ABSTRACT
Hardly a week passes without a federal or state agency taking some significant action on environmental problems, and those decisions invariably involve a judgment about the risk to human health or ecosystems and what degree of protection is needed. For example, what level of pesticide residue should be allowed in the food we eat? What should be done to reduce our exposure to toxic and hazardous chemicals in the air we breathe and the water we drink? Should the government impose a carbon tax to reduce the nation’s reliance on fossil fuels, and thereby to lower the risk of climate change and prevent its many consequences for human health and well-being? Should it subsidize the development of renewable energy sources for the same reasons? What can cities do to limit urban sprawl and help establish more sustainable and livable communities?
