Every year, the United States produces at least 236 million metric tons of hazardous waste. Hazardous waste is defined as solid waste that can pose a substantial threat to human health and the environment when disposed of incorrectly. Some commonly used household products, when disposed of, become hazardous waste; historically, much of this household hazardous waste (HHW) has been disposed of into systems not designed to safely handle hazardous waste. One solution to this disposal problem is providing safe disposal systems for household hazardous waste in the community. The purpose of this study was to survey the population of Benton County, OR to assess the residents' HHW disposal practices, attitudes and beliefs about HHW as an environmental health risk, and preferences for a safe disposal system. Benton County residents' awareness of the current community program for recycling used household items was also investigated. This study indicated that incorrect disposal methods were used by the majority of subjects for almost all HHW surveyed, and that for nonautomotive HHW, landfilling was the most common means of disposal. The majority of subjects in this study disposed of used motor oil and lead-acid batteries by recycling these HHW. A permanent collection site for HHW disposal was the preferred disposal option for 62% of subjects, and 100% of those subjects choosing this option said they would drive up to 5 miles to use this facility. This study indicates that the largest number of subjects preferred the option of paying a user fee for HHW disposal as a means of funding a HHW disposal system. Three-fourths of the subjects reported a high or moderate amount of concern about the contribution of HHW to pollution of surface and groundwater, and 68% of the subjects stated that they lacked confidence in the landfill to safely contain chemical wastes. Approximately one-half of the subjects recalled reading or hearing about HHW disposal in the past year, and 62% of the subjects stated that they would call their garbage disposal company for HHW disposal information. The results of this study indicate that 90% of the Benton County residents surveyed were aware of their curbside recycling program. This study suggests that Benton County residents are concerned about the possible adverse environmental health effects of incorrect HHW disposal, and supports a permanent collection site for the safe disposal of HHW, as well as increased public education, as means of reducing the risks to human health and the environment caused by incorrect HHW disposal. / Graduation date: 1992

University of Macau / Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities / Department of Psychology

