Environmental Policy

List and define the stages of the policy cycle including what and who is involved. Explain how environmental health research is a component of the policy cycle. How does environmental health research contribute to the implementation of sound environmental policies? Discuss one major environmental law and its effects.

The policy cycle could be broken into five key stages. The said stages, according to Mitchel (2018), are agenda setting, option formulation, decision/adoption, implementation, and evaluation. When it comes to agenda setting, it would be prudent to note that this happens to be the stage at which concerns that require intervention are highlighted. Some of those who could be involved at this stage are scientists. Next, when it comes to option formulation, the policys structure could be defined. At this point, the relevant considerations could be inclusive of, but they are not limited to, the key objectives, the estimated costs, as well as implications. Key stakeholders at this stage could be inclusive of government technocrats. Third, the decision/adoption stage has got to do with the issuance of the relevant approvals for adoption. Stakeholders at this stage could be inclusive of the relevance government agencies, legislative bodies, etc. Fourth, we have implementation. In basic terms, it is during implementation that the achievement of the necessary objectives as well as goals is facilitated. Thus, during this phase, key actions could be inclusive of, but they are not limited to, the management of financial and human resources. Stakeholders in this phase could comprise of the relevant partners from the private sector, NGOs, etc. Lastly, we have the evaluation stage. This is a crucial stage in as far as the assessment of the policys success and/or effectiveness is concerned. Thus, it is during this phase that there would be deliberate attempts to assess the policys utility, worth, as well as merit. Stakeholders at this point could include those impacted upon by a program.

To a large extent, environmental health research happens to be a policy cycle component owing to the fact that it involves the identification of the various concerns that would require intervention. Thus, it could be considered part and parcel of agenda setting. Without environmental health research, it would be difficult to establish the validity and extent of certain problems or concerns and, thus, the need for intervention.

One example of a crucial environmental law is The Clean Air Act. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency EPA (2020), this happens to be a comprehensive federal law that regulates air emissions from stationary and mobile sources. Thus, thanks to this particular law, the EPA and states work together in efforts to formulate programs meant to reign in air pollution via the embrace of innovative science and technology tools. It is important to note that as the EPA (2020) observes, under this particular law, the latest science happens to be the basis for air quality standards.

Injury

Why do we need to be concerned about injuries? Discuss the significance of unintentional injuries for morbidity and mortality globally and in the United States. How do unintentional injuries rank in comparison with other causes of mortality? Describe the potential economic, social, and emotional costs of unintentional injuries.

There are multiple reasons for us to be concerned about injuries. This is more so the case given that injuries are a leading cause of death not only in the United States, but across the world as well. They are also a leading cause of disability. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC (2021), in the year 2018 alone, unintentional injuries were responsible for a total of...

…all persons are at risk of the same. It would, however, be prudent to note that there are specific risk factors that have been associated with increased risk of foodborne illnesses. These are inclusive of; drinking fruit juices that have not been pasteurized, consumption of raw sprouts, drinking unpasteurized milk, eating raw foods, etc.

Owing to the fact that the symptoms of food poisoning could be severe and cause great discomfort, there is need to ensure that the relevant methods are deployed in efforts to prevent, or reduce the chances of contracting, foodborne illnesses. CDC (2020) recommends 4 key steps in efforts to minimize chances of food poisoning. The said approaches are; clean, separate, cook, and chill. To begin with, cleaning involves ensuring that our hands are thoroughly washed with soap and water. The cooking surface and utensils should also be cleaned. Further, some food ingredients such as vegetables could be rinsed. This would ideally get rid of various germs. The next approach highlighted in this case is separate. Here, the goal is to ensure that germs are not spread from one food item to another. Bacteria such as E. Coli which is typically contained in red meat could be passed this way. Next, we have the cook approach. Cooking at the ideal temperatures helps kill bacteria such as Campylobacter which is contained in most raw poultry. Lastly, we have the chill approach which essentially has got to do with keeping specific food items in a refrigerator ideally at temperatures below 40F (CDC, 2020). This helps discourage the multiplication of bacteria. In the final analysis, it is important to note that Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) happens to be instrumental in efforts to promote food safety. This is more so the case given the wider scope embraced on this…