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PubMed2001

Environmental challenges in computer manufacturing.

The purpose of this research is to examine the environmental policies and programs that have been instituted by four large computer manufacturers. These environmental concerns, while not highly publicized, present an extremely important challenge to computer manufacturers, as well as to our society in general. Though the environmental programs of these computer manufacturers have been in place for several years, the topic of environmental health and safety (EHS) in computer manufacturing is still a relatively new one. Four major computer manufacturers that have instituted environmental programs are selected in this research. Their environmental policies and programs are examined in detail and compared with each other to show the relative strength and weakness. The result of this research highlights that with the amazing growth of computer use for both business and in our daily life, it will only be a matter of time before the issue -- the environmental challenges in computer manufacturing -- gains prominence and exposure in our society on a large-scale basis.

Computers↗
PubMed2001

The smoke you don't see: uncovering tobacco industry scientific strategies aimed against environmental tobacco smoke policies.

OBJECTIVES: This review details the tobacco industry's scientific campaign aimed against policies addressing environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and efforts to undermine US regulatory agencies from approximately 1988 to 1993. METHODS: The public availability of more than 40 million internal, once-secret tobacco company documents allowed an unedited and historical look at tobacco industry strategies. RESULTS: The analysis showed that the tobacco industry went to great lengths to battle the ETS issue worldwide by camouflaging its involvement and creating an impression of legitimate, unbiased scientific research. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need for further international monitoring of industry-produced science and for significant improvements in tobacco document accessibility.

Advertising↗
PubMed1988

Studies upon the genetic effects of environmental chemicals: the coordinated research programme of the European Economic Community.

The objectives of the European Economic Community's Environmental Research and Development Programmes are to provide a scientific basis for current environmental policy and future environmental management. This paper reviews the work and achievements of the studies carried out by the collaborating laboratories during the period 1981-1985 of the 3rd Programme within the research area 'The Genetic Effects of Environmental Chemicals'. Research efforts supported by the programme may be divided into (i) those involving the validation of current genotoxicity assays and the evaluation of their use in community regulatory activities such as the classification and labelling of chemicals, (ii) those involving the characterization of the metabolic and genotoxic profile of specific chemicals and (iii) those involving the development of new technologies suitable for the hazard identification and risk evaluation of genotoxins. Validation studies have included those of the host mediated assay (and its various modifications), unscheduled DNA synthesis assays and a variety of Drosophila genotoxicity assays. New developments include assays for the detection of chromosome aneuploidy, protocols for cell transformation studies, the detection and quantification of genotoxic lesions, techniques for the study of transplacental genotoxicity, assays for the detection of genotoxic activity in the liver and in germ cells and monitoring techniques for the assessment of both environmental quality and genotoxin exposure in individuals and in populations. The coordination of research effort, such as that described here provides an effective mechanism for the concentration of research on specific problems, for the rapid dissemination of experimental data and the transfer of technology within the European Community.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Hazardous wastes, hazardous materials and environmental health inequity.

This paper reviews issues associated with the equity of locating hazardous waste sites and hazardous materials. Reports and case studies indicate that hazardous waste sites and the locations of hazardous materials are disproportionately situated near minority communities, especially African-American communities. This inequitable placement of hazardous waste sites is of concern, since exposure to toxic waste can adversely affect human health. Proximity to these sites may place these minority communities at higher risk of developing cancers and respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological diseases, and of incurring increased levels of individual and family stress. The health of persons in minority communities near hazardous waste sites is further compromised by their lack of access to adequate health care. The potential health risks borne by racial and ethnic minorities and by low income communities as a consequence of exposure to toxic waste constitutes environmental inequity. In order to decrease the burden of these risks, we recommend developing environmental policies that address environmental inequity; conducting detailed demographic and health studies that assess the impact of exposure to toxic waste on minority populations; and devising educational programs to sensitize professional service providers and prevent exposure by community residents. This paper identifies research needs and opportunities.

Environmental Exposure↗
PubMed2004

Increasing fruit and vegetable intake by changing environments, policy and pricing: restaurant-based research, strategies, and recommendations.

BACKGROUND: Restaurants are among the most important and promising venues for environmental, policy, and pricing initiatives to increase fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake. This article reviews restaurant-based environmental, policy and pricing strategies for increasing intake of fruits and vegetables and identifies promising strategies, research needs, and innovative opportunities for the future. METHODS: The strategies, examples, and research reported here were identified through an extensive search of published journal articles, government documents, the internet, and inquiries to leaders in the field. Recommendations were expanded based on discussion by participants in the CDC/ACS-sponsored Fruit and Vegetable, Environment Policy and Pricing Workshop held in September of 2002. RESULTS: Six separate types of restaurant-based interventions were identified: increased availability, increased access, reduced prices and coupons, catering policies, point-of-purchase (POP) information, and promotion and communication. Combination approaches have also been implemented. Evaluation data on these interventions show some significant impact on healthful diets, particularly with point-of-purchase information. However, most published reports emphasize low-fat eating, and there is a need to translate and evaluate interventions focused on increasing fruit and vegetable intake. CONCLUSIONS: Several models for changing environments, policy and pricing to increase fruit and vegetable availability, access, attractiveness and consumption in restaurants have been tested and found to have some promise. There is a need to evaluate fruit and vegetable-specific strategies; to obtain data from industry; to disseminate promising programs; and to enhance public-private partnerships and collaboration to expand on current knowledge.

