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At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

A systems approach to the evaluation of natural resource management initiatives.

Adopting a new paradigm for natural resource and environmental policy that emphasises continuous change, adaptation and learning demands a new approach to evaluation to enable improvements in the way these initiatives contribute to sustainable resource use. Evaluation is fundamental to identifying change, supporting an adaptive approach that is flexible enough to meet the challenge of change, and enabling learning at individual, community, institutional and policy levels. Based on a consideration of changing approaches to natural resource management (NRM) policy and observations and experiences in the practical assessment of on-the-ground initiatives, the authors develop a set of principles for evaluation in NRM that: (a) addresses evaluation from a systems perspective, (b) links objective to consequence, (c) considers the fundamental assumptions and hypotheses that underpin core policy or program objectives, (d) is grounded in the natural resource, policy/institutional, economic, socio-cultural and technological contexts of implementation in practice, (e) establishes practical and valid evaluation criteria by which change can be monitored and assessed, (f) involves methodological pluralism including both quantitative and qualitative methods to ensure rigour and comprehensiveness in assessment, and (g) integrates different disciplinary perspectives (i.e. social, economic, environmental, policy and technological). The paper develops a systems-based evaluation framework that incorporates these principles and also recognises the multiple levels and nested nature of NRM policy, namely: problem characterisation, policy formulation and intent, program logic, and on-ground implementation. Finally, we demonstrate its utility through application to three contrasting Australian case studies: a community-based Integrated Catchment Management policy implementation; a resource information delivery system; and the development of a Decision Support System.

Australia↗
PubMed2005

The precautionary principle and pharmaceutical risk management.

Although it is often vigorously contested and has several different formulations, the precautionary principle has in recent decades guided environmental policy making in the face of scientific uncertainty. Originating from a criticism of traditional risk assessment, the key element of the precautionary principle is the justification for acting in the face of uncertain knowledge about risks. In the light of its growing invocation in various areas that are related to public health and recently in relation to drug safety issues, this article presents an introductory review of the main elements of the precautionary principle and some arguments conveyed by its advocates and opponents. A comparison of the characteristics of pharmaceutical risk management and environmental policy making (i.e. the setting within which the precautionary principle evolved), indicates that several important differences exist. If believed to be of relevance, in order to avoid arbitrary and unpredictable decision making, both the interpretation and possible application of the precautionary principle need to be adapted to the conditions of pharmaceutical risk management.

Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions↗
PubMed2003

Interpretation of air pollution mortality: number of deaths or years of life lost?

This paper examines the relation between the results of epidemiologic studies of air pollution mortality and impact indicators that can be informative for environmental policy decisions. Using models that are simple and transparent, yet contain the essential features, it is shown that (1) number of deaths is not meaningful for air pollution, whereas loss of life expectancy (LLE) is an appropriate impact indicator; (2) the usual short-term (time series) studies yield a change in daily number of deaths attributable to acute effects of pollution, without any information on the associated LLE (although some information on this has recently become available by extending the observation window of time series); and (3) long-term studies yield a change in age-specific mortality, which makes it possible to calculate the total population averaged LLE (acute and chronic effects) but not the total number of premature deaths attributable to air pollution. The latter is unobservable because one cannot distinguish whether few individuals suffer a large or many suffer a small LLE. The paper calculates the LLE from exposure to PM10, as implied by the long-term mortality studies of adults and infants; population LLE for infants turns out to be an order of magnitude smaller than for adults. The LLE implied by short-term studies is a small fraction of the total loss implied by long-term studies, even if one assumes a very high loss per death. Applied to environmental policy, taking a permanent 50-70% reduction of PM10 as a reasonable goal, one finds a corresponding increase of average life expectancy in urban areas of the European Union (EU) and the United States of approximately four months.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Publication bias and public health policy on environmental tobacco smoke.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the tobacco industry's claim that publication bias against negative studies invalidates the risk assessment of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) conducted by the US Environmental Protection Agency and other reviews of the health effects of ETS. DESIGN: Determination of the number of published original research articles that tested the hypothesis that ETS exposure is associated with adverse health effects and that reported statistically significant ("positive") or nonsignificant ("negative") results; the number of articles that concluded that ETS is a health risk; and unpublished studies on the effects of ETS on health. PARTICIPANTS: Articles identified by a computerized search of the medical literature supplemented with material obtained from the tobacco industry and hand searching. Articles were classified as peer-reviewed journal articles or articles from sponsored symposia. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The statistical significance of results reported in the article and whether or not the article concluded that ETS exposure is a health risk. RESULTS: More symposium articles than journal articles were reviews (46% vs 6%; P = .0001). More original journal articles than original symposium articles reported the use of statistical tests (96% vs 54%; P = .0001). Of articles with statistical analyses, similar proportions of journal articles and symposium articles reported statistically significant results (57% vs 47%; P = .329). The conclusions of 80% of the original journal articles were positive, compared with 51% of the original symposium articles (P = .006). CONCLUSIONS: There is no publication bias against statistically nonsignificant results on ETS in the peer-reviewed literature. The high proportion of articles in symposia that reach the conclusion that ETS is not harmful primarily results from the inclusion of review articles.

