AND NOW, THE GREENING OF EUROPE.

This article discusses how the citizens of the European countries are finally taking action against the perils of pollution after years of lagging behind the U.S. and Japan in pollution regulation. The signs of discontent can be found everywhere. The environmental group Greenpeace International reports that its list of European members has grown by 50% in the past 18 months. The Green Party in France, never before a factor, received 8% of urban votes in the March municipal elections. And in Italy, where voters rejected nuclear power in a 1987 referendum, riots broke out last summer over toxic-waste disposal in several ports. What's behind Europe's sudden conversion? Similar to America's current environmental angst after the Alaska oil spill, Europeans have been shaken out of their slumber by a series of disasters. Not all of Europe is moving at the same pace, of course. The north-south divide remains, with northern countries, led by Germany, at the forefront of environmental concern, while the Mediterranean nations lag behind. What is new is that the balance of power on the continent is shifting. The environmentalist countries in the EC used to be isolated, but now Britain and to some extent Italy more often join their ranks, breaking the logjam on some major policy questions.