Global environmental theme

Water quality projects such as those described below have been shown to be effective methods for engaging students in environmental chemistry courses for majors (Juhl et al. 1997) and for nonscience majors (Lunsford et al. 2007). When the water quality research projects were conducted, Chemistry and the Environment was linked to a world geography course as part of a learning community. Poor water quality and access to potable water were a global environmental theme for both courses. Consequently, the chemistry research projects focused primarily on water analysis. Field water testing kits, atomic absorption spectroscopy, and fluorescence methods (typically for biological con-... 

Increasingly, guidelines resulting from political decision process of the European Union influence national markets and global competition. In order to have an influence on behalf of the interests of the plastics industry, the Association of Plastics Producing Industries, (VKE), is reported to wish to intensify its communication with European political institutions. The VKE sees the discussion about the EU book on the environmental problems relating to PVC as particularly controversial, and does not consider that it takes important points of view sufficiently into account. The treatment of the PVC theme, is examined as an example of so-called europisation of the work of associations. (Article translated from Kunststoffe 91 (2001) 4, pp.26-27). 

The major debate on environmental threats provides an excellent illustration of this new shift. The exhaustion of oil reserves, the change in biological and climatic factors and global warming are all themes associated with huge risks (since they entail the end of our societies) but in which the scientific knowledge that does exist is dominated by contradictory theories and uncertainties. 

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