POLITICS AND ENVIRONMENT Former leader of Soviet...

POLITICS AND ENVIRONMENT

Former leader of Soviet Union visits UC Irvine

Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev visited UC Irvine on

Tuesday to receive the school’s inaugural Citizen Peacebuilding

Award, which will be named for him. The Russian leader is credited

with moving his nation from communist rule to government that is more

democratic and helping to end the Cold War.

At the event Gorbachev spoke about world affairs, criticizing U.S.

military actions in Iraq and urging nations to work together to

create world peace and address environmental problems that could

cause future strife. He also answered questions for audience members

and was warmly received, getting a standing ovation from the full

house at the Barclay Theatre.

* The beach water quality warning system that tells people the

surf might be laden with bacteria is flawed and inaccurate, a study

co-written by a UC Irvine professor found. The study of waters mainly

off Huntington Beach was one of three studies UC Irvine environmental

engineering professor Stanley Grant worked on, and the American

Chemical Society published all three studies online.

The studies also showed the Santa Ana River and Talbert Marsh are

the biggest sources of certain contaminants in dry weather as well as

the wet season, and most of the pollutants that enter coastal water

flow in during a few winter storms, rendering ineffective the system

that diverts runoff to the sanitation district for treatment.

-- Alicia Robinson