Russian pollution issues and research question

[Noah]

Hello, I'm a new user and I have a question.  I'm a Russian and
Political Science major at University of Wisconsin - Madison, and I
spent all of last year on the ACTR program in Moscow.  Besides my
Russian major courses, I'm currently taking a class in our Atmospheric
Sciences department on Earth's climate.  As part of this class we are
to write a research paper on a topic of our choosing, and research on
for the paper should include an interview on the subject with someone
knowledgeable in the area.  I've chosen to write my paper on pollution
and environmental issues in the Russian Federation today, and I was
wondering if anyone on this list would be willing to help me out and
perhaps participate in a quick phone interview.  I have not been able
to find anyone on my campus who is familiar with this topic.  Very
detailed knowledge of the topic is not necessarily required, just
enough to assist me in some basic research and get a
scientifically-minded or historical look at the issue.
Here is the thesis of my paper as it stands now:
"Russian and Soviet environmental policies have devastated much of
Russia with pollution resulting in serious health and social problems,
a downward trend, which if continued, will significantly hurt the
economic development, mortality rates, and the quality of life in the
country."
If you have any ideas for me or are interested, please let me know.

Thanks,
Noah Buckley

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