M3 Recorded Videos
M3. Lecture Recordings & Videos
M3.1: Guiding Principles When Developing Environmental Policies
This presentation begins with the introduction of what an Environmental Policy is and the guiding principles when formulating such policies. In the environmental health arena, a number of environmental principles or philosophies may guide the work of those who are charged with creation of policy. We will discuss four such guiding principles that drive the basis of policy making: 1) the Precautionary Principle, 2) the Principle of Environmental Justice, 3) The Principle of Environmental Sustainability, and 4) The Polluter-Pays Principle. The video will also discuss the four pillars of Environmental Justice & the Law of Diminishing Return when it applies to control of pollution and cost associated with its control.
3.2. Major Environmental Policies in the US
This video describes the most important environmental laws and regulations in the United States and provides relationships among them for easier understanding of their applications and purpose. It begins with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) which is one of the first laws ever written in the US that establishes the broad national framework for protecting our environment. Then one by one, the Clean Air Act (CAA); the Clean Water Act (CWA); the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA); the Endangered Species Act (ESA); the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA); the Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (RCRA); the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) or Superfund; The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA), and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) are introduced and described. Some of these regulations apply to protecting our nation’s air, water, ecosystem, as well as, preventing harmful toxic substances and hazardous materials from entering into this system.
3.3. Key Environmental Agencies in the United States
This video introduces most of the important federal level agencies that play a significant role in protecting the environment within the United States. Description of the roles of the agencies that protect our air, water, agriculture and food systems, as well as, land and ecosystems are provided along with agencies that control safety of workers and safety of consumer products, chemicals, and pesticides used in the United States. The presentation begins with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) by describing its roles. Then one by one, it describes the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), the Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the US Department of Food & Drug Administration (FDA), and the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM). As an example of how each state in the United States may interact with the federal agencies, the video wraps up with a diagram of state level environmental agencies in the state of California.
3.4 International Agencies: United Nations (UN) and Specialized UN Agencies
This video presentation describes the United Nations (UN) and selected agencies within the UN system, and their roles in protecting public health and ensuring environmental health. The roles of three UN’s specialized agencies: the World Health Organization WHO, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) are discussed in details. Finally, the presentation introduces multilateral development banks, such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).