CSIRO researchers in Australia think that the toxic algal blooms that are
adversely affecting lakes and rivers worldwide could be wiped out by dousing
them with a fine spray of special clay, called Phoslock
(快猫短视频, 15 January, p 16).
I put the idea to Chris Mullin, the junior minister for
environment, transport and the regions, as his ministerial brief includes
countryside and water. I asked him whether his department was hoping to learn
something from this research.
Mullin replied that the Freshwater Biological Association, Windermere, had
suggested that this might be an opportunity for some collaboration with CSIRO.
Although the work is at an early stage, he was keen for his department to keep
up with developments.
The good news is that the agency is soon to publish its guidelines on the
various algal control methods and how to determine what is the most effective
one for a given situation.
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I鈥橫 uneasy, to put it mildly, at some of the weaknesses in the Freedom of
Information Bill, which is now approaching the report stage. Several blanket
exemptions allow critical information to be withheld. The fact that a company
has sold dangerous products or behaved in some other disreputable way could be
suppressed if disclosure might mean its customers turn to alternative products,
or its shareholders sell their shares.
Clause 41 of the bill allows authorities to refuse information if disclosure
could 鈥減rejudice the commercial interests of any person鈥� . The prejudice could
be caused by consumers refusing to buy a dangerous product. An authority could,
if it wanted, disclose such information voluntarily. But if the authority did
not want to because, say, it would show that it had known about the problem and
done nothing about it, the independent Information Commissioner could not compel
disclosure.
I hope that Tony Wright (MP for Great Yarmouth), Mark Fisher (MP for
Stoke-on-Trent Central) and other critics of the bill will press for strong
amendments.
EVER since I was taken as a youngster to Aultbea in north-west Scotland to
see family friends, I have known of the dangers of anthrax. In the bay nearby is
the brooding presence of Gruinard Island. 鈥淥n no account go there鈥攖ake
your boat but don鈥檛 land,鈥� locals warned. Gruinard was contaminated with anthrax
during a Second World War germ warfare experiment. More than 50 years later,
many people are still complaining that the island is not safe.
I was horrified, therefore, to read that the US Congress is to consider
whether to stop mandatory anthrax vaccinations of US military personnel
(快猫短视频, 26 February, p 5).
I asked Britain鈥檚 armed forces minister, John
Spellar, for the government鈥檚 view on this.
Spellar said the American forces have a different vaccine from the one used
by the British military. He didn鈥檛 think we should anticipate the report鈥檚
conclusions, which have been strongly refuted by the US Department of Defense.
鈥淲e shall look closely at the final published report to see what we can learn
from American experience. Vaccination against anthrax has an important part to
play as one of a range of measures designed to protect our forces,鈥� said
Spellar.
I keep thinking of the Gulf War syndrome from which so many of our veterans
suffer. Certainly US and British forces were given anthrax vaccination because
there were strong views that Saddam Hussein had ready appalling anthrax weapons.
Whether he did or didn鈥檛 is a matter of importance, and the sooner we start
talking to the Iraqis about it, and much else, the better.
