Crichton: Science or Politics ?

While not the purpose of this site to promote popular media, a new book by Michael Crichton - States of Fear: Science or Politics - promises to address topics of particular interest to viewers of this site. The announcement of a November 15, 2005 Crichton presentation and ensuing panel discussion asks:  "Is environmental debate today, including global warming, bio-technology, and other issues, based on science or politics? Are popular accounts of such issues rooted in science or phantom risks? Are government policies focusing on the trivial while ignoring the real, and in the process wasting limited resources, crippling human innovation to address true dangers, and inviting tyranny?"  The suggestion is made that Crichton's book is a landmark, cautionary and prophetic.  One also needs to be reminded that within prevailing US regulatory structure, many issues of environmental import can be addressed at the sole discretion of the EPA Administrator based on his/her perception of "meaningful opportunity for health risk reduction."