Purchases or protection of land that may be crucial to future efforts to restore the Greater Everglades Ecosystem should proceed even faster than they have been, says a new report from the National Academies' Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology. And given the likelihood that ecological degradation will continue before the restoration can be completed, the report urges a stronger emphasis on strategies that can provide ecological improvements sooner rather than later. An interim report from the National Academies' Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology describes the approach of the committee that wrote the report to analyze changes to the US Environmental Protection Agency's New Source Review programs, which regulate the modification of large, stationary sources of air pollution. Conclusions about the effects of recent changes to NSR programs will be issued in a final report later this year.
A comprehensive, watershed-based approach is needed to effectively address water quality problems in southwestern Pennsylvania, says a new report from the National Academies' Water Science and Technology Board. The report outlines a technical framework to deal with these problems, and suggests ways to better unify and coordinate the region's efforts; currently, water planning and management is highly fragmented -- federal and state governments, 11 counties, hundreds of municipalities, and other entities all play roles but with little coordination or cooperation. A report from the National Academies' Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate examines the human and natural causes of climate change, including greenhouse gases, aerosols, land-use change, and solar variability. Whereas emphasis to date has been on how these climate forcings affect global mean temperature, the report finds that regional variation and climate impacts besides temperature deserve increased attention. The report also identifies research that should be pursued to improve understanding of climate forcings. NASA should extend the use of a satellite measuring tropical and subtropical rainfall until at least December 2005 instead of ending the program early this year, says a new report from the National Academies' Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate. The extension is justified by the satellite's past successes in monitoring hurricanes, forecasting floods, and issuing air traffic advisories. Stating that health care should strive to be both comprehensive and evidence-based, a new Institute of Medicine report calls for conventional medical treatments and complementary and alternative treatments to be held to the same standards for demonstrating clinical effectiveness. Both also should follow the same general research principles, although new research methods to test some therapies may have to be devised. A new report by the National Academies' Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology on the health effects of perchlorate -- a chemical that in high doses can decrease thyroid function in humans and that is present in many public drinking-water supplies -- says daily ingestion of up to 0.0007 milligrams per kilogram of body weight can occur without adversely affecting the health of even the most sensitive populations. That amount is more than 20 times the "reference dose" proposed by the US Environmental Protection Agency in a recent draft risk assessment. The available evidence is too sparse or of insufficient quality to determine whether the majority of health problems that may be experienced by Gulf War veterans could be associated with exposures to fuels for military vehicles, propellents in Scud missiles, or substances given off by combustion sources such as oil-well fires, exhausts, and tent heaters, says a new Institute of Medicine report. However, data from studies of occupational and environmental exposures to air pollution, vehicle exhaust, and other combustion products led the committee that wrote the report to conclude that exposure to such substances is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer. In many developing countries, globalization has changed traditional expectations for young people navigating the passage to adulthood, says a new report from the National Academies' National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. The report discusses these changes and their possible impact on youth programs and policies.
The Smithsonian Institution's National Zoological Park has made some noticeable improvements in the past year in zoo operations and animal care, but problems in areas such as staff training, workplace culture, and strategic planning still need to be addressed, says a new report from the National Academies' Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources. The final report was issued by a committee that conducted a yearlong review of the zoo at the request of Congress.
Current research and data on firearms, violent crime, and suicide are too weak to support strong conclusions about the effects of various violence-prevention, deterrence, and control measures, says a new report from the National Academies' National Research Council. A comprehensive research program on firearms is needed as a basis for criminal-justice and public health policy.
Environmental Issues
Health and Medicine
Behavioral and Social Sciences
Policy and Research Issues
Environmental Issues
Everglades Restoration Effort Should Acquire Land More Quickly
Health and Medicine
Report Examines Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Behavioral and Social Sciences
Report Examines Transitions to Adulthood in Developing Nations
Policy and Research Issues
Zoo Has Improved Animal Care and Management, But Problems Remain
