Rising to the Kyoto challenge: is the response of Canadian industry adequate?

A major weapon in Canada's CO2-emissions reduction arsenal is reliance on moral suasion and voluntary action. In this regard, the Voluntary Challenge and Registry (VCR) program constitutes a major effort to encourage industrial firms to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. In this paper, we begin by providing a critical review of Canadian climate change policy and Canada's international commitments. We then investigate the effectiveness of Canadian policies by analyzing a survey of industrial firms, examining factors that determine firms' familiarity with, participation in and commitment to the VCR program, and their stated potential to reduce emissions by 2008-2012 (Kyoto's commitment period). Results indicate that voluntary programs are unlikely to make a significant contribution to emissions reduction, with industrial firms indicating that, on average, they plan to reduce emissions by some 1-2% below their 1990 level under the current policy approach, much lower than Canada's 6% reduction target.

Toxic chemical regulation in Canada: preliminary estimates of costs and benefits.

This paper makes an assessment of the impact of toxic chemical regulation in Canada. Ranges of costs and benefits, supplemented by survey information, analogous American data, interviews and case studies have been used to demonstrate the general usefulness of a cost-benefit framework for public sector decision-making even where information availability is constrained and complete analysis is not feasible. It is concluded that, with few exceptions, the impact of environmental regulation on chemical producers in Canada is neither excessive nor unduly onerous.

Clinical styles and motivation: a study of laboratory test use.

The study reported in this paper examines clinical reasoning styles with a focus on laboratory utilization. A stratified sample of 80 physicians participated in the solution of a simulated patient management problem. The analysis focuses on variation in the portfolio of laboratory tests ordered as a function of practice setting (e,g., physicians in practice versus physicians in training). The study also examines the response of physicians to the imposition of constraints on ordering, as well as behavior, when unlimited ordering capacity is provided. Overall, the data profiles emerging from the analysis indicate the variety inherent in physician decision-making strategies, and point to the necessity of employing a cautious and flexible approach toward any general scheme of constraints upon medical diagnostic procedures;

Measuring of the quality of health care: a decision oriented typology.

Numerous methodologies have been devised to measure various aspects of the quality of health care. Revised bibliographies of articles of articles reporting these methodologies are made available periodically. This paper is an attempt to devise a use ful framework for cataloguing these methods in order that health care planners and administrators can readily assess the means available to quantify aspects of health care under their scrutiny. A decision tree is presented for the decision maker to follow through according to his requirements, and a discussion presents a brief summary of the methods in each particular category. Gaps indicating the need for further research are identified.

Health service marketing: a suggested model.

PIP: Focus is on social marketing in a health context, and attention is directed to the development of a psychosocial model of health-related behavior with emphasis on developing countries. Each component of the model is identified and defined, with some of the interactions among its components noted. There are both advantages and limitations to using the model in a social marketing context. The model's primary contribution at this stage of its development is in structuring and organizing diverse sources of knowledge and data. New relationships are suggested which were not previously considered in the literature. The relationship between risk-taking and perceived susceptibility is 1 example. The model also provides a basis for simulating health processes, providing a testing ground for health policies before their actual implementation. The model's perspective is uniquely appropriate for the development of social marketing strategies, and it promises to encompass health market behavior in various cultural settings.^ieng