The Role of Good Environmental Governance in the Sustainable Development of South Africa

This article seeks to analyse good governance decision-making in theenvironmental context through an understanding and interpretation of the relationship between good environmental governance (evidenced inter alia by decision-making by public authorities) and sustainable development in South Africa. It critically assesses recent case law in an attempt to understand the way in which our courts are evaluating authorities’ environmental decisions. In reaching its objectives, this article considers also how environmental decisionsare made in the first place and asks the question: what are the value choices underlying government’s decisions and what role does sustainable development play in informing decisions for good environmental governance

Compliance notices – A new tool in environmental enforcement

This note examines compliance notices, a new administrative remedy that has been created to assist in compliance and enforcement of environmental laws. The note considers the aim and scope of compliance and the process ofissuing a compliance notice. In addition, it reflects on objections to compliance notices as well as the effect of non-compliance with compliance notices. It furthermore considers the mandate of Environmental Management Inspectors (EMIs) to issue compliance notices, the legislation in terms of which they may issue compliance notices and the ability of EMIs to issue compliance notices beyond the designated legislation. The note also assesses the overall effectiveness of compliance notices and the extent to which it is likely to be utilised by EMIs in the exercise of their mandate

Compliance Notices – A New Tool in Environmental Enforcement

This note examines compliance notices, a new administrative remedy that has been created to assist in compliance and enforcement of environmental laws.  The note considers the aim and scope of compliance and the process of issuing a compliance notice.  In addition, it reflects on objections to compliance notices as well as the effect of non-compliance with compliance notices. It furthermore considers the mandate of Environmental Management Inspectors (EMIs) to issue compliance notices, the legislation in terms of which they may issue compliance notices and the ability of EMIs to issue compliance notices beyond the designated legislation. The note also assesses the overall effectiveness of compliance notices and the extent to which it is likely to be utilised by EMIs in the exercise of their mandate.  &nbsp

The role of good environmental governance in the sustainable development of South Africa

This article seeks to analyse good governance decision-making in the environmental context through an understanding and interpretation of therelationship between good environmental governance (evidenced inter alia bydecision-making by public authorities) and sustainable development in South Africa. It critically assesses recent case law in an attempt to understand theway in which our courts are evaluating authorities’ environmental decisions. In reaching its objectives, this article considers also how environmental decisionsare made in the first place and asks the question: what are the value choicesunderlying government’s decisions and what role does sustainable development play in informing decisions for good environmental governance.Keywords: environmental law, environmental governance, sustainable development, environmental decision-making, good governanc

Advances in the adsorptive particulate flotation process

The removal of contaminants from liquid effluents by the adsorptive particulate flotation (APF) process, including new adsorbents and flotation devices, are reported. Herein, contaminants are adsorbed (and/or absorbed) onto the surface of a particulate carrier and both are separated attached to rising bubbles. The adsorbents were coal, charcoal, coal beneficiation tailings, modified Brazilian smectites and barite. Emulsified oils in water, dyes and metal ions present in synthetic and industrial effluents were successfully removed using various carrier and DAF, induced air flotation, IAF or jet flotation for the separation of the loaded carrier. Process efficiency was found to be a function of the carrier/contaminant mass ratio, size distribution of the carrier and system hydrodynamics. Results and mechanisms involved are discussed in terms of adsorption and flotation phenomena.The removal of contaminants from liquid effluents by the adsorptive particulate flotation (APF) process, including new adsorbents and flotation devices, are reported. Herein, contaminants are adsorbed (and/or absorbed) onto the surface of a particulate carrier and both are separated attached to rising bubbles. The adsorbents were coal, charcoal, coal beneficiation tailings, modified Brazilian smectites and barite. Emulsified oils in water, dyes and metal ions present in synthetic and industrial effluents were successfully removed using various carrier and DAF, induced air flotation, IAF or jet flotation for the separation of the loaded carrier. Process efficiency was found to be a function of the carrier/contaminant mass ratio, size distribution of the carrier and system hydrodynamics. Results and mechanisms involved are discussed in terms of adsorption and flotation phenomena

Prescripción de antimicrobianos antes y después de una intervención educativa en un país donde el proceso de re-certificación no es obligatorio

Comunicacion brev

Prescripción de antimicrobianos antes y después de una intervención educativa en un país donde el proceso de re-certificación no es obligatorio

