TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Neon: Addressing the Nation's Environmental Challenges SN - DO - 10.17226/10807 PY - 2004 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10807/neon-addressing-the-nations-environmental-challenges PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies KW - Earth Sciences AB - The book endorses the National Science Foundation's concept of the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) for providing a nationwide network of facilities and infrastructure for ecological and environmental research that is impossible with existing infrastructure. The committee identified six grand challenges in environmental biology - biodiversity, biogeochemical cycles, climate change, ecology and evolution of infectious diseases, invasive species and land and habitat use—that deserves high priority for research and needs to be addressed on a regional or continental scale. However, the book says that NEON needs a refined focus and a more detailed plan for its implementation to ensure the maximization of its contribution to science and to better fit within the purview of Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction funding. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Science, Medicine, and Animals SN - DO - 10.17226/10733 PY - 2004 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10733/science-medicine-and-animals PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - Science, Medicine, and Animals explains the role that animals play in biomedical research and the ways in which scientists, governments, and citizens have tried to balance the experimental use of animals with a concern for all living creatures. An accompanying Teacher’s Guide is available to help teachers of middle and high school students use Science, Medicine, and Animals in the classroom. As students examine the issues in Science, Medicine, and Animals, they will gain a greater understanding of the goals of biomedical research and the real-world practice of the scientific method in general. Science, Medicine, and Animals and the Teacher's Guide were written by the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research and published by the National Research Council of the National Academies. The report was reviewed by a committee made up of experts and scholars with diverse perspectives, including members of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institutes of Health, the Humane Society of the United States, and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The Teacher’s Guide was reviewed by members of the National Academies’ Teacher Associates Network. Science, Medicine, and Animals is recommended by the National Science Teacher's Association. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Science and Technology in U.S. Foreign Assistance: Interim Report to the Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development DO - 10.17226/11137 PY - 2004 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11137/science-and-technology-in-us-foreign-assistance-interim-report-to PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Policy for Science and Technology AB - This report provides the preliminary views on the critical role of science and technology (S&T) in development assistance by a committee that was established in accordance with a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the NRC. The initial views of the committee were made available to the administrator or USAID to aid the administrator in making decisions concerning near-term steps that can be taken to strengthen the S&T capabilities of USAID and to integrate S&T more effectively into programs that are supported by USAID. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine A2 - Lynn Goldman A2 - Christine M. Coussens TI - Environmental Health Indicators: Bridging the Chasm of Public Health and the Environment: Workshop Summary SN - DO - 10.17226/11136 PY - 2004 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11136/environmental-health-indicators-bridging-the-chasm-of-public-health-and PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies KW - Health and Medicine AB - This report is the summary of the fourth workshop of The Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, Research, and Medicine. Environmental Indicators: Bridging the Chasm Between Public Health and the Environment, continues the overarching themes of previous workshops on rebuilding the unity of health and the environment. The purpose of the workshop was to bring people together from many fields, including federal, state, local, and private partners in environmental health, to examine potential leading indicators of environmental health, to discuss the proposed national health tracking effort, to look into monitoring systems of other nations, and to foster a dialogue on the steps for establishing a nationwide environmental health monitoring system. This workshop brought together a number of experts who presented, discussed, and debated the issues surrounding the implementation of a monitoring system. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council AU - National Academy of Engineering TI - Urbanization, Energy, and Air Pollution in China: The Challenges Ahead: Proceedings of a Symposium SN - DO - 10.17226/11192 PY - 2004 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11192/urbanization-energy-and-air-pollution-in-china-the-challenges-ahead PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Energy and Energy Conservation KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - In October 2003, a group of experts met in Beijing under the auspices of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Engineering, and National Academy of Engineering (NAE)/National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies to continue a dialogue and eventually chart a rational course of energy use in China. This collection of papers is intended to introduce the reader to the complicated problems of urban air pollution and energy choices in China. