Performance-based incentives for agricultural pollution control: identifying and assessing performance measures in the United States

Water Policy ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 677-692 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan R. Winsten ◽  
Claire Baffaut ◽  
Joseph Britt ◽  
Tatiana Borisova ◽  
Chad Ingels ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Performance Measures ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
The United States ◽  
Performance Measure ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Cost ◽  
A Performance

Current federal and state soil and water conservation programs consist primarily of cost-sharing or compensating farmers for implementing a set of pre-defined best management practices. This approach does not consider specific environmental outcomes or the cost-effectiveness of the program at the farm or watershed level. Performance-based incentives are payments that are attached to a specified environmental performance measure, for example a reduction in nutrient, sediment, pesticide, or bacteria loss from a field, or reduction in loading at the mouth of a watershed. Assessing environmental performance requires the definition of a performance measure, which is used to calculate resulting incentive payments. In this paper, we discuss issues related to the selection of a performance measure, such as the scale at which the performance is measured, modeling versus monitoring, and the ability of the measure to foster farmer learning and adaptive management. Numerous examples of performance measures adopted or considered by watershed stakeholders in several states are presented. Watershed managers, policy makers, and extension agents can consider this information to make informed choices among proposed approaches toward improving water quality in streams affected by agricultural nonpoint source pollution.

scholarly journals Environmental Assessment and Sustainable Development in the United States

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 1180
Author(s):  
Toshiyuki Sueyoshi ◽  
Youngbok Ryu
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Performance Measures ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Performance Measure ◽  
Political Transitions ◽  
The U.S

This study aims to overview the U.S. sustainable development by measuring the environmental performance of 50 states over the period of 2009–2018. To attain the objective, we employ data envelopment analysis for environmental assessment where we prioritize the minimization of CO2 emissions first and the maximization of gross state product later under the concept of managerial disposability (i.e., an environment-based performance measure). Then, we examine how the state-level environmental performance measures are associated with their political and spatial contexts. For the purpose, we conduct the Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test across groups of states characterized by their political transitions in the presidential and gubernatorial elections and defined by the regions of the U.S. Economic Development Administration and Environmental Protection Agency. Based on our empirical results, we find that (a) overall environmental performance has gradually enhanced over time, (b) there are statistically significant differences in the environmental performance measures along with the political transitions, and (c) states on both coasts have outperformed those of the middle in the measurement.

The California Urban Water Conservation Council: a consensus partnership for water conservation

2003 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 281-288
Author(s):  
M.A. Dickinson
Keyword(s):  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
The United States ◽  
Water Utilities ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Water Efficiency ◽  
Environmental Groups ◽  
Best Management ◽  
Conservation Council

California, perhaps more than any other of the United States, has been a leader in water efficiency experiments. It adopted uniform efficient plumbing standards in 1978 for showerheads and faucets and the same for water closets in 1992. Comprehensive water management planning was adopted in 1983 for all water agencies serving more than 3,000 connections or 3,000 people, and in 1991, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by major water utilities and environmental groups statewide - pledging to implement standardized water efficiency programs called “Best Management Practices” in an attempt to help save the dying Bay-Delta Estuary. The California Urban Water Conservation Council, created by this Memorandum, is a non-profit NGO formed to oversee the Best Management Practices and to enforce the terms of the Memorandum. Since the historic signing of this Memorandum ten years ago, the Council has become a national example of consensus partnership on water efficiency. Water utilities and environmental groups work together on defining programs for water conservation, not as adversaries fighting each other in the press or in the courtroom. Technical assistance provided by Council staff helps utilities plan and implement conservation projects. This paper will outline national programs and will focus specifically on the Council partnership, which has resulted in benefits to water utilities, environmental groups, and state governmental agencies alike.

WATER CONSERVATION: OBSERVATIONS FROM A HIGHER EDUCATION FACILITY MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 162-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Cupido ◽  
Laura Steinberg ◽  
Brian Baetz
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Green Building ◽  
The United States ◽  
Facility Management ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Conservation Practices

Sustainable or green building practices have been adopted by most higher education institutions for their new campus buildings, major renovations and daily operations. This paper provides a synthesis of opinions and existing practices related to water conservation in institutional green buildings of member institutions of APPA (formerly the Association of Physical Plant Administrators). A specific focus regarding waterless urinals and their operation was attempted. A web-based survey and follow-up one-to-one interviews were utilized to extract information and data from these industry professionals. The survey evaluated the institution's use of policy related to sustainable building practices and focused on their approaches to water conservation. Regional preferences are provided and barriers to some water conservation practices and approaches have been identified. Operational challenges are evident, particularly as they relate to waterless urinals. It is clear that higher education institutions are engaging in water conservation practices across Canada and the United States. This work contributes to a foundation for future research and analysis related to best-management practices for water conservation in the higher education sector.