Health Policy↗
PubMed1990

Epilogue: agricultural occupational and environmental health policy strategies for the future.

Farmers' health and safety are critical public health problems that have historically been ignored in the United States and in many countries by health policy developers. The challenges to reduce the hazards are significant. However, by mobilizing the resources, the public will, and the structure to carry out preventive programs, progress is possible. Sweden has shown that research, education, engineering, and regulation have resulted in significant reductions of tractor rollover deaths, chainsaw injuries, and hearing loss.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMed2002

The trends of composite environmental indices in Korea.

In this paper we construct for the first time an annual Composite Environmental Index from 1986 to 1995 in Korea, which is useful for evaluating the efficiency of environmental policies. Nine types of environmental problems are examined. On average, the composite index has increased annually by 5.3% over the 1986-1995 period, which implies that overall environmental quality has deteriorated gradually during this period. Problems such as the greenhouse effect, loss of biodiversity, natural resource depletion, and ecotoxication led to deterioration of environmental quality in the 1990s.

Ecosystem↗
PubMed2001

System, environmental, and policy changes: using the social-ecological model as a framework for evaluating nutrition education and social marketing programs with low-income audiences.

A variety of nutrition education interventions and social marketing initiatives are being used by the Food Stamp Program to improve food resource management, food safety, dietary quality, and food security for low-income households. The Social-Ecological Model is proposed as a theory-based framework to characterize the nature and results of interventions conducted through large public/private partnerships with the Food Stamp Program. In particular, this article suggests indicators and measures that lend themselves to the pooling of data across counties and states, with special emphasis on systems, environment, and public policy change within organizations at the community and state levels.

Food Services↗
PubMed2005

Groundwater monitoring in the context of EU legislation: reality and integration needs.

A wide range of environmental policies are based on the monitoring of chemical and/or biological parameters which are used to evaluate the environmental status of relevant compartments (e.g. water, soil, air) with the ultimate aim of making appropriate management decisions. The soundness of policy decisions is therefore directly related to the reliability of the environmental monitoring programmes. Monitoring reliability in turn is predominantly linked to scientific and technological progress. Hence a correct design, development and implementation process of environmental policies is, at least in part, dependent upon a proper integration of scientific and technological advances (in monitoring, but also for all kinds of permit procedures, remediation strategies etc.). This paper examines science-policy integration needs in support of groundwater environmental monitoring, with focus on on-going policy developments. The article aims to summarise key information on groundwater policy and EU scientific developments to raise awareness of the scientific community involved in this issue and to enhance communication among scientists and policy-makers.

Communication↗
PubMed2004

Emission trading and public health.

Emission trading policies are increasingly important in environmental protection, especially in controlling air pollution in the United States. Their popularity results in part from the limitations and frustrations of centralized command and control regulation. Well-designed emission trading programs can achieve the same or better environmental and health outcomes as command and control regulations but provide regulated industries with greater flexibility. This lowers costs and improves the process of negotiating environmental policy. We present key concepts and important applications of emission trading, focusing on health impacts. These programs generally are well-designed, speeding emission abatement; improving health outcomes; and reducing compliance costs. Flaws have stopped a few poorly designed emission trading programs. A key issue in evaluating emission trading is our inability to know what the environmental outcome would have been under another approach.

Air Pollution↗
PubMed2003

Environmental interventions for eating and physical activity: a randomized controlled trial in middle schools.

BACKGROUND: Our objective was to evaluate the effects of environmental, policy, and social marketing interventions on physical activity and fat intake of middle school students on campus. DESIGN: Twenty-four middle schools were randomly assigned to intervention or control conditions. Baseline measures were collected in spring 1997, and interventions were conducted during the 1997-1998 and 1998-1999 school years SETTING/PARTICIPATION: The schools had mean enrollments of 1109, with 44.5% nonwhite students. Over 2 years, physical activity interventions were designed to increase physical activity in physical education classes and throughout the school day. Nutrition interventions were designed to provide and market low-fat foods at all school food sources, including cafeteria breakfasts and lunches, a la carte sources, school stores, and bag lunches. School staff and students were engaged in policy change efforts, but there was no classroom health education. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: Primary outcomes were measured by direct observation and existing records. RESULTS: Randomized regression models (N =24 schools) revealed a significant intervention effect for physical activity for the total group (p <0.009) and boys (p <0.001), but not girls (p <0.40). The intervention was not effective for total fat (p <0.91) or saturated fat (p <0.79). Survey data indicated that the interventions reduced reported body mass index for boys (p <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Environmental and policy interventions were effective in increasing physical activity at school among boys but not girls. The interventions were not effective in reducing fat intake at school. School environmental and policy interventions have the potential to improve health behavior of the student population, but barriers to full implementation need to be better understood and overcome.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Importance of information on tillage practices in the modelling of environmental processes and in the use of environmental indicators.