Background: The trend in increased antibiotic prescription practices has been associated with higher health care costs and antibiotic resistance. This study examined the adequate or inappropriate antibiotic prescribing practices of health professionals, who work in public and private health centers in the Dominican Republic (DR), before and after their participation in an educational intervention. Methods: Using self-administered questionnaires developed by the Alliance for the Prudential Use of Antibiotics (APUA), this quasi-experimental study evaluated the responses of physicians before (n=525) and after (n=364) their participation in an educational intervention, from August 2006 to February 2007 and March to August 2008, respectively. Statistical analyses included simple proportions, odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals (IC95%). Alpha was set at 0.05. Results: Post-intervention responses improved understanding significantly regarding specific situations for the prescription of cephalosporins, penicillins, macrolides, quinolones, vancomycin and aminoglycosides. Physicians were more likely to respond incorrectly at baseline than post-intervention for cephalosporins (OR=4.2; IC95%:2.9-6.1; p=0.00001), penicillins (OR=1.9; IC95%:1.2-2.9; p=0.006), quinolones (OR=4.0; IC95%:2.5-6.6; p=0.00001)), macrolides (OR: 4.9 IC95%:3.0-7.9; p= 0,00001 vancomycin (OR=2.2; IC95%:1.2-4.1; p=0.009) and aminoglycosides (OR=2.1; IC95%:1.3-3.3; p=0.002). Conclusions: Educational interventions for health professionals can improve knowledge when designed to target specific topics, including appropriate antibiotic prescribing practices in health centers. These findings reflect the need to initiate a re-certification process for Dominican physicians, which may impact the quality of attention for the users of health services in the DR.Introducción: La tendencia en el aumento de las prácticas de recetar antibióticos ha sido asociada con altos costos en salud y resistencia antimicrobiana. El presente estudio examinó las prácticas adecuadas o inapropiadas de recetar antibióticos, antes y después de una intervención educativa, en una población de profesionales de salud quienes laboraban en centros de salud públicos y privados de la República Dominicana (RD). Métodos: Se trata de un estudio cuasi-experimental, mediante el cual se evaluaron las respuestas de los profesionales de la salud que llenaron un formulario desarrollado por la Alianza para el Uso Prudente de Antibióticos (APUA) que incluía, entre otros aspectos, situaciones relacionadas con el uso de antimicrobianos. Este formulario fue llenado por los mismos profesionales de la salud antes (n=525) y después (n=364) de su participación en una intervención educativa. La recolección de datos inicial (línea de base) se realizó desde agosto del año 2006 hasta febrero del año 2007, mientras que la intervención educativa y el llenado del formulario post intervención se llevó a cabo durante el periodo marzo-agosto del año 2008. El análisis estadístico incluyó el cálculo de proporciones simples, tasas de razones cruzadas (odds ratio) con sus respectivos intervalos de confianza al 95% (IC95%). El error alfa se estableció en 0.05. Resultados: Las respuestas post-intervención educativa mostraron una mejoría significativa en la comprensión de situaciones específicas que ameritan el uso de cefalosporinas, penicilinas, macrólidos, quinolinas, vancomicina y aminoglucósidos en comparación con lo informado en la línea de base. En este sentido, los médicos fueron más proclives a responder de manera errónea en la línea de base que post-intervención educativa en cuanto al uso de cefalosporinas (OR=4.2; IC95%:2.9-6.1; p=0.00001), penicilinas (OR=1.9; IC95%:1.2-2.9; p=0.006), macrólidos (OR=4.9; IC95%:3.0-7.9; p=0.00001), quinolonas (OR=4.0; IC95%:2.5-6.6; p=0.00001), vancomicina (OR=2.2; IC95%:1.2-4.1; p=0.009) y aminoglucósidos (OR=2.1; IC95%:1.3- 3.3; p=0.002). Conclusiones: Los resultados del estudio sugieren que las intervenciones educativas sobre el uso apropiado de los antibióticos en los profesionales de salud pueden mejorar el conocimiento médico cuando las mismas abordan temas específicos relacionados con situaciones que ocurren en su práctica diaria. Los hallazgos orientan a recomendar la necesidad de iniciar un proceso de re-certificación en el personal de salud de la RD que permita optimizar la calidad de la atención de los usuarios que acuden a los servicios de salud de ese país

Nickel–zeolite composite catalysts with metal nanoparticles selectively encapsulated in the zeolite micropores

International audienc