Sound Science, Junk Policy: Environmental Health Policy and the Decision-Making Process.Michelle Morrone and Timothy W. Lohner Westport, CT:Auburn House, 2002. 208 pp. ISBN ISBN abbr. International Standard Book Number ISBN International Standard Book Number ISBN n abbr (= International Standard Book Number) → ISBN m : 0-86569-308-0, $64.95 cloth. Sound Science, Junk Policy strives to examine the process whereby science is used or abused in public health and environmental policy. Its central theme is that the link between science and policy is flawed not because the science is bad but rather because science is inappropriately used in decision making. Morrone and Lohner describe several problems, including decision makers' failure to adequately recognize and/or describe the magnitude of uncertainty in scientific endeavors. They also argue that decision making is often not sufficiently transparent, nor does it involve a rational process for priority setting. They imply that these problems lead to distorted emphasis on minor problems and obfuscation ob·fus·cate tr.v. ob·fus·cat·ed, ob·fus·cat·ing, ob·fus·cates 1. To make so confused or opaque as to be difficult to perceive or understand: "A great effort was made . . . of the real problems. The authors express their disappointment that, after a flurry of activity in the mid-1990s, the move to establish "comparative risk assessment" as a force in risk management and risk assessment never caught on. One of the recurring themes in Sound Science, Junk Policy is that misuse of science in environmental decision making has led to the imposition of unnecessary and costly regulations on American industries American Industries is a large real estate development company based in Chihuahua, Mexico. They also have offices in Monterrey, Cd. Juarez, and El Paso. It provides various industrial real estate services, including built-to-suit, sale-lease-back, shared leases programs, and . This theme is in direct contrast to Devra Davis's When Smoke Ran Like Water (reviewed in EHP EHP abbr. 1. effective horsepower 2. electric horsepower 111 :A58). Davis contends that public and environmental health policies have suffered because science was either ignored by public health officials or unduly criticized by industry, thereby' causing unnecessary disease and environmental degradation Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources such as air, water and soil; the destruction of ecosystems and the extinction of wildlife. . Sound Science, Junk Policy is structured around a series of case examples. Many of them revolve around Verb 1. revolve around - center upon; "Her entire attention centered on her children"; "Our day revolved around our work" center, center on, concentrate on, focus on, revolve about the notion that the U.S. EPA EPA eicosapentaenoic acid. EPA abbr. eicosapentaenoic acid EPA, n.pr See acid, eicosapentaenoic. EPA, n. has misused science in many of its regulations. Among many reasons specified are undue influence by public health advocacy The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. groups, inadequate involvement of scientists, and excessive application of the precautionary principle The precautionary principle is a moral and political principle which states that if an action or policy might cause severe or irreversible harm to the public, in the absence of a scientific consensus that harm would not ensue, the burden of proof falls on those who would advocate . The case examples are somewhat uneven in their presentation: Some are objectively written, but other examples seem more a lobby effort by industries such as the electric power companies. For example, the authors argue for delaying new regulations on mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants. On the other hand, the chapters on drinking water drinking water supply of water available to animals for drinking supplied via nipples, in troughs, dams, ponds and larger natural water sources; an insufficient supply leads to dehydration; it can be the source of infection, e.g. leptospirosis, salmonellosis, or of poisoning, e.g. contaminants and disease vectors are balanced, informative, and convincing. The chapter on food safety effectively captures the debate on issues such as pesticide residues, food irradiation Food irradiation is the process of exposing food to ionizing radiation in order to destroy microorganisms, bacteria, viruses, or insects that might be present in the food. Further applications include sprout inhibition, delay of ripening, increase of juice yield, and improvement of , and genetically engineered genetically engineered adjective Recombinant, see there crops. Likewise, the chapter on waste management defines many of the issues to be decided, but it tends to minimize the concerns of environmental advocacy groups. It also attempts to undermine right-to-know initiatives such as the toxic release inventory. In general, this book creates the impression that industry knows how to use science in environmental decision making but that advocacy groups often misuse science so as to influence regulatory agencies. For example, the National Wildlife Foundation is criticized for its use of science in advocating for reduced emissions from power plants. Sound Science, Junk Policy contends effectively that the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. and other developed countries do not give enough attention to global approaches for improving environmental quality. For example, the authors note that underdeveloped countries have severe water quality problems because of microbial microbial pertaining to or emanating from a microbe. microbial digestion the breakdown of organic material, especially feedstuffs, by microbial organisms. contamination and that many pollutants pollutants see environmental pollution. possess global transport capabilities. Sound Science, Junk Policy argues that federal dominance (command and control) of environmental health regulations can lead to excessive and costly requirements of industry. It also contends that regulatory resources should be focused on situations where known risks have been identified (i.e., microbial contamination of water supplies) instead of unknown risks such as pesticides. This point of view will undoubtedly be debated, as will other statements made in the book. Those who feel that industry is burdened by unnecessary regulations will applaud the book and quote it. Some who feel that industry has escaped necessary regulations will likely argue that the book is misleading. In any event, Sound Science, Junk Policy is a useful book because it does a good job in articulating the difficulties in translating science into policy. It is well referenced and the case examples present sufficient scientific and regulatory detail for the reader who seeks more information on this important and controversial topic. GEORGE W. LUCIER Consultant George W. Lucier is the former director of the NIEHS's Environmental Toxicology Program, head of a research group on molecular epidemiology molecular epidemiology Molecular medicine An evolving field that combines the tools of standard epidemiology–case studies, questionnaires and monitoring of exposure to external factors with the tools of molecular biology–eg, restriction endonucleases, and dosimetry dosimetry /do·sim·e·try/ (do-sim´e-tre) scientific determination of amount, rate, and distribution of radiation emitted from a source of ionizing radiation, in biological d. , and co-editor of EHP. He is now an adjunct senior toxicologist with Environmental Defense, consulting editor to EHP, and advisor to the National Toxicology Program National Toxicology Program Environment A program that conducts toxicologic tests on substances frequently found at the EPA's National Priorities List sites, which have the greatest potential for human exposure . 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