Indicators as a tool for the evaluation of effective national implementation of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS)

This paper briefly outlines the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) and what is meant by GHS implementation in terms of policy-related information for decision-makers plus a framework of actions to enable such policies to be effectively undertaken. The paper discusses the need for simple indicators to measure progress with GHS implementation. Two groups of indicators have been described that comprehensively reflect basic components of GHS implementation. The first group was presented as aggregated indicators or indices, for national capability evaluation. Indicators to evaluate management performance linked to stated objectives were presented as the second group. Information from an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published questionnaire on GHS implementation and a questionnaire by the Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety (IFCS) on chemical safety that included GHS have provided the basic information for applying the management capability indicators approach. Through the use of information in these two questionnaires, country-relevant and regional progress with GHS implementation was illustrated. Despite the GHS implementation target of 2008 set by the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, very few countries have reported they have achieved this target. The simple management indicators proposed in this paper are based on adoption of a questionnaire and a numerical scoring system that could be used to chart progress towards GHS implementation. It was concluded, therefore, that the use of indicators as described in this paper does provide a quick survey of the overall situation in a country and facilitates comparison between countries across regions in terms of GHS implementation. Furthermore such results may indicate which countries require additional assistance with GHS implementation thus strengthening policies and actions across all sectors and involving governments, business, trade, and civil society.     

国际农业食品网络和可持续发展委员会

国际农业食品网络(IAFN)是1996年联合国粮农组织世界粮食高峰会议时为协调农业发展领域中与国际组织有关的活动而成立的.该网络只是一个讨论论坛,其中与会者可以确认他们的共同关注和分享各种思路的经验.......     

Hip protectors efficacy and barriers to adoption to prevent fall-related injuries in older adults: findings and recommendations from an international workgroup

The Journal of Safety Research has partnered with the Injury Center at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, to briefly report on some of the latest findings in the research community. This report is the sixth in a series of CDC articles. This conference on Hip Protector Use was held at Boston University in June, 2004 under the sponsorship of the Injury Center. Hip fractures from falls are a major threat to the health and well-being of older adults. One approach to hip fracture prevention is the use of hip protectors (HPs), soft padding or hard shells embedded within specially designed underwear. This conference brought together experts to discuss the efficacy and barriers to using HP. Conclusions from the conference included the need for HP product specifications and standards of safety and efficacy, testing protocols, and efficacy trials. While no single entity was identified to advance these initiatives, this effort should be international and should involve collaboration between researchers, health care providers and policy-makers, and HP manufacturers. Plans are already underway for a second international conference in Europe to follow-up these recommendations and develop strategies for implementation.     

The crucial role of the accessible area in ecological niche modeling and species distribution modeling

Using known occurrences of species and correlational modeling approaches has become a common paradigm in broad-scale ecology and biogeography, yet important aspects of the methodology remain little-explored in terms of conceptual basis. Here, we explore the conceptual and empirical reasons behind choice of extent of study area in such analyses, and offer practical, but conceptually justified, reasoning for such decisions. We assert that the area that has been accessible to the species of interest over relevant time periods represents the ideal area for model development, testing, and comparison.     

Introduction to the Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program

This paper provides an introduction to a long-term biological monitoring program and the Environmental Management special issue titled Long-term Biological Monitoring of an Impaired Stream: Implications for Environmental Management. The Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program, or BMAP, was implemented to assess biological impairment downstream of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) facilities in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, beginning in 1985. Several of the unique aspects of the program include its long-term consistent sampling, a focus on evaluating the effectiveness of specific facility abatement and remedial actions, and the use of quantitative sampling protocols using a multidisciplinary approach. This paper describes the need and importance of long-term watershed-based biological monitoring strategies, in particular for addressing long-term stewardship goals at DOE sites, and provides a summary of the BMAP’s objectives, spatial and temporal extent, and overall focus. The primary components of the biological monitoring program for East Fork Poplar Creek in Oak Ridge, Tennessee are introduced, as are the additional 9 papers in this Environmental Management special issue.     

The impact of spatial correlation and incommensurability on model evaluation

Standard evaluations of air quality models rely heavily on a direct comparison of monitoring data matched with the model output for the grid cell containing the monitor's location. While such techniques may be adequate for some applications, conclusions are limited by such factors as the sparseness of the available observations (limiting the number of grid cells at which the model can be evaluated) and the incommensurability between volume-averages and pointwise observations. We examine several sets of simulations to illustrate the effect of incommensurability in a variety of cases distinguished by the type and extent of spatial correlation present. Block kriging, a statistical method which can be used to address the issue, is then demonstrated using the simulations. Lastly, we apply this method to actual data and discuss the practical importance of understanding the impact of spatial correlation structure and incommensurability.