National Issues in Science and Technology 1993 (1993) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
Summaries of Selected Recent Reports of the National Research Council
Summaries of Selected Recent Reports of the National Research Council
Pages 57-88
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From page 59... ...
their relevance to current national policy concerns, (b) the extent to which their major conclusions ant!
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From page 61... ...
Antismoking efforts extend to restrictions in public buildings and work places; examples of nonsmoking by famous people; education by school teachers, health providers, and the media; and programs to help people stop smoking. A similar societywide effort would go a long way -- - r -cry toward changing eating patterns.
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From page 62... ...
All sectors of society will not agree with these efforts. Although the food industry has taken the initiative in making low-fat, low-salt, sugarless, and other healthful foods available, it and other interest groups are likely to object to policies they perceive will place them at a competitive disadvantage.
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From page 63... ...
SUMMARIES OF SELECTED RECENT REPORTS OF THE NRC 63 The task is large, but doable, if everyone in a position to influence public behavior joins the effort. For more information: Improving Americans Diet arm Health, National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 1991 Contact: Paul Thomas, Institute of Medicine, (202)
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From page 64... ...
electric energy requirements and maintaining a balanced national energy policy. The study's purpose was not to advocate a new generation of nuclear power plants or to assess the desirability of nuclear power relative to alternative energy sources.
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The committee offered several recommendations for institutional change, including: set of · The Nuclear Regulatory Commission should develop a coherent, consistent regulations for advanced reactors, especially light water reactors with passive safety features.
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The committee judged that an alternative should be followed that would add to the common elements support for mid-sized light water reactor development and support for liquid metal reactor technologies. This alternative could permit construction of liquid metal reactors in the second quarter of the next century.
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From page 67... ...
The 16-member Committee on Fuel Economy of Automobiles and Light Trucks concluded that it is indeed technically possible for all classes of new cars and trucks to have significantly higher levels of fuel economy by the year 2006 while complying with the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 and existing and pending standards for occupant safety. Using currently available technologies and maintaining current vehicle characteristics valued by consumers, fuel economy levels could rise to between 34 and 37 mpg by that year for new cars and to between 26 to 28 mpg for light trucks, assuming that the future mix of vehicles remains the same as today.
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From page 68... ...
Furthermore, the provisions of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 and current and pending safety regulations will further boost the costs of new light-duty vehicles. · If manufacturers increase fuel economy by reducing the size and weight of cars and light trucks, safety could be somewhat reduced, though improved vehicle design and safety technology could offset effects of weight reduction.
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For more information: Automotive Fuel Economy: How Far Should We Go? National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 1992 Contact: Mahadevan (rev)
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The Environmental Protection Agency reported that in 1989 over a quarter of all Americans lived in areas where ozone levels exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) established through the Clean Air Act amendments of 1970.
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New measures need to account for the effects of weather and other relevant factors and should reflect the range of ozone concentrations considered harmful to human health en c} welfare. Many of these recommended actions would benefit substantially from a national program or research on ozone near the ground similar to the program that has been developed for ozone high in the atmosphere.
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From page 72... ...
Except for a few busy corridors -- the Washington-Philadelphia-New York-Boston route, for example -- trains in the United States mostly carry freight, not people. This situation has been perpetuated in part by the way government regulation and funding institutions have been organized around specific modes of transportation rather than around a national transportation system.
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For the most likely combination of cost and fare levels, the break-even passenger volume would be roughly 6 million annual riders. Air traffic, which would be the primary market for new systems in most corridors, currently exceeds this level for only one city-pair combination.
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For more information: In Pursuit of Speed: New Options for Intercity Passenger Transport, Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C., 1991. Contact: Walter I
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raise doubts about its ability to meet future challenges posed by continued air transport growth. Deregulation diminished government control of prices and entry of new airlines into the commercial market, but it did not remove government oversight of air traffic control, carrier maintenance inspections, and other safety measures.
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Either a public or private corporation would improve the efficiency of the air traffic control service and offer more managerial discretion in funding, personnel, and procurement; a private corporation obviously would provide the greatest flexibility. Some observers argue that it would compromise safety to separate the traffic control service from the rest of FAA.
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From page 77... ...
Although the Academy report did not consider the costs or benefits of foreign entry, the recommendation that an adequate level of competition should be retained to protect consumers against price gouging would be a major component in the decisions concerning investments in U.S. carriers by foreign carriers, as well as in mergers between two domestic lines.
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It gave the Department of Energy (DOE) responsibility for designing and eventually operating a deep geological repository for high-level radioactive waste.
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Radioactive Waste Disposal: A Position Statement by the Board~onRadtioactive Waste Management, National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 1990 Contact;: Peter Myers, National Research Council, 334-3066
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For more than 40 years, the United States and its allies cooperated to prevent the Soviet bloc from acquiring advanced technologies for military purposes. Export controls regulated sales of weapons and also of "dual use" technologies, which are those items useful in civilian as well as military enterprises.
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From page 81... ...
Cocom, working with other international regimes, may be a possible mechanism for developing export controls designed specifically for this purpose. (Since the National Academy of Sciences report was released, a "CoCom Cooperation Forum" has been established in the former Soviet bloc specifically to address proliferation concerns.
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An Export Control Policy Coordinating Committee, composed of senior representatives from relevant departments and agencies, should be created to formulate and review export control policies and resolve difficult disputes. An industry advisory committee also should be established and required by law.
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international business activities are not covered in the existing data. The fast-paced global economy offers a myriad of challenges and opportunities for the United States.
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international business performance that tracks both cross-border transactions and business activities undertaken by foreign affiliates of U.S. firms abroad and U.S.
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Information from airport audits, comparisons of U.S. merchandise export figures with corresponding foreign import figures, and statistical analyses suggest that the value of U.S.
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Men in the 25-29 age range are more likely than any other group to commit violent crimes. One quarter of nonfatal violent crimes are committed by multiple offenders.
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More than 80% of the firearms used in violent crimes are reportedly obtained by theft or through illegal or unregulated transactions. Therefore, while pubic debate continues over new firearms legislation, much could be accomplished as well by evaluating how better to enforce existing laws governing the purchase, ownership, and use of firearms.
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From page 88... ...
Emerging patterns and problems of violence are sometimes slow to be discovered because the systems for gathering information have not been fully developed. A high priority should be placed on modifying and expanding computer databases to provide more detailed information about the extent, causes, and possible control of violent behavior.
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