This dissertation presents the results of an investigation of rural households’ ability to adapt to changing environmental and climatic conditions. It presents soil degradation arising from worsening soil erosion, leaching, depletion of nutrients due to years of uninterrupted cultivation and low levels of use of fertilizers; uncontrolled deforestation leading to loss of biodiversity; and climate variability seen through longer dry seasons as well as delayed and falling levels of precipitation as key issues leading to the vulnerability of households in Kakemega District in Western Province of Kenya. An enquiry has been made into the adaptation strategies of the rural households and a composite household adaptive capacity index (HACI) developed which is then used in hypothesis testing. Despite a situation laden with serious soil degradation and fears that credit taken by rural households often end up in low-return necessity-based enterprises or in consumption expenditure, the dissertation shows that the use of credit positively contributes to the HACI as does regular and optimal use of farm inputs. Diversification into non-agricultural activities, on-farm planting of trees and migration with remittances were some of the adaptation strategies observed among households with relatively high adaptive capacity indices while a secondary school level of education alongside the possession of non-land and non-livestock assets were key factors clearly associated with high adaptive capacity indices. Regarding adaptation decision making, the household head was observed to be the single most important actor in a process which was often characterized by authoritarianism. The household head’s level of information or awareness of environmental changes and open options proved to be important for adaptation. It was revealed that membership to groups and networks as well as government and NGO-activities were the most important factors in informing the household heads. Given small land sizes and a high incidence of other negative shocks, household heads tended to adopt and implement only tried and tested adaptation actions. During the study behind this dissertation, pioneers in the implementation of new strategies were observed to be better informed household heads or beneficiaries of incentives from the promoters of such strategies. Newer efforts aimed at the promotion of adaptability would therefore gain wider acceptance and adoption if preceded by a pilot phase carefully designed to include committed opinion shapers who would provide a demonstration effect. / In dieser Dissertation wurden ländliche Haushalte bezüglich ihrer Anpassungsfähigkeit an den Umwelt- und Klimawandel untersucht. Desweiteren geht die Dissertation unter anderen der Frage über Strategien nach, die von ländlichen Haushalten angesichts der Auswirkungen von Umweltproblemen eingesetzt werden. Die Feldforschung wurde unter den Haushalten im Kakamega Distrikt in Kenia getätigt. Eine Abnahme der Bodenproduktivität ist durch Erosion, einem Auslaugen und einer ununterbrochenen Kultivierung in Kakamega entstanden. Desweiteren führt eine unkontrollierte Abholzung mit resultierendem Verlust von heimischer Flora und Fauna sowie längeren Trockenperioden mit verspätetem Einsatz von Regenfällen und einer damit verbundenen Niederschlagsminimierung zu einer schwierigen Lebenssituation für die ländlichen Haushalte, die hauptsächlich durch Landwirtschaft ihre Existenz sichern. Diese Situation (gekennzeichnet durch Abholzung, Verlust der Artenvielfalt, Verminderung der Bodenqualität und unregelmäßige und wechselhafte Niederschlag) wird in dieser Arbeit als Umweltwandel (Environmental Change oder Environmental Stress) bezeichnet. Es konnte unter anderem als eines der Ergebnisse der Arbeit festgestellt werden, dass die ländlichen Haushalte aufgrund schlechten Bodens, unkontrollierten Abholzungen, längeren Trockenzeiten und sinkenden Niederschlagsmengen sehr anfällig sind. Durch den Einsatz des zusammengesetzten Haushalt-Anpassungsfähigkeitsindex (Household Adaptive Capacity Index = HACI), der im Rahmen dieser Dissertation entwickelt wurde, konnten die Bedenken gemindert werden, dass Kredite, die an ärmeren ländlichen Haushalten vergeben werden, oft für Notgründungen und Konsumausgaben eingesetzt werden. Es hat sich herauskristallisiert, dass die optimale und regelmäßige Nutzung von Düngemitteln sowie der Einsatz von Krediten, die HACI positiv beeinflusst. Als weitere Ergebnisse konnte beobachtet werden, dass Haushalte mit höheren Anpassungsfähigkeitsindexen Anpassungstrategien wie Diversifizierung in nicht-agra Aktivitäten, Aufforstung und Migration verwenden, und, dass ein Sekundarschulabschluss und der Besitz von Wirtschaftsgütern mit hohen Haushalt-Anpassungsfähigkeitsindexen assoziiert sind. Zum Anpassungsentscheidungspozess konnte festgestellt werden, dass Haushaltoberhäupter, die wichtigste Akteure sind. Entscheidungsweisen dieser Haushaltoberhäupten lassen oftmals autoritäre Züge erkennen. So entscheiden die Haushaltoberhäupter häufig auch, in welcher Art und Weise Haushalte sich anpassen dürfen. Von daher ist das Wissen des Haushaltoberhauptes über die herrschenden Umweltbedingungen und die offenen Strategien oder Handlungspielräume von Bedeutung. Die Feldforschung zeigte, dass die Zugehörigkeit zu einzelnen Gruppen sowie die Bemühungen von der Regierung und den Nichtregierungsorganisationen wichtig für die Erhöhung des Wissens von Haushaltoberhäupten sind. Da der durchschnittliche Haushaltgrundstückbesitz sinkt und andere negative Ereignisse wie Krankheit und Tod zunehmend Angst verbreiten, setzen Haushaltsoberhäupter häufig nur dann empfohlene Strategien zur Anpassung ein, wenn sie beispielsweise einen Erfolg bei einem Nachbar verzeichnen können. Oftmals werden Anpassungsstrategien auch bei finanziellen Anreizen, zum Beispiel von Förderern, umgesetzt. Es würden mit hoher Wahrscheinlichkeit mehr Anpassungstrategien von ländlichen Haushalten umgesetzt werden, wenn diese Strategien Pilotprojekte beinhalten würden, die Haushalten das Zusammenspiel von Anpassung und Ernteertrag präsentieren.

As emerging market economies gain increasing influence and importance in the global economy, any development with a potentially destabilizing effect on the economic performance on such countries should be carefully monitored. This paper examines one particular development: the rise of consumer debt. Through the case studies of Turkey, China, and Brazil, this paper seeks to analyze the relationship between an increase in consumer debt and a country's GDP growth in emerging markets and how a detrimental relationship could severely impact the international economy at large.

This paper reports on environmental impacts and health hazards as a result from inadequate management of organic household waste in developing countries. It gives details of water and soil contamination, air pollution and spread of diseases through expanding breeding grounds for pathogens, vectors and rodents. To manage this waste flow sustainably, decentralised composting and anaerobic digestions technologies have been studied to give an overall picture of existing appropriate technologies, including: windrow, box/bin/barrel, THM, aerated static pile, in-vessel, vermi, ARTI compact biogas digester and BARC’S NISARG-RUNA. Comparing different technologies showed that it is crucial to consider local conditions and markets when choosing which method to implement. However, the manual composting methods: windrow/box/bin/barrel, THM and vermi, are more likely to be appropriate in regard to current conditions in developing countries. A comparison between the environmental impacts of anaerobic digestion and composting did not result in a clear indication of which technology is most favourable. However, in the literature studied, biogas production showed an overall better energy balance, and composting a better result regarding nutrient recycling and xenobiotic compounds. In terms of the mitigation effect on global warming, the results varied essentially depending on the technology used and its loss of methane during the biogas production process. Finally, this paper investigates common constraints for implementation of the above-mentioned technologies, as well as recommendations for future projects. The study of general constraints revealed the need for directing attention to education, key consequences and benefits, co-operation, exchange of knowledge and bottom-up driving forces, for sustainable and successful implementation of organic household waste management practices in developing countries.