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Materials Count: The Case for Material Flows Analysis SN - DO - 10.17226/10705 PY - 2004 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10705/materials-count-the-case-for-material-flows-analysis PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Engineering and Technology KW - Industry and Labor AB - The rising population and industrial growth place increasing strains on a variety of material and energy resources. Understanding how to make the most economically and environmentally efficient use of materials will require an understanding of the flow of materials from the time a material is extracted through processing, manufacturing, use, and its ultimate destination as a waste or reusable resource. Materials Count examines the usefulness of creating and maintaining material flow accounts for developing sound public policy, evaluates the technical basis for material flows analysis, assesses the current state of material flows information, and discusses who should have institutional responsibility for collecting, maintaining, and providing access to additional data for material flow accounts. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Future Needs in Deep Submergence Science: Occupied and Unoccupied Vehicles in Basic Ocean Research SN - DO - 10.17226/10854 PY - 2004 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10854/future-needs-in-deep-submergence-science-occupied-and-unoccupied-vehicles PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - Deep-diving manned submersibles, such as Alvin, which gained worldwide fame when researchers used it to reach the wreck of the Titanic, have helped advance deep-ocean science. But many scholars in this field have noted that the number and capabilities of today's underwater vehicles no longer meet current scientific demands. At the same time, the relative value of manned and unmanned vehicles is often disputed. The report finds that new submersibles—both manned and unmanned—that are more capable than those in the current fleet are needed and would be of great value to the advancement of ocean research. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council A2 - M. Suzanne Donovan A2 - James W. Pellegrino TI - Learning and Instruction: A SERP Research Agenda SN - DO - 10.17226/10858 PY - 2004 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10858/learning-and-instruction-a-serp-research-agenda PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Education AB - The Strategic Education Research Partnership (SERP) is a bold, ambitious plan that proposes a revolutionary program of education research and development. Its purpose is to construct a powerful knowledge base, derived from both research and practice, that will support the efforts of teachers, school administrators, colleges of education, and policy officials—with the ultimate goal of significantly improving student learning. The proposals in this book have the potential to substantially improve the knowledge base that supports teaching and learning by pursuing answers to questions at the core of teaching practices. It calls for the linking of research and development, including instructional programs, assessment tools, teacher education programs, and materials. Best of all, the book provides a solid framework for a program of research and development that will be genuinely useful to classroom teachers. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - River Basins and Coastal Systems Planning Within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers SN - DO - 10.17226/10970 PY - 2004 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10970/river-basins-and-coastal-systems-planning-within-the-us-army-corps-of-engineers PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) has played a large and important role in shaping water resources systems in the United States since Congress first tasked it in 1824 to improve navigation on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Since then, rivers have been modified for navigation and flood control, harbors have been dredged for shipping, and coastlines are routinely fortified against erosion and beach loss. Recent decades have seen an overall decline in budgets for civil works project construction, yet the range of objectives for water resources projects has broadened as society places more value on environmental and recreational benefits. Thus, the Corps' portfolio of water resources projects has changed considerably. There is a reduced emphasis on traditional construction projects and an increased focus on maintenance and reoperation of existing projects such as locks, dams, and levees and on environmental restoration projects. An integrated approach to water resources planning at the scale of river basins and coastal systems is widely endorsed by the academic and engineering communities. The Corps' mission, expertise, and experience give it immense potential to alter the structure and functioning of the nation's waterways and coasts. As might be expected in a large and complex organization answering to a range of public and private demands, implementation of these new policies and objectives is neither consistent nor complete. River Basins and Coastal Systems Planning within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recommends improvements in the Corps' water resource project planning and review process. This report compares economic and environmental benefits and costs over a range of time and space scales, suggests multiple purpose formulation and evaluation methods, and recommends integration of water development plans with other projects in the region. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Improving the Use of the "Best Scientific Information Available" Standard in Fisheries Management SN - DO - 10.17226/11045 PY - 2004 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11045/improving-the-use-of-the-best-scientific-information-available-standard-in-fisheries-management PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Agriculture AB - Under the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management Act (FCMA), managers are required to use the "best scientific information available" in the preparation of federal fishery management plans (National Standard 2 in the FCMA). However, the Act provides no further guidance as to how conformance to this standard should be determined. Because adherence to this standard has often been contentious, Congress has considered adding a definition for what constitutes "best scientific information available" in the reauthorization of the FCMA. This report examines both the current application and the controversy over the standard and concludes that a legislative definition would be too inflexible to accommodate regional differences and future advances in science and technology. Instead, the report recommends that NOAA Fisheries adopt procedural guidelines to ensure that the scientific information used in the development of fishery management plans is relevant and timely and is the product of processes characterized by inclusiveness, transparency and openness, timeliness, and peer review. