Harvard professors said yesterday that they expect the Rio Earth Summit, scheduled to begin today, to heighten awareness but not to solve the world's environmental problems.

The agenda for the 12-day U.N.-sponsored summit includes discussing the cleanup of toxic and hazardous wastes and the protection of the atmosphere, the oceans, forests, threatened species and fresh water.

"Beyond [global consciousness raising], I don't think there are enough teeth in the protocols which have been developed so far to launch the initiatives which are most needed," said Baird Professor of Science Edward O. Wilson.

But he added, "We should not underrate the symbolic and psychological effects of the largest summit meeting in history focusing on such problems."

Robert E. Cook, director of Harvard's Arnold Arboretum, said the conference will begin a "multilogue" of many nations and lead to broadened public awareness.

"It really represents an opportunity to get together and heighten awareness about the degree to which things being done locally can have global effects," he said. "All idealistic efforts to achieve treaties take a long time. This is a first step."

This increasing awareness, said Wilson, is reflected in Harvard's creation of a new University Committee on Environmental Studies.

"The Rio conference is just part of a growing global awareness of the world's problems," he said. "Harvard is making the right move to be involved in science, technology and humanities scholarship that is going to increasingly stem from the environmental movement."

And Uwe K. Brinkmann, associate professor of international health-epidemiology at the School of Public Health, said the conference's importance would be its concrete initiatives.

"I would hope that the issues that are advanced will lead to international treaties and to as clearly defined quantitative initiatives to be taken in the future as possible," he said.

Scientists were critical of the Bush administration's leadership, which they said was concentrated on the political climate rather than the global one.

"It doesn't seem that [Bush] is very enthusiastic," said Associate Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry Daniel J. Jacob.

"I think it's fair to say that Bush has approached this with more concern for his re-election than with an approach that would give an emphasis to the integrity of the global environment," said School of Public Health Associate Professor of International Health Michael R. Reich.

But Brinkmann said Bush's plans to attend the meeting was a "sign of commitment."

"Since the United States is leading the world in many aspects, this is especially important," he said.