The end ofthe Cold War opened unprecedented opportunities for reductions in weapons of mass destruction. With these opportunities came new challenges, both scientific and political. Traditionally approached by different groups, the scientific, technical and political challenges are inextricably intertwined. Agreements to dismantle and destroy chemical, nuclear and conventional weapons, after having been negotiated via diplomatic channels, require the expertise of scientists associated with their development to determine the safest and most environmentally sound methods of destruction. It is in this context that representatives from sixteen countries and five international organizations were convened jointly by NATO, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany and the State Government of North Rhine Westphalia 19-21 May, 1996 in a meeting near Bonn to take stock of worldwide efforts to destroy and dismantle chemical, nuclear and conventional weapons remaining after the end ofthe Cold War. NATO support was provided under the auspices of the NATO Science Committee's Panel on Disarmament Technologies. The conference brought together the major actors involved in the dismantlement and destruction of chemical, nuclear and conventional weapons, highlighted the substantial accomplishments achieved in this area and pinpointed the remaining technical obstacles still to be overcome. It also underlined the critical importance of transparency, data exchange and verification as indispensable preconditions for disarmament and cooperative security.

For three decades, arms control treaties have provided a legal basis for limiting and reducing long-range nuclear weapons. However, thousands of sub-strategic, or tactical, nuclear weapons (TNWs) are not monitored or controlled by any existing treaties or formal agreements, even though they can pose security risks equal to or exceeding those of strategic nuclear weapons. As the world has seen, the rise of international terrorism highlights the potential dangers of tactical nuclear weapons. Because they can be relatively small and portable-particularly but not exclusively in the case of so-cal.

A major problem confronting the United States in the 21st century is the 20th century's legacy of toxic waste. The weapons that fought the Cold War, the facilities that manufactured those weapons, and the factories that fueled a prosperous economy left behind a trail of pollution. Seven previously unpublished essays examine the problem of toxic waste in the United States, what is being done about it, and what should be done about it. W. Henry Lambright and Agnes Gereben Schaefer, Dianne Rahm, Sevim Ahmedov, Charles Davis, Robert A. Simons and Kimberly Winson, Santa Falcone, and Toddi A. Steelman and JoAnn Carmin write about such issues as community based environmental management, regional EPA offices and the regulation of hazardous wastes, "brownfields," nuclear and chemical weapons destruction, environmental contamination and the nuclear weapons complex, the privatization of nuclear waste clean-up, and WIPP, Yucca, and hazardous waste transport. The future of humanity demands careful thought about these matters. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

Besides its obvious destructive potential, military R&D also serves to protect human lives, equipment and facilities against the effects of weapons. Concepts have therefore been developed that improve safety of stationary and mobile facilities against pressure waves, thermal radiation and fire. Effective, fast fire extinguishing equipment has been designed for tank compartments and motors. Closed buildings are demolished and landmines are removed with gas and dust explosions. Stringent safety requirements have been developed for the production of ammunition and explosives. Military and related industries have accumulated a vast knowledge and sophisticated experience that are very valuable in a variety of civil applications. The knowledge is based on theoretical and experimental research work, the origin of which sometimes dates back many centuries. It has often been classified and therefore has remained unknown to the civilian population, until now.

Part of a 2 volume analysis written by a team of key experts from around the world, this text studies the changes taking place within the military sector. The conclusion is that there has been little in the way of a 'peace dividend'.