The Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission, Mr Joseph Henry Mensah, has called on African planners to learn from their developed counterparts on the best ways of solving environmental problems. According to him, the world had scientific solutions to most environmental problems and what was facing the continent was nothing new to other countries. "It is scientific ideas that enhance quality living for the people. There is nothing like African standards to solving environmental problems," he told over 250 participants attending the first international conference on Environmental Research, Technology and Policy coded “ERTEP 2007”. The three-day conference, which is being attended by researchers, consultants, engineers, scientists and policy makers, among others, is under the theme; "Building Tools and Capacity for Sustainable Production". Mr Mensah said because of lack of scientific research and planning “some forceful people have come out with expensive, ineffective and counterproductive solutions to the environmental problems. "We must strive to catch up with our colleagues by learning from them in whatever way possible and not waste the little resources we have at our disposal." Source: GNA