Nobel laureate, Chemistry; Great Britain Jose Sarukhan, Biologist, Third World Academy, Mexico Berta Scharrer,Neuroscientist, National Medal of Science, USA Richard Schultes, Botanist, Tyler Prize, USA Melvin Schwartz, Nobel laureate, Physics; USA Julian Schwinger, Nobel laureate, Physics; USA Glenn Seaborg, Nobel laureate, Physics; USA Michael Sela, Weizmann Inst., Pontifical Academy of Science, Israel Arne Semb-Johansson, Entomologist, Norwegian Academy of Science, Norway Salimuzzaman Siddiqui, Chemist, Pontifical & Third World Academies, Pakistan Kai Siegbahn, Nobel laureate, Physics; Sweden Thomas Silou, Biochemist, African Academy of Sciences, Congo Herbert Simon, Nobel laureate, Economics; USA Alexej Sitenko, Physicist, Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, Ukraine Jens Skou, Biophysicist, Royal Academy of Sciences, Denmark Charles Slack, Agricultural Science, Royal Society, New Zealand George Snell, Nobel laureate, Medicine; USA Roger Sperry, Nobel laureate, Medicine; USA Alexander Spirin, Biologistn Lenin Prize, Russia Earl Stadtman, Biochemist, National Medal of Science, USA Thressa Stadtman, Biochemist, National Academy of Sciences, USA Ledyard Stebbins, Geneticist, National Medal of Science, USA Jack Steinberger, Nobel laureate, Physics; USA & Switzerland Janos Szentgothai, Fmr. President, Hungarian Academy of Sciences; Hungary Tan Jia-zhen, Geneticist, Shanghai Univ., China Andrezej Tarkowski, Embryologist, Polish [text missing] Valentine Telegdi, Wolf Prize in Physics, Switzerland Kirthi Tennakone, Physicist, Third World Academy, Sri Lanka Walter Thirring, Physicist, Austrian & Pontifical Academies, Austria Donnall Thomas, Nobel laureate, Medicine; USA Jan Tinbergen, Nobel laureate, Economics; Netherlands Samuel C. C. Ting, Nobel laureate, Physics; USA James Tobin, Nobel laureate, Economics; USA Alexander Todd, Nobel laureate, Chemistry; Great Britain Susumu Tonegawa, Nobel laureate, Medicine; Japan & USA Cheng Kui Tseng, Oceanologist, Chinese & Third World Academies, China Hans Tuppy, Biochemist, Austrian & Pontifical Academies, Austria James Van Allen, Physicist, Crafoord Prize, USA Simon van der Meer, Nobel laureate, Physics; Netherlands & Switzerland John Vane, Nobel laureate, Medicine; Great Britain Harold Varmus, Nobel laureate, Medicine; USA Martha Vaughan, Biochemist, National Academy of Sciences, USA George Wald, Nobel laureate, Medicine; USA Henrik Wallgren, Zoologist, Society of Science & Letters, Finland E. T. S. Walton, Nobel laureate, Physics, Ireland Prawase Wasi, Hematologist, Third World Academy, Thailand Gerald Wasserburg, Geophysicist, Crafoord Prize, USA James Watson, Nobel laureate, Medicine; USA Victor Weisskopf, Wolf Prize in Physics, USA Thomas Weller, Nobel laureate, Medicine; USA Diter von Wettstein, Physiologist, Royal Academy of Sciences, Denmark Fred Whipple, Astronomer, National Academy of Sciences, USA Gilbert White, Geographer, Tyler Prize, USA Torsten Wiesel, Nobel laureate, Medicine; USA Jerome Wiesner, Physicist, Fmr. President, Mass. Inst. of Tech., USA Maurice Wilkins, Nobel laureate, Medicine; Great Britain Geoffrey Wilkinson, Nobel laureate, Chemistry; Great Britain Richard Willems, Geneticist, Estonian Biocentre, Estonia Edward O. Wilson, Biologist, Crafoord Prize, USA Lawrence A. Wilson, Agricultural Science, Third World Academy, Trinidad Evelyn Witkin, Biologist, National Academy of Sciences, USA Yang Fujia, Physicist, Chinese & Third World Academies, China Alexander L. Yanshin, Geologist, Karpinsky Gold Medal, Russia Yongyuth Yuthavong, Biochemist; Director, National Sci. & Tech. Devl. Agency, Thailand Zhao Zhong-xian, Physicist, Chinese & Third World Academies, China Zhou Guang-zhao, Physicist; President, Chinese Academy of Sciences; China Solly ZuckerInan, Zoologist, Royal Society, Great Britain Over 1,500 members of national, regional, and inter-national science academies have signed the Warning. Sixty-nine nations from all parts of Earth are represented, including each of the twelve most populous nations and the nineteen largest economic powers. The full list includes a majority of the Nobel laureates in the sciences. Awards and institutional affiliations are listed for the purpose of identification only. The Nobel Prize in medicine is for physiology or medicine. A WORLD SCIENTISTS' WARNING BRIEFING BOOK is available from the Union of Concerned Scientists. It provides the citations to support their WARNING. Union of Concerned Scientists 96 Church Street Cambridge, Mass 02238-9105, USA VOX: 617-547-5552 FAX: 617-864-9405 http://www.ucsusa.org/ ucs@igc.apc.org Warning issued on November 18, 1992