How the Government Got in Your Backyard
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biofuel’s impact on, 101–102, 111, 113
chemical residues in, 51, 54, 64–65, 67–73
ensuring adequate, 69, 89–90, 139
prevalence of GMOs, 117
reliance on nonnative foods, 150
foreign oil dependency, 105, 108, 110–111, 216
fossil fuels
biofuels vs., 101, 110–111
and carbon dioxide emissions, 198–199, 216
dependency on, 98, 105, 108, 110
food production’s use of, 51–53, 101
oil crisis (1970s), 104–105
rising cost, 103
Freedom to Farm Act, 91
free market adherents, 94, 96–97, 109, 110
frogs, 63–66
fruit growing, 37–38, 40, 53, 60, 64–65, 68–69
fungicides, 37, 52, 58, 59–60, 64, 67
gene guns, 115–116
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), 124
genetic engineering (GE), 114–133
benefits of, 117–118
bottom line, 132–133
concerns about, 16–17, 117–122
export bans, 123–125
government policy, 47, 122–125
lack of food labeling, 122–123, 125–126, 130–131, 133
natural selection and, 120–121, 132
pesticide use and, 118, 121–122, 128–129, 131, 132
policy options/ratings, 127–131
political dynamics, 14, 125–127
prevalence in food supply, 117
science behind, 114–117
superweeds, 120–121, 123, 128
“terminator” seeds, 127
utility patents on plants, 135, 141, 146–149
geothermal power, 103, 104, 106, 112
global warming, 196–216
bottom line, 215–216
email hacking incident, 29
government policy, 203–206
policy options/ratings, 211–215
political dynamics of, 15, 20–21, 206–211
scientific debate on, 27, 196–201, 211–212, 215–216
technology proposed to combat, 215
Gore, Al, 20
government, role of, 17–19
government subsidies, 19, 89–91, 96–97, 107–111, 113
grafted plants, 116
grass restrictions. See yard restrictions
greenhouse gas emissions. See also carbon dioxide
biofuels and, 101
and global warming debate, 198, 215–216
government policy on, 203–207
policy options to reduce, 213–215
politics around, 207–209
growth hormones in livestock, 40, 41, 49, 117, 124–125, 126
guano harvesting, 38, 52, 82
Gulf of Mexico dead zone, 83–84
Gulf oil spill, 32
Hagar, Donald, 184–185
harm, evidence of, 25
herbicides
control of noxious weeds, 75, 160, 185–186
environmental effects, 63, 65–66
GMO resistance to, 120–121, 132
history of, 58
link to cancer, 27, 62
science of, 59, 60
home gardens, 86, 88, 185, 192–193
homeowners’ association (HOA) restrictions, 18, 189–192
homeowner use of pesticides, 27, 56–57, 63, 64, 74–79
House Committee on Agriculture, 30, 45–46
Howard, Albert, 36, 38
Hudson Institute, 47
human health
GMOs and, 119, 124–125, 129, 130, 132–133
invasive species harming, 159
organic food nutrient content, 39–40, 50–51
pesticides and cancer, 27, 61–63, 67, 69–70, 74–75, 80
stress over pesticide concerns, 65, 80
hybrid vehicles, 106, 112
iboga, 170, 171
illegal drugs, 172–173, 174, 177, 179–183. See also marijuana
Ingham, Elaine, 114
insects
APHIS “pest lists,” 156–157, 161–162
insecticides to control, 35, 58–61, 63–66
threat of invasive, 152, 157–158, 159, 164, 167
transgenic plants and, 121–122, 128–129, 132
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 200, 206, 213
Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act, 205
international dynamics
climate change issues, 203, 204–205, 208–209, 213–214
foreign oil dependency, 105, 108, 110–111, 216
GMOs, 123–125
invasive species, 157–159, 161–165, 167
invasive plants, 150–168
background of debate, 150–152