Constructing Images of Deviance: A Look at State Intervention into the Problem of Wife-Battery

1983 ◽  
Vol 31 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 60-76
Author(s):  
Patricia A. Morgan
Keyword(s):  
Social Problem ◽  
State Intervention ◽  
The United States ◽  
The State ◽  
Structural Position ◽  
Wife Battering ◽  
The Social ◽  
Class Context ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Cost

Patricia Morgan's paper describes what happens when the state intervenes in the social problem of wife-battering. Her analysis refers to the United States, but there are clear implications for other countries, including Britain. The author argues that the state, through its social problem apparatus, manages the image of the problem by a process of bureaucratization, professionalization and individualization. This serves to narrow the definition of the problem, and to depoliticize it by removing it from its class context and viewing it in terms of individual pathology rather than structure. Thus refuges were initially run by small feminist collectives which had a dual objective of providing a service and promoting among the women an understanding of their structural position in society. The need for funds forced the groups to turn to the state for financial aid. This was given, but at the cost to the refuges of losing their political aims. Many refuges became larger, much more service-orientated and more diversified in providing therapy for the batterers and dealing with other problems such as alcoholism and drug abuse. This transformed not only the refuges but also the image of the problem of wife-battering.

scholarly journals Quinoa’s Potential to Enhance Dietary Management of Obesity and Type-2 Diabetes: A Review of the Current Evidence

Diabetology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 77-94
Author(s):  
Alexander Little ◽  
Kevin Murphy ◽  
Patrick Solverson
Keyword(s):  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
The United States ◽  
Lipid Absorption ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Dietary Management ◽  
Obesity And Diabetes

The prevalence of diet-induced obesity and type-2 diabetes remains a growing concern in the United States. As best management practices still include improved diet and physical activity, bioactive food components, contained within functional foods, show promise in curbing the cardiometabolic complications associated with excess weight and diabetes. Quinoa is an emerging candidate crop for its versatility in wide-ranging growing conditions as one approach to address food security, but it also contains several components that may serve as a dietary tool for post-industrial countries struggling with the health complications of caloric excess. Preliminary rodent feeding studies demonstrate that components within quinoa, namely, phytosteroids, phenolics, polysaccharides, and peptides, can prevent adiposity, dyslipidemia, and hyperglycemia. Mechanistic activity may involve reduced lipid absorption and adipogenesis, increased energy expenditure and glucose oxidation and corrected gut microbiota. Other intestinal actions may include blocked carbohydrate digestion with enhanced incretin signaling. Evidence in clinical trials is lacking and future research spanning cells to the clinic is needed to further elucidate the interesting preliminary reports reviewed here. Quinoa offers several unique attributes that could be harnessed to improve the dietary management of obesity and diabetes.

scholarly journals Rewarding Best Pest Management Practices via Reduced Crop Insurance Premiums

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugh J. Beckie ◽  
Stuart J. Smyth ◽  
Micheal D. K. Owen ◽  
Savannah Gleim
Keyword(s):  
Pest Management ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Insurance ◽  
The United States ◽  
Best Management ◽  
Policy Objectives ◽  
Sites Of Action ◽  
Industry Sectors

Despite decades of research, development, and extension on the mitigation and management of pesticide resistance, the global agricultural situation is becoming increasingly dire. Pest populations with evolved resistance to multiple pesticide sites of action are becoming the norm, with fewer remaining effective xenobiotics for control. We argue that financial incentives and not regulations are needed to encourage farmers or land managers to use best management practices recommended by academia. Although some incentives are offered by pesticide manufacturers or distributors, there is a paucity of incentives by other industry sectors and all levels of government (federal or state/provincial). Crop insurance can be important to facilitate and reward best pest management practices and address other important agricultural policy objectives. Herein, we describe possible changes to crop insurance programs in the United States and Canada through premium rate changes to incentivise clients to adopt best management practices.