Tillage has been and will always be integral to crop production. Tillage can result in the degradation of soil, water, and air quality. Of all farm management practices, tillage may have the greatest impact on the environment. A wide variety of tillage equipment, practices and systems are available to farmers, providing opportunities to enhance environmental performance. These opportunities have made tillage a popular focus of environmental policies and programs such as environmental indicators for agriculture. This paper provides a very brief examination of the role of tillage in crop production, its effect on biophysical processes and, therefore, its impact on the environment. Models of biophysical processes are briefly examined to demonstrate the importance of tillage relative to other farm management practices and to demonstrate the detail of tillage data that these models can demand. The focus of this paper is an examination of the use of information on tillage in Canada's agri-environmental indicators initiative, National Agri-environmental Health Analysis and Reporting Program (NAHARP). Information on tillage is required for several of the indicators in NAHARP. The type of data used, its source, and its quality are discussed. Recommendations regarding the collection of tillage data and use of tillage information are presented.

Agriculture↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Bioethics and environmental health].

Institutions such as World Health Organization and United Nations have considered the necessity to establish programs to control and preserve our environment. From the beginning, industrial development has polluted the air, water and soil, in some cases irreversibly affecting the ecosystems. Rampant use of natural resources and inattention to preventive measures have promoted environmental pollution, along with its hereditary effects, producing brain damage, intoxications, cancer, and respiratory and cardiovascular conditions, among other problems. It is necessary to put aside self-serving materialism and individualism and become aware of this problem. It is necessary to implement environmental policies, foster bioethical responsibility in environmental health research, conduct epidemiologic, biomedical and toxicologic environmental health research works if we are to have a worthy life and an optimal environment.

Bioethics↗
PubMed1999

Air pollution statistics in policy applications.

This review of the role of air pollution statistics in environmental policy sets the UK current controls of sulfur emissions for health and environmental effects in a historical context. The use of critical loads and levels is discussed. The role of air pollution monitoring data in assessing achievement of a health effects air quality standard or predicting exceedance of a critical level or critical load on a national basis is reviewed with the level of monitoring and the interpolation of concentration data identified as important issues. The problems of spatial scale, the scarcity of data for model validation and the use of trends to identify model inadequacy are illustrated. The current statistical challenges in understanding air pollution processes and defining appropriate policies include quantification of uncertainty within complex models, problems of spatial scale and model validation, and development of monitoring strategies which balance the spatial (more sites) and temporal (better process understanding) aspects of the science alongside the balance between policy desire and monitoring practicality. An appropriate statistical goal is development of methodology to ensure appropriate derived data with sufficient accuracy are used for measuring policy achievement.

Air Pollution↗
PubMed2004

Science, policy and the management of sewage materials. The New York City experience.

Development of national policy on sewage sludge management is a classic example of incremental policy formulation [Fiorino, D.J. 1995. Making Environmental Policy. University of California Press. Berkeley, CA. p. 269]. Consequently, policy has developed piecemeal, and results are, in some ways, different than intended. Land application of sewage sludge has not been a panacea. Many of the same types of policy are now being raised about it. We demonstrate this by examining the management of sewage materials by New York City from near the turn of the 20th century, when ocean dumping was viewed as a means to alleviate some of the gross pollution in New York Harbor, to when ocean dumping was banned, and thence to the present when sludge is applied to land as "biosolids." Lessons learned during this long, sometimes contentious history can be applied to present situations--specifically not understanding the long-term consequences of land-based reuse and disposal technologies.

Environment↗
PubMed2004

Environmental impacts of dispersed development from federal infrastructure projects.

Dispersed development, also referred to as urban growth or sprawl, is a pattern of low-density development spread over previously rural landscapes. Such growth can result in adverse impacts to air quality, water quality, human health, aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, agricultural land, military training areas, water supply and wastewater treatment, recreational resources, viewscapes, and cultural resources. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) is charged with protecting public health and the environment, which includes consideration of impacts from dispersed development. Specifically, because federal infrastructure projects can affect the progress of dispersed development, the secondary impacts resulting from it must be assessed in documents prepared under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has oversight for NEPA and Section 309 of the Clean Air Act requires that U.S. EPA review and comment on federal agency NEPA documents. The adverse effects of dispersed development can be induced by federal infrastructure projects including transportation, built infrastructure, modifications in natural infrastructure, public land conversion and redevelopment of properties, construction of federal facilities, and large traffic or major growth generation developments requiring federal permits. This paper presents an approach that U.S. EPA reviewers and NEPA practitioners can use to provide accurate, realistic, and consistent analysis of secondary impacts of dispersed development resulting from federal infrastructure projects. It also presents 24 measures that can be used to mitigate adverse impacts from dispersed development by modifying project location and design, participating in preservation or restoration activities, or informing and supporting local communities in planning.

Cities↗