Nonrenewable Resources

THE SHELLING OF THE 7TH CENTURY CITY OF DUBROVNIK BY the Serbian navy during Yugoslavia’s fighting last year has given rise to an unusual resolution to be voted upon at the global environmental conference in Rio next month. UNESCO has a list of 358 cultural and historical structures, ranging from the Acropolis, the Pyramids and the Great Wall of China to Vatican City, the Statue of Liberty and the Taj Mahal. UNESCO seeks to make war activities “which are intended, or may be expected, to cause long-term or severe damage to the properties” a war crime under the Geneva conventions. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Argentine President Carlos Menem are among world leaders endorsing the initiative.