New Books, Fall 2005
Chromium (VI) Handbook. Guertin, Jacques; Jacobs, James
A.; Avakian, Cynthia P. (eds). 2005. The purpose of this book is to evaluate the
history and characteristics of
chromium (VI) in the environment, in industry, and in society. The book
was created by the Independent Environmental Technical Evaluation Group
(IETEG), a volunteer research organization located in Northern
California. The IETEG hopes that the book will contribute to maintaining the
quality of our drinking water supplies contaminated by Cr (VI), the
settlement oand resolution of legal issues related to Cr (VI), and the development of
regulatory policies designed on scientifically based information.
Dazzle 'Em with Style: The Art of Oral Scientific Presentation. Anholt, Robert R. H. 2006. Today, a successful career in science, technology, and medicine is intimately related to mastery of communicating technical information to a broad audience, including students, colleagues, regulatory bodies, granting agencies, legislators, and the general public. In this book the author provides a step-by-step guide on the entire process from preparation to delivery of a scientific presentation.
Garbage Land:
On the Secret Trail of Trash. Royte, Elizabeth. 2005. Into our trash cans go
dead batteries, dirty diapers, bygone burritos, broken toys, tattered socks,
eight-track cassettes, scratched CDs, banana peels … But where do these things
go next? In a country that consumes and then casts off more and more, what
actually happens to the things we throw away? In Garbage
Land, acclaimed science writer
Elizabeth Royte leads us on the wild adventure that begins once our trash hits
the bottom of the can. Along the way, we meet an odor chemist who explains why
trash smells so bad; garbage fairies and recycling gurus; neighbors of massive
waste dumps; CEOs making fortunes by encouraging waste or encouraging
recycling-often both at the same time; scientists trying to revive our most
polluted places; fertilizer fanatics and adventurers who kayak among sewage;
paper people, steel people, aluminum people, plastic people, and even a guy who
swears by recycling human waste. With a wink and a nod and a tightly clasped
nose, Royte takes us on a bizarre cultural tour through slime, stench, and
heat-in other words, through the back end of our ever-more supersized
lifestyles. By showing us what really happens to the things we've
"disposed of," Royte reminds us that our decisions about consumption
and waste have a very real impact-and that unless we undertake radical change,
the garbage we create will always be with us: in the air we breathe, the water
we drink, and the food we consume.
Industrial Transformation: Environmental Policy
Innovation in the United States
and Europe. de Bruijn, Theo; Norberg-Bohm, Vicky (eds.) 2005.
The United States
and European countries are experimenting with a new generation of policy
approaches for combating environmental degradation. Industrial Transformation
evaluates the effectiveness of twelve innovative voluntary, collaborative, and
information-based programs, focusing particularly on the effectiveness of these
programs in bringing about industrial transformation -- changes in production
and consumption structures that will help move their societies toward
environmental sustainability. The twelve programs analyzed have the potential
to create incentives for industry leadership, stimulate beyond-compliance
behavior, address environmental degradation not currently regulated, and
encourage innovative solutions by involving a wide range of stakeholders. The
programs -- six in the United States and six in Europe -- include Energy Star
product labeling in the United States, R&D collaboration in US Department
of Energy programs, the US Toxic Release Inventories, the EU's Eco-Audit
Regulation in the UK, the Dutch Target Group Policy, and the German End-of-Life
Vehicles Program. The comparative analysis of the twelve programs proves that
these new approaches are not a panacea for industrial transformation. Taken
together, the cases provide a range of experience from which to draw lessons
for future policy design.
IPM for Gardeners. Cloyd, Raymond A.; Nixon, Philip L.;
Pataky, Nancy R. 2004. Since the publication of Silent Spring in 1962, interest
in alternative pest-management strategies has increased dramatically. As a way
to reduce the use of pesticides and keep plants healthy, integrated pest management
(IPM) has evolved to emphasize prevention, early diagnosis (or
"scouting"), and long-term control strategies — not quick fixes. Many
nurseries, land-use agencies, and public gardens now require the use of IPM as
an intelligent, real-world system to raise plants in an environmentally
responsible manner. Despite a plethora of technical IPM training manuals, no
book until now has distilled its core philosophy for the home gardener, so that
he or she can learn to manage plant health as the professionals do, based on
scientific principles. In IPM for Gardeners, a team of experts explains how any
gardener can use IPM techniques for success at home. Authoritative,
well-illustrated, and packed with case studies, this volume promises to change
the way we see our gardens.
The Market for Virtue: The Potential and Limits of
Corporate Social Responsibility. Vogel, David. 2005. The Market for Virtue
explores the extent to which improvements in corporate conduct can occur
without more extensive or effective government regulation—in the United
States, Europe, the Far
East, and developing nations. In other words, what is the
long-term potential of business self-regulation? The improvement that can be
expected is far more modest than recent breathless writing on CSR would
indicate. At some point, many businesses must choose between doing what seems
ethically rights and what is most profitable. Since businesses are typically
found to make money—and because shareholders and capitalism demand that they do
so—the bottom line tends to win out. There is a market for virtue, but it is
limited by the substantial costs of more responsible business behavior.
Phthalate Esters. Staples, Charles A. (ed.). 2003.
Phthalate esters are an important class of chemicals widely used in commercial
applications, primarily as plasticizers to soften vinyl, but are also used in
consumer products. This book reviews the state of the science of phthalate
esters in the environment. Key information reviewed includes analytical
methodologies, a compilation of concentration measuremens in water, sediment,
soil, air, dust, and food, plus an assessment of critical exposure pathways. In
addition, key physical properties data and fate characteristics that control
exposure are reviewed. Pertinent ecotoxicity data and mammalian toxicity and
human health information are reviewed. Finally, potential environmental risks
are addressed.
This page updated Tuesday June 19 2007
