n e w s o f t h e w e e k lyi&w

Clinton emphasizes environment at WTO President Bill Clinton last week dove­tailed his call for lower tariffs on envi­ronmental technologies with his Admin­istration's efforts to get developing na­tions to limit their greenhouse gas emissions.

Speaking at the World Trade Organi­zation meeting in Seattle, Clinton said global warming and loss of species due to climate change "prompt my insis­tence that we put this issue [environ­ment] on the agenda" of WTO. "We have to do something about this," the President told trade officials from around the world.

Developing nations can fight poverty and climate change simultaneously by adopting available new technologies that allow them to expand their econo­mies while limiting greenhouse gas emissions, Clinton said. "A nation can develop a middle class and develop wealth without burning more oil and coal in traditional manners. This is a sea change in the reality that existed just a few years ago," he said.

Meanwhile, Clinton wants WTO na­tions to slash import tariffs on environ­mental technologies—including those such as highly efficient electricity-generating equipment that would limit emissions of greenhouse gases.

Clinton also discussed making the global trading system more transparent to the public. He pointed to the tens of thousands of demonstrators calling for reform of the global trading system who filled Seattle's downtown streets during the four-day WTO meeting. Police broke up protests with tear gas and rub­ber bullets. According to Seattle Mayor Paul Schell, 99% of the protesters were peaceful, while the remainder sprayed graffiti on storefronts, ignited trash bins, and smashed retailers' windows.

The presence of so many protesters in Seattle shows why WTO must make its deliberations and processes for reso­lution of trade disputes open to public scrutiny and input, Clinton said. "What all those people in the street tell us is they would also like to be heard. And they're not so sure that this [trade] deal is working for them.

"The sooner the WTO opens up the process and lets people representing those who are outside in, the sooner we will see fewer demonstrations, more constructive debate, and a broader level

of support in every country" for liberalizing world trade, he said.

Separately in Seattle, Clinton en­dorsed U.S. exports of genetically engineered foodstuffs at a gather­ing of farmers, students, and local officials. "I want to say to the people of Europe and all around the world: I would never knowingly... permit a single pound of any American food product to leave this country if I had a shred of evidence that it was un­safe, and neither would any farmer in the United States," Clinton said.

Europe has seen a consumer backlash against genetically mod­ified foods, and the Eu­ropean Union has legis­lation requiring labels on foods containing bio-engineered soybeans or corn. Meanwhile, about half the U.S. soybean crop and a third of the nation's corn grown in 1999 were geneti­cally modified.

Clinton boasted about the confidence U.S. consumers have in agencies that oversee food safety. "They may not be perfect, but nobody believes they're in

anybody's hip pocket," he said. 'They are the world's best experts."

The President called for other countries to ac­cept shipments of genet­ically modified foods. U.S. farmers should not

be "subject to unrealistic delays and un­fair discrimination based on suspicion un­supported by the latest scientific exami­nation." He added, 'We're eating this food, too."

Cheryl Hogue

Syngenta: New mega agrochemicals player Faced with mounting shareholder resis­tance to the concept of integrated life sciences, Switzerland's Novartis and Anglo-Swedish firm AstraZeneca have decided to combine their agrochemicals businesses, leaving them free to focus on their respective pharmaceuticals operations.

The two will merge their agricultural products into a single new company, Syngenta. The company will be the world's largest agrochemicals compa­ny, one that is particularly strong in her­bicides, and the third largest in the world in seeds. Its combined 1998 sales in crop protection technologies and seeds would have been $7.9 billion.

Current AstraZeneca shareholders will receive 39% of the shares created for Syngenta, with Novartis shareholders receiving the remaining 61%. The new company will be listed on stock ex­changes in Zurich, London, New York, and Stockholm. Although estimates vary somewhat, the consensus seems to be that the market capitalization for the

new company—its share price times outstanding shares—will range be­tween $15 billion and $20 billion.

Heinz Imhof, 57, currently head of No­vartis' agribusiness division, will be chair­man of the new company, and Sir David Barnes, 56, deputy chairman of AstraZen­eca, the vice chairman. The chief execu­tive officer will be Michael Pragnell, 50, currently CEO of Zeneca Agrochemicals.

Imhof says, 'The creation of Syngen­ta will allow us to create a leading high-performance company with an excellent competitive position, providing the base for a sustainable increase in sharehold­er value."

According to the two parent compa­nies, the binding agreement is depen­dent upon shareholder approvals, and "receipt of relevant regulatory clearanc­es." Stock in Syngenta would then be listed, probably in the second half of 2000. The company will be headquar­tered in Basel, Switzerland, and will have major R&D centers in Switzerland, the U.K., and the U.S. Syngenta will

10 DECEMBER 6,1999 C&EN

Though Seattle's mayor said 99% of the WTO protesters were peaceful, police used tear gas to try to control the other 1%.

start with about 23,500 employees, but the company plans to reduce staff by 3,000 within three years as part of its ef­fort to save $525 million annually.

Analysts predict the merger will face major hurdles as authorities grapple with the size and dominance that Syngenta will have in various markets. However, of­ficials at the two companies, while con­ceding potential problems, say they see no problems that can't be resolved.

Patricia Layman

Process yields CO-free hydrogen for fuel cells A new catalytic method for producing hydrogen free of carbon monoxide could improve the efficiency of hydro­gen fuel cells used to power vehicles.

