Researcher(s):
Daphne Yuen Perri Pond Kara Scherer
ENVS course(s): 330 Initiated: March 2016 Completed: April 2016 Go to project site
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Framing Question: How does the perception of risk influence policy making?
Focus Question: To what extent did the perceptions, realities, and risks associated with imidacloprid application inform policymakers’ decision to withdraw the imidacloprid permit in Willapa Bay?
The rise of pesticide use has long been a controversial issue, especially in policymaking. Imidacloprid use, a pesticide used in agriculture, has recently sparked a lot of public outcry, due to its association with the idea of it being a neurotoxin, though only to invertebrates. The current issues with imidacloprid highlight the disconnect between perceptions and realities associated with pesticide use. With many scientific studies performed but no conclusive results, consumers are skeptical and therefore less likely to accept the associated risks.
Our project examines the controversy around the issue and subsequent withdrawal of a permit to use imidacloprid on oyster beds in Willapa Bay, Washington. We analyzed the economic and ecological realities (published or agreed upon facts) by examining ecological research about imidacloprid use in Willapa Bay and interviewed oyster farmers about the economic realities, including oyster distribution facts We then compared this to the public perceptions surrounding this issue by performing a rhetorical analysis on public comments posted on social media via Voyant Tools. We then compared the perceptions to the realities, and noted any match ups or mismatches in these two realms.