bottom line, 167–168
definition of, 151
and foreign trade, 157–159, 161–165, 167
government policy, 156–160
and native species protection, 151, 155, 164–166, 168
noxious weed lists, 150, 157, 160
policy options/ratings, 163–167
political dynamics of, 160–163
scientific viewpoint on, 152–156
Invasive Species Act, 159, 162
in vitro meat production, 214
Japanese trade, 123, 125
Jefferson, Thomas, 150, 156
Kac, Eduardo, 129
Kyoto Protocol, 203, 208, 211
land use laws, 187–188, 190, 209
lawns. See yard maintenance;
yard restrictions
LD50 (lethal dose/50 percent), 60–61
left-wing ideology, 17–18, 76, 217
legal and illegal drugs
alcohol use, 175, 176, 180–183
legal and illegal plants, 169–183. See also marijuana
bottom line, 182–183
government policy, 172–175
list of illegal plants, 170, 180
peyote, 175, 179, 182
policy options/ratings, 179–183
political dynamics, 175–179
politicians, drug use by, 176–177
Schedule I drugs, 172–173, 174, 177, 179–183
science of, 171–172
social/racial biases and, 173–174, 175, 180
taxes and, 172, 178, 181
livestock
antibiotics/growth hormones in, 35, 40, 41, 49, 124–125, 126
dairy farming, 40, 42, 49, 117
technological methods to replace, 214
lobbyists, 30–31, 32
local government. See state and local government
locally produced foods, 52–53, 54
magic mushrooms, 170, 171, 181
maple trees, 154, 163
marijuana
benefits of, 169, 171
general legalization of, 177, 178
health problems from chronic use, 170–171
left-/right-wing view of, 18
legislation outlawing, 28, 172–173, 174
medical marijuana, 169–170, 174–180, 182, 183
research curtailed on, 177
as Schedule I drug, 172–173, 174, 177, 183
social biases against, 175, 180
THC in, 169, 181
Marijuana Tax Act, 172
meat exports, 123–125
Meat Inspection Act, 66
milk production, 40, 42, 117
Miller, Loren, 137–138
Million Solar Roofs initiative, 109
mining for fertilizer, 38, 82, 94
Minnesota water pollution laws, 81, 87–88
Mississippi River runoff, 83
Monsanto, 127, 145
National Invasive Species Council (NISC), 159, 162
National Organic Program (NOP), 40, 41, 44, 48–49
National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), 40–41, 46–47
native species promotion, 151, 155, 164–166, 168, 189
natural selection, 120–121, 132
nitrogen
carbon dioxide’s
effect on, 202
natural sources of, 38, 82, 186, 193
synthetic, 37, 82, 94
Nixon, Richard, 16, 26
NOEL (No Observed Effect Level), 62
Non-GMO Project, 131
nonnative species, 137–138, 146, 147, 148, 150, 152
nonpoint source pollution, 86, 91–93, 95
Norway maple, 154, 163
no-till practices, 84, 85, 94, 95, 97, 205–206
noxious weeds, 150–151, 157, 160
Obama, Barack, 50, 179, 204, 211
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), 68
oceans and climate change, 202–203, 212, 216
oil crisis (1970s), 104–105
Oregon land use laws, 188
organic food, 34–55. See also fertilizers in organic farming;
pesticides in organic farming
background of, 34–36
bottom line, 53–55
certification standards, 35–36, 40–44, 46–50, 52–53
cheating and the consequences, 42–44
as elitist, 51, 54
fertilizer and pesticide overview, 37–39
government policy, 40–42
labeling of, 41–42, 48, 133
locally produced, 52–53, 54
nutrient content of, 39–40, 50–51
organic livestock, 35, 40, 41, 49
policy options/ratings, 49–53
political dynamics, 44–49
science behind concept, 36
and sustainability, 35, 49–54
Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA), 40, 45–46
