Introducing B-SPAN, the World Bank's new broadcasting station

[Dshaman@worldbank.org]

Greetings from the New Ideas in Pollution Regulation (NIPR) team.

Today we're pleased to introduce you to B-SPAN, the World Bank's new
Internet-based "web"casting station.  B-SPAN is a window into a unique world
that offers the public an opportunity to see what is being discussed and debated
inside the World Bank on a variety of sustainable development and poverty
reduction issues.  For many years, the Bank has hosted regular luncheon
seminars, workshops and conferences in its Washington headquarters where leading
experts from around the world discussed the latest developments in their
sectors. Unfortunately, these live events were and are attended mostly by Bank
staff members, an audience that represents a only small fraction of the
potential viewers interested in participating. B-SPAN seeks to fill this gap by
allowing anyone unable to attend an event the chance to watch a webcast of the
presentation either live or through an archived Internet file.  A new website
has been started to archive the video materials for future viewing. Over time,
the B-SPAN website will become a virtual library of information on development
and poverty issues.

To visit B-SPAN, go to http://www.worldbank.org/wbi/B-SPAN.

B-SPAN makes use of RealPlayer 8 Basic, a free software package that allows
viewing of video materials through the Internet.  This free version of
RealPlayer can be downloaded from the B-SPAN website.

Several recent events are now available on B-SPAN.  These include:

Ian Johnson, vice president of the Environmentally and Socially Sustainable
Development network, and Robert Watson, co-chairman of the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) discuss recent negotiations on climate change at
The Hague.  Johnson provides an assessment on developments at The Hague, reasons
for its failure to broker an agreement, and some perspective on future
negotiations.

On Monday (January 22, 2001) Watson and the IPCC issued a stunning report in
Shanghai, China which indicated that mounting scientific evidence shows the
earth is warming faster than previously expected.  "We see changes in climate,
we believe we humans are involved and we're projecting future climate changes
much more significant in the next 100 years than the last 100 years," Watson
said.

The IPCC report is comprehensive, with contributions from more than 500 experts
worldwide.  It predicts that rising sea levels which threaten low-lying areas,
damage to forest and coral reef ecosystems, intense droughts, damage to
agriculture and water supplies, higher incidents of malaria and dengue fever
will be likely outcomes of continuing trends.  The main factor behind the faster
than anticipated rise in global temperatures is the reduction of sulfur
emissions.  Such emissions account for acid rain problems, compelling industrial
societies to reduce them.  However, sulfur emissions also help cool the earth's
atmosphere whereas greenhouse gases prevent heat from leaving the atmosphere,
thereby warming earth's temperature.

In his presentation on B-SPAN, Watson presents some of the IPCC's modeling on
future scenarios.  Key determinants assessed include population growth, economic
growth, and changes in technology.  The modeling shows a range of plausible
outcomes over the next half century: from levels similar to what we experience
today to levels that are highly damaging to humans, flora and fauna.

"Governments can play a critical role in placing the right enabling framework to
facilitate the transfer of technology," Watson said.  "It's not just hardware,
it's information and knowledge."

Also online:

   Perspectives on law enforcement activities to reduce illegal forestry and
   logging practices.  William Magrath, a senior forestry economist in the
   Bank's East Asia region provides an overview of work done in Cambodia.  In
   1997, illegal logging in Cambodia had reached four million cubic meters
   annually, but experts estimated sustainable harvesting could not exceed a
   half million cubic meters.  This posed a severe threat.  Over time, however,
   Magrath and colleagues worked to change the perspective of regulators and
   stakeholders by addressing forestry law enforcement on a technical level.  In
   his seminar, based on a paper written with Richard Gandalski, Magrath
   provides thoughts on what was learned from their Cambodian experiences.  The
   discussion addresses both illegal logging and enforcement problems, and
   focuses on the policy framework, legislation, and resources needed to
   structure enforcement activities.

   Interviews with the authors of the Bank's Environmental and Socially
   Sustainable Development (ESSD) strategies for Eastern Europe and Central
   Asia.

     1 - Kevin Cleaver, ESSD Sector Director in the region provides an overview.
     2 - Laura Tuck and Csaba Csaka discuss rural development.
     3 - Marjory Anne Bromhead analyzes natural resource management.
     4 - Konrad von Ritter discusses the environment.
     5 - Alexandre Marc talks about social development activities.

   An interview (in Spanish) with Fabio Arjona, former Vice Minister of
   Environment for Colombia.  Arjona discusses the state of Colombia's
   environment and how economic instruments are being used to reduce pollution
   in his nation.

   Richard Klein of the Potsdam Institute, a leading climate change expert,
   discusses the importance of understanding a nation's adaptive capacity in
   assessing its planning process for future global warming changes.

We welcome your questions or comments about B-SPAN.  If you would like B-SPAN
updates to be sent to an interested colleagues, or if you wish to no longer
receive updates, please let us know by writing David Shaman at
dshaman@worldbank.org.  Best wishes.