The method employs a process known as oxidative steam reforming of methanol (OSRM) and novel copper/ zinc-based oxide catalysts containing aluminum and/or zirconium to produce pure hydrogen. It was developed at the National Industrial Research Institute of Nagoya, Japan, by Kenzi Suzuki, head of the Ecoceramics Laboratory; senior re­searcher Toshihiko Osaki; and post­doctoral researcher Subramani Velu [Chem. Commun., 1999, 2341].

Using hydrogen fuel for fuel-cell-powered vehicles minimizes emissions of environmental pollutants such as ni­trogen oxides and sulfur oxides, Suzuki notes. The hydrogen used for these fuel cells is typically produced by steam re­forming of methanol using a copper/ zinc-based oxide catalyst:

CH3OH + H20 -> 3H2 + C02

"Hydrogen extracted by this method always contains more than 100 ppm of CO," Suzuki explains. "Unfortunately, fuel cells do not tolerate more than 20 ppm of CO in the gas feed. At present, the reformed gas is cleaned repeatedly in multiple steps, and this lowers the to­tal efficiency of the propulsion system."

OSRM combines steam reforming and partial oxidation of the methanol:

2CH3OH + H20 + %02-> 5H2 + 2C02

The researchers tested four oxide cat­alysts containing different ratios of cop­per, zinc, and aluminum; another catalyst in which zirconium replaced the alumi­num; and one containing all four metals. The team found that five of the six cata­lysts produced either zero amounts of

CO or trace amounts well below 20 ppm. Catalytic activity increased with decreas­ing aluminum content.

"Under our experimental conditions," Suzuki points out, "we were able to achieve methanol conversions of about 100% at a temperature of around 230 °C, which is relatively low compared with the 300 °C employed in the conventional steam reforming reaction."

The group notes that OSRM has an additional benefit: The reaction is exo­thermic and therefore minimizes ener­gy consumption.

According to fuel-cell expert Andrew Hamnett, chemistry professor at the University of Newcastle in England, there is an urgent need to reduce CO concentrations in reformer gas, particu­larly in gas used in fuel cells operating at lower temperatures. "This research offers the possibility of an oxidative steam reforming catalyst with very low CO output," he says. "If this catalyst proves stable in practical operations, and CO levels remain undetectably low, it will represent a significant step forward."

Suzuki and coworkers are now carry­ing out further investigations to opti­mize the catalyst formulations and reac­tion operating parameters.

Michael Freemantle

Breast implant settlement confirmed Dow Corning came a step closer to emerging from bankruptcy reorganiza­tion last week as a Midland, Mich., fed­eral judge confirmed a $4.5 billion set­

tlement, including $3.2 billion for sili­cone breast implant claims.

If no one appeals the judge's deci­sion—an unlikely event—Dow Corning could be out of bankruptcy reorganiza­tion early next year after the supervising judge in Detroit declares the plan effec­tive. At that time, the Midland-based joint venture of Dow Chemical and glassmak-er Corning could begin making pay­ments ranging from $2,000 to more than $250,000 to about 400,000 claimants who say implants made them ill. Commercial creditors will be paid in full with interest.

Dow Corning President and Chief Executive Officer Gary E. Anderson says, 'We think the plan represents the best way to resolve this controversy in a manner that is equitable to women with breast implants, as well as other claim­ants." The company's bankruptcy coun­sel, Barbara J. Houser, urges attorneys for the plaintiffs to "consider what is in the best interests of their clients" and not appeal the settlement.

But according to Ilena Rosenthal, di­rector of the Humantics Foundation, a women's Internet support group based in San Diego, Calif., many of the women plaintiffs think the settlement lets Dow Corning off too easily and contains too lit­tle money. They also believe that settle­ment provisions that release Dow Chemi­cal from legal and financial responsibility are wrong. Dow Chemical conducted in­dustrial toxicity tests on certain silicone fluids on behalf of Dow Corning.

Attorney Geoffrey White—whose Reno, Nev.-based firm, White & Meany, represents 50 Nevada women with im­plants—contends that Dow Chemical is not subject to bankruptcy court jurisdic­tion. He plans to appeal the settlement

Dow Coming's path out of bankruptcy May 1995—Dow Corning files for bank­ruptcy protection.

December 1996—Dow Corning offers first reorganization plan with payment to implant recipients based on out­come of a science-based trial.

January 1997—Implant recipients of­fer counter reorganization plan with payments to claimants dependent on outcome of 30 disease claim trials.

September 1997—Dow Corning offers $2.4 billion to settle breast implant claims.

February 1998—Dow Corning offers $3 billion to settle breast implant claims.

November 1998—Women's represen­tatives and Dow Corning offer joint reor­ganization plan valued at $4.5 billion, $3.2 billion of which would resolve im­plant claims, with the remainder paid to commercial creditors.

February 1999—Bankruptcy court al­lows Dow Corning to solicit approval for joint plan from claimants and creditors.

March 1999—Bankruptcy plan mailed to 700,000 interested parties.

June 1999—94% of 300,000 claim­ants and creditors vote in favor of plan.

December 1999—Bankruptcy judge gives plan his final approval.

DECEMBER 6,1999 C&EN 11