He makes a strong case for it here in this opinion piece in the globeandmail.com: Handling of the listeriosis outbreak is a disgrace. Regardless of whether or not you agree with him, he raises some good points. In particular:
“Whether it’s water, food or infectious diseases, the principles are the same: You need to invest in public health infrastructure, particularly in good people; you need to value prevention, not just pay lip service; when threats to public health occur, you need to act forcefully and communicate well.”
I would argue that we need to go further: people need to understand the costs and risks of the way we live as clearly as we can. Whether it is the food we eat, the air we breathe, or the planet we inhabit. The good news is that we are getting better at coming to this understanding, when we put ourselves to the task. The bad news is, we have a way to go. In some cases, a long way to go.
Smart People I Know 