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Utilization of Operational Environmental Satellite Data: Ensuring Readiness for 2010 and Beyond SN - DO - 10.17226/11187 PY - 2004 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11187/utilization-of-operational-environmental-satellite-data-ensuring-readiness-for-2010 PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences KW - Space and Aeronautics ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council A2 - Rob Coppock A2 - Stephanie Johnson TI - Direct and Indirect Human Contributions to Terrestrial Carbon Fluxes: A Workshop Summary SN - DO - 10.17226/11037 PY - 2004 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11037/direct-and-indirect-human-contributions-to-terrestrial-carbon-fluxes-a PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies KW - Earth Sciences AB - Human-induced climate change is an important environmental issue worldwide, as scientific studies increasingly demonstrate that human activities are changing the Earth’s climate. Even if dramatic reductions in emissions were made today, some human-induced changes are likely to persist beyond the 21st century. The Kyoto Protocol calls for emissions reporting that separates out management-induced changes in greenhouse gases from those changes caused by indirect human effects (e.g., carbon dioxide fertilization, nitrogen deposition, or precipitation changes), natural effects, and past practices on forested agricultural lands. This book summarizes a September 2003 workshop where leaders from academia, government and industry came together to discuss the current state of scientific understanding on quantifying direct human-induced change in terrestrial carbon stocks and related changes in greenhouse gas emissions and distinguishing these changes from those caused by indirect and natural effects. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council A2 - Jere Confrey A2 - Vicki Stohl TI - On Evaluating Curricular Effectiveness: Judging the Quality of K-12 Mathematics Evaluations SN - DO - 10.17226/11025 PY - 2004 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11025/on-evaluating-curricular-effectiveness-judging-the-quality-of-k-12 PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Education AB - This book reviews the evaluation research literature that has accumulated around 19 K-12 mathematics curricula and breaks new ground in framing an ambitious and rigorous approach to curriculum evaluation that has relevance beyond mathematics. The committee that produced this book consisted of mathematicians, mathematics educators, and methodologists who began with the following charge: Evaluate the quality of the evaluations of the thirteen National Science Foundation (NSF)-supported and six commercially generated mathematics curriculum materials; Determine whether the available data are sufficient for evaluating the efficacy of these materials, and if not; Develop recommendations about the design of a project that could result in the generation of more reliable and valid data for evaluating such materials. The committee collected, reviewed, and classified almost 700 studies, solicited expert testimony during two workshops, developed an evaluation framework, established dimensions/criteria for three methodologies (content analyses, comparative studies, and case studies), drew conclusions on the corpus of studies, and made recommendations for future research. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine TI - Forging a Poison Prevention and Control System SN - DO - 10.17226/10971 PY - 2004 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10971/forging-a-poison-prevention-and-control-system PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine AB - Poisoning is a far more serious health problem in the U.S. than has generally been recognized. It is estimated that more than 4 million poisoning episodes occur annually, with approximately 300,000 cases leading to hospitalization. The field of poison prevention provides some of the most celebrated examples of successful public health interventions, yet surprisingly the current poison control “system” is little more than a loose network of poison control centers, poorly integrated into the larger spheres of public health. To increase their effectiveness, efforts to reduce poisoning need to be linked to a national agenda for public health promotion and injury prevention. Forging a Poison Prevention and Control System recommends a future poison control system with a strong public health infrastructure, a national system of regional poison control centers, federal funding to support core poison control activities, and a national poison information system to track major poisoning epidemics and possible acts of bioterrorism. This framework provides a complete “system” that could offer the best poison prevention and patient care services to meet the needs of the nation in the 21st century. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Nonnative Oysters in the Chesapeake Bay SN - DO - 10.17226/10796 PY - 2004 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10796/nonnative-oysters-in-the-chesapeake-bay PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences KW - Environment and Environmental Studies KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - Nonnative Oysters in the Chesapeake Bay discusses the proposed plan to offset the dramatic decline in the bay's native oysters by introducing disease-resistant reproductive Suminoe oysters from Asia. It suggests this move should be delayed until more is known about the environmental risks, even though carefully regulated cultivation of sterile Asian oysters in contained areas could help the local industry and researchers. It is also noted that even though these oysters eat the excess algae caused by pollution, it could take decades before there are enough of them to improve water quality. