There are more people being affected by environmental change than ever before. The deterioration of the earth's physical condition appears to be accelerating. This sixth in a series of annual reports is a collection of 10 essays detailing the major threats to global environmental security and possible responses to them. Included are: (1) "A World…

One of a series of teacher-developed curriculum guides designed to encourage student participation and involvement in important social issues, this secondary level guide presents toxic waste as one example of a current issue requiring social action. The first section focuses on the skill of investigating as a means of introducing students to…

Appropriate for secondary school social studies, this booklet considers the dilemmas and choices confronting Americans concerned with their environment. The document contains five sections. The first section, "The Gross National By-Product," discusses the progress that has been made in reducing air and water pollution while the nation has only…

Discussed is the idea that the use of fossil fuels could render Earth uninhabitable long before supplies of them are exhausted. Possible solutions to this problem are described and include a revolution in technology, worldwide economic strategies, and a change in the way people think. (KR)

Emerging research suggests that exposure to environmental pollutants, prenatally and in early childhood, may contribute significantly to diseases and disabilities. For example, exposures to mercury or lead early in life can impact the nervous system and brain, potentially contributing to learning, behavioral, and developmental disabilities. The…

"Child Care Health Connections" is a bimonthly newsletter published by the California Childcare Health Program (CCHP), a community-based program of the University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing, Department of Family Health Care Nursing. The goals of the newsletter are to promote and support a healthy and safe environment…

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) increasingly is being used to study and address environmental justice. This article presents the results of a cross-site case study of four CBPR partnerships in the United States that researched environmental health problems and worked to educate legislators and promote relevant public policy. The…

During the 1986 Coastweek, a national event dedicated to improvement of the marine environment, a large beach cleanup was organized on the Texas coast. The goals of the cleanup were to create public awareness of the problems caused by marine debris, and to collect data on the types and quantities of debris found on the Texas coastline. The…

Discusses the harmful effects of balloon launches and the dumping of plastic debris into oceans. Cites several examples of plastic materials being discovered inside the bodies of sick and/or dead marine animals. Offers alternative activities to releasing balloons into the atmosphere. (RT)

Decreases over time in pounds of industrial chemical emissions have led to concerns that nonminority, higher-income communities have benefited disproportionately in reductions in risk. Toxic chemical release data, modeled for toxicity and dispersion in square kilometer units across 45 states, are used to test six sets of hypotheses of potential…

The human response to an environmental hazard can either reduce or exacerbate its impact on health. This article reviews determinants of community-level responses to environmental health hazards. The aim is to identify factors that can enhance a community's capacity to protect itself and to suggest public health strategies that can increase such…

The majority of the literature on contaminated communities indicates that environmental hazards lead to conflict and dissension. In this paper we examine the salient dimensions of conflict and factionalism in a rural Oklahoma community. The community is heavily contaminated from 80 years of commercial mining operations and was one of the first…

One of the major goals of environmental education is developing students with positive environmental ethics and motivated to take desirable environmental actions. Research indicates that attitudes and behaviors of individuals are frequently modeled after the attitude and behavior of others. Since most youth spend 6 to 7 hours per day in school…

During the past several years, interest, concern, and action related to environmental problems have increased. Among the problems creating the concern have been materials that can cause pollution and biological damage in and near the home and the disposal of materials used in the home. Discussed in this digest are the reduction of problems related…

Common household hazardous substances include cleansers, drain cleaners, automotive products, paints, solvents, and pesticides. This handbook was designed to serve as a resource for people frequently contacted by the public for information on household hazardous substances and wastes. Included in the handbook are: (1) an introduction to Michigan's…