Preface When you write a book like this after ten years' working as an environmental specialist, you end up with something that reflects your career. Of course, when I started working at the Ministry of the Environment in the Netherlands, I could not foresee that I would now be at TNO, nor that I would have performed research into chlorine, PVC, waste, etc. , that would come to form the basis for this book. But step by step, with some coincidence and with the support of several people - who were probably unaware of the crucial role that, with hindsight, they played - I arrived at a position where I could start to consider this enterprise. At this point I shall try something dangerous - thanking a few of those people who gave that support. At the same time, it is obvious that I cannot mention them all. I hope that those whom I do not mention will forgive me. A first, crucial moment in this sequence of events came quite soon after I joined TNO in 1990. Just a few weeks later, all the senior staff in my section decided to leave in order to set up their own company. I decided to stay at TNO. As a consequence, I had to manage it on my own.
Sprache
Verlagsort
Verlagsgruppe
Illustrationen
Dateigröße
ISBN-13
978-94-011-4756-9 (9789401147569)
DOI
10.1007/978-94-011-4756-9
Schweitzer Klassifikation
1 Introduction.- 1.1 Man-made chemicals and society.- 1.2 The context of the toxicity controversy.- 1.3 The problem.- 1.4 Study approach.- 1.5 Structure of this book.- 2 The role of science in controversies.- 2.1 Introduction.- 2.2 The status of knowledge.- 2.3 Robustness of knowledge claims in environmental controversies.- 2.4 Views on frame conflict and its drivers.- 2.5 Decision making in frame conflict.- 2.6 Problem definition.- 3 The toolbox for evaluations of environmental performance.- 3.1 Introduction.- 3.2 The toolbox for environmental evaluations.- 3.3 System definition.- 3.4 Interpretation: a general framework.- 3.5 Interpretation: toxic effects.- 3.6 Conclusion: a review of the toolbox and its robustness.- 4 Chlorine in the Netheriands: an analysis of environmental bottlenecks and uncertainties.- 4.1 The chlorine debate.- 4.2 Goal and approach.- 4.3 Methodology.- 4.4 Results: identifiable environmental bottlenecks.- 4.5 Results: the uncertainties concerning the impacts of chlorine.- 4.6 Conclusions.- 5 PVC in Sweden: an analysis of environmental bottlenecks.- 5.1 The PVC debate.- 5.2 Goal and approach.- 5.3 Methodology.- 5.4 Results.- 5.5 Conclusions.- 6 The Dutch chlorine debate.- 6.1 Introduction.- 6.2 Approach of the analysis.- 6.3 The actors in the Dutch chlorine debate.- 6.4 The Dutch chlorine debate.- 6.5 Analysis and conclusions.- 7 The Swedish PVC-debate.- 7.1 Introduction.- 7.2 Approach of the analysis.- 7.3 The actors in the Swedish PVC debate.- 7.4 The Swedish PVC debate.- 7.5 Analysis and conclusions.- 8 Conclusions.- 8.1 Introduction.- 8.2 The frames and driving factors.- 8.3 Robustness of knowledge claims and environmental evaluation tools.- 8.4 The process of decision making.- 9 Reflections and recommendations.- 9.1 Introduction.- 9.2 Suggestions for decision making in toxicity policy.- 9.3 Suggestions for decision making about chlorine and PVC.- 9.4 Recommendations for the generation of robust knowledge.- 9.5 Recommendations on the process of decision making.- 9.6 The final word: towards robust decision making in toxicity policy?.- Literature.