organic livestock, 35, 40, 41, 49
Organic System Plan (OSP), 43
Organic Trade Association, 49
ozone thinning, 196
Palin, Sarah, 20
Pasteur, Louis, 140
Patent Acts, 138, 139, 141
patents. See also plant patents
high-/low-quality, 144
importance of, 143
legislation, 138, 139, 141
politics of biotechnology, 142–145
requirements for, 139–142
patent “trolls,” 144
personal freedoms, 18, 57, 74, 75, 77, 190–193
pesticides, 56–80. See also herbicides
acute toxicity, 60–61
the Alar scare, 44
avoiding use in organic farming, 35, 36, 37, 41, 49–50, 53
banned in Canada, 56–57, 76
bottom line, 79–80
cancer and, 27, 61–63, 67, 69–70, 74–75, 80
chronic toxicity, 61–63
environmental effects, 63–66
genetic engineering and, 118, 121–122, 131, 132
government policy, 66–70, 86
history and dangers of, 57–59
home and yard use, 27, 56–57, 63, 64, 74–79
low dose effects, 64–66, 70, 76
policy options/ratings, 74–79
political dynamics of, 70–73
residues on food, 51, 54, 64–65, 68–73
science of, 59–60
pesticides in organic farming
call to ban all, 55
fraudulent use of, 43–45
residues on food, 38, 51, 54, 64, 77
varied/frequent use, 37–38
peyote, 175, 179, 182
phosphate mining, 38, 52, 82, 94
phosphorus, regulating use of, 81, 84, 87, 88, 95
Pickins, T. Boone, 98
Plant Patent Act, 138–139, 146
plant patents, 134–149
background on, 134–136
biopiracy, 137–138, 146, 148, 149
bottom line, 149
and Certificates of Protection, 139
government policy, 138–139
impact on farmers, 129–130, 144–145, 146, 148
policy options/ratings, 145–149
political dynamics around, 142–145
requirements for, 139–142
science and, 137–138
transgenic organisms, 135, 141
utility patents, 135–136, 137, 139–141, 145–149
Plant Quarantine Act, 156
plants. See also genetic engineering (GE);
invasive plants
legal and illegal plants; plant patents
weeds
biopiracy, 137–138, 146, 148, 149
breeding of, 135–136, 147
grafted, 116
native species protection, 151, 155, 164–166, 168
Plant Variety Protection Act, 135, 137, 139, 146, 148–149
point source pollution, 92–93
polarized politics, 14–17, 19, 210–211
policy institutes, 29
policy-making process, 21–33
abuse of scientific information, 21, 27–29
burden of proof in, 25
business in, 32–33, 218
compromise in, 218–219
environmental policies incompatible with, 24
inherent difficulties in, 17, 19
and the limitations of science, 23–27, 33
lobbyists role in, 30–31, 32
oral culture in, 22, 31
politics continuing after, 46
public role in, 14, 21–22, 31–33, 46, 210, 217–218
sources of information, 29–33
use of scientific information, 21–23, 24, 218
policy options rating system key, 17
political campaign advertising, 31
political dynamics, bipartisan, 14–17, 19, 210–211
pollution. See also water pollution air pollution, 26, 92, 93, 96, 110, 203–204
nonpoint source pollution, 86, 91–93, 95
regulations on, 33, 96, 204
poppies, 170, 171, 181
precautionary principle, 18, 76, 79
prescription for pesticides use, 78–79
Proctor, Larry, 138
Product Verification Program (PVP), 131
property rights movement, 188
property values, 188, 190, 191, 194, 195
Prudente, Joseph, 184
psilocybin mushrooms, 170, 171, 181
public relations campaigns, 28–29
“public use,” 187–188
purple loosestrife, 155–156
racial biases, drug use and, 174, 180
R&D investments, 142–144
Reagan, Ronald and Nancy, 173
reduced tilling practices, 84, 85, 94, 95, 97, 205–206
religious use of drugs, 175, 179, 182
Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS), 105, 205
Republicans, 15–16, 20–21, 210–211
research funding, 29–30, 45, 50
restorationists, 155
ricin, 180, 181
right-wing ideology, 18, 217
rock phosphate mining, 38, 52, 94
Rodale, J. I., 26, 36, 50
Roosevelt, Theodore, 15, 66
Roundup (glyphosate), 63–64, 66, 116, 118, 120–121
runoff, 83–85, 87–88, 94–97
salmon, 66, 117
Salmonella outbreak, 39
Saving the Planet with Pesticides and Plastic (Hudson Institute), 47
Schedule I drugs, 172–173, 174, 177, 179–183
science
applying a standard of harm, 25
factors motivating scientists, 23, 28–29
limitations of, 23–27
in policy-making process, 21–23, 24, 218
political abuse of, 21, 23, 27–29
research funding, 29–30
scope of, 23, 25–26
uncertainty in, 23–24
value judgments outside realm of, 27, 33
seed propagation protection, 135, 139
Seeley, Ralph, 169–170, 171
September 11 attacks, 105, 158
sewage sludge fertilizers, 41, 47
ship transport, invasive species from, 157–159
Silent Spring (Carson), 26, 36, 58–59, 68
small farms, 41–42, 45, 47–48, 90, 97, 124–127
social bias, drug use and, 175, 180
solar power, 98, 103–104, 106, 109, 112
“sound science” movement, 28
soybeans, 100, 102, 119, 123, 129
special interest groups, 22, 30, 46
StarLink, 127
state and local government
air quality standard incentives, 93
climate change policy, 203–206
drug laws and, 172, 175–179
invasive species control, 159–160, 163, 166
land use laws, 187–188, 190, 209
left-/right-wing view of, 18
organic food certification and, 42–45
pesticide regulation, 70, 74, 76–77, 78
Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS), 105, 205
TMDL enforcement, 87, 88–89, 91–92
water regulations, 81, 87–88, 92, 96, 97, 209
yard restrictions, 184–188, 194
subsidies, 19, 89–91, 96–97, 107–111, 113, 204
sugarcane ethanol, 100–101, 109, 111
superweeds, 120–121, 123, 128
sustainable food production
current organic practices as, 14, 35, 38, 49, 51, 52
locally produced foods, 52–53, 54
“sustainably harvested” claims, 41–42, 45
Tallamy, Douglas, 151
taxes
breaks for alternative energy, 104–105, 109
BTU, 108
carbon tax, 213, 214
illegal drugs and, 172, 178, 181
neighborhood restrictions and, 190, 191
right-wing favoring, 19
“terminator” seeds, 127
terrorist threat, 86, 105, 110, 158
THC, 169, 181
think tanks, 29
tidal power, 98, 103, 112
tobacco industry, 24, 28, 175, 180, 183
total maximum daily load (TMDL) calculations, 87, 88–89, 91–92
trade agreements, 124, 161
transgenic plants. See genetic engineering (GE)
transportation biofuels, 99–103, 106, 111–113. See also ethanol
turf breeding, 135–136
2, 4-D (dichlorophenoxyacetic acid), 27, 58, 61, 63, 66, 75, 185–186
underdeveloped countries, 118, 205, 208–209, 210, 212
U.S. Congress
and alternative energy, 104, 106, 107–108
climate change legislation, 203, 204, 210–211
departing from bipartisan cooperation, 16–17
environmental policies/committees of, 24, 30
fighting invasive species, 156, 158–159, 162
marijuana debate, 174, 177
oral culture of, 22
and organic foods, 40, 45–47, 49
and patent law, 143
regulating hazardous chemicals, 69, 70–73, 92
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
advent of food inspections, 66
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), 123, 156–159, 161–163
and organic food, 14, 35–38, 40–44, 46–51, 53, 54, 133
plant certificate protections and, 139
politics of pesticides, 71, 74