Geography 2152F/G Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Crowsnest River, Typography, Love Canal
6 Mar 2018
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After many years of research on public responses to risk, no comprehensive theory exists to explain why apparently minor risk events (as assessed by experts) sometimes produce massive public reactions. These are hazards that are not likely to be serious but typically evoke much public reaction. Canadians take pride in having attractive lawns around their homes and many use lawn care products to maintain them. However, pesticide use for lawn care has become an issue in many communities across canada due to increasing awareness of the potential impact. These are hazards that are known to be relatively more serious but typically evoke little public reaction. According to a consumers union study, eating peanut butter (which contains an average level of 2 parts per billion of aflatoxim) once every 10 days presents a cancer risk of 7 in one million. Small as that may seem, it is higher than the estimate risk of cancer from post pesticides.
