Now that all the handwringing has led to an international protocol, however, the issue is no longer in the public eye. For additional commentary, see Stratospheric Ozone . Chemicals, radiation, and asbestos all exhibit a threshold below which health risks are negligible. What is more, there is a natural background of these substances that cannot be removed by regulation. For related commentary, see Radiation Exposure , Asbestos and Risk Assessment.
Markets can then determine the price and handle the allocation of the resource.
Unfortunately, there are many institutional problems that impede rational management, especially for water and fisheries, traditionally resources held in common. For related commentary, see Natural Resource Management . Scientific evidence based on observed facts is being subordinated to speculative theory and unverified computer models. Scientific debate is being replaced by pressure to conform to a new orthodoxy, reinforced by the control of research funds by governmental agencies. Particularly disturbing is the increasing evidence that this funding biases even scientific organizations and university science faculties.