Agriculture and the environment : searching for greener pastures /

Very few books on the environment are written objectively; this volume is no exception. It promotes the conservative point of view and contains papers commissioned at a 1999 conference organized by the Political Economy Research Center (PERC) and the Hoover Institution. Chapters discuss the availability of agricultural land in the US; the growth of land trusts; land taxation; urban sprawl and the conversion of agricultural land; chemical use in agriculture; genetically engineered products; the Endangered Species Act; and water rights and allocations and agricultural implications. The editors assume that readers have prior knowledge of the subjects and present little background information. The book is written for readers who agree with the authors' positions. Many statements throughout are unsubstantiated by scientific research. For example, the controversy over the pesticide Alar is discussed but without references to the scientific literature. This volume is recommended because it provides inexpensive balance to environmental collections needing materials with a conservative viewpoint. Graduate students; faculty. K. Fescemyer Pennsylvania State University, University Park Campus