The December 2000 IAEA Bulletin edition focuses on energy and the environment. IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei explains the challenges facing nuclear energy development. The debate is open about nuclear energy in the context of global warming. The IAEA coordinates research programmes and Technical Cooperation Projects to study marine pollution. This Bulletin issue also examines the IAEA instrumentation services and gives a retrospective look at the Agency?s development and former perspectives. It contains the comments from Russian specialists on the article òComparison of Accident Risks in Different Energy Systems: How Acceptable?ó published in the IAEA Bulletin, Vol. 41, No. 1. Following the publication of a book on the topic, an article selects postage stamps that tell the history of uranium.