The aim of this study was to examine the relations between women’s perceived stress off the job (dependent variable), responsability for household chores, emotional support, number of children living at home, neuroticism and age (independent variables). Comparisons between the present sample and two independent samples from previous research were made with regard to perceived stress and neuroticism. The sample of this study consisted of 186 women working in the fields of health care and geriatric care. The results showed that perceived stress correlated positively with neuroticism and number of children and negatively with emotional support, though the effectsizes for number of children and emotional support were fairly small. Neuroticism was the strongest predictor for perceived stress. Implemented comparisons showed that the present sample reported significantly higher levels of perceived stress and neuroticism than the two independent samples. Keywords: women, perceived stress off the job, responsability for household chores, emotional support, number of children, neuroticism, age.

Diarrhea and malaria are two of the most devastating public health threats in the developing world, resulting in millions of childhood deaths each year. Part of the challenge in addressing these threats arises from the fact that many of the causes of and potential remedies for these diseases lie squarely at the intersection of environment, development, and health. In addition, while many environmental, economic, and health-related policies focus on expanding access to new technologies (e.g., latrines, mosquito nets), inadequate attention to factors that affect the use of these technologies often leads to disappointing policy outcomes. This dissertation applies an economic framework to explore the drivers of households' environmental health decisions in two specific contexts. The first study examines sanitation behaviors and child health outcomes in Orissa, India, while the second case involves malaria-related knowledge, prevention, and treatment behaviors in Mvomero, Tanzania. In both cases, theoretical models are developed that focus on the perceived costs and benefits households consider in their decisions to adopt certain behaviors. A key insight is that technologies targeting diarrhea and malaria have characteristics of both private and public goods. For both epidemiological and social reasons, the payoffs to adopting behavior changes such as using a latrine or a mosquito net will depend in part on the behavior of other households in the village or neighborhood. This motivates an examination of the role of social networks and social interactions in influencing households' environmental health choices in both empirical studies. The first empirical case involves a study of a randomized community-level sanitation intervention in Orissa, India. Household survey data were collected before and after the sanitation campaign in 1050 households in 40 rural villages. Impact evaluation analyses indicate that the campaign resulted in large increases in latrine use in the randomly selected "treatment" villages. In addition, some analyses suggest that child health outcomes may have improved as a result of the campaign. To examine the drivers of the observed behavior change, econometric models are run including household and village characteristics as well as indicators of social interactions. Results indicate that households were more likely to adopt latrines when they observed more adoption among their peers. Thus, part of the sanitation campaign's success was likely due to its emphasis on targeting villages rather than individuals and strengthening social pressure to adopt latrines. The second empirical case examines indicators of households' malaria-related knowledge, prevention, and treatment behaviors in Mvomero, Tanzania. Survey data from 408 households in 10 villages shed light on a number of malaria control behaviors, including use of bed nets and anti-malarial medications. Findings suggest that the majority of households (over 80%) in this area own and use mosquito nets. At the same time, malaria continues to impose a significant burden on the study population. Data collected in Mvomero also provide unique information on the patterns of social interaction among households within and across different villages, and additional analyses explore the role of social interactions in influencing households' malaria-related decisions. Results suggest that patterns of interaction are influenced by a number of factors, including physical proximity as well as tribe, religion, and wealth. In addition, social effects may play an important role in influencing households' malaria prevention and treatment decisions. Together, these studies help to shed light on the ways households perceive and respond to two specific environmental health threats. More generally, this study illustrates the potential benefits of applying economic tools and analyses to problems like sanitation and malaria, and expanding the definition of "environmental problems" beyond the typical set of first-world issues (e.g., industrial pollution) to include these pressing issues facing the world's most vulnerable populations. / Dissertation

