A panel discussion composed of several professors said yesterday that environmental issues are tied to global politics.
The panel on Environmental Concerns in International Relations consisted of Environmental Studies Professors Konrad Von Moltke and Gail Osherenko, Government Professor Oran Young and International Law Professor David Firestone.
The panel of professors addressed a crowd of about 25 in 1 Rockefeller Center.
Von Moltke opened the discussion with a broad overview of the dynamics that environmental issues contribute to in world politics.
He said the United States was slow in understanding the significance of the interaction between environmental issues and politics.
Osherenko, a senior fellow at the Institute of Arctic Studies, talked about the impact of laws regarding the protection of seals and whales on international politics.
Osherenko used the example from this past fall when President Clinton was asked by the International Whaling Commission to restrain Norway from harvesting whales.
Clinton was slow to act because of Norway's involvement in the peace talks between the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel, Osherenko said.
Young, the director of the Institute of International Environmental Government, talked about what we can learn from studying international environmental affairs.
"There are lessons and messages to be learned from environmental issues that can be applied to what's going on in international relations," Young said.
Last night's panel discussion was sponsored by the World Affairs Council.