scholarly journals Obesity and Energy Balance in GI Cancer

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (35) ◽  
pp. 4217-4224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin C. Brown ◽  
Jeffrey A. Meyerhardt
Keyword(s):  
Energy Balance ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cancer Prognosis ◽  
Gi Cancer ◽  
Cancer Types ◽  
Gi Cancers ◽  
Obesity And Cancer ◽  
The Relationship

The prevalence of overweight (body mass index [BMI], 25 to 29.9 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) have increased dramatically in the United States. Because increasing BMI is associated with the development of multiple different cancer types, including most GI cancers, providers will frequently encounter patients with GI cancer who are overweight or obese. Mounting evidence associates overweight and/or obesity with worsened prognosis in multiple GI cancers, including esophageal, gastric, hepatocellular, pancreatic, and colorectal. However, these data are observational and may be subject to bias and/or confounding. Furthermore, in some cancer types, the associations between BMI and outcomes is not linear, where overweight and class I obese patients may have an improvement in outcome. This report provides a brief highlight of existing studies that have linked overweight and/or obesity to prognosis in GI cancer; provides recommendations on best management practices; and discusses limitations, controversies, and future directions in this rapidly evolving area. There are multiple areas of promise that warrant continued investigation: What are the comparative contributions of energy balance, including weight, dietary patterns, and physical activity on cancer prognosis? What are the specific physiologic pathways that mediate the relationship between energy balance and prognosis? What is the relationship between low muscle mass (sarcopenia) or sarcopenic obesity and cancer prognosis? Are there subsets of patients for whom purposefully altering energy balance would be deleterious to prognosis? This area is rich with opportunities to understand how states of energy (im)balance can be favorably altered to promote healthy survivorship.

Fever of Unknown Origin

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annie Antar
Keyword(s):  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Fever Of Unknown Origin ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Unknown Origin ◽  
Clinical History ◽  
Definitive Diagnosis ◽  
Know How ◽  
Best Management ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Immunocompetent Patients

This chapter on fever of unknown origin (FUO) begins by clarifying the definition of FUO and continues by listing and describing the major etiologies of FUO, providing guidance on clinical workup and discussing best management practices. Discussion of FUO etiologies emphasizes that most fall under a few categories—rheumatological, infectious, neoplastic, and other. Emergency management of stable, immunocompetent patients with FUO is best when focused on an appropriate diagnostic workup so that a definitive diagnosis can be established and treated with targeted therapy. Antibiotics should not be started in the emergency department for stable, immunocompetent patients with FUO unless the specific etiology is uncovered. This chapter is concise and targeted to the emergency medicine provider who needs to know how best to evaluate and manage the patient with a clinical history consistent with FUO.

scholarly journals Multi-Objective Optimization for Selecting and Siting the Cost-Effective BMPs by Coupling Revised GWLF Model and NSGAII Algorithm

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zuoda Qi ◽  
Gelin Kang ◽  
Xiaojin Wu ◽  
Yuting Sun ◽  
Yuqiu Wang
Keyword(s):  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Multi Objective Optimization ◽  
Watershed Model ◽  
Filter Strips ◽  
Multi Objective ◽  
Dissolved Nitrogen ◽  
The Cost

Best management practices (BMPs) are an effective way to control water pollution. However, identification of the optimal distribution and cost-effect of BMPs provides a great challenge for watershed policy makers. In this paper, a semi-distributed, low-data, and robust watershed model, the Revised Generalized Watershed Loading Function (RGWLF), is improved by adding the pollutant attenuation process in the river channel and a bank filter strips reduction function. Three types of pollution control measures—point source wastewater treatment, bank filter strips, and converting farmland to forest—are considered, and the cost of each measure is determined. Furthermore, the RGWLF watershed model is coupled with a widely recognized multi-objective optimization algorithm, the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGAII), the combination of which is applied in the Luanhe watershed to search for spatial BMPs for dissolved nitrogen (DisN). Fifty scenarios were finally selected from numerous possibilities and the results indicate that, at a minimum cost of 9.09 × 107 yuan, the DisN load is 3.1 × 107 kg and, at a maximum cost of 1.77 × 108 yuan, the total dissolved nitrogen load is 1.31 × 107 kg; with the no-measures scenario, the DisN load is 4.05 × 107 kg. This BMP optimization model system could assist decision-makers in determining a scientifically comprehensive plan to realize cost-effective goals for the watershed.

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