Environmental Sciences Commons^™

Introduction To Special Issue On Radiation Effects, P. Andrew Karam

The University of New Hampshire Law Review

[Excerpt] "How dangerous is radiation? How much radiation does it take to give us cancer? Are we wasting money on overly restrictive regulations, or are we not being sufficiently protective of our radiation workers and the public? How much clean-up is necessary on our Department of Energy facilities? What about Yucca Mountain and nuclear reactor plants – can they be made safe?

These are only a few of the questions that have been asked, and will continue to be asked, about radiation. Unfortunately, these all come down, in part or in whole, to the question “What is the shape of …

Effects Of The Shape Of The Radiation Dose-Response Curve On Public Acceptance Of Radiation And Nuclear Energy, Audeen W. Fentiman

The University of New Hampshire Law Review

[Excerpt] “The public generally accepts the premise that exposure to radiation can have an undesirable effect. Furthermore, it believes that as the radiation dose increases, the magnitude of the effect will increase. On the other hand, while the background radiation dose varies from a few hundred millirem/year (a few millisieverts/yr) in some places to a few thousand millirem/yr (tens of millisieverts/yr) in others, researchers have been unable to find a correlation between the level of background radiation and incidence of cancer or other maladies attributable to radiation.

…

Because there is considerable controversy about the relationship between radiation dose and …

Review Of: Peter Hoffman, Tomorrow's Energy: Hydrogen, Fuel Cells, And The Prospects For A Cleaner Planet, William H. Shaw Iii

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Review of the book: Peter Hoffman, Tomorrow's Energy: Hydrogen, Fuel Cells, and the Prospects for a Cleaner Planet (MIT Press 2001). Illustrations, Foreword, Acknowledgments, Notes, Index. ISBN 0-262-08295-0 [289 pp. $32.95. Cloth, 5 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142- 1493].

Review Of: Social Trust And The Management Of Risk (George Cvetkovich & Ragnar E. Loftstedt, Eds.), Mahua Roy Chowdhury

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Review of the book: Social Trust and the Management of Risk (George Cvetkovich & Ragnar E. Löfstedt, eds., Earthscan Publications Ltd. 1999). Tables, Figures, and Boxes, Acronyms and Abbreviations, Forward, Preface, Introduction, References, Index. ISBN 1-85383-604-4 [196 pp. $25.00. Paperback, 120 Pentonville Road, London, NI 9JN UK].

Review Of: Eckard Kämper, Decision Making Under Risk In Organisations: The Case Of German Waste Management, Jeremy S. Cleverly

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Review of the book: Eckard K-Kämper, Decision Making Under Risk in Organisations: The Case of German Waste Management (Ashgate Publishing Co. 2000). Preface, Acknowledgements, Bibliography. ISBN 0-7546-1434-4 [183 pp. $69.95. Hardbound, 131 Main Street, Burlington, VT 05401- 5600].

Risk Assessments For Chemical Stockpile Incinerators: Is The Supporting Guidance Adequate, Lawrence V. Tannenbaum

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

The author identifies potential deficiencies in guidance used in the United States for risk assessments of chemical weapons incinerators.

The Role Of Trust In The North Blackforest: An Evaluation Of A Citizen Panel Project, Ragnar E. Löfstedt

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Dr. Löfstedt explores the effectiveness of a public participation project conducted in Germany, designed to involve citizens in the siting of municipal waste disposal plants.

Review Of: Federal Judge's Desk Reference To Environmental Economics (John A. Baden, Ed.; Pacific Research Institute 1998), Edward J. Hendrick Jr.

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Review of the book: Federal Judge's Desk Reference to Environmental Economics (John A. Baden, ed.; Pacific Research Institute 1998). Dedication, forward, glossary, section introductions. LC 98-9206; ISBN 0-936488-84-0. [324 pp. paper. 755 Sansone Street, Ste. 450, San Francisco, CA. 94111. http:// www.pacificserch.org].

Public Perception Of Risk Management In Environmental Controversies: A U.K. Case Study, Maria Simosi, Peter T. Allen

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Drs. Simosi and Allen focus on issues arising from an environmental dispute in the U.K. Their case study findings are discussed in the context of existing environmental decision-making procedures in the U.K.

Nuclear Waste And Native America: The Mrs Siting Exercise, M. V. Rajeev Gowda, Doug Easterling

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Drs. Gowda & Easterling provide cross-cultural perspectives on issues of risk perception, equity and policy as they affect nuclear waste storage on Native American sites.

