Pollution incidence and political jurisdiction: evidence from the TRI

Few issues are more contentious for local communities than industrial pollution. When local industries pollute, lawmakers and regulators must balance two primary concerns: economic prosperity and the environment. The role of political pressure is well documented in environmental policy. What is less clear is the role jurisdictional or boundary considerations play in determining the implementation of environmental laws. Anecdotal evidence suggests that local regulators are more lenient in their treatment of polluters when the incidence of pollution falls partially on those outside the state. One explanation for such behavior is that regulators take actions to maximize political support. This paper tests this jurisdictional model using toxics release inventory (TRI) data from 1987 to 1996. We find that facilities’ emissions into the air and water are systematically higher in counties that border other states. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that jurisdictional considerations are an important determinant of pollution incidence.     

Gender analysis and international financial institutions

The following article is an attempt to reconcile the opinions of various activist-oriented non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on the use of gender analysis as a policy tool in the field of international development and macroeconomic policy. Of special concern to the author is the evolving relationship between international financial institutions (IFIs) and grassroots environmental NGOs seeking reform in macroeconomic policy initiation, implementation and evaluation. The ideas presented below are those of the author alone, and are solely intended to facilitate dialogue between the aforementioned parties as an alternative to the characteristic set of untenable demands and concomitant uncompromising resistance. Thus stated, the reader is challenged to remove his/her professional hat to accept or reject the validity of the propositions with an equal proportion of reason and intuition.     

POTENTIAL FOR REDUCING NITROGEN POLLUTION THROUGH IMPROVED AGRONOMIC PRACTICES1

ABSTRACT: According to the 1990 National Water Quality Inventory nutrient runoff from agriculture is one of the largest contributors to watershed contamination. Nutrient balance studies suggest that many farmers use more fertilizer than necessary because of insufficient crediting for nutrients coming from manure and legumes. Using data from the USDA's 1990 Farm Costs and Returns Survey, we found that farmers raising only conventional crops spend between $470 to $624 million more per year on fertilizer than necessary. This accounts for a range of 24 percent to 32 percent of total annual nitrogen (N) purchases. The excess N amounts to between 2.5 to 3.3 billion pounds N and has considerable water pollution potential. Farmers and the fertilizer industry have responded positively to highly focused research and education programs which support improved crediting of these nutrients.     

The Four Cs of disaster partnering: communication,cooperation, coordination and collaboration

Public, nonprofit and private organisations respond to large‐scale disasters domestically and overseas. Critics of these assistance efforts, as well as those involved, often cite poor interorganisational partnering as an obstacle to successful disaster response. Observers frequently call for ‘more’ and ‘better’ partnering. We found important qualitative distinctions existed within partnering behaviours. We identified four different types of interorganisational partnering activities often referred to interchangeably: communication, cooperation, coordination and collaboration—the Four Cs. We derived definitions of the Four Cs from the partnering literature. We then tested them in a case study of the response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake. We suggest that the Four Cs are distinct activities, that organisations are typically strong or weak in one or more for various reasons, and that the four terms represent a continuum of increased interorganisational embeddedness in partnering activities.     

Electrokinetic ion transport through unsaturated soil: 2. Application to a heterogeneous field site

Results of a field demonstration of electrokinetic transport of acetate through an unsaturated heterogeneous soil are compared to numerical modeling predictions. The numerical model was based on the groundwater flow and transport codes MODFLOW and MT3D modified to account for electrically induced ion transport. The 6-month field demonstration was conducted in an unsaturated layered soil profile where the soil moisture content ranged from 4% to 28% (m3 m(-3)). Specially designed ceramic-cased electrodes maintained a steady-state moisture content and electric potential field between the electrodes during the field demonstration. Acetate, a byproduct of acetic acid neutralization of the cathode electrolysis reaction, was transported from the cathode to the anode by electromigration. Field demonstration results indicated preferential transport of acetate through soil layers exhibiting higher moisture content/electrical conductivity. These field transport results agree with theoretical predictions that electromigration velocity is proportional to a power function of the effective moisture content. A numerical model using a homogeneous moisture content/electrical conductivity domain did not adequately predict the acetate field results. Numerical model predictions using a three-layer electrical conductivity/moisture content profile agreed qualitatively with the observed acetate distribution. These results suggest that field heterogeneities must be incorporated into electrokinetic models to predict ion transport at the field-scale.     

Gorlin syndrome (naevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome): Prenatal detection in a fetus with macrocephaly and ventriculomegaly

The Gorlin (naevoid basal cell carcinoma) syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder consisting principally of naevoid basal cell carcinomas, odontogenic keratocysts, skeletal abnormalities, and intracranial calcification. We report the prenatal detection of the Gorlin syndrome by ultrasonography in a fetus with macrocephaly and mild ventriculomegaly.     

Ethnic differences in determinants of participation and non-participation in prenatal screening for Down syndrome: A theoretical framework

Objective To develop a theoretical framework for analysing ethnic differences in determinants of participation and non-participation in prenatal screening for Down syndrome. Methods We applied Weinstein's Precaution Adoption Process (PAP) Model to the decision of whether or not to participate in prenatal screening for Down syndrome. The prenatal screening stage model was specified by reviewing the empirical literature and by data from seven focus group interviews with Dutch, Turkish and Surinamese pregnant women in the Netherlands. Results We identified 11 empirical studies on ethnic differences in determinants of participation and non-participation in prenatal screening for Down syndrome. The focus group interviews showed that almost all stages and determinants in the stage model were relevant in women's decision-making process. However, there were ethnic variations in the relevance of determinants, such as beliefs about personal consequences of having a child with Down syndrome or cultural and religious norms. Discussion The prenatal screening stage model can be applied as a framework to describe the decision-making process of pregnant women from different ethnic backgrounds. It provides scope for developing culturally sensitive, tailored methods to guide pregnant women towards informed decision-making on participation or non-participation in prenatal screening for Down syndrome. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.