User:Kasperi Juntunen

Homework 1

1. What is the main purpose of environmental health assessment?

The main purpose of environmental health assessment is to apply information which is provided by environmental researches, to make models and calculations how decisions and actions affect to human health and nature. Environmental health assessment is done to support policy making and to ensure that decisions are knowledge-based and that the outcome is wanted.

2. What is pragmatism?

Pragmatism is that theory and practice are not considered as two different entities but instead we have to think decisions and practices and think if they are sensible. Therefore theory and practice are intertwined.

3. What is benefit-risk assessment?

Benefit-risk assessment is needed when benefits of the decision are not so clearly bigger that risk. Benefit-risk assessment is needed to clear the situation and to weight the benefits and risk that decisions can be made.

Homework 3 (Niklas Holopainen, Kasperi Juntunen)

Scope

Talvivaara mining company has been mentioned lately in news several times. They have had problems with environmental issues.

Question

Does waste waters of Talvivaara cause environmental hazard?

Intended use and users

Ministry of environment, representers of Talvivaara company, citizens living nearby Talvivaara, environmental organizations

Participants

Representers of Talvivaara, representers of environmental organizations, especially neutral researchers and specialists

Scenarios

In this present situation the best option would be to close the mine because of so many environmental problems and their impacts to citizens health. Let assume that leak of the waste water pool was the biggest estimation, because we want to see biological and environmental effects. If effects of the leak are significant, actions have to be made, like improve waste water processing and security cautions

Analyses

Analysis of biological impacts, health analysis, risk assessment, questionnaires to citizens, economical and financial evaluations.

Answer

Results

Talvivaara mine has major environmental problems and there are also some prove of health impacts to the citizens.

Conclusion

The mine should make some major improvements environmental things, for example to the waste water processing. If the improvements aren’t done, they should consider to close the mine.

Rationale

Endpoints

• Citizens, The mining company, Ministry of environment, environmental organizations.
• Citizens are interested in their health and biological impacts. They do not care about costs of mining company. Ministry of environment is interested in economical and environmental issues. Mining company is interested in their own economical issues and business. Environmental organizations are interested in environmental issues.

Variables

• The environmental hazard should be researched by biological and human health analysis. The state of mining company as employer in that area.
• • In this case emissions to lakes should be considered, because they affects to citizens by spoiling the groundwater. The effects of spoiled groundwater to citizen’s health should be considered.