AN ANALYSIS OF STATE PESTICIDE DRIFT LAWS REVISITED

摘要

Whether the various state laws governing pesticide drift have at least in part achieved their objectives of reducing human exposure and threats to the environment since the author last addressed this topic~1 is a fascinating research question. Unfortunately there has been no research over the past decade that has tested this hypothesis. Such research is costly and inherently difficult to conduct. There is no natural constituency that would support funding for research. Grants are generally made to address perceived problems, not to demonstrate that existing systems are achieving positive results (a form of publication bias). Indeed, given the polarization the subject has generated, any researcher that objectively addressed the question would likelybe attacked from some quarters for suggesting any improvement, and from other quarters for suggesting that major problems remain - hardly a secure route to either tenure or future funding.