Category: Environmental Policy & Regulation

The Environmental Consequences of War

Integrated Environmental Assessment and ManagementLeave a comment
Destroyed armored vehicle amidst ruins of the Azerbaijani part of Shusha. Credit: Yz-Wu/Adobe Stock.

Podcast Summary:

In this special episode of the IEAM podcast, we speak with authors from the special series “Consequences of Modern Warfare on Ecology and the Environment.” The series presents a collection of views from global experts on the broad environmental consequences raised by ecocide as a result of war. We hear from experts on a range of topics including legacy chemicals in Ukraine, the concept of warfare ecology, using remote sensing to track environmental damage when it’s too dangerous to be on the ground, and applying a natural resource damage assessment in Ukraine.

All of our authors acknowledge the importance and priority of addressing the human suffering that occurs during armed conflict. But these experts take a longer, broader view beyond the acute suffering to ask what is needed to sustain the survivors during and especially after the conflict. What will these people need as they rebuild their lives and communities? Access the series in the March 2023 issue of IEAM.

Listen on iTunes.

Read More »

Finding the right fit: Modeling US water quality criteria, with Brad Barnhart

Integrated Environmental Assessment and ManagementLeave a comment
Credit: terovesalainen/Adobe Stock

 No water, no life. No blue, no green.

– Sylvia Earle

Water is the most important substance on earth. Without it, life would not exist. To ensure that water is safe for drinking, swimming, fishing, and to support wildlife, scientists are constantly updating the criteria that determine if a body of water is protective for biota health or “safe” for human consumption, recreation, or other designated use. In the US, the Environmental Protection Agency recommends using environmental models in the development of water quality criteria; however, a variety of models exist, and they differ in their strengths, limitations, assumptions, and data requirements. In this podcast, we talk with Brad Barnhart, lead author on an IEAM article that reviews environmental models used in developing water quality criteria. The article summarizes the types of models recommended by the USEPA, their attributes, and advantages and disadvantages with each approach, providing readers with a roadmap to help navigate regulatory environmental modeling frameworks. Access the article in the January 2023 issue of IEAM.

Listen on iTunes or YouTube.

Read More »

In pursuit of safer alternatives using California’s SCP Alternatives Analysis, with Kelly Grant

Integrated Environmental Assessment and ManagementLeave a comment

Podcast Summary:

Credit: © Totojang1977 / Adobe Stock

Every day we encounter various chemicals through the simple act of going about our lives—from the beauty products in your morning routine, to the packaging for your takeout meal, to the furniture you sit on. Chemicals are found in just about everything we touch or consume, and not all of them are completely benign. The identification and substitution of safer chemicals is a constant work in progress for regulatory bodies and manufacturers alike. In California, the Safer Consumer Products Program is committed to identifying safer alternatives to chemicals of concern through a process called alternatives analysis. Alternatives analysis goes beyond traditional alternatives assessment by requiring the inclusion of broader and deeper aspects such as a greater number of toxicological endpoints and life cycle impacts over a product’s lifespan. We spoke with lead author Kelly Grant to find out more of what the SCP program is about and what we can learn from it. Access the article in the July 2022 issue of IEAM.

Listen on iTunes or YouTube.

Read More »

The skinny on sunscreens: UV filter impacts on coral reefs, with Yasmine Watkins

Integrated Environmental Assessment and ManagementLeave a comment
Credit: rh2010, Adobe Stock.

We all know that it’s important to protect our skin from the harmful rays of the sun. But what happens to the sunscreen that washes off into the water—whether swimming in the ocean or lake, or down the drain while showering afterward? We have only recently begun to learn about the consequences of sunscreen use, from endocrine disruption to harmful effects on wildlife and environmental damage. The September 2021 issue of IEAM features a special series on sunscreen in aquatic ecosystems. One article reviews the impacts of chemical sunscreens on coral reefs and then identifies knowledge gaps and research priorities. We spoke with lead author Yasmine Watkins to learn more. Access the article “Investigating the exposure and impact of chemical UV filters on coral reef ecosystems: Review and research gap prioritization” in the September 2021 issue of IEAM.

Listen on iTunes or YouTube.

