What is risk?
Class 1. January 10. Risk, uncertainty, and probability: A discussion of central concepts. Models.
Class 2. January 15. Mercury risk assessment introduction. Also reference dose, benchmark dose, and more on models
Risk assessment: A brief introduction
Class 3. January 17. The Red book & risk assessment, management and communication. We will also discuss the tuna fish question that we did not get to in the previous class. Also look at: Figure illustrating the concept of a benchmark dose, benchmark dose for MeHg & Dose-response curve for methylmercury
Class 4. January 22. Weak statutes/strong case law.
Class 5. January 24. Comparion of public health and endangered species risk assessments.
Class 6. January 29. How risk assessment arises in federal environmental and health statutes. Use of risk assessments as a tool in federal regulatory policy. Vinyl chloride case.
Class 7. January 31 OMB's Proposed Risk Assessment Bulletin: Science and Policy
Class 9. February 7. Asking the right questions. Statistical models. Impediments to science. Also, initial discussion of Heinzerling and Steinzor paper.
Class 10. February 12. Errors in scientific data.
Class 11. February 14. Good research design
Class 12. February 19. Correlation and causation
Class 13. February 21. The Schyelles study Bad research design? Or not? Conflict and the corruption of science
Class 14. February 26. Mercury hot spots
Class 15. February 28. Perceived and actual risk are not the same.
March 4. No class. Town Meeting Day.
Class 16. March 6. Perception of financial risk
Spring recess. March 8-16
Class 17. March 18. Risk communication in-class exercise & How institutions manage and make decisions about risk.
Class 18. March 20. Continue discussion of readings from March 18th class, and do risk communication exercise.
Class 19. March 25. Clean Air Act overview (Prof. Mike Harris)
Class 20. March 27. Clean Air Mercury Rule and CAA Sections 111 and 112 (Prof. Mike Harris)
Class 21. April 1. Institutions for managing and reducing risk.
Class 22. April 3. Mercury economics
Class 23. April 8 More on cost-benefit analysis.
Class 24. April 10 Technology based regulation & Comparison of mercury claims
Class 25. April 15 Mercury control technology: What can we realistically accomplish?
Class 26. April 17. Further discussion of comparitive analysis of institutions
Class 27. April 22. Thimerosal case study
Class 28. April 24. Childhood mortality in developing countries and thimerosal-containing vaccines
Final Exam. Tuesday, May 6 2-5pm.