The situation in the United States regarding pesticides and plastics is frightening. Neither product is adequately tested, studied, or regulated. The general public is seriously under-informed about the situation, with most completely unaware of the risks they present and the severity and prevalence of their contact with these substances. Federal and state laws and regulations, as well as the institutions designed to implement and enforce environmental regulations, are not equipped to address the severity of the threat posed by pesticides and plastics. However, there are institutions that could be strengthened, streamlined and better funded in order to deal with the dangers of these materials. Pesticides are chemicals designed specifically to destroy life. For much of the 20th century, they were applied liberally and excessively, without any understanding of their permanence in the environment or their effects on non-target species. The standard by which they were measured was their lethality and how long they were effective – the exact factors that make them more harmful to the environment and, potentially, to human health. They enabled the rise of the large American agricultural monoculture and created a paradigm shift, moving from agricultural productivity based on skills to productivity based on the quantity of chemical inputs, both pesticides and fertilizer. The plastic industry flourished later, but has made great strides since the 1950s. Plastic products are now commonplace in every facet of the human landscape. They protect our food, bottle our drinks, are implanted in our bodies, and are incorporated into many of the products we come into contact with every day, including components of our own homes. Their health... middle of document... an example of action would be to dismantle the corn-based subsidy system explained by Pollan and encourage mixed cropping and organic farming to move away from pesticides. Finally, economic factors would be decoupled from safety considerations and companies would not be reimbursed for lost revenue due to the ban on hazardous substances. year in the US pesticide industry. BNET. Business Wire, March 29, 2007. Web. March 3, 2010. .Pollan, Michael. The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print. Wargo, John. Green intelligence: creating environments that protect human health. New Haven, CT: Yale UP, 2006. Print.