Read More »

Gene drives: Navigating perils of engineered eradication, with Christoph Then

Integrated Environmental Assessment and ManagementLeave a comment
Image credit: Adobe Stock.

Imagine a world without natural enemies like parasites or deadly pathogens. Where crops grow unfettered by rodent and insect pests. Advances in genetic engineering now hold the possibility to alter genomes at the population level, but is it too good to be true? A critical review in the September 2020 issue of IEAM delves into environmental risk assessments for controversial gene drives in the European Union. Lead author Christoph Then talks with us about the challenges facing risk assessors of gene drives and a potential cut-off criteria presented in the study. Access the article in the September 2020 issue of IEAM.

Listen on iTunes or YouTube.Read More »

First peoples, last in environmental justice, with Nil Basu

Integrated Environmental Assessment and ManagementLeave a comment
#NODAPL street art
Street art in opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Credit: Loz Pycock (Flickr), CC BY-SA 2.0.

Indigenous peoples around the world face multiple injustices as a result of environmental pollution. These highly vulnerable populations make up just 5% of the global population yet experience a disproportionate number of negative impacts from pollution that affect their environment, health and well-being, and culture. We talk with co-author Nil Basu to find out what their critical review “A State-of-the-Art Review of Indigenous Peoples and Environmental Pollution” reveals. Access the article in the May 2020 issue of IEAM.

Listen on iTunes or YouTube.

Read More »

Do no harm: Evaluating non-lethal fish sampling, with Alyse Kambeitz

Integrated Environmental Assessment and ManagementLeave a comment

31536015808_6132e55663_o (1)
Fish sampling with a seine. Credit: USFWS (Public Domain Mark 1.0).

The goal of any environmental monitoring program is to assess and protect the health of the organisms being monitored. Yet the most common methods require the sacrifice of a large number of individuals to collect enough data to ensure the well-being of the entire population. A new study published in IEAM set out to find a better way to monitor fish populations in Canadian waters affected by mining activity. We spoke with lead author Alyse Kambeitz to hear more. Access the article in the November 2019 issue of IEAM.

Listen on iTunes or YouTube.

Read More »

Cleaning products: The fine print, with Alison Pecquet

Integrated Environmental Assessment and ManagementLeave a comment

“Sculpture by the sea” by Dushan and Miae, CC BY-SA 2.0

Do you know what’s in your household cleaning product? A new article in IEAM spotlights chemicals that are common in household cleaning products yet are lacking sufficient data to allow for proper environmental risk assessments. The chemicals of focus in this study are polymers, organic compounds with a wide range of functions including emulsifiers, dispersants, or defoaming agents. Read More »

From individuals to populations: Assessing endocrine impacts of pesticides, with Mark Crane

Integrated Environmental Assessment and ManagementLeave a comment

Starling_Murmuration_-_RSPB_Minsmere_(21446738793)
Starling murmuration. Credit: Airwolfhound, CC BY-ND 2.0.

The European Commission recently proposed to protect vertebrate wildlife using hazard-based approaches for regulating pesticides with endocrine-disrupting properties. Researchers are familiar enough with using lab-based studies to test whether chemicals cause adverse effects in the usual animal models, but how do we identify those substances that will have adverse effects at the population level? Mark Crane and co-authors present an approach for evaluating protection goals for these compounds based on population responses within an ecosystem services framework. Read More »

A deep dive into the complexities of deep-sea mining, with Andrea Koschinsky

Integrated Environmental Assessment and ManagementLeave a comment

CSmith deep sea cnidarian
A cnidarian (Relicanthus sp.) with 8-foot long tentacles attached to a dead sponge stalk on a manganese nodule in the eastern Clarion-Clipperton Zone. Credit: Diva Amon and Craig Smith.

The world’s growing population increases the already heavy demand on mineral resources on land, and so people are looking once more to the minerals found on the ocean floor, sometimes buried thousands of meters below the surface. The November 2018 issue of IEAM contains a critical review that explores the complexities of deep-sea mining, including the environmental, legal, economic, and societal impacts. In this episode we speak with lead author Andrea Koschinsky to learn more about this fascinating topic and the long road ahead to make it a reality.

Listen on iTunes or YouTube.

Read More »