|
|
Article: Evaluating environmental risks.
- Article from:
- Current Events, a Weekly Reader publication
- Article date:
- September 1, 1991
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1991 Weekly Reader Corp. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Wouldn't it be wonderful if there were a Superman for the environment? He would courageously confront the poisonous chemicals on our planet. He would face up to smog, ozone, acid rain, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide in the air. He'd take care of pesticides and herbicides in the soil and sewage and harmful metals in the water.
He would be very, very busy. But before he could go dashing around, he would have to decide which of the many environmental risks were the most serious. Before he could get into the business of risk management, he'd have to engage in risk assessment.
That's what today's scientists--in real life--are doing. They are trying ...