Keeping Pace With Science And Engineering

The technical basis of environmental regulation is always at the edge of scientific and engineering understanding. As knowledge improves, questions will inevitably arise about past decisions. Understanding how the regulatory system accommodates changing scientific and engineering knowledge is vital for achieving environmental values. In this new volume, seven case studies shed light on the interplay between environmental regulation and scientific and engineering understanding, with practical conclusions on how science and engineering should be used for more sound and timely regulatory decision making. The book provides helpful timelines of scientific and regulatory developments for the cases, which include: Factors impeding clean-up strategies in the Chesapeake Bay. Pivotal questions in the regulation of ambient ozone concentrations. How science has been heeded but also ignored in regulation of new municipal waste combustors. Impact of scientific findings on control of chlorination by-products. Acid rain and what can be learned about research and public policy debate. Controversy over the need for formaldehyde regulation. The effect of public perception on management decisions concerning dioxin. This volume will be of practical interest to policymakers, business and environmental advocates, scientists, engineers, researchers, attorneys, faculty, and students.

The Earth system functions and connects in unexpected ways - from the microscopic interactions of bacteria and rocks to the macro-scale processes that build and erode mountains and regulate Earth's climate. Efforts to study Earth's intertwined processes are made even more pertinent and urgent by the need to understand how the Earth can continue to sustain both civilization and the planet's biodiversity. A Vision for NSF Earth Sciences 2020-2030: Earth in Time provides recommendations to help the National Science Foundation plan and support the next decade of Earth science research, focusing on research priorities, infrastructure and facilities, and partnerships. This report presents a compelling and vibrant vision of the future of Earth science research.

Publishes in-depth articles on labor subjects, current labor statistics, information about current labor contracts, and book reviews

Wealth vs. Work: How 1% Victimize 99% is about the vanishing American dream, growing inequality inAmerica, shrinking and struggling middle class, plight of labor and unions, economic decline of the nation, and a broken and unstable world surrounding theU.S. Education is no longer the great equalizer. We are heading toward a world where inherited privilege trumps excellence and meritocracy. Carried far enough, it means the end of striving and the American dream. Few Americans realize or want to admit it. Since recorded history, workers have been victimized by the rich and super rich, treated as fungible and disposable. The early warlords and monarchs have been replaced by the titans of industry and masters of the universe on Wall Street. The slaves, peasants and serfs have been replaced by miners, factory workers, and service-sector workers. The GM model of the 1950s and 1960s (that permitted labor to become middle class) has been replaced by the Wal-Mart modelcharacterized by low pay and minimal benefits. By 2025, the economic output of China and India may likely each exceed the U.S. Moreover, the U.S. work force is being increasingly displaced by technology and outsourcing. But we are supposed to be the lucky ones! By historical and geographical accident, the U.S. has been spared most of the worlds poverty and misery. Today, however, the U.S. is heading towards a financial oligarchymuch worse than the aristocratic old world that our Founding Fathers feared and tried to avoid. Yes, the U.S. had a revolution, but in fact it has a new and more powerful elite because the economic pie has expanded several thousand fold since the yeoman farmers status was compared to the plantation owner. Right now the top 1 percent in the U.S. own nearly 40 percent of the nations wealth; moreover, their investments, capital gains and dividends are taxed at a lower rate than workers salaries. Like all great civilizations that have declined before us, we are a nation that needs to re-examine its ideals and institutions.