advocated in the Brundtland Report in 1987
and in Agenda 21 of the second Earth Summit
in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and which has been
widely accepted in the mean time. The section
on prevention deals with this subject.
Biotechnological techniques to monitor the
quality of the environment are presented in the
section on detection and monitoring.
Recombinant DNA technology has improved
the possibilities for the prevention of pollution
and holds a promise for a further development
of bioremediation. These topics will be
discussed in the section on genetic
modification. The development of modern
biotechnology has been accompanied by the
establishment or adaptation of regulations to
deal with genetically modified organisms.
What this means for environmental
biotechnology is embodied in the section on
legislation. The section on public opinion,
dialogue and debate highlights how people
feel about environmental biotechnology and
ways in which their opinion is influenced.