Tímarit lögfræðinga - 01.12.1989, Blaðsíða 14

serious genetic effects on the human reproduction process, inter alia
resulting in malformation of the foetus.
5. In concluding this examination of international sources and types
of pollution, I shall briefly dwell on certain special problems with
which the Nordic countries ai'e faced. In Noiway a very serious
problem has arisen both with regard to pollution of our forests, and
our lakes and rivers. The time has passed where tall smokestacks
in Central Europe and England, throwing dangerous pollutants sky-
high into the air, can be sanctioned as an acceptable solution to
Central Europe’s pollution problems. Norway and other Scandinavian
countries are victims of this sleight-of-hand approach to Europe’s
pollution problems. This airbome pollution attacks and kills to a very
grave extent our forests by acidification of the soil and also kills the
fish and life otherwise in our lakes and rivers. Even our oceans and
fjords have been exposed to this acidification with disastrous results
for fish stocks.
6. Another major concern voiced by responsible scientists is the in-
creasing accumulation of carbon dioxide (C02) in a gaseous belt
around the globe. In addition to the increased burning of fossil fuel
for heating purposes by the constantly increasing population in the
world, the increase in automobiles and air transportation is allegedly
a major cause of this serious development.
Responsible scientists worldwide emphasize the seriousness of the
problem. This carbon dioxide belt surrounding our planet creates what
has been termed the Greenhouse Effect. This greenhouse effect results
in an increased heating of our globe with grave environmental con-
sequences.
The World Watch Institute Report 1989 maintains that this green-
house effect may already have resulted in measurable increases in
temperature. Reputed scientists fear that, if we are not able to cope
with the greenhouse effect, the consequences could be that (and I
quote from the WW 1989 Report):
“Between 2030 and 2050 temperatures could be 1.5—4.5
degrees Celsius higher than they have been in recent decades,
or warmer than the earth has been for the past 2 million years
... This implies a warming that is 5 to 10 times as fast as that
experienced during the past century.” (p. 9).
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