Is Accurate Understanding Of Global Warming Necessary To Promote Willingness To Sacrifice?, Richard J. Bord, Ann Fisher, Robert E. O'Connor

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Although not definitive, the authors' study suggests potential benefits from having a general public better informed about global climate change. They find, e.g., that accurate information appears to increase willingness to accept personal sacrifice.

Risk Assessment And Sustainable Development: Towards A Concept Of Sustainable Risk, Michael D. Mehta

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Dr. Mehta examines two dominant approaches for managing health and environmental risks and suggests that they would better serve if integrated.

Environmental Decision Making And Risk Management For Groundwater Systems, Janet D. Gough

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

With an eye to a specific application in New Zealand, Ms. Gough explores the use of risk management approaches for environmental decision making at strategic, policy, management and operational levels.

Risk Perception And Trust: Challenges For Facility Siting, Howard Kunreuther, Paul Slovic, Donald Macgregor

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

The authors maintain that, by granting legitimacy to different notions of fairness and building on common values such as responsibility, it is possible to design siting procedures that promote social cohesion, trust and a sense of fair play.

Fairness As Compassion: Towards A Less Unfair Facility Siting Policy, Benjamin Davy

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Dr. Davy argues that siting efforts fail because of perceived injustices and urges authorities to search more aggressively for ways to avoid injustice and to cope with the anguish of those who may be unavoidably shortchanged.

Procedural And Substantive Fairness In Landfill Siting: A Swiss Case Study, Ortwin Renn, Thomas Webler, Hans Kastenholz

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

The authors describe the design and implementation of a process for siting a landfill. They see it as an application of procedural equity expressed in discourse ethic philosophy - one that includes checks for competence and substantive fairness.

Comparison Of Environmental Risk Provisions In The 103d Congress, Linda-Jo Schierow

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Dr. Schierow, an Analyst in Environmental Policy with the Congressional Research Service, presents a tabulated summary of comparable provisions in several bills with special attention to the Risk Assessment Improvement Act of 1994.

Preferences For Exposure Control Of Power-Frequency Fields Among Lay Opinion Leaders, Ann Bostrom, M. Granger Morgan, Jack Adams, Indira Nair

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

The authors report on surveys, differing according to focus on remedial costs, of Pittsburgh-area adults indicating beliefs about possible health effects of electromagnetic fields and the acceptability of options for reducing or eliminating the potential impact.

Trace Substances, Science And Law: Perspectives From The Social Sciences, James F. Short Jr.

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Using advances in analytical technology as a point of departure, Dr. Short reviews what social science research reveals about perceptions, decision making processes and behaviors of organizations and individuals who try to cope with risk and uncertainty.

Book Review, Angela V. Tafro

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Review of: VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE, EARTH IN THE BALANCE: ECOLOGY AND THE HUMAN SPIRIT. (Plume 1993) [368 pp.] Acknowledgements, bibliography, figures, foreword, illustrations, index, notes. LC 92- 34013; ISBN 0-452-26935-0. [Paper $13.00. 375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014.]

Schools Respond To Risk Management Programs For Asbestos, Lead In Drinking Water And Radon, Ann Fisher, Lauraine G. Chestnut, Ruth H. Chapman, Robert D. Rowe

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Based on a study of the three EPA-initiated, public school risk management programs noted in the title, the authors find that state agency involvement is an important factor in the success of such programs. They also find, e.g., that school districts are justifiably reluctant to comply with tentative programs

Book Review, Scott Hogan

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Review of: ROBERT A. SHANLEY, PRESIDENTIAL INFLUENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY. (Greenwood Press, 1992) [163 pp.] Abbreviations, acknowledgements, index, introduction, notes, selected bibliography. LC 92-15584; ISBN 0-313-25883-X. [$45.00 cloth. 88 Post Road West; Westport CT 06881.]

Advancing Understanding Of Knowledge's Role In Lay Risk Perception, Branden B. Johnson

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Emphasizing how knowledge affects lay Risk perception, summarizing studies and suggesting further research, the author differentiates between knowledge production, knowledge dissemination and information processing as affected by, e.g., heuristics and Risk aversion. He also suggests that better understanding of lay knowledge can also illuminate experts' hazard knowledge.

Regulating Air Toxics In Rhode Island: Policy Vs. Technical Decisions, Julie A. Roque

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Dr. Roqu6 recounts her work as a doctoral candidate at Brown in developing standards for the regulation of airborne carcinogens. Based in part on this experience, she argues that care needs be taken lest those who regulate Risk bury key policy decisions within a mass of often irrelevant technical details.