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Effects of Degraded Agent and Munitions Anomalies on Chemical Stockpile Disposal Operations SN - DO - 10.17226/10910 PY - 2004 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10910/effects-of-degraded-agent-and-munitions-anomalies-on-chemical-stockpile-disposal-operations PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - The U.S. Army is in the process of destroying its entire stock of chemical weapons. To help with stockpile disposal, the Army’s Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program (CSDP), in 1987, asked the National Research Council (NRC) for scientific and technical advice. This report is one in a series of such prepared by the NRC over the last 16 years in response to that request. It presents an examination of the effect of leaking munitions (leakers) and other anomalies in the stored stockpile on the operation of the chemical agent disposal facilities. The report presents a discussion of potential causes of these anomalies, leaker tracking and analysis issues, risk implications of anomalies, and recommendations for monitoring and containing these anomalies during the remaining life of the stockpile. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Confronting the Nation's Water Problems: The Role of Research SN - DO - 10.17226/11031 PY - 2004 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11031/confronting-the-nations-water-problems-the-role-of-research PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - In order to confront the increasingly severe water problems faced by all parts of the country, the United States needs to make a new commitment to research on water resources. A new mechanism is needed to coordinate water research currently fragmented among nearly 20 federal agencies. Given the competition for water among farmers, communities, aquatic ecosystems and other users—as well as emerging challenges such as climate change and the threat of waterborne diseases—Confronting the Nation's Water Problems concludes that an additional $70 million in federal funding should go annually to water research. Funding should go specifically to the areas of water demand and use, water supply augmentation, and other institutional research topics. The book notes that overall federal funding for water research has been stagnant in real terms for the past 30 years and that the portion dedicated to research on water use and social science topics has declined considerably. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine TI - Damp Indoor Spaces and Health SN - DO - 10.17226/11011 PY - 2004 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11011/damp-indoor-spaces-and-health PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine AB - Almost all homes, apartments, and commercial buildings will experience leaks, flooding, or other forms of excessive indoor dampness at some point. Not only is excessive dampness a health problem by itself, it also contributes to several other potentially problematic types of situations. Molds and other microbial agents favor damp indoor environments, and excess moisture may initiate the release of chemical emissions from damaged building materials and furnishings. This new book from the Institute of Medicine examines the health impact of exposures resulting from damp indoor environments and offers recommendations for public health interventions. Damp Indoor Spaces and Health covers a broad range of topics. The book not only examines the relationship between damp or moldy indoor environments and adverse health outcomes but also discusses how and where buildings get wet, how dampness influences microbial growth and chemical emissions, ways to prevent and remediate dampness, and elements of a public health response to the issues. A comprehensive literature review finds sufficient evidence of an association between damp indoor environments and some upper respiratory tract symptoms, coughing, wheezing, and asthma symptoms in sensitized persons. This important book will be of interest to a wide-ranging audience of science, health, engineering, and building professionals, government officials, and members of the public. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Cooperative Research in the National Marine Fisheries Service SN - DO - 10.17226/10836 PY - 2004 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10836/cooperative-research-in-the-national-marine-fisheries-service PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Agriculture KW - Earth Sciences AB - In recent years there has been growing interest in having fisheries stakeholders involved in various aspects of fisheries data collection and experimentation. This activity is generally known as cooperative research and may take many forms, including gear technology studies, bycatch avoidance studies, and surveys. While the process is not new, the current interest in cooperative research and the growing frequency of direct budgetary allocation for cooperative research prompted this report. Cooperative Research in the National Marine Fisheries Service addresses issues essential for the effective design and implementation of cooperative and collaborative research programs. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Climate Data Records from Environmental Satellites: Interim Report SN - DO - 10.17226/10944 PY - 2004 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10944/climate-data-records-from-environmental-satellites-interim-report PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - The report outlines key elements to consider in designing a program to create climate-quality data from satellites. It examines historical attempts to create climate data records, provides advice on steps for generating, re-analyzing, and storing satellite climate data, and discusses the importance of partnering between agencies, academia, and industry. NOAA will use this report—the first in a two-part study—to draft an implementation plan for climate data records. ER -