Commerce↗
PubMed1997

Advisory Committee: A Powerful Tool for Helping Decision Makers inEnvironmental Issues

/ It has been suggested that the general public should be moreinvolved in environmental policy and decision making. It is important forthem to realize that they will have to live with the consequences ofenvironmental policies and decisions. Consequently, policy makers shouldconsider the concerns and opinions of the general public before makingdecisions on environmental issues. This raises questions such as: How can weintegrate the perceptions and reactions of the general population inenvironmental decisions? What kind of public participation should weconsider? In the present study, using a new regional ecosystem model, weattempted to integrate these aspects in its decision making model byincluding the formation of an advisory committee to resolve problems relatedto waste management. The advisory committee requested the activeparticipation of representatives from all levels of the community: economic,municipal, and governmental intervenors; environmental groups; and citizens.Their mandates were to examine different management strategies available inthe region, considering all the interdisciplinary aspects of each strategy,elaborate recommendations concerning the management strategies that are mostsuitable for all, and collaborate in communication of the information to thegeneral population. The results showed that at least in small municipalitiessuch an advisory committee can be a powerful tool in environmental decisionmaking. Conditions required for a successful consultation process, such aseveryday lay language and the presence of a facilitator other than ascientific expert, are discussed.KEY WORDS: Public consultation; Environmental policies;Interdisciplinary aspects; Municipal sewage sludge management; Generalpopulation; Decision-making process

Journal Article↗
PubMed2000

Environmental Health Policy: Analytic "Framing" of the Great Lakes Picture.

/ The International Joint Commission (IJC) has overseen the implementation of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between Canada and the United States for 25 years. Part of its mandate has been to facilitate international cooperation among a diversity of stakeholders focusing on the "waters" and the "ecosystem." In the 1970s policy focused on phosphorus reduction and individual contaminants, with some efforts (after 1978) to take an ecosystem (ecological perspectives) approach. In the last 15 years human health effects from (real and perceived) environmental causes have received considerable recognition. By contrast, less concern has been expressed for what is traditionally considered "environment" issues (such as protecting fish species). This shift at the policy level is well illustrated in the manner in which human health is increasingly used as a way for mobilizing environmental agendas. This paper analyzes nine IJC biennial reports to track how the framing of Great Lakes issues has shifted from concern for its waters to concern for human neurobehavior and reproductive systems. Frame analysis is used to conceptualize the controversies that are expressed through the Great Lakes policy documents. The analysis of the reports also reveals a shift in operational frames, used by the IJC to mobilize decision-makers into action.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2006

Learning about environments: the significance of primal landscapes.

The way we learn about our environments--be they farms, forests, or tribal lands--has implications for the formulation of environmental policy. This article presents the findings of how residents learned about their environments in two rural case studies conducted in northern Queensland and relates these to the concept of "primal landscapes," which is concerned with the interaction that occurs between children and the environments in which they mature. Rather than focusing specifically on built environments or natural environments, the article draws on an approach that conceptualizes environment as meaning-laden places in which we live and work, which integrate social, cultural, biological, physical, and economic dimensions. In drawing insights for environmental policy, the article draws attention to the timing of policy interventions, the significance of experiential environmental education, the potential to learn from place-based festivals, and the importance of learning from extreme events such as fires and floods.

Child↗
PubMed2004

Governmental policies and measures regulating nitrogen and phosphorus from animal manure in European agriculture.

This paper discusses governmental policies and measures that regulate the use of animal manure in the European Union (EU-15). Systematic intervention by governments with European agriculture in general started at the end of the 19th century. Major changes in governmental policies on agriculture followed after the establishment of the EU and its Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in 1957. Environmental side effects of the large-scale intensification of agricultural production were addressed following the reform of the CAP and the implementation of various environmental regulations and directives from the beginning of the 1990s. The Nitrate Directive approved in 1991 has exerted, as yet, the strongest influence on intensive livestock production systems. This directive regulates the use of N in agriculture, especially through its mandatory measures to designate areas vulnerable to nitrate leaching and to establish action programs and codes of good agricultural practice for these areas. These measures have to ensure that for each farm the amount of N applied via livestock manure shall not exceed 170 kg x ha(-1) x yr(-1). These measures have large consequences, especially for countries with intensive animal agriculture, including The Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, and Ireland. The mean livestock density in these countries is between 1.5 and 4 livestock units/ha, and the average amounts of N in animal manure range from 100 to 300 kg/ha of agricultural land. More than 10 yr after approval of the Nitrate Directive, there appears to be a delay in the implementation and enforcement in many member states, which reflects in part the major complications that arise from this directive for intensive livestock farming. It also reflects the fact that environmental policies in agriculture have economic consequences. The slow progress in the enforcement of environmental legislations in agriculture combined with the increasing public awareness of food safety, animal welfare, and landscape maintenance call for a more fundamental change in EU agriculture.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2004

Sun protection policy in elementary schools in Hawaii.