<p>One of the focuses of John Howard Yoder's theology is Christian nonviolence. From the teaching and example of Jesus, who dealt with the evil in the world and defeated it through obedience to the will of God to the point of dying on the cross, Yoder derives the normative Christian stance of nonviolence. It is expressed in the life of the disciples in their suffering with Christ the hostility of the world as bearers of the kingdom cause and in their living out the suffering servanthood in place of dominion. For Yoder, subordination is how Christ's model of servanthood is carried out into the concreteness of family life, and it is most extensively explored in his essay, "Revolutionary Subordination," in The Politics of Jesus.</p><p>This dissertation is an attempt to read household codes in the New Testament, especially Col. 3:18-4:1, together with Yoder, with a special emphasis on the husband/wife relation. Due to an exceptionally controversial character of Yoder's essay, it seeks to understand his main points, while identifying the elements that have caused strong opposition. The fact that these Haustafel texts have been historically abused to legitimate oppression and exploitation of persons poses a warning in one's endeavor to interpret them. Particularly telling is Americans' experience around slavery during and after the Civil War. The conflicting interpretations of the Bible between the proslavery camp and the abolitionists leave us in a hard place in addressing the issue of women's status in the household and in society.</p><p>Through examining key debates on the Haustafeln in the biblical scholarship focused on James Crouch and David Balch; two alternative views on the subject in theological ethics - Yoder and Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza - and further discussions of their views aided by theologians such as Gordon Kaufman, Alasdair MacIntyre, and Jeffrey Stout, this study addresses issues found in Yoder and Schüssler Fiorenza. It concludes that Yoder's undue reliance on David Schroeder and his refutation of Martin Dibelius have led him to overlook the preexisting schema that was adopted and Christianized by the early church, and that he fails to name patriarchy a sin. Schüssler Fiorenza's problems are found in the areas of the biblical canon, tradition and democracy. The relevance of the slavery debates to this study is revisited through discussions of Mark Knoll and Dale Martin, and Yoder's nonviolent kingdom ethic is compared to Paul Ramsey's just war theory and backed up by Rowan Williams, Bernd Wannenwetsch, and Sarah Coakley.</p> / Dissertation

In the face of the global trend of administrative reform, to cope with changing times and enhance the competitiveness, Taiwan restructures the administrative division into five Metropolitan Cities. To improve the administrative efficiency of the Government and responding to people's need, Central and local government implement reconstruction, rebuilding the organizational culture and the core values. After the Reform, among the five new Metropolitan Cities, Kaohsiung City has the biggest transformation in size of the city and organizational changes, also in geography, culture, industry, transportation, community, and more. It becomes more challenging for the local government to face the new problems. The Household Registration Office is the front-line of customer services and their core value is ¡§to better serve people¡¨. During the general public¡¦s visit to the Household Registration Office, people can feel the changes of better customer services and efficiency. This will change public¡¦s view of the government operation. Therefore, the Kaohsiung Household Registration Office has to set a very clear organizational mission and vision. Furthermore, with the limited resources, managers must worry about how to build the public value and vision, which will be recognized and implemented by the members of the Office. At the same time, these values and vision should be also recognized by the general public. The purpose of this study is to explore public value differences among different parties within the Kaohsiung Household Registration Office. Through Public Affairs Management and literature analysis, I outline the characteristics of regional governance in Kaohsiung City. With in-depth interview of the policy-setting officials of the Kaohsiung Household Registration Office, I also focus on the public values of the Household Registration Office. This study corresponds to four structure (Organization internal process, and financial, and customer, and learning and growth) of Balanced Score Card, and to establish a goal to evaluate the organizational performance. The Social Judgment Theory questionnaires are also based on this. Test target are the entry-level Household Registration Officers of previous known as Kaohsiung City and Kaohsiung County. At the same time, I asked the general public to answer the same Balanced Score Card questionnaires. This will help the manager to understand the variation of public value differences among different parties. This will also help the managers to solve the problem in-time, change the content of public value and to achieve the goal set by the Local Government. This result of the study, for the Household Registration Office, there are no big discrepancy before and after the Reform. The main reason is that Household Registration Office utilizes the nationwide Standardized Computer Operation System. And the regulation is base on Household Registration Act. Both Computer System and regulation are put in place by the Central Government. However, from this study, after the merger of city and County, I did find that the Kaohsiung Household Registration Office need to do an overall adjustment in the allocation of financial resources and staffing, local application of the separate regulations and organizational cultural.

The aim of this study is to present the architectural and organizational characteristics of Burgaz houses by taking into consideration a number of internal and external factors such as economical, social and environmental that influenced the house plan and its utilization in 4th century BC. To discuss the place of Burgaz house within the ancient Greek domestic context, the architectural, structural, and functional characteristics of houses are investigated and compared to contemporary examples, such as Olynthus and Haleis from Mainland Greece, as well as Kolophon and Klazomenai from Western Anatolia.