Three scientists will be putting the spotlight on the ecological damage being done to Bermuda when they take part in a public forum this evening.

Everything from the impact of pesticides and heavy metals leaking into the water table and causing deformities in amphibious life, to the real cost of buying cheap throwaway products, are likely to be at the fore at the colloquium being held in the New Hall Lecture Theatre at Bermuda College.

College lecturer Craig Simmons explained: ?With waste we can look at the rate of purchase. Is it better to buy quality goods rather than cheaper goods?

?If you look at shoes as an example, it is possible to buy inferior quality, better quality and the best quality which will last the longest. Whether you buy the best quality is down to income, but you must consider that, if there is any group of people on the planet that have the wealth to buy the best quality, it is Bermudians.?

He said having energy-efficient electrical goods would also make a big impact. Educating the public that the stand-by buttons on many appliances are actually eating up valuable energy is another important subject that needs to be addressed, said Mr. Simmons.

Turning to water quality, he said there is evidence that heavy metals such as cadmium, lead and arsenic are leaching into ground water around the Island.

?This is causing deformities in amphibians. We have to ask how long will it be before this pollution starts to affect the health of the human population?

?The amphibians of Bermuda are like the canaries in the coal mines of the industrial revolution ? they are an early warning,? said Mr.Simmons.

Pesticides used on golf courses and fertilisers are further sources of pollution that have been found in the waters of natural ponds around the Island. And the increasing number of trucks on Bermuda?s roads are thought to be contributing to higher levels of hydrocarbons in the sediment of natural water reserves.

Under the title ?Sustainable Development: An Ecological Perspective?, the meeting will feature short presentations from Dr. Jamie Bacon from the Bermuda Amphibian Research Project, and Dr. Andrew Peters and Dr. Joanna Pitt from the Bermuda Biological Station for Research.

Members of the public are invited to attend the meeting from 6.00 to 8.30 p.m. and take part in an open discussion about the effects of daily living on the environment and what can be done to lessen the adverse impact.