Presents a historical perspective of garbage management, including an exploration of what is cited as myths about garbage that guide our thinking in dealing with solid waste disposal problems. A partial list of topics includes quantity of garbage, landfills, toxic wastes, technological fixes, economics, source reduction, resource recovery,…

Young children receive higher doses of pesticides than any other age group. The younger a child is the more difficulty the body will have in coping with toxins in general. Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) do not adequately protect children. Evidence of harm from a pesticide often has to be overwhelmingly strong before anything is done about it.…

Health problems related to school buildings can be categorized in five major areas: sick-building syndrome; health-threatening building materials; environmental hazards such as radon gas and asbestos; lead poisoning; and poor indoor air quality due to smoke, chemicals, and other pollutants. This paper provides an overview of these areas,…

Information on the costs of and financial aid available to schools for asbestos abatement is provided in this report. Data are based on interviews with officials from 15 school districts in 5 states--Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Section 1 provides background on the use of asbestos in buildings, health problems, federal…

Examines problems that arise when society comes to rely on the technology of its time and provides support for this contention through data about unintended effects of polychlorinated biphenyl. Argues that reliance on technology results in a loss of previously accumulated knowledge, and the general public becomes convinced it can have anything…