INTRODUCTION: Childhood sun exposure is a major risk factor for skin cancer, the most common form of cancer in the United States. Schools in locations that receive high amounts of ultraviolet radiation have been identified as important sites for reducing excessive sun exposure. METHODS: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of sun protection policies, environmental features, and attitudes in public elementary schools in Hawaii. Surveys were sent to all (n = 177) public elementary school principals in Hawaii. Non-respondents were called three weeks after the initial mailing. The survey asked about sun protection policies, environmental features, and attitudes toward sun protection. The survey was designed to measure all seven components of Guidelines for School Programs to Prevent Skin Cancer, issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. RESULTS: Seventy-eight percent of schools responded to the survey. Only one school had a written school policy. Almost all schools (99.3%) scheduled outdoor activities during peak sun hours. School uniforms rarely included long pants (6.5%), long-sleeved shirts (5.1%), or hats (1.5%). Current policies did not support or restrict sun protection habits. Almost one third of those surveyed were in favor of a statewide policy (28.1%), and most believed excessive sun exposure was an important childhood risk (78.9%), even among non-white students (74.5%). CONCLUSION: Results of this study suggest the following: 1) school personnel in Hawaii are concerned about childhood sun exposure; 2) current school policies fail to address the issue; 3) most schools are receptive to developing sun protection policies and programs; and 4) students appear to be at high risk for sun exposure during school hours.

Child↗
PubMed1992

The impact of increasing intensity of health promotion intervention on risk reduction.

The HealthWise Stepped Intervention Study (1988-1990) at Pacific Gas and Electric was conducted to evaluate how a health promotion program affects behavior change and whether increasing levels of preventive interventions improve health status. The basic intervention components consisted of health risk assessment and health newsletter (Levels 1, 2, 3, and 4). Additional interventions were health resource center and self-care books (Levels 2, 3, and 4), behavioral change workshops and Division Healthwise team (Levels 3 and 4), and case management and environmental policy (Level 4). The study employed a quasi-experimental design with nonequivalent control groups. The overall risk status has significantly improved at all four intervention levels. The comparison across the four intervention levels found that Level 4, combining environmental policy with "high risk" targeting, showed the most impressive performance. Participants in Level 4 consistently showed significantly greater improvement in life-style factors, and their overall risk status also showed the greatest improvement.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

The influence of motivations for seeking ISO 14001 certification: an empirical study of ISO 14001 certified facilities in Hong Kong.

This study proposes a model linking firm motivations for seeking ISO 14001 certification to the effectiveness of three major components of an environmental management system (EMS)--environmental policy, the assessment of environmental aspect and impacts, and management review. The relationship of these EMS components with a self-reported measure of environmental performance is also examined. From a sample of 29 ISO 14001 certified facilities in Hong Kong (of 71 total certifications at the time the data was collected), it was found that motivations to enhance firm reputation are positively related to perceptions of the effectiveness of the policy statement. Motivations for reputation enhancement and cost reduction were positively related to perceptions of EMS effectiveness in assessing environmental aspects and impacts. The effectiveness of the methodology for identifying environmental aspects and impacts was also found to be positively related to improved environmental performance.

Certification↗
PubMed1996

Including Past and Present Impacts in Cumulative Impact Assessments

Environmental concerns such as loss of biological diversity and stratospheric ozone depletion have heightened awareness of the need to assess cumulative impacts in environmental documents. More than 20 years of experience with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) have provided analysts in the United States with opportunities for developing successful techniques to assess site-specific impacts of proposed actions. Methods for analyzing a proposed action's incremental contribution to cumulative impacts are generally less advanced than those for project-specific impacts.The President's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) defines cumulative impact to include the impacts of " past, present and reasonably foreseeable future actions" regardless of who undertakes the action. Court decisions have helped clarify the distinction between reasonably foreseeable future actions and other possible future actions. This paper seeks to clarify how past and present impacts should be included in cumulative impact analyses.The definition of cumulative impacts implies that cumulative impact analyses should include the effects of all past and present actions on a particular resource. Including past and present impacts in cumulative impact assessments increases the likelihood of identifying significant impacts. NEPA requires agencies to give more consideration to alternatives and mitigation and to provide more opportunities for public involvement for actions that would have significant impacts than for actions that would not cause or contribute to significant impacts. For an action that would contribute to significant cumulative impacts, the additional cost and effort involved in increased consideration of alternatives and mitigation and in additional public involvement may be avoided if the action can be modified so that its contributions to significant cumulative impacts are eliminated.KEY WORDS: Cumulative impacts; Environmental impact assessment; National Environmental Policy Act; Significance; Mitigation

Journal Article↗